FullMetal*Panic!

Table of Contents::Chapter Guide

Disclaimer: Not mine *pout* cuz mah husband said so. I'd just like to rebut with a) B-b-but, I'm obsessed! b) rebut sounds funny and c) I'm obsessed!
Copyright still does not belong to me.
~This is supposed to be a contest, not a war! Full Metal Panic Episode 14~

Simply Whisper
Chapter 5: It's Part of You
By Miz~Lou

Melissa circled around to a bench and took a light seat inviting Chidori to sit beside her. The sat and spoke a little while longer. From the looks of it, Chidori was starting to react more comfortably to her questions about Sousuke. This is very encouraging indeed, Melissa thought ending with a slight chuckle. She didn't come right out and admit her feelings, she's deflecting. But I remember what it was like to be her age.

Chidori brought a loosely closed fist up to laugh and Melissa enjoyed the look of happiness on the young girl's face. It had been a while since Chidori had been happy, this was an uncertain and dangerous world for someone so blessed - or cursed, with such an unchosen gift.

Two shadows materialized in the distance and Chidori's attention was drawn by them.

"M-Melissa?" She continued after twisting her fingers in her lap keeping her eyes on the shadows in the distance. "Do you know anything about the new mission. You know, that you could tell me?"

A smile unseen. "We can't move until we know more. For right now, just promise you won't worry."

There was a polite smile. "I know that's very hard for you with the nightmares, but I will let you know as soon as anything happens. You have my word."

Melissa saw the anxiety melt away from Chidori's face and felt relieved.

"Thank you."

Kurz and Tessa were heading down the path toward them and Melissa winked over at Chidori. "Now, what do you suppose he's up to?"

"Could be anything." She countered and they stood. "But I wonder how he got Tessa all caught up in it!"

Kurz meandered up like it was no big deal and waved hello to the ladies. "How are the soldiers treating you Miss Chidori? Not any better than I am, right?"

A scowl met his jovial wink. Sousuke ran up on the path out of breath with the paper fisted tightly in his hand and Kurz didn't miss a minute spinning on a heel to greet him. "False alarm Sousuke!"

"Weber!" Mao shouted at him, "You set this up!"

"That's right, sis." He pointed to the beach with a volleyball net set up, complete with inflated ball. "Captain and me against Sousuke and Kaname! Mind being our referee Sgt. Major Missy Ma'am?"

Mao elbowed him hard as she went by in reply. Sousuke finally spoke up after recovering his breath rather quickly from the jog and he was not happy with being tricked. "I refuse to go along with your mishap after tricking me with thi-"

Kurz broke in, "You have to play - or are you going to abandon your mission operative against the Captain and myself?"

Sousuke did not snap into rigid formation as Kurz thought he would. "Who are you and what did you do with Sousuke?"

Kurz was suddenly on the spot and was trying to think up another way to get his solemn comrade to play when the plastic sphere flew at Sousuke.

"Come on Sousuke!" Chidori was just finishing up kicking her shoes off. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

He smiled toward Chidori and then tossed a quick scowl over to Kurz to make sure he had gotten the message.

"I, I can sit out and watch you and Kurz play!" Tessa chimed in at the possibility of sitting next to Sousuke if he happened to watch instead of heading back to the firing range. The chances were small, but not as small as they would have been in her mind had she seen his smile to Chidori. This would keep Chidori and Sousuke from playing together on the same team and she could have the Sergeant all to herself!

Kurz interjected, "This is your break Captain, I told you, this isn't your issue to solve."

"I accept." Sousuke tossed the beach ball back to Chidori and Tessa nearly visibly slumped in his presense.

Kurz gave out a cheer at the success. "Perfect!"

"Issue to solve...?" Chidori looked at Tessa with an air of concern. What does that mean?

A whistle blew followed by, "Let the games begin!"

"Man, sis, you're really getting into this!"

.o.o.o.o.o.

An intense game ensured, along with intense laughter! The scene would have fooled the common eyes for it truely spoke of teenage normalcy and nothing like a private beach game of volleyball on a hidden advanced base. The sand crunched under their toes, jokes and shouts of victory filled the air driven by the occasional whistle from the official referee.

And through the game, Sousuke and Chidori both took notice to how well they worked together. Sousuke setting the move up perfectly and Chidori hammering it for the win. Chidori especially took note of his fluid motions again. Nothing like the akward fear-induced bumblings that happened at school, he was really quite talented and did very well at sports! Chidori didn't have any problems reading his moves and in her turn moving to match them. They just... flowed together.

Kurz found himself covering all corners of his side of the net. Tessa wasn't quick enough to cover her half, but when the ball did come within her reach she was able to get it over the net now. The ball was coming back down, returning in a lofty slow motion pace and it was just far enough he could make it! But Kurz' target was curves of a different kind. It would look like an accident if he timed it right! The thought excited him. Kurz charged for the kill and found himself snapping to attention.

"KURZ WEBER!"

Aside from dropping the formal address, if Tessa had known it she would middle-named him. The shrill whistle pitched through the air followed by the clipboard flying and smacking Kurz in the head.

"Penalty!" Mao announced retrieving the clipboard next to Kurz now on the ground. "And you were doing so well at behaving too."

Kurz gave a sheepish lopsided smile accompanied by his swirling eyes. He'd never been confronted in front of Tessa before. The thoughts of such actions' reciprocated punishment started to flood his mind before he was interrupted by-

"The penalty."

He felt a pressure on his wrists. "You have to play with your hands behind your back!"

Sousuke saw Chidori stifle a laugh from the corner of his eye.

"But how am I supposed to!?" Melissa stood him up and shoved him to his side of the court.

She smirked. "You've always been so quick on your feet. You'll think of a way."

Another... interesting... round started. Kurz bouncing the ball off of his head in hopes that the Captain would get to it in time. She did fairly well too! There were even times when he'd try to turn around and use his bound hands as a last attempt effort of returning the serve.

It was fairly entertaining to the other players, but served frustrating to Tessa who was starting to frazzle apart under the pressure. Paradoxically, as this was a safegaurd for her! Time nearly froze as the ball crossed to her side of the net. Kurz lunged and it bounced off his back after he grounded his body throwing sand up. Tessa watched with wide, frightened eyes and hesitated before following the ball high into the sky knowing she was the only hope, even when she was overpowered by the shine of the sun behind the volleyball she continued to rush up to meet it.



"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETCHA!" escaped from her frail form.



The war cry froze her in embarrasment midway down and the ball clunked her on the head after she landed on the sand. Kurz, Chidori, Sousuke and Melissa were stunned by the poor excuse show of power and Tessa stammered returning to her feet.

"I-I-I-I-I you-it was just-don't tell anybody-I DIDN'T MEAN TOO!"

Chidori was the first to start laughing. It was such a lame shrill she couldn't help it. Kurz winked at the Captain while smiling. "Whatever gets you through the day, Tessa."

Sousuke retrieved the ball for it had rolled a fair distance back toward the net from Tessa and motioned to restarting the match. He didn't see the humor in any of it. A cry like that would have given her away to the enemy in an instant - a mercy begging for deat-

-WHACK-

When had Chidori taken the ball? Sousuke's mind froze. "What was that for!?"

She smirked bouncing the ball repeatedly upward off her palm. "Don't think I don't know what you were thinking. This is supposed to be a contest, not a war! This is a game, not a survival test!"

Sousuke winced mentally. She doesn't know me.

Meanwhile, Chidori set up the next return shot by lofting the ball high into the air. Sousuke felt the rush of power behind him as he rushed toward the net. He lept high into the air and powered the ball over the net, ramming it right into the form of Tessa ending the game.

Before the Captain hit the ground she felt Sousuke's arms around her. Frail fingers came up to hold her throbbing head while the tears fountained immediately and streamed down her face. Tessa sobbed loudly and continually twisted a fist against an eye in an infantile fashion.

It had been a long, tiring day for her.

"I'd like to request permission to apologize Ma'am!" Sousuke shouted holding her stiffly out from him.

Tessa, caught in a fitful daze, simply wallowed in his arms cuddling up to him. Kurz removed his tight wrist bindings with casual effort and transfered the now limp Captain to his chest. He carried her off, trailed by an injured Mao limping behind.

When Kurz was sure Tessa was fully asleep he whispered over to Melissa. "I was beginning to wonder how we'd get those two alone together with the Captain there. Guess it took care of itself."

Melissa smiled over at him. "It was going to get a little difficult there at the end."

"You played along perfectly, sis! I was sure Chidori would know something was up when we showed up on the scene." He gave a smile of admiration to his superior officer guessing that was why she had earned the status she had. Smarts were definitely her thing. "Mission Mayhem Complete!"

Mao winked at him. Her view went from the sleep Tessa to the sky, "Please don't mess this up Sousuke."

"Well, sis, there comes a time when you have to let them go and hope your raised them righ-"

-WHACK-

"Uruz 6, out."

.o.o.o.o.o.

Alone? She peeked over at him to find he was looking at her too. Returning her glimpse to the shore quickly she found herself walking the crystalline reflection, slowly trailing a pointed toe through the sand before walking again. A nervous hand shakily ran through her tresses.

Sousuke followed her and caught up with her so that he was beside her walking along the shoreline.

"Are you following me again?" A swift tone light on her lips. A soft smile curved them.

He nodded just slightly clearing his thoughts. "I won't be able to for long."

The lapping waves clung their way up the shore and brushed slightly against Chidori's ankle. The cool waters enveloped her foot and spread up her being. The tugging at her heart returned with his words. She noticed her palms had gone sweaty and just barely shook within the core of her being.

Does that scare you?

Not in front of Sousuke! Chidori's mind screamed. He'll think I'm mad if you start talking to me now!

Holding her thoughts and concerns inside, the silence comfortably hung between them until Sousuke spoke. The outward calm irradiated from the form beside him. Her headache imploded and began to build in pressure.

"Chidori." She turned her eyes to him. "I'm worried."

Another wave touched her and the resurge gurgling of waters filled her ears.

He's worried about you, don't you see?

Chidori felt the voice leave when the wave recessed. It was almost a physical sensation, one that made her feel that she had left her body and all that remained what the hollow shell. The presence drained her soul... or maybe it focused it?

"Mao is injured. She's supposed to gaurd you while I leave, but..." The pause seemed foreign to him and a strong lumping sensation centered in his throat. "What if something were to happen to you? ... It would be all my fault."

A concerned face looked down at their feet and then back up to his eyes. The expression on her face had changed, Sousuke thought. It looked wise, calm and understanding. It felt comforting.

"You can't do the work of four people, Sousuke." She saw Sousuke's fist tighten hard just in the corner of her vision, yet he trained his eyes the other way. Chidori let her eyes fall on the trailing veins began to extrude and her eyebrows furrowed. "... Why?"

Innocence stormed his features as Sousuke turned and looked up at her. There was curiosity and confusion in that expression and Chidori thought carefully. Lacing her fingers behind her back she closed her eyes while the two of them walked in time with one another. "Why do you put so much of the world on your shoulders?" So much of my world on your shoulders?

Glittering ocean reached out her to again. The dampened sand embedded her footprints, cleansed by the ancient waters.

Don't you see? It's a part of you.

Not again!

Sousuke was right there in front of her the entire time and while the surroundings were blurring and swirling a mesh of rainbowed color he stood clear and strong through it. Nothing dampened the image of him, even while Chidori felt the forces at work tormenting her soul. It was all so confusing and difficult to understand! Static images burst into vibrate light and back again. The island, the ocean, the sky all fused into one funneled landscape framing the man who had come to stand before her at this instant in time.

His fist was still tightly constricted next to his side. His jaw was still locked with anger such that Chidori swore she could see his throbbing vein pulsating the taunt skin. Gently, gently she reached out a hand welcoming the warmth that began to ripple from the contact between her hand and his arm. Sliding down she memorized the contours with soft fingertips in the brief interaction, she raised her eyes to meet his. The peace owned her. She felt his phantom arms around her. Her body enveloped in his protection.

Soft angelic voices surfaced, carried on the wind and filled her ears. She wondered if Sousuke could hear them too for while they were soft, they were growing in pitch. Chidori looked around, first at Sousuke's calm form, the waters right behind him and then her eyes finally fell on the sunset all the while the voice continued.

'How would you feel if it were Sousuke on that stretcher?' the voice penetrated the noise around her and ran her thoughts across her mind reading them off slowly.

Fear. Death. Frozen. Torture. Part of you would die.
And to wonder. The word held loath and scorching. What he would do if something were to happen to you.

Right as her vision fell on the sun the rays burst from the central sphere, twisting and clouding her judgement, the blazing ribbons whipped and seared her legs, as if binding tightly her ankles and pulling her downward toward the ground. Blinding pure light fanned horizontally out from the extended ribbons, swallowing reality and vaccuuming the oceans up until the large mouting wall of ominous blue water surged and lurched before rushing around them, deafening her with the sounds of a thousand crashing waves. They reached for her and enveloped her, Chidori felt her body stiffen imobilized by the invisible hands. Her throat burned for the air that lie just above the water surface above her.

Probably nothing. The twisted voice rasped. Just like you.

Silent lightening cracked across her vision, a glimpse of Sousuke.

A devoid soldier. His image broke her heart in two. He lay. He lay fallen in battle. The color drained from Chidori's face and she clung toward the image. A single tear suspended through the air in front of her, crystalling and sharding the image from view.

Darkness.

Please! Her heart beat violently in her ears. A hysterical pitch frantic in her mind loosened from her throat burning with hoarseness.

Please no, Sousuke!