[Bride TF, Brainwashing]

"Mikai. I'm going to ask you this one last time. And please, for my sake, listen to me."

"Yeah, Hiro?"

"Don't run off while I'm trying to guide you. This place is more dangerous than you imagine."

A formerly unlikely duo were making their way through the many expansive halls of Atlas Corp, with the older of the two getting a more painful headache the more time she spent with her younger partner.

Hiro Fukano and Mikai Fushimi. To an outsider, the two looked like they didn't belong together. The older woman's jaded dedication to the job was contrasted with the younger girl's fresh and bright outlook, and their outfits only enhanced the differences between the two.

But if you knew them, you were fully aware of how similar they were. Despite the gap in age and in experience, they both wanted nothing more than to protect the ones that they loved. And that was why they had ended up teaming up over the last few weeks, as the two Jõtaiders that protected Mimoto. Jõtaider Mimoto, the animalistic heroine whose passion and will powered through every obstacle, and Jõtaider PAWN, who broke her enemies using her overwhelming force and adaptability.

Today wasn't one of the days where they had to work together, however. Today, Mikai had asked her older ally if she could visit her workplace, because she was curious about her day outside of protecting her school and keeping an eye out for any Jõtajin, the emotion-driven Monsters that had been causing so many problems. And even though Hiro insisted that it wouldn't be an interesting tour and that she'd get bored from all the white walls and sterile people she'd meet...

Eventually, the younger girl's infectious energy won out over her. And she endured a length conversation with one of her superiors, who chewed her out for the simple concept of asking her if she could bring somebody in. Several things were promised if the superior allowed her to visit, as well as look the other way in case something dangerous happened. Barters flew left and right until they finally came to an agreement, and Hiro already dreaded the amount of treats she'd have to supply to satiate her superior in exchange for all of this.

And what did she get out of it? An excessively excitable girl dashing left and right as she got wowed by everything she saw. Whether it was simple office cubicles or actual products being developed, the young girl was in utter awe. Unfortunately for Hiro, this meant that it was incredibly difficult to wrangle her and keep her on the straight path.

"Dangerous? But, Hiro, I can transform! There's nothing that can hurt me when I'm transformed!" Mikai chimed as she grinned from ear to ear. That was one of her flaws. Whenever she got too excited, she usually ended up a bit cockier than she had any right to be.

"Need I remind you of a certain icy friend of yours who almost turned you into her Successor?" Hiro said as she prodded the younger girl's chest, her eyes narrowing as she nearly glared into the girl's eyes. "Not to mention how I almost got turned into another minion after your teacher got ahold of me?"

Mikai nervously laughed in response to those reminders, the energy rapidly deflating out of her body. "Sorry, Hiro. I just... All of this stuff is just so cool! Like, how you work together and how you get everything done!" She paused as she started rubbing her chin, tilting her head a little. "Maybe Agatha's maids could learn a lesson from this..."

"I'm sure they're even more efficient than the common employee here. Especially considering those girls' roots." Hiro replied and shook her head. She was happy that the younger girl respected her subordinates so much, but there was a limit to how much praise they deserved. And the girl still needed to have her expectations reined in so she didn't expect too much from any ordinary person. Both herself and that younger gremlin were special in their own ways, after all.

"Hey, what's in here?"

Just as Hiro thought she had managed to calm the girl down, Mikai decided that her instincts were more important. And that meant that she just had to try and investigate what she saw. Prompting her older ally to slowly let one of her hands frustratedly drag down her face.

"I just told you to stop running off!" Hiro shouted as she picked up the pace, following right behind the sandy-blonde girl. The longer the girl spent in this massive building, the more she'd have to pay Byakko to try and make her look the other way. Genbu and the others, even Suzaku, weren't as concerned about the girl getting in potential danger. But that cat, who had watched the black-and-white-haired woman grow from a sensitive soul to a clam hiding her dorkier secrets? She definitely didn't want that curious girl to touch anything that could end up causing trouble. Mostly regarding the young girl herself, rather than anybody else. Who knows what could happen to her if she touched the wrong thing?

As Hiro turned the corner and looked into the room that Mikai had snuck her short self into, she could feel her heart sinking ever slightly. She knew this room, she had been there way too many times. And every time, she was very careful as to not touch anything for more than a few seconds since she knew that every single item in the room was dangerous.

The room was essentially a display room for trinkets and accessories that the Fashion department had requested, each of them brimming with willpower and magic courtesy of the ones that had helped with the construction. While the machines that were operated by the staff had been created by Genbu and her enormous yet pinpoint strength, the programming that went into controlling the machines and the actual staff belonged to Byakko, which was why they were all stored inside a room in the IT department.

Every single item on display, from dresses to rings and anything in between, was guaranteed to transform the wearer in one way or another. These were intended to be prototypes rather than properly marketed products, because Atlas Corp did not want buyers to feel offput by the full effects of the trinkets. This was why the mass produced variants, like the beautiful golden rings that Mikai had gotten way too close to, would only bind the wearers slightly, ensuring that they stayed together while the ring remained on. But you could remove it and there would be no adverse side effects. If Mikai wore one of those rings now, before they had been mass produced..? There was no telling what would happen.

"Mikai." Hiro said as she slowly stepped through the hazardous room. Making sure not to look at any item for too long. That was another part of this 'treasury' that made her cautious. They were dangerously alluring. If she looked at any one item for an extended period of time, she would be compelled to try it on, and from there serve as a guinea pig for the effects of the item. The only way she had become intimately familiar with the concept was the one time she wore some of the enchanted makeup in the corner of the room, at a subordinate's request, and it left her with metal ringing through her heart for weeks to come...

Mikai blinked as she looked towards those beautiful rings that were worn by two detached mannequin hands. Those absolutely lovely rings that looked straight out of one of her Mom's old dating games. Like when the little princess she raised finally found the love of her life, these rings would keep the princess and her prince together forever...

"Mikai!" Hiro shouted as she got closer. "Get away from those rings! Now!" She shouted once more, to try and get the girl's attention. She had better not be too late, she wasn't in the mood to deal with something like this..!

Unfortunately, Mikai's mind was currently occupied by those lovely thoughts of princesses and princes as she slowly slipped one of those rings off the hands. "But it's so pretty, Hiro..." She muttered, the glint of the rings reflected in her otherwise dim eyes, even as she turned around and looked at her older friend. "I could be pretty too, if I wore one of these..." She muttered again, her mind completely captivated by that fantasy.

To be a princess, to be a bride, just like the girls that Mom had showed her in her games. That sounded so fun. She could show all her friends her cute dresses, and she could show them all what it meant to be a princess. And then she could... W-Well, she didn't know what else she could do, but she could certainly do things that she couldn't now!

"MIKAI!" Hiro shouted one more time, as she practically dove forth to try and grab the girl's wrist. She had to stop her..!

She was ever so slightly too late. Because the second she grab Mikai's wrist, the girl had already managed to slip the ring onto her ring finger. And the wishes and the willpower inside the ring slowly started to fill the girl as her body started to glow, the two merging together.

Hiro was forced to cover her eyes as the willpower behind the ring quickly grew out of control, the girl in front of her completely consumed by the bright light that poured out from the ring. "Damnit, Mikai! This was why I told you to be careful!" The older woman shouted as she tried to reach downward, the hand covering her eyes making it hard to direct her fingers properly. She just needed to force the ring off before it finished..!

She eventually did feel something. A certain somebody's fingers wrapping around her hand. Gently holding it and stroking the sides, with nothing but love pouring forth from that gesture....

"Such a beautiful hand..." A soft voice spoke. A voice that sounded eerily like Mikai's, though a few tones too soft to be easily recognizable...

Once Hiro removed the hand from her face, she simultaneously felt her heart sinking and beating harder than ever before, as she laid her eyes on somebody more beautiful than anything she had ever seen before.

The girl was indeed Mikai. It wasn't hard to tell that it was her, because she still had those floppy hair-intakes that looked like resting bunny ears. But the thing that stood out about her now was the beautiful dress that covered her body. The lacy white dress that seemed more appropriate for a wedding, complete with a slight veil covering her face...

Not only had she been dressed for the occasion, her posture had undergone a change as well. While the girl usually adopted casual stances that made it hard for her to hide anything, this time she stood straight and with grace, her whole body giving off an air of love as she gently caressed the woman's hand. She had been turned into a beautiful bride thanks to that ring, and whoever were to wear the other ring would be forever bound to her as her groom.

Mikai's expression, and indeed the way she saw the world, had also been affected by the ring. Her pink eyes were now sparkling, and her gaze was filled with a greater sense of wonder. But not at the world itself. No, the thing that brought her this sense of wonder was the woman in front of her. The woman that held her hand as she finished transforming... The woman that she saw as her significant other, at least for the time being.

Mikai slowly smiled as she took Hiro's hand and brought it closer to her face. "Not just beautiful, but warm as well..." The softly spoken bride muttered as she rested her cheek against that warm hand. All while looking straight into Hiro's beautiful eyes. "You really are the one I should've been with all this time, Hiro..."

Hiro felt her heart racing and sinking deeper. She had just helped the girl fall deeper thanks to her interference. Oh. Fantastic. She was supposed to keep her from getting into trouble, and here she was leading her deeper! What was she supposed to do?! More importantly, how was she going to avoid the biggest scolding of her life from that little kitten who told her to avoid this outcome at all costs!?

There was exactly one road open to the jaded woman. One road that would lead to... Okay she had no idea if it would actually work, but it would at least keep Byakko out of her hair for the time being.

Hiro planted a kiss on the young bride's cheek, as she reached towards the other ring with one of her free hands and stuffed it into her pocket. Once that was secure, and she could hear the fluttering heart of her 'bride', she quickly lifted her up into her arms and carried her out of the room like one would a bride.

Many strange looks were cast her way as she made her hasty exit from the building. But as long as the girl was focused on her and her alone, and as long as she had the chance to deal with this all on her own, everything would be alright...

Even if she was starting to see Mikai in a brand new and adoring light, every time she looked at her for even a second...

---

"Hiro, darling, breakfast is ready!"

It had been a good week since Hiro had started this plan. The plan to try and turn Mikai back to normal bit by bit.

And here she was, sitting at the morning table, casually eating breakfast with her wife as the two looked at one another with nothing but love in each others' eyes.

She had to admit. She had probably messed up. There was no way around it. But how was she supposed to avoid falling for a girl that wanted nothing more than her love? Not only that, but... Mikai was really, incredibly adorable. That was the case when she was a normal girl, and it was even more the case now that she was a bride.

For one, the ring that transformed her was just a conduit. Sure, it had made her think and act like a bride, but it only did so much. Which resulted in a lot of messy accidents when she tried to cook her breakfast the first day they spent together. Hiro had to help her clean up the burnt mess from the pans, and had to repeat the process again later when she messed up dinner.

Perhaps it was this way she had to help her that had managed to ensnare the older woman. Maybe that was why she had started loving the younger girl. The way she tried the best she could, only to fall short. The chance to help her, and the praise and love that followed... It was something that Hiro hadn't felt in a long time.

"How is it, darling?" Mikai asked, carefully watching her beloved eat away at the toast she had grilled. This time, she had succeeded without issue. She didn't make any for herself, she'd make it when her beloved went off to work. The mere sight of seeing Hiro eat was enough to sustain her for now...

"It's great. Just like you, Mikai." Hiro said. Not a word that left her mouth was exaggerated. Even though it was just grilled toast... It was still really good. Mostly because of the love that the girl had poured into making it. So even though it tasted like any other piece of grilled toast, the love made it taste the best it ever had.

Mikai let out a swooning sigh as she collapsed in her chair. It felt so good to be loved by her beloved. It was the best experience for somebody like her. The thing that mattered most to a wife was to be loved, and if her dearest kept on doing this... There was no way she wouldn't fall in love with her all over again.

As Hiro kept eating, she knew that she had also fallen prey to the ring at this point. The way she treated the younger girl was proof. But at the same time, was it so bad? ...Not really, no. The two were happy. And, should something try to break the two apart, they'd probably be able to transform and fight together as lovers.

Ah, speaking of fighting... She probably needed to head to work now rather than later, so she could get that scolding over and done with. Byakko had probably been stewing in her anger for so long that she'd try to swipe her with her claws... And that was putting it mildly. She just had to prepare for the worst.

Hiro stood up from her chair, and headed towards the door. But in that split second, when her mind was trying to go back to normal in preparation for what came next...

The ring inside her pocket managed to slip its way out thanks to her pocket pushing outward ever slightly. A natural side effect of sitting down was causing such a dangerous little trinket to bounce freely.

Hiro didn't notice. But her wife certainly did, as she quickly made her way towards that beautiful ring. Even if she was wearing heels that made it incredibly difficult to run, she stopped it from rolling further away by getting her shoe in the ring's path, letting it harmlessly spin around before collapsing on the ground below...

"Darling! You forgot your ring!" Mikai cried out as she picked the ring up, letting her heels clack against the ground as she headed towards the front door to stop her darling from leaving without the proof of their love for one another...

Hiro blinked a little as her wife came up behind her, and she smiled as she saw her face. Of course, how could she forget her ring? This was why she had her wife. To make up for her faults, and vice versa. Where Mikai lacked, Hiro would fill in the gap. And where Hiro failed, Mikai would help her succeed. The bond of two lovers that could never be broken was forged through their rings...

The black-and-white-haired woman stuck her hand out and offered her ring finger to her lover, smiling as the ring slowly slid on. And only once it snugly fit around her finger, did she feel a sense of imminent dread.

As it turns out, letting a girl fit a magical ring designed to keep you in eternal love on your finger wasn't exactly a good idea. Especially since the bride was always the one who received a ring from a groom. And if the bride got help from her bride when she needed to put the ring on, didn't that mean..?

Both lovers were swiftly covered in their rings' energies as they were both left in shock and awe of what was happening. They could feel their minds returning to normal for but a few moments, the influence of the first ring's power leaving only for the second's to take its place and add on its own pressure on top of the first ring's own.

When the light vanished, the two lovers didn't seem too different. Because the way that they looked at one another was still the kind of way that two lovers would. But if you focused on their looks, then everything started clicking into place.

The dress that had been adorning the younger blonde, a dress that brought out her homely charm thanks to the warm colored silk that wrapped around her body, was now wrapped around Hiro's body. Not only that, but she brought out the sensual side of things, as her curves stuck out against the loose fabric. Both her hips and her breasts were readily visible, ready to be snuggled into by her beloved husband, should they choose to indulge in her wonderful body...

Thanks to the powerful influence of the rings, it wasn't just the woman's outfit that had changed, nor the jaded air being refreshed by the love now bubbling to the surface of her heart. No, the way that her hair had neatly woven itself into a braid that rested against her shoulder was also caused by the rings. The braid of an expecting mother, and a wife who had received everything she could ever want.

Mikai, on the other hand, had gone through quite the transformation as most of the feminine aspects had been drained from her body by the rings in an attempt to focus it all on her beloved wife.

And what was left behind? A younger girl dressed in a black suit that didn't look too off from when she gently led her wife to the altar. The kind of suit that she wore every day around her beloved wife, because it was the kind of look that she adored. The kind of suit that perfectly fit a husband as she gave all of her love to her wife.

Despite her posture changing to be more masculine, she was definitely still a girl. But the shoe was now on the other foot. Instead of being the submissive wife that supported her loving husband in all of her affairs, she was now the husband that existed to protect and adore her wife above all else in the world.

Mikai carefully brushed a hand through her hair, brushing back most of it aside from her signature hair intakes, as she smiled and wrapped her gloved hands around her wife's waist. Even though the two were still so different in terms of height, with the little husband barely reaching up to her wife's breasts, that didn't stop her from absolutely adoring her all the same.

"Ah, Hiro..." Mikai muttered, the love sparkling forth in her eyes. Her pink sparkling eyes from before had now turned a deeper shade, though the sparkles of love still remained. Especially when she had her eyes on her wife. "Let's stay home for the day. You and I. Nobody needs to interrupt us today."

The truth of the matter was, even though their positions had changed... Their role in the family hadn't. While Hiro was definitely more sensitive and submissive towards her beloved and short husband, she was still the breadwinner. And that meant that she did have to work on occasion, even when the world hadn't adjusted to her new existence as a sweetheart.

But even a breadwinner, who wanted nothing more than to see her stay-at-home husband to be happy by bringing home the dough... She couldn't resist the chance to just snuggle away at home, enjoying the bed and life together...

Hiro wrapped her arms around her shorter husband and pulled her into her bosom, smiling from ear to ear. An earnest smile like that hadn't appeared on her face in years. Especially not one brimming with this much love. "For you, Darling." She chimed, her eyes briefly turning into hearts.

The bigger woman carried her little lover deeper into their home. Her home. Even though it hadn't changed, if the two spent too much time in here... It would turn into the perfect home for two perfect lovers. Their interests mingling together to ensure that they were always happy.

But the decor, and even the house itself, wasn't important right now. The love they shared was, as the two slowly started to kiss one another as they collapsed together on the bed.

The door to their bedroom shut all on its own as their delightful cries of love and pleasure started to echo, and the passionate kissing turned into something more than snuggling. All while the rings kept feeding into their love, with no proper end in sight. Would there ever be an end? They weren't sure. For now, all that mattered was their love.

Elsewhere, a white kitten quietly grumped the day away, upset that a certain friend of hers hadn't called back since she promised her forty cakes...