Trust is just a Five-Letter Word

Disclaimer: I don’t own Candidate for Goddess (Megami Kouhosei). All original characters are mine.

A/N: If characters are OOC, please for give me. All reviews are appreciated.

Chapter Three: New Partners, New Emotions

Excitement was in the air as the candidates took their positions in the assembly. Even Hiead, who stood silently away from the others as usual, could not hide his shock. They all knew what this assembly was about, for the news of Ikhny’s sudden outburst of EX had spread through GOA like wildfire. One question was on everyone’s mind, though.

Instructor Azuma finally appeared. Ikhny was with him, and also a boy who appeared to be on the staff. A girl was also with them, but she was half hidden in the shadows. No one particularly cared about the boy or girl, but it was Ikhny they almost didn’t recognize. Her brown hair had been combed neatly and tied back. Her eyes now held a strange brightness, and her face was glowing brightly. Ikhny’s new uniform was now completely white, and it almost resembled the outfit Teela usually wore, the difference being that Ikhny also wore white shorts and white boots. All together, she was a stunning sight, and everyone was so busy staring at her that they forgot all about Azuma.

"All right now…hello? Candidates? STOP DROOLING AT ALLECTO AND LOOK AT ME!" Azuma screamed, half-startling everyone to death. Now he had their attention. He cleared his voice and continued.

"Due to recent events, Ikhny Allecto has been relieved of her duties as a repairer to take on the new task of being GOA’s first female pilot candidate. Got it you slugs? She’s not number eighty-seven anymore. Now she’s pilot candidate ninety-two." Azuma turned to the boy. "Tak Mazurka, our chief inspector for the repairers, has agreed to be ninety-two’s partner… since we don’t really have anyone else."

A buzz went throughout the crowd. Repairers whispered excitedly to one another while the pilots, especially Hiead and the senior candidates, complained angrily. Force, bewildered and confused, stepped up to Azuma.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" he spat at Azuma, ignoring the fact that Ikhny was standing a few feet away from him. "You and I both know that women can not become pilots. They don’t have EX! And they’re too weak to withstand the physical injuries we get during the battles with VICTIM!"

"We ran eight tests on Ninety-two, and all eight of them say that she had the EX ability. Besides, the test also showed that she’s physically fit to become a pilot."

"This is impossible!" Force yelled, and then he pointed a finger at Tak. "What’s his story? Men aren’t allowed to be some girly repairer-" Force never finished because at that moment, Tak stepped forward and gave him a violent shove, which almost knocked Force to the ground.

"You imbecile," Tak snarled. "Teela Zain Elmes is out there, leading the Ingrids, and you have the nerve to say that women are too weak to become a pilot? That just shows how much you know."

"Why you-" Force began, but Tak cut him off again.

"And just so you know, I was once a pilot candidate too. Even got the senior rank in just six months. But I begged the headmaster to let me become a repairer. You must be thinking, ‘Gee, why would he give all that up?’ I’ll tell you why. I got sick of fighting, I got sick of killing, and I got sick of people like you."

The entire room fell silent as Tak walked away from Force, who was rendered speechless. Hiead, however, had plenty to say.

"Allecto is my partner, Instructor," Hiead growled while narrowing his eyes angrily at Tak. "And I refuse to accept this sudden change until I-"

"Don’t worry, eighty-seven," Azuma said carelessly. "No one forgot about you. You have a new partner, fresh from Zion. Everyone, meet Reina Hasuko, repairer candidate number eighty-seven."

The girl at last stepped out from the shadow, and everyone (except Hiead) nearly burst his or her lungs from trying not to laugh. The girl had shoulder length black hair, but it was highlighted with so many shades of red, blue, yellow and purple that it was almost impossible to see the black. Her gray eyes were hidden by black eye shadow. Her lips were coated with dark purple lipstick. Her fingernails were ridiculously long and were painted a bright blue. Large silver earrings dangled from her small ears. She was also chewing bubble gum, because they would hear and see her snapping and cracking the wad of pink goo in her mouth. She grinned at them, and all the boys shuddered.

"Not interesting at all," Clay said in a quivering voice, and he let his glasses hang on the tip of his nose.

"Hi y’all!" Reina greeted. Her voice was coated with a strange accent. "I’m so glad I gets ta meet ya! I’m sure that we’re gonna have a rippin’ good time! Now, which one of y’all is Hiead?"

Everyone turned to Hiead, their faces fat and red from trying to contain their laughter. Hiead wasn’t paying attention to them; he was too shocked to take anything except this…thing… that was going to have to be his new partner. He then glared at Ikhny, who turned away from his vicious gaze.

Tak took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ikhny turned to him, surprised.

"Don’t worry about him," Tak said, giving her a heartwarming smile. "It’s his own loss. All you should worry about now is how you’re going to catch up to the other pilots. But don’t worry. I’ll be with you every step of the way."

Ikhny stared at Tak’s beautiful gray eyes. They were full of warmth and comfort, unlike Hiead’s cold, emotionless red ones. Feeling confidence return to her, she smiled and squeezed his hand.

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Later, Ikhny was packing her few belongings, for she had been assigned to a new room. She wanted to settle in as fast as possible, but the others were slowing her down.

"This is so cool, Ikhny!" Kizna said, stars in her eyes. "You’re going to be a pilot candidate! That’s something girls can only dream about, you know that?"

"Uh, yeah," Ikhny said, and smiled. But inside, she was growing quite annoyed. Were her friends always this talkative? It was boring and quite foolish…

"-And that guy you were with, is he the one?"

"What?" Ikhny snapped out of her vengeful thinking. "What did you say, Saki?"

"I said, is he the guy you talked about the other day?"

Ikhny quickly stuffed the last of her belongings in her pack and headed out the door. "Yeah, Tak is the one. Listen, I really have to get to my new room, so I’ll see you tomorrow." With that, Ikhny left. The girls were slightly flabbergasted.

"Is it just me," Wrecka said slowly, "or did it seem like Ikhny was trying to get away from us?"

Kizna shook her head, not wanting to believe it. "Nah…she’s probably just nervous, that’s all…"

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"And Tak, how long has that sweetie been around? Oh and…"

Hiead could not get away from Reina, no matter what. He tried ignoring her, insulting her; he even tried pushing her against the wall. Although it had worked on Ikhny, Reina was a completely different story. She kept right on talking even though Hiead’s back was turned, she returned his insults with her own snide remarks, and when he tried to push her, Reina used several karate moves on him that sent him flying.

"So where’s the mess hall? I’m hungrier than…"

Hiead covered his ears, trying to block out her voice. At least Ikhny left him alone. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted her back.

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?" Hiead screamed, startling every person in a two-mile radius. But Reina continued to talk, making Hiead want to tear out her voice box and fling it to the nearest black hole.

"Anyway Hiead, if you like Miss Ikhny and ya want ta get her back, go tell her." Reina became silent, and took out a nail filer. She then started to quietly buff her nails.

Hiead, on the other hand, froze in his tracks. "What did you just say?"

Reina just continued to buff her nails and ignored him.

"Hey, I’m talking to you!"

"You told me ta shuddup, and now I’m shudding up."

"Forget it. Listen here you. I do not like Allecto. Emotions. Are. For. Weaklings."

Reina continued to buff. She wasn’t intimidated in the least by Hiead. "You know, I had a friend like you back home. He was one mean cowboy. Never took crap from anyone. But one day, I found out that he really liked me. And now-"

"I SAID I DO NOT LIKE IKHNY!" He screamed, and then he realized that they had walked into the cafeteria, and that he had just screamed his statement to all of GOA. Oh boy.

End of chapter three. Reviews are always appreciated.