Legend: "(...)" Japanese dialogue. ------ Upon reaching their lair, the Knight Sabers entered one of the many underground side rooms, as Nene began to fill a bucket with water. Linna was highly impressed by the internal plumbing system Sylia had created, and could only imagine that Nigel must've helped install it. As she looked around the candle and gas-lit room, she noticed a drainage grate in the floor. Priss now came in with three more buckets. As she handed one to Linna, the former geisha watched as Nene began taking off her armor, using the sponge at the bottom of her bucket to clean off what blood she had managed to get onto it. Sylia was removing her dotanuki (battle sword- lit. "sword that cuts through torso") from its saya (scabbard) and began washing the dried and congealed blood from its blade. Priss was just finishing with her dotanuki, and had begun cleaning the blood off her armor. Linna watched them work, occasionally stopping to squeeze the sponges out onto the floor, where the scarlet-stained water would flow down the drain. She then looked at her own armor, noticing how the dried blood on her green armor left disgusting brown colored stains. She suddenly felt very nauseous again. "Linna?" Nene asked. "Linna, are you alright?" "Linna," Sylia said, "You knew what being a Knight Saber entailed. If you can't cope..." "No. No, I'm fine." she lied. "I just... I..." she broke off as she went to the hand pump and filled her bucket with water. Taking her two dotanuki out of the scabbards she had strapped to her back, she likewise began cleaning the blood off them and her armor. An hour later, after the blood had been thoroughly cleaned off them, and the large kettle-shaped tubs filled with water, Linna was undressing when she heard the screen door slide open. Naked, she turned around, trying to cover what she could with her hands. She relaxed a bit when she it was Priss. "Priss! You startled me." "Sorry, sometimes I forget to knock. Are you going to be alright? You looked like you were going to loose it back there." "I'm fine. Thank you, though." Priss stared at Linna for a second or two, then looked away. "Linna, I don't still love Sylia. For a while, my love had turned to hate, then to distrust, and now... I don't know. Perhaps... Perhaps I can finally say I can look at her as a potential friend again, but I don't feel for her the way I do for you." She then looked searchingly into Linna's face. "Damn it Linna, why are we always either hurting or apologizing to each other? Why can't we just be happy?" "Priss, I..." "I know how you feel for me, and I'd hope you know how I feel about you. Why is it so necessary that we say it out loud?" "Why can't we say it out loud? What is so wrong with giving expression to our feelings?" "Because those expressions are curses! They're evil!" "How can you say that? How can you believe that?" "Because I've experienced it first hand. I've seen it happen. You use those words, and you loose the other person. And I... I don't want to loose you. I can't." Linna was surprised by the hidden depths of Priss' feelings for her. She walked over to the still clothed woman and hugged her. "You're not going to loose me, Priss-cha..." "Damn it! What did I just say?" Priss shouted as she pushed a startled Linna roughly away. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down. "I... I'm sorry, I..." Linna looked sadly at Priss. Paradoxically no one had made her happier than she did, while no one ever hurt her as much as she did. How were she and Priss ever supposed to have a relationship if they were constantly fighting against the painful memories of her previous relationship? "Priss," Linna said, looking down at the ground, "I think you ought to leave." Priss looked a bit startled at first. She didn't move, didn't speak. She just stood there, her dark eyes mournfully fixed on Linna's nude form. "Now. Please, leave now." Priss sadly turned around and left. Linna sat at the edge of the bathtub, buried her face in her hands, and wept. ---Four Days Later--- Shortly after his ascension to the Imperial Throne, Emperor Meiji moved the capital of Japan from Kyoto to Edo. He then ordered Edo's name be changed to Tokyo (Eastern Capitol). He now found himself back in Kyoto. It was not the type of homecoming he would've chosen, though. He found himself being kept a prisoner in the Nishi Honganji Temple. He was given every luxury, and was treated with the greatest respect by his captors, but he was a prisoner just the same. He could hear footsteps outside his room, and someone unlocking his door. The Emperor stood up to greet the person coming in (it would not be proper for an Emperor to sit before someone who was standing). "Hello, Meiji-dono. I trust your food and sleeping accommodations are adequate." "Mason," Meiji said in his most authoritative voice "This has gone on long enough. I demand you release me at once." "You demand? Emperor-dono, in case you haven't noticed, you're in no position to demand." "Maybe, but I demand nevertheless. You seek a war as a means of revenue for you and your arms business. I've seen conflict, I don't know if you have. If you have a conscience, I appeal to it now. Don't let innocent men and women die just so you can make a little profit." "Emperor-dono, I wouldn't dream of letting innocent people die for a little profit. If my plans work out as I hope they do, there will be a huge profit at the end of the day." "Mason, I..." "I'm sorry Emperor-dono, but you'll have to excuse me. I've business to take care of." He said before leaving. The Emperor was shaking with rage; no one had ever dared to cut him off in the middle of a sentence before. ---Three Days Later--- Knock. Knock. "Who's there?" "Sir, Nene Romanova announcing Captain Leon McNichol's presence, sir." "Very good, send him in." "Go on in, Leon-poo." Colonel Roland tried not to smile at Nene's per name for Captain McNichol. As the young officer came in and saluted, Roland saluted back. "At ease." the garrison's commander ordered, "Now what did you need to see me about?" "Colonel, I respectfully request you team me with a different partner. I'm no longer comfortable with Wong." "No longer... McNichol, you sure picked a hell of a time to come to me with this." "Sir?" "The British Army is being blamed for an attack on civilians over in the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa district, the Emperor himself has been missing for a week now, those Fight Sabers..." "Knight Sabers." "Yes, thank you, Knight Sabers are still at large, and now the American, French and Dutch are trying to take advantage of the situation to get Her Majesty's forces out of Japan! And now, on top of all that, you're asking me to insult the native population by getting rid of Daley?" "Sir, team me up with another local if you have to, just not Wong." "Why?" "Because... Sir, are we alone?" "Yes." Leon leaned over, resting his hands on Roland's desk. "He's a tweedle poof." He whispered. Colonel Roland blinked. "A what?" "A tweedle poof!" Leon now shouted. "I came to his abode this morning to fetch him, and what do my eyes see? Him and another man both coming out of said residence. Then Daley turned around and hugged him. Hugged him! In public! So then we started walking away, and I ask him 'was that your brother?' 'No.' he says. 'Oh, a cousin?' 'No,' he says, 'We're not related.' Then it dawned on me sir; the two of them were involved in unnatural acts! You've partnered me up with a pervert!" "I see. Is that it?" "Sir, yes sir." "Right, now listen to me; this isn't Great Britain. It's Japan. The Japanese take a different view on such things as sodomy. For political reasons, I can't get rid of Daley." "Political reasons? Such as?" "I'm not at liberty to say. Look, has he tried anything with you?" "What? No, I should bloody well say not!" "Then let it go." "But sir, I..." "Dismissed!" Colonel Roland barked. Leon reluctantly saluted before leaving the office. ---Afternoon--- Linna lit two candles in her room, as well as an incense stick, as she prayed to Kannon (Buddhist goddess of mercy) for help with Priss, who she hadn't seen in a week. Below her, in the library, Nene and Mackie were getting to know each other better. A knock at the door broke the two apart just before Sylia entered. She took in the reaction of the two young people, and silently reprimanded herself for not being more observant until now. "Mackie, would you mind leaving for a second? I have to talk with Nene." "Huh? Oh, sure sis." "Good. And Mackie," she said just before whispering something into her brother's ear. He flushed bright red as he wiped Nene's lipstick off his mouth before leaving the room. Sylia turned to a very nervous looking Nene, and smiled. "Well, I'm glad to see my brother's making friends." She said. Nene immediately relaxed. "So what's the latest news at the fort?" "Well, you were right, Sylia. They suspect Genom of kidnapping Emperor Meiji." "I see. And the Royal Family?" "In protective Custody. Sylia?" "Yes?" "Your not thinking of having us go out on our own to try to save him, are you?" "Nene, that's exactly what I'm thinking." "But... But Sylia, this is a job for an army." "Which is why they'd never suspect a group as small as ours." "We don't know where he is." "We'll find out." "They..." "Look, we're going after the Emperor, so if you don't like it you can leave now!" she shouted as her famous temper she inherited from her mother's side of the family flared up. Nene didn't say a word. She just stared at her leader. Sylia looked away from her gaze. "I... I'm sorry Nene, but you have to understand how high the stakes are. After what Nigel said about Mason's visit," she said, intentionally leaving out the part about the gun, "And the attack on unarmed civilians by a group of men disguised as British troops, Tokyo is now already a powder keg waiting to explode. Should word get out that the Emperor was kidnapped, there's going to be a bloodbath. Nene, the Emperor needs to come back to Tokyo to prevent that from happening. We need to save him, and I need you to be with me on this. Can I count on you?" Nene walked over to Sylia, and held out her hand. "Count me in. Heck, we can't have Mackie fall into danger because of rioting in the streets now can we?" Sylia took Nene's hand and smiled. If Nene was willing to stick around for Mackie, that was good enough for her at this point. ---Evening--- Priss held her bokken (wooden sword) in a defensive stance, as she went through the various motions and exercises of the form of swordsmanship she was trained in. Now switching to offensive, she did another series of moves. Sweat dripped from her brow. She'd been practicing now for several hours, trying to get her mind off the geisha. Why can't we say it out loud? What is so wrong with giving expression to our feelings? She lowered her sword as she wiped the tears from her eyes. How long was she going to allow the past to cripple her? How much older is that cradle robber? Twelve years? Thirteen? Damn you, Priss! I love you, Sylia-chan. Why isn't that enough? Because I don't love you! The old feelings began to resurface. Hate. Anger. Bitterness. She closed her eyes and reminded herself that she'd agreed to a truce with Sylia. She had Linna now. At least, she hoped she still had Linna. Priss, I think you ought to leave. She had to come to some sort of a resolution concerning herself and Linna. And she had to come to one fast. ---The Next Morning--- Sylia left her office to see the store cleaned spick and span. She could hear Linna now cleaning the back library, and smiled. A non-Japanese would've thought Sylia was taking advantage of the poor girl by not paying her for cleaning in and around the Silky Doll. However, cleaning was traditionally considered an integral part of the training process of any discipline in Japan, whether it be a martial art or an artistic skill such as painting or calligraphy. Linna began her training at the okiya in Yokohama where she grew up by learning how to clean the floors and walkways. Sylia herself, when she trained in the martial arts beginning at age twelve, learned how to rake leaves and tend the landscape garden outside her old sensei's dojo. And now, as much as she hated being called it, she was Linna's sensei. Linna's work tasks were expected. And anyways, the expenses for the clothing, food and room Sylia provided equaled out to what she would've paid the young lady in salary. Sylia was straightening some kimonos on a display when she heard the door open. Putting on her best smile she turned around. "Konichi... wa..." she said, as she saw a face that had haunted her nightmares for the last thirteen years. "(Hello. I'm looking for a Sylia Stingray. My name is Brian J. Mason.)" Every muscle in Sylia's body tensed. She pondered all the different ways she could kill the bastard standing in front of her. "(Miss, is something wrong?)" She caught herself, and realized the stakes were too high for personal vengeance at this point. The Emperor was most likely this man's prisoner. She needed info, and she needed to know why he was here. She pondered that he'd probably be more likely to slip in front of one of the innocent, doe-eyed young lasses she read about in the works of Emily Bronte or Sir Walter Scott. She swallowed her pride, and smiled. "No, good sir." she began, "It's just that we don't generally receive gentleman in an establishment like this, and a European at that." she said. "I'm Sylia Stingray, sir." Mason smiled. This was going to be easier than he thought. "You're little Sylia? Why, the last time I saw you, you were such a little thing." "You mean, we've met before Mr. Mason sir? Well, what brings you all the way to Japan and my little shop?" "Concern for you." "Concern for... Why my goodness, a gentleman caller!" Mason chuckled a bit. "No, nothing like that, you see..." "Oh dear, and here I had my hopes up. You know it's not easy being alone in this world, and I always worry about one day becoming an old maid." Mason looked at the stunning beauty in front of him, and shook his head. "Madam, the last thing you'll ever have to worry about is ending up a spinster. No, you see, I'm here out of concern for your safety, and as a favor to your late father." It took every ounce of self will she had not to kill him on the spot for that. "My safety? Goodness! First the Oriental's emperor is kidnapped, and now this. You say you knew my father?" "Yes, your father was a wonderful... how did you know about the emperor?" He asked suspiciously. "Well now Mr. Mason sir, you must know about rumor mills." "Hmm, I see. Anyways, because of the Emperor's disappearance, things could become dangerous for us Europeans." "Really? Oh, oh dear." "Yes, but like I said, your father and I were friends, and I won't allow a daughter of his to fall into peril. I do ask one favor, though." "A favor?" "Yes. You see, your father worked for my company and he created a good number of inventions. I'm interested in one of them." "Oh now Mr. Mason sir, I don't know anything about any inventions." Mason was starting to get tired of the small talk. He was a keen expert at reading body language, and something told him the fair young lady with the bow in her hair knew more than she was letting on. "Are you sure? It was a type of weapon." "A weapon? I don't know anything about any weapon, and I don't know that my father ever made any weapons, sir. Oh dear, all this because the emperor was kidnapped! Where could they be holding him, Mr. Mason?" "You're sure you don't know where the gun is?" "Yes, Mr. Mason sir, I'm sure." "With all due respect, Miss Stingray, you wouldn't be lying to me?" "Lying? No, of course not." "But how can I be sure?" "Because I wouldn't make something like that up." Mason suddenly realized she was talking him around in circles. He glared at her now, his smile gone. "Alright, Miss Stingray, let's drop the charade." "Charade? Why Mr. Mason sir, I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to." "Yes you do. There's an old saying among the Japanese, 'Noo aru taka tsume kakusu.' It means, 'The clever...'" "'The clever hawk hides its talons.' Yes sir, I'm familiar with the saying. But Mr. Mason, what does that have to do with me?" "Just this; no one is as sweet and innocent as you're pretending to be. Now I didn't come all the way here to Japan to engage in a verbal cat-and-mouse game with the daughter of a former employee. I want the gun." "The gun? Gun? Oh my, Mr. Mason, I don't own any guns. They're far too dangerous." "Bullshit!" Mason yelled. Sylia covered her mouth with her hand in a feigned expression of shock at Mason's language. Henderson, hearing the loud curse, came into the room. "Why... Why Mr. Mason..." Sylia said, "Such language!" "Swearing in front of a young lady? I never heard of such a thing!" Henderson added. "Now look here." Mason began, "I..." Linna, not understanding any of the English being spoken but hearing Mason's loud shout, ran into the room with her broom, ready to use it as a weapon if necessary to help defend her sensei. "Henderson," Sylia said, now holding a dainty lace handkerchief up to her face and pretending to wipe away tears, "Please show this, this... ruffian, to the door." "Very good, ma'am. This way, sir." Henderson said, as he grabbed Mason's arm and pulled him roughly toward the door. His back to her, Sylia smiled over at Linna and winked, causing the other young woman to smile back, even though she didn't get the joke. As Mason and Henderson were leaving, they passed by Priss on her way in. It had taken her all night to work it out, but she now knew what she needed to do. She just hoped she'd be able to carry it through, for both herself and Linna. Sylia and Linna were both startled by the young woman's appearance. She looked like she hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were red and puffy, as if she'd been crying. "Priss!" Sylia exclaimed. "Priss?" Linna asked, concerned that someone she cared for so much could look so lost, "What's wrong? What happened?" "Sylia," Priss asked, looking not at her but at Linna, "Is anyone down in the lair?" "No, no one, but what's..." Priss didn't hear the rest. She rushed over to a startled Linna and grabbed her hand. She then began dragging her towards the back. "Priss?" Linna asked, a bit frightened by the intensity in Priss' eyes. She had no idea what Priss was up to. "Priss, what are you doing?" Sylia asked. She'd never seen her act this way before. "Sylia, me and Linna are going to need to be alone for a while." she said in a matter of fact way. "What? Linna, are you going to be all..." "It's... It's alright, Sylia." Linna said as Priss continued to pull her back toward the library. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." She said, trying to reassure herself as much as Sylia. Priss pulled the large volume of Shakespeare's Plays out from the bookcase with one hand, the other still holding onto Linna. Once the passageway opened she pulled her down the spiral staircase into the gaslight filled room. She then pushed her back against the wall so that she was facing her. Linna saw the look in Priss' face, and didn't know what to make of it. She didn't know whether to be frightened or aroused as Priss held her shoulders against the wall of the inner sanctum. "P... Priss?" she managed to get out. Priss just stared at her, not responding. "Priss, you're... scaring me..." "Chan." Priss said, in an almost guttural tone. "Wh... What? Priss, I..." she gasped in surprise as Priss suddenly closed the gap between them, leaning her body against the former geisha's and pushing her right knee between her legs. She then cupped Linna's cheek in her right hand as she brought her own face forward, nuzzling it into the other side of the older girl's. She tightened slightly the hold her left hand had on Linna's shoulder. Linna didn't know what to do. True, if she wanted to she could probably force her way out of the situation, but she wasn't sure she wanted out of the situation. "I said," she now spoke in a shaky, almost pleading tone, her lips brushing against Linna's ear, "Chan. Call me... call me chan... please?" Linna's body now relaxed against Priss'. Her voice; it wasn't threatening. If anything she sounded beseeching, almost desperate. "A... Alright, P... Priss-chan." "Again." Priss begged, as she nibbled at Linna's neck. The former geisha's eyes closed as she instinctually brought her arms around Priss. "Mmmm... Priss-chan." she moaned, "Oh, Priss-chan..." "Tell me... Tell me you love me, Linna chan." Linna's eyes shot wide open at that. Not only was Priss asking Linna to call her chan and tell her she loved her, she was now calling her the affectionate term of endearment. She began to wonder what could've gotten into Priss to change her so much. When Priss started kissing her in the fleshy part at the base of her neck, however, her eyes closed tightly again. "I... I... Aaa... I love you, Priss-chan." "Say it again. I need to hear it again." Priss whispered, before bringing her lips to Linna's in a passionate kiss. She now knew that if she was ever going to exercise the painful memories still lingering in her heart, she had to start now creating new memories. Memories with Linna. She finally broke away from the kiss, looking the former geisha in the eyes. "I love you, Priss-chan." Linna said, reaching up a hand to brush some stray hairs out of Priss' face. Then, an almost magical thing took place; Priss smiled. The joy that now filled Linna's heart upon seeing her lover smile for the first time was almost unfathomable. "And I love you too, Linna-chan." Priss said, before once again kissing the geisha. ---To Be Continued--- End Notes: Sources for this chapter came from A History of Japan: From Stone Age to Superpower by Kenneth G. Henshall. Also, before I get any flames about Leon's reaction to Daley's orientation being "out of character," I would ask you to remember the time period we're talking about here. This is the Victorian Era, the same era that saw Oscar Wilde, the famous playwright and author, sentenced to two years hard labor in England on a charge of sodomy. The Japanese, on the other hand, have always been much more tolerant when it came to gay male relationships (although interestingly it's only been in fairly recent history that any toleration has been shown to lesbianism in Japan).
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