Undertow by Sean Gaffney Maria-sama Ga Miteru (C) 2004 Cobalt, Margaret, Geneon, and everyone else. The first part of this takes place a year before the start of the anime, the second part after the Yellow Rose Revolution arc. Look at her. She's waiting for me to do something. To scream or hit her or tell her to get out and never see me again. It's obvious she thinks I'll never forgive her. I'm not sure whether I will or not. But that's irrelevant right now, because I can barely sit up. Another year, they said. Another year and I'll be ready to have the operation. They think I should make a complete recovery, and even be able to do athletics. And that's all very well and good, but it doesn't help me now. Now, as I sit here recovering from another relapse, wanting to scream and kick but just able to stare vacantly. She was seduced. My Rei-chan, seduced by another woman. She started at Lillian a month ago. It was horrible being away from her, being a year away from going there myself. But Rei-chan assured me that she'd be there, waiting for me. She'd make me her petite soeur. We'd be together again. And then, of course, she became a petite soeur herself. Of Rosa Foetida en Bouton. Who was being groomed for the Student Council. And was rich. And got perfect grades. And was utterly gorgeous. And was rumored to like unusual things. She naturally zeroed right in on my Rei-chan, who's tall, and tomboyish, and does kendo, but is also a wonderful cook, and perfectly feminine. The dichotomy must have been irresistible to her. She stalked, and then she made her move. Rei-chan mentioned once two weeks ago that she'd met an upperclassman who'd taken an interest in her, but I didn't think much of it. The soeur system was well known. Plus Rei-chan didn't know who the girl was at that time. Then she came in here, looking like she does now. Like she wants to crawl under a table and die... except there's a flush to her cheeks that's different. It's not humiliation, it's embarrassment. She started to tell me what had happened, sounding like her favorite novels. Of accepting Eriko's rosary, and of meeting the other Yamayurikai. Then of going to a private room, of hands lightly touching her body. Soft kisses, whispered affections. Skirts pushed aside, wrinkled pleats. Maria-sama was apparently somewhere else while this was happening. I don't blame Rei-chan. Not really. Even after all those shoujo romances she reads, she's still horribly awkward when it comes to passion. I don't think she even knew it was possible to make love to a person who wasn't in love with you. She doesn't know what it's like to see someone and want to kiss them until time stops. To want to rip off their clothes and lick sweat from every inch of their body. To want them so wildly your heart beats wildly and makes you faint, the desire is so great. I know all of those. Especially the last. Rei-chan says that she found out after that that a lot of petite souers were 'christened' by their onee-samas. In an all-girls' school with that kind of system, it didn't surprise me. But damnit, it was supposed to be me. I was supposed to be Rei-chan's first; the one who showed her what making love could truly be like. Not just a casual fling by someone who found her 'unusual'. I'd show her the true depth of my feelings, and she would cry out my name in pure ecstasy. Once I got my operation. It was all planned. So much for plans. She wants me to be angry, but I can't. I can't because I'm so tired. My body won't let me even work up the adrenalin to yell at her. So I forgave her. Said not to worry about it, not to let it prey on her mind. She smiled then, briefly, and tried to tell me that she loved me. She never has yet. She's not very good with words. But her eyes tell me, and that's worth more to me than words. So I forgave Rei-chan. Torii Eriko, that's another story. Just you wait till I'm well enough. I'll show you a taste of true vengeance... *** One year later Rei-chan has totally forgotten about it now, I think. She chose me as her soeur, and now that I've had the operation, I've actually been able to let myself accept it. She's mine now. A week after the doctors said I was cleared (not that I asked them if I was well enough to have mad passionate sex) I took Rei-chan to my bed and showed her just how healthy I was. It was wonderful. And I heard her cry out my name, and felt my heart beating strongly in my chest at the sound. This was real, she was here, trembling on my fingers. But I wasn't there first. Rosa Foetida was. My grand soeur. And she's going to pay. I need to strike now, while everyone is still expecting me to be quiet and demure. Only Rei-chan knows the true me. The others would never expect something like this from me. Least of all Eriko. I've gotten to know her better now, of course. She's not quite the pure evil that I had imagined. In fact, we're very similar in many ways. She was attracted to many of the things in Rei-chan that I like best. I can't fault her good taste. And after that incident, nothing else ever happened. Eriko offered, but Rei-chan said no both times, and Eriko accepted that. But that's irrelevant. She's going to learn that petite souer or no, Rei-chan is MINE! So I'm having my revenge. Everything is ready. Rope, gag, blindfold. She's a little bigger than I am, but I've got surprise on my side. She'll soon learn what it means to cross Shimazu Yoshino. I walk out, and go to the main room. Sachiko is reading some old book and Shimako is making tea. But Eriko is there too, lying on the table half asleep. My nostrils flare. "Rosa Foetida?" "Yes, Yoshino?" "Can you come here for a moment? There's something I want you to look at. It's for Rei-chan." "Ah, no problem." She stands and moves over to me, almost gliding across the floor. We move along, towards the room on the far end. I open the door and allow her to go in first. I close the door and lock it, and allow what Rei-chan calls my 'Yoshino face' to come out. "I've been wanting to talk to you for some time, Rosa Foetida." I smile broadly. It's not meant to be a pleasant smile. Eriko turns, and she's smiling as well. She's not supposed to be smiling. In fact, that's the sort of smile that... "Why Yoshino-chan, why didn't you tell me you wanted to play? All you had to do was ask..." And suddenly she's the one pushing me, and I'm up against the wall, and she's looking over my body like my clothes aren't even there. How on earth can she use her eyes like that? And when did I totally lose focus? "This is backwards..." I murmur. She tilts her head, and I swear I see her teeth gleam for a moment. "Wrong." And then she's kissing me, and damn, is she good at it. This isn't the shy, tender kisses I'm used to from Rei-chan. No soft feather-like touches and lipsmacks. I'm being ravished here. We're moving over towards the couch, and then she's reaching down to grab the rope. OK, that's enough. I'm starting to get back a little bit of my self-possession. I grab her wrist, and once again put on my terrifying look of death. Dammit, she's smiling again. "Oh, don't worry. I was just getting it to give to you. I've never been tied up before. It sounds interesting." The way she runs her mouth over the word 'interesting' makes it sound like the name of a lover. I look at the rope, and then back at her. This was not in my plan. I mean, she's not supposed to enjoy it. If she's going to be like that, I should just drop the entire thing and leave. So why am I considering it? There's a knock on the door. I drop the rope and look towards the window, panicking. No one was supposed to be here. Eriko turns. "Who's there?" "It's me, onee-sama." Rei-chan. I haven't fainted since the operation, but I almost do. I can feel the blood leaving my head, and I lean against the couch so I don't fall over. And then to make things worse, Eriko just strolls over and lets her in. Rei-chan comes in, and stops. She sees me, leaning against a couch with eye hooks attached, holding a rope. She turns and sees Eriko, who has ever so helpfully picked up the blindfold and gag and is studying them. "Shouldn't there be a ball attached to this?" she asks casually. "It's not meant to be a sex toy," I find myself muttering, and them stop and turn bright red. The effect of the blood all coming back to my head makes me even dizzier, and I slip back onto the couch. Rei-chan turns back towards me, and I turn my head away. I can't imagine what she must think of me right now. And then she starts to laugh hysterically. OK, now this is really going too far. I stare, unused to the sight of Rei-chan leaning against the wall, unable to stop herself from giggling. Finally she looks up, and looks back at me. "This is about last year, isn't it?" I can't believe she knows. How did she find out? Was I that obvious? Rei-chan comes over and hugs me. I resist the urge to just melt into her arms. Everything is going wrong, I don't know what to think anymore. Was she conspiring against me? Did she plan this with Eriko? No! This was my plan! "Yoshino, you can always read me like a book. I admit that. But after all these years, I've at least learned a little about reading you, too." And she smiles, and I get dizzy again, and this time it's got nothing to do with blood rushing anywhere. Well, nowhere near my head, anyway. "It's nothing like that," I protest, burying my face in her shoulders. "I know you love me." And then suddenly Eriko is next to us, and stroking the back of my neck. She has very long fingers, I note absently. "But I got to her first, is that it, Yoshino? And you can't forgive me?" If she keeps rubbing my neck like that, I just might. Instead I make a grunt, hoping it counts as an answer. And now Eriko is leaning over to whisper to Rei-chan, knowing I can hear her. "She tried to lure me in here, but didn't count on me turning the tables. It didn't help that she'd made the whole thing so erotic." I feel Rei-chan squirm against my body, and know that mine isn't the only neck Eriko is stroking. "Onee-sama..." Rei-chan whispers. "As I was saying, Yoshino, you don't have to force me. But we can pretend, if you like." Eriko leans over and kisses my ear, lips just barely grazing. "I can beg for your forgiveness." I no longer have to be mad at Rei-chan for allowing herself to be seduced by this woman. Instead I feel proud that she was able to say no to her again. But things are different now. And suddenly I find that I can't say no to Rosa Foetida's desires. "It's up to Rei-chan," I say haltingly. Ashamed that I have to let her decide something like this. That she has to protect me again. She shouldn't have to do that anymore, I'm supposed to be able to do it myself. I look up at Eriko, who turns her gaze to Rei-chan. The seductive look drops away, and I know that she is giving Rei-chan the chance to say no. And that if Rei-chan does, Eriko will simply leave, and won't bring it up again. But Rei-chan has me in her arms, and can tell what my body wants to do. She smiles again, a languid, happy smile. She's made her decision. Things didn't go as planned. Again. But somehow I didn't mind. The strength returned to my limbs, and I found myself reaching down to take the rope. Eriko still hadn't seen the real Yoshino. Time to show her what I'm really made of. Eriko smiles and holds up the gag. "Shouldn't we start with this? We wouldn't want me to scream, it might attract attention." Damn her... END Thanks to the Fanfic Revolution for their comments that made this fic better than it originally was.