nextgen_holiday:

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

hotlittlehands:

As they'd all suspected, Jushiro didn't let them get back to Tokyo. She spotted some of his thugs in the shadows.

"Good evening, Cousin. Come out like a big boy."

hotlittlehands:

Amiko looks at the cavern opening in the mountains. "My uncle said the first section of the cavern is trapped, even before one gets the opportunity to disabled the wards on the sword. So please, we must go in one at a time, and watch our step."
She looks at them. "I appreciate all of your being here."

hotlittlehands:

Amiko certainly didn't see eye to eye with her foster mother's brother. But they'd had a polite truce for years, ever since he and Logan had come to something resembling a truce of their own.  Which had involved her, and involved the Sword. That gave her an additional sense of responsibility to see such an important symbol of Clan Yashida restored to a branch of the clan that still had some concept of what honor was.

She was grateful that the others had come.

... She was grateful, but quite some ways away from the small cottage where Kenuicho was convalescing, she stopped.  "Asako, Grogg, I need to ask you something in particular."

hotlittlehands:

She got the message about her father's calls after coming in from an official assignment.  It was a shock, at first, to realize taht Jushiro had sunk so far, even if she'd known he was garbage.  She thought very unkindly of many in her adopted clan -- of anyone who didn't believe that Lady Mariko had fully and completely restored the honor of Clan Yashida by her efforts and her sacrifices. -- but Jushiro was a special sort of scum.  But this was a new low.  As she obtained more information about what had happened, Amiko felt terrible that she hadn't been there to help. At least they were safe now.

But as she realized that Jushiro was both utterly inaccessible and still essentially in control of clan operations, she knew one thing she had to do.

When she'd finished drafting the letter, she opened communication to the rest of the team. "Please meet me in the briefing room. I would appreciate it."

hotlittlehands:

After the minor ordeal of informing her parents and getting their permission and signatures, Amiko leads Asako into the training room. "All right. We are going to start off rather simply and work our way up."

hotlittlehands:

"Yes, Kenishi-san," Amiko said on the phone. "He seems to be settling in as best he can. No, I haven't had much chance to see him in action yet. We're going to work on that. Yes, Kenishi-san. Ryota's transfer has gone smoothly. Do not worry; I will not, as Logan-sama would not, hesitate to tell him to 'quit his bitchin' if necessary."  Amiko pauses to listen for a time after that. "...Yes, sir. Why do you ask?  No, I have left that, for the most part, to Kikuya-san.  Excellent. Then we are agreed, Kenishi-san.  Thank you.  I'm going to hang up now."
And she did. Amiko was grateful Mr. Kenishi hadn't used the video communication system. Her hair looked atrocious.  After working on that for a few minutes, getting it out of the way, Amiko went to round up the five members of the team available so far.