Valkyria Saga

{Date: 10/13 - Thursday}

{Time: 3:30 PM}

I sat in the meeting room, slouching in my seat with Orika sitting beside me, using her icy energy to soothe my aching muscles. Cherry and Berry sat together, Berry using her abilities to heal Cherry and soothe her aching body as well.

"Alright, everyone did a spectacular job out there today. Team One did an amazing job with showing a team with perfect Team Resonance, but Team Two also taught us something as well," Liao Ru began, turning around to face us, her gaze landing upon me and Cherry.

"They taught us that no matter the bad feelings we harbor toward one another, we can always put aside our differences for the greater good," Liao Ru continued, giving me and Cherry a proud smile.

Orishi stepped forward, letting out a soft exhale and smiled at the two of us. "Girls...Berry told us everything, about your fight and how it got out of hand until the Templar attacked you."

Cherry and I lowered our gazes, letting out a soft sigh then glanced at each other. The memories of our fight were burned into our brains, acting as a core memory for us.

"Cherry, if anyone could understand Hisumi, I thought it would be you, but you only added fuel to the already volatile flame. Hisumi, we understand your circumstances, but you're a Valkyria now. Not an agent of Judgement," Orishi said, looking at the both of us with the gaze of an elder sister.

"I know that now. So far, I've been nothing like a Valkyria. I've only been focused on becoming stronger, to complete my own goal...but after that experience with Cherry, feeling freedom when fighting along side her..." I said, placing my hand upon my heart.

"I heard her voice...the voice of my Valkyrie, Raikiri..." I continued, a subtle spark of lightning crackling upon my chest in response.

Misao smiled at me, glancing at Liao Ru with her arms crossed. "Her energy...it seems way more pure than ever. Not a lick of Fallen Energy in her system."

"I've noticed that...she's found a way to completely expel Fallen Energy from her system. At least for now," Liao Ru said, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Yusa stepped forward with a warm smile on her face, catching everyone's attention and cleared her throat. She stood at the front of the room, her presence like a Goddess. "Since we had such a successful mission, how about we all take these last few weeks of this term to get in some holiday training?"

Orishi glanced at Yusa with an intrigued expression, her curiosity piqued. "Holiday Training huh? Sounds like to me you're planning on leaving outside of these walls. Who will you leave in command of the academy?"

"My right hand of course, Sayoko. I've already had this idea planned in my mind the moment I reunited with Hisumi," Yusa answered, a mischievous grin stretching across her lips.

I eyed Yusa as she spoke about the Holiday Training, feeling conflicting emotions within. I didn't know what Yusa had planned for me, but her mischievous grin told me that there was more to this trip than she was leading on.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" I asked, gently holding Orika's hand as if to brace for Yusa's answer.

Yusa hummed softly and looked at her phone, checking her messages and let out a soft giggle. "I recently got in touch with a few of my old allies. They agreed to help me get you up to speed about everything you need to know about being a Valkyria."

"Okay, cool. Where are your old allies located?" I asked, feeling the anticipation weighing down upon me.

"We are going to the Destiny Islands..~" Yusa answered, her eyes shimmering with excitement for this trip.

I grunted softly, feeling my skin crawl as I knew exactly where Destiny Islands was located. I felt like I could pass out at this moment, a few memories from my time in America flowing back in my head.

"Monster..."

"Cold Blooded..."

"You killed her...."

Orika felt my body growing tense and gently held my arm, lightly pulling me toward her. "Hisumi, what's wrong?"

I finally let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, glancing around and noticing that everyone was looking at me with concern. I cleared my throat softly, slowly standing up and holding my head.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm just gonna step outside for a bit. This is a lot to take in," I said, making my way toward the door.

Orika watched me leave the meeting room then stood up from her seat as well, bowing toward the high ranks. "I'm gonna go see if I can find out what's wrong."

Orishi watched Orika leave the meeting room after me then glanced at Yusa with a raised brow. "Are you trying to give the girl a PTSD episode? Isn't Destiny Islands located near New America?"

"I know what I'm doing. Trust me, my old Destiny Women know about Hisumi. I told them everything to make sure there are no surprises. I feel like it's my time to step in and teach Hisumi what she needed to learn a long time ago," Yusa said, smiling confidently at Orishi, a determined twinkle sparkling in her eyes.

Orishi closed her eyes, shrugging her shoulders with a soft chuckle. "Alright, if you say you have it under control, then I believe you."

Yusa smiled at Orishi, glancing at her phone and the messages between her and an old friend. 'I sure hope this will be enough to get Hisumi on the right path...to finally heal the wounds that have never been touched before...'

I stood outside, running my fingers through my hair as I paced back and forth, feeling a wave of nervousness and fear hit me at the thought of returning to the continent that I caused a lot of pain in. I could barely take the thought of my actions against Leilani's cousin, the memories too haunting for me to withstand.

"Hisumi?" Orika gently called out, noticing me pacing back and forth within the hallway. She began to approach me, grabbing my arm gently and forcing me to look at her. "Hisumi!"

I stopped pacing, glancing at Orika and met her worried expression, the look of uncertainty etched across my face. "Orika...did you need me?"

"Not exactly, I'm just a bit worried about you. I've never seen you look so scared before and it's concerning..." Orika answered, maintaining eye contact with me as she tried to figure out the core reason why I was afraid to go back to America.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry, it's just...I've hurt a lot of people in America and I can't come to face the guilt within me from the horrid things I've done with Judgement..." I said softly, lowering my head slightly, my gaze dropping to the floor in defeat.

"You won't have to face them alone, Hisumi...you have Yusa and you have me. We believe in you more than anyone and I'm sure that we will be able to learn so much from Yusa's old allies," Orika said, ever the gentle optimist as she tried to make me see the bright side.

"Plus, this Holiday Training will help us both learn what it means to be a true Valkyria. We're in this together...you and me. You always tell me to take things one step at a time and now it's my turn to help you grow one step at a time..." Orika continued, her voice having a clear soft, compassionate tone.

I looked up slightly, searching for her eyes and noticed her gentle smile. I couldn't help but to smile back, narrowing my gaze a bit. "I suppose...but what if they don't accept me?"

Orika held my arms with a soft touch, gently making me look at her once again, our eyes meeting directly. "Yusa told me when I was first training to be a Valkyria that not everyone will accept us. Hero or Villain, there are some perspectives you can't change and that's okay. As long as you accept yourself, that's what truly matters."

Listening to her words, I felt them hit my core as it had a deep meaning to it that I needed to hear. This whole time I've been trying to make people accept me, trying to prove to them that I'm not the same person, but in reality I still haven't done anything to prove to the general public that I can change or even accepted myself completely.

"I suppose you're right...and I know you're right, it's just that...I feel like I have to prove to others that I can change, that I can be good. But, now that I'm reflecting on it...I haven't done anything to show people that I'm not on the side of evil anymore. I've only been masking it," I reflected, letting out a soft sigh and leaned back against the wall.

"Change doesn't happen in one day...not even a week or a month. Change is a process and you need the process of healing...and I will be next to you to give you the healing you need, as my soulmate..." Orika promised, smiling sweetly at me and stepped a bit closer to me.

I locked eyes with her, returning her sweet smile with a coy smile of my own. My heart raced a bit after hearing her call me her soulmate, happy to hear her claim me as hers in a subtle way. Orika felt a wave of affection wash over her, her mind filled with thoughts about if she should make the move on me.

After a few moments of thinking and staring in my eyes, she calmed her nerves and got up on her tippy toes, leaning toward me slowly. The distance between us closed more and more, our faces merely inches apart from one another. My eyes became more half-lidded the closer she got, Orika's lips only one movement away from locking onto mine.

Soon, she went for it, pressing her soft lips against mine and capturing a tender first kiss from my lips. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but to us it lasted an eternity as the world slowed down for just the two of us in this exactly moment.

Orika finally pulled away, her face becoming as red as a tomato from the realization that we actually kissed. Her gaze shot up at me with wide eyes, not knowing what to make of the moment. "Uhm...I..."

I couldn't help but to giggle lightly at her flustered expression, slowly reaching out to her, cupping her cheek in my hand. "Thank you, Orika...I honestly needed that and it really calmed me down. I feel like I can actually think again..."

Orika's lips curled into a soft smile, pleased to know that she was able to help me calm down and relax. "I'm glad I was able to help you..~ It means a lot to know that I was able to help..."

After a moment of fully gathering our thoughts together, the two of us began to head back into the meeting room together. The others noticed us returning into the room, my mood seemingly better than before after my talk with Orika.

"Well, seems like she's in a better mood now. How about we all head back to St. Fraskia and prepare for the Holidays. When are we going to see you again?" Orishi asked, glancing at Yusa with her arms crossed.

Yusa took a moment to think about her answer as she didn't know how long our trip would take. "Well, I do want Hisumi and Orika to be back before the new term begins in January, so probably after Christmas passes. Seems like a good time to come back."

"Gotcha, so a two in a half month vacation at Destiny Islands, sounds like a treat to me. I've always wanted to visit that island again. Ahh, 20 years ago was a treat..~" Orishi giggled, reminiscing on the past with a mischievous grin on her face.

Yusa chuckled softly at Orishi, shaking her head slightly and began to make her way toward the door. "20 years ago you were a party animal, and you still are..~ Glad to see you're the only one of my original squad who never changed.."

Orishi watched as Yusa left the meeting room with me and Orika, a soft smile curling on her lips. She glanced at the ground for a moment, letting out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, me too."

With that, everyone else began to follow suit, leaving the meeting room so we could all head back to St. Fraskia after long, successful mission. Every one of us were worn out from our battle, especially me and Cherry, and we couldn't wait to finally hit the bed once we made it back.

{Date: 10/14 - Friday}

{Time: 10:30 AM}

The next day arrived, the sun shining a bit brighter than ever as today was the start of my Holiday Training with Yusa and Orika. I spent most of my morning packing two months worth of luggage for the trip, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness for what's to come.

Rolling my luggage toward the living room, I was met with the smiles of Yumeji, Kikyo, and Saito, who were waiting for me. I smiled back at them, stopping in front of them with Genesis hovering next to me with a bright smile on her face.

Before anyone else could have a chance to say anything, Yumeji let out a cry and lunged toward me, holding me close with sisterly affection. "It's not gonna be the same without you, Hisu!"

I let out a soft laugh, my cheeks becoming red from Yumeji's overbearing affection. "It's not like I'm leaving forever... It's literally just two months..~"

"Two long months without my favorite Valkyrie Agent!" Yumeji whined, nuzzling me closely. "At least send some pictures to the group chat.."

"Alright, alright, I get it," I said, using a small amount of lightning to gently zap Yumeji off me.

Yumeji yelped, jolting and jumping off me with a soft laugh. She rubbed her side and walked back to the couch, sitting on the armrest. "Sorry, sorry~ I guess you can say I'll miss you."

Kikyo giggled softly at Yumeji's usual antics, shaking her head slightly. She turned her gaze toward me, meeting mine with a gentle smile. "I hope your vacation and training goes well. We'll be sure to check up on you often."

I smiled back at Kikyo, nodding my head. "I'll be sure to look forward to it. Just make sure when I call that you or Saito answers first and not Yumeji."

Kikyo couldn't help but to laugh at my request, knowing what I meant by avoiding letting Yumeji answer first. "Yeah, I already know. Don't worry, we'll be sure to keep this wild card calm..."

I giggled softly with Kikyo then shifted my gaze over toward Saito, meeting her gaze directly then walked over to her. I gently took her hand, interlocking our fingers together. "Don't miss me too much..~"

{Saito's Mood: Content}

Saito smiled at me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll try not to..."

I hummed softly at her response, leaning into her to capture her lips for a soft, tender kiss. Saito kissed back, closing her eyes as she was immediately drawn to my affection. Yumeji gasped, slightly covering her mouth with an exhilarated smile on her face. Kikyo was just as surprised, yet happy to witness our kiss.

{Bond with Saito increased greatly.}

{Saito's Mood: Loving}

I pulled away from the kiss slowly, opening my eyes to meet her gaze. A sweet smile played on my lips, my heart feeling as if it was about to explode. "I'll be back soon...and when I do return, you'll see me as the Honorary One..~"

Saito smiled back at me, reaching to gently caress my cheek. "I know you will..~ I believe in you..."

I leaned into her touch slightly, letting out a soft, content exhale then closed my eyes, enjoying the moment to its fullest. Soon, I felt my phone buzzing and took it out of my pocket, noticing Yusa and Orika had texted me.

{Mama: Are you ready, sweetheart? The Valkyrie Skyline is getting ready to head to the skies at 11.}

{Icy Bunny: Hey, are you ready to go? I'm waiting for you with Yusa at the top of the academy.}

I smiled at the text messages then looked at Saito, Kikyo, and Yumeji. "Well, I should be heading out now. They're waiting for me."

"Alright, I hope you three have a good trip! Remember, pictures, souvenirs, everything! I want to know what Destiny Islands is like!" Yumeji said, hopping off the armrest of the couch.

"Yes, yes, I got it. Pictures, souvenirs, everything in between," I giggled, grabbing my luggage and making my way to the door.

I opened the door, pausing for a moment and looked back at Yumeji, Kikyo, and Saito, giving them a smile. I couldn't help but to walk back toward them, reeling them in for one more group hug before leaving. The three hugged me back, taking in this moment for as long as we could.

I didn't want to let go at first, but soon finally let go and walked backwards to my luggage. Giving them one final wave, I finally set off with Genesis flying beside me with a bright smile on her face.

Yumeji, Kikyo, and Saito watched my retreating figure, waving me off and wishing me a temporary farewell. Yumeji and Kikyo were the first to go back in, but Saito lingered outside for a bit longer, feeling her heart aching slightly. Soon, she returned inside and closed the door behind herself.

"Let's take the world by storm, Honorary One!~" Genesis exclaimed, fluttering around me with excitement.

"One step at a time..~" I said, watching as Genesis flew around me.

The two of us continued toward the academy building to meet up with Orika and Yusa, ready to see what Yusa had planned for us. I couldn't deny the dread I had returning to America, but knowing Orika and Yusa would be with me, I knew it wasn't going to be all bad.