Story: The Great Shizuma (chapter 11)

Authors: Chiharu-ronin

Back to chapter list

Chapter 11

Title: Aftermath

THE GREAT SHIZUMA

Chapter Eleven

Aftermath

Tamao sighed and leaned forward on the bed, chin in palm, staring expectantly at the pacing Nagisa. Shizuma affected a more laid-back pose - reclining in her own infirmary bed, her hands clasped behind her head. Both her and the poet had gotten a warm bath and a cup of hot tension tamer each. Now they were both clad in nought but terry-cloth robes.

Nagisa ceased pacing and leaned back against the wall, her hands shoved deep in her pockets, her garnet eyes turned upward. The tension in the room was so like a guillotine, hovering over them, milling closer with every pendulum swing. Nobody seemed to want to speak, lest her words break the final twine of rope holding the guillotine apart from them.

Tamao caught Nagisa wincing and asked if she was okay.

"I'm fine," the redhead mumbled. "My stomach's a little bruised. Must've happened when Yaya helped me rescue you."

"I'm a little bit miffed, Nagisa," Shizuma spoke up.

"Are you now? After I saved your life?"

"Come on. You didn't intend to save my life. You just wanted to save Tamao's, and I was along for the ride." She glared. "What would've happened if I hadn't caught on to her shirt, or if she'd succeeded in shaking me off?"

"Try this," Nagisa snarled, leaning on Shizuma's bedside. "What would've happened if you hadn't been a bitch and hadn't dangled me in front of her?"

The former Étoile sat up, eyes blazing. "Such language! How unlike you to use such foul words. To me you talk this way? You shouldn't even talk to a friend that way!"

"Gomen ne. But I don't appreciate it, Shizuma. You using our old relationship just to antagonize Tamao. Is that all we were to you? A tool to hurt other people?" Nagisa caught Tamao smiling smugly at Shizuma and turned on her.

"And you," she snapped, walking over to the poet's bed. "I don't know if you've realized it yet, but there are more diplomatic ways to manage your anger toward Shizuma. As you saw, the stuff she says makes me mad, too, but you don't see me attacking her, do you?"

"No," mumbled Tamao, looking rather shame-faced. "I'm sorry."

"Can you please try not to do that again?"

"Hai," she responded, her opalescent eyes shining with earnesty. "Anything for you."

"Okay," Nagisa sighed. She took Tamao's hand and helped her up. "Are you well? Do you want to return to our room?"

The poet nodded and allowed herself to be pulled toward the door.

"Wait. That was it?" Shizuma blinked. "You yelled at me more than you did her."

"She apologized," the redhead replied flatly, "even though she didn't start it." She pulled Tamao out the door and closed it deftly before Shizuma could say anything more.

---

At the beach house, Yaya and Tsubomi sat cross-legged on their beds, facing each other. Yaya was shivering from having all that cold water splash all over her. Tsubomi shivered a bit, too, but for her own reasons. Her face and ears were lightly pinkened with sunburn. Yaya hadn't burned, but tanned a little.

"I'm suh-so cold!" she griped.

"Too bad you don't wear sweaters," Tsubomi retorted with her signature smirk. "I'm nice and toasty." Her smile faded and she brought her hands to her warm face. "I'm gonna be hot for a while."

"You've always been hot."

"Ahh…" Tsubomi was too tired to argue. She pulled her sweater off over her head, wincing as the cashmere passed over her burned skin. She laid back in her powder blue polo and skirt, ocher eyes glued to the ceiling.

"I got an idea!" Yaya stood and walked over to the duffel bag, which had been casually tossed in the corner. "I forgot I brought this with me!" She rummaged through it and emerged with a certain article of clothing.

Tsubomi smiled, her eyes only half open. "My sweater?" She blinked. "Did you steal that?"

"No. You left it in my room that day before the choir concert. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Duh." How could she forget? That was her first kiss with Yaya.

"I've never worn this," Yaya admitted as she pulled it over her head, "but I sleep with it every night. It gives me good dreams."

Tsubomi's eyes flickered. She closed them. "Do I want to know what sorts of things Yaya-senpai dreams about?"

"Who knows - you may experience them someday!" Yaya chuckled. "Jeez, this sweater is tiny! You're more of a shrimp than I thought!" When she heard no snappish retort, she turned around to find Tsubomi fast asleep.

Yaya smiled. Tsubomi was so cute when she slept. She always slept with her arm up on her pillow above her head. She was mildly funny, too. Every morning she awoke crabby, unable to use her arm, for there was no circulation in it.

The older girl strolled up to the younger girl's bed, repositioned her arm so that it rested on her tummy, and brushed her pink bangs out of her face. "Sweet dreams, Tsubomi-chan," she whispered and kissed her cheek.

---

Chiyo popped out of the infirmary, feeling better than ever. She felt strong. She felt like she could do anything. She knew what she had to do, and she could do it.

She had been treated for hypothermia, just as a precaution. The infirmary keeper's fears were unfounded, because Chiyo was as healthy as a horse. So the librarian was released. She found Remon and Kizuna and asked them if they knew where Kagome was. The former smiled and told her to look around the docks.

Chiyo found Kagome sitting on the edge of the dock, wrapped in a blanket, and spacing out as she did. The Miator librarian sat down next to her. She casually swung her feet a little. They both sat in silence.

"Whacha thinking about?" Chiyo asked.

Kagome was quiet a moment. Then: "About Pashibaru." She lived deep within her body. Messages took a long time coming out and getting in. "Specifically, what you said to Kizuna-chan about Pashibaru."

Chiyo looked at her. "Again, I'm sorry for scaring you. But I couldn't believe Kizuna would even have the audacity to merely suggest buying you a new bear."

"Pashibaru is special."

"Hai."

"I…don't get presents like this from friends very often, but Pashibaru is still…" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Very special," she said again. "Almost as special as the person who gave him to me." She looked at Chiyo. "I hope that person knows how special she is to me."

A huge smile spread across Chiyo's young face. "Of course I do."

Kagome held her blanket open, inviting the librarian to sit under it with her. Chiyo accepted and within a few minutes they had deepened their intimacy considerably. Chiyo sighed. Pashibaru…She remembered that day, approximately two years ago, when she had given the bear to Kagome.

"Do…you remember that day?" she asked. "The day I gave you Pashibaru?"

The Lulim girl got a faraway look in her sleepy green eyes. She nodded. "We were about to go our separate ways: you to Miator, I to Lulim."

"You were scared we'd never see each other again."

"It was a fairly rational fear at the time, even if it was misplaced. You told me that if I kept Pashibaru with me…it would be like having you with me all the time." Kagome smiled and pressed closer to Chiyo. "It made going to a new school a lot easier. Everytime I look at Pashibaru, I think of all the fun we had at St. Olaf Primary. You really were with me this entire time."

"In class," Chiyo smiled.

"In the cathedral."

"In your bed."

"In my bath."

Chiyo's face got red and Kagome laughed. No one else in Astraea Hill had ever heard Kagome laugh. It was such a nice laugh. Light, quiet, tinkley. Kind of musical. She should've joined the Saintly Chorus, Chiyo thought.

"Oh, Chiyo," Kagome giggled and, without really thinking about it, kissed her gently on the lips.

Chiyo stared at her dumbly. Kagome knew she hadn't been expecting that, and asked, "Was that okay?"

Chiyo's eyes snapped open wide. "Hai. That was just fine." She blushed. "Is it okay if I kiss you?"

Kagome nodded.

So they shared an evening of light, but passionate kisses. Above them shone a full moon, with Venus twinkling nearby.

Back to chapter list