A Passion for Fire

Chapter 1: Initiation

"I knew you would return for me, William!" cried the lovely young woman, tears streaming down her joyful face. Her lover, a tall, redheaded warrior, looked back at her with the kind of love experienced only in fairy tales. "Just as I knew I could never leave you, Annette," he replied, clasping her hands in his own."Then we may be married? Your father gave his blessing?" "Indeed, both are true. But even if he hadn't, Annette, I would still have come back." Annette threw her arms around him, and rested her head gracefully on William's shoulder. "Oh, my dear Annette," he murmured softly, stroking her chocolate-brown hair. "Promise me, William," came Annette's quiet voice."Promise me that we will be together forever." The answering chuckle was low and soft. "We'll be together much longer than that, Annette. I promise it." As the lovers held each other sweetly, the curtain slowly descended, and the audience began to applaud.

The familiar smirk crossed Kanzaki Sumire's face the moment she stepped offstage from her final bow. Behind her, grinning broadly, Kirishima Kanna removed her dress jacket and placed it on the dressing room mending pile (it had ripped a small seam during the ferocious combat scene). "Another show well-done, Cactus Woman," Kanna said. Sumire tossed her hair and raised an acknowledging hand. "Of course it was wonderful,Kanna, I was the star. Even when forced to work with a virtually talentless amateur like you, Kanzaki Sumire never fails to perform excellently for adoring fans. And don't call meCactus Woman!" "That was beautiful, Sumire!" squealed little Iris, golden locks bouncing. "Yes, a very good performance," added Maria, from her place by the window. "Kanna, your skills have improved." Kanna grinned at her best friend. For most, a compliment from Maria was not too common, and definitely not to be underestimated, but for Kanna, this was less so. Maria found it easier to speak to the muscular Okinawan than the rest of the Hanagumi.

"Good work, everyone!" The whole group turned around to see their Vice Commander, Fujieda Ayame, enter the dressing room. She was out of uniform, a thin silk overcoat draped loosely over her shoulders, her hair up in the usual sleek, businesslike bun. Behind Ayame stood the three members of the Kazegumi: Kasumi Fujii, Yuri Sakakibara, and Tsubaki Takamura. All three of them wore broad smiles. With them was another good friend….

"Kayama!" exclaimed Iris and Kanna at the same moment. Iris wrapped her arms tightly around Kayama's leg, as the taller woman enfolded the head spy in a customary bear hug. "Where've you been?" Kanna asked, ruffling Kayama's hair. He laughed good-naturedly, attempting to pry Iris off his leg, with little success. "A little bit of everywhere, actually," was Kayama's response, along with a characteristic wink. "Great show, by the way. It's a shame Ohgami didn't get to see it." The Captain had been sick in bed for the past three days, and was hardly able to even get out of bed, much less come down to the theater.

Maria Tachibana stood up and crossed over to say hello to Kayama as well. "Greetings, Kayama," she said, a tense smile appearing on her face. "Hello, Maria. It's nice to see you again. You too, Sumire," replied Kayama. Sumire glanced up from her mirror, where she carefully removed her stage makeup. "Hello." Ayame spoke up again, this time, her voice lower, more intense. "We've dragged Kayama in for a special mission, which the Commander will brief you all about later. For now, though- where are Sakura and Kohran?"

"Sakura is watching over the Captain," Maria answered tonelessly, "-and I suspect Kohran is working with the Koubu. There was enough damage in the last battle for Kohran to be busy repairing Koubu for a week or more." Ayame nodded, and opened her mouth to speak, but Sumire cut her off. "I think a damaged Koubu is a sign of nothing less than carelessness in battle. If you'll notice, my Koubu has hardly a scra-"

"You know what we used to say on Okinawa," Kanna interrupted loudly. "'It's a false victory that isn't paid for in blood'- or in this case, metal. Face it, Cactus Woman. You didn't get hurt because you didn't fight hard enough."

"I beg your pardon-"

"Enough!"

That was Maria, who had never been one to sit through Kanna's and Sumire's arguments. "Kohran will get the Koubu fixed, and that will be the end of it." "How long will it take, Maria?" asked Iris, having finally switched her grip on Kayama's leg for one on her special teddy bear, Jean Paul. "I do not know, Iris," Maria replied, returning to her window seat. "You will have to ask Kohran."

"Come with me, Iris," said Kanna. "We'll go see Kohran, and Sakura, and find out what's going on. Anyone else want to come? Maria?" The tall blonde Russian looked up from her outside gaze, and shook her head. Sumire simply stood up and walked out. The others muttered about other things that needed doing, and slowly began to disperse. "Looks like it's just you and me, kid," Kanna said with a smile. "Let's go." Clutching Jean Paul closely, Iris skipped out of the room, with the tough redhead right behind her.

-

Sakura did not look good. Her face was pale, and her usually tidy hair and kimono were mussed. Her weariness emanated from her place beside Ohgami's bed. "Sakura, man, you gotta get out," stammered Kanna. "You'll kill yourself in here all the time." Iris nodded agreement. "I can't," said Sakura hoarsely. "He's not well yet." Kanna grabbed the girl's upper arm, and dragged her to her feet and out the door, into the hallway. "You're no good as a nurse if you make yourself sick too. Go ask Kasumi to take over, andget some rest." Kanna put both hands on Sakura's shoulders, facing her. Her expression was firm, but kind. "I mean it." Iris piped up, "Go to sleep, Sakura, and then come eat with us. Big Brother will be okay, you will see!" After a moment's hesitation, and several glances through the door at the ill captain, Sakura nodded. She was too weak to fight either Kanna or common sense, and both were against her. Relieved of her duties, Sakura staggered off to find Kasumi.

-

Kanna and Iris found Kohran, as expected, down with the Koubu. As usual, a series of bangs and whistles heralded her descent from Iris' Koubu. "Hey there, Kanna, Iris!" she greeted them with her usual unending optimism. "I'm almost done with your Koubu, Iris. By the time I'm done, it'll be physically strong enough to match yourreiryoku. So, what can I do for you?" "We came to check on the Koubu repairs," answered Kanna, as Iris rested a shy hand on her bright yellow Koubu. "When do you think it'll all be finished?" Kohran studied her projects carefully before she answered. "Well, yours and Sakura's are already done," she informed Kanna, pointing. "I'll have Iris' done by morning, which leaves Maria's, Ohgami's, Sumire's, and mine. I can get mine and Sumire's fixed in a day, maybe less, but Maria's and Ohgami's will take about a day each." Kanna stared, amazed. "Maria said it would take a week," she said. Kohran laughed, and shrugged. "What can I say? The damage wasn't as bad as we thought, and I'm pretty handy with a screwdriver." She adjusted her glasses, and was preparing to return to work when they heard Ayame's announcement.

"Imperial Flower Combat Troop, please gather at the command center immediately."

Eager to hear about Kayama's new assignment, Kanna and Iris left at a run. "Hurry up, Kohran!" called Iris, as the mechanic followed, a questioning look crossing her face.