Chloe peered intently out of the window as the car made its way down the winding back roads of eastern Europe. Her eyes sparkled happily as they darted from the scenery outside the window to Kirika who sat across from her quietly with her hands folded in her lap to Mireille who sat on the other side of this back seat eyeing Chloe suspiciously and back again to the countryside outside. She tried not to make her giddiness apparent but it wasn’t going too well. “What are you doing?” Mireille said, a hint of suspicion in her voice as she eyed the capricious girl beside her. Chloe’s eyes snapped from the highway sign they’d just passed back to the Corsican. She glared as menacingly as possible in her current state of elation then returned her gaze quickly back to the outside world, shrugging off Mireille’s questions which might ruin this blissful car ride for her. Mireille sighed and gazed out the window, not nearly as entertained by what she saw as the youngest girl in the vehicle. Bright and early that morning they’d exited their hotel to find this car waiting at the curb. It was a black sedan, quite unobtrusive, and was driven by man in a suit who hadn’t said a word to them, only drove silently and seriously. Mireille did however note that the man carried a gun at his side, under his jacket. Wary of a trap, Mireille had been sure to sit where she could watch him at all times. He’d done nothing suspicious so far, and it did seem that they were headed in the general direction of the manor. Mireille’s gaze fell on the Japanese girl sitting silently across the passenger cabin from her. Kirika’d been sitting, if possible, more still than their driver as she gazed placidly out the window, her face, as usual, conveying nothing. “Kirika, are you alright?” Mireille asked softly. The girl turned her head and stared at the blonde for a moment before silently nodding her head. “Are you hungry? We can probably get the driver to stop somewhere,” Mireille offered. She shook her head slowly, then turned back to looking out the window. Mireille’s expression turned melancholy as she turned back toward the window. Kirika hadn't had much sleep the night before and as she stared at the hills beyond the windowpane her eyes felt heavy. She had only been able to get a bit of sleep after returning from her and Chloe's mission before they set out once again for the manor. Her thoughts touched on one subject only to move quickly to the next. Though admittedly her life, from what she could assume and remember, was never very stable everything had suddenly become that much more unstable. Her home with Mireille in Paris had been destroyed and they'd been rushed to the Manor. This Manor was her home? But she didn't remember it. This girl was her . . . her soul-mate? Kirika blinked and glanced at Chloe out of the corners of her eyes. The younger girl was trying to hide her apparent joy, and doing a rather poor job of it. I suppose she doesn't ride in cars much, Kirika mused, turning her head to look out the window once again, It must have been hard . . . growing up all alone in the Manor with Althena. But . . . she wasn't alone. She had me. Mireille grumbled a bit as she pulled her shirt over her head. She'd never figured out the whole concept of communal bath houses like she'd seen in Japan and as she stripped off her clothing piece by piece she wondered once again why anyone would choose to live like this. I suppose it's better than not bathing at all, she sighed inwardly and began filling a nearby wooden bucket with water, But this water isn't even heated. I swear as soon as that insurance is all settled for the apartment I'm gonna go get my own house. Kirika and I have to get out of here. Huh? Grabbing the pistol she'd kept by her side she quickly pointed it towards the entrance to this . . . was it some sort of cave? "Who's there?" She called loudly, knowing she'd heard footsteps a moment before. Kirika came silently plodding into the . . . was this supposed to be some sort of natural cave? The younger of the women lifted her eyes slowly to meet Mireille's as the Corsican lowered her gun and relaxed her shoulders, turning back to her bathing. "I was just thinking about how we need to get out of here," Mireille informed Kirika as the girl stripped off her own clothing and kneeled next to Mireille, filling a bucket with water, "I was able to check on the progress of my insurance claim while we were in Russia. We should be able to cash in in a couple weeks. Then we can get a house. Won't that be nice?" "Mm-hmm," Kirika nodded slightly, dumping the bucket of water over her head. Mireille smiled at her partner, Good. After all, Kirika, you belong with me. Chloe half-growled as she hacked harder and faster than she even knew she could at the wood and straw dummy which stood at the center of what resembled a small coliseum. The stone work had long since chipped and cracked, giving the arena a look of disuse, belying the fact that Chloe had been training here nearly every day of her life that she could remember. Damn her. Damn her. Damn her! Chloe's rage seemed to surge its way into the blade of the sword as she embedded it firmly in the mannequin's wooden torso. She jerked it out angrily and continued to reduce the training tool to sawdust. Kirika is coming back to me. Slowly, so slowly. But she's coming back. I will not let that woman take her away from me. I won't let Kirika be stolen from me again. Not this time. This time I will save her. Letting out a fierce roar which echoed in the small arena she lunged with her sword, driving it deep into the wooden core of the dummy. Releasing her grip on the hilt Chloe wiped the litres of sweat pouring down her face away, scowling at the wooden head of the pseudo-enemy. But that won't do. Like it or not, Kirika sees something in that woman. We could never be like we were before, not if I killed Kirika's friend. But what else could I do? Drive them apart, somehow? No. The Daughter of Corsica would just whisk her back to her in Paris. I have to focus on Kirika, on her memories. Pulling the sword loose of the wooden block Chloe looked upon her reflection in the shining metal. Her sweat-soaked and dirt-covered face grinned back at her before she turned to return to the Manor. Kirika was peering idly out the window of the Manor's entrance hall as a bit of movement caught her eye. Chloe had just come into view, looking quite the sight, covered in dirt and sweat and carrying a long sword at her side. She was wearing a bland tan . . . would that be considered a tunic? . . . and had a plate strapped over her chest to protect her heart. A training uniform no doubt. Of course, no one would wear a protective plate to train alone. That's what she wore . . . when we trained together? Kirika stared intently as Chloe slowly walked up the dirt path to the Manor, hoping to remember something, anything, about her mysterious past with this mysterious girl. "Don't be such a baby," the elder of the two girls jested, punching her companion softly. "But it hurt," Chloe moved her arm in circles, trying to stop the throbbing pain which had been brought about by the dislocation of the joint only minutes before. Kirika'd helped her reset it, but that didn't mean she had to forgive her, "Why do you always hit so hard?" Chloe was nearly at the Manor as Kirika's eyes widened, recalling a time when she had worn that same outfit and trained just over the hill from which Chloe had appeared. Her mind touched on a small stone arena and a bit of hand to hand practice which had gone awry when Chloe's left arm had been knocked out of its socket. But even then, when she'd been in pain, she smiled. Why's she not smiling now?
Back to Lost But Not Forgotten, Forgotten But Not Lost Index - Back to Noir Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction