Today was a very special day for the students of the Strawberry Dorms. The students from all three affiliated schools (St. Miator's Girl's Academy, St. Spica's Girl's Institute, and of course St. Lulim's Girl's School) were all gathered outside together out in the front of the large Catholic Church on campus. The announcement of the large gathering by the head Sister in charge of the school came as a surprise to all the students. None more so than the student council presidents of the three schools. "Where is Etoile-sama?" Rokujou-sama, council president of Miator, asked. "Are you really surprised?" Spica's council president Toumori-sama asked, "Shizuma is always absent lately. That's what we get for having an Etoile from Miator." "And so it begins," Chikaru-sama, council president of St. Lulim quipped as the other two presidents began to bicker. As the students looked around questioningly, the head Sister finally appeared and stood before the collected students behind a hastily set up podium. "Young ladies," she said rather sadly, "I'm afraid I have rather distressing news. As you know, the three girl's schools here are all under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Okinawa. Sadly, due to diocesan budget cuts (not to mention several lawsuits), the decision has been made by the diocese to close the schools." Shock immediately filled the collected assembly. Cries of "No!" and "Mary help us!" were heard over tearful words exchanged between the students. "And now," the Sister said, her voice barely audible above the collective chatter, "Here to discuss this further is the diocesan representative, Sister Mary Elephant," she said as an extremely plump older nun in a full habit came to the podium. "Ladies, I..." the Sister began, only to be ignored by the students, "Um, girls," she said a little louder, but still was unable to get anyone to listen. She frowned as she took in a big breath of air and yelled into the microphone. "QUIET!" "Thank you," she said pleasantly as everyone's attention was now focused on her, "I realize this comes as a bit of a shock to all of you, but unfortunately the diocese is hurting. This was a hard decision, but with the guidance of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Ghost, Saint Lulim, patron saint of Japanese fish-scalers, Saint Miator, patron saint of leaf blowers, and Saint Spica, patron saint of sanitary tissues who bravely died a martyr's death so that her fellow nuns might have proper feminine hygiene products, the Bishop has made what he felt the was the best choice. Saint Seiya's school for overly-active boys will remain open however, as will Saint Tail's academy for troubled girls." Nagisa Aoi turned questioningly to her friend Tamao Suzumi, "Tamao-chan, our school is named after the patron saint of leaf blowers?" "Hmm," Tamao said with a nod, "He died while raking the grounds of the Franciscan Friary he was in." "Really? How?" "He fell out of the tree," Tamao explained, quickly adding "He wasn't the brightest of saints," the sound of weeping behind them alerted them to the presence of someone. They both turned around to see their room temp Chiyo Tsukidate crying. "No," she wept bitterly, "I don't want to leave this school, I... I..." she was cut off as Nagisa and Tamao pulled her into an affectionate hug. Elsewhere, among the students of St. Spica's, others were weeping. Hikari Konohana was beside herself. Her friend Yaya Nanto held her tight as the blonde wept. "Our chorus," Hikari wept, "I wanted so much to sing at least once more for Amane-sempai, and now..." As the two friends clung sorrowfully to each other, the younger first-year student Tsubomi Okuwaka likewise wiped away a tear. "The closing will not take place for at least another month or two," Sister Mary said, "Giving your parents some time to find new schools for you. From what the Head Sister has told me, there's a secular private school not far from here known as Ohtori Academy you might wish to talk to your folks about." "Oh no," Nagisa groaned, "Not Ohtori! That's the school I transferred from." "Is it bad?" Tamao asked. Nagisa nodded vigorously, adding, "They're all a bunch of kooks up there!" As Sister Mary Elephant finished and the stunned students began to disperse, the student council presidents stayed behind. "They can't do this!" Chikaru said, "They... They just can't!" "They can and they are," Toumori said as she defeatedly looked down at her hands. "No," Rokujou said, a determined look in her eyes, "If there's one thing I've learned from attending St. Miator's Academy, besides just how many lesbians can hide in an all-girl Catholic school, it's that you should never give up, no matter what!" "What do you mean?" Chikaru asked hopefully. "I mean that the three of us, as well as some of our fellow students, have to go to the diocesan headquarters and plead our case to the Bishop directly!" "Great idea," Toumori said, "But without the Etoile with us, I doubt the Bishop will listen." "And how are we going to find her?" Chikaru asked, "I mean you know Shizuma; if she doesn't want to be found, she won't be." Rokuja was about to say something when she saw three fellow Miator students passing by... "I'm sorry I cried so much," Chiyo said as Nagisa wiped the younger girl's tears with a handkerchief. "It's alright," the redhead reassured her, "We're all feeling pretty down about this." "Yeah," Tamao said, "We..." "You!" a voice shouted. The three girls turned around, only to see the three student council presidents running up to them. "Rokuja-sempai," Nagisa stuttered out nervously, "We were just..." "Nagisa-san," Rokuja said, "How would you like to help save our three schools?" "Really?" Nagisa asked, blushing cutely as her eyes widened, "But... How can I help?" "Good question," Toumori quipped, "How's she supposed to help?" "Because," Rokuja explained, "For some reason Shizuma seeks her out like a bee looking for nectar. All we have to do is stay close to her and eventually..." "Eventually?" Chikaru asked, "We don't have time for eventually, we... Wait a second," she said with a smile, "I think I have a plan..." -A Short Time Later- "Hold still," Chikaru ordered as she tied the fishing line around Nagisa's waist. "But I still don't understand how this is going to help save the school," Nagisa said as St. Lulim's school's president finished tying the string. It ran from around her waist to a fishing pole the council president was holding. "That makes two of us," Spica president Toumori said skeptically. "Make that three," Rokuja added. "Oh ye of little faith," Chikaru said as she took out a magic marker and hurriedly wrote something on a small piece of cardboard. "Here," she said as she handed it to Nagisa, "Hold this." Tamao went over to her friend and read the card. "Bait," she read aloud, "What?" "You'll see," Chikaru said with a smile, "Now Nagisa-san, just stand here in the hallway and try to look as sweet and innocent as possible," she ordered as she and the others quickly ran around the corner. Once safely hid, the St. Lulim council president crouched down holding tightly onto the fishing pole." "Chikaru-sempai," Chiyo said, "Will Nagisa-sama be alright?" "She'll be fine," the older student reassured, "Now keep quiet or we'll never get a bite." Several tense minutes later, Chikaru felt a tug on the line. "Bingo!" she said triumphantly as she started reeling it in, "Umph! Give me a hand!" she ordered. The others quickly came forward to help her pull the line. Soon enough Nagisa was pulled around the corner, with Shizuma holding tightly onto the blushing student. "Huh?" The Etoile asked as she saw the others, "What's going on?" "The diocese is closing down the schools!" Chikaru exclaimed. "What?" Shizuma asked, her normally cool demeanor forgotten as she processed the information. "Yes," Toumori added, "And we need your help!" "We're going to try to sneak off the school grounds to see the Bishop," Rokuja explained, "And we need you to come with us." Shizuma stared blankly at the three presidents before finally looking back down at the younger girl she was still holding, "Will little Nagisa-chan be coming too?" she asked, a predatory look in her eyes. Rokuja sighed, "We weren't decided yet on which school representatives would be joining us, but if it'll get you to come along..." "I'm coming too!" Tamao said, feelings of jealousy welling up within her at the sight of Nagisa's head being crushed into the Etoile's bosom. "If you two are going, I should go too," their room temp Chiyo said. "Fine," Tomouri said, "It looks like the St. Miator group has been decided upon. I'll come up with a group of students from St. Spica and Chikaru will pick the girls to represent St. Lulim. We'll all meet back here in an hour." "All of us," Rokuja said in a dangerously low voice as she focused in on Shizuma, "You understand?" "Of course," the Etoile said as she finally let go of Nagisa. The redhead promptly fainted backwards into Tamao and Chiyo's arms. "Right," Tomouri said, "See you in an hour." With that, the girls separated.
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