Operation War Dogs: To the Victorious. [Open WW4 Interlude]

How long had it been? How long since her chest had felt so full and warm? When was it, the last time she had felt such a sensation? Was it her parents oh so long ago, or was it the lord that had taken her in and given her direction? Her life had not been an easy one; however, this petite woman in front of her: Shuten Suika, made her feel alive. Magnolia did not expect the kiss; It caught her completely by surprise. Still, the soft sensation of Shuten's mouth against her own and the sensation of her petite body pressing against her and the feeling of smooth arms looping behind her neck caused her heart to skip a beat. Magnolia leaned down into the kiss and returned it with a soft peck of her own. For a fleeting moment, Magnolia just let all of the worries that plagued her mind wash away.

It was a kiss that ended far too quickly for Magnolia's liking; She'd have kissed Shuten far longer if they weren't in the direct company of others, especially in front of him. Magnolia did not wish to share her happiness with that man, who had ruined the happiness of another. Magnolia couldn't wrap her mind around it; How a person could betray another so completely, heartlessly and unflinchingly. "Still... I need Carter's strength. I don't need to forgive him; I just have to fight alongside him. " Magnolia thought to herself as she let her piercing gold gaze sweep over towards where Carter was, but it would stop at the sight of another.

Kuro Ookami, her Captain. The sight of the man, falling apart before her very eyes brought great sorrow into Magnolia's heart. While she hadn't known the Shinigami for long, she had a deep respect for his tenacity and his willingness to do what was necessary without question, without fail. Kuro was unafraid of making the heartwrenching decisions that Henrex was incapable of doing. Those hard decisions, that pain, and probably the pain of other instances that she did not know about were tearing the man apart. She could see it, the reckless and obsessive need to look for enemies, to kill demons. In the war that would serve him well, but afterward, when the flags flew high, and the battles had ended, it would also break him. Therefore, she resolved to herself. "I will save him, I will help him grow, to forge an iron heart anew."

"Careful, if I didn't know any better, you picked up Bleeding Heart syndrome from Henrex. " Raijin's deep rumbling voice reverberated in her mindscape and only would get a derisive snort in return.

For Shuten, the girl would feel Magnolia's powerful arms slip back down to her waist, pulling her in for another hug. To her, Magnolia would whisper faintly, in a voice that was raw, vulnerable and impossibly happy.

"Thank you... I think I might love you Shuten." Magnolia was not an expert in the emotions that swam in her bosom, but she would not deny their meaning either. She was a warrior that was ready to die tomorrow, because of that she would never not live life to it's fullest. She may not have known Shuten Suika for longer than a few months, but Shuten took care of her, she knew what Magnolia needed without her even needing to verbalize it. It was one of the things she enjoyed most about her companion and one of the things she was eternally grateful for.

Magnolia's gaze would once more resume its search through the crowd below, as the crowds had brought out something they had found in a museum. It had been preserved in a vacuum chamber, thought to be one of the great relics of a bygone era: Fireworks. It was fun watching them try to set the 400-year-old relics up, but it was breathtaking to see it when the first went off, it's emerald green hue bursting across the skies above with vibrant color. In the dull boom that followed, Magnolia's eyes finally found Carter, and she beckoned him up to their small gathering before breaking eye contact.

Finally, Magnolia's eyes focused on Midori. It seemed some customs between their two realities remained very similar; When Midori went to kowtow to Magnolia, she'd hopefully have stopped when Magnolia gave her a faint smile.

"There is no need to honor me in that way. I only did what was right. " Magnolia's soft, melodic tone echoed faintly with firmness, and more importantly strength. Magnolia's golden gaze was piercing, backed by her own beliefs. Magnolia listened to the rest of what Midori had to say, and a soft giggle escaped her lips as she said faintly.

"Oh, you didn't know? Seattle is being renamed Victoria and will become the new capital of this nation. We liberated a good third of the country, including everything this side of the rocky mountains, Texas, Kansas, and a few other states." She could tell that Midori meant well, so when she asked about the girl within her arms she would give her a dazzling smile.

"Let me introduce you: This is Shuten Suika, sister of Ibiki Suika, and more importantly... She's my girlfriend, and I care about her a great deal." Magnolia's tone was meant to make Midori more comfortable before her eyes turned to gaze towards the mountains in the distance, and she began to speak once more.

"You're right though, the accolades I've gotten mean very little to me. When I was young, I learned that you must strive to become strong if you wish to be able to fight against the many Injustices in life. To do that is purpose enough for me. " Magnolia paused, staring into Midori's eyes before she began to speak again.

" I am honored to meet you as well. Hopefully I will see you at my side in the battles to come. This is only the beginning, as much as it pains me that this is the solution. There are no winners in war, only pain and suffering for all involved. Still..."
Magnolia looked down at the populace, who roared joyfully as they fired off numerous fireworks into the sky.

"To see these people smile like this, Joyfully hopeful towards tomorrow... Makes me believe maybe they will be the winners at the end."