66A/N: Yeah, I have to finish that IchijouxYuuki story and I'm stalling but MSGM is giving me so many ideas that I can't stop. I'm posting this at 2:30 in the morning because it's been bugging me all day so bear with me please. Btw, this is SachikoxYumi and, as a side-pairing, SeixYouko. Depending on how it goes, though, there may be hints of other pairings involving Sei and Yumi.
Disclaimer: If I actually owned this it would be so much more depressing. As it is, fortunately MSGM is not mine. It is the property of Oyuki Konno.
Chapter I
The Last Goodbye "I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore."
Her onee-sama's words pounded through her head as she made her way up the path to the statue of Mary, haunting her with each step. She knew what she had to do but she did not want to. The pain of knowing what it felt like had nearly broken her before and she did not know if she could survive another incident like that.
"Wait! You don't understand! I can't go against them. They're my family. Please, just try to understand."
She stood before the statue, not really praying. Footsteps echoed behind her in the early morning silence but she did not bother to turn, already knowing who it was. She always could recognise that presence.
"Goki—"
She turned away from the statue and the person, cutting the greeting short with that movement. She wished that she could turn around, run sobbing into that person's arms and never leave them, but she knew that that was an impossibility. Instead, she did the only thing she could do: she ran.
She ran all the way to the Rose Mansion where her friends are waiting for her. At least, she believes that they are still her friends. The things that she had done since that day spread throughout the school and now she did not know if she could face them again.
They were already there, waiting for her with cold eyes that seemed to judge and condemn her at the same time. She wished then that her best friends, the women who would have been her fellow Roses, had known nothing of it but she knew better than anyone that she could not turn the clock back and change time.
"How could you?"
She did not answer them. How could she when she did not know what to say? All that she knew was that she wanted to get the day over with and go home. That would have to wait, however, until she had done what she had gone there to do.
Instead, she took a seat and waited patiently until she heard the door open. Warm hands grasped both of her shoulders and she turned slightly to acknowledge Sei and Youko. They nodded in return and she faced her friends once again, this time an answer in hand.
"You don't know what it's like and I hope that you never will." Her voice did not shake, even when her onee-sama walked through the door. She forced herself to look at her even as she continued. "I was cast aside, as if it didn't matter how I felt about it. If that is not reason enough to explain my actions then so be it. All I ask is that in time you will come to understand it."
Sei stepped forward then, her usual playfulness gone from her demeanour as she looked at the two girls before her. Yumi almost felt sorry for them but she made no move to stop the older woman. She wanted to leave as soon as possible and letting her have her way was the easiest method for doing so.
"I've never felt so disappointed in my life." Her voice dripped with contempt as she spoke, causing them to flinch. "Yoshino, I can believe, even if I don't want to, but you Shimako? I never thought that I could be mistaken in my judgement regarding you but apparently I was wrong."
"Sachiko, how could I have thought that you had changed? I can't believe I'm agreeing with Sei but this, this is where you've disappointed me the most."
She sat there, never breaking contact with her onee-sama even as she flinched under Youko's words. She had to face her, had to see for herself that the pain was real but she was disappointed. Though Sachiko flinched, there was never anything more in her eyes than icy coldness.
Sighing, she stood, grasped the former Rose's shoulder and shook her head. She would let her deal with this later but, for now, they had to go. Classes were about to start and she did not want to be late.
Leaving a plain white envelope on the table, she stood up and went to the door. Before she left, however, she turned back and said, "For what it's worth, I didn't come here for anything more than this. The rest was…well, I don't know. Gokigenyou Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Foetida en Bouton."
She stood there, paralyzed by shock and disbelief. The incident that had just occurred had hurt but she hid it well, her anger at Sei's presence on Yumi's behalf the perfect cover for her to hide behind. She did not even hear when Yoshino and Shimako left, her eyes glued to the envelope even as her onee-sama's disappointment rang in her ears.
It was only when the bell rang for the start of the first period that she snapped out of her daze. Rushing to the door, she could see Yumi and the other two women standing some ways away from the Rose Mansion engaged in a heated discussion. She was about to call out to them when they left in the direction of the school.
Something warned her against following them, perhaps the residue of Sei and Youko's anger, and she resigned herself to returning to the Rose Mansion. She was too worked up to go to class and her teachers would understand since she was one of the most brilliant students in the school.
Upon her return to the meeting room she picked up the envelope and stared at it. There was a slight bulge in the middle though it was not exceptionally thick. She sighed. It was better to get it over it with quickly.
Without looking at the contents within, she extracted the letter. It was a single sheet of paper covered with shaky penmanship. She could only imagine what her petite soeur had been going through when she wrote it, hurting her all the more as she read.
To Ogasawara-sama, It has taken me several tries to write this letter but I hope that, with this one, my feelings will get through to you. It has been several days since that night and since then I have been thinking about what you have said. It's selfish of me to ask you to disobey your family and I don't want you to. I know how much you would do for them and I now know just how far you will go for them. However, even if I understand this, it doesn't mean that I have to be happy about it. Don't get me wrong, please, Ogasawara-sama. I don't want you to suffer because of me. I love you too much for that to ever be my wish. Yet, in the past few days I've come to the realisation that even if that is the case, I can't continue like this. I have to break free of what you've done to me. Once I loved you and I probably still do. My love runs through my blood, yet with it comes the taint of hate. I think I understand Sei-sama a bit better now actually which is why I will be staying with her. My parents have already approved but I thought that I should let you know in case you tried to stop me because you can't. I'm returning the rosary to you so as to avoid anything unpleasant between us. Touko-chan has agreed to stand by my side through this even though she is a neutral party so you need not worry for her. All I ask, as a last request, is that you not try to contact me. I hate you, Ogasawara-sama. I hate you for all that you've done and all that you've made me feel. This is my last goodbye to you and so I leave it at this before either of us is hurt more than necessary. Respectfully, Fukuzawa Yumi.
She reread the letter twice but the words did not sink in until she saw the rosary. Only then did she know that it was real, that Yumi had really said those words that would break her heart so many times.
I hate you…I hate you for all that you've done and all that you've made me feel.
Cliffhanger-y, no? Anyways, this is just the first chapter so bear with me on it. Things are about to get interesting soon.