rlm@0: Hello! ^-^ This is a story about Anna Respighi from Battle
rlm@0: Athletess, easily one of my favorite characters from anything. ^-^
rlm@0: This takes place after the OAV episode where they discover that Anna
rlm@0: is a boy, though it borrows several elements from the tv series, such
rlm@0: as Anna’s lapses into insanity, what happened to her sister, etc. Oh,
rlm@0: and as far as Anna’s roommates names go, I’m not trying to force in
rlm@0: English sounding characters into a Japanese series. The characters
rlm@0: from Battle Athletess are from all over the place, so their
rlm@0: nationalities reflect that. I was simply trying to do the same with
rlm@0: the boys. I really hope you enjoy it. ^-^ If you have the chance,
rlm@0: please e-mail me any feedback you may have. Thanks! ^-^ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: One Dance Left
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Looking out the window into the dark emptiness of space, Anna
rlm@0: Respighi had to wonder which was truly emptier, space or herself. She
rlm@0: felt like a brittle shell, having long ago spent the last of her
rlm@0: tears. Her carefully trained athletic body felt weak now, unable to
rlm@0: perform the simplest of tasks like closing the window she was staring
rlm@0: out of. But she didn’t have the will to close it even if she could
rlm@0: muster the strength. Her life felt like it had ended. They were
rlm@0: shipping her off already. They hadn’t listened to her pleas, her
rlm@0: frenzied explanations. They hadn’t cared at all that they would be
rlm@0: taking her away from her only two friends in the entire galaxy. The
rlm@0: headmaster had been all too eager to get rid of her, seeing her as
rlm@0: unfitting alongside his all female students. No matter how much she
rlm@0: cried, how much she tried to dissuade them, her arguments fell on
rlm@0: deaf ears. And now she found herself hurtling away from what she had
rlm@0: come to see as her home, from the two girls that had been closer to
rlm@0: her than mere teammates, from all the hopes and dreams that her
rlm@0: mother had instilled in her from the time that she was a child.
rlm@0: 	Why hadn’t she listened to her mother? Why hadn’t she been more
rlm@0: careful? Because Akari had told her it would be all right. Because
rlm@0: she said that everyone did it. Shy, introverted Anna had been all too
rlm@0: willing to go along with her friend’s words, not wanting to seem
rlm@0: awkward. The look of shock on Akari’s face was still painfully
rlm@0: emblazoned in her mind. She felt such bitter betrayal at that sight.
rlm@0: Everyone had run away from her, crumbling what little self-esteem she
rlm@0: had managed to garner in her time at the University Satellite. She
rlm@0: had run to Akari for help, but even Akari had reacted terribly to
rlm@0: seeing her. It was a bathing area. She was supposed to go in naked.
rlm@0: Akari had told her so. So why had everyone ran away as if they were
rlm@0: frightened of her? It had hurt Anna so much to see that. Like she was
rlm@0: some sort of monster. Even Akari...
rlm@0: 	The problem for the lonely yet gorgeous blue haired girl was that
rlm@0: she wasn’t a girl at all. At least not physically. But she hadn’t
rlm@0: known that. Her entire life had been led as a girl. She had always
rlm@0: been raised as one by her mother along with her twin sister. Her
rlm@0: childhood had been one of lace and ribbons, dolls and cooking, all
rlm@0: interspersed with intense training by her mother. Her mother’s dream
rlm@0: was that one of her little girls would one day become the Cosmo
rlm@0: Beauty. That had been a source of rivalry between the twin sisters.
rlm@0: Both wanted nothing more than to please their mother, to win for her,
rlm@0: to fulfill her dreams. Whenever one would achieve in sports and
rlm@0: athletics, they would be praised endlessly, given all the warm
rlm@0: attention their mother could muster. So they had both fought
rlm@0: tirelessly to win their mother’s attention. Until one day back on the
rlm@0: earth training school, their usually friendly rivalry had turned
rlm@0: tragic. Anna had heard her mother telling her more outgoing sister
rlm@0: that the last event to decide which of them, equally matched thus
rlm@0: far, would be going to the University Satellite. Anna's twin, Ellene,
rlm@0: was better at tennis than Anna was and her mother had told her to
rlm@0: win when Ellene began to consider whether or not she should
rlm@0: use her advantage. Anna had been devastated. Ellene would win,
rlm@0: she would receive all of her mother’s praise and attention and her
rlm@0: mother already knew it. She was nothing. She would forever be in her
rlm@0: sister’s shadow, never able to get her mother to truly see her.
rlm@0: Something inside Anna had snapped that day. She wouldn’t let anyone
rlm@0: stand in her way. No one would stop her. Not even her own twin. When
rlm@0: the sisters faced each other that fateful day, that darkness inside
rlm@0: Anna lashed out, and in the end, her sister lay in a coma, making
rlm@0: Anna the winner by default. Yet even then, tasting the madness that
rlm@0: had overcome her, Anna still didn’t have her mother’s attention. Her
rlm@0: mother had left to the hospital with her comatose twin. She hadn’t
rlm@0: been there when Anna had left for space, though Anna had waited till
rlm@0: the last possible second before boarding so that her mother might see
rlm@0: her off.
rlm@0: 	All of this Anna knew to some extent, though she still didn’t
rlm@0: understand the full implications. Her mind had glossed over how badly
rlm@0: her sister had been hurt, had tried to make up for the fact that her
rlm@0: mother wasn’t there to see her victories and her losses. But what she
rlm@0: hadn’t known was something that had been with her for the entirety of
rlm@0: her life. They had told her there, in the headmaster’s room, not
rlm@0: caring at all for the pain it caused her. She was a boy. That was why
rlm@0: the girl’s in the bathroom had been lacking something of their
rlm@0: anatomy. Or rather, why she had something different. They had
rlm@0: explained to her that her mother had so wanted her daughter to be the
rlm@0: Cosmo Beauty that she had raised Anna as a girl as well, hoping that
rlm@0: one of her twin children would make it that far. This had torn apart
rlm@0: Anna’s small world. A boy? How could she be a boy? She had always
rlm@0: been a girl, had in fact been more feminine than her twin sister. Yet
rlm@0: they didn’t listen to her as she tried to explain this simple fact to
rlm@0: them. They wouldn’t listen to her as she tried unsuccessfully to tell
rlm@0: them that she was, in fact, a female, and that she belonged at the
rlm@0: University Satellite. That damned perverted headmaster had sent her
rlm@0: away, telling her that her athletic record would make her an
rlm@0: excellent student at the boy’s satellite. She had been aghast, unable
rlm@0: to utter a word to the headmaster as he sent her off to pack her
rlm@0: bags. But her mind screamed clearly into the abyss. She didn’t belong
rlm@0: at the boys’ school because she wasn’t a boy. 
rlm@0: 	The blue haired girl had been in a state of shock as she had been
rlm@0: escorted to a shuttle to be shipped off to a boys’ school that she
rlm@0: knew nothing about nor cared to be at. She had grown up wanting to be
rlm@0: the Cosmo Beauty, not whatever the best boy athlete was supposed to
rlm@0: be. How could she get her mother to look at her if she couldn’t even
rlm@0: compete for the prestigious Cosmo Beauty title? Her sister had beaten
rlm@0: her again. She couldn’t even attempt her mother’s dreams now. Her
rlm@0: heart clenched up as the familiar feelings of worthlessness and
rlm@0: despair overtook her once more. But she had no more tears to cry. She
rlm@0: had been crying ever since she had gotten on the shuttle. No more
rlm@0: Kris and her odd yet always comforting ways. No more Akari and her
rlm@0: energetic spirit. Her only two friends, ripped from her without even
rlm@0: so much as a goodbye. But did Akari even care? The girl with the
rlm@0: rabbit eared hair had been just as disturbed by Anna being a boy as
rlm@0: everyone else there. No, Akari probably didn’t care. And Kris
rlm@0: wouldn’t mind as long as she was with Akari. So she was truly all
rlm@0: alone. In a place that she didn’t want to be. Surrounded by boys that
rlm@0: she didn’t understand. It had always been just the three of them, her
rlm@0: mother, her sister, and herself. 
rlm@0: 	Anna burst into tears again, finding that she hadn’t cried all of
rlm@0: her tears after all.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Taking her few bags with her off of the shuttle, Anna slowly walked
rlm@0: down the steps. She had changed out of her girls’ uniform when they
rlm@0: had told her she wasn’t allowed to take it with. She had protested
rlm@0: strenuously, but they wouldn’t let her take it with. The last symbol
rlm@0: of her mother’s dream had been ripped from her clenched fingers. The
rlm@0: woman who had pried it from her fingers had stared at her oddly for
rlm@0: the longest time as she finally walked away, muttering something
rlm@0: about how crazy ‘he’ was. The blue haired girl had barely had the
rlm@0: strength to change into a short, pleated skirt and a button up blouse
rlm@0: with a small tied ribbon before they had taken her off to the shuttle
rlm@0: bay. 
rlm@0: 	Brushing back some blue green hair from her eyes, Anna looked
rlm@0: around the expansive shuttle port. She got several odd looks from
rlm@0: some of the staff servicing the shuttles and the rest of the
rlm@0: equipment, but she tried to ignore it. She just wanted to find out
rlm@0: where her room was so she could hide. ‘Roommates,’ an inner voice
rlm@0: added quickly, ruining even the small solace that idea had held. She
rlm@0: lowered her head miserably as a man approached. 
rlm@0: 	“Anna Respighi?” he asked quizzically, as he looked at the notepad
rlm@0: he held. He looked up at the girl in front of him and down at the
rlm@0: notepad once more. This was certainly awkward. He had thought the boy
rlm@0: merely had a strange name when he’d first received the report that a
rlm@0: new student was being flown in from the girls’ university, presumably
rlm@0: having been sent there by mistake. But upon seeing the new student,
rlm@0: he sure thought the boy looked like a girl as well. 
rlm@0: 	Anna nodded shyly, not looking up as she held her bags tightly. She
rlm@0: could feel the rough material cutting into her palms. Her vision
rlm@0: blurred momentarily, causing her to blink furiously in an attempt to
rlm@0: banish the tears. “Hai...” she said quietly. 
rlm@0: 	The man looked at the new student one last time before turning.
rlm@0: ‘Well, this has to be the strangest student I’ve met yet,’ he thought
rlm@0: to himself. Aloud, he said, “Please come this way. I’ll show you to
rlm@0: your room. We’ll send by some uniforms in a bit after you have a
rlm@0: chance to get settled.” He started walking out the door and down the
rlm@0: hallway, listening for the footsteps to signify that he was being
rlm@0: followed. He nodded in satisfaction as soft footsteps rang out behind
rlm@0: his own. “I took a look at your statistics. It sounds like you’ll be
rlm@0: giving quite a few boys around here a run for their money,” he said
rlm@0: with a smile.
rlm@0: 	Rubbing her eyes with her palm, Anna took in a shuddering breath
rlm@0: and held it for a moment. “I don’t want to be here...” she whispered
rlm@0: hopelessly. “I... Thank you..” she replied, louder this time. Her
rlm@0: mother had always taught her to be polite. Even if she was shy, she
rlm@0: could still retain that at least.
rlm@0: 	The two stopped in front of a room very similar to the rooms back
rlm@0: at the female University. A placard was placed near the door,
rlm@0: signifying the occupants. Stahl Ivon, Emmerich Dave, Respighi Anna,
rlm@0: it read in sharp letters. Just looking at it made Anna feel homesick,
rlm@0: remembering a similar placard when she had first found her room at
rlm@0: the girls’ University. And finding it had been no easy task. She
rlm@0: shuddered in remembrance of Mylandah Walder. But Kris had come and
rlm@0: saved both her and Akari. And shortly thereafter she had found out
rlm@0: that they were all roommates. She choked back a sob, her two friends
rlm@0: smiling faces returning unbidden to her mind. Whoever occupied this
rlm@0: room, she didn’t know. And she didn’t want to know. She wanted to be
rlm@0: back with her friends, to be striving for her mother’s dream once
rlm@0: more. 
rlm@0: 	“Good luck, kiddo,” the man said casually as he walked down the
rlm@0: hallway, waving at Anna with his notepad before disappearing into the
rlm@0: maze of corridors. 
rlm@0: 	Anna slumped against the door, sliding down to her knees. The cold
rlm@0: metal seeped into her bare legs as she collapsed onto them. Her bags
rlm@0: fell next to her, standing sentinel in front of the door. A weak sob
rlm@0: escaped her trembling lips as she sat there in a rising storm of
rlm@0: grief. It battered continually at her heart, it’s winds tearing apart
rlm@0: her sail, the waves crashing down around the bow. She was drowning in
rlm@0: agony. Some of the boys walking down the hallway stared at her oddly,
rlm@0: but said nothing, whispering amongst themselves as they gawked at the
rlm@0: new boy. The pretty new boy. Their stares burned her flesh, like the
rlm@0: eyes of hunting jackals or sinister demons. This got her to her feet,
rlm@0: grabbing her bags with shaking hands. Part of her just wanted to
rlm@0: leave the bags, to just get inside and get away from these frightful
rlm@0: beasts. But she knew that all of her pictures and important keepsakes
rlm@0: were inside. She had to take them with. 
rlm@0: 	The door took an eternity to open. Even with 50th century
rlm@0: technology, it was far too slow for Anna. She scraped her arm against
rlm@0: the metal as she pulled herself inside before it was fully open. The
rlm@0: door closed quickly behind her. In the darkness of her new room, her
rlm@0: knees threatened to give out. She so wanted to collapse where she
rlm@0: stood, to wrap the darkness around her like a blanket and try to cry
rlm@0: herself to sleep. ‘Roommates,’ that persistent and sometimes
rlm@0: frightening inner voice repeated. Anna simply nodded, dragging her
rlm@0: bags further into the small dorm. 
rlm@0: 	“Oh, so you’re the new guy? Nice to meet you?” A boy startled the
rlm@0: girl with the sea green hair as he popped up from the couch. He had
rlm@0: messy blond hair and glasses and his right hand was still clutching a
rlm@0: book he had been reading. How he had gotten up to this prestigious
rlm@0: sports university was anyone’s guess. “My name’s Dave. Dave
rlm@0: Emmerich.” He paused as he noticed her skirt and the red ribbon in
rlm@0: her hair. He pulled his glasses up and rubbed at his eyes for a
rlm@0: moment before pulling them back down. There must have been a mistake,
rlm@0: because the boy they were supposed to send in to room with him
rlm@0: couldn’t be this shy looking girl. Of course, there weren’t any girls
rlm@0: around the boys’ University, so seeing one was always a very, very
rlm@0: welcome surprise. Many of the boys’ had started up relationships with
rlm@0: other boys while they were segregated up here in space, as he had
rlm@0: heard happened oftentimes at the girl’s University as well. But that
rlm@0: didn’t mean he wasn’t pleased to see a female member of the species
rlm@0: in his room. In his room. Wow... He quickly ran his fingers through
rlm@0: his blond hair, hoping that he had it in some semblance of order. “I
rlm@0: really hope you haven’t gotten the wrong room, ma’am. I’d be happy to
rlm@0: help you with whatever you could possibly need. Books, directions...
rlm@0: ummm... anything at all.” He nodded quickly, laughing nervously. How
rlm@0: long had it been since he had seen a girl? Two, three months? And
rlm@0: that had just been his sister when he had been about to get shipped
rlm@0: off to the University.
rlm@0: 	“She’s a boy, you moron,” another voice interrupted, causing Anna
rlm@0: to drop her bags in fright. A silver haired boy with sharp, angular
rlm@0: features stepped out of the shadows. He was soaked with sweat,
rlm@0: obviously having chosen to train in his limited free time. “Either
rlm@0: that or she’s flat as hell.”
rlm@0: 	“She looks curvy enough to me,” Dave replied conversationally,
rlm@0: adjusting his glasses. His face burned in embarrassment seconds later
rlm@0: as he realized the subject of their discussion was still present. “I
rlm@0: mean... err... Not that I’d be looking or anything..” he supplied
rlm@0: lamely. “Anyway, this is Ivon Stahl. But you can call him Shard. No
rlm@0: one else does, but hey, maybe we can start a nickname for him.”
rlm@0: 	Ivon sighed, brushing sweat from his brow as he walked past Anna.
rlm@0: “You don’t really think they’d send a girl here, do you, Dave? You’ve
rlm@0: been out in space too long. Those genius brain cells of yours are
rlm@0: starting to misfire.” Grabbing something to drink from the small
rlm@0: kitchen area they had, he turned to take a look at the cute new
rlm@0: arrival. “So you’re a crossdresser?” he asked mildly.
rlm@0: 	“I’m not a crossdresser!!!” Anna screamed angrily. Her fists
rlm@0: clenched as she turned towards the silver haired boy. The voice
rlm@0: inside of her was trying desperately to break through what few
rlm@0: barricades Anna had against it. Rage, humiliation, and agonizing pain
rlm@0: accompanied the boy’s words as they echoed again and again in her
rlm@0: mind. That was so degrading, that she was just dressing up in these
rlm@0: clothes, that she was anything like the two boys in the room. It was
rlm@0: like she was just some performer, wearing this for thrills, not
rlm@0: because they were what she felt comfortable in, what she had always
rlm@0: worn. Tears threatened to spill down her lovely cheeks once more, but
rlm@0: this time they were tinged with red hot hatred. Hatred for the
rlm@0: headmaster, for all those that had sent her away from her mother’s
rlm@0: dream and her only friends. Hatred for this boy who would so
rlm@0: callously disregard her as obviously not a woman. Hatred for herself
rlm@0: for not being able to achieve her mother’s attention. She barely
rlm@0: noticed the blood dripping down to the floor from her cut palms. Her
rlm@0: fingernails dug deeply into her flesh. 
rlm@0: 	“Calm down, man. Geez. I’m just wondering what’s up with the
rlm@0: feminine clothes. Hey, if it’s a fashion statement from the
rlm@0: Biginners, then that’s good for you.” Ivon put his hand on Anna’s
rlm@0: shoulder, trying to calm the obviously agitated boy down. He
rlm@0: immediately wished that he hadn’t. Pain shot through his wrist as
rlm@0: Anna moved with blinding speed, twisting his wrist as she yanked his
rlm@0: hand away from her. 
rlm@0: 	“I AM NOT A CROSSDRESSER!” Anna shouted, holding the silver haired
rlm@0: boy’s hand in a death grip as her body shook. The pain, the anger all
rlm@0: ate at her, pushing forward in a frenzied path towards freedom. Anna
rlm@0: was usually a very calm, shy, introverted girl. She was very sweet
rlm@0: and kind, though she always had trouble with people because of her
rlm@0: shyness. But she could also be very volatile. Sometimes all of that
rlm@0: pain and anger she held inside was just too much for her and she
rlm@0: lashed out in a psychotic, maniacal rage. That had brought about her
rlm@0: sister’s extended hospital visit and the coma she was in after the
rlm@0: stress of competing with her sister and the knowledge that she
rlm@0: wouldn’t be able to get her mother’s approval had become too much.
rlm@0: Now Anna was very close to breaking. She had lost her only two
rlm@0: friends, had been yanked away from her only chance at finally getting
rlm@0: her mother’s attention, had been told that she wasn’t even a girl,
rlm@0: and now she was in some strange place all alone with someone telling
rlm@0: her that she was only a boy in drag. And inside, that angry voice,
rlm@0: that pained, psychotic voice cried out, drowning out Anna’s usually
rlm@0: soft spoken and quiet words. She finally let go of the boy’s hand
rlm@0: just short of breaking it. Grabbing her bags, she stormed back to her
rlm@0: room, dragging her bags with her.
rlm@0: 	Ivon collapsed in pain, clutching his wrist as he fell to the
rlm@0: floor. His wrist was smeared with the blood from Anna’s palms.
rlm@0: “Fuck... What the hell...” He tried to catch his breath as he watched
rlm@0: Anna disappear into the free room, the door swishing shut behind her.
rlm@0: 	
rlm@0: 	Several hours later, Anna’s hand shook as she punched in the
rlm@0: numbers to call her house back on earth. She needed to speak to her
rlm@0: mother. She needed to know that things would be all right. She
rlm@0: couldn’t handle it here. She didn’t want to be here at all. This was
rlm@0: a boys’ school and she certainly didn’t belong here. The poor,
rlm@0: frightened girl needed her mother. It had taken her forever to work
rlm@0: up the courage to hurry out of her room to find a communications
rlm@0: system that would let her call Earth. Her two roommates had avoided
rlm@0: her for some reason, though she couldn’t quite recall why. But it
rlm@0: hardly seemed to matter. She wasn’t good with people. Of course they
rlm@0: wouldn’t like her. And she was too shy to try and get to know them.
rlm@0: Which is why she had been so thrilled to find that she, Kris, and
rlm@0: Akari really had been a team, that they had grown to be friends. Her
rlm@0: only friends. Fresh pain washed over her heart, but she pushed it
rlm@0: down deep inside of her, unknowingly feeding the pain and anguish
rlm@0: within her, as the communications request was sent. 
rlm@0: 	“Mama!” Anna said happily, smiling into the communications screen.
rlm@0: “I’m so sorry! I.. I wanted to talk to you, but they wouldn’t let
rlm@0: me...” The blue green haired girl sniffled as she wiped at her eyes.
rlm@0: “Mama, they sent me away.. They sent me to the boys’ University...
rlm@0: I’m not a boy, mama... I’m not..” Tears trickled wetly down her
rlm@0: cheeks as she began to cry weakly, leaning against the communications
rlm@0: system. 
rlm@0: 	“Of course you aren’t, honey,” her mother’s voice stated softly.
rlm@0: “You’re my little girl. You’ve always been my little girl. I love
rlm@0: you, Anna.” The older woman smiled her motherly smile, placing her
rlm@0: hand on the screen directly where Anna’s was placed miles and miles
rlm@0: away.
rlm@0: 	“I know... I love you, too, mama... I just... I don’t know what to
rlm@0: do... I can’t win the Cosmo Beauty here.. I don’t want to be here...
rlm@0: I hate this place...” She looked around hatefully at the walls that
rlm@0: surrounded her. She wiped tears away from her blue eyes with her
rlm@0: fingertips. “I want to come home..” she whispered painfully. It was a
rlm@0: relief to finally see her mother, to hear her voice, but the anguish
rlm@0: of the last few hours still weighed heavily on her, dragging her
rlm@0: deeper and deeper into the abyss. 
rlm@0: 	“I’m sorry, honey. You can’t come home yet. Not yet. There’s still
rlm@0: more that you have to do. You still have to become the Cosmo Beauty,”
rlm@0: her mother’s voice replied, as if she were speaking directly to
rlm@0: Anna’s heart instead of through the communications system.
rlm@0: 	“But.. Mama, I can’t... I can’t become the Cosmo Beauty from
rlm@0: here... They won’t let me back to the girls’ University because they
rlm@0: all think I’m a boy...” Anna shook her head, tears sparkling through
rlm@0: the air as she tried to focus past the despair. When she opened her
rlm@0: blue eyes, she could see several crystalline teardrops on the screen
rlm@0: in front of her. She took a deep, shuddering breath as she watched
rlm@0: her mother. 
rlm@0: 	“I know. But you’ll get your chance, my dear. You just have to keep
rlm@0: training. You’ll eventually get your chance at Cosmo Beauty. And I
rlm@0: know you’ll win, Anna. Because you’re my daughter. And I know how
rlm@0: strong you are inside. You just have to wait for your chance,” her
rlm@0: mother explained calmly. Her mother’s voice sounded so much like the
rlm@0: voice inside of her, that angry and pained one. Like she was talking
rlm@0: to Anna from inside, where the voice was. 
rlm@0: 	Nodding, Anna tried to smile weakly. “Un... You’re right, mama..
rlm@0: I’ll try to get better... I’ll wait for my chance,” she said softly.
rlm@0: Her mother was right. Her mother was always right. She wasn’t a boy.
rlm@0: And she would get her chance to be Cosmo Beauty, to win the honor
rlm@0: that her mother so longed for one of her daughters to achieve. ‘My
rlm@0: sister,’ Anna thought to herself. Was she doing all right? Was she
rlm@0: feeling better? From what? What had happened again? A soft, velvety
rlm@0: blanket wrapped itself around Anna’s thoughts as she tried
rlm@0: desperately to make sense of them. ‘My.. sister?’ Anna thought to
rlm@0: herself. But by now, even the emotions behind that thought were gone,
rlm@0: wrapped away and swept back into her subconsciousness. Whatever she
rlm@0: had been thinking of was gone, and she couldn’t even recall that hand
rlm@0: that had gently pulled the thoughts away. 
rlm@0: 	“You’ll be fine, Anna. I know you will. I’ll be cheering for you in
rlm@0: ever event, honey. Do your best for me,” her mother finished, smiling
rlm@0: brightly.
rlm@0: 	Anna nodded, determination gleaming in her still bloodshot eyes. “I
rlm@0: will, I promise, mama! I’ll win for you. Please watch me. I’ll win
rlm@0: everything for you,” Anna promised, desperate for her mother’s divine
rlm@0: attention, that which she had striven her entire live for. With that,
rlm@0: the monitor blinked out and her mother was gone. But what Anna failed
rlm@0: to notice was that her mother had never been there at all. Her mother
rlm@0: was still at the hospital with her sister, keeping an eye on the
rlm@0: comatose girl in the hopes that she would recover. What Anna had just
rlm@0: spoken with was her own inner voice, the person she was talking to
rlm@0: merely a product of her own mind. But the sea green haired girl
rlm@0: walked off feeling happier nonetheless, still believing that her
rlm@0: mother would be watching her as she continued to train.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	“I thought you would know Kris-san’s heart by now, Akari-san,” Anna
rlm@0: said, giggling softly at her friend’s embarrassment. It was the
rlm@0: tournament between the boys’ University and the girls’ University and
rlm@0: she had just been in a very close match with Akari. The match had
rlm@0: taught her quite a bit. No matter how much one trained, there was a
rlm@0: certain amount of will, or heart, that went into it. It was something
rlm@0: she would have to understand more clearly if she could ever stand a
rlm@0: chance at the title of Cosmo Beauty. Of course, she would have to get
rlm@0: out of the boys’ University first. “You had Kris-san’s heart with
rlm@0: you, so there was no way you could lose,” Anna continued. She was
rlm@0: wearing the boys’ uniform and her hair wasn’t in its usual single
rlm@0: pigtail style. Akari, on the other hand, was in a very skimpy outfit
rlm@0: that was supposed to wreak havoc on the male players playing against
rlm@0: the girls’ team. The boys’ headmaster had foreseen this, though, and
rlm@0: had prepared by sending in a boy team that consisted of two
rlm@0: homosexual boys and Anna herself, three people who wouldn’t be
rlm@0: bothered by the skimpy outfits in front of them.
rlm@0: 	“Anna-chan...” Akari said in obvious embarrassment. But she looked
rlm@0: secretly pleased at the thought of having Kris’s heart near her own.
rlm@0: She and Kris had grown even closer as of late and although the idea
rlm@0: of falling in love with the other girl was definitely disconcerting
rlm@0: for her, it was a very pleasant topsy turvy feeling that accompanied
rlm@0: it. Almost like getting off a carousel on a bright and sunny day. But
rlm@0: she quickly pushed away her discomfort at Anna’s words, happy to see
rlm@0: her friend again, even if she was dressed up in boys’ clothes this
rlm@0: time around. “How are you? It’s not the same without you here. We
rlm@0: were a team, so it doesn’t seem right continuing on towards the Cosmo
rlm@0: Beauty without you.”
rlm@0: 	Anna felt a painful stab in her heart at Akari’s words. Oh, how she
rlm@0: longed to be there with Akari and Kris once more, eagerly straining
rlm@0: for the greatest title a girl could ever hope to be granted. Anna
rlm@0: smiled a little sadly. “I really miss you two. You were the best
rlm@0: friends I ever had. I wish I could come back for good, but we have to
rlm@0: leave again when the Universities separate.” She sighed, brushing
rlm@0: back blue green hair from her misty eyes. “But I’m fine. My roommates
rlm@0: are nice, I guess. And I’ve been trying my hardest in all of the
rlm@0: events.” She didn’t continue past that, only hoping that that would
rlm@0: be enough for Akari. Truth be told, her only friend at the boys’
rlm@0: school was the headmaster’s pet dog. And she couldn’t tell which
rlm@0: headmaster she hated the most, the slave driver at the boys’
rlm@0: University or the perverted one at the girls’ school who wouldn’t let
rlm@0: her stay just because of what happened to be between her legs. She
rlm@0: blinked in surprise. Well, maybe she knew which one she hated more
rlm@0: after all. She hated the pervert infinitely worse. Rage bubbled
rlm@0: simply at the sight of the smirking bastard. Her fists clenched in
rlm@0: anger as she watched him smugly feeling up female students with his
rlm@0: eyes. She didn’t know if she felt like bursting into tears or tearing
rlm@0: out his throat. ‘Kill him,’ that inner voice whispered seductively
rlm@0: into her ear. ‘Tear him apart.’ “Mama...” she whispered, holding her
rlm@0: head as she tried to think straight. She had already injured a boy in
rlm@0: one of the final rounds of the boys’ University’s program. She was a
rlm@0: much better athlete when her dark side was unleashed, but it
rlm@0: frightened her. There was almost a limitless amount of strength at
rlm@0: her call when she snapped, but she always found herself lost, barely
rlm@0: noticing what happened while she was in that state. She didn’t even
rlm@0: remember hurting the boy, only knowing what Dave had told her. 
rlm@0: 	“Anna-chan?” Akari asked worriedly. The bluish haired girl looked
rlm@0: so out of it, like she was grappling with some inner demon. She
rlm@0: hadn’t seen or heard from Anna since she had been transferred and she
rlm@0: was concerned about how the shy girl was coping.
rlm@0: 	“Are you all right, Anna-chan?” Kris reached the group quickly, her
rlm@0: face marked with concern as she watched the fragile girl in front of
rlm@0: her. She reached out, gently pushing away some of Anna’s hair from
rlm@0: her face.
rlm@0: 	Slowly looking up, Anna looked from Akari to Kris, the concerned
rlm@0: faces of her friends watching her intently. Just seeing them both
rlm@0: made her feel more at ease. She smiled softly and stood up straight.
rlm@0: She bowed to Kris, nodding. “Hai, I’m fine, Kris-san. I just didn’t
rlm@0: get much sleep last night. I was very eager to see the two of you
rlm@0: again.” Her smile brightened visibly as she looked from one to the
rlm@0: other. 
rlm@0: 	Kris laughed, grinning. “We missed you, too, Anna-chan. It’s good
rlm@0: to see you back.” She hugged the smaller girl tightly, surprising
rlm@0: Anna. “It doesn’t matter how far I get in the competition. I’ll
rlm@0: always remember this for the experiences it has given me. Meeting you
rlm@0: was one of them, Anna-chan. I’ll always treasure our friendship.
rlm@0: Thank you so much for giving me that token. That’s much more valuable
rlm@0: than any trophy or title.”
rlm@0: 	Anna shyly hugged back, feeling genuinely happy for the first time
rlm@0: since she had been transferred away from her friends. It felt so nice
rlm@0: to know that someone cared about her, to feel her friends near.
rlm@0: Seconds later, she felt Akari’s arms wrap around her as well. A
rlm@0: peaceful sigh escaped her lips. There was no anger, no pain to bother
rlm@0: her now. It was locked away, deep inside. Hot tears trickled slowly
rlm@0: down her cheeks as felt the group hug. So they hadn’t forgotten her
rlm@0: after all. They still cared about her. They were still her friends.
rlm@0: Her very best friends. When it finally ended, she quickly wiped at
rlm@0: her eyes, smiling brilliantly. “Thank you both so much. I’ll always
rlm@0: remember you both, no matter where we wind up.” 
rlm@0: 	Returning the smile, Akari laughed. “It’s a small universe. We’ll
rlm@0: see each other again. We have to. Because we’ll always be friends.”
rlm@0: 	Nodding, Kris wiped away one of Anna’s tears. She held it on the
rlm@0: tip of her finger for a long moment, contemplating it. Anna
rlm@0: sweatdropped as the taller girl licked the teardrop away. “So that
rlm@0: we’ll always share in each others’ pain and joy, wherever we may go.”
rlm@0: 	Anna lunged forwards, hugging the taller woman and then Akari
rlm@0: again. She clasped her hands in front of herself, looking from one to
rlm@0: the other. There was so much she wanted to say to them, to tell them
rlm@0: how important their friendship was to her, but her shyness was a
rlm@0: difficult hurdle to cross. “Akari-chan, thank you for being my
rlm@0: friend. You helped me understand how important your heart and soul
rlm@0: are even in sports. And Kris-san, I had a lot of fun reading manga
rlm@0: with you and watching you try my cooking. You taught me a lot about
rlm@0: the Biginners and about friendship. Thank you both.” She bowed
rlm@0: quickly to the two of them as the final call came for the boys to
rlm@0: return. She took a few hurried steps away. “I’ll never forget you!!”
rlm@0: Without looking back, Anna ran off, blinking through a haze of tears.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	The new school year had started at the University Satellite and
rlm@0: Akari Kanzaki was the reigning Cosmo Beauty. She had returned for the
rlm@0: new year, thrilled at the prospect of once again returning to this
rlm@0: place of fond memories and the heart and soul she had thrown into
rlm@0: everything while she had been there. Friends and enemies, joy and
rlm@0: heartache, it had all happened here. She had even received her first
rlm@0: kiss at the Satellite. Blushing deeply, she recalled Kris’s tender
rlm@0: lisp against her own. They had stayed together all that night, not
rlm@0: wanting to leave each other’s side. It had been so painful to know
rlm@0: that they would soon be parting. Akari had grown to need Kris, to
rlm@0: need her presence. The taller woman made her heart beat quicker, made
rlm@0: her soul soar. She made her reach further and fly higher than she
rlm@0: possibly could on her own. 
rlm@0: 	There had been so much tension back them. Akari had been so
rlm@0: embarrassed about her twisted feelings for the other girl and how
rlm@0: Kris acted around her. But she couldn’t deny her feelings on that
rlm@0: last night, as they kissed amidst starlight. She hadn’t quite
rlm@0: understood what her feelings were at the time, but in the time they
rlm@0: had been apart, she came to realize that she loved Kris. As Anna had
rlm@0: said long ago, their hearts were entwined. Even apart, Akari could
rlm@0: feel Kris’s heart singing their song. Which is why she had hurried
rlm@0: back, taking the first shuttle she could upon learning that Kris had
rlm@0: returned to the University Satellite. She had nearly flown to the
rlm@0: moon to see the tall woman, her need to explain her feelings, to be
rlm@0: in Kris’s arms almost unbearable. The only thing that had kept her
rlm@0: from going insane was the help of her best friend, Ichino. Without
rlm@0: her, Akari would never have been able to survive their time apart.
rlm@0: And now Ichino had managed to get to the Satellite as well. So many
rlm@0: returning faces. Jessie, Mylandah, Lahrri, Tanya, Kris, Ichino. There
rlm@0: was only one person that remained absent, leaving a small hole in
rlm@0: Akari’s heart. 
rlm@0: 	A sudden glimpse of blue in the crowd of students caught her
rlm@0: eye. Pausing after a moment’s hesitation, the brunette turned around
rlm@0: and scanned the crowd. She was probably just imagining things. There
rlm@0: was no way Anna could be here. She would be at the boys’ University,
rlm@0: wouldn’t she? But there it was again, that same flash of sea green in
rlm@0: the crowd. Akari hurried past the new students, struggling past to
rlm@0: reach the girl she finally spotted. “Anna-chan!! Anna-chan!” she
rlm@0: called out, waving in excitement. The girl looked around curiously,
rlm@0: her eyes settling on Akari as the brunette rushed up and hugged her.
rlm@0: “Anna-chan!! I’m so happy to see you!”
rlm@0: The girl blinked in confusion, looking at Akari as if she had gone
rlm@0: mad. “Anna-chan?” She paused for a moment before smiling. “You must
rlm@0: be Kanzaki Akari-san! You’re the whole reason I’m here. Well, your
rlm@0: mother, at any rate. Anna-chan met you last year, didn’t she? I’m her
rlm@0: sister, Ellene. I finally made it up to the Satellite this year. I’m 
rlm@0: really eager to prove myself. I can’t wait to play against you. I’ve 
rlm@0: been training a lot with my sister during the break just for this.”
rlm@0: “Oh..” Akari nodded slowly, a little disappointed. This was Anna’s
rlm@0: twin sister? So Anna didn’t get to come back to the girls’ University
rlm@0: after all. She smiled all the same, glad to see that familiar face.
rlm@0: “I’ll be happy to train with you sometime if you’d like. I’d love to
rlm@0: know what Anna-chan’s been up to.” 
rlm@0: 	Ellene agreed happily. “Sure! I would be thrilled to train
rlm@0: with you, Kanzaki-san. And I’d be happy to tell you anything you want
rlm@0: to know about my sister.”
rlm@0: Akari quickly said goodbye to the girl that looked startlingly like
rlm@0: Anna and hurried towards her own room. It was a little disconcerting
rlm@0: that Anna had been replaced with her sister, but she was happy about
rlm@0: it even if it was bittersweet. If she was anything like Anna, then it
rlm@0: would be a pleasure to get to know her. 
rlm@0: All of Akari’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she saw the woman
rlm@0: standing ahead of her, ice blue hair framing her beautiful face.
rlm@0: “Kris..” she whispered breathlessly. “Kris!!” She ran to the taller
rlm@0: woman with all of the strength she could muster, reaching her arms
rlm@0: almost immediately. Kris reeled back but held on fast. “Oh, Kris, I
rlm@0: missed you so much! You don’t know what it was like..”
rlm@0: A smile broke across Kris’s features as she looked down at the
rlm@0: brunette, her hands on her cheeks. “I know, Akari-chan. I felt it
rlm@0: along with you. I was always there, even if we weren’t side by side.”
rlm@0: In a moment spawned of months of heartache and the loneliness of
rlm@0: constantly imagining the one she loved, Akari pushed up on her
rlm@0: tiptoes and returned the kiss that Kris had granted her such a long
rlm@0: time before. That spinning carousel feeling was gone, replaced by a
rlm@0: crystal clarity that soothed her soul. Her heart was enraptured by
rlm@0: the taller girl’s presence, her mind just incredibly relieved to once
rlm@0: again be in her arms. “Kris..” she whispered, resting her head on the
rlm@0: blue haired woman’s chest as their lips finally parted.
rlm@0: “Akari-chan..” Kris said softly, gently stroking Akari’s brunette
rlm@0: hair. Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath, savoring Akari’s
rlm@0: scent, her feel, the sound of her breathing. It was all better than
rlm@0: she could possibly have dreamed. “This is why I came back. Akari-
rlm@0: chan, I want to be by you side. I want us to go through all of this
rlm@0: together, playing with our hearts side by side.”
rlm@0: Blushing slightly, Akari nodded eagerly. “That’s what I want, too,
rlm@0: Kris.” Resting her head on Kris’s shoulder, the two women made their
rlm@0: way back to the dorm that they’d be sharing with a third party
rlm@0: member. They were both too absorbed in the moment to bother reading
rlm@0: the placard. The door whooshed open and they entered, but what met
rlm@0: Akari’s eyes caught her completely by surprise. 
rlm@0: Ichino was sitting at the table, a large plate in front of her. She
rlm@0: was quickly devouring the appetizing platter, obviously enjoying
rlm@0: herself. But what surprised Akari more than seeing her best friend in
rlm@0: her room was the sight behind the dark haired girl. Anna stood in the
rlm@0: small kitchen wearing a cute pink and white apron with frills around
rlm@0: the edges, busy cooking for the ‘fastest girl in Japan’. She was
rlm@0: humming something to herself, completely in her element and seeming
rlm@0: to enjoy herself just as much as Ichino was.
rlm@0: “Hey, Akari-chan!” Ichino said after choking down some food. “I was
rlm@0: wondering where you were. This place is huge! I almost got lost. I’m
rlm@0: glad Anna-chan knew where to go.” Ichino looked back at the blue
rlm@0: haired beauty who was slowly turning around to face her former
rlm@0: teammates. “Oh, sorry, Akari-chan. I should introduce her. This is
rlm@0: Respighi Anna-chan.” Ichino placed a hand behind her head, laughing
rlm@0: nervously. “She’s my girlfriend.”
rlm@0: “G..gir..girlfriend..?” Akari asked, suddenly taken even further off
rlm@0: guard by Ichino’s words. 
rlm@0: Anna blushed a deep scarlet, clasping her hands together as she
rlm@0: looked down. “Ichino-chan..” she said, embarrassed. Her foot moved
rlm@0: back and forth on the floor as she stared at it. Finally regaining
rlm@0: some of her composure, she looked up to see Akari and Kris standing
rlm@0: in the doorway. A bright smile flashed across her face as she saw her
rlm@0: roommates again. “Kris-san! Akari-san! I’m so glad to see the both of
rlm@0: you!”
rlm@0: Grinning happily, Kris nodded. “I knew we’d meet again, Anna-chan.
rlm@0: It must have been Fate. We really are a team.”
rlm@0: Akari simply nodded quickly, still taken aback by the recent events.
rlm@0: She shook her head, confusion spinning her around until she felt
rlm@0: dizzy. “Wait, I thought Anna-chan had to go to the other University
rlm@0: because she’s a bo..”
rlm@0: “Akari-chan, could we not talk about that right now,” Ichino cut her
rlm@0: off, fighting a dark blush that lined her cheeks. She had found out
rlm@0: for herself about Anna’s male anatomy, but she could certainly vouch
rlm@0: for the blue haired girl’s femininity nonetheless. “We met at the
rlm@0: Training School in Australia. She was so shy around everybody that I
rlm@0: kinda felt like I had to look out for her. She paid me back by
rlm@0: cooking for me. We got to talk a lot during that. And what can I say,
rlm@0: I absolutely love her cooking. And watching her cook.” She grinned.
rlm@0: Anna blushed at Ichino’s words and turned to address Akari’s
rlm@0: question. She rested her hands on Ichino’s shoulders, standing behind
rlm@0: the dark haired girl’s chair. “My mother found out that I was kicked
rlm@0: out of the school and brought it up with the school board. It seems
rlm@0: that it violates the Equal Races act from several decades ago. She
rlm@0: argued that I was still female no matter what they said and that I
rlm@0: didn’t belong at the boy’s school. The school board reviewed my case
rlm@0: and finally agreed. So I got to come back. We get to be a team
rlm@0: again.” Anna smiled happily. Her pain was gone. Her anger and
rlm@0: frustration that had eaten at her soul had finally faded away some
rlm@0: time ago. That pained voice had left her. Her sister was fine and
rlm@0: they were both at the University now. She got to be with her friends
rlm@0: once more. Her mother had been more than happy just to see her again
rlm@0: when she had returned to Earth. And she had a beautiful girlfriend
rlm@0: that made her feel all bubbly inside. She felt wonderful. For once in
rlm@0: her life, she felt complete and fulfilled inside. No matter where the
rlm@0: winds took her sailboat this time, she was prepared. She would ride
rlm@0: the wind with her friends, and with her love.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: