rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Author’s Notes: This is a Saint Tail story from Seira Mimori’s
rlm@0: perspective. I’ve been wanting to deal with her thoughts on things
rlm@0: for quite a while now. This isn’t the story I’d intended to write,
rlm@0: but I’m happy with it. ^-^ Now if I can ever write a story about
rlm@0: Seira & Meimi when they’re older, I’ll be happy. ^^;;
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: A Thief in the Night
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: It’s been such a long night. I should be sleeping right now, but I
rlm@0: can’t. So here I am, Lord. Your loyal servant, Seira. I know I should
rlm@0: be in bed. I have classes tomorrow and I promised Sister Abbess that
rlm@0: I would help her sweep the grounds. But for some reason, I can’t
rlm@0: sleep tonight. Whenever I close my eyes, I see her. I can’t put her
rlm@0: out of my mind long enough to fade into a blissful sleep. It’s like
rlm@0: her image has been burned into my eyelids. I toss and turn, seeing
rlm@0: her smile. I hug my pillow tightly, wishing it were her there with me
rlm@0: to qualm my waking nightmares. But I know she’s far away, having
rlm@0: entirely different thoughts before passing into a deep slumber.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: And it’s a well deserved sleep. She has done your will, my Lord.
rlm@0: She’s granted another person your protection by helping them as the
rlm@0: mysterious thief, Saint Tail. So she can sleep the sleep of the just.
rlm@0: Yet I only find myself caught in my blankets like a net, her voice
rlm@0: whispering in my ear with every breeze that brushes past my window.
rlm@0: I’m the one who convinced her to be Saint Tail. I send the hopes and
rlm@0: prayers of those who have been wronged unto her. And because she
rlm@0: trusts me, because she’s my friend, she will do anything she can to
rlm@0: fulfil those wishes. All I can do is wait here for her, praying to
rlm@0: you that she will be safe, wishing I could be there with her. But
rlm@0: that is her role. As I have my own.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: So I am praying to you tonight, the moon sailing high above as I do,
rlm@0: alone in the church. I pray not to get rid of the feelings inside of
rlm@0: me, because I can’t imagine living without the love I feel for Meimi.
rlm@0: I pray instead to help quell my chaotic thoughts, to soothe the
rlm@0: stormy sea inside of me. So that I can try to find some tranquility
rlm@0: in this endless night. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The rest of the nuns are already asleep. They don’t come here this
rlm@0: late at night. But I’m here almost every night. I feel safer here. I
rlm@0: don’t have to be so alone in my thoughts here because of you. Other
rlm@0: girls my age are listening to music idols or wanting to get into the
rlm@0: latest trend. I spend most of my free time at the church, whether
rlm@0: thinking or praying, speaking to you or listening to those whose
rlm@0: hearts are heavy. Most of the students already call me Sister Seira
rlm@0: even though I’m not officially a nun yet. That will have to wait
rlm@0: until after high school. But I’m glad that they trust me as one
rlm@0: already. I guess they see me around the church enough to believe I
rlm@0: am. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: It’s so quiet here at night. So peaceful. I may not be a thief, but
rlm@0: I do love the night as much as Meimi. Enveloped in inky darkness,
rlm@0: it’s not the cacophony of confusion that daylight brings. I feel so
rlm@0: out of place, nothing like the other girls. They don’t see me as one
rlm@0: of them. I might as well already be a nun in their minds, one of the
rlm@0: many who teach at the school. I don’t understand what they’re talking
rlm@0: about half the time. I can only smile and nod and pretend I have some
rlm@0: vague idea of what’s going on. During the day, there are so many
rlm@0: distractions, so many confusing things. At night, I can finally try
rlm@0: to unravel the knots in my heart. I can sit here and think, trying to
rlm@0: make sense of my confused soul. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Meimi. She is what confuses me the most. Yet she is the one truth I
rlm@0: can hold onto. She’s who I understand better than anyone. She’s
rlm@0: energetic and emotional and altogether too flighty. But that’s part
rlm@0: of her charm. She gets so confused about herself sometimes. I think I
rlm@0: understand her better than she does herself. But that’s just because
rlm@0: she hasn’t taken the time to try to find out what she’s like. She’s
rlm@0: always busy with other things, her thoughts elsewhere. My thoughts
rlm@0: are always inexorably drawn to her. I want to know everything about
rlm@0: her. I want to immerse myself in all that is her. So when she likes
rlm@0: something, I’ll try to find out all I can about it. Whether it’s a
rlm@0: band or a movie star or some type of stuffed animal, I’ll spend my
rlm@0: free time digging up all the information I can on it. Maybe it’s my
rlm@0: way of being closer to her. I want to understand her heart and soul.
rlm@0: Everything that makes her who she is. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Meimi’s escapades as Saint Tail was another way I could be closer to
rlm@0: her. She has always been so amazing. Athletic, talented, smart. I
rlm@0: used to clap until my hands ached when she would show me magic tricks
rlm@0: as a child. The magician and the nun. What an odd pair we must have
rlm@0: made as children. What an odd pair we must still make. But I wouldn’t
rlm@0: have it any other way. So I thank you for that, for letting me find
rlm@0: Meimi. I’ve spent so long watching her, fascinated by what I saw. It
rlm@0: was only a matter of time before I found a way to put her talents to
rlm@0: use.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Everyone suffers. You learn that in the church. But suffering is
rlm@0: part of life. All the same, I want to end that suffering. But there
rlm@0: wasn’t anything I could do on my own. People would come to me with
rlm@0: their problems and all I could do was listen and pray for them. Until
rlm@0: I finally found out how they could truly receive God’s protection. It
rlm@0: didn’t take long to talk Meimi into it. I know all the right buttons
rlm@0: to push with her, so I knew she’d do it before I even asked. I know I
rlm@0: probably shouldn’t have, but I believe some things are justified in
rlm@0: helping people. Even some deceit and trickery. Otherwise I wouldn’t
rlm@0: have teamed up with a magician and thief to grant people your
rlm@0: protection. Sometimes you have to do what you can to help people,
rlm@0: even if it is a little underhanded. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: But I would be lying if I said those were my only reasons for
rlm@0: recruiting her as Saint Tail. I wanted something to share with her,
rlm@0: something that was ours and ours alone. A little secret we could
rlm@0: share, times we could sneak away together like lovers to whisper
rlm@0: about things no one else would ever hear. So in a way, this is my
rlm@0: love life. Standing in a church at midnight as I await my love to
rlm@0: come rushing in to pray with me and then run off to steal something
rlm@0: back from someone. Though I’m sure she doesn’t see it that way. I
rlm@0: blush faintly at all these thoughts rushing through my head, seeing
rlm@0: her once again vividly in my mind. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Saint Tail is our little secret. The one thing that we can share
rlm@0: away from the rest of the world. Something we can do together, just
rlm@0: the two of us. It makes me feel closer to her. It lets me have
rlm@0: something of her that no one else can have. But I don’t know how much
rlm@0: longer that can last. Her game of cat and mouse with Asuka Jr.
rlm@0: concerns me. If he finds out who she is, our little secret will be
rlm@0: out in the open. Our time together in the middle of the night will
rlm@0: end. I’ll no longer be blessed with her midnight visits. And I don’t
rlm@0: want to lose all of that. It’s too important to me. But it’s getting
rlm@0: more dangerous. I keep warning her about letting him find out, but
rlm@0: she keeps wavering. I think she loves the chase. Having him run after
rlm@0: her, spending all of his time and effort on her. But he doesn’t care
rlm@0: for her. He only cares about Saint Tail. He’s chasing Saint Tail,
rlm@0: scorning Meimi. I love Meimi, not some mystery girl that I don’t
rlm@0: know. Tuxedo or school uniform, I love her just the same. But I can’t
rlm@0: tell her that. I can’t let her know that my heart beats for her. I
rlm@0: can only warn her about letting him find out. And I know Meimi well
rlm@0: enough to know that the whole game of cat and mouse wouldn’t be fun
rlm@0: for her if there was no danger of him finding out who she is. So all
rlm@0: I can do is watch and worry. And pray.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: But pray for what? That she could somehow love me? That she won’t
rlm@0: let Asuka Jr. find out for my sake? Or for the sake of all she’s
rlm@0: helping as Saint Tail? I don’t know. So I don’t know if those prayers
rlm@0: are reaching you. Just... Please keep her safe, no matter what path
rlm@0: she chooses. I couldn’t live with myself if she got hurt as Saint
rlm@0: Tail. That would be entirely my fault because I’m the one who
rlm@0: convinced her to be Saint Tail in the first place.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Saint Tail and Meimi are almost two different people. I don’t think
rlm@0: Meimi realizes it, but I can see. She changes when she puts on that
rlm@0: costume. She’s braver, more sure of herself as Saint Tail. She’s more
rlm@0: dedicated and focussed in a way, too. Which helps her to do what she
rlm@0: needs to, even if she does still play with Asuka Jr. chasing her. I
rlm@0: had no idea that would happen when I asked her to be Saint Tail. It
rlm@0: never crossed my mind that she would be almost a completely different
rlm@0: person as a mysterious thief. And yet, I love them both. Because they
rlm@0: are two sides of my dear Meimi. They’re both her in their own way. I
rlm@0: wish I could bring this up with Meimi, but I decided a long time ago
rlm@0: that I wouldn’t tell her how I feel. And she wouldn’t believe me if I
rlm@0: told her she acted like a different person as Saint Tail. She
rlm@0: probably doesn’t see it. If anything, it’s Saint Tail that likes
rlm@0: Asuka Jr. Meimi doesn’t get along with him at all. But I can’t
rlm@0: explain that to her. So she thinks that she might like him as well.
rlm@0: And it obviously confuses her horribly. It hurts that there’s nothing
rlm@0: I can do to help her.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: All I can do is be Meimi’s friend. All I can do is watch on while
rlm@0: she falls in love and drifts from me. All I can do is pray for her to
rlm@0: be happy in her life. I’ve always known we couldn’t be together.
rlm@0: We’re both girls. She doesn’t like me that way. My role is with the
rlm@0: church. I’ve known all of these things from the moment I fell in love
rlm@0: with her. So it was never about getting her love for myself. It’s
rlm@0: always been about simply loving her, getting closer to her and
rlm@0: finding out everything I can about this beautiful girl who wandered
rlm@0: into my life. I will one day become a nun, devoted to you. I will
rlm@0: never love another other than her. She will always be in my heart,
rlm@0: even though my path does not let me be with her. But that’s all
rlm@0: right. It hurts, sometimes. But this is how things are supposed to
rlm@0: be. I try to remind myself of that when I find myself crying, longing
rlm@0: to be held in her arms. That will always remain a dream, but one I
rlm@0: will cherish as I live my life for you. I will always love Meimi. My
rlm@0: calling to the church doesn’t change that. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: A noise behind me scatters my thoughts to the wind. It’s her. I can
rlm@0: tell without even looking. She may be a silent thief, but I know all
rlm@0: of her tricks. And I know this church better than my own room, so
rlm@0: it’s easy enough to tell when someone enters. Especially her. I guess
rlm@0: certain habits never go away. She’s still trying to sneak up on me. I
rlm@0: don’t turn, still kneeling in prayer. What’s she doing here tonight,
rlm@0: I wonder? I didn’t call her about any missions for Saint Tail. She’s
rlm@0: never mistaken the day before. Maybe there’s something she wants to
rlm@0: talk about. My heart nearly seizes up with apprehension at that
rlm@0: thought. Whatever she would want to talk about this late would
rlm@0: probably be very important. I’ve always been her confidante, and I’ll
rlm@0: always continue to be so. But whatever is important enough to have
rlm@0: her come here in the middle of the night worries me. Is it about her
rlm@0: feelings for Asuka Jr.? Did something happen at home? Does she want
rlm@0: to quit being Saint Tail?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Now I stand up. I can’t keep my anxiety from rising up within me. I
rlm@0: turn around, my long, white dress flowing about me. I never did
rlm@0: bother changing out of my nun’s clothes. There she is, radiantly
rlm@0: beautiful as ever. For some reason, she has come to me as Saint Tail.
rlm@0: My concern escalates. Did she go do something as Saint Tail on her
rlm@0: own tonight? Did something bad happen? Did someone find out who she
rlm@0: was? “Meimi, are you all right?” I ask worriedly, my hands clasped
rlm@0: together. She doesn’t answer me. Her eyes are cast in shadows, making
rlm@0: it impossible for me to tell what lay inside of them or whether she’s
rlm@0: been crying. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: She starts to advance on me, her short pink skirt swishing about as
rlm@0: she does, the only noise in the empty church. I take a half-step back
rlm@0: unconsciously. She keeps coming forward. “Meimi?” I ask, more
rlm@0: nervously this time. No reply. Just the repeated swish-swish of her
rlm@0: skirt and the light clack of her heels on the floor. I take another
rlm@0: step back. And another. I smile weakly. “It’s good to see you, Meimi-
rlm@0: chan. I was just thinking about you. I hope that you’re okay.” Still
rlm@0: no answer. There’s something almost predatory in the way she’s
rlm@0: walking. I swallow, taking another few steps back. Something hits me
rlm@0: from behind, making me gasp out loud. I close my eyes, taking a deep
rlm@0: breath to try and calm myself. It’s only the altar. I must be pretty
rlm@0: worked up if I could have stumbled into it. And over Meimi at that.
rlm@0: But she’s always been the one to get me all worked up, even if she
rlm@0: doesn’t know it. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: I open my eyes again, watching her stepping purposely towards me.
rlm@0: Her beautiful auburn ponytail swishes in time with her skirt, her
rlm@0: coattails shifting behind her as she walks ever closer. She’s simply
rlm@0: stunning. No wonder Asuka Jr. is so obsessed with finding out who
rlm@0: this beautiful Seraph is. So many boys have already been smitten with
rlm@0: her. Even her best friend, a girl dedicated to the church has fallen
rlm@0: in love with her. How could I help myself from doing just that? She’s
rlm@0: stolen a lot of hearts. She truly is a thief. But she can keep mine
rlm@0: forever. I don’t need it back. I’d rather she had it anyway.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: So captivated by her beauty am I that I barely realize how close
rlm@0: she’s getting until she’s practically upon me. I move again, but my
rlm@0: escape is blocked by the altar. I rest my hands on it, holding on
rlm@0: tightly until my knuckles go white. I smile again shakily. “Was there
rlm@0: something you wanted, Meimi?” My voice is shaking. Even I can hear
rlm@0: it. It’s never been this bad when I’ve been around her before. I’ll
rlm@0: feel warm and dizzy inside, but this has me completely lost. I don’t
rlm@0: know what to say or do. I feel trapped. She can feel it, can’t she?
rlm@0: The love I have for her must be excruciatingly obvious this close.
rlm@0: Why else would I be so weak and nervous being near her?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Meimi is silent, standing before me. Strong, intent, focussed.
rlm@0: Everything that I can’t muster at the moment. A gloved hand reaches
rlm@0: up slowly. Her fingertips brush my burning cheeks, sending an
rlm@0: electric tingle through my skin. My cheeks darken considerably even
rlm@0: as I try to fight back my blush. “Meimi-chan, maybe we should go
rlm@0: outside. It’s awfully hot in here tonight,” I say, trying to sound
rlm@0: casual. I don’t look at her as I do. I can’t. I’d melt if I look into
rlm@0: her eyes, I just know it. I move to the left, trying to escape being
rlm@0: in such close proximity to this girl. She’s taking over all of my
rlm@0: senses. But before I can get away from her, Her arm blocks my path. I
rlm@0: turn only to find her other arm blocking the other way, boxing me in.
rlm@0: Her arms on the altar to either side of me, I find myself trapped
rlm@0: facing her. My heart beats deafeningly inside of me. She must be able
rlm@0: to hear it in the quiet of the night. I command it to be still, but
rlm@0: it’s not mine to control. It’s in her hands, after all. I can only
rlm@0: stand there, pressed tightly against the altar, looking down. Why is
rlm@0: she doing this? Why is she working her magic on me in such a way?
rlm@0: Even she can’t be naïve enough to not notice how this is affecting
rlm@0: me. Yet even then, I pray she won’t ask me about it. I didn’t want
rlm@0: her to find out. I didn’t want her to know I love her. She could
rlm@0: never love me anyway, so there’s no reason. Yet now I find myself
rlm@0: almost hoping that she knows. That she’s discovered my deepest,
rlm@0: darkest secret. That she can finally drag it out into the light.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Seira,” she whispers in my ear. Whether it’s her intention or not,
rlm@0: it sure sounds seductive to me. I shudder imperceptibly (I hope) at
rlm@0: the sound of her voice echoing throughout me. Her gloved fingers take
rlm@0: my chin, tilting my head up. I blush darkly but do nothing to stop
rlm@0: her. My head moves up docilely until I’m looking at her once more.
rlm@0: Even now, I can’t see her eyes. The shadows and her bangs keep them a
rlm@0: mystery to me. I feel that if I could get through that to see them,
rlm@0: that everything would make sense. I’d be able to understand what
rlm@0: Meimi was doing, what she was thinking. But they’re still hidden from
rlm@0: me. And her hand is cupping my chin. And her face is moving closer,
rlm@0: inching nearer. My eyes widen in a mixture of horror and yearning. I
rlm@0: want to stop her. But I can’t. I just can’t bring myself to stop her.
rlm@0: Not when I’ve dreamt of this for years. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Her lips brush mine, warm and soft and incredibly delectable. That
rlm@0: delicate touch hardly seems enough, a small glimpse of heaven that
rlm@0: leaves me longing for more. Meimi doesn’t keep me waiting long. Her
rlm@0: lips return to mine, more insistent this time. My thoughts are
rlm@0: jumbled, an incoherent mess as she kisses me. I press back further,
rlm@0: but she only moves closer. Her body presses against me now, sending
rlm@0: more shocks through my body. I’m trapped between her and the altar,
rlm@0: her kisses growing more passionate as she does what she wants in
rlm@0: response to my own pliable kissing. It’s then that I realize I’m
rlm@0: kissing back. Nervously, sure, but I’m kissing back all the same. I
rlm@0: can’t stop myself. I don’t want to stop myself. Each kiss touches my
rlm@0: soul like a gentle caress. One of her arms snakes around my back,
rlm@0: pulling me tighter against her. I make a weak gasp but otherwise
rlm@0: offer up no struggle. What am I doing? I should be telling her to
rlm@0: stop. Or... Or.. It’s hard to think past the kisses. They’re so warm
rlm@0: and they surround my mind like a fuzzy blanket, wrapping it up nice
rlm@0: and tight. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Why is she doing this to me? Can’t she see how weak she makes me? My
rlm@0: strength comes from the fact that I can never have her. Please don’t
rlm@0: take that away, Meimi-chan. My resolve would crumble. My plans for
rlm@0: the future would fall apart. I would be in freefall. And it’s all up
rlm@0: to you. All of my strength, whether I have it or whether it all
rlm@0: leaves me is entirely up to you.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: One of her hands caresses my cheek, the soft feel of her gloves
rlm@0: against my skin almost too much for me. But if I fall here, I know
rlm@0: that she’ll catch me, hold me tightly. But if I fall because of this,
rlm@0: who will save me? My entire life has been dedicated to repaying the
rlm@0: nuns who raised me by devoting myself to God. I knew I couldn’t be
rlm@0: with Meimi, so it wasn’t a problem. But if she could love me, then
rlm@0: what? What would I do? How could I possibly choose between her and my
rlm@0: path in life? I’m so confused again, even in the solace of the
rlm@0: church, in the night. My confusion has finally found me, no matter
rlm@0: how well I hid from it. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: I want to tell her, to say something, to just collapse from all of
rlm@0: this madness. But she has other ideas. Her tongue presses against my
rlm@0: lips. My cheeks burning, my own lips open, accepting her. I can feel
rlm@0: her tongue brushing past mine, a thrill shooting through me at the
rlm@0: feeling. I kiss back hesitantly, but find myself responding more and
rlm@0: more to her lead. ‘Wherever you take me, I’ll follow,’ I think,
rlm@0: though whether this is more a declaration or a realization, I haven’t
rlm@0: a clue. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: I don’t want this to ever end. I just want to be in her arms
rlm@0: forever, to feel this way for eternity. Is this what Heaven is like?
rlm@0: This delicious taste of ethereal joy? Part of me still tries to fight
rlm@0: it, telling me that I shouldn’t be doing this, that my path in life
rlm@0: forbids it. But I’m held captive by her lips, by the feel of her
rlm@0: against me. I gather all of my strength, what little is left, and
rlm@0: kiss my beautiful Saint Tail with everything I have. It leaves me
rlm@0: breathless, more confused than ever, but with a wonderful electric
rlm@0: feeling in my stomach.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: She steps away from me, her hands lingering on my sides for a moment
rlm@0: before finally pulling away. It’s only then that I realize my eyes
rlm@0: are closed. “Meimi-chan,” I whisper, blushing deeply. “I love you,” I
rlm@0: say, forcing it out before I get too scared to say it. I don’t care
rlm@0: how confusing it is anymore. I know that to be true. I know I love
rlm@0: her, no matter what trouble that causes. And I want her to know it,
rlm@0: too. I await her answer anxiously, but nothing comes. Is she still
rlm@0: playing mute? Or does she not know what to say? Is she as embarrassed
rlm@0: and unsure of everything as I am? I slowly open my eyes to see, but
rlm@0: she’s gone. I glance around frantically, but she is nowhere to be
rlm@0: seen. Disappeared like a magic trick, not even smoke left in her
rlm@0: wake. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: My shoulders slump, her spirits dropping. Gone. Like a thief in the
rlm@0: night. But what was she here to steal? I kneel, clasping my hands in
rlm@0: prayer once more. This is my solace. But even as I begin to pray,
rlm@0: thoughts of her linger with me. God is in everything. Maybe I don’t
rlm@0: have to differentiate between my love for Him and my love for Meimi.
rlm@0: Maybe... “I love you, Meimi-chan,” I whisper again with all the
rlm@0: strength of a prayer. I love you. Even if you aren’t there when I
rlm@0: open my eyes.