Brynhildr Aria

Chapter Four: Star Light, Star Bright

Chapter Four: Star Light, Star Bright

I stood in the shower, my hands braced against the slick porcelain as streams of water cascaded and washed over my naked form like rain. Drops rolled down my bare skin, tracing my curves and splattering on wet tile. With all of the surreal insanity surrounding me, a place like this was my only sanctuary, the only place where I could be alone with my thoughts.

A few days had passed since Seishirou and Kosagi's arrival, and I still hadn't gotten used to all this. Sharing a flat meant for one with two additional humanoid aliens who might or might not become the Earth's new overlords had not been a pleasant experience. Since there weren't many places to sleep, I kicked Seishirou out on the couch and began sharing my bed with Kosagi. It wasn't fun by any means, especially after what had occurred the other day, but at least Kosagi was a girl. I wasn't about to start sharing my already-tiny bed with a big man like Seishirou.

I wasn't exactly confident around males, if the previous incident at the cafe had been any indication. Sure, people on the street would pass me by and tell me I was pretty, but I was scant of the confidence to back up that beauty. Not that any of it mattered anymore. I wasn't even human. I was still struggling to swallow that fact alone.

Losing all of my memories was one thing, but being an alien? Not even an alien, but an artificial thing created by aliens? What did that make me, then? In that case, I was neither a human nor an alien. I was just...some thing, a doll dressed up in a pretty exterior to be used as a toy. An identity crisis didn't even begin to describe it.

I finished up my shower and got dressed, my long, navy-blue hair still damp to the touch. Seishirou and Kosagi were at the table, sipping tea and snacking on fancy-looking cupcakes from the cupcake shop down the street. The pervading sweet smell in the air made me want to choke. "Good to see you two have made yourselves at home," I grumbled. I pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat. "So, what's the agenda for today?"

"I haven't noticed any unusual scents these past couple days, so that's a good sign," Seishirou piped up. "No other Brynhildr or Kamui have shown up yet, either."

I took a bite of a cupcake smothered in bright pink frosting, trying not to retch at the sickly sweet taste flooding my mouth. Sweets didn't go well with my palate. "Do you think they've given up? On capturing me, I mean."

Before Seishirou could reply, Kosagi snatched the words straight from his mouth. "Of course not. The Kamui are a bloodthirsty, relentless race. They have conquered many civilizations across the universe, and every one of them has fallen into ruin. They won't ever give up on capturing you, but that doesn't change the fact that they're going to invade this planet whether they have you or not. But now that I've been here and seen Earth for myself...I don't want that to happen. This place is so peaceful, so happy. Everyone is so nice...they don't treat me like a piece of trash...they just treat me like a normal person. Like...a human. I don't ever want to go back to the Admirabilis again. If I can live here and have a peaceful life with Sister Takanashi...I would love that."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked. "I'm not your sister. I'm sorry, but I really don't know you." Kosagi hung her head. "That's because you don't remember me. I know what happened to you. It's better that you don't recall it. You suffered so much...it was truly terrible. All of us Brynhildr are sisters. Even if we weren't born from the same parents, many of us were cultivated from the same cells. We all have our own telepathic links to one another. And...we have all been equally miserable."

"Sister Amamiko is the only one of us who's been shown any decency, but...I feel Master Sigmund only sees her as a pet. You may not remember it, but you saved my life. I'm a Class B Brynhildr, the weakest of my kind. They thought I was a failure...they were going to throw me away...but you protected me. If it weren't for you...I would have died that day. You stood for me when no one else would...and I've never forgotten that, even if you have. So...can I ask you a favor, Sister Takanashi?"