Martial Arts and Magic

"Himiko! Himikoooo!" Tenko Chabashira called. Her girlfriend, Himiko Yumeno, was sitting on a bench across the courtyard in the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, zoning out and looking at the clouds. Tenko had an idea she wanted to share with Himiko: she wanted to introduce her girlfriend to her passion, neo-aikido.

It took a while for Himiko to snap out of her daze and notice her girlfriend, who was running at her. "Nyeh!? Tenk–WAAAUGH!" Himiko screamed as Tenko tackled her off the bench and onto the ground. Her hat flew off. The smaller girl was pinned under her girlfriend. "Tenko… I told you to stop doing that…"

Tenko jumped off of the other girl and dusted herself off. She offered a hand out to Himiko, who took it to help herself stand up. "S-sorry, Tenko just got excited! She won't do it again!"

Himiko crossed her arms and huffed. "You knocked my hat off, now my hair's gonna get all messed up and it'll ruin my magic…," she whined. Once she spotted her hat, she began walking towards it. Tenko, of course, followed.

"Tenko's sorry, Himiko! She didn't mean to! Tenko would never mess up your magic abilities on purpose! Gah, Tenko is such a klutz…!" Tenko rambled as they walked.

The mage picked up her hat and sat it on her head gently. She adjusted it a few times before she decided it was just right. "Nyeh, it's okay, I know you wouldn't."

"A-anyway, Tenko thinks you're cute with or without your hat on… You look like a super cool magical girl either way!"

Himiko pulled the hat down lower on her head, but smiled. "Thanks…," she replied before pulling her hat back to normal. "Now, what did you want?"

"Oh, yes! Tenko wants you to train with her!" Tenko said, grinning. "We can go to the dojo here and Tenko can show you how she does neo-aikido! Doesn't that sound exciting!?"

"Not really…" Himiko looked down to the ground with half-lidded eyes.

The martial artist groaned. A frown tugged at the corners of her lips. "Himiko, please! Tenko will do something in return for you, and we can quit when you want to!"

Himiko looked up at her girlfriend. She planted her hands on her hips, sighing. "Why do you want me to do this so bad? It sounds like such a pain…"

"Because," Tenko replied, lighting up with energy and bouncing on her feet, "Tenko's passion is neo-aikido! Tenko wants to share her passion with you because she loves you!"

The magician looked up at her girlfriend, sighing. She wanted to say no and take a nap in the courtyard instead, but Tenko was so excited that it was hard to deny her. "...Fine, but only if you get to do something I want you to do tomorrow!"

Tenko agreed happily. She grabbed her girlfriend's smaller hands and led her to the dojo that was on campus.

---

"Okay! Listen and watch, Himiko!" Tenko shouted. Both of her knees were bent, one of them in front of the other. Her elbows were also bent. Her hands were close to her face. She bounced lightly on her feet. In an instant, the hand on her right flew through the air powerfully. "Haaah!" Her arm went back to its original position. With a smile, Tenko looked over at her girlfriend, urging her to copy her.

Himiko imitated her girlfriend's position, minus the bouncing. She punched the air without much force. Unlike Tenko, she made no sound as she did so and pulled her fist back. Her head turned to her girlfriend. "How'd I do?"

"U-um...well," Tenko stammered, looking away. She began nervously rocking back and forth on her heels. "Tenko...thinks you...could improve more…?"

The magician sighed, but looked back up at Tenko. She smiles softly upon seeing her. "Okay… I guess I'll try more...for you."