A Dragon's Tail Ch. 10-11

By the end of the year, Ahiko started attending an elementary school. As a Metallurgical Engineer, she had little problems making good grades. She did have difficulties with remaining calm in classes. The wildness of the boys tended to set her off. We urged her to try and go to an all girls academy for junior high and high school. Ahiko tested with top marks compared to the other Japanese eleven year old students, and managed to be accepted into middle school at Notre Dame Jogakuin School in Kyoto. It didn't hurt that I personally visited the head of the school, handed a recommendation for her, and used imperial funds to make a donation for a six year academic scholarship for a girl of their choice. I tried to act surprised when Ahiko called me, and told me of her full scholarship to the school, and I think I fooled her. I was glad that she didn't tell me in person, because she seems to know when anyone is lying to her. Even though she was adopted by another family, to this day, she still calls me 'Mama'.

Ahiko didn't need to go to a 'cram school' for college entrance, she did well academically. Instead, Ahiko went to Geisha school in the afternoon.

When the imperial family went to Kyoto, we would always ask for Geisha from a certain house. Ahiko was always in attendance as a Minari, a watching apprentice. Minari are not allowed to be hired alone, and may only assist and older sister. Even though she was not even an apprentice geisha, or Maiko, she was usually used as a musician. Her older sisters protected her, and she was kept from even coming in contact with customers. When Ahiko turned 16 on her Japanese birth certificate, my son and I went to Kyoto. We paid for Ahiko's first appearance as a Maiko. She was radiant on her debut.

As for the dragon...well...

I found out later, the American U.S.S. Greywhale, an eight man articulated reconnaissance submarine docked into its slip in an undisclosed home port. As a joke, it was instantly re-christened the U.S.S. Whoopee Cushion. It was hinged so that it would actually appear to 'swim' like a dolphin and confuse sonar. This was its first mission, and the seal on a hinge failed, when an amorous Humpback whale tried to mate with it. A huge pocket of compressed air had leaked between the metal hull and the half meter of rubberized skin used to deaden sonar reflections. The air pocket was trapped on the bottom of the submarine. The surfacing of the ship had caused the ship to roll, and when the air pocket expanded due to the reduced water pressure, and the 16 inch rubber membrane skin ripped. The rumble of the air through the rubber sounded like a dragon's roar. The ripped outer skin was made up to look like the skin of a grey whale, which everyone saw as a dragon, including me. Power cables from two superconducting units discharged into the air, making the lightning effect. It is now renamed the U.S.S Seadragon, and has had a very successful career as a culvert rescue submarine.

The crew for the submarine was six. In the incident that occurred, only one person, helmsman Bethany Glossman, had remained conscious as the seamen were thrashed about the submarine. With a broken arm, Bethany managed to turn the submarine around and execute an emergency dive. In the inner circles that know about this event, Bethany is still known to this day as 'The Dragonrider'. Ahiko and I met her many years later, and Ahiko cured her loss of hearing three weeks before Ahiko's second marriage, but that is another story.

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Thank You, for reading my story. This completes the first series of Ahiko stories. If the story is well recieved, I will write more. Most likely, the next story will be about the sacred white stone that Ahiko has secretly sewn inside Miss Flowers.