Kamakura
			 A Dark Kingdom Rising story
				      by
				Suika Roberts


	 This one has _Uta~Kata_ spoilers.  You've probably noticed.

				  Fall, 2004

	Tachibana Ichika smiles at her friends, the look unforced, open.  She
hates this most about herself, now, how easy it has become to lie.  She waves,
again, and they take their seperate ways, leaving her the last few blocks to
the train station on her own.  After a moment the smile drops from her face,
and she walks on, shoulders just slightly slumped under her grey winter
uniform, reddish hair shining against the grey wool.

	Ichika startles, pauses, and looks up at the girl in her path.  She's
younger, or at least that's her first thought, after a glance at her milk pale
face before being captivated by the sight of the young woman's horribly
scarred limbs, ropey white masses of keloid wrapped around her legs from
mid-calf to mid-thigh, and her right arm from her shoulder nearly to her
wrist.

	`You seem troubled, young one,'  The young woman says, shoulder-length
black hair framing soft features, and purple eyes that belie her unmarked
face.

	Ichika draws into herself, just a little further, at the others
stylized superior to inferior formality, and her dark, short skirt and tight
top, which outline a slight, immature, form.  She flusters a moment, then
responds, `Gokigenyou,' with a slight bow.

	`Gokigenyou,' the stranger replies, nodding back, `Could you tell me
what troubles you, on such a fine day?' she asks, dropping out of her formally
informal samurai dialect.

	`Manatsu-cha-- a person-- there's a person I miss, a lot,' Ichika
says, then takes a step back and half turns, preparing to escape.

	`And you haven't told anyone, have you?'

	Ichika turns back, `No one else remembers her, so . . . ' 

	`So that is what is attatched to you,' the other says, and reaches
out, nearly touching Ichika's face.

	Ichika stares, transfixed, as the purple eyes in front of her glow a
soft blue, and she can, just for a moment, see Manatsu's transparent
face between them.  Manatsu's eyes catch hers, and both of them smile for an
instant before Manatsu fades from her sight.

	`There's something else, too, isn't there?' the purple-eyed woman asks.

	`Something else?'

	`The girl is attached to you, but not manifested from you, from
something else, probably an artifact--' 

	`Yes, a piece of mirror,' Ichika says, eyes wide and heart warm, for
the first time in over a month, with hope.

	`Then let us see what we can do with it, shall we?' the other gestures
down the road.

	`Lets!' Ichika says, and leads the way, `Who are you?'

	`I'm called Tomoe Hotaru,' she follows easily, toned muscle sliding
with apparent ease beneath her scars.

	`I'm Tachibana Ichika, 14 years old, and a second-year Junior High
student at Kamakura Girl's School.'

	`If we're going to be that detailed, I'm twenty-six years old, and a
Dark Kingdom Healer-Mage.'

	`What brings you to Kamakura, Tomoe-san?'

	`Hotaru is fine, since you are kind of my patient.'

	`What brings you to Kamakura, Hotaru-sensei?'

	Hotaru smiles, and reaches out to ruffle Ichika's hair.

	Ichika ducks and reaches to block, `What is it with adults?  Can't you
leave a girl's hair alone?'

	`No, nor a boy's either.  They're just so cute,' Hotaru gives a little
laugh, `My wife and I are here to sight-see and go swimming.'

	`Your wife?' Ichika pauses, then blinks, `You're famous, aren't you.'

	`Yep.'

	`Your wife is Tsukino Usagi, the pink-haired weird one.'

	`She'd be amused to be called that, I'm sure.'

	`Well, the other Tsukino Usagi seems pretty normal, other than having
both a wife and a husband,' she pauses, `and an entourage.'

	Hotaru smiles, `You probably couldn't imagine the hubub raised over
her consorts, then.'

	`I've read about it, but it just doesn't make sense,' Ichika gives a
little shrug, `It's not like anyone else has to live with them.'

	Hotaru laughs.

	`Well, anyone who doesn't want to,' Ichika blushes, looking down, `Why
wasn't there so much made of her harem?  It was only a year or so later that
it started to grow.'

	`The lack of interest by most of the public, probably.  There's no
scandal to be found if you're hugging the man your husband is kissing, or at
least a whole lot less.'

	`Ah.'  Ichika leads the way into the train station.

	`Where to?' Hotaru asks.

	`It's a hundred and fifty yen,' Ichika answers.

	Hotaru sorts through the puddle of change she pulled from her pocket,
then sweeps the remnants up and drops them back in.

	`Why?' Ichika asks, standing a half-pace back from the yellow line.

	`Why what?'

	`Why are you trying to help?  It isn't some kind of test, is it?'

	`What do you mean, test?'

	`That's why she appeared, and why she left.  Saya-san said she was
part of her, that Kei-san was part of her, and she had to test us, had to
follow the rules,' Ichika breaks off, looking down, eyes shiny.

	Hotaru gathers her into a hug, `What were the rules?'

	`I don't know.  Knowing the rules was against the rules,' Ichika
struggles half-heartedly, then relaxes, wrapping the older woman in her arms,
`But the test was letting me see as a Djinn, a spirit of nature, then letting
me do things as that Djinn.'

	`Oh?  That doesn't sound bad.  How long did you spend linked to this
Djinn?'

	`Only a little while each, a few minutes, half an hour at most.  It
was supposed to make me hate other people, hate myself.'

	`But it didn't work, did it?'

	`I tried to kill someone.'

	`Who?'

	`Saya-san.'

	`I take it you didn't succeed.'

	`I rescued her.'

	`Why?'

	`Because it wouldn't be right to kill someone because I didn't like
the fact that they had a relationship with a boy I hadn't even told I liked.'

	`Do you regret it?'

	`I don't think she would have died anyway.'

	Hotaru smiles into Ichika's hair, `That's good.'

	The train arrives with a rattle and slight rush of air.

-

	`Ichika, you brought a friend home!' the tall brown haired woman
greets them in the hall.

	`This is Tomoe Hotaru,' Ichika gestures, `And this is my mother,
Shiho.'

	`Pleased to meet you, Tachibana-san,' Hotaru bows.

	`The pleasure is all mine, Hotaru-chan,' a slight twinkle glitters in
her eyes, and she continues, `My husband is in Italy right now, but I'm sure
he'd be pleased to know that Ichika is bringing friends by again.'

	Ichika grabs Hotaru's hand and drags her up the stairs bodily.

	Hotaru laughs and waves back down the stairs.

	Ichika lets go of her hand once the door is closed, and gently opens
her desk drawer, pulling out an uneven triangle of mirror.

	Hotaru touches it gently, `I can feel her,' she says, taking the shard
and holding it close, `Perhaps like this?' she says to herself, and a faint
pink glow surrounds her hands and the shard, shifting to blue as it brightens
to almost painful intensity.

	The shard glimmers, glows, then melts into a ball before expanding out
into the shape of a translucent girl, rushing air dragging in debris to swirl
through and around her as she solidifies, dried leaves, pine needles, dirt,
newspapers, small rocks, plastic trash.

	A droplet of mud hits Ichika, and she squeaks sharply, staring at the
dirt-smeared form in front of her.

	After a few minutes the storm abates, and with a faint clatter the
small rocks fall to the ground, followed by the remaining dust, leaves, and
plastic.

	Ichika spares barely a glance for her room before darting forward.

	Manatsu blinks, a smile forming on her face as she opens her arms to
her friend, catching her and holding her close to her muddy, naked form.

	Hotaru smiles, letting the two cry happily on each other for a little
while, then speaks up, `You may want to clean up,' she gestures at Manatsu,
`Then come back so we can talk about what's changed.'

	`Yes,' Ichika says, awkwardly walking over to grab a robe, unwilling
to let go of her friend.  They awkwardly get the robe around Manatsu, then
waddle from the room.

	Hotaru smiles after them, then turns back to the room, glaring a
little at the mess she'd made.  It doesn't have the grace to look embarrassed,
or to slink back, so she sighs.

	Hotaru crosses her arms, turns away, and scowls at the door.  It
doesn't burst into flames.

	With a, `Sigh,' Hotaru turns around again, and makes a scrapping
gesture.  Most of the dirt and trash obligingly gathers itself up, slumping
out the window at the end of the gesture.  She repeats it twice, leaving the
room only much dirtier than when she walked in.

-

	Ichika leads her grimey friend into the bathroom, stripping both of
them quickly out of their muddy garments, then turning on the shower to rinse
the first layer of mud off.

	Dark hair fades to a rich turquoise, still liberally streaked with
mud.  Patchy mud still darkens Manatsu's pale skin, `Are you OK?'

	`I don't know.  Am I real?'

	`I hope so, since I don't generally have dreams about washing mud off
my friends,' Ichika smiles, and takes the shampoo, beginning to rub it into
her friend's hair.

	`Am I just your friend?' Manatsu asks, a quaiver in her voice.

	`What do you mean?'

	Manatsu turns on the stool, wrapping her fingers into Ichika's hair
and pulling her down, rising up as she does, to kiss the girl gently on the
lips.

	Ichika startles backwards, pulling Manatsu down on top of her, and
rubs the back of her head, `Ittee,' she whimpers, then raises her head again,
a smile on her lips, and presses them to Manatsu's startled ones.

-

	Hotaru turns and walks down the stairs, gathers a broom, mop, bucket and
sponge before turning to fill the bucket.

	`What's going on, Hotaru-chan?' Ichika's mother asks.

	`Whomever told me magic was clean, simple, and solved every problem
lied,' Hotaru says, filling the bucket with warm water.

	`Let me,' Shiho says, grabbing a dustpan and the broom before leading
the way.

	`OK,' Hotaru says, waiting for the clatter when she opens the door.

	It comes sooner than she expected, `Manatsu-chan!' at the sight of the
two towel-clad girls in the hallway.

	`You remember me?' comes the small reply from the damp girl in
Ichika's arms.

	`We'd thought you'd gone home suddenly.'

	`You could say that,' Manatsu sniffles.

	`So,' Shiho turns to Hotaru, `You brought her back?'

	`Yes,' Ichika answers.

	`Thank you,' Shiho says, and gathers Hotaru's hands in hers, `Thank
you,' she repeats, tears starting to slide down her cheeks.  After a moment
she gives Hotaru's hands another squeeze, `I'll take care of the room, Manatsu
is probably hungry,' Shiho smiles at the girls.

	A gurgle obligingly fills the hall.

	Ichika laughs, a bright, merry sound that startles a smile from
Manatsu and a chuckle from her mother.

	Ichika settles Manatsu, her hair still down, at the table across from
Hotaru, and starts toast before dropping into the seat next to the other girl.
She laces their fingers together and leans into her side, `You said things
changed?'

	`Yes,' Hotaru nods, `Manatsu, you used to have a magical body,
animated by a tap on Ichika's life force.  Now you have a body of flesh and
blood, kept alive solely through the normal chemical processes.'

	`You mean,' Manatsu pauses, `I'm not part of Saya-san anymore?'

	`Part of you is, but it is a very small part, now.  She could even
take that part back, and you'd still be you, mostly.'

	`Mostly?'

	`You will be different now, anyway.  You'll have a harder time knowing
what Ichika is feeling, and you'll probably behave and feel a tiny bit
different, too.'

	`Why?'

	`I -- the magic I used to restore you comes from all the people who
admire me, just a little bit from each, whereas before all the energy that
went into you came from Saya-san or Ichika.'

	`Same lamp, different oil?'

	`That's one way to put it.'

	`And I'll be easier to hurt and harder to heal this way, too, won't
I.'

	`Probably.'

	The smell of something burning fills the room suddenly, and Ichika
springs up, Manatsu following, to rescue the toast.

	Once the girls are settled, Manatsu crunching on a plate of
well-scraped buttered toast, Hotaru speaks up, `Could I officailly ask you for
details about the tests Saya-san put you through?'

	`I don't know how well I can answer them, but,' Ichika shrugs, `But
it's OK with me.'

	`Manatsu-chan?'

	The other girl nods.

	Hotaru sets a rock on the table, prods it with a finger, and it starts
to glow softly, `In your own words, how did the tests start?'

	`Manatsu-chan came out of the mirror, after taking my phone, and the
charm Sei-san gave me.'

	`Oh?'

	`Sei-san was tested, six years ago.  He couldn't choose, at the end,
and Kei-san stayed with him.  A couple months ago, they were going to bury the
charm, but I saw them, and Sei-san gave it to me.'

	`When I took the charm, it recharged,' Manatsu says, `The twelve gems
changed from grey to jeweltone again.'

-

	`Can you bring Kei-san back?  Sei-san has been very sad, although he
tries to hide it.'

	`Probably.  Tomorrow.  Give me his address?'

	`Sure.'

-
 
	`I should get going, you need to prepare dinner,' Hotaru says.

	`Stay!  We'd be glad to have you,' Shiho says.

	Manatsu and Ichika nod, `Please?'

	`I need to find my wife, she's probably worried by this time.'

	`Is she the pink-haired girl outside?'

	`Girl isn't the word I'd use, but she may be,' Hotaru closes her eyes
a moment, then smiles, `Yep, she's right outside.'

	`Then both of you could stay for dinner?' Ichika asks.

	`Maybe another time?  I had plans for this evening, you see.'

	`Tomorrow?' Shiho asks.

	`I'll let you know by noon?'

	`Please,' Ichika says, a smile on her lips and in her blue eyes.

-

	Usagi greets Hotaru with a smile and small wave, and Hotaru smiles
back before turning for a final round of escaping pleasantries.

	Hotaru wraps her arm about Usagi's waist and Usagi, with a practiced
flip of her head, slings her braid over Hotaru's shoulder as they start off.
Hotaru, as usual, giggles and rests her head against her beloved.

	`That's so sweet,' Ichika whispers in Manatsu's ear.

---
log:
2005/Apr/05:	Left Ramadi to go on leave
2005/Apr/10:	Got home.  Got my mom's new iMac G5 unpacked, set up.
		Installed a new version of Bittorrent on my PowerBook.
		Started downloading all the yuri goodies I've been reading
		about for the last year.
2005/Apr/14:	My PowerBook's hard drive started giving warnings it would die
		soon.  Had to get a new drive and install it.  Nasty task on a
		12"  Shifted all the torrents to my mom's Mac.
2005/Apr/28:	Back in Kuwait, on my way home, started watching Uta~Kata
2005/Apr/30:	Finished Uta~Kata.
2005/May/1:	Wrote this.  Still in Kuwait.
2005/Nov/4:	Title block added, and I've decided to put dates on all my DKR
		stories, since I go through the trouble of figuring them out
		anyway . . .