Chapter 1: Petals Born on Spring

A beautiful day of march, the shore mostly quiet, save for a steamship docking on the Kyobashi district's port, with it's deep and loud horning. The girls at the porch of the Hotel Central, on the shoreline, could see it clearly, from where they stood after breakfasting, as the old man calls them to go with him fetch the foreigners.

---

As the ship docks, multiple travelers leave with their luggage. Among them, stood two European girls, one having her royalty-rank concealed from the crowd and crew.

Descending the footbridge, they can spot the ones awaiting for them, next to a car, a middle-aged man dressed in a fine grey frock suit with vibrant green waistcoat and blue tie, he waved at them; next to him, stood an older, more corpulent and shorter man, wearing a servant's atire; on his other side stood two charming young ladies, just as those who descended from the ship. The gentleman seemed like the kind grandpa type, always smiling, but with intelligent and mysterious eyes, catching every detail around him.

Greetings, mademoiselles... He says, playing with a bit of French, "I hope your voyage was a pleasant one? Mister Kido here will take care of your luggage..." He adds, as he then greets the man coming behind the French lady.

"Oh, let me introduce yourselves! These are misses Homura Kusakabe and Abenanka Kim'Unko; they are ladies Claude d'Armagnac and, uh... (duh, I'm not sure what he should call 'Chimera Roosevelt)" He says, indicating the two girls who were with him. "As for me, I'm Colonel Akira Hoshikawa... Though you shouldn't call me colonel in public, heheh~"

---

.

As the girls introduce themselves and recall old acquaintances, the servant loads the luggage on the car, with Claude's being handled by her loyal retainer.

When everything is ready to go, they drive towards their destination, the Imperial Café-Theatre, this establishment currently fashionable in France, imported directly from the young empress, being very found of that culture herself.

As the party leaves the docks and goes into the streets, they see them bustling with smiling and kind people, the destruction of the Great War seemingly a distant memory.

The people of Tokyo is like that: as the war ended, everyone united together to reconstruct, it was quick and easy. The empress invested highly in the reconstruction also, improving the infrastructure of the city to fit modern standards, and investing heavily on the Arts, culture and entertainment to uplift the people, the café we're heading to being a proof of that. That's one of the reasons of the secrecy of our mission, to maintain the peace of mind and tranquility of these people, while our work on the café shall uplift their spirits all the same!

---

The streets where also filled with all kinds of different vehicles, steam-powered cars ran alongside carriages, either horse or men-powered. The wide sidewalks too, are filled with many kinds of steam-powered paraphernalia, from public phones, electric lights and vending-machines. The worldwide rumors that Tokyo was becoming the most technologically advanced city in the world were to be held true.

On the northern corner of the Ginza 'island', the district where entertainment businesses where most concentrated, stood the Café, the final touches of the construction still underway, with wooden scaffolding covering most of the western neoclassical façades (it faces both the north and west); the building had a T-shaped layout, with the main wing giving to a flowery yard to it's right and an elevated terrace to it's left, with nice fountains centered on both of them.

In the middle of the wide northwestern street, from where a glimpse of the Imperial Palace could be seen, the tram crossed regularly, carrying people around; narrowboats could be seen just ahead, below the balustrade, crossing the canals.

---

Here we are, that's the Imperial Café! We're still working on the façade and some rooms, but it is practically functional... And shall suit your stay cozily enough~ Mister Hoshikawa said, to which the servant old man replied: "Most important for you, the bar is fully stocked!" Making Hoshikawa laugh embarrassingly.

At the Café's door, stood a huge man in a yellow and green suit. "That's Tsutsumi, the security guard and doorman for the café." Explained Hoshikawa.

"A pleasure to meet you, ladies." He said in a deep and warm voice, bowing cordially.

---

Through the holes on the yard's walls, the girls could also see a young maiden in white and pink robes tending to the garden. She offers a modest smile to anyone looking.

As you finally enter by the main door, looking at a wide room, currently being furnished to operate as a café and bar: the centre of the room is lowered some steps, filled with round tables, while the corners form a wide elevated lobby, with more tables, counters and bars, where the staff should be, attending to clients.

In there, a beautiful girl, around 18, wearing a stunning flowery yukata of deep-blue, purple, lilac and similar tones stood idle, until noticing the arrivers. "Oh, there you are, father and... New girls! I'm Rika Hoshikawa, nice to meet you all." She said excitedly.

"Heh, this is my daughter everyone, she's the theatre's dressmaker and a fine tailor." Mr. Hoshikawa says, with a proud smile.

The two ladies almost overwhelm the man with their eagerness (the second one, specially), he steps back with a chuckle. "Heh... Now, don't be impatient! If commander Moriyama witnessed that, he would put you through an excruciating lecture about how a true warrior should be temperate and patient~" He plays off, "The petalframes are in the basement, undergoing some final calibrations, I beg you to wait just a moment~" Hoshikawa finishes, explaining it to Chimera like she were way younger than she actually is, though if he was serious or teasing, it's hard to know.

After that, his daughter whispers something in his ear, to which he relays to the girls: "Now, if you are so eager for action, I do have an initial assignment for you!" Snickering, he adds: "I need you to follow my daughter's guidance, she was about to leave for an important task, you see? Your presence and help may be necessary. On the meanwhile, the servants will accommodate your luggage on your respective rooms... If you excuse, I have work to do; we talk more at dinner."

He bows and leaves nonchalantly.

---

"Alright, let's go! You can enjoy the opportunity to get familiar with the city. You know, get acquainted with the battlefield... That stuff is important, right?" She says, bringing the willing ones, through the streets, to a local spring fair raised on a traditional pavilion. There are tents selling trinkets, toys, sweets and snacks; there's also street entertainers of all kinds. Rika eyes everything with delight, specially to the tent selling fine cloths from abroad.

"Heh, you're a model, right, Homura-san? I could work on some outfits for you to model with! That sounds exciting, doesn't it? Look, those scarlet and sea-green cloths would match you perfec- Uh?" She stops, as she notices the two girls going for the shooting booth.

Homura indeed was lackluster, as expected from someone with one training in firearms.

On the other hand, Claude shows an impressive demonstration of marksmanship! Arising as the clear winner of this little amiable contest. She could almost clean the booth of prizes, but decide not to do so. She then hands Rika the gift.

"Waa!! This is so cute! Thank you so much, Claude-san! I'm flattered..." She says, her cheeks warming up, but not shying as the other gifted.

"Heheh, I already feel we're going to work out just fine as a team!" She was saying, as the group wanders a bit more through the fair.

---

But then, the joyful chatter of the crowd is suddenly broken, changed to screams of terror!

The people all look in fright to the sky, some pointing at something... A flying monster! A mindless beast of the shamon:It flybies through the pavilion where the fair took place, going through a pair of walls and a bunch of booths, just to end right behind the group, among a pile of debris; it could be seen that the creature was around 4 meters tall, almost as high as the two-floor sized building it just went through.

As the chaos ensues, the people quickly disperse and flee, leaving just the girls to hear its harrowing roar as it charges at them. If they look back, they can notice Rika in shock.

What do you do?

Despite her restrained and regal demeanor, Claude successfully takes full control of the whole crowd's attention, with everyone making awed noises as she described how things went, all eyes set on her, and most of the pictures taken are of her, with some also taking the upfront Chimera too, whose apparition just incremented to the show. Now, anything with Claude's name and face in it is pretty much guaranteed to cause public interest, for the next weeks. She get's a +15 benefit for her popularity.

Rika starts to seem quite concerned to everything Chimera is spilling out; she runs for her, but only reaches Chimera as the smoke bomb sets off, covering Chimera's mouth her hand and running for it, to the same route Chimera was planning: "C-chimera-san!! Please be more careful with what you say!" She trying really hard to sound annoyed, but coming up simply as politely worried.

As Chimera is being dragged, she notices the girl running after them, which looked a bit frightening, honestly...

---

---

It's afternoon, and a waitress from the café brings lunch to the present girls; her tone was strangely casual, for such an exuberant place... Then again, they were having their meal at a minor annexed bar on the side-wing, as the main place was still under finishing touches. Mr. Hoshikawa was behind the counter, his cheeks red from drinking sake, while he listened to his daughter's account of what happened, a very excited account, elaborating on how everyone was heroic and brave.

"There you have it guys, some shrimp scampi with past and lemon sauce; bonne appetite~" She says, delivering the plates on the table, after everyone was done with their starter dish; the plates were brought with forks and knifes. She also served wine and orange juice!

After setting the table, she whimsically turns away and returns to the kitchen with the dishes from the previous course.

---

While having their meal, the doors burst open and a new stern face appears, Rika immediatly quiets down, while her father keeps his drinking, not paying much heed to it. "So you're all already here... Good." He says, stopping short of the table, "I've also heard of your first deeds, and what a start! Heh, I'd normally scold such recklessness... But I guess you didn't had a choice this time..."

"I'm Shinzo Moriyama, the manager of this café... And commander of the Steel Petal Forces." He bows curtly, "I hope we can work well together, and expect your full commitment on the task of defending the Imperial Capital, and it's inhabitants..." And then adds with a crooked smirk: "Naturally, I also expect the same commitment on fueling and uplifting the people's spirit through the café! Mrs. Morinaga will elaborate on that after your lunch."

"We're still working on a captain for the Acrux division, which you're a part of. On the meanwhile, you should have a temporary one... I won't interfere much on the subject (that's Hoshikawa's job), but I've heard good things of Homura-san; while Hoshikawa - no doubt influenced by his daughter's opinion," He remarked, "Would advocate for Claude-san... Furthermore, the police Magistrate is really bent on his daughter being the one... Oh well."

After lingering for a moment, exchanging some words with Hoshikawa, he turns to leave, stopping shortly at the door. "Ahem, your quarters are ready, the staff will direct you to them when you desire."

Interpeled by Chimera, Moriyama stuttered: "Uh? Oh... Well, you're still quite young, Wilhelmina-san... We would prefer a more... Experienced person for the role, you see?"

At Homura's request, Hoshikawa's jaw dropped, making the cigar on his mouth fall and burning his lap; he jumps from his stool and clumsily wipes the ashes off him, "Ahem... I think Kusakabe-san would be the ideal choice for the temporary captain!" To which his daughter gazed at him with a cranky annoyed face; it wasn't sure if her displeasure was with his sudden change of a favorite candidate, or his criteria for such.

He swiftly grabs a bottle of a Japanese brand and brings it to the table, with two glasses. He pulls a chair and sits by her side, uncorking the bottle.

When Shizuka protested, he gives the same cranky face from his daughter, "Aww, come on, Gozen-san, that law isn't even a year old! Gee, these legislators these days... Have no idea of what they're doing!"

After filling both glasses and handing one to Homura, he adds, in excusatory tone: "Anyway, we're an exception military organization... We're exempted from some laws! Specially under such state of necessity: to test the meddle of our new, glorious captain!!" He toasts and gives a good sip on his glass.

"Gah!" Moriyama gasps at Chimera's explosion as she runs past him, "Gee... what a pain..." He rubs his forehead in discomfort, "Well, that's a concern for the new captain, good luck." He snarks.

---

As Shizuka finishes her mental remarks on Europeans, she's surprised by the complains coming from behind her: "Woa! That's just mean!! And totally not true!!!"

If she turned quick enough, she could catch a glimpse of the veiled girl showing her tongue, before she quickly defaults: "Ahem... I mean, excuse me... Did someone require medical attention?" She asks, in a very polite voice, a start contrast from before.
"Oh, heheh~ That's Sister Juujisan, she's the acting nurse of our Force." Answering to her, he says: "It was d'Armagnac-san, she got a little bruised on their first stage show, heh~" He finished, his cheeks red from sake, and showing tacit impatience for Shizuka to leave already, so he could drink some more.

"Gah!" She gasps as Claude approaches, finally shaking her head energetically to shake off something in her head. "Ahem, ahem... O-ok, let me see..." She quickly runs her hands on Claude's back, "I see... This isn't so bad... A simple spell should do." Her hand starts glowing with a halo of gold light as she rubs it in the hair next to the injury, "T-there you go, it should be completely healed by tomorrow morning." She says, turning back and running away in a hurry.

---

As night sips in, the Hoshikawas leave, and the girls can go to their rooms, where their luggage would be already organized in closets and wardrobes; indeed, the beds where fine European models, and very comfortable.

But then, as it was almost a reasonable hour to go to bed, the whole theatre sirens an alarm! It meant shamon threat in the city!

Not knowing where to go, the girls all meet in the main lobby; Rika seemed to predict that, and was waiting in there.
"Oh, there you are! Sorry for the inconvenience, but it seems that beast you fought earlier was part of a larger incursion! Quick, come in here!" She guides them to the hall next to to the lobby where, behind an old painting which slid off, a hidden elevator that leads down.

When everyone is inside, Rika press the buttons, and the metal ornate grid closes, the elevator quickly descends... And descends.

After seemingly some ten floors down, it finally stops: the girls can see a huge complex, with them landing on a platform where multiple people in uniforms worked on tables full of different displays and buttons, at a central table, Moriyama stood, waiting for them, next to Hoshikawa, both wearing military uniforms, displaying their high-patents and multiple condecorations from the War.

When everyone is by the table, he starts: "Listen up everyone: We spotted multiple shamons on the Reiganbashi docks. Our intelligence believes they came together with that beast you fought earlier, but kept hidden...

The area has already been evacuated by Mimoza Division, we just now need to eliminate those shamons before they destroy the whole area, or move to threat a non-evacuated one.

this is going to be your first deployment as the Acrux Division of the Steel Petal Force... Please, do your best!"

And with that and a salute, he dispensed you to go into the petalframes... Those jewels of steam-technology, currently the greatest weapon of mankind against the shamon threat, powered by the warrior's own soul (and currently an auxiliary battery... They're working on that)!

"Heh, I'm still working on your uniforms, so today you will have to fight in your normal clothes~" She said, smiling embarrassedly and showing her tongue, "I-I promise the wait will be worthwhile! For now... Though it isn't ideal, there's no big deal about not having them either... You will just have to put this on..." She says, showing them greyish-brown capes, that would their shoulders and upper body like ponchos, it seems made of some rubbery polymer, and has plug-holes in it, "This capture your spiritual power and make sure it goes into powering the petalframe, instead of dissipating in the air!"

When it's all set, the girls are inside their open petalframes, wearing the cape, with cables connecting it to the petalframe's interior. As they're unplugged from the cables powering the auxiliary battery and turn initial ignition, they start humming, louder and louder, until steam jets blow from exhaust pipes in their back.

Rika gives them each a big key-thing, around 40 centimeters long, though not very heavy, "These are your soulkeys, each are attuned to the owner, and are used to start your petalframes!"

After starting them and getting in position, the girls can move them freely, like the thing is just an extension of their body. After some initial trying, they can also conclude they're pretty agile, in fact, with steam propulsion, they can slide and dash at great speeds.

"Alright, now to you getting there: the petalframes are capable of locking on the railways and using their auxiliary power to drive at full speed stably on them. Gagrux and Mimoza divisions will work to set the best pathway, and to redirect any obstacle... Now, good luck to you!"

---

On the meanwhile, on the island district of Eiganbashi, encircled by the canals and the Edogawa river at south, where some habitations lie on the northern side, while the southern is occupied by dockyards.

The place was completely desert and quiet, one could say, until the silence would be invariably interrupted by a roar and destruction. There are a bunch on shamons in there, smashing buildings and infrastructure.

After her fancy tricky, Claude turns swiftly as a cat, trying to catch a glance of her rearward to see... White! Her morning-twilight adjusted eyes are hit with a powerful flash, "Gah!! S-sorry for that! I didn't meant it... Oh, I'd better escape before you catch me, right?" She hears from the voice of a young man, the kind that's often higher-pitched when nervous.

Before waiting for any confirmation, Claude can hear the mysterious person running away for his life.

When she regains her sight, there's no trace of him but a camera laying on the ground, besides a bunch of photos: they portray many dramatical moments of the battle, with notes hastily written on their borders: 'Woa! That was so cool!' 'Wild stuff', etc.

There were also photos of Claude, an amount equal to the amount of flashes she noticed: 'That's a girl?!' 'I'm in love!' next to a silly heart-eyed face.

---

After loading the frames on the trucks, they all return to the theatre. After some hours of rest, they report to their commanders, who came meet them while they were having breakfast.

"You all did a fine job... Specially Claude and..." He pauses, wary of causing an explosion, "Chimera~"

"By the way, after you finish your meal, Asakusa-san asked you to meet her at the rehearsing room, she wants to try her new actresses..."

Not slowing her pace, Rin continues: "I see... Homura-san as the hero Amadis, Shizuka as the good sorceress Urganda, Claude as Dardano and Chimera as Melissa! This casting is going well so far..."

She fixates her eyes on Hana, without stopping her dance, "A bit nervous, eh? Heh, I think you would make a great Oriana, as Claude-san suggested! Just pour all of your emotion into it!"

She chuckles as Homura trips, stopping the dance at that exact moment, Homura takes everyone's attention. "Good... We will do rehearsals from now on... If you feel worry, don't mind reaching out to me for some acting classes, heh~ Don't worry, with my precious experience and your great talent, it will take no time at all to turn you into stars!!"

---

With that over, the girls have the rest of the day with no assignments, and are finally free to do their bidding.

Though off to a rough start, discovering her talents as a charismatic and famous model don't fully translate to acting skill, Homura shows some promise, specially when giving long speeches, where she puts all of her fiery emotions on it: "Moving... That was neat, Kusakabe-san! You just need to work on your entonation and cadence a little bit... Oh, and remember: you can never turn your back to the audience!" Rin continues explaining, after she watches Homura professing her lines, wearing a mache helmet and sword.

---

On the meanwhile, the training room is grounds for some epic sparring, matching Shizuka's freakish physique and Chimera's impulsiveness... A recipe for disaster! The onlookers start pondering if they're not going too hard...

Besides that, the sparring goes great! Both girls can practice most of their techniques, with Chimera deftly avoiding her adversary's, while Shizuka bravely endure hers, like they were nothing!.

---

After her bath, Claude studies the photos: they were of great quality and with lenses that enabled very long zooming... No more than a handful places in Tokyo would have such thing available for sale.

---

Hana spends her time alone, studying with focus. She manages to get acquainted with the full script, and can reproduce most of her lines by memory... That would certainly be useful later on!

As for her study of the manuals, she can't get too deep in it right now, but enough to know the inner workings of those awesome machines... For someone as mechanically savvy as her, at least...

---

After noon, with the girls all reunited after lunch, Rika shows up, along with Suzumiya:
"Hey there, I finally was able to catch you all! Say, won't you come to Nihombashi with us? We got to pick some items for the theatre... The delivery failed for some reason... C-can any of you drive a small truck?"