"Did you know?" In the din of the clearing cathedral, over the noise of the chattering girls and the soft murmurs of the Saintly Chorus ushering them home, you could be forgiven for presuming the question had gone unheard. But glazed eyes staring at the open doorway by which the assembly was leaving; the door by which she had left only hours before, Miyuki Rokujo stood completely absent. "President Rokujo?" The sixth grader snapped back to the world and turning to face the voice, she found herself before her school council assistants, Mizuho Kanou and Hitomi Tougi. The reception was un-typically cold; Hitomi's arms were crossed and her stature tall, formal and dripping with accusation. Mizuho mirrored the sentiment. "Did you know?" Hitomi repeated. "Did I know what Tougi-san?" Miyuki frowned, unaccustomed to the short tone. From one so close, it caught her off guard and for a second, she was back in that dark hallway, crying and curled up against the wall alone. She brushed back her hair defensively and looked away from Hitomi's openly hostile gaze. "That Shizuma still had feelings for her," Mizuho was as frosty, "for Aoi-san?" Miyuki sighed. She'd spent the past hour so pre-occupied with the afternoon's events that she hadn't considered their implications. The remainder of the presentation had been and gone and she'd spent the entire time in personal turmoil. She shifted stance and gathered herself before replying. "I wasn't entirely convinced by her sudden composure of late no," she looked the pair in the eye as she'd been taught to, "she seemed like she was hiding something." Coolly she stated, "Evidently, she was." "So you knew, and still President Rokujo entered Suzumi-san and Aoi-san together?" "I thought I was doing them a favour." Miyuki snapped, flustered. Inwardly she questioned the favour's recipient, but kept the addition private, "I thought the distraction would do them both good." She knew where this was going. "By burying former-Etoile's feelings?" Hitomi rolled her eyes, "Under what? Duty to Miator?" The raven haired assistant shook her head and sighed, her fringe covering her face as she looked down at the floor in disgust. "Don't you think she's suffered enough duty already?" Mizuho echoed as she turned her attention to the train of underclassmen shuffling along the aisle next to her, oblivious of the argument and happily recounting the day's spectacle. "I didn't think it would end this way," Miyuki offered, "I didn't mean to hurt either of them, especially not Aoi-san, not again. She went through enough learning of Kaori." For a moment the girls stood silent, each sullen and deep in their own thoughts. "Then for Rokujo-san's sake, I hope the former-Etoile is in a forgiving mood." Hitomi's words were spoken at the stonework, their tone ominous. - - - - - A gentle breeze carried cold air from the dormitory attic's open sky light, drawing goose bumps to Shizuma's exposed shoulders. The peaceful form of a sleeping fourth-grader warmed the rest of her, a poorly fitting blanket sheltering the pair of them. The former-Etoile sat with her back against one of the attics many boxes, propped up by dust sheets and cushions borrowed from a stack of chairs piled up in the corner of the room. Nagisa lay curled up on her, head resting on the older girl's bosom. Long silver hair fell loose about them, covering Shizuma's face whilst the limp fingers of Nagisa's left hand still hung entwined in its' flowing strands from when she'd been playing with it as she fell asleep. Aside from the soft rhythm of Nagisa's breathing, the attic was still. Shizuma looked down at the girl beneath her, a content smile on Nagisa's lips, the fine eyelashes framing restful eyes. Shizuma smiled fondly. Everything seemed so right. Finally, it was right. Looking up at the sky light above them, she could see the pale disc of the moon hiding behind the growing clouds, its' chill shades stark against the night sky framing them. As she gazed thoughtfully, a vivid image of Kaori's face sprung to her mind. To her surprise, rather than the sad, solemn expression it usually wore, the brown eyes carried behind them a smile, the same fond regard Shizuma had shown for Nagisa only seconds before. A smile of absolution. Shizuma looked down at the sleeping form she cradled lovingly. The words of Kaori's final letter repeated in her mind, and looking back up at the empty sky light she whispered, "Thank you my love. Thank you." - - - - - A sharp rap on the wooden door shook Tamao to focus. Looking behind her across the dark dormitory, she panicked, quickly wiping her eyes with her bed cover, sniffing back the tears and slowing her breathing. After a pause, she called, "Who... who is it?" The soft voice of Lulim's student council president, Chikaru Minamoto, replied, "May I come in Tamao-chan?" Tamao started, attempting to straighten the bed, stumbling over her disgarded Etoile dress in the darkness. She brushed down her uniform and groped for the light switch before flicking it as quietly as possible. With a breath, she cracked the door ajar. Chikaru peered through the gap. "I wanted to see if Tamao-chan was okay." A lump jumped to Tamao's throat, and with effort she choked back another wave of tears. She stumbled over the words as she opened the door further, "Of course I'm okay Chikaru-senpai," she bluffed poorly, "who wouldn't be after such a wonderful ceremony?" She lowered her eyes from Chikaru's preying gaze. "Didn't Hikari-san look beautiful in her dress!" Chikaru's face remained unconvinced. Her tone soft, she replied "yes, didn't she just, Tamao-chan." The older girl followed Tamao's sweeping invite, and as she crossed the room to the waiting table that Chiyo had much earlier set for tea, she regarded the crumpled blue dress lying on the floor, tear stains spattering it's front. Chikaru bent to retrieve it, brushing the fabric down and folding it neatly. "You shouldn't be so careless with such a delicate dress, you'll ruin it." Tamao's shoulders slumped as she put the door to, looking across the room at Chikaru. Her mask cracked further, betraying her feelings. "I imagine I shan't have another oppourtunity to wear it." The pain was obvious in her voice. Chikaru replied, "Don't be so silly, someone as cute as Tamao-chan will always have call to own a pretty dress." Tamao looked down at the floor again, hoping her long hair would hide the rising tears. Chikaru carefully draped the dress across the back of Tamao's desk chair and walked over to the sullen figure in front of her. "Tamao-chan..." She gathered the young girl into her arms and gentlely kissed Tamao's bowed forehead. Tamao broke, her streaming tears testiment to the whail of dismay as each sob shook her. "Nagisa-chan, Nagisa..." Heavy silence echoed Tamao's mumbled anguish. Chikaru sat Tamao on the bed behind them, tears covering the front of her checkered Lulim uniform. "Nagisa..." - - - - - "Yaya-chan?" Hikari leant her slight form against their dormitory door, turning the handle as quietly as possible, hoping to avoid the customary creek of wood under strain. "Yaya-chan?" she whispered again. No reply returned. Peering into the blackness behind the door, she strained to make out the dormitory beds, the cluttered desk and the flowing curtains behind. Both beds were empty. "Yaya-chan?" Flicking the light switch, Hikari squinted in the brightness. As her eyes adjusted, she looked quizzically at the scene before her. Yaya's white Spica uniform lay strewn across her bed, the sheets an untidy mess of imprints and scuffed covers. Quietly, she closed the door behind her, doing her best not to catch the edge of her Etoile gown as she did. A strange smell caught her nose; perfume, deliciously sweet and unexpected, despite being only a linger from earlier that afternoon. Puzzled, the young Etoile stood with her hands crossed before her, purveying the scene. "Yaya-chan, where are you?" - - - - - Shizuma shivered in the cold air. The temperature was dropping, and she knew it was time to move the pair of them before someone caught cold. Ever so gently she bent, kissing Nagisa's forehead. Reddish brown hair shuffled as Nagisa stirred. The fine eyelashes cracked apart, and soft brown eyes peered up from behind them. "Shizuma-sama?" The fond smile returned to Shizuma's lips. "Nagisa." The fourth year shuffled in her warm cocoon, pulling the blanket around her shoulders as she released Shizuma's tangled hair. She closed her eyes again as if to return to sleep. "I must be dreaming," she mumbled. Shizuma grinned. "No, if you were dreaming, it would be of food my love. Not of me." Nagisa opened one eye, grinning back at the former-Etoile. "Mmm, cookies." Shizuma chuckled. "Yes dear, cookies." She ran a finger across Nagisa's soft cheek. "We should get up Nagisa, its getting cold. The snow has started again." Nagisa rolled onto her back, looking up at the sky above them through the wooden sky light. It was beginning to clog around the rim with a fluffy white lining. "Look - marsh mellows too! I am dreaming." Shizuma's green eyes sparkled. "Why so obsessive? I'll develop an inferiority complex if I lose you to candy." Nagisa smirked as she replied, "Shizuma-sama has left poor Nagisa drained after today's ordeal." She meant it as a tease, but a serious look crossed Shizuma's face, stifling the happy shine in her eyes. "Yes, she has." After a pause, "And she's deeply sorry." Nagisa sat up, the tone shaking off the evening's sleepy haze. She tilted her head, looking into Shizuma's eyes directly. "Shizuma-sama?" A mark of regret washed across Shizuma's face, and she pressed a finger to Nagisa's lips. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this." For a second, Nagisa looked worried. "When I met you Nagisa," silver hair fell forward as the former-Etoile bowed her gaze, "I missed her, ...I missed Kaori so, so much." With a gentle touch, she traced the line of Nagisa's bare shoulder. "I had spent so long waiting for the pain to end, I hadn't thought about what I needed to do to make that happen." A tear pooled at the edge of an emerald well; Nagisa's gaze lost in Shizuma's shimmering eyes. "It wasn't until I took you to the summer house, until that night in Kaori's room, that I realised I still had to deal with my pain. That I needed to put things behind me before moving on." The tear rolled free, racing across Shizuma's cheek. "I didn't want to hurt you. Even then, I was certain I loved you." Nagisa wiped the tear away, gesturing for Shizuma to stop. The look in the young girl's eyes trying to tell the older that an explanation was unnecessary, but the former-Etoile shook it off, continuing despite more tears and the flustered warmth spreading to her skin. "The day I returned our Etoile necklaces, Miyuki and I ...we...we found a letter from Kaori. It had been hidden in the necklace case where Kaori thought only I would find it." Shizuma sobbed openly. "She wrote it not long before she died." Nagisa's expression turned to one of agonised pity, wishing for a way to end her girlfriend's obvious pain. But as before, she listened intently. Shizuma needed to say this. "In it she asked what would become of me after she had gone. She said she hoped for me to stay as she met me - as the girl that made her happy, helped her feel alive. It was only then that I realised what I'd become. What I was doing to the people around me." The tears slowed, and a look of sincerity took to Shizuma's face. She looked directly into the brown eyes regarding her, holding their attention firmly. "I loved you so much Nagisa, even then. I just needed time." Nagisa choked back a tear as the recent weeks' events sprung back to mind and the young girl drew away. "But... the night in the green house. The night you took the key back... You said..." A scowl crossed Shizuma's lips, twisting into a sneer as she looked away. She straightened her back in obvious anger. "Miyuki," She spat the word out, "had a convincing way with words." "But she said you'd given your approval to our entry in the Etoile election!" Nagisa almost recoiled completely, anguish racing through her heart. The evening had been so perfect and yet suddenly it seemed to be going wrong. "You said so yourself -" "No!" Shizuma snapped, returning her focus to Nagisa. "I gave approval for her to choose. I didn't care who became the next Etoile." She leant forward, taking Nagisa's hands in hers, drawing the brunette back towards her. "It wasn't until after she'd asked Tamao that she informed me of her decision." Holding Nagisa's hands firmly, she forced the fourth year to look at her. "I only said what I did because I knew I wasn't ready. I was stupid. I didn't want to hurt you anymore than I already had but instead I only made things worse." The girls fell silent for a moment, their breathing slowing, falling in sync. Catching memories as they sprang to mind, a weary smile crossed Shizuma's lips. "I smashed my room up the morning she told me you were entering together." She looked away, caught up in her own thoughts, the silver river that shrouded her face shifting in the light. Her words were little more than whispers, "I was so angry, so scared I'd lost you, too." Nagisa traced the scar lines across Shizuma's left hand, the wound still obvious and raw. Her furrowed brow softened, her gaze lost in the myriad lines that raced along beside the tender mark. Shizuma continued, returning her eyes to the beautiful girl she held before her. "I just needed time my love, I'm sorry." Nagisa looked at Shizuma, exploring her face, reading her expression. For only the second time since she'd met the former-Etoile, Nagisa saw her blush; the previous time being that very morning in the cathedral grounds. Reassured, the beginnings of a smile came to Nagisa's lips. "It doesn't matter how we got here Shizuma." Leaning slowly forward, she brought her mouth to the older girl's lips, the coy flush of playful embarrassment she wore turning into a look of placid serenity, and then slowly, aching desire. Her lips parted, brushing Shizuma's cheek. "I'm here, with you Shizuma. That's all that matters." Nagisa's whisper trailed off, consumed by a long, lingering kiss. - - - - - The stairs creaked as the two girls closed the attic door and tip-toed out into the Dormitory corridor. The dull light of the moon spilled through the obscured windows, leaving the way dark and filled with long shadows. "What now?" Nagisa asked. Shizuma flashed a smile. "What makes you think I have an answer for that yet?" Nagisa giggled, and squeezed the other girl's hand. "Because you're the brainy one, remember?" Shizuma grinned back, and after a moment's thought, she replied more seriously, "Then it's time you returned to your room Nagisa. You have a friend there I'm sure is in need of a hug." The fourth year tilted her head and looked into Shizuma's eyes. "Tamao-chan?" "I could only wish for a friend like her Nagisa. Regardless of our relationship, you shouldn't lose that. You mustn't lose that." Nagisa bowed her head for a moment. "You won't...?" Shizuma cut her off. "After today? Don't be silly." Nagisa beamed. "Then yes, I have a friend that needs a hug." Shizuma nodded with resolve, before looking down the hall into the plunging blackness ahead. "And I, ...I have something to deal with myself." The words floated into the hall, not needing a reply. Nagisa knew what portent they carried. - - - - - It was late when Chikaru left Tamao to herself. A half empty teapot of cold red tea sat in the middle of the low table in the centre of the room, and Tamao gazed at it as she stood with her back to the door; where she'd been ever since bidding Chikaru farewell and closing it behind her. It was quiet, and cold. How long had she been there now? A shiver ran along Tamao's spine, and with a defeated sigh she considered the prospect of going to bed. In reply to her sigh, the swish of fabric against wood came from the other side of the door. Tamao looked up, at first puzzled, but then with solemn realization. This late at night, there could only be one candidate for her silent companion. A moment passed, and then with slow refrain, she managed the words, "Welcome back, Nagisa-chan." As she leant forward, away from the door, the handle slowly turned. "Tamao-chan..." The voice was quiet, steeped in nervous trepidation. For a second, the girls regarded each other in stoic silence through the open door. Nagisa's Etoile dress hung about her, creased and dishevelled. Her hair fell messily across her shoulders, a flushed look in her cheeks betrayed fresh tears and the evening's other emotions. Tamao looked a mirror, Chikaru's soft perfume radiating from her clothes. "I - " Nagisa started, "Hush, Nagisa-chan." Tamao smiled wearily as a gentle sob shook her young body. Nagisa stepped forward. Tamao shook her head momentarily, her hand up to push Nagisa away. Then with an air of finality, she let the tears go again and embraced her dear friend closely. The girls stood in the dark, holding each other, unspoken regret and apology passing between them. It didn't need saying, both knew the other's words. "Welcome back, Nagisa-chan, welcome back..." - - - - - Shizuma pushed away from the wall, slipping from the open doorway to the younger girls' room. Regretful, but satisfied, her attention turned to the next problem at hand. And again, a dripping sneer of distain crossed her lips. With purposeful stride, the former-Etoile headed back toward her own dormitory, and a long over-due confrontation with student council president Rokujo.
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