"How do I get a weapon?" Leah asked.
She was sitting in the dining room at a large table. Misono, Mahiru, Kuro and Lily watched girls. Taiga sat on the table waving her legs. She had her famous grin on her face.
"Taiga needs to let you in her head." Lily said with a smile.
"Woah, woah, woah... I have to get in Taiga's head?" Leah asked shocked.
Misono nodded. The girl blinked several times. She started to shake her head lightly.
"I... I do not know how..."
"It's easy." said Mahiru and smiled at her. "You just have to trust Taiga."
Leah raised eyebrow sighing.
"Okay then..." she muttered and looked in Taiga. "What do I have to do?"
Taiga smiled.
"Just close your eyes."
She listened to her and closed her pink eyes. For a few moments nothing happened. Then her body became lightly like a feather. She was no longer sitting in the chair, she felt as if she was floating. When she opened her eyes, she fell on a square black - green floor. She was not in the dining room but in the black and green room full of gifts and Christmas lights.
"Leah Kimura." invited lovely voice.
She got goose bumps because of that voice. She looked down and saw an animal that looked like a stuffed toy. Instead of eyes it had buttons, and all over the body it had stitches. It was white with a black belly and paws. It's long ears dropped to the floor and tail roared lazily from left to right.
"Welcome, welcome!" exclaimed the creature in front of her.
"Who are you?" Leah murmured.
"I'm a part of Taige, the key to her power." she turned several times to one leg. "And you are in her head."
"I did it..." she said to herself.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now follow me. We need to find you a good weapon."
A small creature began to jump in front of her. It led her through a large corridor full of gifts. Leah could not stop looking at all around her. Was that really Taiga's mind? It was so... Dark. The dark shades differed over the 'walls'. The only light in the room was a small creature, lights on these 'walls' and gifts.
"When you see a gift that you like, just stop me." said a small creature not looking at her.
Leah did not answer. She was watching the gifts on the dark floor carefully. Everyone looked kind of boring, usually. She turned her head to the left and paused. The creature also paused and followed her gaze. Leah approached the gift with turquoise green wrapper. The black bow glittered, and at the end it was a small card with a cat image. On the wrapper stretched black markings all sorts of shapes and sizes.
"Are you sure you want that one?" the creature asked. "When you choose, there is no return."
"I am sure." she said, taking a gift in her hand. "This is the one I was looking for."
For a while the creature was silent. Then it nodded with approval.
"You have a good taste."
The picture was interrupted and Leah suddenly found herself on the floor. Above her stood Misono and Mahiru. Taiga watched her from her seat on the table. She grinned at her.
"Good choice." she said, pointing to the thing in her hand.
"Huh?" she blinked several times and looked at her hands.
In her arms she held a black broadsword with a blade slightly curved back. The broadsword was glittering in turquoise green like the chains that linked Leah and Taiga. Mahiru helped her to stand up from the floor. She was watching the weapon in her hand.
"Woah..." she said, watching the big weapon in her hand.
When she put the end to the floor, the blade passed over her head. It was really big. Like Taiga's scythe. With a tiny green glow, broadsword climbed up Leah's hand. The shine had dropped, and there was a tiny black tattoo on her hand that was reaching from the wrist to the palm.
"So... I'll have to wear gloves." she said, looking at her hand.
"Or you can tell your dad that you got tattoo?" asked Mahiru.
"Mahiru, he will kill me!" she exclaimed, but giggled. "Now I need to learn how to use it."
"You do not have to." Misono said.
"What do you mean?" she blinked several times.
Misono crossed his arms and looked seriously with his bright eyes.
"You just need to know what you want to fight for. And weapon will guide you."
~~~
Leah opened her eyes in her bed. She lifted her hand toward the ceiling and watched the tattoo. Remembrance of yesterday had been repeated in her head all this time. What do you want to fight for? What do you want to protect? She turned her gaze on the white kitten in the basket next to her bed.
It was strange for Taiga to still sleep. It wore her out when she let Leah enter her head. She sighed and sat in bed. Her hair was tied into a messy bun. However, a few strands fell out of bun and now were free-falling over her shoulders. She looked at her watch. It was six in the morning.
"Two more hours until the start of school..." she muttered quietly to herself.
She was wearing pajamas consisting of gray shorts and black tank top. She put on her black knee socks that she reached towards the thighs and put on her gray cardigan. From the desk she took the black fingerless finger gloves she bought yesterday when they returned. She pulled them on hand to cover the tattoo. Dad might not have been home, but the sister is. And she did not think her sister would tolerate tattoo.
"Morning, Leah." her sister told her when she left the room.
Rowen was still dressed in her pajamas which was strange for her. So far she would be ready for school. Pajamas her consisted of gray shorts, gray tank top, black socks and black cardigan. Her hair was in a clumsy ponytail so that hair would not be falling into her eyes.
"Hey..." mumbled Leah.
"You want a cup of coffee?" Rowen asked quietly.
"Yes, please."
Leah, without another word, sat on the table. She stared out. What is she fighting for? What is worth protecting for her? Without which she could not imagine her life? Questions did not give her peace. Not at all. Even in her sleep she felt haunted by them. After yesterday's meeting with Misono she felt stupid. Everyone knew what they wanted to fight for. She just did not have a clue. She had Servamp, she had the power, she could do whatever she wanted. But she had no idea what she wanted. She wanted to help the others in the fight, she wanted to protect the weak, but that was not the real reason why she took Servamp.
"Taiga is asleep?" Rowen asked, trying to start the conversation.
"Yeah..." Leah said.
She took the coffee from her and went back to the window and her thoughts. Or at least she tried to return to her thoughts. Rowen sat down across the table and put her cup on the table.
"Where were you yesterday? I saw you came back late..." she started, but Leah stopped her.
"With Mahiru. We walked around the city after school."
"Mahiru? Boy across the hall?" Rowen wondered.
"Yes." Leah snapped and turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Problem?"
Rowen blinked several times.
"No, of course not. Just be careful..."
"I know to take care of myself." she said, looking away.
"Leah, I know, but I'm an older sister..." she said, but she was interrupted when Leah laughed mockingly.
"Yes, you are my sister, not my mom." she said, rising.
"Leah, please..."
"Do not!" said loudly Leah. "Just... Do not..."
Rowen stood up after her.
"Until when will you be angry about that, huh?" desperately asked Rowen. "I just wanted the best for you..."
"So you persuaded dad to separate from mom?! So you brainwashed him that mom mistreated us every day when he's at work?!" exclaimed Leah angry.
"Leah, mom is unstable woman..." began desperately Rowen.
She took her hands in hers, but Leah quickly snatched them away.
"She's our mom! She never raised a hand on us! Never!" Leah screamed.
"I know, but..."
"But what?! They could have lock her up because of your lies!" Leah came into her face. "You never think before you do something! Who is older here?! You or me? Huh, Rowen?"
Rowen closed her eyes at the edge of the tear and sighed.
"Leah, please, we need to talk... I want to explain why..."
"There's nothing to talk about. And, please be polite and stay out of my life."
With these words Leah went furiously into her room. She leaned to the door with her eyes closed. She took deep breaths to calm herself. When she opened them, she saw Taiga in human form sitting on her bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but Taiga just raised her hand.
"It's okay. If you're not ready to tell me, I'm not going to push you." she said quietly, then looked at her. "But I think you should listen to what your sister wants to say."
"Why would you think that?" Leah said, and bowed her head. "She will only brainwash me with her lies."
"She will not." she said on what Leah raised her head. "Believe me, she will not. When you're ready, talk to her."
Leah nodded.
"And then you can tell me if you want." she said, and looked at the clock. "You should get ready if you do not want to run to school again."
"Yes, you're right..." Leah said with a smile.
"And call Mahiru. I have a feeling he'll fall asleep if you do not wake him up." she said, throwing herself to her bed with a grin.
"Good idea." Leah chuckled and typed Mahiru's number.