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1 Hello! ^-^ This is a story about Anna Respighi from Battle
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2 Athletess, easily one of my favorite characters from anything. ^-^
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3 This takes place after the OAV episode where they discover that Anna
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4 is a boy, though it borrows several elements from the tv series, such
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5 as Anna’s lapses into insanity, what happened to her sister, etc. Oh,
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6 and as far as Anna’s roommates names go, I’m not trying to force in
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7 English sounding characters into a Japanese series. The characters
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8 from Battle Athletess are from all over the place, so their
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9 nationalities reflect that. I was simply trying to do the same with
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10 the boys. I really hope you enjoy it. ^-^ If you have the chance,
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11 please e-mail me any feedback you may have. Thanks! ^-^
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12
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13
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14 One Dance Left
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15 by Amazoness Duo
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16 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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17
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18
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19 Looking out the window into the dark emptiness of space, Anna
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20 Respighi had to wonder which was truly emptier, space or herself. She
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21 felt like a brittle shell, having long ago spent the last of her
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22 tears. Her carefully trained athletic body felt weak now, unable to
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23 perform the simplest of tasks like closing the window she was staring
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24 out of. But she didn’t have the will to close it even if she could
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25 muster the strength. Her life felt like it had ended. They were
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26 shipping her off already. They hadn’t listened to her pleas, her
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27 frenzied explanations. They hadn’t cared at all that they would be
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28 taking her away from her only two friends in the entire galaxy. The
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29 headmaster had been all too eager to get rid of her, seeing her as
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30 unfitting alongside his all female students. No matter how much she
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31 cried, how much she tried to dissuade them, her arguments fell on
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32 deaf ears. And now she found herself hurtling away from what she had
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33 come to see as her home, from the two girls that had been closer to
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34 her than mere teammates, from all the hopes and dreams that her
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35 mother had instilled in her from the time that she was a child.
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36 Why hadn’t she listened to her mother? Why hadn’t she been more
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37 careful? Because Akari had told her it would be all right. Because
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38 she said that everyone did it. Shy, introverted Anna had been all too
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39 willing to go along with her friend’s words, not wanting to seem
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40 awkward. The look of shock on Akari’s face was still painfully
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41 emblazoned in her mind. She felt such bitter betrayal at that sight.
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42 Everyone had run away from her, crumbling what little self-esteem she
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43 had managed to garner in her time at the University Satellite. She
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44 had run to Akari for help, but even Akari had reacted terribly to
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45 seeing her. It was a bathing area. She was supposed to go in naked.
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46 Akari had told her so. So why had everyone ran away as if they were
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47 frightened of her? It had hurt Anna so much to see that. Like she was
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48 some sort of monster. Even Akari...
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49 The problem for the lonely yet gorgeous blue haired girl was that
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50 she wasn’t a girl at all. At least not physically. But she hadn’t
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51 known that. Her entire life had been led as a girl. She had always
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52 been raised as one by her mother along with her twin sister. Her
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53 childhood had been one of lace and ribbons, dolls and cooking, all
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54 interspersed with intense training by her mother. Her mother’s dream
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55 was that one of her little girls would one day become the Cosmo
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56 Beauty. That had been a source of rivalry between the twin sisters.
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57 Both wanted nothing more than to please their mother, to win for her,
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58 to fulfill her dreams. Whenever one would achieve in sports and
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59 athletics, they would be praised endlessly, given all the warm
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60 attention their mother could muster. So they had both fought
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61 tirelessly to win their mother’s attention. Until one day back on the
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62 earth training school, their usually friendly rivalry had turned
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63 tragic. Anna had heard her mother telling her more outgoing sister
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64 that the last event to decide which of them, equally matched thus
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65 far, would be going to the University Satellite. Anna's twin, Ellene,
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66 was better at tennis than Anna was and her mother had told her to
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67 win when Ellene began to consider whether or not she should
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68 use her advantage. Anna had been devastated. Ellene would win,
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69 she would receive all of her mother’s praise and attention and her
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70 mother already knew it. She was nothing. She would forever be in her
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71 sister’s shadow, never able to get her mother to truly see her.
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72 Something inside Anna had snapped that day. She wouldn’t let anyone
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73 stand in her way. No one would stop her. Not even her own twin. When
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74 the sisters faced each other that fateful day, that darkness inside
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75 Anna lashed out, and in the end, her sister lay in a coma, making
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76 Anna the winner by default. Yet even then, tasting the madness that
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77 had overcome her, Anna still didn’t have her mother’s attention. Her
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78 mother had left to the hospital with her comatose twin. She hadn’t
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79 been there when Anna had left for space, though Anna had waited till
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80 the last possible second before boarding so that her mother might see
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81 her off.
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82 All of this Anna knew to some extent, though she still didn’t
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83 understand the full implications. Her mind had glossed over how badly
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84 her sister had been hurt, had tried to make up for the fact that her
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85 mother wasn’t there to see her victories and her losses. But what she
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86 hadn’t known was something that had been with her for the entirety of
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87 her life. They had told her there, in the headmaster’s room, not
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88 caring at all for the pain it caused her. She was a boy. That was why
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89 the girl’s in the bathroom had been lacking something of their
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90 anatomy. Or rather, why she had something different. They had
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91 explained to her that her mother had so wanted her daughter to be the
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92 Cosmo Beauty that she had raised Anna as a girl as well, hoping that
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93 one of her twin children would make it that far. This had torn apart
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94 Anna’s small world. A boy? How could she be a boy? She had always
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95 been a girl, had in fact been more feminine than her twin sister. Yet
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96 they didn’t listen to her as she tried to explain this simple fact to
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97 them. They wouldn’t listen to her as she tried unsuccessfully to tell
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98 them that she was, in fact, a female, and that she belonged at the
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99 University Satellite. That damned perverted headmaster had sent her
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100 away, telling her that her athletic record would make her an
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101 excellent student at the boy’s satellite. She had been aghast, unable
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102 to utter a word to the headmaster as he sent her off to pack her
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103 bags. But her mind screamed clearly into the abyss. She didn’t belong
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104 at the boys’ school because she wasn’t a boy.
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105 The blue haired girl had been in a state of shock as she had been
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106 escorted to a shuttle to be shipped off to a boys’ school that she
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107 knew nothing about nor cared to be at. She had grown up wanting to be
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108 the Cosmo Beauty, not whatever the best boy athlete was supposed to
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109 be. How could she get her mother to look at her if she couldn’t even
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110 compete for the prestigious Cosmo Beauty title? Her sister had beaten
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111 her again. She couldn’t even attempt her mother’s dreams now. Her
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112 heart clenched up as the familiar feelings of worthlessness and
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113 despair overtook her once more. But she had no more tears to cry. She
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114 had been crying ever since she had gotten on the shuttle. No more
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115 Kris and her odd yet always comforting ways. No more Akari and her
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116 energetic spirit. Her only two friends, ripped from her without even
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117 so much as a goodbye. But did Akari even care? The girl with the
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118 rabbit eared hair had been just as disturbed by Anna being a boy as
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119 everyone else there. No, Akari probably didn’t care. And Kris
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120 wouldn’t mind as long as she was with Akari. So she was truly all
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121 alone. In a place that she didn’t want to be. Surrounded by boys that
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122 she didn’t understand. It had always been just the three of them, her
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123 mother, her sister, and herself.
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124 Anna burst into tears again, finding that she hadn’t cried all of
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125 her tears after all.
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126
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127 Taking her few bags with her off of the shuttle, Anna slowly walked
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128 down the steps. She had changed out of her girls’ uniform when they
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129 had told her she wasn’t allowed to take it with. She had protested
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130 strenuously, but they wouldn’t let her take it with. The last symbol
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131 of her mother’s dream had been ripped from her clenched fingers. The
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132 woman who had pried it from her fingers had stared at her oddly for
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133 the longest time as she finally walked away, muttering something
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134 about how crazy ‘he’ was. The blue haired girl had barely had the
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135 strength to change into a short, pleated skirt and a button up blouse
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136 with a small tied ribbon before they had taken her off to the shuttle
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137 bay.
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138 Brushing back some blue green hair from her eyes, Anna looked
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139 around the expansive shuttle port. She got several odd looks from
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140 some of the staff servicing the shuttles and the rest of the
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141 equipment, but she tried to ignore it. She just wanted to find out
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142 where her room was so she could hide. ‘Roommates,’ an inner voice
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143 added quickly, ruining even the small solace that idea had held. She
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144 lowered her head miserably as a man approached.
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145 “Anna Respighi?” he asked quizzically, as he looked at the notepad
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146 he held. He looked up at the girl in front of him and down at the
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147 notepad once more. This was certainly awkward. He had thought the boy
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148 merely had a strange name when he’d first received the report that a
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149 new student was being flown in from the girls’ university, presumably
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150 having been sent there by mistake. But upon seeing the new student,
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151 he sure thought the boy looked like a girl as well.
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152 Anna nodded shyly, not looking up as she held her bags tightly. She
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153 could feel the rough material cutting into her palms. Her vision
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154 blurred momentarily, causing her to blink furiously in an attempt to
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155 banish the tears. “Hai...” she said quietly.
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156 The man looked at the new student one last time before turning.
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157 ‘Well, this has to be the strangest student I’ve met yet,’ he thought
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158 to himself. Aloud, he said, “Please come this way. I’ll show you to
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159 your room. We’ll send by some uniforms in a bit after you have a
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160 chance to get settled.” He started walking out the door and down the
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161 hallway, listening for the footsteps to signify that he was being
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162 followed. He nodded in satisfaction as soft footsteps rang out behind
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163 his own. “I took a look at your statistics. It sounds like you’ll be
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164 giving quite a few boys around here a run for their money,” he said
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165 with a smile.
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166 Rubbing her eyes with her palm, Anna took in a shuddering breath
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167 and held it for a moment. “I don’t want to be here...” she whispered
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168 hopelessly. “I... Thank you..” she replied, louder this time. Her
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169 mother had always taught her to be polite. Even if she was shy, she
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170 could still retain that at least.
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171 The two stopped in front of a room very similar to the rooms back
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172 at the female University. A placard was placed near the door,
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173 signifying the occupants. Stahl Ivon, Emmerich Dave, Respighi Anna,
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174 it read in sharp letters. Just looking at it made Anna feel homesick,
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175 remembering a similar placard when she had first found her room at
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176 the girls’ University. And finding it had been no easy task. She
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177 shuddered in remembrance of Mylandah Walder. But Kris had come and
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178 saved both her and Akari. And shortly thereafter she had found out
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179 that they were all roommates. She choked back a sob, her two friends
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180 smiling faces returning unbidden to her mind. Whoever occupied this
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181 room, she didn’t know. And she didn’t want to know. She wanted to be
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182 back with her friends, to be striving for her mother’s dream once
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183 more.
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184 “Good luck, kiddo,” the man said casually as he walked down the
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185 hallway, waving at Anna with his notepad before disappearing into the
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186 maze of corridors.
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187 Anna slumped against the door, sliding down to her knees. The cold
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188 metal seeped into her bare legs as she collapsed onto them. Her bags
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189 fell next to her, standing sentinel in front of the door. A weak sob
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190 escaped her trembling lips as she sat there in a rising storm of
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191 grief. It battered continually at her heart, it’s winds tearing apart
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192 her sail, the waves crashing down around the bow. She was drowning in
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193 agony. Some of the boys walking down the hallway stared at her oddly,
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194 but said nothing, whispering amongst themselves as they gawked at the
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195 new boy. The pretty new boy. Their stares burned her flesh, like the
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196 eyes of hunting jackals or sinister demons. This got her to her feet,
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197 grabbing her bags with shaking hands. Part of her just wanted to
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198 leave the bags, to just get inside and get away from these frightful
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199 beasts. But she knew that all of her pictures and important keepsakes
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200 were inside. She had to take them with.
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201 The door took an eternity to open. Even with 50th century
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202 technology, it was far too slow for Anna. She scraped her arm against
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203 the metal as she pulled herself inside before it was fully open. The
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204 door closed quickly behind her. In the darkness of her new room, her
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205 knees threatened to give out. She so wanted to collapse where she
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206 stood, to wrap the darkness around her like a blanket and try to cry
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207 herself to sleep. ‘Roommates,’ that persistent and sometimes
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208 frightening inner voice repeated. Anna simply nodded, dragging her
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209 bags further into the small dorm.
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210 “Oh, so you’re the new guy? Nice to meet you?” A boy startled the
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211 girl with the sea green hair as he popped up from the couch. He had
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212 messy blond hair and glasses and his right hand was still clutching a
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213 book he had been reading. How he had gotten up to this prestigious
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214 sports university was anyone’s guess. “My name’s Dave. Dave
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215 Emmerich.” He paused as he noticed her skirt and the red ribbon in
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216 her hair. He pulled his glasses up and rubbed at his eyes for a
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217 moment before pulling them back down. There must have been a mistake,
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218 because the boy they were supposed to send in to room with him
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219 couldn’t be this shy looking girl. Of course, there weren’t any girls
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220 around the boys’ University, so seeing one was always a very, very
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221 welcome surprise. Many of the boys’ had started up relationships with
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222 other boys while they were segregated up here in space, as he had
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223 heard happened oftentimes at the girl’s University as well. But that
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224 didn’t mean he wasn’t pleased to see a female member of the species
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225 in his room. In his room. Wow... He quickly ran his fingers through
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226 his blond hair, hoping that he had it in some semblance of order. “I
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227 really hope you haven’t gotten the wrong room, ma’am. I’d be happy to
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228 help you with whatever you could possibly need. Books, directions...
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229 ummm... anything at all.” He nodded quickly, laughing nervously. How
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230 long had it been since he had seen a girl? Two, three months? And
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231 that had just been his sister when he had been about to get shipped
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232 off to the University.
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233 “She’s a boy, you moron,” another voice interrupted, causing Anna
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234 to drop her bags in fright. A silver haired boy with sharp, angular
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235 features stepped out of the shadows. He was soaked with sweat,
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236 obviously having chosen to train in his limited free time. “Either
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237 that or she’s flat as hell.”
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238 “She looks curvy enough to me,” Dave replied conversationally,
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239 adjusting his glasses. His face burned in embarrassment seconds later
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240 as he realized the subject of their discussion was still present. “I
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241 mean... err... Not that I’d be looking or anything..” he supplied
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242 lamely. “Anyway, this is Ivon Stahl. But you can call him Shard. No
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243 one else does, but hey, maybe we can start a nickname for him.”
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244 Ivon sighed, brushing sweat from his brow as he walked past Anna.
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245 “You don’t really think they’d send a girl here, do you, Dave? You’ve
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246 been out in space too long. Those genius brain cells of yours are
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247 starting to misfire.” Grabbing something to drink from the small
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248 kitchen area they had, he turned to take a look at the cute new
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249 arrival. “So you’re a crossdresser?” he asked mildly.
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250 “I’m not a crossdresser!!!” Anna screamed angrily. Her fists
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251 clenched as she turned towards the silver haired boy. The voice
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252 inside of her was trying desperately to break through what few
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253 barricades Anna had against it. Rage, humiliation, and agonizing pain
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rlm@2
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254 accompanied the boy’s words as they echoed again and again in her
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rlm@2
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255 mind. That was so degrading, that she was just dressing up in these
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rlm@2
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256 clothes, that she was anything like the two boys in the room. It was
|
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rlm@2
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257 like she was just some performer, wearing this for thrills, not
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rlm@2
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258 because they were what she felt comfortable in, what she had always
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rlm@2
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259 worn. Tears threatened to spill down her lovely cheeks once more, but
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rlm@2
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260 this time they were tinged with red hot hatred. Hatred for the
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rlm@2
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261 headmaster, for all those that had sent her away from her mother’s
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rlm@2
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262 dream and her only friends. Hatred for this boy who would so
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rlm@2
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263 callously disregard her as obviously not a woman. Hatred for herself
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rlm@2
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264 for not being able to achieve her mother’s attention. She barely
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rlm@2
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265 noticed the blood dripping down to the floor from her cut palms. Her
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rlm@2
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266 fingernails dug deeply into her flesh.
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rlm@2
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267 “Calm down, man. Geez. I’m just wondering what’s up with the
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rlm@2
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268 feminine clothes. Hey, if it’s a fashion statement from the
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rlm@2
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269 Biginners, then that’s good for you.” Ivon put his hand on Anna’s
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rlm@2
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270 shoulder, trying to calm the obviously agitated boy down. He
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rlm@2
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271 immediately wished that he hadn’t. Pain shot through his wrist as
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rlm@2
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272 Anna moved with blinding speed, twisting his wrist as she yanked his
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rlm@2
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273 hand away from her.
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rlm@2
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274 “I AM NOT A CROSSDRESSER!” Anna shouted, holding the silver haired
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rlm@2
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275 boy’s hand in a death grip as her body shook. The pain, the anger all
|
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rlm@2
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276 ate at her, pushing forward in a frenzied path towards freedom. Anna
|
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rlm@2
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277 was usually a very calm, shy, introverted girl. She was very sweet
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rlm@2
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278 and kind, though she always had trouble with people because of her
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rlm@2
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279 shyness. But she could also be very volatile. Sometimes all of that
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rlm@2
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280 pain and anger she held inside was just too much for her and she
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rlm@2
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281 lashed out in a psychotic, maniacal rage. That had brought about her
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rlm@2
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282 sister’s extended hospital visit and the coma she was in after the
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rlm@2
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283 stress of competing with her sister and the knowledge that she
|
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rlm@2
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284 wouldn’t be able to get her mother’s approval had become too much.
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rlm@2
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285 Now Anna was very close to breaking. She had lost her only two
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rlm@2
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286 friends, had been yanked away from her only chance at finally getting
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rlm@2
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287 her mother’s attention, had been told that she wasn’t even a girl,
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rlm@2
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288 and now she was in some strange place all alone with someone telling
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rlm@2
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289 her that she was only a boy in drag. And inside, that angry voice,
|
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rlm@2
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290 that pained, psychotic voice cried out, drowning out Anna’s usually
|
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rlm@2
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291 soft spoken and quiet words. She finally let go of the boy’s hand
|
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rlm@2
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292 just short of breaking it. Grabbing her bags, she stormed back to her
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rlm@2
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293 room, dragging her bags with her.
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rlm@2
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294 Ivon collapsed in pain, clutching his wrist as he fell to the
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rlm@2
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295 floor. His wrist was smeared with the blood from Anna’s palms.
|
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rlm@2
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296 “Fuck... What the hell...” He tried to catch his breath as he watched
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rlm@2
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297 Anna disappear into the free room, the door swishing shut behind her.
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rlm@2
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298
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rlm@2
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299 Several hours later, Anna’s hand shook as she punched in the
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rlm@2
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300 numbers to call her house back on earth. She needed to speak to her
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rlm@2
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301 mother. She needed to know that things would be all right. She
|
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rlm@2
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302 couldn’t handle it here. She didn’t want to be here at all. This was
|
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rlm@2
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303 a boys’ school and she certainly didn’t belong here. The poor,
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rlm@2
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304 frightened girl needed her mother. It had taken her forever to work
|
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rlm@2
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305 up the courage to hurry out of her room to find a communications
|
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rlm@2
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306 system that would let her call Earth. Her two roommates had avoided
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rlm@2
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307 her for some reason, though she couldn’t quite recall why. But it
|
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rlm@2
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308 hardly seemed to matter. She wasn’t good with people. Of course they
|
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rlm@2
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309 wouldn’t like her. And she was too shy to try and get to know them.
|
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rlm@2
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310 Which is why she had been so thrilled to find that she, Kris, and
|
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rlm@2
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311 Akari really had been a team, that they had grown to be friends. Her
|
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rlm@2
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312 only friends. Fresh pain washed over her heart, but she pushed it
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rlm@2
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313 down deep inside of her, unknowingly feeding the pain and anguish
|
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rlm@2
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314 within her, as the communications request was sent.
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rlm@2
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315 “Mama!” Anna said happily, smiling into the communications screen.
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rlm@2
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316 “I’m so sorry! I.. I wanted to talk to you, but they wouldn’t let
|
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rlm@2
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317 me...” The blue green haired girl sniffled as she wiped at her eyes.
|
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rlm@2
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318 “Mama, they sent me away.. They sent me to the boys’ University...
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rlm@2
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319 I’m not a boy, mama... I’m not..” Tears trickled wetly down her
|
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rlm@2
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320 cheeks as she began to cry weakly, leaning against the communications
|
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rlm@2
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321 system.
|
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rlm@2
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322 “Of course you aren’t, honey,” her mother’s voice stated softly.
|
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rlm@2
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323 “You’re my little girl. You’ve always been my little girl. I love
|
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rlm@2
|
324 you, Anna.” The older woman smiled her motherly smile, placing her
|
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rlm@2
|
325 hand on the screen directly where Anna’s was placed miles and miles
|
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rlm@2
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326 away.
|
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rlm@2
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327 “I know... I love you, too, mama... I just... I don’t know what to
|
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rlm@2
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328 do... I can’t win the Cosmo Beauty here.. I don’t want to be here...
|
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rlm@2
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329 I hate this place...” She looked around hatefully at the walls that
|
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rlm@2
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330 surrounded her. She wiped tears away from her blue eyes with her
|
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rlm@2
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331 fingertips. “I want to come home..” she whispered painfully. It was a
|
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rlm@2
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332 relief to finally see her mother, to hear her voice, but the anguish
|
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rlm@2
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333 of the last few hours still weighed heavily on her, dragging her
|
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rlm@2
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334 deeper and deeper into the abyss.
|
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rlm@2
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335 “I’m sorry, honey. You can’t come home yet. Not yet. There’s still
|
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rlm@2
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336 more that you have to do. You still have to become the Cosmo Beauty,”
|
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rlm@2
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337 her mother’s voice replied, as if she were speaking directly to
|
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rlm@2
|
338 Anna’s heart instead of through the communications system.
|
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rlm@2
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339 “But.. Mama, I can’t... I can’t become the Cosmo Beauty from
|
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rlm@2
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340 here... They won’t let me back to the girls’ University because they
|
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rlm@2
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341 all think I’m a boy...” Anna shook her head, tears sparkling through
|
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rlm@2
|
342 the air as she tried to focus past the despair. When she opened her
|
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rlm@2
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343 blue eyes, she could see several crystalline teardrops on the screen
|
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rlm@2
|
344 in front of her. She took a deep, shuddering breath as she watched
|
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rlm@2
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345 her mother.
|
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rlm@2
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346 “I know. But you’ll get your chance, my dear. You just have to keep
|
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rlm@2
|
347 training. You’ll eventually get your chance at Cosmo Beauty. And I
|
|
rlm@2
|
348 know you’ll win, Anna. Because you’re my daughter. And I know how
|
|
rlm@2
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349 strong you are inside. You just have to wait for your chance,” her
|
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rlm@2
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350 mother explained calmly. Her mother’s voice sounded so much like the
|
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rlm@2
|
351 voice inside of her, that angry and pained one. Like she was talking
|
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rlm@2
|
352 to Anna from inside, where the voice was.
|
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rlm@2
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353 Nodding, Anna tried to smile weakly. “Un... You’re right, mama..
|
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rlm@2
|
354 I’ll try to get better... I’ll wait for my chance,” she said softly.
|
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rlm@2
|
355 Her mother was right. Her mother was always right. She wasn’t a boy.
|
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rlm@2
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356 And she would get her chance to be Cosmo Beauty, to win the honor
|
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rlm@2
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357 that her mother so longed for one of her daughters to achieve. ‘My
|
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rlm@2
|
358 sister,’ Anna thought to herself. Was she doing all right? Was she
|
|
rlm@2
|
359 feeling better? From what? What had happened again? A soft, velvety
|
|
rlm@2
|
360 blanket wrapped itself around Anna’s thoughts as she tried
|
|
rlm@2
|
361 desperately to make sense of them. ‘My.. sister?’ Anna thought to
|
|
rlm@2
|
362 herself. But by now, even the emotions behind that thought were gone,
|
|
rlm@2
|
363 wrapped away and swept back into her subconsciousness. Whatever she
|
|
rlm@2
|
364 had been thinking of was gone, and she couldn’t even recall that hand
|
|
rlm@2
|
365 that had gently pulled the thoughts away.
|
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rlm@2
|
366 “You’ll be fine, Anna. I know you will. I’ll be cheering for you in
|
|
rlm@2
|
367 ever event, honey. Do your best for me,” her mother finished, smiling
|
|
rlm@2
|
368 brightly.
|
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rlm@2
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369 Anna nodded, determination gleaming in her still bloodshot eyes. “I
|
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rlm@2
|
370 will, I promise, mama! I’ll win for you. Please watch me. I’ll win
|
|
rlm@2
|
371 everything for you,” Anna promised, desperate for her mother’s divine
|
|
rlm@2
|
372 attention, that which she had striven her entire live for. With that,
|
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rlm@2
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373 the monitor blinked out and her mother was gone. But what Anna failed
|
|
rlm@2
|
374 to notice was that her mother had never been there at all. Her mother
|
|
rlm@2
|
375 was still at the hospital with her sister, keeping an eye on the
|
|
rlm@2
|
376 comatose girl in the hopes that she would recover. What Anna had just
|
|
rlm@2
|
377 spoken with was her own inner voice, the person she was talking to
|
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rlm@2
|
378 merely a product of her own mind. But the sea green haired girl
|
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rlm@2
|
379 walked off feeling happier nonetheless, still believing that her
|
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rlm@2
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380 mother would be watching her as she continued to train.
|
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rlm@2
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381
|
|
rlm@2
|
382 “I thought you would know Kris-san’s heart by now, Akari-san,” Anna
|
|
rlm@2
|
383 said, giggling softly at her friend’s embarrassment. It was the
|
|
rlm@2
|
384 tournament between the boys’ University and the girls’ University and
|
|
rlm@2
|
385 she had just been in a very close match with Akari. The match had
|
|
rlm@2
|
386 taught her quite a bit. No matter how much one trained, there was a
|
|
rlm@2
|
387 certain amount of will, or heart, that went into it. It was something
|
|
rlm@2
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388 she would have to understand more clearly if she could ever stand a
|
|
rlm@2
|
389 chance at the title of Cosmo Beauty. Of course, she would have to get
|
|
rlm@2
|
390 out of the boys’ University first. “You had Kris-san’s heart with
|
|
rlm@2
|
391 you, so there was no way you could lose,” Anna continued. She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
392 wearing the boys’ uniform and her hair wasn’t in its usual single
|
|
rlm@2
|
393 pigtail style. Akari, on the other hand, was in a very skimpy outfit
|
|
rlm@2
|
394 that was supposed to wreak havoc on the male players playing against
|
|
rlm@2
|
395 the girls’ team. The boys’ headmaster had foreseen this, though, and
|
|
rlm@2
|
396 had prepared by sending in a boy team that consisted of two
|
|
rlm@2
|
397 homosexual boys and Anna herself, three people who wouldn’t be
|
|
rlm@2
|
398 bothered by the skimpy outfits in front of them.
|
|
rlm@2
|
399 “Anna-chan...” Akari said in obvious embarrassment. But she looked
|
|
rlm@2
|
400 secretly pleased at the thought of having Kris’s heart near her own.
|
|
rlm@2
|
401 She and Kris had grown even closer as of late and although the idea
|
|
rlm@2
|
402 of falling in love with the other girl was definitely disconcerting
|
|
rlm@2
|
403 for her, it was a very pleasant topsy turvy feeling that accompanied
|
|
rlm@2
|
404 it. Almost like getting off a carousel on a bright and sunny day. But
|
|
rlm@2
|
405 she quickly pushed away her discomfort at Anna’s words, happy to see
|
|
rlm@2
|
406 her friend again, even if she was dressed up in boys’ clothes this
|
|
rlm@2
|
407 time around. “How are you? It’s not the same without you here. We
|
|
rlm@2
|
408 were a team, so it doesn’t seem right continuing on towards the Cosmo
|
|
rlm@2
|
409 Beauty without you.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
410 Anna felt a painful stab in her heart at Akari’s words. Oh, how she
|
|
rlm@2
|
411 longed to be there with Akari and Kris once more, eagerly straining
|
|
rlm@2
|
412 for the greatest title a girl could ever hope to be granted. Anna
|
|
rlm@2
|
413 smiled a little sadly. “I really miss you two. You were the best
|
|
rlm@2
|
414 friends I ever had. I wish I could come back for good, but we have to
|
|
rlm@2
|
415 leave again when the Universities separate.” She sighed, brushing
|
|
rlm@2
|
416 back blue green hair from her misty eyes. “But I’m fine. My roommates
|
|
rlm@2
|
417 are nice, I guess. And I’ve been trying my hardest in all of the
|
|
rlm@2
|
418 events.” She didn’t continue past that, only hoping that that would
|
|
rlm@2
|
419 be enough for Akari. Truth be told, her only friend at the boys’
|
|
rlm@2
|
420 school was the headmaster’s pet dog. And she couldn’t tell which
|
|
rlm@2
|
421 headmaster she hated the most, the slave driver at the boys’
|
|
rlm@2
|
422 University or the perverted one at the girls’ school who wouldn’t let
|
|
rlm@2
|
423 her stay just because of what happened to be between her legs. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
424 blinked in surprise. Well, maybe she knew which one she hated more
|
|
rlm@2
|
425 after all. She hated the pervert infinitely worse. Rage bubbled
|
|
rlm@2
|
426 simply at the sight of the smirking bastard. Her fists clenched in
|
|
rlm@2
|
427 anger as she watched him smugly feeling up female students with his
|
|
rlm@2
|
428 eyes. She didn’t know if she felt like bursting into tears or tearing
|
|
rlm@2
|
429 out his throat. ‘Kill him,’ that inner voice whispered seductively
|
|
rlm@2
|
430 into her ear. ‘Tear him apart.’ “Mama...” she whispered, holding her
|
|
rlm@2
|
431 head as she tried to think straight. She had already injured a boy in
|
|
rlm@2
|
432 one of the final rounds of the boys’ University’s program. She was a
|
|
rlm@2
|
433 much better athlete when her dark side was unleashed, but it
|
|
rlm@2
|
434 frightened her. There was almost a limitless amount of strength at
|
|
rlm@2
|
435 her call when she snapped, but she always found herself lost, barely
|
|
rlm@2
|
436 noticing what happened while she was in that state. She didn’t even
|
|
rlm@2
|
437 remember hurting the boy, only knowing what Dave had told her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
438 “Anna-chan?” Akari asked worriedly. The bluish haired girl looked
|
|
rlm@2
|
439 so out of it, like she was grappling with some inner demon. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
440 hadn’t seen or heard from Anna since she had been transferred and she
|
|
rlm@2
|
441 was concerned about how the shy girl was coping.
|
|
rlm@2
|
442 “Are you all right, Anna-chan?” Kris reached the group quickly, her
|
|
rlm@2
|
443 face marked with concern as she watched the fragile girl in front of
|
|
rlm@2
|
444 her. She reached out, gently pushing away some of Anna’s hair from
|
|
rlm@2
|
445 her face.
|
|
rlm@2
|
446 Slowly looking up, Anna looked from Akari to Kris, the concerned
|
|
rlm@2
|
447 faces of her friends watching her intently. Just seeing them both
|
|
rlm@2
|
448 made her feel more at ease. She smiled softly and stood up straight.
|
|
rlm@2
|
449 She bowed to Kris, nodding. “Hai, I’m fine, Kris-san. I just didn’t
|
|
rlm@2
|
450 get much sleep last night. I was very eager to see the two of you
|
|
rlm@2
|
451 again.” Her smile brightened visibly as she looked from one to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
452 other.
|
|
rlm@2
|
453 Kris laughed, grinning. “We missed you, too, Anna-chan. It’s good
|
|
rlm@2
|
454 to see you back.” She hugged the smaller girl tightly, surprising
|
|
rlm@2
|
455 Anna. “It doesn’t matter how far I get in the competition. I’ll
|
|
rlm@2
|
456 always remember this for the experiences it has given me. Meeting you
|
|
rlm@2
|
457 was one of them, Anna-chan. I’ll always treasure our friendship.
|
|
rlm@2
|
458 Thank you so much for giving me that token. That’s much more valuable
|
|
rlm@2
|
459 than any trophy or title.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
460 Anna shyly hugged back, feeling genuinely happy for the first time
|
|
rlm@2
|
461 since she had been transferred away from her friends. It felt so nice
|
|
rlm@2
|
462 to know that someone cared about her, to feel her friends near.
|
|
rlm@2
|
463 Seconds later, she felt Akari’s arms wrap around her as well. A
|
|
rlm@2
|
464 peaceful sigh escaped her lips. There was no anger, no pain to bother
|
|
rlm@2
|
465 her now. It was locked away, deep inside. Hot tears trickled slowly
|
|
rlm@2
|
466 down her cheeks as felt the group hug. So they hadn’t forgotten her
|
|
rlm@2
|
467 after all. They still cared about her. They were still her friends.
|
|
rlm@2
|
468 Her very best friends. When it finally ended, she quickly wiped at
|
|
rlm@2
|
469 her eyes, smiling brilliantly. “Thank you both so much. I’ll always
|
|
rlm@2
|
470 remember you both, no matter where we wind up.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
471 Returning the smile, Akari laughed. “It’s a small universe. We’ll
|
|
rlm@2
|
472 see each other again. We have to. Because we’ll always be friends.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
473 Nodding, Kris wiped away one of Anna’s tears. She held it on the
|
|
rlm@2
|
474 tip of her finger for a long moment, contemplating it. Anna
|
|
rlm@2
|
475 sweatdropped as the taller girl licked the teardrop away. “So that
|
|
rlm@2
|
476 we’ll always share in each others’ pain and joy, wherever we may go.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
477 Anna lunged forwards, hugging the taller woman and then Akari
|
|
rlm@2
|
478 again. She clasped her hands in front of herself, looking from one to
|
|
rlm@2
|
479 the other. There was so much she wanted to say to them, to tell them
|
|
rlm@2
|
480 how important their friendship was to her, but her shyness was a
|
|
rlm@2
|
481 difficult hurdle to cross. “Akari-chan, thank you for being my
|
|
rlm@2
|
482 friend. You helped me understand how important your heart and soul
|
|
rlm@2
|
483 are even in sports. And Kris-san, I had a lot of fun reading manga
|
|
rlm@2
|
484 with you and watching you try my cooking. You taught me a lot about
|
|
rlm@2
|
485 the Biginners and about friendship. Thank you both.” She bowed
|
|
rlm@2
|
486 quickly to the two of them as the final call came for the boys to
|
|
rlm@2
|
487 return. She took a few hurried steps away. “I’ll never forget you!!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
488 Without looking back, Anna ran off, blinking through a haze of tears.
|
|
rlm@2
|
489
|
|
rlm@2
|
490 The new school year had started at the University Satellite and
|
|
rlm@2
|
491 Akari Kanzaki was the reigning Cosmo Beauty. She had returned for the
|
|
rlm@2
|
492 new year, thrilled at the prospect of once again returning to this
|
|
rlm@2
|
493 place of fond memories and the heart and soul she had thrown into
|
|
rlm@2
|
494 everything while she had been there. Friends and enemies, joy and
|
|
rlm@2
|
495 heartache, it had all happened here. She had even received her first
|
|
rlm@2
|
496 kiss at the Satellite. Blushing deeply, she recalled Kris’s tender
|
|
rlm@2
|
497 lisp against her own. They had stayed together all that night, not
|
|
rlm@2
|
498 wanting to leave each other’s side. It had been so painful to know
|
|
rlm@2
|
499 that they would soon be parting. Akari had grown to need Kris, to
|
|
rlm@2
|
500 need her presence. The taller woman made her heart beat quicker, made
|
|
rlm@2
|
501 her soul soar. She made her reach further and fly higher than she
|
|
rlm@2
|
502 possibly could on her own.
|
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rlm@2
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503 There had been so much tension back them. Akari had been so
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rlm@2
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504 embarrassed about her twisted feelings for the other girl and how
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rlm@2
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505 Kris acted around her. But she couldn’t deny her feelings on that
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rlm@2
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506 last night, as they kissed amidst starlight. She hadn’t quite
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rlm@2
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507 understood what her feelings were at the time, but in the time they
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rlm@2
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508 had been apart, she came to realize that she loved Kris. As Anna had
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rlm@2
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509 said long ago, their hearts were entwined. Even apart, Akari could
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rlm@2
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510 feel Kris’s heart singing their song. Which is why she had hurried
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rlm@2
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511 back, taking the first shuttle she could upon learning that Kris had
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rlm@2
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512 returned to the University Satellite. She had nearly flown to the
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rlm@2
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513 moon to see the tall woman, her need to explain her feelings, to be
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rlm@2
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514 in Kris’s arms almost unbearable. The only thing that had kept her
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rlm@2
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515 from going insane was the help of her best friend, Ichino. Without
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rlm@2
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516 her, Akari would never have been able to survive their time apart.
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rlm@2
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517 And now Ichino had managed to get to the Satellite as well. So many
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rlm@2
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518 returning faces. Jessie, Mylandah, Lahrri, Tanya, Kris, Ichino. There
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rlm@2
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519 was only one person that remained absent, leaving a small hole in
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rlm@2
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520 Akari’s heart.
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rlm@2
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521 A sudden glimpse of blue in the crowd of students caught her
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rlm@2
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522 eye. Pausing after a moment’s hesitation, the brunette turned around
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rlm@2
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523 and scanned the crowd. She was probably just imagining things. There
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rlm@2
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524 was no way Anna could be here. She would be at the boys’ University,
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rlm@2
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525 wouldn’t she? But there it was again, that same flash of sea green in
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rlm@2
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526 the crowd. Akari hurried past the new students, struggling past to
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rlm@2
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527 reach the girl she finally spotted. “Anna-chan!! Anna-chan!” she
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rlm@2
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528 called out, waving in excitement. The girl looked around curiously,
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rlm@2
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529 her eyes settling on Akari as the brunette rushed up and hugged her.
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rlm@2
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530 “Anna-chan!! I’m so happy to see you!”
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rlm@2
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531 The girl blinked in confusion, looking at Akari as if she had gone
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rlm@2
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532 mad. “Anna-chan?” She paused for a moment before smiling. “You must
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rlm@2
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533 be Kanzaki Akari-san! You’re the whole reason I’m here. Well, your
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rlm@2
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534 mother, at any rate. Anna-chan met you last year, didn’t she? I’m her
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rlm@2
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535 sister, Ellene. I finally made it up to the Satellite this year. I’m
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rlm@2
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536 really eager to prove myself. I can’t wait to play against you. I’ve
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rlm@2
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537 been training a lot with my sister during the break just for this.”
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rlm@2
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538 “Oh..” Akari nodded slowly, a little disappointed. This was Anna’s
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rlm@2
|
539 twin sister? So Anna didn’t get to come back to the girls’ University
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rlm@2
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540 after all. She smiled all the same, glad to see that familiar face.
|
|
rlm@2
|
541 “I’ll be happy to train with you sometime if you’d like. I’d love to
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rlm@2
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542 know what Anna-chan’s been up to.”
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rlm@2
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543 Ellene agreed happily. “Sure! I would be thrilled to train
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rlm@2
|
544 with you, Kanzaki-san. And I’d be happy to tell you anything you want
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rlm@2
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545 to know about my sister.”
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rlm@2
|
546 Akari quickly said goodbye to the girl that looked startlingly like
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rlm@2
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547 Anna and hurried towards her own room. It was a little disconcerting
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|
rlm@2
|
548 that Anna had been replaced with her sister, but she was happy about
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|
rlm@2
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549 it even if it was bittersweet. If she was anything like Anna, then it
|
|
rlm@2
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550 would be a pleasure to get to know her.
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rlm@2
|
551 All of Akari’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she saw the woman
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|
rlm@2
|
552 standing ahead of her, ice blue hair framing her beautiful face.
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rlm@2
|
553 “Kris..” she whispered breathlessly. “Kris!!” She ran to the taller
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|
rlm@2
|
554 woman with all of the strength she could muster, reaching her arms
|
|
rlm@2
|
555 almost immediately. Kris reeled back but held on fast. “Oh, Kris, I
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|
rlm@2
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556 missed you so much! You don’t know what it was like..”
|
|
rlm@2
|
557 A smile broke across Kris’s features as she looked down at the
|
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rlm@2
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558 brunette, her hands on her cheeks. “I know, Akari-chan. I felt it
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|
rlm@2
|
559 along with you. I was always there, even if we weren’t side by side.”
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|
rlm@2
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560 In a moment spawned of months of heartache and the loneliness of
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|
rlm@2
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561 constantly imagining the one she loved, Akari pushed up on her
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|
rlm@2
|
562 tiptoes and returned the kiss that Kris had granted her such a long
|
|
rlm@2
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563 time before. That spinning carousel feeling was gone, replaced by a
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|
rlm@2
|
564 crystal clarity that soothed her soul. Her heart was enraptured by
|
|
rlm@2
|
565 the taller girl’s presence, her mind just incredibly relieved to once
|
|
rlm@2
|
566 again be in her arms. “Kris..” she whispered, resting her head on the
|
|
rlm@2
|
567 blue haired woman’s chest as their lips finally parted.
|
|
rlm@2
|
568 “Akari-chan..” Kris said softly, gently stroking Akari’s brunette
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|
rlm@2
|
569 hair. Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath, savoring Akari’s
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|
rlm@2
|
570 scent, her feel, the sound of her breathing. It was all better than
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|
rlm@2
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571 she could possibly have dreamed. “This is why I came back. Akari-
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|
rlm@2
|
572 chan, I want to be by you side. I want us to go through all of this
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rlm@2
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573 together, playing with our hearts side by side.”
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|
rlm@2
|
574 Blushing slightly, Akari nodded eagerly. “That’s what I want, too,
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|
rlm@2
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575 Kris.” Resting her head on Kris’s shoulder, the two women made their
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rlm@2
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576 way back to the dorm that they’d be sharing with a third party
|
|
rlm@2
|
577 member. They were both too absorbed in the moment to bother reading
|
|
rlm@2
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578 the placard. The door whooshed open and they entered, but what met
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|
rlm@2
|
579 Akari’s eyes caught her completely by surprise.
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|
rlm@2
|
580 Ichino was sitting at the table, a large plate in front of her. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
581 was quickly devouring the appetizing platter, obviously enjoying
|
|
rlm@2
|
582 herself. But what surprised Akari more than seeing her best friend in
|
|
rlm@2
|
583 her room was the sight behind the dark haired girl. Anna stood in the
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rlm@2
|
584 small kitchen wearing a cute pink and white apron with frills around
|
|
rlm@2
|
585 the edges, busy cooking for the ‘fastest girl in Japan’. She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
586 humming something to herself, completely in her element and seeming
|
|
rlm@2
|
587 to enjoy herself just as much as Ichino was.
|
|
rlm@2
|
588 “Hey, Akari-chan!” Ichino said after choking down some food. “I was
|
|
rlm@2
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589 wondering where you were. This place is huge! I almost got lost. I’m
|
|
rlm@2
|
590 glad Anna-chan knew where to go.” Ichino looked back at the blue
|
|
rlm@2
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591 haired beauty who was slowly turning around to face her former
|
|
rlm@2
|
592 teammates. “Oh, sorry, Akari-chan. I should introduce her. This is
|
|
rlm@2
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593 Respighi Anna-chan.” Ichino placed a hand behind her head, laughing
|
|
rlm@2
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594 nervously. “She’s my girlfriend.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
595 “G..gir..girlfriend..?” Akari asked, suddenly taken even further off
|
|
rlm@2
|
596 guard by Ichino’s words.
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rlm@2
|
597 Anna blushed a deep scarlet, clasping her hands together as she
|
|
rlm@2
|
598 looked down. “Ichino-chan..” she said, embarrassed. Her foot moved
|
|
rlm@2
|
599 back and forth on the floor as she stared at it. Finally regaining
|
|
rlm@2
|
600 some of her composure, she looked up to see Akari and Kris standing
|
|
rlm@2
|
601 in the doorway. A bright smile flashed across her face as she saw her
|
|
rlm@2
|
602 roommates again. “Kris-san! Akari-san! I’m so glad to see the both of
|
|
rlm@2
|
603 you!”
|
|
rlm@2
|
604 Grinning happily, Kris nodded. “I knew we’d meet again, Anna-chan.
|
|
rlm@2
|
605 It must have been Fate. We really are a team.”
|
|
rlm@2
|
606 Akari simply nodded quickly, still taken aback by the recent events.
|
|
rlm@2
|
607 She shook her head, confusion spinning her around until she felt
|
|
rlm@2
|
608 dizzy. “Wait, I thought Anna-chan had to go to the other University
|
|
rlm@2
|
609 because she’s a bo..”
|
|
rlm@2
|
610 “Akari-chan, could we not talk about that right now,” Ichino cut her
|
|
rlm@2
|
611 off, fighting a dark blush that lined her cheeks. She had found out
|
|
rlm@2
|
612 for herself about Anna’s male anatomy, but she could certainly vouch
|
|
rlm@2
|
613 for the blue haired girl’s femininity nonetheless. “We met at the
|
|
rlm@2
|
614 Training School in Australia. She was so shy around everybody that I
|
|
rlm@2
|
615 kinda felt like I had to look out for her. She paid me back by
|
|
rlm@2
|
616 cooking for me. We got to talk a lot during that. And what can I say,
|
|
rlm@2
|
617 I absolutely love her cooking. And watching her cook.” She grinned.
|
|
rlm@2
|
618 Anna blushed at Ichino’s words and turned to address Akari’s
|
|
rlm@2
|
619 question. She rested her hands on Ichino’s shoulders, standing behind
|
|
rlm@2
|
620 the dark haired girl’s chair. “My mother found out that I was kicked
|
|
rlm@2
|
621 out of the school and brought it up with the school board. It seems
|
|
rlm@2
|
622 that it violates the Equal Races act from several decades ago. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
623 argued that I was still female no matter what they said and that I
|
|
rlm@2
|
624 didn’t belong at the boy’s school. The school board reviewed my case
|
|
rlm@2
|
625 and finally agreed. So I got to come back. We get to be a team
|
|
rlm@2
|
626 again.” Anna smiled happily. Her pain was gone. Her anger and
|
|
rlm@2
|
627 frustration that had eaten at her soul had finally faded away some
|
|
rlm@2
|
628 time ago. That pained voice had left her. Her sister was fine and
|
|
rlm@2
|
629 they were both at the University now. She got to be with her friends
|
|
rlm@2
|
630 once more. Her mother had been more than happy just to see her again
|
|
rlm@2
|
631 when she had returned to Earth. And she had a beautiful girlfriend
|
|
rlm@2
|
632 that made her feel all bubbly inside. She felt wonderful. For once in
|
|
rlm@2
|
633 her life, she felt complete and fulfilled inside. No matter where the
|
|
rlm@2
|
634 winds took her sailboat this time, she was prepared. She would ride
|
|
rlm@2
|
635 the wind with her friends, and with her love.
|
|
rlm@2
|
636
|
|
rlm@2
|
637
|
