Xyhra(Part 1): Honor

The Storm

Elia, Suki, and Shiro left Mushomi a day after Ado Tiyoshi and Aemar Jarolan reached their truce for equality in the city. Shiro had said that the next region to the west was the Toa region, with Reduga as its capital, and that Ealdmund and Genji were more likely to be there than any other region because it was weakened. Lord Toa has three triplets, all the exact same age, and all with the same claim to rule the Toa region. Shiro had told Elia and Suki that all three of those triplets had been fighting over who would inherit their father's title since they were born. It was the perfect place for Ealdmund and Genji to sow even more discord in the war between the Shoguns. That was a week ago, now. Elia had turned fifteen during that time, but hardly felt older. Surely, being older than she was a year ago wouldn't affect her ability to fight against monsters and Samurai. That was hardly her biggest concern, though. Tsukomi kissing her had been on her mind ever since it happened. Romance between two people of the same gender hardly disgusted people in Chardan, but Elia hardly knew about Torriban. She had no idea how anyone would react to a girl kissing another girl, and also still had yet to ask Suki and Shiro, even during the week that they were on the road to Reduga. They had to have suspected that she was concerned about something, though.

"Elia," Suki urged. "If you're worried about something, you can tell us anything, or ask anything."

"Well, what I want to ask could very well be, um, disturbing, to you," Elia warned.

"I'm your sister," Suki reminded. "Nothing you say will change that."

"I know," Elia sighed. Suki and Shiro both turned to her to hear what she had to ask.

"Just so you both know, this is a completely hypothetical question," Elia began. Both Suki and Shiro could sense the deceit in her words, but paid it no mind.

"Ask, Elia," said Shiro.

"Alright," Elia snapped. "So, again, hypothetically, what if a girl, not a specific one, were to be in a romantic relationship with someone else, who was also a girl, in this country? Would it be illegal? Would either partner have to be worried about being executed painfully, and publicly? Just, what would life be like for someone like that in Torriban?" A look of nervousness came across Suki's face, along with Shiro's. Neither of them knew how to answer Elia's question.

"I think I'll go ahead and make sure the road ahead is clear," Shiro declared. He and Suki kissed, then he walked off, further down the path to Reduga. Suki did her best to think of an answer to Elia's question that wouldn't anger her or frighten her. She had seen her kiss Tsukomi in Mushomi, and that was after the four of them had stopped a massacre of innocent people simply because they were epsilon. She had a right to wonder if she should be scared.

"So, it's not exactly against the law," Suki promised. "But it's not widely accepted by the people."

"Meaning..."

"There are people who would judge you by that, and they wouldn't react well knowing it," Suki continued. "But as far as I know, you shouldn't have to worry about being attacked in the streets by a guard because of it."

"Okay," Elia sighed. "Thank you."

"But I don't think you should worry about it, anyway," Suki suggested. "You aren't afraid of having a gun or a blade in your face, and you shouldn't be afraid to be who you are. Don't be afraid of what people think. Think of Shiro. He's a former Samurai with cybernetic modifications, and now, he's a Guardian. Being a disgraced Samurai, a cyborg, and a Guardian is a much more serious crime than a girl being in love with a girl. In fact, just being a Guardian is in this country, for fifty years."

"I see," Elia understood. "What about being a Blade of Midnight?"

"Well, I doubt anyone outside themselves and the Guardians knows they even exist," Suki hoped. "So don't fear for Tsukomi, either. Especially knowing that she's a Blade of Midnight and can handle herself better than all of the Samurai she's fought."