Sato General Hospital, Sato Island, Planet New Tokyo
March 16th - 800A.S.
"Uhh, Mr Kimura?" the nurse asked, checking the faces in the waiting room for a reaction,
"That's me" Kimura replied, standing up,
"He's ready to see you now" the nurse smiled, pointing him down the corridor,
Kimura grabbed his coat and bowed slightly to the nurse as he passed, following the doors till he reached the one marked 'Dr Tanaka'. He straightened his shirt and knocked on the door lightly, entering and closing the door behind him.
"Ah, Mr Kimura!" the Doctor smiled, "Take a seat" he remarked, grabbing his clipboard,
Kimura nervously took a seat in the corner of his office, tucking his coat down the side of the chair. He didn't like visiting the doctor much, serving in the Kusari Naval Forces he was prone to all kinds of sicknesses brought on from his like of work. Today was something in particular he was regretting though.
Kimura had decided with his girlfriend, Sashi, that they wanted a child together. They wanted to start a family, but nature was against them.
Sashi was approaching menopause early, meaning she had little time to conceive before her body lost the ability to reproduce completely.
Lately they had tried for a baby, but with no success, Kimura had decided to get checked. The doctor held the results to his tests, and he dreaded the possibility that he was sterile.
"So I have your results here..." the doctor began, shifting through the papers to find what he was looking for, "...and... your father was a Cardamine user, yes?"
"Umm, in his later years, yes" Kimura replied, trying to connect the question to a possible result,
"Well... it seems some of the traits of his Cardamine abuse have effected your own genes, meaning he probably was using it when you were concieved..."
"So...?" Kimura nervously questioned,
"It seems your sperm are contaminated, much as you feared" the doctor said, no expression crossing his face, "I'm afraid the chances of you having a child are extremely slim, and the chances that child will be healthy are even slimmer"
Kimura leaned back in his seat, steadying his breathing. This is what he'd feared, he didn't know how to tell Sashi that he was useless to her.
He already spent enough time away from her, in combat, defending Kusari. Now he couldn't provide her with the family she had dreamed of...
Orchard Ophanage, Sato Island, Planet New Tokyo
May 24th - 800A.S.
"And this is Takara Masako, he has been with us for about a month now" the adoption advisor explained, "His father was killed in the Freeport 7 disaster, a Bretonian, his mother was Kusari, and disappeared with his sister some time ago. He was left to us with no family for support, no one will take him in because he's not pure Kusari"
Kimura nodded, looking to Sashi for her opinion. Sashi pushed him forward eagerly, wanting to see Takara in person.
Kimura dismissed the adoption agent and stepped forward into Takara's room.
"Hey there little guy" Kimura nervously introduced himself, "I'm Yoshi Kimura"
"Konnichiwa" the young boy smiled, handing Kimura a small model of a Chimaera, "Would you play space battles with me?" he asked innocently, picking up a model of a Wrym,
"Sure" Kimura smiled, checking on Sashi. She smiled and sat down on the corner of the bed to watch, "I fly one of these" Kimura told the small boy, observing the model,
"You are in the Navy?" the boy questioned, "Cool!"
Kimura nodded and chuckled, watching Takara prepare the opposing force, they were Corsair Titans, although one of the models had no wings from the various imaginary fights it had been in.
"Now we are patrolling in space and then Corsairs attack us!" Takata began, excitedly, "They want our eyeballs!"
"Oh dear..." Kimura sighed, "Are we going to hand them over?"
"Never!" Takara roared playfully, swooping his model Wrym past the wingless Titan, simulating the sounds of Neutron Cannons,
"Careful pilot" Kimura began, playfully, "Remember to strafe out of their fire"
"What is a strafe?" Takada asked, pausing his imaginary scene,
"It means you dodge about with your ship, side to side, and up and down" Kimura explained, indicating with his model Chimaera,
"Oh... cool!" Takada exclaimed, raising his own effectiveness in the imaginary battle by moving the model side to side, "It works Lieutenant! But I need your support, stop dilly-dallying!" Takada ordered,
"Yes Captain, moving in to support you" Kimura chuckled, "PewPewPew" his own Chimaera joining the imaginary fray,
Sashi smiled, the immediate bond between Kimura and Takada was magical, she knew this was the start of their family. She was happy, for the first time in months, she had hope.
Kanagawa Village, Sato Island, Planet New Tokyo
June 12th - 803A.S.
"Takara! Time for school!" Sashi yelled up the stairs, attempting to quicken the pace of her adopted son, "You have five minutes!"
She turned on her heel and moved along into the kitchen, a plate in hand on which to lay out the breakfast. As she served the food, she heard some sounds from the stairs, then a door creaking.
Sashi turned to see a radiant teenage boy waiting at the table for his breakfast.
"You're getting better at that, I almost didn't hear you this time" She smiled, placing down his plate and ruffling his hair,
"Thanks Sashi, did you get some more mango juice?" he asked politely, arranging his rice bun how he liked it,
"Yes, I even made you a glass ready"
Sashi grabbed the glass she had prepared, handing it to him as he chewed. She checked the table and sat down to begin her own breakfast.
"When is Kimura back?" he questioned, nibbling the side of his bun some more,
"End of the week they say, be patient, he'll be back in time to take you to Green Forest" Sashi smiled, "Now eat up, you'll be late for class"
Takara threw his satchel down, letting it land convieniently in one of the bushes. He crouched down and hopped forward, bending his knees as he landed.
He checked his watch, cursing under his breath. He was late. Takara swept up his satchel, and broke into a run, wandering off the public road to take his own shortcut through the forest.
The trees soon thickened, then opened out into a large, steep slope of dry dirt.
Takara balanced his figure, one foot infront of the other so he could slide down the slope without tumbling face first.
It worked at first, but soon enough he picked up speed, catching his foot on a stray branch, which pulled his feet from under him and caused him to roll painfully down the last portion of the hill.
He cursed lightly, standing up and checking for bruises and grazes. One small cut on his elbow was all, though his school uniform was a mess.
Takara didn't have time, he pulled his satchel up on his shoulder and began running again, clambering over rocks and branches, not stopping to catch his breath.
He could see the wall ahead, bordering the town. He continued at speed, hopping up onto a rock, then heaving himself over the wall as best he could.
His bag dropped, his figured followed, grabbing his bag and dusting himself off. That shortcut probably saved him ten minutes at best.
The school yard was just around the corner from this side of town, though he was coated in dust, he was still on time.
The school bell rang as he arrived at the gates, he had just about made it.
He rushed across the playground, and up the steps, disappearing into the hallways.
"Masako, you better not be late again!" Miss Yazako screeched, turning to see him in his seat, smiling innocently and dusting off his uniform, "Hm, very good"
Miss Yazako began her class, the study of Kusari geography, it was Planet Honshu today.
"Honshu it is today... Mr Fujiwara, year of settlement on Planet Honshu?" she asked, addressing her students,
"Errrm... 100A-" Fujiwara began,
"No, incorrect, Miss Denzai?"
"70A-" she began to reply,
"No, wrong, Mr Masako?"
"50A.S?" Takara responded,
"56A.S" Miss Yazako corrected him, "Very good Masako" she began talking about how Honshu was settled directly after New Tokyo, being the first Kusari colony, "And are the average temperature ranges broader or narrower than New Tokyo, Mr Masako?"
"Uhh, broader" Takara replied, remembering the terrain comparisons of the day before,
"Very good, average temperature on the side facing the sun is hotter on average than New Tokyo, but the darkside gets much, much colder than New Tokyo" she stated, smiling at Takara, "Now, Miss Kanji, is Planet New Tokyo bigger or smaller than Planet Honshu?"
Kanji froze, her mind wandering, attempting to dig out the answer. She saw Takara mouthing the words to her from behind Miss Yazako,
"Smaller" she squeaked,
"Correct Miss Kanji, and there I thought I'd lost you" Miss Yazako chuckled, "And who can tell me the population difference?" she addressed the whole class,
Hands were raised, but eventually she picked Takara again,
"Planet Honshu only has 170 Million, whereas Planet New Tokyo has ten times more than that at 1.7 Billion inhabitants, even though it has less landmass" Takara correctly responded,
"Very good Mr Masako, very good indeed" Miss Yazako beamed, "I'm sure you are all ready for the test then!"
The class groaned, as she gleefully handed out papers for them to fill out, a quiz on what they had learned this week.
Kanagawa Village, Sato Island, Planet New Tokyo
November 23rd - 806A.S.
Takara sat outside comfortably, letting the gentle afternoon breeze brush through his hair. He liked this spot, above the back door to their house, with a great view of the valley below. Sashi didn't like him on the roof, but he still clambered out of his window every once in a while to think.
Kimura was back for Christmas, which was nice considering he was usually away serving the Imperial Navy whenever the holidays came about. Takara finished off his notes, throwing his notebook back through his window causally.
He heard a car pull up on the drive, expensive sort, had a rather powerful engine. The driver soon rang the doorbell, a few unidentified people could be heard laughing.
Takara stood up and clambered onto the window-box, allowing him a nice view of the front of the house. There was an expensive sports car outside, an attractive young lady sat in the passenger seat. The driver's seat was empty, Takara assumed he had knocked at the door below him.
There was a large, military vehicle behind it, with a bunch of bonehead thugs awaiting the command of their employer. Takara linked the driver with the thugs, this visitor had most likely not come for a nice chat.
Soon enough, Kimura appeared, the driver had his arm around him and was leading him out onto the lawn, cigar in hand. It was Walcott, the greasy scumbag who flew here from Liberty and scammed his way into ownership of this portion of the island.
The two were chatting quietly, discussing something important. Kimura looked troubled, he did not like whatever was going on.
"No, no I'm sorry" Kimura elevated his voice, stepping back,
Walcott growled something at Kimura, rather threateningly. Kimura backed off a little, spotting the group of thugs,
"Alright, I'll see what I can do..." he sighed,
Walcott smiled and flicked his cigar into one of Sashi's lovely rose bushes, hopping into his sports car. He waved at the unamused Kimura as he backed up his car, taking off down the road, his thugs following him.
Takara slipped back in from his window, slipping off his jacket and sighing. He was bored, there was a fireworks display later this evening, but it wasn't for another couple of hours.
Takara was hungry, but as he moved to the top of the stairs, he heard Sashi and Kimura arguing n the kitchen.
"Then what do we do?" Sashi asked calmly, cleaning down the worktops,
"I don't know hun, I just don't know" Kimura cursed, relaxing, "He wants to evict us if we can't pay up, you know we can't afford his stupid tax"
"He's a tyrant baby, he'll get what's coming to him" Sashi smiled, trying to uphold her optimism,
"As much as I'd like to believe that Sash, we'll be homeless by then" Kimura cursed.
Takara finished up, moving into his room before either of them noticed him listening in.
They were going to be evicted, that must be the owner of this side of the island, claiming what he thinks is his. Arthur Walcott..
Takara hated that, this man sat about all day getting rich and bullying people, and Kimura risked his life everyday to protect Kusari, the tyrant was winning over the hero.
Takara cursed again, trying to get his dress-robes to look right, without being too uncomfortable. He had grown out of it fast, since he'd been forced to wear it to a family friend's wedding.
Satisfied, he checked his watch again, making sure he wasn't late for this. This was more important than school or dentist appointments, this was special to him.
Kimura spoke from the doorway, leaning against it casually in his formal attire,
"You look fantastic kid" he smiled, "You going to be alright on your own tonight?"
"Yeah, I got it Kim" Takara responded, finishing up, "It's going to be great"
"I told your mother you'd be home by ten, but we won't even be coming home at all tonight" Kimura winked, leaving Takara alone and puzzled.
This was good news, he could stay out all night! He pumped his arm and excitedly rushed his wasy down the stairs and out the front door.
It would be a ten minute walk to Jenny's house anyway, he was making good time.
As he arrived at the peak of the hill by his house, he stopped to look across at Walcott Manor in the distance, hidden behind a curtain of trees, a warm glow emitting from the area.
This was the home of Arthur Walcott, the man who planned to evict them from their own house.
Takara pushed it out of his mind, continuing his path down the other side of the hill towards Jenny's house. He straightened his robes a little and knocked lightly on the door. A few moments later it swung open and a nice Bretonian girl stood infront of him.
This was Jenny, her beautiful red dress complimenting her deep Hazel eyes. She looked stunning, and Takara's mind had to scream at him to move and kiss her on the cheek.
She chuckled and hugged him tightly, taking him by surprise.
"Glad you're on time for once" she laughed, her thick Bretonian accent clear in her words,
"Well this is something I actually care about" he smiled weakly,
Jenny squealed, shoving him playfully,
"Come on, let's go before we miss the fireworks" she suggested, stepping out and closing the door behind her.
Jenny made good conversation, she could talk about anything and make it interesting, which was alright because Takara loved her sweet accent.
They traversed the winding path down the side of the hill, through the trees. The pleasant little lamps illuminating the path like a string of gold all the way to the bottom.
They were visiting town, from their quaint little village in the hills. Usually this path was used for their trip to school, but tonight was a special night. Tonight was a celebration of the island's settlement.
"...and so it turned out he just tried to buy a pair!" Jenny laughed, finishing her humourous story,
"I remember hearing something like that" Takara chuckled, trying to catch her eye as they walked,
Jenny and Takara had always gotten along well, in all the few years he had known her. Along with Jenny's parents, they were the only people on the whole island with Bretonian blood. Takara was only half Kusari, so the two of them shared alot of xenophobic attention at school.
But that's what kept them together, they were so different to everyone else they knew.
She continued one of her wild stories as the entered town, which was the busiest you'd ever see it in a whole year. People came down from every surrounding village to celebrate, bringing fireworks and good food.
Jenny took his hand and let him through the crowd, finding them a good spot on a grassy verge, where they could see the entertainment best.
The people flowed into the streets, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. Takara had grabbed them some island treats, various candies made here on the island, though he wasn't sure where or how.
There were a few old illusionists, impressing the groups of children with their tricks. A man was creating fire and taming it with his hands, and alot of people has dressed up in odd costumes.
"So did you hand in your application?" Jenny asked, taking his mind off the celebrations,
"Oh yeah, I might get a place afterall" he sighed,
"You sure you want to leave the island to study abroad?"
"Yes, I'm sure of it" he confirmed, turning to look her in the eyes, "But I'll still see you sometime"
Jenny smiled, her gaze meeting his. They both felt that odd chemistry, the feeling in their stomach, the butterflies. She leaned in as the fireworks began,
"Oh, wow, it's started" she broke the moment, pulling away from the potential kiss,
"Uhh, yeah" Takara cursed inside, that was awkward.
The fireworks were amazing, Kusari shows always were magical. The various colours and patterns filled the sky, the people stopping to watch in awe.
The colours painted the sky for a second or two, sparkles of silver and gold shimmering off through the air. The whole island's population was united, the celebration of colonisation never failed to bring people together.