Author’s Notes: This is a Saint Tail story from Seira Mimori’s

 perspective. I’ve been wanting to deal with her thoughts on things

 for quite a while now. This isn’t the story I’d intended to write,

 but I’m happy with it. ^-^ Now if I can ever write a story about

 Seira & Meimi when they’re older, I’ll be happy. ^^;;

 

 

 A Thief in the Night

 by Amazoness Duo

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 

 

 It’s been such a long night. I should be sleeping right now, but I

 can’t. So here I am, Lord. Your loyal servant, Seira. I know I should

 be in bed. I have classes tomorrow and I promised Sister Abbess that

 I would help her sweep the grounds. But for some reason, I can’t

 sleep tonight. Whenever I close my eyes, I see her. I can’t put her

 out of my mind long enough to fade into a blissful sleep. It’s like

 her image has been burned into my eyelids. I toss and turn, seeing

 her smile. I hug my pillow tightly, wishing it were her there with me

 to qualm my waking nightmares. But I know she’s far away, having

 entirely different thoughts before passing into a deep slumber.

 

 And it’s a well deserved sleep. She has done your will, my Lord.

 She’s granted another person your protection by helping them as the

 mysterious thief, Saint Tail. So she can sleep the sleep of the just.

 Yet I only find myself caught in my blankets like a net, her voice

 whispering in my ear with every breeze that brushes past my window.

 I’m the one who convinced her to be Saint Tail. I send the hopes and

 prayers of those who have been wronged unto her. And because she

 trusts me, because she’s my friend, she will do anything she can to

 fulfil those wishes. All I can do is wait here for her, praying to

 you that she will be safe, wishing I could be there with her. But

 that is her role. As I have my own.

 

 So I am praying to you tonight, the moon sailing high above as I do,

 alone in the church. I pray not to get rid of the feelings inside of

 me, because I can’t imagine living without the love I feel for Meimi.

 I pray instead to help quell my chaotic thoughts, to soothe the

 stormy sea inside of me. So that I can try to find some tranquility

 in this endless night. 

 

 The rest of the nuns are already asleep. They don’t come here this

 late at night. But I’m here almost every night. I feel safer here. I

 don’t have to be so alone in my thoughts here because of you. Other

 girls my age are listening to music idols or wanting to get into the

 latest trend. I spend most of my free time at the church, whether

 thinking or praying, speaking to you or listening to those whose

 hearts are heavy. Most of the students already call me Sister Seira

 even though I’m not officially a nun yet. That will have to wait

 until after high school. But I’m glad that they trust me as one

 already. I guess they see me around the church enough to believe I

 am. 

 

 It’s so quiet here at night. So peaceful. I may not be a thief, but

 I do love the night as much as Meimi. Enveloped in inky darkness,

 it’s not the cacophony of confusion that daylight brings. I feel so

 out of place, nothing like the other girls. They don’t see me as one

 of them. I might as well already be a nun in their minds, one of the

 many who teach at the school. I don’t understand what they’re talking

 about half the time. I can only smile and nod and pretend I have some

 vague idea of what’s going on. During the day, there are so many

 distractions, so many confusing things. At night, I can finally try

 to unravel the knots in my heart. I can sit here and think, trying to

 make sense of my confused soul. 

 

 Meimi. She is what confuses me the most. Yet she is the one truth I

 can hold onto. She’s who I understand better than anyone. She’s

 energetic and emotional and altogether too flighty. But that’s part

 of her charm. She gets so confused about herself sometimes. I think I

 understand her better than she does herself. But that’s just because

 she hasn’t taken the time to try to find out what she’s like. She’s

 always busy with other things, her thoughts elsewhere. My thoughts

 are always inexorably drawn to her. I want to know everything about

 her. I want to immerse myself in all that is her. So when she likes

 something, I’ll try to find out all I can about it. Whether it’s a

 band or a movie star or some type of stuffed animal, I’ll spend my

 free time digging up all the information I can on it. Maybe it’s my

 way of being closer to her. I want to understand her heart and soul.

 Everything that makes her who she is. 

 

 Meimi’s escapades as Saint Tail was another way I could be closer to

 her. She has always been so amazing. Athletic, talented, smart. I

 used to clap until my hands ached when she would show me magic tricks

 as a child. The magician and the nun. What an odd pair we must have

 made as children. What an odd pair we must still make. But I wouldn’t

 have it any other way. So I thank you for that, for letting me find

 Meimi. I’ve spent so long watching her, fascinated by what I saw. It

 was only a matter of time before I found a way to put her talents to

 use.

 

 Everyone suffers. You learn that in the church. But suffering is

 part of life. All the same, I want to end that suffering. But there

 wasn’t anything I could do on my own. People would come to me with

 their problems and all I could do was listen and pray for them. Until

 I finally found out how they could truly receive God’s protection. It

 didn’t take long to talk Meimi into it. I know all the right buttons

 to push with her, so I knew she’d do it before I even asked. I know I

 probably shouldn’t have, but I believe some things are justified in

 helping people. Even some deceit and trickery. Otherwise I wouldn’t

 have teamed up with a magician and thief to grant people your

 protection. Sometimes you have to do what you can to help people,

 even if it is a little underhanded. 

 

 But I would be lying if I said those were my only reasons for

 recruiting her as Saint Tail. I wanted something to share with her,

 something that was ours and ours alone. A little secret we could

 share, times we could sneak away together like lovers to whisper

 about things no one else would ever hear. So in a way, this is my

 love life. Standing in a church at midnight as I await my love to

 come rushing in to pray with me and then run off to steal something

 back from someone. Though I’m sure she doesn’t see it that way. I

 blush faintly at all these thoughts rushing through my head, seeing

 her once again vividly in my mind. 

 

 Saint Tail is our little secret. The one thing that we can share

 away from the rest of the world. Something we can do together, just

 the two of us. It makes me feel closer to her. It lets me have

 something of her that no one else can have. But I don’t know how much

 longer that can last. Her game of cat and mouse with Asuka Jr.

 concerns me. If he finds out who she is, our little secret will be

 out in the open. Our time together in the middle of the night will

 end. I’ll no longer be blessed with her midnight visits. And I don’t

 want to lose all of that. It’s too important to me. But it’s getting

 more dangerous. I keep warning her about letting him find out, but

 she keeps wavering. I think she loves the chase. Having him run after

 her, spending all of his time and effort on her. But he doesn’t care

 for her. He only cares about Saint Tail. He’s chasing Saint Tail,

 scorning Meimi. I love Meimi, not some mystery girl that I don’t

 know. Tuxedo or school uniform, I love her just the same. But I can’t

 tell her that. I can’t let her know that my heart beats for her. I

 can only warn her about letting him find out. And I know Meimi well

 enough to know that the whole game of cat and mouse wouldn’t be fun

 for her if there was no danger of him finding out who she is. So all

 I can do is watch and worry. And pray.

 

 But pray for what? That she could somehow love me? That she won’t

 let Asuka Jr. find out for my sake? Or for the sake of all she’s

 helping as Saint Tail? I don’t know. So I don’t know if those prayers

 are reaching you. Just... Please keep her safe, no matter what path

 she chooses. I couldn’t live with myself if she got hurt as Saint

 Tail. That would be entirely my fault because I’m the one who

 convinced her to be Saint Tail in the first place.

 

 Saint Tail and Meimi are almost two different people. I don’t think

 Meimi realizes it, but I can see. She changes when she puts on that

 costume. She’s braver, more sure of herself as Saint Tail. She’s more

 dedicated and focussed in a way, too. Which helps her to do what she

 needs to, even if she does still play with Asuka Jr. chasing her. I

 had no idea that would happen when I asked her to be Saint Tail. It

 never crossed my mind that she would be almost a completely different

 person as a mysterious thief. And yet, I love them both. Because they

 are two sides of my dear Meimi. They’re both her in their own way. I

 wish I could bring this up with Meimi, but I decided a long time ago

 that I wouldn’t tell her how I feel. And she wouldn’t believe me if I

 told her she acted like a different person as Saint Tail. She

 probably doesn’t see it. If anything, it’s Saint Tail that likes

 Asuka Jr. Meimi doesn’t get along with him at all. But I can’t

 explain that to her. So she thinks that she might like him as well.

 And it obviously confuses her horribly. It hurts that there’s nothing

 I can do to help her.

 

 All I can do is be Meimi’s friend. All I can do is watch on while

 she falls in love and drifts from me. All I can do is pray for her to

 be happy in her life. I’ve always known we couldn’t be together.

 We’re both girls. She doesn’t like me that way. My role is with the

 church. I’ve known all of these things from the moment I fell in love

 with her. So it was never about getting her love for myself. It’s

 always been about simply loving her, getting closer to her and

 finding out everything I can about this beautiful girl who wandered

 into my life. I will one day become a nun, devoted to you. I will

 never love another other than her. She will always be in my heart,

 even though my path does not let me be with her. But that’s all

 right. It hurts, sometimes. But this is how things are supposed to

 be. I try to remind myself of that when I find myself crying, longing

 to be held in her arms. That will always remain a dream, but one I

 will cherish as I live my life for you. I will always love Meimi. My

 calling to the church doesn’t change that. 

 

 A noise behind me scatters my thoughts to the wind. It’s her. I can

 tell without even looking. She may be a silent thief, but I know all

 of her tricks. And I know this church better than my own room, so

 it’s easy enough to tell when someone enters. Especially her. I guess

 certain habits never go away. She’s still trying to sneak up on me. I

 don’t turn, still kneeling in prayer. What’s she doing here tonight,

 I wonder? I didn’t call her about any missions for Saint Tail. She’s

 never mistaken the day before. Maybe there’s something she wants to

 talk about. My heart nearly seizes up with apprehension at that

 thought. Whatever she would want to talk about this late would

 probably be very important. I’ve always been her confidante, and I’ll

 always continue to be so. But whatever is important enough to have

 her come here in the middle of the night worries me. Is it about her

 feelings for Asuka Jr.? Did something happen at home? Does she want

 to quit being Saint Tail?

 

 Now I stand up. I can’t keep my anxiety from rising up within me. I

 turn around, my long, white dress flowing about me. I never did

 bother changing out of my nun’s clothes. There she is, radiantly

 beautiful as ever. For some reason, she has come to me as Saint Tail.

 My concern escalates. Did she go do something as Saint Tail on her

 own tonight? Did something bad happen? Did someone find out who she

 was? “Meimi, are you all right?” I ask worriedly, my hands clasped

 together. She doesn’t answer me. Her eyes are cast in shadows, making

 it impossible for me to tell what lay inside of them or whether she’s

 been crying. 

 

 She starts to advance on me, her short pink skirt swishing about as

 she does, the only noise in the empty church. I take a half-step back

 unconsciously. She keeps coming forward. “Meimi?” I ask, more

 nervously this time. No reply. Just the repeated swish-swish of her

 skirt and the light clack of her heels on the floor. I take another

 step back. And another. I smile weakly. “It’s good to see you, Meimi-

 chan. I was just thinking about you. I hope that you’re okay.” Still

 no answer. There’s something almost predatory in the way she’s

 walking. I swallow, taking another few steps back. Something hits me

 from behind, making me gasp out loud. I close my eyes, taking a deep

 breath to try and calm myself. It’s only the altar. I must be pretty

 worked up if I could have stumbled into it. And over Meimi at that.

 But she’s always been the one to get me all worked up, even if she

 doesn’t know it. 

 

 I open my eyes again, watching her stepping purposely towards me.

 Her beautiful auburn ponytail swishes in time with her skirt, her

 coattails shifting behind her as she walks ever closer. She’s simply

 stunning. No wonder Asuka Jr. is so obsessed with finding out who

 this beautiful Seraph is. So many boys have already been smitten with

 her. Even her best friend, a girl dedicated to the church has fallen

 in love with her. How could I help myself from doing just that? She’s

 stolen a lot of hearts. She truly is a thief. But she can keep mine

 forever. I don’t need it back. I’d rather she had it anyway.

 

 So captivated by her beauty am I that I barely realize how close

 she’s getting until she’s practically upon me. I move again, but my

 escape is blocked by the altar. I rest my hands on it, holding on

 tightly until my knuckles go white. I smile again shakily. “Was there

 something you wanted, Meimi?” My voice is shaking. Even I can hear

 it. It’s never been this bad when I’ve been around her before. I’ll

 feel warm and dizzy inside, but this has me completely lost. I don’t

 know what to say or do. I feel trapped. She can feel it, can’t she?

 The love I have for her must be excruciatingly obvious this close.

 Why else would I be so weak and nervous being near her?

 

 Meimi is silent, standing before me. Strong, intent, focussed.

 Everything that I can’t muster at the moment. A gloved hand reaches

 up slowly. Her fingertips brush my burning cheeks, sending an

 electric tingle through my skin. My cheeks darken considerably even

 as I try to fight back my blush. “Meimi-chan, maybe we should go

 outside. It’s awfully hot in here tonight,” I say, trying to sound

 casual. I don’t look at her as I do. I can’t. I’d melt if I look into

 her eyes, I just know it. I move to the left, trying to escape being

 in such close proximity to this girl. She’s taking over all of my

 senses. But before I can get away from her, Her arm blocks my path. I

 turn only to find her other arm blocking the other way, boxing me in.

 Her arms on the altar to either side of me, I find myself trapped

 facing her. My heart beats deafeningly inside of me. She must be able

 to hear it in the quiet of the night. I command it to be still, but

 it’s not mine to control. It’s in her hands, after all. I can only

 stand there, pressed tightly against the altar, looking down. Why is

 she doing this? Why is she working her magic on me in such a way?

 Even she can’t be naïve enough to not notice how this is affecting

 me. Yet even then, I pray she won’t ask me about it. I didn’t want

 her to find out. I didn’t want her to know I love her. She could

 never love me anyway, so there’s no reason. Yet now I find myself

 almost hoping that she knows. That she’s discovered my deepest,

 darkest secret. That she can finally drag it out into the light.

 

 “Seira,” she whispers in my ear. Whether it’s her intention or not,

 it sure sounds seductive to me. I shudder imperceptibly (I hope) at

 the sound of her voice echoing throughout me. Her gloved fingers take

 my chin, tilting my head up. I blush darkly but do nothing to stop

 her. My head moves up docilely until I’m looking at her once more.

 Even now, I can’t see her eyes. The shadows and her bangs keep them a

 mystery to me. I feel that if I could get through that to see them,

 that everything would make sense. I’d be able to understand what

 Meimi was doing, what she was thinking. But they’re still hidden from

 me. And her hand is cupping my chin. And her face is moving closer,

 inching nearer. My eyes widen in a mixture of horror and yearning. I

 want to stop her. But I can’t. I just can’t bring myself to stop her.

 Not when I’ve dreamt of this for years. 

 

 Her lips brush mine, warm and soft and incredibly delectable. That

 delicate touch hardly seems enough, a small glimpse of heaven that

 leaves me longing for more. Meimi doesn’t keep me waiting long. Her

 lips return to mine, more insistent this time. My thoughts are

 jumbled, an incoherent mess as she kisses me. I press back further,

 but she only moves closer. Her body presses against me now, sending

 more shocks through my body. I’m trapped between her and the altar,

 her kisses growing more passionate as she does what she wants in

 response to my own pliable kissing. It’s then that I realize I’m

 kissing back. Nervously, sure, but I’m kissing back all the same. I

 can’t stop myself. I don’t want to stop myself. Each kiss touches my

 soul like a gentle caress. One of her arms snakes around my back,

 pulling me tighter against her. I make a weak gasp but otherwise

 offer up no struggle. What am I doing? I should be telling her to

 stop. Or... Or.. It’s hard to think past the kisses. They’re so warm

 and they surround my mind like a fuzzy blanket, wrapping it up nice

 and tight. 

 

 Why is she doing this to me? Can’t she see how weak she makes me? My

 strength comes from the fact that I can never have her. Please don’t

 take that away, Meimi-chan. My resolve would crumble. My plans for

 the future would fall apart. I would be in freefall. And it’s all up

 to you. All of my strength, whether I have it or whether it all

 leaves me is entirely up to you.

 

 One of her hands caresses my cheek, the soft feel of her gloves

 against my skin almost too much for me. But if I fall here, I know

 that she’ll catch me, hold me tightly. But if I fall because of this,

 who will save me? My entire life has been dedicated to repaying the

 nuns who raised me by devoting myself to God. I knew I couldn’t be

 with Meimi, so it wasn’t a problem. But if she could love me, then

 what? What would I do? How could I possibly choose between her and my

 path in life? I’m so confused again, even in the solace of the

 church, in the night. My confusion has finally found me, no matter

 how well I hid from it. 

 

 I want to tell her, to say something, to just collapse from all of

 this madness. But she has other ideas. Her tongue presses against my

 lips. My cheeks burning, my own lips open, accepting her. I can feel

 her tongue brushing past mine, a thrill shooting through me at the

 feeling. I kiss back hesitantly, but find myself responding more and

 more to her lead. ‘Wherever you take me, I’ll follow,’ I think,

 though whether this is more a declaration or a realization, I haven’t

 a clue. 

 

 I don’t want this to ever end. I just want to be in her arms

 forever, to feel this way for eternity. Is this what Heaven is like?

 This delicious taste of ethereal joy? Part of me still tries to fight

 it, telling me that I shouldn’t be doing this, that my path in life

 forbids it. But I’m held captive by her lips, by the feel of her

 against me. I gather all of my strength, what little is left, and

 kiss my beautiful Saint Tail with everything I have. It leaves me

 breathless, more confused than ever, but with a wonderful electric

 feeling in my stomach.

 

 She steps away from me, her hands lingering on my sides for a moment

 before finally pulling away. It’s only then that I realize my eyes

 are closed. “Meimi-chan,” I whisper, blushing deeply. “I love you,” I

 say, forcing it out before I get too scared to say it. I don’t care

 how confusing it is anymore. I know that to be true. I know I love

 her, no matter what trouble that causes. And I want her to know it,

 too. I await her answer anxiously, but nothing comes. Is she still

 playing mute? Or does she not know what to say? Is she as embarrassed

 and unsure of everything as I am? I slowly open my eyes to see, but

 she’s gone. I glance around frantically, but she is nowhere to be

 seen. Disappeared like a magic trick, not even smoke left in her

 wake. 

 

 My shoulders slump, her spirits dropping. Gone. Like a thief in the

 night. But what was she here to steal? I kneel, clasping my hands in

 prayer once more. This is my solace. But even as I begin to pray,

 thoughts of her linger with me. God is in everything. Maybe I don’t

 have to differentiate between my love for Him and my love for Meimi.

 Maybe... “I love you, Meimi-chan,” I whisper again with all the

 strength of a prayer. I love you. Even if you aren’t there when I

 open my eyes.