Fuka: the Final Chapter (Nao)

[Corwin]

<--->

Light. It's the first thing you're aware of as you-- wake up? You are lying on a single bed, which feels reasonably comfortable to your back. A glance around the room reveals another bed much like yours at the opposite end of the room, a desk separating the two. The room is not particularly large. Sunshine illuminates it to your eyes, coming through a single window located above the desk.

The woman lies there for a few moments, counting the seconds as they pass by, before twisting her head to face the window, unwilling to give up the warmth that blankets provide.

Regardless of what time it is, it's too early for this shit.

Something just feels right to her as the thought comes to the front of her mind, she realizes. She. Who is she? The unexpected surge of approval helps illustrate to the woman -- no, the girl -- that her memory starts with the light.

The woman gives a mental shrug at that. It's not really possible to be disturbed, in that case; there's no prior experience that tells her this is unusual.

It doesn't quite match up in her mind, though. There are things that, as a living being, she absolutely must be concerned with; food, water, and sleep. It might be that she can't put it into words, but these functions rely on instinct.

The last of these requirements is clearly fulfilled. There's no telling if the others will secure themselves- so up she gets.

She's dressed casually, in a faded T-shirt and a pair of pants, though she might want to find a bra before leaving the room. A single door at the other end of the room allows for that, presumably. Also of note are the items on the desk. Several papers lie in a neat stack to its right, while a picture frame is positioned opposite them.

Can papers be consumed?

A sniff indicates that they probably can't.

In any case, there might be food somewhere, so she starts opening the drawers and doors in search of much-needed sustenance. Is she cold or uncomfortable? If so, then different clothes of some kind will undoubtably be tried on- but if not, then there's no reason not to leave the room once she's done searching.

The room is surprisingly barren, although opening the sole door reveals a small corridor. The first door to the left from it reveals the cause for this, as the girl finds herself in a walk-in closet. Another door is the bathrom, while a third is a kitchenette, luckily stocked enough to allow her to make sandwiches. There was another door, equipped with a chain, which leads her to believe it is the doorway outside, but concerns of food override the need to check.

In no particular hurry, the girl begins preparing her food; since 'sandwiches' sprang to mind, she simply begins putting pieces of meat between bread and chewing on them.

It seems there's no need to think too hard, but presumably the food here won't last forever, and a further supply will need to be obtained. Her immediate needs satisfied, the woman fiddles with the chain until it unhooks, and...

...the next impetus is to look for a key.

She finds none, but the door is unlocked.

That's a problem. It's not impossible that her food could be stolen. But it's a risk she'll have to take.

She opens the door and goes outside!

Her bare feet scrape lightly against the asphalt, as she steps outside. A row of doors greets her, looking both ways. She must be in a dorm. College? No, she feels younger than that, perhaps high school age.

So that's how it is. Is anyone else around?

Judging by the position of the sun, now clearly visible to her, it must be midday or near enough. Not a living soul can be seen.

It's time to explore! Closing the door behind her, the girl starts following the row of doors in order to get a better idea of her surroundings. It isn't that hot, it seems, so walking barefoot should be fine.

The climate seems to correspond to late spring, she muses, albeit uncertain of how she has that information.

If every door represents a room with two beds, there must be close to a hundred here at this dorm. She finds that the one she emerged from is located near the end of the building, and walking down towards it finally bears fruit. Although view is restricted by a forest starting perhaps a dozen meters from the rooms on this side, by circling around the building the girl sees a massive tower in the distance. As if on cue, a bell sounds. It is one in the afternoon. The forest also parts here, a trail leading towards the tower available, appearing well-kept and traveled.

A forest is a good place to find food! The girl heads down in that direction, intent on exploring. There should be fruit at the least.

It might be possible to get food from the other humans around here (as there clearly must be), but at the moment, she lacks anything to trade or barter, so this'll have to do for now.

The forest is not dense enough to block her way, and she makes headway into it. No fruit reveals itself to her eyes. She also begins to sense after a while that traveling becomes more difficult, as if she were climbing a hill.

It might be possible to get a better view from the top of a hill (or possibly tree. Then again, maybe the roof would have sufficed, or, of course, that tower over there.)

Since she's going this way anyway, there's no point stopping, so she continues.

The climb become more apparent and, with time, more difficult. But while she realizes that intellectually, she doesn't even feel winded in the process. Eventually, she finds herself reach a clearing in the forest. A mountain trail is barely seen to her left, going through the forest and heading into what seems like a cave. A sense of wrongness envelopes her.

It might not be a good idea to walk right into the clearing, but... how would one reach that distant tower from here?

Heading back should do the trick.

Wasn't the view restricted by the forest?

In any case, Ryoko Hibiki (which may or may not be her real name) frowns to herself, and does just that, since this place is clearly dangerous and unsettling.

Heading downhill is far easier than going up, and the one time the girl slips, her arm shoots out on its own to grasp a nearby tree trunk, gouging deep trails in it but stopping her forward momentum.

It must have been steeper than she thought. The girl is slightly more careful as she heads down, wincing a little at the pain in her feet.

The ground was slippery, perhaps. It's not a mystery the girl chooses the investigate, however. Reaching the dorm in record time, she takes the gravel road in the other direction, the small stones uncomfortable to her feet but, luckily, not doing her any injury. Ten minutes of traveling at a decent speed gets her to the edge of the forest, not a clearing this time. Flowers, an entire field of them to her right. Violets dominate the scene, but she can spot others as well. Hedges start a bit further in, no doubt turning the field into a maze. The road itself continues straight, and the bell tower is seen far more clearly, now, alongside other, smaller buildings. A wall surrounds the premises.

Do the other buildings have any sort of clear purpose or markings, or are they just blank slates, awaiting someone to make a mark?

She's no interest in venturing into a maze and getting lost at this stage.

Upon coming closer, she begins hearing the unmistakable sounds of civilization. Namely, of people yelling at each other. Most of the cries relate to demands of passing a ball. The buildings still look as imposing as they had from afar, although simple deduction brands them as containing classrooms. Filled with her peers, perhaps? There is a massive gate bisecting the perimeter wall in two. A plaque next to it confirms her deductions, naming it the Fuka Academy. The gate is closed, and no people are within sight (though quite a few obviously are within hearing range).

Perhaps there's another way in (or a way to climb in? Does she even want to go in? Maybe she should just go back home and eat sandwiches.)

No, none of that. She starts circling the wall, searching for either a view into this place that lets her see some people, or just an alternate way inside.

Her persistence pays off. While the wall never just stops, by going around she is able to spot a service entrance partially concealed by a bush. It has a lock, ostensibly, and just as obviously rusted and broken. The area shows signs of being in use.

It is surely possible to go inside! So she shoves open the door and peeks beyond it.

It opens into a courtyard, currently being swept by a girl in a fairly unimaginative school uniform. A biting comment threatens to rise to your mind, just as the girl looks your way. She is wearing glasses.

Now why would she have anything nasty to say to a complete stranger?

In fact, why would she have anything to say at all? Perhaps the girl has something to say, so she just gives her (pronoun confusion imminent) a rather perplexed look.

The schoolgirl stares back from behind her frames, blinking owlishly. Her posture seems awkward, but she doesn't say anything. After a long moment of mutual staring, she visibly forces herself to nods in your direction and continue sweeping the grounds.

Oh, that's right! There IS something to say. "I would be absolutely delighted if you could, perchance, inform me of a location where I may secure certain necessary victuals," she states, using the first set of words that come to mind.

The girl chokes, jerking to look at her once more. "Excuse me?" she asks dumbly.

"Provisions? Supplies? Nutrients?" offers the girl, searching for a suitable word.

Biting on her lower lip, she steps back, reaching into her pocket. A wrapped bun of some sort is withdrawn from there, round and inviting, and she offers it to you with a hand that trembles occasionally. "H-Here."

"Ah," replies the girl, nodding, and accepting the food, as is no doubt the custom in these parts. "Much obliged! You have my considerable gratitude. But, is something wrong? I'm not entirely sure where I am, myself, but, as you can see, the first thing to do is create a list of necessities, and then set about obtaining them. So, in essence, there is no need for fear-"

"-as long as one reminds themselves to think in a straight line."

The tremble spreads from her arm to her entire body, and she nods hesitantly. "I, umm, I-- I think Miss President is calling for me. Got to go, sorry!" Getting all that in a rush, the girl turns on her heels and bolts across the courtyard towards the nearest building.

A president! A clear leader figure, one who would doubtless know the ins and outs and necessities of life in this region.

A chat with either one of her representatives or the woman herself would do, so this girl shortly dashes after the other girl. "Await my companionship! Please allow us to perambulate upon a joined path, for I believe our desires lie in a convergent direction!"

You've wanted to see more people, and now you get your wish. At the commotion, a few curious appear, from their gym class, judging by the clothes. Others are soon called by their peers, forming a growing crowd. The girl you're chasing has circled the building, darting into the front door, leaving it slammed open against the wall. She seems to be in considerable distress as she loudly calls for the president.

Is that how it's done? In that case, the girl likewise begins shouting for the president, hoping to draw her out all the quicker.

"What the fuck's all this nois-- Yuuki?!"

A girl emerges from one of the classrooms, seeming pissed off. Her long, smooth hair is of a deep blue that seems unreal, and her emerald eyes go from anger to shocked surprise so quickly you briefly wonder if she's alright. As you do so, the girl in front of you can't seem to decide whether to glare or gape at you, settling for doing both at the same time.

You feel several things towards this strange girl, you suddenly realize, the most intense being a strong longing and an equally powerful loathing, both vying for attention. She means a lot to you, but you don't want her to, at the same time. She is a mirror, an alternate to you, and you're not sure which one of you is better. A little voice in your head whispers that when it comes to her, you are inadequate, where it counts.

"Mayhaps and dischord!" pronounces the girl, staring hard and intently at the blue-haired woman. "What is it, then, art thou mine evil twin? I am discombobulated, tremulous! Minatory! Well, let us hear it, for I am nonetheless forlorn. Upon completing out forthcoming conversation, perhaps I shall become renascent, and may my mind be given to hyperbole; let no malediction pass until cogent-

"-statements are placed forth. For I am confused and this landscape is mazy; I know nothing, you hear? Nothing! Perhaps I have gone mad, but a lifetime of less than an hour is a short time to reach a state of insanity! Yet there are warnings in my mind; this fell speaker, this translator of my senses... no direction is provide."

"No."

"Direction."

"Is."

"Provided."

The bluette marches over to you, and swift as lightning, slaps you squarely across the face. "God, Yuuki, you are such a pain. Did you party too hard last night?" she asks, her lips curling in distaste. "Or have you graduated to drugs?"

"Is that it, is it? Put 'em up, then, harridan! Assaulted by the very one my vocabulary states is to be of service to all!

"Nay, I shall not trust my own thoughts any longer!"

And with that, the girl grabs whatever's handy and whacks at the woman before her with it as hard as possible.

A boy's startled gasp is all you hear before you grab at his school uniform's shirt and toss him into the girl. This feels familiar, and a strange sense of liberation comes over you. "Catfight!" a male voice calls from behind you.

The bluette and the unfortunate boy who got too close to you go down in a tangle of limbs.

That's right, it's time to assert dominance! Certainly there are societal norms being broken at this point in time BUT SHE STARTED IT SO IT'S OK

The bluette shoves the boy roughly off her as you stand and gloat, and with a guttural cry launches herself at your midsection, shoulder-ramming you!

The girl tries to roll with the blow to absorb the impact and reaches an arm forward to grab the other girl around the neck, before pulling and hoping they all go down in a heap (with herself on top, naturally.)

The other girl squeaks in indignation as you two go down, but before you can relish the success of your plan, you feel a sharp tug at the base of your skull. Scowling at you, the bluette is fiercely pulling on your hair. The catcalls and excited whistles around you make your blood rush, the background becoming unintelligible noise.

If this doesn't end with her knee on the girl's stomach and her hand holding her face to the floor, then it'll end in defeat. And that just will not do.

The knee in the gut is easy enough, and you are gratified with an abrupt, pained-sounding exhalation for your troubles. Pressing the girl's face into the floor is a bit more tricky, as she twists and fights off your attacks rabidly.

"Natsuki? Yuuki-san? What is going on here?" a female voice interrupts, cutting through the cacophony in the background like a tempered blade. Cold sweat covers your skin, and you abruptly realize that you aren't winded in the slightest from your travels or this scuffle.

"This harridan assaulted me! I am restraining her for removal to the proper authorities!"

"I think that's quite enough," the woman says, a hand landing on your right shoulder.

It goes numb. The coldness spreads down your limb, fingers uncurling and letting go of their own accord. It is getting difficult to breathe.

Death and dishonour await! There's nothing to do but struggle in futility, whilst raging incoherently against this cruel, cruel world. If necessary (which, in this case, it seems to be.)

In your struggles, your eyes lay on the woman, and your body stops obeying your commands entirely. You will be killed. Everything about her says this in a way that doesn't lend itself to interpretation. She is quite beautiful, from her wavy chestnut hair to the alluring almond eyes to the way she carries herself or smiles, as if only for you. But the smile doesn't reach those eyes -- are they red, now? -- and you remember, then. You're falling, falling, and this woman is standing above you, getting smaller and smaller as you drop further, eyeing you dispassionately.

"Do you need to see the school nurse, Yuuki-san?" the woman asks, sounding concerned, and suddenly, you are in control again.

"I'm in perfectly good health," replies Yuuki, stubbornly. "Ah, but is that my full name, or just part of it?"

The smile drops slightly, and out of the corner of your eye, you see the bluette -- Natsuki, apparently -- shrug at the woman's questioning glance, wiping a thin trail of blood from her lips. It doesn't look too bad, but she must've bitten her lip in the tumble.

"You are Yuuki Nao," the chestnut-haired woman tells her kindly, offering her hand. "It seems you've landed badly," she continues. "Let's go and see Miss Sagisawa about that. You too, Natsuki."

Nao shrugs, and takes the hand offered, pulling herself up (and cutting off a resentful remark about the other girl.)

"So that's my name. I was having trouble picking one," she replies, dusting herself off. There are myriad other concerns to be worried with, but they can wait, as it seems explanations of some kind are forthcoming.

One of those seems to be the way the boys are staring at her chest, but the authoritative woman puts a stop to that with a glance. "Really?" she asks, starting to head off further into the building, though she looks back frequently to converse face to face. "What other names did you consider?"

"Shizuru!" Natsuki hisses, standing up after Nao is on her feet. She's wearing a sour expression on her face, but nevertheless follows the older-looking woman without question.

"Hibiki Ryoko," she replies, frowning. "It seemed somehow appropriate. Though this one feels more natural, really."

Natsuki may well have a sour expression, but Nao won't notice, because she's pointedly not paying attention to that woman.

Shizuru covers her mouth with a hand, giggling. "It is a very pretty name," she agrees, causing Natsuki to hiss her name once more, from where she's trudging behind Nao.

Nao is brightening up, a little. But something has sobered her (and it's probably not hard to figure out what.) She doesn't offer much more in the way of conversation, herself. Perhaps some kind of cure for her unfortunate condition can sidestep the entire process.

Lost in her thoughts and unresponsive to Shizuru's small talk, Nao finds herself at the nurse's office before too long. It seems to be located at the other end of the building, though luckily on the first floor. The nurse first goes to treat Natsuki's lip, and Shizuru meets her there, exchanging words too quiet for Nao to overhear.

That's fine, that's just fine. Nao can wait patiently, it's not like her body hurts or anything. Who knew she'd be in such good shape?

As with anything (excluding speech), she decides to keep it simple, taking it one step at a time. It doesn't seem like she's in any particular trouble, and as for this amnesia business, well, that doesn't matter too much in the long run. She's young, fit, healthy-

-and can easily pick up from where she left off.

Right?

The nurse comes over to examine her, said examination starting with a light shining in her eyes, one after the other. There must be some reason for this torture, but for the life of her, Nao can't see it.

"You're having trouble recalling your name, Nao?" Miss Sagisawa asks her, giving her head a look over.

"Well, it's easy to remember Nao," replies Nao. "I think I can handle it from here on in."

The nurse smiles warmly at her words. "Judging by your disposition, I tend to agree." She continues her observation, asking Nao several question as she goes. A math equation so basic it insults her intelligence, a request to take out the ink capsule of a ballpen, and who is the prime minister.

Nao can't handle the last one. Or can she?... don't think so.

"Ah." The nurse makes a clicking noise with her tongue. "What about your friends? Your parents?"

At that last word, Nao's chest burns. How can a phantom pain, one which Nao knows isn't real, hurt so much?

That's a good question, to be examined at a later time. Nao isn't about to piece together her past from random impulses when simple conversation can solve so much.

"I can't remember anything about people like that. When I woke up in my room, I thought I was completely alone," she replies, instead, without a hint of angst in her tone.

"That's a bit beyond my expertise," the nurse says. "A hospital--"

Shizuru cuts in smoothly. "--will probably not make much of a difference in this case, Miss Sagisawa. A familiar environment could be helpful, and what could be more familiar than the land of Fuka? A doctor could easily come to us... unless you believe Yuuki-san is in any danger at the moment?"

The nurse glances at Nao, and Shizuru directs her gaze towards her as well, as if waiting for Nao to back her up.

"Should I be?" asks Nao, looking confused. "I'm sorry, I really have no idea. But it's true that I haven't had a good feeling about anything since leaving my room."

"Nothing seemed to tug at your memory?" Shizuru asks, leaning in closer. Her eyes are red again, Nao notices, and Nao's spine tingles, muscles suddenly taut.

Neither the nurse or Shizuru react to her discomfort -- and could it be any more obvious? "I don't know," Miss Sagisawa muses, unwilling to submit just yet. "It might place a burden on her roommate--"

"Senoh-san," Shizuru supplies helpfully. "And in that case, why not ask her?"

The two continue to talk, as if Nao isn't there.

There were some things. But the way her memory has reacted lately, Nao isn't sure she even wants to pay attention to it; everything is either painful or completely ambiguous. No, it might be better to just

make a new start and not bother with the past. It feels good when she does that; why stop?

"Um. I'm completely in control now. I must have had a fit of madness when I stepped outside-"

"-like this. Since I, ah, evidently attend this school, mightent it be best if I got changed and headed off to class?"

Yes yes, this will work nicely. "I'm sure I'll be able to piece things together as I go, and I don't think there's anything physically wrong with me, so..."

"And so you have it," Shizuru tells the nurse, smiling at her. Natsuki makes a disgusted sound in the background, but Nao studiously ignores the other girl.

That girl doesn't matter, as Nao intends to have nothing more to do with her.

Unless, of course, she starts it again.

"Alright. I'll be returning now. Ah, but I won't know where to go when I get changed! Is there a timetable, or a map, or something like that? I can recall the path back, though it's rather long, but I couldn't tell you where I should go when I come to attend my studies-"

"-which I *should* remember, after all, I can handle basic math."

"I believe Natsuki would be more than happy to guide you to your dorm, Yuuki-san," Shizuru says pleasantly, drawing an indignant shout from some region of the room Nao has turned a blind eye on. "And I will speak with her teachers to show understanding, for when she will be showing you to your classes, if that is acceptable."

"That would be delightful," replies Nao, seeing virtually no other option. "It should not be difficult to put another hour behind me, after all!" And she laughs at humour that she genuinely sees.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Presumably leading Nao to her dorm, Natsuki sets a brisque pace without much care given to whether the amnesiac girl would follow her. Marching through the building, Nao notices that the crowd has disperced, and the hallways are empty once more. The school building is left behind, and the two find themselves on the path headed back into the forest.

Nao follows, without much caring if the girl in front of her leads or not.

It does seem just a *little bit* strange that the supervising teacher would assign someone one is having a brawl with to show her around the school, but it isn't as if she could suggest anyone else.

The trip back seems to pass faster, perhaps due to the desire of both girls to get to their destination, or merely due to the faster pace. Whatever the reason, Natsuki does indeed lead Nao to a building that seems familiar, the same one she first regained consciousness. As she leads, the blue-haired girl pauses briefly before a closed door, soon heading to the adjacent one.

"Key," she demands, stretching out her hand towards Nao, while looking away.

If this is, in fact, her door, then it should simply open by itself! She didn't chain it, so she just shoves at the door.

The door opens as Nao brushes past Natsuki, who flushes, whether in embarrassment or anger at being ignored. She doesn't comment, however, and enters the room first.

"Should I have possess such? I could not locate anything before I left," questions Nao, once she trudges inside as well.

A cross between a frustrated scream and a growl are Nao's answer. In the corridor, Natsuki whirls around, hands bunched into fists. "Just drop it, Yuuki," she says, gritting her teeth. "That's just so goddamn creepy."

"I'm not holding anything!" protests Yuuki.

Natsuki lunges at Nao, before trying to stop herself and losing her balance. Her arms fumble fitfully as she teeters on unsteady feet.

Nao puts a steadying hand on Natsuki's shoulder for a moment, before gliding past her towards the walk-in closet. "I should be wearing the same sort of things you are, correct? I think I saw something like that in here, please indulge for a few moments."

Steadied with Nao's help, Natsuki throws her a distrustful glare, but doesn't attempt any further violence. Shoes abandoned, she follows Nao towards the closet, a sour -- does she have any others? -- expression on her face. "What's your angle?" she asks tiredly. "Getting out of homework? Ditching school?"

"I don't have any homework yet, and I assure you, if I'd known I should've been wearing a uniform in the first place, I would have," replies Nao, rifling through the closet for suitable apparel.

Natsuki sighs in defeat, joining Nao mutely. Between both girls, a uniform is soon liberated from the myriad of clothing. It is a school uniform, alright, but it looks different from Natsuki's.

There is another uniform, which does look identical.

Nao presumes the identicle uniform belongs to her, and fishes it out, before turning around and looking at Natsuki expectantly.

"That's Senoh's," she responds, shaking her head. And then, the girl frowns. "Strange. Wouldn't she have worn it for class?" She glances at Nao. "Where's your roommate?"

"Look, it's difficult for me, too," replies Nao, kindly. "But it seems I have amnesia, you see, so I can't remember things like that."

She hangs the uniform back up, and fishes out the other one instead.

"What was Shizuru thinking...." Natsuki mutters, turning her head aside again. "Hey, can you at least remember how to put it on? Cause I'm not dressing you!"

"I can handle things such as that," replies Nao, starting to get changed. "Some things appear to come naturally. I suppose time will tell exactly what."

Natsuki turns around, appearing uncertain of whether she should be near or not. Locked in her indecision, she doesn't even notice when Nao is done.

"I am dressed and prepared! Let us return to the place of learning posthaste!"

"Ugh." Natsuki palms her forehead. "Can't you at least speak naturally? Or doesn't it... come naturally?" She groans. "I'm getting sucked into this insanity, I'm even starting to talk like her...."

"Should I try and speak like you?" replies Nao, frowning.

"Fuck yes!"

"Alright. I'll try my best!" replies Nao, starting to head for the door.

"Go you," Natsuki cheers feebly, heading for the room, unlike Nao. "Don't you need your schoolbag? You know, for the appearance of studying?"

"If you say so, it must be true," reasons Nao. "Where do you get them from?"

"Let's search for it," Natsuki responds, seeming to adjust to Nao's speech patterns.

Nao nods, and immediately starts poking around under the beds.

It's not like there are many other places it could be...

Her resourcefulness rewards Nao with a schoolbag tossed beneath her bed. A fine layer of dust has gathered on and around it, suggesting it hadn't been moved from that spot for a couple weeks at the least.

Nao shakes it off, opening it to take a quick look inside.

Nao discovers a few notebooks bearing her name, amongst the usual school things. It seems she is in ninth grade, if they are to be believed. She also finds a cellphone inside.

Ninth grade, eh? She feels like she should be higher, for some reason.

She starts going through the books, curious as to what exactly she's going to be studying.

Math, English, History... seems like a fairly mundane selection. Nao doesn't find any signs of advanced classes, or anything beyond the basic package. She hadn't been an overachiever at school, if her books are any sign.

Shrugging, Nao jams the phone into her pocket, zips up up the bag, and flips it over her shoulder.

"Is there anything else?" she asks, dubiously glancing around the room one last time.

"Shoes?" Natsuki suggests, having waited patiently for Nao to finish rooting through her bookbag. "I would also suggest... socks."

---

The walk back to the school complex is as quiet as their previous joint trek. When the gates are in sight, however, Natsuki says of her own accord, "Fuka Academy has a grade school, a middle school, a high school, and even its own college. It's really one of those elevator schools. I'm sure you don't know any of that, because of your massive trauma."

"Which part are you in, Natsuki-san?" asks Nao, politely.

She shivers as Nao says her name, giving her a probing look. "...high school," she says at last. "Different building, shared grounds."

"Won't that make showing me around an issue?" she queries, hoping to keep a conversation going for that otherwise-dull trek back to school.

"I've graduated from there, so I still remember the classrooms," Natsuki responds, leading Nao to that same back entrance she had originally used to get into the school.

"Oh, I see. I suppose many people there knew whoever I was," muses Nao, tapping this side of her head a little.

Natsuki grunts in a non-committal manner, showing Nao to a building farther off. It doesn't look all that different, but there's something vaguely familiar about it. "You're on the first floor," she tells Nao. "Any idea what classroom, or we'll have to ask the head office?"

Nao's schoolbooks would suggest that she belongs to group C.

"C?" guesses Nao, making an incredible leap of logic based on empircal evidence.

"Three-C?" Natsuki shrugs. "Good enough. Let's go."

It is hardly a Herculean task to locate the classroom in question. "You probably have math or something boring like that, now," Natsuki says, listening in by the door for a brief moment. She shifts from foot to foot awkwardly. "So, what now? Think you'll find the way back on your own?"

"Yes, I shall be fine. There's not all that much to remember, anyway."

Nao shrugs a little. "Thanks for showing me around. But I have a question for you."

"What is it, Yuuki?"

"What did I think of you?" asks Nao, honestly confused.

"I don't really remember anything. Sometimes I just get feelings."

Natsuki looks extremely uncomfortable when Nao looks at her. "How the hell should I know that?!" she exclaims, brushing several strands of her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture.

"I guess I might not have told you. Actually... yeah, that makes a lot of sense," replies Nao, drawing a knuckle to her face.

"Ah, forget about it. It'll just be from scratch, anyway," she resolves, turning back to face the door to the classroom.

The classroom is silent. Too silent. "I'm in 1-B, just next door," Natsuki tells her, suddenly deflated. "Stop by if you need to. Don't feel obliged to or anything." With that said, she walks away.

Things are pretty well in hand now, shrugs Nao, knocking on the door briefly, before opening it and going inside.

Everyone, teacher and students alike, is starting at Nao as she enters. Not a pin drops in the silence as she realizes she has no idea where she is supposed to seat.

But one of the empty seats is next to a window, and it feels like a nice spot.

Nao coughs a little, standing awkwardly still for a moment before trudging towards the free chair by the window along some predefined path.

She'd intended to speak, but the silence was rather threatening.

If it weren't her seat, no one has voiced any objections to her occupying it. There is an uncomfortable silence, which stretches before a girl at the first row nods at the teacher, who coughs.

"Ah, yes, where were we?" he asks needlessly, leafing through a book before placing a ruler on it to keep the page open, and writes a formula on the blackboard. Natsuki was right; it is algebra.

Nao fiddles for the appropriate book. It's wishful thinking that she'll be able to pick this up right away, but if she wasn't an overachiever, at least she isn't an *under*acheiver.

Feeling a sudden resurgence of confidence once everyone isn't looking at her, Nao starts attempting to Apply Herself, in true-blue enthusastic-schoolgirl manner.

That gets Nao some attention. In fact, after a bit of trial and error, she discovers that the amount she applies herself to her studies is directly proportional to the level of interest she gathers from her peers.

Nao looks back at them, rather quizzically.

If it's not impolite to speak up, she sets down her pen, fumbling for the correct phrase. "Am I not, ah, working properly?" she asks, nervously.

Silence spreads through the classroom once more, the teacher pausing mid-sentence. "Of course not," he gets out after several aborted tries. "Everything is fine, Yuuki."

Nao's face twitches.

Every encounter brings a little more understanding of how people think, and she isn't entirely clueless about the people staring at her. But damned if she knows what to do about it- it's not like she can pretend to act like who she was.

So she's stuck scrunching back in her chair and finding her enthusiasm slowly draining away.

That seems to do the trick, strangely enough. A few of her classmates even give her knowing looks, before attempting to pay attention to the lesson.

Once the period is over, Nao has managed to confirm for herself that algebra would likely never help her further down the line, in life. The bell rings for a recess, and people form groups, but whatever the pretext for them might be, they all -- from the girliest girls to boys trying to act mature and masculine -- gather in those groups to gossip.

The hottest topics seem to involve Nao, which should come as no surprise to the girl, and the antics of one Minagi Mikoto. The name strikes a chord with Nao.

It might be good to know what other people think of her. Presumably she would've known all of that stuff from beforehand. It's not that she's particularly bothered if she doesn't remember herself, but it'll be difficult to get through life without *any* idea.

She doesn't really try to join any of the groups to talk, and she didn't bring any food with her. So leans against the wall and glances-

-at the other members of the class, especially the ones she was sitting next to.

Her classmates seem to be debating a rumor spread throughout the school. According to it, Nao had accosted one Kuga Natsuki and was harshly rebuffed, though a very persuasive counter argument seems to be that none other than Natsuki escorted Nao to her classroom. Further compounding the issue is--

It's not exactly easy to overhear, but Nao gets the idea that her classmates see her as a girl of loose morals who dates older men. Her switch to girls is seen as unbelievable, and her strange, new attitude makes them wary. They are starting to relax as Nao's apparent apathy continues, however.

"It wasn't like that," states Nao, sharply. "Shizuru-san decided it. That's all."

Better to shoot down misconceptions before they arise. With that said, she thought Shizuru was going to let her class know about her apparent condition.

Well, either way, this suits her just fine.

"What do you mean?" a girl with freckles asks, perhaps speaking a bit louder than she expected to in the sudden hush that fell over the classroom. Her brown hair is gathered into a thick ponytail, and Nao feels a name surface in assosiation. Tamaki.

"She asked Natsuki to help me," clarifies Nao, glancing back at the girl. Friend? Associate? Nobody in particular?

There are no strong emotions tied to the girl in question. Whether that's a plus or a minus....

"Oh," she says, nodding slightly to herself. "Like, with school?"

"Yes. I seem to have forgotten everything," she replies, smoothly. She'd better get used to saying that.

"I remember your name, though," she adds, blinking. "That's the first name I've been able to recall."

Tamaki doesn't seem to have anything to say to that, though her surprise is clear.

"That's perfect, then," she decides. "You can introduce everyone to me! I know it'll seem strange, but just pretend I'm a new person entirely."

Tamaki looks dubious, but shrugs, going along with Nao's request. Introductions go as awkwardly as expected, but now Nao is armed with fresh knowledge. Her classmates still seem wary of her, although for a whole different reason, it seems.

Suddenly, Nao wishes for nothing more than to be left alone. It was clear from the rumours that nobody really wanted to speak to her in the first place, but she's done a foolish thing again and now everybody is looking at her.

She files away a list of names for the time being, for all the good that'll do, and refocuses back on the group. "So, ah, what classes do we have left?" she asks-

-defaulting to the most obvious topic and hoping someone picks up the conversation and takes it away.

Maki, a girl who is a bit on the heavy side, glances at her schedule. "Japanese and Phys Ed," she tells Nao. The glances might still be there, but people no longer stutter occasionally or look away when Nao addresses them.

Phys Ed sounds like it might be fun. Nao isn't sure, but it seems her body is healthy- not just healthy, but fit, used to activity. And at least it won't involve much talking, which she's having trouble with.

"What're the teachers like?" she tries, aiming for another diversion.

"Well, old man Sakomizu has an afro..." Hiro says excitedly, overcoming his reservations and moving his chair closer to Nao's desk. He launches into an amusing description of the Japanese teacher, which while not directly mocking strays into the territory once in a while.

As soon as an opportunity provides itself, Nao leans out of the conversation, far more intent on listening than involving herself at the moment.

It'll probably take a few days, she guesses. Just to acclimatize herself. The problem is that she can't really talk about anything- at least, anything interesting (she's sure the others are as tired of math as she is) just yet.

Nao's gambit succeeds, and conversation strays to the Phys Ed teacher as well, one Miss Shiratori, and how she never seems to be able to contain Minagi. Most of the class anticipates the last period of the day for more of that rare amusement of seeing a teacher frustrated nearly to tears during their joint Phys Ed class with 3-B.

Something tells Nao the Phys Ed teacher is not particularly popular amongst her peers.

Nao steadfastly remains optimistic (at the very least, she'll be able to manage some conversation after this class, and it seems people have gotten over the weird stares.)

Sakomizu's arrival puts a stop to all the chatter, and people return to their seats. He is a somewhat heaveweight man, an afro adorning his head as promised. His disposition is jovial, and the period goes by without interruptions, time flying by.

And then, there is only one period remaining between Nao, her classmates, and freedom. Eager to end the day with a bang, the girls kick the class's male population outside, drawing the curtains closed, and start to change into their gym clothes.

Oh, that's right. You need to get changed to participate in gym.

Uh um hmmmmmm that's going to be a problem, she's pretty sure they weren't in her bag to start (and if they were, they probably need washing.)

It is probably a blessing, then, that no gym clothing happened to be molding inside her bag. She could probably borrow some from another student that doesn't have Phys Ed that period, or try and see if Miss Shiratori could help her in that regard. There's also the remote possibility something could be found within her locker, wherever it might be.

She could TRY to borrow. Only she doesn't know anyone to ask, and everyone here has PE. And she doesn't know where to find Shiratori or even her locker. The walls are closing in!

There's *probably* a simple solution, though, and as always, it begins with a question.

"Um, Tamaki-san?" asks Nao, with a start. "I ah didn't know we had gym or anything so I haven't got anything to wear, do you-

"-know where I could find Miss Shiratori before we start?"

Startled at the sudden question, Tamaki freezes, her shirt pulled over her head. Quickly adjusting, she shuffles until she gets it all the way down, her face adorning a puzzled frown. "It would probably be quickest if you asked the teacher when class started, Yuuki-san," the girl responds. "Miss Shiratori could be in the teacher's lounge because she has a free period now, but maybe she wanted to plan something special for the class, and would be by the storage shed." Tamaki shrugs. "All in all, you could run around with no results and end up being late, too."

"Ah, yeah, probably. I guess I might be able to help referee or something," mumbles Nao, sauntering towards the door, only slightly disappointed.

"We usually do stretches for the first ten minutes, so it won't be too bad," Tamaki says in an attempt to cheer her up.

And it's not like Nao hasn't already had a warm up earlier in the day! Right? Right.

A little impatiently, she waits, it's not like she knows where the gym is, anyway.

She needn't wait long. It isn't the first time the girls in her class change into their bloomers and white, sportive shirts, and soon enough they head together outside. The path takes Nao to a courtyard much like the one she entered school through in size, except this one has a net set up, cutting it in two. The markings on the ground, seeming fresh, allow no mistake about its purpose. It's a volleyball court.

The boys are already waiting there, ogling the girls. By the way her companions roll their eyes at their antics or ignore them altogether, Nao gathers that it's nothing new.

The court itself is not alone. Others much like it can be seen from where she stands, a track surrounding a field of grass with two soccer goals at opposite ends. Basketball is also represented, and a mound farther away could only be used for softball or baseball. Fuka Academy hasn't skimped on either land or money for its sports fields and equipment, from a cursory glance.

Wherefore arthout the supervising authority? The boys can be safely ignored for the time being, but even given her previous hopes, Nao didn't realise how *itching* she is to do something that doesn't require thinking.

What could only be that supervising authority is walking towards Nao's class, holding a soccer ball in one hand and a volleyball in the other. Another class tags along after the teacher, who is forced to glare back occasionally to keep the noise level down.

That Nao can hear said noise level from a distance is quite the achievement for that other class.

Nao can't help but contemplate on the futility of attempting to keep a sporting class from being noisy. Really now.

Futile or not, Miss Shiratori seems intent on accomplishing that feat. Nao gets a glance from her as the teacher approaches, and she alters her path, heading straight towards her.

"Why aren't you in unifom, Yuuki?" she asks, and her tone makes it difficult to guess at her thoughts on the matter.

"I didn't know I had gym today," replies Yuuki, without a shred of dishonesty. (And yet somehow she feels a bit nervous anyway.) "I won't forget again! Is there something I can do anyway?"

The teacher eyes Nao, but then seems to snort to herself. "Alright, Yuuki, come with me." She drops both balls, sending them bouncing towards the net, which blocks their further progress. "Laps, the rest of you. Five fields should do it."

Turning around, she gestures for Nao to follow, even as her groaning classmates begin to stretch their limbs in preparation of the run.

Nao troops after the woman, glancing back at the unfortunate joggers.

Well, if she has to do that every week, it's no surprise she's fit. Gotta hand it to the education system.

The gym teacher isn't the talkative type. Nao is lead to a supply shed, where she is told to wait while Miss Shiratori disappears inside. She returns with several gym uniforms of various sizes for Nao to try on in a nearby changing room; one of those fits.

After a warning about washing it before returning, Nao is lead back to the sport field complex. The students are running at leisure, those crossing the finish line coming to a stop with a triumphant expression on their faces. Nao somehow doubts they ran all five laps.

Five laps? Piece of cake! Totally. Probably. Maybe.

Nao jogs back at a brisk pace, joining the rest of the students as they no-doubt form a crowd facing the teacher.

A short girl with wild hair continues to run even as most come to a halt, some cutting through the field at a light jog to gather around with the rest. The gym teacher casts them a disapproving look, before sighing.

"Volleyball, soccer, mixed teams," she announces. "The quicker you form teams, the more time you'll have to play."

Well, there are two choices, and this ain't the beach. If there's a soccer team joining, Nao is sure to be part of it.

Only one other girl deigned to join the soccer line up. Hyperactive to a fault, she ends up on the same team with her. Smiling at her without reservations, she says, "Let's do our best, Nao!"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The short girl's smile is infectious, and warmth fills Nao briefly, before embarrassment settles in just as swiftly. Meanwhile, with the teams decides, the captains assign goalkeepers and approach the center of the field, where the gym teacher is holding the soccer ball in her hands.

"Positions, or making it up as we go along?" queries Nao, shivering a little (though no doubt once the game begins the faint cold will vanish.)

"It'll probably be a waste of time," one of the boys from her class voices, smirking. "Just kick the ball towards the other goal and you'll do fine, Yuuki."

"Right!" returns Yuuki, briefly smiling at the other girl for a moment before turning to focus on the ball. Her foot kicks at the ground a few times; a simple offhand comment has at least doubled her confidence!

The girl in question seems quite happy at the attention, veritably beaming at Nao.

The ball is kicked, the rival team sending it back to prepare for an offense, and while Nao's attention was on it, she spots movement out of the corner of her eye. She can swear her teammate is still standing next to her, but that can't be possible, as the young-looking girl is clearly charging at the ball gleefully.

It must be her twin sister, whom she did not notice until now.

Regardless, Nao narrows her eyes, and goes for where she thinks the ball will be- probably passed off to the nearest forward? Or maybe to someone on the side in an attempt to sneak around! Fiends!

So she goes for the most likely intercept, figuring she's one of the closest there.

Nao is off! Her teammate -- or her mysterious twin sister -- is already charging the player with the ball. He kicks it off, wildly, barely in time to avoid the miniature hurricane, but no one is around to receive the shot. No one but Nao, that is, who moved forward herself to support the other girl.

Nao flies onwards in order to interpose her body with the ball (head, torso, legs- it's all good!)

There's probably some troublesome opponent here to deal with, though, so the priority is making sure he doesn't get it, as then it'll probably fly out- a net win!

The ball is intercepted by Nao's chest, her leap taking her a bit far for catching it on her forehead. Whether that's a plus or not, Nao can't say; the sensation is mildly uncomfortable. From the apex of her jump, however, she easily discerns that the other players are nowhere near her. If a troublesome opponent exists, they are clearly biding their time.

Which draws the eyesight of whoever kicked it in the first place into serious question. No matter, Nao takes a good thing when she sees it and starts manuevering the ball towards the enemy goal.

Nao touches down with catlike grace, the ball flopping down mere seconds behind, and she maneuvers it across the field. While it doesn't feel like something she had done a lot in the past, Nao finds that she has no trouble keeping the ball in line and going.

Her success doesn't go unopposed, however. A pair of defenders target Nao, closing in, attempting to push her aside.

Nao puts on the brakes at the last second, and drags the ball away from the would-be defenders with the ball of her foot.

There's got to be someone around here to pass it too- she looks out for her lone female companion, and sends it flying that-a-way in a single, swift motion.

The defenders must be dumb; they don't even react to Nao's pass, still staring intently at her feet.

Her kick is perfect, and the other girl leaps into the air to meet it. The movement is abrupt, briefly taking Nao back. It seemed as if an afterimage lingered on the ground, before it faded into obscurity. Meanwhile, her teammate spins, and a forceful kick sends the ball flying straight past the goalkeeper and into the net.

Nao clenches a fist in victory!

But where were all the other teammates?

One forward is just catching up. The others have paused at various positions across the field, some leaning over with their hands resting on their knees, breathing heavily. Nao notices that her victorious gesture is being replicated slowly across her teammates, mainly amonst the defense.

Out of breath in less than a minute? But the game has just begun!

Nonetheless, that was far too easy, given that she can't recall having played this game despite her apparent genius at it. Maybe it's a guy thing, as the goal-kicker didn't seem to be struggling.

If it is a 'guy thing', then it would likely remain a mystery for Nao even should her lost memories return.

"That was fun!" her energetic teammate says, bouncing over to Nao. "Wanna do it again?"

"Sure!" replies Nao, jogging alongside her and heading a bit further back from the enemy goal. "You're pretty fast!"

As the girl preens, Nao can't help but compare her to a content cat.

A sudden question arises. "Have we done this much before?" she asks, counting down the seconds until the referee blows the whistle again

The girl pauses, tilting her head questioningly. "Mikoto doesn't understand," she tells Nao.

Well, that's one thing cleared up!

"I mean, soccer. Have we played it much before?" asks Nao, nodding. "Can't remember much, but it feels pretty natural."

"We played a lot together!" Mikoto tells her brightly. "Soccer, softball, tennis, dating! Lots!" She nods twice for good measure.

Sounds like fun! Mostly. There's a worrisome concern in there, though, something that's been gnawing at her since the rumours she heard in the classroom- "Dating anyone at the moment?"

Mikoto considers the question, before shaking her head. "Nope!"

And that gives Nao the chance to breathe a sigh of relief; at least she won't have to explain to anyone "So sorry, too bad, so sad..." or the like.

Wiping a hand through her hair, she stretches a little, before nodding. "Right, let's go!" It doesn't seem there's a need for instructions.

The game resumes before they take their positions, but that hardly seems like a crutch. In no time at all, Nao is able to steal another pass, and this time around the defense finds itself focusing more on Mikoto, leaving Nao practically free. With only one defender on her, it hardly seems like a challenge, and she scores the next goal herself.

The game progresses, Nao getting caught up in the excitement of sports. Somewhere near half-time she notices that the scoring had moved into the surreal, though she can't help but feel smug about it. The defeated faces of the boys on the other team also tug at her heart, bringing Nao a sense of elation.

The volleyball match still seems to be going, though the others have paused. The number of students was too great for just those two games, and the remainder have gone off to play in smaller teams. One of those happens to be Nao's somewhat-reluctant friend from class.

Nao makes a note to visit her later.

The feelings of elation tug at her mind, but another part feels that it's too easy to start with, and given that she doesn't even feel tired at the moment, perhaps it's not even fair. In other words, fun as it may be- it's also getting kinda old.

An idea strikes, though! "Mikoto?" she says, finding the other girl. "This is easy. *Too* easy. How about one of us switches sides?"

Nao barely glimpses a strange emotion coming over Mikoto's face. Regret? She cannot place it, but her mind treats it with a sense of foreboding. Then, however, her entire world shifts. She is aware that she is falling, but her legs just won't listen to her commands....

It is dark. She's being hunted like a stray animal. She's alone, and it won't be a fair fight. But life's never fair, she knows. It still hurts that they all would betray her like that, it hurts so much that if it were not for Julia, she wouldn't know what to do. The thought is strangely comforting, even in the cold forest where she's hiding from her assailants.

And it is light. The transition is abrupt, even for someone who had experienced such wakening recently.

Nao's head flops to the side, and she bites her lip. But instead of lying about like a lazy woman, she quickly sits up and looks around. There's not so much to go on, but it seems like someone out there is, or at least was- after her.

She almost snarls, and the look on her face must be frightful.

Nao is in a white room.

It looks familiar, and while she reasons there could be more than one nurse for the academy complex, Nao has reason to believe she is back in Miss Sagisawa's care.

That woman, the strange one. Is anyone around?

No one is there to witness Nao's wakening, although upon observing her surroundings carefully, Nao sees a shadow shift outside. Someone seems to be in the corridor by the nurse's office.

"Is someone there?" manages Nao, glancing towards the door. Better play it cluelessly for now (a not entirely difficult task.)

But things have changed, now. Her identity goes from merely a curiosity to something she has a pressing need to know. It's funny how a sense of danger changes things.

There is a muffled crash, and a pair of hushed voices rapidly speaking. Nao cannot overhear them, and soon has more pressing matters, when the door opens.

Natsuki strides in. She waits a moment, and stomps her foot in irritation, glancing back. Another girl follows her -- Tamaki. She has changed into her school uniform, and has two schoolbags with her.

"How are you?" her classmate asks, taking a few steps forwards until she's halfway to the hospital bed.

"I'm fine," replies Nao. "I feel fine. I probably shouldn't- but I do."

"Yes, well," Natsuki says, not looking at Nao. "That's what you get for overexerting like that and wasting all your energy, you moron."

There is something she's not saying.

"I brought you your things," Tamaki picks up, gesturing at the school bags. "Umm. Your clothes should be here, somewhere. Minagi-san brought them."

A look about the room shows a bag sitting on the nurse's unoccupied desk, a white sleeve peeking out of it.

That doesn't add up. Nao doesn't recall feeling particularly stressed. And that other girl- she wasn't holding back, either. If anything, she was moving faster.

"Thanks, Tamaki," replies Nao, glancing at the girl with a slight smile. "I'll be ready in a minute." Her own unspoken words- something along the lines of 'you can go now' hang in the air.

Tamaki is all too happy to escape at the signal. Whatever her new attitude towards Nao may be, she doesn't look particularly comfortable being in the same room with Nao and Natsuki.

It's a pity that Natsuki seemed to miss the silent message. Perhaps it should be verbalized.

"I think I can handle getting dressed on my own."

"Yeah. Listen, Yuuki," Natsuki says, shuffling her feet. "It's not a good idea for you to... overexert yourself. Maybe you should take it easy for a while."

"..you're right. You know, everyone else was getting tired, but I didn't notice," replies Nao, flopping back in the bed. "If I don't know when my body's tired, I should be more careful than anyone, right?"

Natsuki's head jerks in a nod. "Right. Well." She frowns. "I'll wait outside." And then, she's gone from the room.

Like hell she'll be careful! That woman knows something, and it doesn't look like she wants Nao to know. For all that her body feels fine, Nao's mind is in turmoil. This is going to make dealing with others difficult, to say the least.

Without too much preamble, she gets up and gets changed, but once she's done, she rummages around for her phone and starts going through the people in her address book, searching for familiar names.

Her address book is surprisingly empty. It only contains one number, and that's for a hospital. Perusing the activity log does net her quite a few numbers for outgoing and incoming calls, some corresponding. It doesn't seem any of them were important enough to be placed into Nao's address book. All of them are cell numbers.

Who'd have a phone with nobody in it? Not even family?

How about messages?

"Hey, Julia!" a male voice greets as Nao plays the first of the two voice messages she has. "We're still on for tomorrow, right? Loved your picture!"

The man rambles on, barely finishing to say his goodbyes before the message reaches its limit. The date is for a week prior to the one displayed prominently on the cell's monitor. Her second call is much the same, from a different man and concerning a different meeting place. The time remains late in the evening, however. This second message is dated four days ago.

Nao lacks any text message or emails, she finds out, although it's hard to say whether they've been deleted or never existed to begin with. The settings are configured, as best as she can tell.

If someone did wipe her phone, then, it must have happened over a week ago. There'll be a way to test, later.

In any case, she grabs her bag and heads for the door.

Opening it, she finds Natsuki leaning against the wall and tapping her foot nervously. "Ready to go?" the bluette asks.

"Yes, I hope I haven't kept you from anything," replies Nao, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. "How long was I out?"

"An hour. Just enough to get out of the rest of gym and keep me waiting," Natsuki responds. She deflates suddenly. "I mean, it's not your fault, Yuuki."

It was too quiet to hear correctly, but Nao thinks Natsuki told her she was sorry.

"Me too," murmurs Nao, though for something else entirely.

"Hey.. Natsuki-san. Can you tell me what sort of person I was?" asks Nao, once they start walking.

Natsuki is taken by surprise, and Nao can see her try to decide on her answer.

"I won't lie to you," Natsuki says at last, her features sharpening as she speaks. "You were pretty unpleasant. I never found out if you were really sleazy or just acted that way to piss the rest of us off, and to be honest, I never cared enough to find out, either. Your most annoying trait had to be you going out of your way to antagonize everyone, just because you could."

"The rest of us?" asks Nao, wondering idly. "Yeah, it's ok. I figured that out from listening to people in class.

"I wasn't trying to that this morning, by the way," she adds, shaking her head quickly. "It was.. confusing, that's all."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Just... people at school," Natsuki responds to Nao's idly-voiced question, shrugging in agitation. "And yeah. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."

"Was there anyone who really hated me?" continues Nao, having solved the question of whether there was anyone who really liked her.

Natsuki seems startled at the question. "Really hated you, Yuuki?" she asks, turning to face Nao. "Actual loathing? You weren't the antichrist or anything, so I doubt it."

"I was wondering," replies Nao, shaking her head. "I found messages on my phone from more than one guy. It seems I got around a lot, and with what you and the others have said, well. Who knows? Not me! But things were seeming kinda scary for a moment, there.

"It's funny. I should be scared when I wake up like this, and happy when people talk about me, right? But it's been the opposite so far."

Natsuki looks distinctly uncomfortable. "Yeah. Listen, if you're going for a fresh start and all that, just forget about the guys. Delete all that stuff. I dunno if it'll be easy-- well, no, it probably won't be. But Shizuru's trying to help you for some reason, so you'll be fine in the end."

"It's not like I have a choice," replies Nao, shrugging. "Deleting it all is easy, because there was hardly anything there in the first place. Which reminds me! I should get your number. You know, in case something happens."

Natsuki does not look excited at the prospect, but she does fetch her own cell and brings up a number on the screen, handing it over to Nao.

She stands there, waiting for the younger girl to be done with it. Nao recognizes the model. The outgoing calls log is just a couple clicks away, waiting invitingly.

It's an interesting prospect, but with Natsuki waiting impatiently, the pushing of buttons will probably be noticed., so Nao refrains for the time being.

There'll be plenty of time to get at Natsuki's stuff later, if necessary, in a more discreet fashion.

Instead she simply copies the number over to her own phone.

Nao can think of several ways to send the number over to her cell, but entering it manually wins over all others, due to her desire to avoid seeming as tempering with Natsuki's phone. The bluette takes it back once Nao is done, looking sour once more.

"I suppose I should show you the grounds?" she voices, and Nao can't help but wonder whom Natsuki is really asking.

"It's a school," Nao finds herself saying. "Classroom, gym, dorms- what else is there?"

"The town, if you drive to the island's other side," Natsuki tells her. "It's not much, but the closest you get to civilization is there."

"We're on an island? Now that I did want to know," remarks Nao. "Is there a bus or something?"

"Yeah, but I don't take it. I think it's every hour or something?" Natsuki tries to recall, before visibly giving up. "Probably. There was a bus stop next to the school gates, I know, but there might be something closer to the dorms. Your roommate should know, she spends a lot of time in town."

Natsuki gestures to the right as she walks. "You can't really see it from here, but there's also this bridge connecting the island to the mainland. There are several of them in these parts."

The mention of a bridge triggers a memory with Nao, of one going up in flames, illuminating the night sky and the waters below it with its bright orange fireball. The heavy plumes of smoke remained all the way into early morning hours.

Nao stands still for a moment after the mention of a bridge, before blinking the vision away. "Did something happen with a bridge?" she asks, frowning. "Something bad?"

"I don't think so," Natsuki responds. "Why would you ask?"

"I just had a bad feeling," replies Nao, shrugging. "Some words give me the chills for some reason."

Natsuki appears troubled at that admission.

"Eh. I probably wouldn't want to remember stuff like that anyways. Tell me about my roommate instead. Senoh, or something?"

"Senoh Aoi," Natsuki picks up, happy to move on to a different topic. "She's in Mai's class, so I've met her a few times. Seemed nice, really."

"She's in your year?" guesses Nao, trying to attach a face to the name.

"Yes, she's--"

As Natsuki begins to talk, Nao finds herself unable to focus fully on the other girl's words, as her own efforts to prod at her memory get results. Mai Tokiha; she is a year older than Nao, and her face is rarely without a smile. Her hair is orange, cut short, and sometimes disheveled. When that happens, Nao can swear its tips aren't moving with the wind, but actually dance with a life of their own, much like a hungry flame that will never be satiated.

That's not the face Natsuki was thinking of, but the sheer detail of it raises questions. The fact seems to be that this person is as important to her as an exploding bridge, and that's pretty damn important.

Nonetheless, she tries to catch the tail end of Natsuki's explanation.

"--cause Mai is usually around either Harada or Senoh, so I guess even if I didn't want to, I would still end up getting to know them."

"Mai's your roommate or something?"

"No, I got my own room," Natsuki responds. "She's your neighbor, actually."

"I remembered her face," replies Nao. "But not my roommate's. What's she like?"

"Brown hair, kinda long," Natsuki tells her. "Blue eyes, I think? I never really looked. She likes cute things." Natsuki's scowl tells Nao all she needs to know about her thoughts on the matter. "You can't miss it."

"No, I meant Mai- sorry, this must be weird," manages Nao. "Just, if I get a flash of something, it makes me want to ask about it."

"Mai is... Mai." Natsuki sounds annoyed and defeated and resigned and a million other things at once. "If you looked at the dictionary under determination, you'll probably find her. You know the type? Those who won't stop at anything to do something they've set out to do? It can be pretty grating when she wants to help you and you tell her to get lost, because she's too thick to actually get the hint." Her expression softens. "I guess that could actually be a good side of her."

"Sounds inspiring, if frustrating," replies Nao, looking whimsical and a little bit jealous. That sort of confidence would be handy.

Natsuki dutifully leads Nao back to her room, where she waits awkwardly. "So that's it for now, right?"

"I don't know, is there anything else you think I should know?" asks Nao, shrugging. "Like, do we have to go into town to get food and stuff, or is it supplied?"

"It's usually covered by the admission charge -- Fuka is a private school," Natsuki informs Nao. "Of course, if you want something fancier, you could always try to order out or head into town. But not for the basics."

"I figured. Shit, I didn't even think about money," grouses Nao. "If I have a card, I won't know the number... mmph. I'll hunt around for all that bookeeping stuff tonight. Oh, and, uh. What day is it?"

Natsuki looks embarrassed at the sudden question, taking several long moments to respond. "Umm. Thursday. The weekend's coming soon, so you'll get your chance to sort things out?"

"Great. Maybe I'll wake up with my memory back. That'd be convenient," replies Nao, turning to open her door and head in. "Anyway, thanks. I really appreciate it. I guess I'll see you around?"

"I guess." Natsuki stays by the doorway, but doesn't let herself in this time. After ensuring that Nao has reached her dorm safely, she turns on her heels and heads away. Whatever her next destination is, Nao doubts it is anywhere in this dorm.

Nao closes the door behind her, and turns to her dorm. Any evidence of someone else being around today?

The main room is exactly as she had left it, and a brief check at the various utility rooms confirms that assessment.

Nao nods to herself. First, she gets changed, and then she starts searching around the room for her effects; there should probably be a purse around, at least, and she may as well look at those papers.

The papers all seem to belong to Senoh Aoi, mostly consisting of marked tests and various schoolwork. Nao discovers that her roommate is a reasonably competent, though not brilliant, student.

There's also that picture frame. Do the contents ring any bells?

Oh! And while she's here, she also makes a point to find a mirror and take a look at herself for the first time.

The woman in it is kind, a little girl seated on her knees. The red-head is smiling at the older woman, who looks at the camera while holding her close to her chest.

A large, invisible hand grips at Nao's chest, making it hard to breathe. That picture is painful, so painful she wonders why she even has it.

If it hurts that much, then there's a reason, and she can't just give that up. Holding the picture for a long moment, she eventually sets it back down, and seeks out a mirror.

One of those people is probably her, and she suspects she isn't the elder in the frame.

Between the bathroom and the walk-in closet, it is not hard to find a mirror, as Nao wishes. A sassy red-head stares back at her, a teasing smile on her lips. She raises her left hand to her face, licking her index finger slowly without taking her eyes off Nao--

And her image blurs. The girl is now dressed in the same school uniform Nao is. Her hair is an impossibly vibrant red, her eyes a deep emerald -- much like Natsuki. That thought sends a shiver of irritation through Nao, and the image in the mirror ripples again, although she settles immediately after.

If she had to guess, she would place the girl who looked back at her as being in high school, perhaps even having graduated. She was certainly talented in all the right places, and carried herself with an adult air.

Nao glares at the mirror, which presumably glares back. Is she really that much older-looking than everyone else in her class? Is this some kind of colossal joke?

There's probably a way to find out; if she has a purse, it should have some form of ID in it, and her phone should have the date. From there she should be able to figure her age.

The image does glare back, looking peeved the way teens often do. It certainly isn't too difficult to see her fit in with the junior high crowd, now.

A purse, however, is sadly not amongst Nao's belongings as she turns the place upside down.

The person Nao wishes to speak to the most right now is her roommate; she's the most likely to know exactly when and how she stumbled into bed the previous night.

She'll probably be back later sometime, so for now, Nao starts getting that homework stuff done.

Homework takes time. Nao doesn't have a problem with any portion dealing with direct questions about a particular text or logical questions, but any matter that builds on something else she is apparently expected to know is a hit and miss. Far too often for her liking, Nao is forced to look up a particular English word in her dictionary, or leaf through her math book for some fomula or rule mentioned in passing as necessary in solving the equation.

Dammit. She'd been hoping the mechanical process of doing work would elicit some memory.. but... now that she thinks about it, given her former self's temperement, that was a pretty thin hope.

It's nothing hard work couldn't fix. While it is dark when Nao is finally done with her backlog of homework, she also feels a sense of satisfaction. And disgust, perhaps, but the emotion is fleeting.

There is still no sign of a roommate.

Hmm. There's someone who might know where she is!

Nao heads outside her dorm and, after figuring out which of her neighbours is Mai, knocks on her door.

While she's figuring that out, a simple process of reading the name plaques next to the doors, Nao discovers that Mai's roommate is none other than Mikoto. It is also she who opens the door after Nao's second knock, immediately quietening down once she sees who came for a visit.

"Ah, hiya, Mikoto," says Nao, a little weirded out by coincidence but resolved to struggle onwards. "Is Mai around? I was wondering if she'd seen Senoh..."

She's probably being a bit rude by using the first name, but it's hard not to copy Natsuki, in that regard.

Mai appears as soon as Nao has asked for her, adorned in a frilly apron. A stirring spoon in her hand freezes as she sees who came for a visit, before she gives Nao a smile that she doesn't feel is faked, to her surprise. "Come in, come in!" Mai bids Nao, lightly hitting Mikoto upside the head with her knuckles. "Why didn't you tell me we had a guest?"

Do most smiles feel fake to Nao? That's a disappointment.

"Ah, thanks," she starts, ready to follow it with "..but I just wanted to ask you something."

Instead of saying that, though, she just walks inside, not unwilling at all to spend time with someone who seems to want to see her. "What's up?"

Mai closes the door since Mikoto doesn't seem to be doing much aside from being downcast in a way that screams at even Nao, with her memory in shambles, of strangeness.

"I was just making dinner," Mai tells Nao, glancing at the spoon in her hand and then laughing, placing her free hand behind her head. "I guess that's obvious, isn't it?" Now that Mai's hands are not in the way, Nao sees that the apron says 'kiss the cook' in cutesy letters.

"Hey, I asked!" replies Nao, conjuring up a suitably cheerful tone, despite the way seeing Mikoto as she is seems to fill her with dread.

"That's right, I meant to ask- have you seen Senoh around today?"

"Aoi-chan? Now that I think about it, she wasn't in class today. But neither was Chie-chan, so I just thought they skipped school together." Looking worried, Mai asks, "She hasn't come back yet?"

"Nope. I wasn't sure when she usually comes back, but I wanted to talk to her about something," replies Nao, blinking. "Was she there yesterday?"

"Yes," Mai responds, biting on her lower lip. The stirring spoon dips dangerously close to the ground as her arm lowers. "We all had lunch together. We even made plans for friday, there was no way she would miss on that."

"Ah," replies Nao, glancing at Mikoto. With a questioning look, she points at herself, wondering if she was included in that, too.

Fretting, Mai takes a few moments to realize what Nao is insinuating, before she flashes scarlet. "No, but, umm, it was private. Just the three of us going karaoke. Even Mikoto wasn't going to come, was she?"

Glancing at the smaller girl, Mai seems to notice for the first time that Mikoto looks depressed.

"Ah. Well, yeah, she must have gone to town or something, since she wasn't in the dorm when I woke up," posits Nao, looking around for a chair to sit on. "Oh, do you have her number? I might try calling her if she doesn't show up."

Mai's attention is clearly divided, and the opts to follow Nao's request, retreating into the depths of the room to search for her cell. "We could try to call her now. Just wait a moment."

While Mai is running around looking for her stuff (it must be nice to actually have enough stuff that finding anything is an issue), Nao turns her attention back to Mikoto. "Hey, is something wrong? I'm fine, now," she asks, in a rather low voice, rather hoping it *is* just concern.

Though that doesn't add up, since Mikoto didn't look particularly cheerful upon seeing her all better. At least, she thinks she looks all better.

"Mikoto is sorry for making Nao sick," the girl tells her quietly. "Does Nao hate her, now?"

Nao looks completely confused. "That was you?" she asks. "Wh-how?"

"Mikoto was having so much fun playing with Nao! Mikoto didn't know Nao was ill!"

"It.. was fun for me too, you know? I wasn't forcing myself," replies Nao. "It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, really."

"What's wrong?" Mai asks, approaching the two. A cell is held to her ear, and she listens to it before returning her attention to Nao and Mikoto.

"Nothing, Mikoto's just had a weird idea," replies Nao, leaning back in the chair. "Did you get ahold of Senoh?"

"It's not connecting," Mai says, frowning. "I'm trying Chie-chan's cell, now. Weird idea?"

Mikoto is looking up at Nao, her eyes brimming with tears. "Mikoto and Nao are friends?"

"Well, I should hope so!" replies Nao, smiling at Mikoto before glancing back at Mai. "Um. Hmm. Well, you should be able to get one of 'em..."

"That's strange," Mai says, staring at her phone in confusion. "Chie-chan never parts with her phone. I swear she's obsessed with it, constantly taking embarrassing pictures and mailing them--" Mai coughs, her cheeks reddening. "I mean, I don't think she would just leave it somewhere."

"Maybe she dropped it by accident somewhere?" suggests Nao, resolving never to lose what may well be her only lifeline to civilization.

Mai begins chewing her lip outright. "I don't know... both of them?"

"I guess it's weird," replies Nao. "They didn't say anything about going anywhere after school on Wednesday?"

"Not to me, no," Mai responds. "I think I'll give Yukino-san a call. She's in the student council, and the executive committee could help." She winces. "I so will get it if they're just skipping."

"I think it'll go worse for them," replies Nao, dryly. "Need any help with dinner?"

Mai's expression instantly turns guarded. "Can you, uh, cook?" she asks, her eyes darting to Mikoto, who appears oblivious, for her part.

"How hard can it be?"

Mai pales. "P-Perhaps you could help me by calling the student council while I finish dinner?" she says, rushing back to the kitchen. It's part of the living space in this room, Nao notices, with a dining table and several chairs set up around it nearby. The pair of beds are adjacent. It makes her wonder if Mai got a special room, or they were all built differently.

"Uh, yeah, sure... who's Yukino?" manages Nao, with her voice dropping a bit lower towards the end as she talks to Mikoto.

This feels familiar, Nao muses while waiting on Mikoto's answer as her eyes linger on Mai, who is working diligently in the kitchen. There was a time when they cooked together-- no, not cooked. They baked cakes. Mai's looked so delicious, but her own... Nao can't remember much, but there were a lot of flashing lights and things blurred and her cake was stolen by aliens?

"Kikukawa Yukino," Mikoto dutifully responds. "She's the secretary. She likes Haruka a lot."

"Haruka?" Nao is starting to see names like dominos, where each new one reveals another to knock down.

Mikoto nods. "Haruka. She acts all mean and yells a lot."

"Strange thing to like."

Mikoto shrugs, this time. "You can't choose who you like," she says, and it seems to carry a deeper meaning that Nao can't decypher.

That leaves Nao feeling rather uncomfortable for a moment, so she looks around for Mai's phone, and failing that, bugs Mikoto for the number.

Mai's phone does contain the number for one Kikukawa Yukino, as well as several others. Nao recognizes a few as she briefs through the list to find the one she needs. The phone is easy to operate, and before long the call has been accepted at the other end, after only a few rings.

"Yes, Mai-san?" a female voice that fills Nao with disgust asks.

What's important is that the person on the other end won't be filled with disgust when she hears Nao.

"Mai's busy at the moment, it's Nao~" she replies, speaking very quickly. "Um. Aoi Senoh hasn't come back to the dorm for a while, and she's not answering her phone, and neither has... Chie? Anyway, we're getting worried, it's not like them to just drop contact like that."

There is a sharp intake of breath at the other end. "How long is a while?" Yukino asks, sounding shaken to Nao's ears despite attempts to fool the casual observer into thinking otherwise.

"Since after school yesterday?"

"I see." Yukino sounds more collected, now. Nao pictures a mousy girl with glasses and messy light brown hair wringing her hands in front of her as she presses the phone to her ear wth a shoulder. "I'll let Haruka-chan know. Did they have any plans? And did they go together?"

"I don't know what they were up to. Senoh just.. hasn't been at the dorm, and they weren't at school today."

"What about the last time they were seen? Was it at school, together?"

"Hold on a sec," replies Nao, glancing back at Mai. "Hey, when was the last time you saw them?"

Mai pauses, looking surprised. She shakes her head then, slowly, and replies, "When we left class. I had to run off to work, so we called it a day there."

"Just after class," replies Nao. It's pretty truthful, as far as she's concerned, because she can't remember what the heck she was doing yesterday argh but it surely has something to do with all this. At least, it feels like it should.

"Alright," Yukino says. "I'll keep Mai-san posted."

"Uh, can you keep me posted, too?" asks Nao, pulling out her own phone. "My number's ##########, Senoh is my roommate and all."

"Ah, of course," Yukino squeaks. "I just thought you were with Mai-san, so...."

"Yeah, just.. won't be all the time! You know. Haha. Thanks!"

With further pleasantries exchanged, Yukino hangs up. While she was on the phone, Mikoto has lost interest in her and moved to bother Mai, by all accounts. The older girl's efforts at protecting the still-cooking dinner are nothing short of heroic.

Figures. Nao takes the time to ransack Mai's address book.

Harada Chie. Higurashi Akane. Kikukawa Yukino. Kanzaki Reito. Kuga Natsuki. Kurauchi Kazuya. Minagi Mikoto. Senoh Aoi. Sugiura Midori. Takumi. Tate Yuichi.

There is also another number; it corresponds to the only one on Nao's own cell.

Nao files this information away, and makes a note to look up this hospital sometime, perchance to pay a visit.

"Mai? Yukino says she'll call you back if something comes up," she remembers to say, rather belatedly.

"Hmm?" Mai's momentary inattention ends in a disaster. Mikoto's hand lunges into the boiling pot, and while she manages to retrieve a morsel of some kind, her victory is short-lived. Her following hysterics take up all of Mai's attention, who tries to get Mikoto to hold still long enough to place ice over the burnt hand.

Mikoto is clearly as bright as she sounds, reflects Nao, shaking her head to herself, and she gets up to try and help hold Mikoto in place.

Mikoto's inhuman reflexes are no help against the combined efforts of Mai and Nao. With the latter's help, it is even possible to keep Mikoto stable enough to bandage her arm, just in case. By then, smoke is starting to fill the room, drifting in ominously from the kitchen area.

"The stove!" grouses Nao, dashing over to turn it off.

Nao's efforts may well have just saved dinner. Ashen-faced, Mai approaches the stove, keeping an eye on Mikoto. "Mai's food is ruined?" the younger girl asks.

IS it? Could Nao tell? I don't know!

"I made some sandwiches earlier if it's, um..." she manages, trailing off.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Mai says firmly, trying the broth. "It's edible, at least," she says, looking disappointed.

"I'll get some bowls," says Nao, looking around for a likely set of cupboards.

Mai directs her, taking charge. The table is set quickly enough, and even Mikoto ends up helping, having recovered from her traumatic experience. From Mai's attitude, Nao gathers it's not the first time, either.

Dinner itself is spent with the guest mostly silent, while Mai and Mikoto talk between themselves. They seem quite happy, and the pang of jealousy Nao experiences watching them doesn't inspire a desire to participate much.

"Mikoto goes to sleep early," Mai says after the bowls and various eating utsensils have been placed into the sink, sounding apologetic. "And there is also the bath matter...."

At the mention of a bath, Mikoto's eyes go round, and comically large, while Mai's narrow down in determination.

"Ah, yes, a bath! I should take one, too," replies Nao, nodding and searching for a quick exit route- the door seems a likely option.

"I'll see you around tomorrow, I guess?"

The window might be a dangerous path to take, considering they aren't on the ground floor. "Yes," Mai tells her, diverting her eyes from Mikoto and allowing the smaller girl to escape into the depths of the apartment. "Please tell Aoi-chan to call me if you see her, or tell me in person if you learn anything new? I'm in 1-A."

"Sure thing. I'm gonna catch some shut-eye, then. Later!"

Nao tosses out a quick wave, and goes for the door- a least a little reluctantly.

After that, there's very little she feels like doing, so she takes a quick shower and goes to bed. It'll probably take a while to get to sleep, seeing as she only woke up around noon...

A man is kissing her neck. Disgust and hate well up inside her, but her lips form a smile as she pushes him back, her hand against his chest seeming so daint and fragile. "What's the rush?" she hears her voice speak, as her lips part of their own accord. "Weren't there going to be two of you?"

"Does it matter?" he asks, grabbing her shoulders roughly. "I've got the money. Don't tell me you're gonna try and back out now, darling."

The world shifts. She's running, her hand clutched tightly. Papers, rubbing against each other, rubbing against her palm. It's sweaty. A streetlight flashes by, far too quickly for her to discern anything. Her right sleeve seems darker in the poor lighting, courtesy of an ominous reddish spot that feels wet whenever it brushes up against her skin. She feels great.

"It's easy," she's telling Mikoto, the two of them in a dark alley. The sun had set. "Just follow my lead. You want to show Mai that you're not a child anymore, don't you?"

Mikoto's trusting face, just before she nods, is the last thing Nao sees as she wakes up.

The transition between dreamworld and the waking one is as abrupt as she's become accustomed to.

Nao buries her face in her pillow and refuses to get up for the next hour, as quite a number of theories as to just what she's been doing run through her head, none of which seem quite as implausible as they surely should for a girl of her age.

"Mikoto and Nao are friends?" Doesn't seem so obvious any more.

It is late by the time Nao is fully up, but not so much that she couldn't make it to the first period if she rushed through her morning ritual.

No, Nao is not in any inclination to rush to school, eventually showing up with a grimace on her face, a far cry from the catlike curiosity of the previous day.

Only Tamaki seems surprised to see the scowl, and the homeroom teacher doesn't comment as Nao trudges inside to claim the desk by the window once more.

Nao busily tries to focus on her work, rather than on her dreams. It's all rather difficult, because work is boring and her dreams are sickly fascinating.

Time passes quickly, perhaps due to the class's head start on Nao.

"Is this about your roommate?" Tamaki asks during the brief recess, once their homeroom teacher has gathered up her things and left. "Don't worry about Senoh-san. With Suzushiro-san and the Executive Committee on the case, they'll be sure to resolve everything!"

"News gets around," remarks Nao, glancing back at Tamaki. "They're a bunch of regular detectives in there, are they?"

"President Fujino made an announcement asking for students to help," Tamaki tells Nao, glancing at the speaker set into a corner of the room, just below the ceiling. "Teachers were instructed to free their students from class if they had any relevant information."

"Ah. I should've had her ask if anyone knows what I was doing that night, too," mutters Nao.

"Any takers from here?"

"I don't know what you were doi--" Tamaki starts to say, before blinking twice. "Ah, you mean about Senoh-san? We don't really mingle much with the high school crowd, and Harada-san's roommate isn't in this class."

"Ah. Well, they said they'd call me if something came up, anyway," replies Nao, flopping onto the table with her head tilted towards the window. "I hope they're not in any trouble."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Tamaki agrees. "Suzushiro-san probably put the President up to it. She likes to overdo things."

"Huh. I thought Natsuki was the president? Of... something?"

Tamaki laughs, her eyes widening considerably. "Kuga-san? Part of the student council?"

"It's.. well, when I got here, some girl was shouting for the president, and then Natsuki came out," begins Nao, before shaking her head suddenly and chuckling herself. What possessed her to act like that, anyway? It's not like she didn't know the basics of life to start with.

"Well, anyway, it's probably better to overdo it in this kinda situation."

"There is a rumor in this school," Tamaki tells her conspiratorially, with the obligatory looking of both ways to ensure no one would overhear. "That where Kuga-san appears, the President isn't too far behind."

Nao recalls such a rumor, she realizes suddenly, along with several others along similar lines.

"She's her stalker?"

Tamaki looks shocked, perhaps too much to respond. And then the math teacher enters, preventing further discussion.

As Nao is left to mull over their conversation, she feels her words have a ring of truth to them. But voicing them, even while confiding in a friend, somehow made her wary, as if an attack were imminent. Was she being stalked, herself? It's hard to sort out her feelings on the matter.

Perhaps the window will provide insight into this matter. It certainly won't provide less insight into math than this teacher will, at least for today. Still too much to catch up on.

The second period passes just as quickly, and Tamaki doesn't use the next break to chat to her. Two more classes end, with Nao sitting by the window, staring outside and searching for insight that never comes.

Just as the lunch bell rings, a boy with spiky, bleached hair enters the class. His uniform puts him as a highschooler. "Is Yuuki here?" he calls out, casting his eyes about the classroom. They land on Nao briefly, as they do on the other girls, but don't linger more in comparison.

"Yes?" asks Nao, swivelling her head to inspect this new development.

"Please come with me," he tells her, and the polite form doesn't really detract from the command behind his words.

Why would she possibly refuse? If something was odd, no doubt someone would point it out. Or would they? People seem to have strange standards of 'odd' around here, so who knows? He's probably from the council or something.

Nao gets up, leaving most her stuff behind, and sets out without preamble.

No one comments, so it must not be too strange after all, at least as far as she's concerned. The boy doesn't talk to her again, walking with his hands tucked into his pockets in a way that no doubt he considers cool.

Nao is lead to a door, where the boy knocks before sliding it over. Several desks are within, but only one of them is occupied. The chestnut-haired woman is sitting with her back to a blackboard, an open laptop set before her. A cup used in tea ceremonies is placed a bit off to the side on a tray, raising steam.

"Thank you," Shizuru tells Nao's escort, who shrugs and leaves the two alone. She gestures inside, looking at Nao. "Would you please come in?"

Nao shuffles in without complaint, standing across from the woman and not really knowing what to say.

"I wanted to hear the story again," Shizuru informs her, gesturing at a seat at the other end of her desk. "I realize it must be trying to keep on repeating it, but I often find that hearing things firsthand helps me gain a better picture of events." Her dialect is pleasant to Nao's ears, the words soft and lulling.

"There's not really anything much to say," replies Nao, repeating much the same thing she told Mai. Why is she even asking? She *knows* Nao has amnesia.

"This is quite troubling," Shizuru says, sounding sad. "I hoped there would be no more disappearances."

"Disappearances? This has happened before?" asks Nao. "So, um, do you know what's happened, exactly?"

"I only know about the past cases, and they all differed from each other," Shizuru tells Nao. "But every time, with a single exception, young girls were being targetted. There were even stories of a vampire stalking the grounds at one time."

Nao can't tell whether Shizuru is being serious.

"You mean, fangs, drinks blood... all that sort of thing?"

Shizuru nods. "Down to the bite marks on the necks. We managed to put a stop to those attacks, however."

"You found the culprit?"

"The attacks stopped." Shizuru's eyes are red, just then. Nao blinks, and the President is back to normal. "Tell me, Yuuki-san, have you noticed anyone suspicious on school grounds? Have you been getting the feeling that you are being watched?"

"Being watched? Well... yes," replies Nao. "By the entire class. But you know, the feeling I'm actually getting is that everyone is keeping some kind of secret from me."

"Really?" Shizuru leans back, taking her tea and sipping it. "What kind of secret? And do you mean just your classmates, or the teachers as well?"

"Teachers? No, classmates, I think. Or maybe they're not keeping it from me, they just haven't thought to tell me. I don't know.

"I haven't noticed anyone *particularly suspicious*, anyway. Everyone's... nice. Anyway, I guess if the attacks just 'stopped' before, then they might just 'start' again. Have you told the police?"

"The police couldn't handle it, and it was an internal Fuka matter anyway," Shizuru says, taking another sip of green tea. "For now, Suzushiro-san is gathering the manpower to search the grounds, and organize patrols if Senoh-san and Harada-san are not found promptly by it. But what concerns me is your own safety, Yuuki-san."

"I'm getting pretty concerned about my safety, too," replies Nao, fidgeting in her chair. "Do you know what I've been doing the past few nights? Any idea what would cause this memory loss? Because things are starting to get pretty surreal. I thought it might be a stroke or something, but I guess if you have vampires running around, nothing is too fanciful."

Shizuru seems sad, again. "And if I said that I do, Yuuki-san?" she asks softly. "And that I know, without question, that you are better off not knowing such things?"

"Yes. You're absolutely right. I'm a horrible person, a whore, a sneak, and a liar. I already dreamed about some stuff. If I don't find out, I'll spend the rest of my life wondering. But even if you tell me, it won't matter much. It's like reading a book rather than really thinking it's me.

"Whoever Yuuki Nao was, she's pretty much dead. Long live Yuuki Nao the second."

Yuuki pauses for a moment.

"And you're going to tell me, anyway, because if you weren't, you wouldn't have told me you knew."

"To the best of my knowledge, Yuuki Nao was never a whore," Shizuru tells her quietly. "I believe that you have a right to know, just as I have a right to warn you. If you are certain about this, give me some time to come to a final decision?"

"If you want. You know how to find me.

"Convey my regards to whoever is responsible if you can, though. Tell them to get it right next time and not leave behind any nightmares."

Shizuru doesn't answer to that, or react in any visible way. Nao is filled with rage towards the woman, an inexplicable surge of hate. The student council president has done something unforgivable.

Well, so has Nao, or so she thinks. She resists the urge to spit, tempting as it may be, and stalks out of the room, heading for... lunch. She didn't pack any, so it looks like she'll just go hungry for the afternoon.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->
[12:22] As she hadn't packed any lunch, Nao heads to the cafeteria. The hall dedicated to it is impressively large and lushly decorated; it is indeed a rich, private school. The cafeteria is packed with people, two of them Nao's neighbors who have a small table all for themselves.
[12:24] Nao can't help but wonder who is actually paying for her to attend this place. Another thing she'll have to look into sometime. Could it be the woman in the photo? In any case, if money isn't necessary for meals, she'll set about appropriating something light- heavy food wouldn't suit her at the moment. Would there be room on that table?
[12:27] It is designed for four people, normally, from what she can see of other such fully-occupied tables. The cafeteria's prices are high, she can tell at a glance, but before she's forced to make up some kind of excuse the serving lady asks Nao if she would like it charged to her account.
[12:29] "Yes, please," replies Nao, promptly taking her tray of food (or her order counter, or whatever) and heading over to Mai and Mikoto's table. "Mind if I join you?" she asks, taking refuge in politeness.
[12:30] Mai seems a bit down, Nao notices. She smiles at the red-head, however, and gestures to her left. "Of course!" There is ample space for Nao to place her tray.
[12:34] "So. The big question," says Nao, dropping in place. "Was bathtime as exciting as it looked to be?"
[12:36] Mai sputters while Mikoto glowers at Nao. "I don't bath her because I like it," Mai protests. "There are-- are proper norms, about cleanliness, and--" Several nearby students turn their heads to observe.
[13:01] "Ah, it must be hard," replies Nao with great sympathy (though exactly for who is in question.)
[13:02] Both Mai and Mikoto nod at Nao, before noting the other's actions, and turn away in a huff, perfectly synchronized.
[13:06] "So, what's news?" asks Nao, tucking into her meal with a faint smirk.
[13:10] The pork ramen is delicious. Nao can't really believe this is cafeteria food. "Nothing, so far," Mai tells her. "But no news is good news, right?"
[13:16] "Live in hope!" responds Nao, adding a bit of chilli to the soup. "Hey... what do you think of the student council president?"
[13:19] "Fujino-san?" Mai asks in surprise, setting aside her eating utensils as she looks at Nao with curiousity. "She seems pretty nice. She has that fanclub of hers, so she's not all that easy to approach, I suppose. Why? If you need anything from the President, you could try asking Natsuki. They're friends."
[13:19] * Nao chokes. "She has a what?"
[13:21] "A fanclub," Mai repeats. "If you ever see a gaggle of girls blocking the way, it's probably some of them." She presses an index finger to her lips in thought. "Or it could be Reito-san's admirers, too. Those two are the school's most popular couple, after all."
[13:23] "They're a couple with a fanclub. I see. Uh. No, she just wanted me to tell her what I said on the phone in person," replies Nao. "She seemed a bit distant, a bit... older, maybe, than she is."
[13:27] "I can relate to the distant part," Mai agrees, nodding. "She sometimes feels like she's on a different level. But there are times she surprises by being really playful." She brings her hand to cover her mouth, giggling. "Usually Natsuki ends up embarrassed."
[13:31] "Natsuki seemed embarrassed just talking to me," reflects Nao. "They're friends?"
[13:32] "Yes, like I said. Come to think of it, I don't really know the story behind that." Mai shrugs. "I suppose it doesn't matter." She smiles. "Natsuki can get embarrassed plenty on her own, really, so I'll believe that."
[13:37] "Mmm. There was a weird thing Shizuru mentioned, too," adds Nao, leaning back in her chair. "Something about people having disappeared before."
[13:39] "Disappeared?" Mai asks in surprise. "I know Akane and Kazuya eloped, but it wasn't really a disappearance. Maybe it happened before I got to Fuka?"
[13:41] "Maybe. She didn't really go into specifics," responds Nao, shrugging. "It was really weird, though. Apparently they don't bring the police in for investigations or anything, they just handle it all by themselves. I know it's a private school and all, but.. isn't.. that.. going a little far?"
[13:42] "It's better not to involve the police," Mai says. She seems like she wants to continue, but stops. "It just is."
[13:45] "So if, theoretically, someone around here were to commit some crime, what would happen to them?"
[13:46] "It really depends on the crime," Mai muses. "If it's something minor, the Executive Committee would be able to handle it. If-- well, we actually haven't had real crimes on campus, so I'm not sure how Fujino-san would act in that case. I'm actually curious myself, now."
[13:48] "Why is all of that handled by students? Wouldn't the staff take an interest if that was the case?"
[13:52] "The chairwoman of Fuka Academy, Kazahana Mashiro, usually leaves such matters to Fujino-san and the student council," Mai tells Nao. "Maybe she's grooming Fujino-san to succeed her once she's graduated?"
[13:53] "Upward mobility in a school after graduation? That's got to be a first."
[13:56] "From what I heard, Fujino-san is very capable," Mai informs her. "Fujino-san already substitutes for the chairwoman at fund-raising events and negotiations, sometimes, when her health doesn't allow her to participate."
[14:01] "Yeah. Someone with that much clout..." Nao finishes up her soup (tasty! Why bother cooking with this around?) and sets her cutlery aside. "Doing anything after school?"
[14:02] "Not today," Mai responds. "I was thinking about going for karaoke, but I can't really go by myself."
[14:05] "Ah, yeah, sorry," stutters Nao, eventually choosing to look at her empty bowl.
[14:07] "It's alright! I'm sure everything will be fine," Mai says, taking the chance to catch up on her own much-neglected lunch.
[14:07] Conversation drifts to other topis. By the end of the lunch period, Nao is gratified to see that Mai's funk has lessened, though she still seems worried. Mikoto has enjoyed her lunch as well, using Mai's initial talkativeness to steal some food off her plate.
[14:10] The remainder of the day's classes pass without much fanfare. Paying attention to the lessons, Nao is able to keep up reasonably well, and while she still draws confused and curious stares from her classmates and teachers alike, those are lessened. The only incident is when the gym teacher comes between periods to inquire about the uniform Nao had borrowed the other day, telling her to wash and return it.
[14:13] Nao makes a note to do just that! She just dumped it in her bag earlier and left it in her room, so she'll bring it in tomorrow. Judicious counter-staring should deal with the looks at her soon enough.
[14:16] It does seem to work well-enough. As the school day comes to a close, students filing out in pairs and trios, Nao notices a bus pass by the front gates. It disappears to the right, several of the students rushing after it and out of sight, hidden by the perimeter walls of the academy.
[14:20] Heading to the town is tempting, but Nao has no money. Besides, there was something she wanted to check out here- so she heads back to her room for the time being.
[14:22] Nao walks back, unmolested. Her roommate still hasn't been back, as far as she can tell, the dorm room left the same.
[14:22] Nao promptly gets changed into something suitable for wandering around in a forest in, and decides to head out back to that clearing she stumbled into yesterday.
[14:27] Nao does have sturdier clothing, which should help against the scratching of the low-hanging tree branches, and pants to deal with the shrubbery. The climb to the clearing takes time, as it had before, but Nao carries herself steadily enough to not trip even once. She reaches the clearing, and instantly, that sense of foreboding is back, weighing down on the girl.
[14:28] Nao is somewhat more confident in that she's wearing shoes and clothes, at least. She takes a glance around the clearing, in particular looking for man-made things; a plaque, perhaps, or some evidence of construction.
[14:38] The burden on Nao's chest does not disappear as she circles the clearing. The process is time-consuming due to the sheer size of the hill, but she's greeted with a strange sight once she completes her survey -- what she had assumed was an entrance to a cave is actually a small part of an enormous gaping wound in the hill's side.
[14:39] Casting her eyes below, Nao sees that everything in a wide line originating from the cave and all the way to the edge of the water had been wiped clean, as if seared from this world.
[14:47] * Nao slips down into the clearing to get a better look at the cave. With any luck, there won't be any new wars fought or suddenly earthquakes while she's down there.
[14:51] The walls are darkened, the ground crunches unpleasantly as Nao walks over it. The cave is enormous; Nao suddenly realizes that this entire hill situated in the center of the clearing that she had just circled around must be hollowed out. Markings appear to be on the wall opposite the widened entrance.
[14:52] A torch would be really handy right now, most likely, but Nao doesn't have one, so her eyes will have to do; she wanders over to these markings to have a look.
[14:55] They look like a magatama, distorted slightly from whatever had occured in the cave. A sword is drawn above, stabbing into the heart of a large, intimidating bird. This part, unlike everything else in the cave, does not appear to be damaged in the slightest.
[14:57] They look remarkably well preserved, if that's the case. There aren't any more obviously recent fixtures around, which is odd; ancient relics like this often have some kind of information stand or whatnot nearby, and she certainly can't be the first to find them. Does the cave look quite deep, and, more importantly, dark?
[14:59] It must have been dark, originally, but quite a lot of light comes into it now. It does start to get darker, however, as evening approaches.
[15:00] Hmm. There might be something in the school library. Nao isn't sure if she can draw or not- but the basics shouldn't be too hard to get down. She starts to leave, once assured there isn't anything else of interest. Except, of course, whatever it is that happened here, but that isn't going to just spring out at her.
[15:03] Upon leaving that place, Nao realizes with a start just how much easier it became to breathe.
[15:04] "No news is good news," said Mai, and none of the good things that have happened to Nao over the past couple days have really been as *interesting* as the bad. Still... it took a lot of reminding herself to ignore her gut. No, let's be honest; it was the exact opposite of what she felt like doing.
[15:09] Finding the dorms isn't that difficult, since Nao had traveled through the forest a few times recently. Upon reaching her room and unlocking the door, however, Nao finds something is off. An extra pair of shoes had been left in the corridor, and the sounds of a shower are heard distinctly.
[15:11] Nao kicks off her own shoes and heads over to the kitchen, immediately leaping to conclusions. "That you, Senoh?" she calls out, pouring herself some juice (walking is tiring!)
[15:12] The dwindling food supply in the refrigerator is a concern, but at least the juice should last Nao for a few more days. The water in the shower is turned off, though if there is a response, it is too faint for Nao to overhear.
[15:14] You can live off juice, after all. "Man, what the heck were you up to, anyway? I lost my mind, you know. Literally."
[15:17] "Ah, Yuuki-san. You're back at last!" Shizuru steps into the kitchen in a lavender bathrobe opened almost indecently in the front. A fluffy towel keeps her hair together, the strands visible still dripping with water. "I must admit I was getting a little worried myself, as well."
[15:18] "Do you do this often, or is this the first time?"
[15:18] "I assure you that I shower daily," Shizuru responds with a smile.
[15:20] "I hope you didn't use my products."
[15:22] "Oh no, I brought my own," Shizuru says pleasantly. "I hope you don't take it the wrong way, Yuuki-san, but your selection is rather limited."
[15:25] "I can only presume that I have no need of variety," replies Nao, finding a chair to sit on. "Get dressed, I'll wait," she adds, finding a sudden need to be on top of the conversation. "Ready to spin me a tale, I take it?"
[15:26] "Some," Shizuru admits, tightening the bathrobe's sash. She claims another chair and frees her hair from the towel, starting to dry it off with methodical, slow motions. "What would you like to know the most? We could take things from there."
[15:28] "These disappearances," replies Nao. "May as well go the whole way and do this detective thing while I'm going that way."
[15:31] "The land of Fuka is not without its dangers," Shizuru says, choosing her words carefully. "I wish I could say that those who got hurt knew the risks or even understood them fully, but that was not the case. There were... attacks. And those attacks had consequences."
[15:32] "They generally do," agrees Nao. "What kind of... dangers are we talking about?"
[15:35] "Yuuki-san, do you have someone important to you? Someone who, to you, means the world?" Shizuru's words send Nao's mind into a turmoil. The face of the woman from the picture comes, unbidden, and then it is as if a great dam broke free. Emotions run amok; love, despair, hatred, fury, determination, a mix of them that makes no sense.
[15:36] "How the hell should I know?" replies Nao, doing a rather poor job of concealing her consternation with this latest question.
[15:37] "So you have forgotten even that?" Shizuru asks sadly. "It might be for the best, after all."
[15:39] "So, I do. Did," replies Nao. "We went over what's best for me earlier today, I think."
[15:40] "I said that there were innocent bystanders, casualties in the war that had been fought in Fuka since the beginning of time," Shizuru says quietly at Nao's words. "But you were not one of them, Yuuki-san. You were recruited to fight against the darkness, and things were alright for a while. But then, things went wrong. Horribly, terribly wrong."
[15:40] Shizuru looks straight at Nao, who isn't surprised to see her eyes are red once more. "And you lost."
[15:42] "And yet, I'm still here," replies Nao, having a funny feeling she knows where this is going.
[15:45] "You are still here, and yet, you are not," Shizuru tells her. "You lost everything dear to you, and then you lost more still. But... you were granted a second chance. I suppose calling it a clean slate would be appropriate, here. And once again, as in that forgotten time before, you have a choice -- embrace your birthright, or rebuild your life and find your happiness."
[15:48] "I'm not sure I understand you."
[15:53] Shizuru sighs, standing up. The folds of her robe come apart briefly before Shizuru is able to bring them together once more, and Nao spots a red birthmark raging angrily against the alabaster skin it finds itself on, shaped like a curved bead. "Reawakening your power and taking up the fight once more may only lead to pain and suffering if you choose that. It is..."
[15:53] Shizuru pauses, here. "It is my hope that you would not have to make that choice again."
[15:56] "There's a war going on, and it's already claimed everything I ever loved. Or so I'm told," mutters Nao. "So. What happens if I say no? You find someone else? Or is it something only I can do?"
[15:58] Shizuru seems surprised at the question, before realization spreads across her face. "Ah, I see where we have a misunderstanding," she tells Nao. "I am not recruiting people. I merely know these things, because there was a time we fought together, Yuuki-san. And I think you can understand enough to show discretion with that information."
[16:01] "Welllllllll Shizuru-san, if someone needed fighters, then they should've asked someone with a stake in it," replies Nao. "I'll ask it again, because this isn't really about who else might do it, per se. What happens if I say no?" (More.)
[16:01] "And I'm not talking about what happens to me, necessarily."
[16:06] "It's possible you won't be left alone, after all, but that is why I'm here," Shizuru responds. "As for consequences on a greater scale? I'm afraid even I don't know for certain, but it wouldn't necessarily bring about the end of the world." She says it so nonchalantly that Nao is once more unable to tell whether Shizuru is being serious here.
[16:10] "In this situation, what would Yuuki Nao the first do?" asks Yuuki Nao the second, wandering over to her desk to take another look at that photo.
[16:14] "Even as you are now, you would still be a better person to judge," Shizuru says, following Nao into the bedroom. "When you choose to fight, you make a contract, and you place the life of the person dearest to you in the entire world on the line. It is not a decision anyone else can interfere in."
[16:14] She did this, once before, Nao recalls. Facing a stone obelisk with the mysterious sign and a spider's web, she had gambled with everything. She loved her mother so much....
[16:17] Nao picks up the photo and holds it up close, wiping something unbidden from her eyes. "It sounds selfish."
[16:20] "It does, doesn't it?" Shizuru muses from somewhere behind her. "To fight, to gain the power to protect your most precious person... but to sign their own death the moment you make a mistake, or when you end up facing someone stronger. A devil's bargain." She sounds melancholic. "I wonder how Suzushiro would have chosen...."
[16:23] "My choice, however, is easier than I thought it would be," replies Nao, putting the photo back down. "There's nobody I particularly want to protect. Two days isn't enough time in a life to find someone like that. I would have liked to respect the late Nao's wishes in this regard, but it seems there's no point in that, anymore."
[16:27] "If you believe yourself immune due to that, I suggest you to reconsider, Yuuki-san," Shizuru speaks up. "The contract is not fully conscious. You might have people you care deeply about without realizing it yourself, and that would place them in mortal danger."
[16:35] "Wouldn't they be in mortal danger either way?" replies Nao, snorting. "I already failed once, you say, and I can't remember. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence for a second time around, you know. They'd probably be better off on their own. Then at least I can't screw up for them. Again."
[16:37] "Which one is your bed?" Shizuru asks suddenly, coming up to Nao. "I'm afraid the student council is not privy to such personal information."
[16:38] "That one," replies Nao, pointing to it. "What's that got to do with anything?"
[16:39] "Then it must mean the other one belonged to Senoh-san," Shizuru continues, nodding to herself. "Alright. It seems comfortable enough." She proceeds to test that theory by sitting on it. "Yes, reasonably comfortable."
[16:46] "You're not going to tell me only I can save Aoi Senoh, are you? That would be cheating," replies Nao, shaking her head in distaste.
[16:50] Shizuru laughs, though Nao detects a trace of sadness in it. "Not at all, Yuuki-san. Since it seems like you are missing a roommate for the time being, I decided I would keep you company. Harada-san's roommate is similarly meeting her temporary guest as we speak."
[16:57] "Oh? That's very... kind of you." Nao blinks a little at that, putting the photo back down. "It seems you've acquainted yourself with everything, so I don't need to show you around, no?
[17:00] "I will be just fine," Shizuru returns. "However... it might be best if you told me where you were while not on campus, for the near future. I do not have powers of omniscience, nor am I omnipresent. If you really are in a delicate situation, as both of us believe, that would be the most prudent course of action to take."
[17:04] "Mmm. There are some things I need to do," replies Nao, shrugging. "I can't find a purse or wallet or anything like that anywhere, for one thing, so I'll need to get a new one, and probably organize an ID card and stuff like that. Most of that I can probably handle on-campus... but I figure I'll head into town sometime tomorrow, anyway," chatters Nao, evidently glad to be moving away from more serious topics of discussion. If they can even be believed-
[17:04] -Shizuru could have told her just about anything, no matter how fanciful, and it'd be at least somewhat plausible.
[17:14] "We can take care of the administrative matters on monday," Shizuru tells her. "Kikukawa-san can handle them easily enough, but unless there is a pressing need, I wouldn't want to assign this to her over the weekend."
[17:22] "Ah, fair enough. I'd still like to go to town, but, um, I have no money, sooooo that's why I was hoping to see if I can sort that out sooner rather than later. But it can wait." Getting up, Nao starts heading for the bathroom. "Going to wash up now, make yourself at home. Well. You have, but please, continue!"
[17:24] "Thank you for having me," Shizuru calls after Nao, as the red-head disappears.
[17:29] There are toiletries that look expensive, all set aside painstakingly away from Nao's things, which had not been touched, at a glance. Once Nao is done with her own grooming and emerges from the bathroom, she finds Shizuru's robe draped over the back of the sole chair in the room, the towel she used folded neatly on its seat.
[17:30] The lights have been turned off, though a small fixture above Nao's bed houses a candle-shaped bulb, turned on for her benefit. Nao gets into bed, suddenly feeling sleepy, and blacks out the instant her head touches the pillow.
[17:32] Waking up is as sudden as before. Nao is certain she had dreams -- nightmares, considering she vaguely recalls being slowly suffocated by a python -- but she can't remember any details. A glance at Shizuru's bed reveals that the older student is still sleeping, turned away from her, the blankets having slid back to bare her shoulder.
[17:34] It's too early for sardonic thoughts on the matter. What's more important- is sleeping in. (More.)
[17:35] Only she can't; nightmares tend to shock someone straight out of bed. Nao futilely attempts to get herself back into a lazy, sleepabout mood, before giving up and looking at the clock.
[17:36] It's barely six, the digital clock ruthlessly informs her.
[17:41] Does she even have school today? Does she even have anything? She wasn't an organized person before, she's gathered that; she wouldn't have written anything down, and the dorm lacks anything much to do... though there was one thing.
[17:41] Nao doesn't think there's school on saturdays outside of club activity, so that's one problem down.
[17:42] Getting up, she starts going through a few basic steps of what may well one day become a morning ritual. Maybe she should join a club, but once she's managed to choke down a glass of water and some cereal, she finds a piece of paper and a pencil and begins re-creating that image she saw in the cave from earlier.
[17:50] It's not terribly difficult to draw the sigil, although its insides were sadly blurred, and thus impossible to recreate. A yawn sounds from the bedroom while Nao draws.
[17:54] * Nao draws rather fancifully for a while, making up the parts she doesn't know, before resolving to get the shower before Shizuru does and heading for the bathroom.
[17:55] She succeeds in her goals, but not before an eyeful of Shizuru, still in the process of waking up.
[17:56] "Chairman? More like late-night-movie-star," mutters Nao. She can't be trying to appear like that, can she? Or maybe she could.
[18:01] Further insight into Shizuru's sleeping habits continues to escape Nao, and when she returns from her shower and morning routine, the student council president is already dressed, looking quite awake. Her clothes consist of a yellow kimono with a floral pattern, and Nao can't help but whonder how she managed to put it on so quickly and without outside help.
[18:03] "Morning~," says Nao, cheerily heading over to the kitchen area. Outside, a black cat screeches in terror.
[18:08] "Good morning," Shizuru says, her Kyoto accent sending an involuntary shiver down Nao's spine. "We were going to head into town, weren't we? I will need just a few minutes to prepare."
[18:09] "Wha? There's no rush, take your time, I wasn't planning to go for a while," replies Nao, opening her fridge to see what delights she may be able to create.
[18:10] Not much, it seems. It should be possible to make sandwiches for the both of them and take care of lunch, but sunday's food will be an issue unless something is done.
[18:16] Nao does just that; since she hasn't messed up making these yet, she's sure she can handle them one last time (although she's desperately sick of them and desirous of a change already.)
<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

It is well into morning when Nao is ready to go into town. For that time, Shizuru had sat by the kitchen table patiently, sipping at her tea wordlessly. Now, when it is time to get moving, she defers to Nao's wishes, declaring herself adequately prepared.

With utmost seriousness, Nao nods gravely at Shizuru. "But give me a moment to see if Mikoto is awake," she asks, heading out her door, take five steps to the right, and knocking on Mikoto's. And Mai's, technically.

"Mi-ko-to~, are you awaaaake?"

A crash from inside the apartment suggests that she is. The door is flung open, a disheveled Mikoto standing at the opening. "Nao!" she calls out happily.

"Miko-chan, wanna go out and play? I'm heading into town if you want to come along~" lilts Nao, glancing briefly over Mikoto's shoulder to see what damage the girl's latest path of destruction has wrought.

"Mikoto, I told you not to open the door when I'm not--" Mai's voice cuts off as she spots Nao, and she ducks back into a closet.

"Dammit, Mikoto!" Nao hears a moment after.

Mikoto, for her part, tilts her head, tapping her forehead. "Play? Can we eat something?"

"I don't see why not! Mai, you want to come, too? It'll be fuuun~," continues Nao, deciding that one way or another, her words will become reality.

"I have to work the afternoon shift," Mai calls back before emerging from the closet, looking impeccable except for her rumpled hair. "But I still have a few hours to spare, sure. Maybe I should invite Takumi as well?"

"Sure, why not? The more the merrier, I always say; Shizuru's coming, too. Hey, where do you work, Mai-san?"

"The Linden Baum diner in town," Mai responds. "That's my main job. The president is coming, then?" she asks curiously. "And you're on a first name basis with her? I thought only Natsuki called her that. Hey, what about Natsuki?"

"Well, she moved into my dorm last night," replies Nao. "Can't really stay strangers for long like that. You think Natsuki would want to come?"

Mai giggles, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Does Natsuki like mayonnaise?" Nao must've looked at her funny, because Mai nods afterwards. "Yes, she does."

"And who wouldn't? Delicious, tangy stuff. Can't get enough of it!" replies Nao, nodding. "One sec."

She pulls out her phone and runs through it, pulling up Natsuki's number and giving the bluette a call.

"Hi, Natsuki! It's Nao here~"

Nao's phone rings... and rings... and rings. An answering services comes up at the end, where a sour-voiced Natsuki rudely informs her that she is out of range or something equally silly at the moment and to leave a message at the tone.

"Hiya, Natsuki, it's Nao here~, um, if you get this today, we're heading into town to do some things. Shizuru and Mai are both coming, too. I can't *wait* to see you out of uniform, Na-chan~, so do call back."

Nao promptly hangs up. "Answering machine. Said she was out of range or asleep or something. It *is* Saturday, I guess."

Mai nods at that. "I guess. She lives alone, anyway, so there'd be no one to wake her up."

"We're going to eat something tasty?" Mikoto asks, eyes wide as she looks at both Nao and Mai.

"If it was on me, it would be, but- does your diner give discounts, Mai?" inquires Nao, stepping back outside and finding Shizuru.

Shizuru is waiting by the door to their room, which makes it easy.

"I really don't want to spend even more time at work," Mai says hesitantly, her hand going through her hair.

"That bad, huh?"

"Not really," Mai responds, "But even since Midori-chan, Akane and Kurauchi-kun quit, we've kinda been understaffed."

"Finding new staff is hard? Would've thought the school would have a few interested parties," replies Nao, looking around for a bit before starting to head towards the nearest bus stop.

"I know!" Mai agrees, jogging up to her after locking the door. Mikoto has already run off ahead, perhaps to scout. Shizuru brings up the rear, walking leisurely.

"Anyplace you want to go in particular, Mai-san?" inquiries Nao, in search of exciting ideas.

"How about that park?" Mai asks Mikoto, once they are waiting for the bus at the nearest station. "The one where we met Alyssa-chan and Greer-san before? It has attraction and nature and icecream. You liked it there."

Shizuru frowns lightly. "Yes, I can see how Minagi-san would enjoy a visit to that place," she comments shortly after.

"We should've bought a ball along," replies Nao, giving an imaginary soccer ball a kick.

It likely would have made the wait more bearable. Two boys younger than Nao and Mikoto join them soon, courtesy of Mai calling Takumi and inviting him and his roommate along.

Finally, the bus comes, taking its sweet twenty minutes of time, and then the sextet is off. A fire truck overtakes them on the way to town, as they make a stop along the way to pick up students from another dorm. A squad car follows, just as the bus continues its journey.

"Any idea who set what on fire?" asks Nao, peering out the window after the emergency vehicles.

Mai and Mikoto shrug, glancing at each other.

Takumi's roommate speaks, then. "There was trouble at a girls' dorm and they had to evacuate the residents to the school's auditorium," Akira tells them, looking out the window, his chin resting on his palm. "It was a pain. All their complaining ruined our concentration, so our advisor dismissed the club early."

"Hope that's the worst of it!" replies Nao, twisting back into her seat.

"Hmph." Akira doesn't seem very sociable, and Takumi smiles apologetically at Nao.

The bus takes them all the way to the main street, and Mikoto leads the way. Somehow, the trip to the park takes through through a takoyaki stand, first. Stopping there, Mikoto points at the food.

At around that time, Nao manages to backpedal so she's walking just alongside Shizuru for the moment. "Ne, Miss President, would you mind lending me a little cash?"

"It won't be a problem," Shizuru tells her amiably. Come to think of it, someone paid for Nao's bus ride as well.

A bit ahead, Mai has been bludgeoned into emotional submission, paying for Mikoto's food. She is staring at her wallet sadly, before shooting a glance at Takumi. Mai's hand rises to signal the stand owner, but Akira pushes past her and slaps a bill on the counter. "Here," he says tersely, looking away. "You wanted to eat that, right?"

"Thank you, Akira-kun," Takumi responds, smiling.

"Quite the hero," opinines Nao. "Come, Mai! Let us hope we can rejoice in the generosity of others for many years to come~"

Akira crosses his hands in front of his chest, looking quite uncomfortable at the attention. Shizuru hands Nao what she recognizes as a debit card. "Most places in Fuka should accept it," she informs the red-head, "including, of course, the Academy."

"You are a lifesaver, Shizuru; with this, I, too, can take advantage of those machines that give you money. How can I hope to repay you for this boon? Don't be shy, you can ask me anything."

"Whatever more could I possibly need aside from your delightful company, Yuuki-san?" Shizuru asks her pleasantly.

"Truly, a twisted desire indeed."

Shizuru merely smiles in response.

Calling it a park is a bit of a misnomer. The grassy complex is enormous, and the hilly terrain makes it impossible to even see from one end and to the next. A children's corner has all the popular rides, and Mikoto dashes there, Mai in tow. The older girl only has enough time to give the others an apologetic look, and she is forced to keep up or Mikoto would end up dragging her by her arm.

Akira goes to find a good spot in the shade, propping himself against the bark of a massive tree. From the backpack he carried along comes out a canvas. Takumi takes a seat next to him, and Akira reluctantly pushes another canvas into his hands, snorting in annoyance.

"I think I'll go for that icecream Tokiha-san mentioned," Shizuru voices from her place by Nao. "Would you like any, Yuuki-san?"

"Sure thing- ah, man, how old *is* she, anyway?"

Nao watches Mikoto bemusedly, likening the girl's antics to a hyperactive cat.

"Far too young," Nao thinks she hears Shizuru murmur, but the student council president is already moving away without a backwards glance.

Mikoto is waving at Nao, hanging from a monkey bar upside-down by her toes. "Nao! Let's play!"

Nao gets up and rushes towards Mikoto, tagging her lightly on the wrist. "You're it!" she calls, before dashing off and and climbing up another set of nearby. The wisdom of encouraging a ball of pure energy to chase you aside, running around to unwind sounds *good*.

Mai somehow gets drafted into the game; despite her protests, Nao is certain that the older girl could have set her foot down had she truly been against it. The pair of younger boys continue to draw, although it seems that whenever Takumi says something to his roommate, the latter reddens or yells at him over something.

Art is a fine thing to get upset over, reflects Nao, deciding that the best way to delay Mikoto is to find somewhere *really high* before Mai does.

Mikoto happens to be doing a handstand at what must be the highest spot in the park, without question. A throng of awed children has gathered around her, though obviously far below. Mai alternates between looking worried and exasperated.

Something explodes. The shockwave is great, and trees are shaken as the ground stirs to life. Winds pick up, and Mikoto is dislodged from her spot.

Buffeted by the sudden winds, Nao stares at Mikoto for a full second before letting out an uncontained shout; she dashes towards the plummeting girl without a second thought. The image of an unnaturally empty plateau stirs itself up in her mind.

Fear paralyzes Nao as she feels her consciousness recede. Her body moves, as if on auto-pilot; her hands cross in front of her chest, clenching into fists, and then she spreads them out in a wild motion, swiftly bringing them together once more. Something reflects in the sunlight, a fateful, red string that Nao sees connect Mikoto and herself.

Nao's arms jerk again, and Mikoto's fall slows. She drops into Nao's arms, not even burdening the red-head. Control returns, the cacophony of shouts suddenly overwhelming.

Nao is not surprised by Mikoto's weight- but she is surprised she made the catch, sinking to her knees regardless and setting Mikoto back down. "Did you see that?" she asks, suddenly out of breath and rather flustered.

The reality of the situation suddenly asserts itself, and Nao glances around wildly. "What the hell just happened?!"

A thick plume of smoke is rising beyond the hill. Mai runs up to Nao, dropping to her knees next to the red-head and checking up on Mikoto. Their eyes meet, and they nod, as if sharing a single thought.

Children are crying, and adults are running around, the names of their sons and daughters on their lips. No one seems to be physically harmed, but the blast had to have been far away. For it to be felt all the way to the playground, it must have been potent and destructive.

Nao gets up and backs off a bit, staring at the plume of smoke. It's not in the direction of the school, is it?

The smoke doesn't seem to be on a direct vector to the school.

"We should.. get away," affirms Nao, glancing over at the guys (and where the heck did Shizuru just go?)

Shizuru hasn't really been gone that long, has she? It's always possible Nao had lost track of time. In the chaos occuring at the playground, it is doubtful she would easily be able to find them, or they her.

"Right!" Mai agrees after a brief pause. "Get Takumi and Akira-kun away. I'll bring Mikoto. We'll meet back at the bus station, alright?"

"Bus station. Got it," replies Nao, after a moment's pause. "See you." She dashes over to the guys, who should, if they're smart, already be moving.

They aren't, as it so happens.

"Oneechan!" Takumi cries out, trying to get towards Mai and Mikoto.

Akira doesn't seem to have a problem holding him back. "You idiot!" he exclaims. "We have to get you away! What will you do if you collapse again?"

"That'd make it easier," replies Nao. "If you're going to have to carry him anyway, at least he won't be struggling. Can we please get going, now?"

It is that moment that Takumi clutches at his chest with right left hand, sagging against Akira, the latter on the verge of panic.

"That's not going! This is going!"

Nao over to Takumi, and pulls his free arm around her neck, starting to drag him away. "It's Akira, right? Mind giving me a hand?"

Akira comes to his senses, helping support Takumi's weight quite adequately, as the two carry Takumi away, merging with the stream of fleeing families.

"Will be be alright?" grunts Nao, trying to figure out the best way back to the stop from here. If, of course, whatever happened doesn't happen again, things should be fine.

"My medicine," Takumi gasps, his left hand reaching for his pocket. His movements are clumsy, not getting him far. He sighs involuntarily.

"I'll get it. Hold on." Nao reaches into his pocket for him and pulls out...

It is indeed a pearly medicine case, divided into three sections. Two of them still have pills, the selections of both full compartments visibly similar.

Nao lifts the catch on the case and opens it, fishing out a couple of pills from the central compartment. "These the right ones?" she asks, cupping Takumi's free hand and slipping them into it.

Takumi nods jerkily, and with Nao guiding his hand, manages to swallow them. Akira is silent through all this, frequently glancing back at the smoke.

"We'll rest a second. You fine walking on your own feet?" asks Nao, stepping away, clicking her tounge, and glancing back over her shoulder as the fleeing crowds no-doubt overtake them all.

Nao instantly realizes what must have been drawing Akira's attention. The smoke is moving, much like a living being. It swirls unnaturally, coiling like a restless dragon, dropping inexplicably before rising and billowing out. Aside for them, no one else attempts to pause, as children and adults alike flee.

Takumi does not respond. Nao sees that he is marginally conscious, but his eyelids are drooping. Using the two of them to keep upright is the most he can do at the moment.

He shouldn't be alive, a thought strikes her suddenly. Mai's crying -- Mai's furious face flashes before Nao's eyes, as coldness sets in.

Nao shivers, and wills her body to move despite feeling freezing. Anywhere but here sounds like a good place to be. Since Takumi's not chatting, there's no real need for words, so she hoists Takumi up again and starts lugging him away from the... thing.

They get to the bus station. It is filled with people wishing, like they, to get away. Mai and Mikoto are not there yet.

Ten tense minutes pass. The pair still have not arrived. At least Takumi seems to be in a stable shape, despite finally succumbing to slumber.

"They're taking too long," Nao, constantly checking her phone for the time, and glancing back to see if she can still see the plume of smoke.

Akira looks torn, glancing between Takumi and the smoke. As both he and Nao look in the phenomenon's direction, their eyes are suddenly blinded by a glare rivaling the sun's. Further explosions follow on its trails, a prelude to one that shakes the ground all over again. Considering the fireball visible even from this distance, terrain be damned, Nao bets all the cash on Shizuru's debit card that it was a ruptured gas main igniting.

It's not... coming this way, is it? That would be bad.

The fireball seems largely contained, in the sense of not expanding. It doesn't seem to be intending to go out any time soon, however, not without outside help.

There aren't any taxis around here, are there? No, even if they were, they probably wouldn't be picking up now... and... the buses might not, either.

She'd like to move and never mind what she said to Mai. But moving Takumi is going to be too hard; at least help will eventually come to the throng of people here.

"We'll keeping waiting," she decides.

Akira nods grimly, not taking his eyes off the fireball, even as his grip on Takumi's arm tightens.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Those who chose to run away, had. Perhaps they had cars parked in the vicinity. Quite possibly, the thought of staying near the source of such calamities with their children prompted them to flee on foot. Some remained, however. Two elderly men who couldn't get very far by walking, and chose to stay and wait for the bus to come. A pair of small children, being looked after by their aging aunt.

And Nao, Akira and Takumi.

Nao would very much like to be anyplace else, but moving Takumi would tire them out quickly.

She doesn't feel too awkward. There's fear there, but she has surpressed it many times before. And what would it matter? The school isn't safe; is anywhere? This whole damn island is dangerous.

"It's a wonder people live here," she mutters. Has stuff been happening on this scale for a long time, now? Just getting the town back on it's feet after events such as what she's both seen and guessed at...

"How come?" a child's voice asks. Atop the bus station, a young boy with pale blue hair is sitting casually.

"Seems like the place is cursed, if you ask me," replies Nao, glancing back at the kid. What, did Mikoto's athletics earn her a fanclub?

"You really have changed," the boy says sadly. "I want my violent Nao back!"

By her side, Akira tenses. His reaction is the tamest one, however; the other occupants of the bus station openly look at them warily.

"That Nao's gone." She stares at the kid, before just shaking her head. "I don't know anything about that stuff. Just leave me alone, I'm not interested, you hear? I'm not!"

"That's not how it works," he protests. "You already agreed, you can't back out now!"

"I didn't sign anything," replies Nao, stubbornly. "It doesn't matter anymore, anyway. I already lost, didn't I? Like I'd..."

Red string flashes before her eyes.

"...do it again."

The bus station ceases to be. Perhaps, it is more accurate to say that it was broken down into its building blocks, like so many LEGO pieces. Its inhabitants take this as their cue to flee, even as Nao sees that no piece previously belonging to either walls or ceiling managed to fall on them.

"But you did sign it," the boy insists, now standing behind her, in the middle of the street. Cars have stopped passing there long ago.

"No matter how many times you tell me, I can't remember anything beyond two days ago, so it's all the same to me. I only care about fighting for myself, and there's no need for that. I thought there was no need for that. Are you going to fight with me? I'm warning you, it'll be over quickly."

"Nao-chan is bullying me!" the boy cries out loudly. Akira scowls at him.

A lone car, a cab, is driving down the street towards them.

"Cry if you like. It's all the same to me," replies Nao, chanting a mantra, even as she tries to hail the taxi.

Nao stretches out a hand and looks a bit peeved more than angry or disconsolate. She bends one knee slightly, heightening her skirt a little, and bends her fingers twice in succession, just enough to grab anyone's attention.

The cab comes to a stop between the boy and Nao. The window rolls down, revealing Shizuru, smiling widely. "Oh my," she says, pressing a hand to her lips. "You really are like her."

"I'm just imitating you," replies Nao, reaching for the back door handle.

Shizuru opens the door before Nao can reach it, stepping outside and walking a few steps towards Takumi. "Let's take Tokiha-san to the hospital, just in case," she suggests, placing one of his arms around her shoulders. Akira instantly helps at Takumi's other side.

"Right," replies Nao, just kinda standing there- oh, she could do the smart thing and get in, too. "Who the hell is that kid?"

Takumi is placed into the back seat, Akira remaining to keep him company and buckle the sickly boy up.

"Nagi?" Shizuru asks as she leans towards Nao, seated in the front, but if her voice is pleasant, her eyes are angry. "Why, he's the one who recruited everyone."

"I believe I will go and find another cab to take Tokiha-san and Minagi-san," Shizuru continues, closing the cab's doors. "You will take care of things for the elder Tokiha-san there, won't you?"

"Somehow," agrees Nao. "It'll probably be packed, but I'll work something out."

Shizuru nods, smiling again. "I have no doubt that those two would soon be reunited."

The cab leaves as soon as Shizuru signals its driver, surely going above the legal limit. Its acceleration is quite impressive, and Nao barely catches sight of Shizuru facing the kid, Nagi, before the cab takes a corner at an impressive speed. There are no directions necessary to take them to Fuka's hospital, which is indeed overflowing with people.

Takumi, however, seems to get spotted by a nurse who recognizes him, and calls for a doctor. And then, all that remains is for Nao and Akira to wait in the reception hall.

It must have been half an hour already, when Mai runs inside, rushing past Nao and towards the reception desk, demanding to see Takumi. Mikoto and Shizuru walk in after her, accompanied by Natsuki.

The latter looks like she stole clothes from a hobo, and had to fight a couple for them in the process, to boot.

"Looking sharp," notes Nao, though her voice seems more glum than amused. An emergency room isn't exactly the brightest of environments to crack jokes in.

What sort of mood is everyone attending in? Similar to hers, no doubt. "None of you guys are checking in, right?"

Natsuki seems quite weary, and Mikoto is subdued. Mai is pretty hysterical.

"There is no need for that, no," Shizuru responds. A troubled facade shows behind the confident mask she wears, no doubt capable of fooling anyone who doesn't know her so well. It briefly makes Nao wonder which of her personalities knows Shizuru well enough to read her.

Mai is finally shown inside and she follows the doctor without a second glance at the others. Nao finds a remote for a TV positioned at the end of the room, and flips through the channels to find the local news station amongst all the foreign soaps and dramas. Firefighters are shown walking around, suited up, and generally looking important. A representative explains how they've cut the gas supply to the area and are estimating the damages, looking for smaller fires and generally keeping the residents safe. The fireball is not shown on the TV.

No mention of how it ignited, but what does that matter.

Nao gets up after Mai is shown inside. She studies Mikoto's face for a moment, but then turns to Shizuru. "Can I talk to you outside?" she murmurs, avoiding the others for the time being.

Shizuru nods, giving Natsuki a smile when she turns to look at the student council president, and follows Nao.

Once they've got a bit of privacy, Nao loses her energy and slumps down on a bench. "Do you know what I was doing? The past few days before.. well, you know."

Shizuru sighs. "We all have the power," she tells Nao, opting to stand. "However...." Shizuru finds something interesting up in the sky to look at. "What we choose to do with that power is up to us. Not everyone chooses well."

"That kid, he said I already signed this contract," mutters Nao, unable to respond to Shizuru's mysterious words in any ordinary fashion.

"I didn't know. Could you do something like that without knowing? Could you forget? Did I *want* to forget?"

Shizuru laughs bitterly at that. "We all would like to forget, I'm sure. The contract, though... you sign it in your soul, when you make contact with your Child." Her posture straightens perceptively, as if she had come to some important decision. "You may call it a powerful familiar you and only you can summon to fight. However, the price is the life of the one dearest to you, as I've told you before. If either you or your Child is killed, in that moment, said person's life is forfeit as well."

She makes a clicking sound with her tongue. "I believe Nagi was lying. He always did, by telling half-truths. That was his way. While your contract has been signed, and cannot be unsigned except with your death... it could be said that it is dormant, now. You would need an affirmation of it to regain your powers, and that must be a conscious choice. Otherwise, why would he try to awaken you by force?"

"Mikoto and Mai fight, don't they? Natsuki, too? It was one thing before I guessed at that," murmurs Nao. "But if the one dearest to you, even for such tiny things, is one who fights..."

"And if the one dearest to you fights you..." Shizuru says softly, but doesn't elaborate. Shaking her head, she finally looks at Nao for the first time. "Nagi wished for us to fight each other until there was only one left. Things... did not go the way he wanted. But I can't say we didn't pay a price, either. You would know this better than anyone."

Nao can't meet Shizuru's gaze for long, and she takes Shizuru's place in staring at the sky.

"Could such a thing occur again, then? Something that cruel and painful... is it so necessary? Who wins from all of this?"

"We were frightened. Divided. Alone." Shizuru pauses to collect herself. "The first death was accidental. But not the ones after it."

"Has the number saved exceeded the number lost? This power that you speak of. If the person important to me is fighting anyway, then it's cowardly not to join them. No, then I have a responsibility to do that.

"But I couldn't face this. Not if it's going to be like that. Not if that's why I lost before. I didn't lose my memory just to let things go the same way again."

"I agree," Shizuru says, her smile seeming truly genuine for the first time. "Hindsight is not that helpful for dealing with situations that already took place. But what if we all had another chance? To make right what once went wrong?"

"You should always replace what you take, and fix what you break," recites Nao.

"I.. just, is this a battle worth fighting in the end? That's my final question."

"I wish I held all the answers, Yuuki-san," Shizuru says. "However, all I know about the need for Hime -- us, in a word, I got from Nagi." She tilts her head curiously. "You wouldn't place too much trust into that, would you?"

She frowns. "And at the same time, we are under attack. That cannot be denied."

"He's trying to goad us into this, isn't he... I'll feel the fool if I do. And guilty if I don't. Sadistic bastard.

"I'll do it. I'll fight. If I don't, then she might just die anyway. I think the odds of that go down if I join in, wouldn't you say? I've been doing everything mathematically, lately. Subjects like Literature and History are hard, I don't really understand how other people think, but numbers don't lie."

"But would she see you as a friend, or as an enemy, as a threat?" Shizuru asks.

"If it's the latter... then I'll just stay away. You said it's up to us how we use our powers. If necessary, I'll just run. Do you think someone would do that? Sign their own death sentence in this fashion? Does the subject of this even realise what's going on?"

"It is... more complicated than it sounds. When paranoia sets in, the pressure ever-increasing, a few right -- or wrong -- words could make all the difference. They have, in the past." Shizuru frowns again. "But I want to believe that you could do it, Yuuki-san, because while Tokiha-san is the key to everything, you are the catalyst. It is your choice that sets everything in motion."

"I want to be able to decide, both now and in the future.. I'm sorry, Shizuru. You were probably right. But I could never leave things alone. I don't think anyone could, in this situation. Like I said... it would've been better if I hadn't remembered a single thing."

Nao stands up, and stretches one of her arms, smiling truly for the first time in a while.

"Besides. It's exciting. Everyone has someone they care deeply for, right? Something irrational, unexplainable. For me it's different, so I'll never make that sort of mistake. It's more like it's a question of honour. Maybe that's what's needed, I can't say." She glances over her shoulder, back to Shizuru.

"So. Tell me what happens next."

Shizuru nods, offering her hand to Nao. "I know where you made the original contract. I don't know what effect forcing it would have, so if we just go there and try to have you communicate with your Child--"

Two white lances emerge from Shizuru's chest. She stares at them for a moment, before raising her widened eyes to Nao's face. The lances come alive, much like writhing snakes, and with a whirring sound retreat back into the glare of the sun, continuing to go until they are shown to be ribbons on a modified school outfit Nao had not seen before. The uniform accentuates the flying girl dressed in it quite well, as she descends to a low enough altitude to be seen without blinding oneself. Her pigtails twitch as she smiles pleasantly at Nao. "Hi! Are you a Hime?"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Are you a Child?" returns Nao, after a good three or four seconds of gaping on the spot. Chests aren't supposed to do that.

Blood sprays from the wounds on Shizuru's chest, and a sense of savage satisfaction tugs at Nao's heart. So it's red, just like ours, a stray thought filters into Nao's mind, mingling with her own.

The flying girl tilts her head. "Nope! But since you know about them, you must be a Hime, right? Would you please do me a favor and die?" She stretches her left hand to the side, as if reaching into the air-- no, ripping through the air and withdrawing a double-bladed sword of immense proportions. The smile she gives Nao is unquestioningly innocent.

The reality of the situation hits Nao like a truck, and she forsakes continual staring or a clever comeback in favour of running away from the devil in white clothes.

Where too? At the moment, 'away' suffices. If she gets enough space to worry about her destination, then that'll warrant further thought.

White lances whiz past Nao's shoulders, embedding themselves in the ground with enough force to stir up small clouds of dust. "Hey, hey!" the girl calls out from behind, and she sounds so-very-close....

"Why are you running away? Come on, let's fight!"

Nao's skin tingles where the extending ribbons passed next to it.

Nao's eyes drift to the side, and she barely even wishes to turn her head. But escape evidently isn't possible, so she has no choice but to turn at glare at the girl with an expression somewhere between fear and exasperation.

The contract hasn't been made yet, she thinks. If she dies now, it'll just be her, but still, that's not an outcome she'll be resigned to.

"T-this is hardly fair, is it? Me unarmed and you like that. If it's a fight you want, you're wasting your time," she replies, gaining confidence in... haplessness?

The ribbons are too close, but she prepares to throw herself out the way when she feels movement again.

"All I really care about is you dying, really," the girl muses, tapping her lips thoughtfully. "I guess it's okay even if you're unarmed and boring. Father will still praise me!"

The ribbons twitch, and suddenly lunge behind the girl to block a strike from a metallic whip. The collision sends a dull clanging sound across the empty park behind the hospital Nao had thought she would find privacy at.

Nao backs away from the lances and to the side, putting a great deal of distance between her and the girl in a very short time. Whoever the whip-wielder is, she owes her one.

Once the dust clears, Nao sees Shizuru holding onto the whip's other end. With a jerk of her wrist, it retreats, forming into a naginata, and she points its end at Nao's assailant with a clear invitation. Nao can't help but notice that the naginata's other end is set against the ground, Shizuru leaning against it.

"Playing with you is boring!" the girl complains, whining. "You always run away!"

Where was that obelisk? Where was that web? Nao scrunches up her face, and for the first time, feels incredible frustration at her condition. It's got to be on this island somewhere! It was important to her! If she could just remember...

"Where the fuck is it?!" she shouts, as much to herself as to Shizuru.

Shizuru turns to look at Nao at the outburst. "The Fuka Shri--"

The ribbons tangle themselves in her naginata, and the girl flies down with incredible speed, swinging her sword at Shizuru's face. Freeing up an arm, Shizuru defends against the blow, even as a loud crack grates at Nao's ears, sending a shiver down her spine. Shizuru gasps, and is in no position to defend herself with the flying girl kicks her away almost negligently, ending up sliding against the ground for a few meters.

There's no choice, she doesn't know where that is.

Almost tripping over herself, Nao bolts back for the hospital, in search of Mai, Mikoto, Natsuki- anyone who she can tell about this. For now, running is all she can do.

Conflicting emotions not her own flood Nao, filling her mind with thoughts of glee and anger. Reaching the hospital's entrance, Nao dashes inside. None of the people she knows are there, although the intensive care unit and its own reception hall are located on the second floor.

Shouldering through both the infirm and healthy alike, Nao runs upstairs, the unbidden emotions swamping her doing nothing to stem her rising panic.

Mai is slumped in a chair, holding her face in her hands. Mikoto is nearby, her knees drawn to her stomach while she has her arms wrapped around them. Natsuki is leaning against the wall by the window. The room's other inhabitants, no doubt family of those injured in earlier's incident, keep their distance from the three girls.

Nao stops short just in front of them, breathing heavily.

"Shizuru- it- she- we were attacked!" she yelps, trying to keep her voice down without losing a sense of urgency. Just looking at these three is sapping her willpower.

At the mention of Shizuru's name, Natsuki's head whips towards Nao. "Attacked?" she asks, marching so close she is invading Nao's personal space. Natsuki grabs the front of Nao's shirt. "Is this a joke?"

"Stabbed. Through the chest, by lances that twisted like snakes," replies Nao, staring back at Natsuki with wide eyes. "In the park at the back. I couldn't do a thing..."

Horror. Nao sees it for a terribly long moment in Natsuki's eyes, before she's shoved back. Turning towards the window, Natsuki throws her hand out violently, calling out, "Duran!" Jagged ice surrounds her arm at the call, growing rapidly. Its expansion doesn't stop upon reaching the window, and the entire frame is blown out, along with a sizeable chunk of the nearby wall. The ice formation shatters afterwards, forcing Nao to avert her eyes, and when she looks back again, Natsuki is diving out of the second floor window.

Visitors and staff alike don't need any more prompting to flee, the noise level rising far beyond what Nao would expect to find at a hospital. In the midst of it all, Mai remains seated, shaking her head rapidly as Mikoto eyes her worriedly.

Through it all, though, what Nao hears loudest is the sound of her own breathing. She grabs her right wrist and squeezes it, flexing her hand until she eventually drops besides Mikoto.

"What.. happened?" she asks, gazing back at the hospital's new exit.

"Nao was attacked, too?" Mikoto asks her. Looking puzzled, she wonders, "Why didn't Nao fight?"

"I can't! I can't remember," she replies, shaking her head repeatedly and gripping Mikoto by the shoulders. "How to fight, what I am, anything, I forgot it all. I need to go to the shrine... but I don't know where."

"Mikoto can take you to a shrine," the girl offers. She glances at Mai, again. "But Mikoto can't leave Mai now."

Nao nods, releasing the girl and straightening up.

Despite her better instincts, she walks to the edge of the hole Natsuki left behind, just next to the wall, and peers outside towards the ground.

Shards of stone and glass litter the ground, wood chips visible amongst the rubble. There is no sign of Natsuki, but the window faces the front, not the back where Nao had left Shizuru.

Something Shizuru said about discretion pings on the edge of Nao's mind, but she ignores it, instead returning back to the sombre girls. No sign of Akira?

There are now only three people left in the hall, and Akira is not one of them.

The minutes stretch. Nao thinks she hears a wolf howl.

From her vantage point by the makeshift second floor exit, she can see police cars pull over. Officers cover the grounds, and paramedics are with them.

Nao can't stay for this. What do you say to lawmen under these circumstances?

"Is it far?" she asks, trying not to look at Mai.

Mikoto still looks worried, but that doesn't prevent her from giving Nao the directions at a bit of prodding. The shrine is located at the top of another hill at the edge of town. While Nao has no memory of the place, given enough time she believes she would be able to make it there, even on foot.

Below, a pair of officers are leading a familiar figure away, one of them with a hand on her shoulder. Nao can't miss Natsuki, even from the distance. Someone had placed a folded coat over Natsuki's hands.

Nao's hearing catches people coming up the stairs.

Nao turns to face the stairs, expecting policemen and paramedics to appear in short order.

The hall is large, and holds a counter where a couple nurses used to sit. Behind said counter there is a door. The only other exit that doesn't lead to a two-story drop is the main one, but Nao remembers that there is a hallway between the stairs and the room she finds herself in. Said hall merely happens to be the first door from the stairs, but there are others further down the hallway.

Nao starts heading out the door at that, giving Mikoto and Mai a brief farewell before leaving.

Mai doesn't react visibly, while Mikoto gives her a wave. Nao finds herself in the hallway devoid of people. The sounds of someone coming up the stairs are stronger, now -- she thinks she only has a few seconds before they get far enough to see her.

If there's a convenient door to step behind, Nao will take it.

Nao hides herself in the next room, just as several men finish climbing the stairs and head into the reception hall. The room is small and filled with office supplies; she is pretty certain it connects to the hall via the door she had spotted previously.

Nao slips through that door, and once the men are gone, heads back into the hallway and starts going back down the stairs.

The place is teaming with cops, but Nao doesn't look particularly suspicious, and the hospital had clearly not been evacuated. No one bothers Nao as she reaches the first floor.

Nao starts to head outside the hospital, biting her lip as she travels.

She doesn't dare go around the back again, instead exiting through the front and looking to see if any taxis are around.

What would a hospital be without taxis in waiting? Nao doesn't have trouble securing one.

She has the driver take her towards this shrine; if anything, he'll know the way better than her. If not, she'll get as close as she can and go on foot the rest of the way.

Using the directions she got from Mikoto, Nao easily explains to the cab driver where she wants to get. The taxi can't take Nao all the way, but it does stop at the base of a hill. Many stairs of stone lead the way up while a large torii gate stands where they start.

There is the matter of payment, however.

Nao has a debit card, it should be fine. Or isn't it?

There appears to be something wrong with it, which Nao discovers when the machine tries to read from it. The driver looks suspiciously at Nao, trying again.

"I just got that today!" grouses Nao, peering at the inevitable error message.

The card can't be read, although she doesn't spot any scratches on it.

"Urgh," growls Nao, taking back the card and shoving it back in her pocket. "I'm really sorry! It should work!" she says, facing the driver earnestly, and subconsciously raising a finger to her lip, appearing highly embarrased.

He mellows at the sight. "You are a student at the Fuka Academy, aren't you?" the driver asks Nao.

"Yeah, that's right. Um, Nao, Yuuki Nao, if you call in there on Monday I'll make sure they pay you back for this," she replies, nodding.

He looks conflicted, before jerking his head in the direction of the shrine. "Alright, alright. It wasn't that long of a drive. Just don't do it again." The cab door closes, and Nao is left alone as he drives away.

Once he's out of sight, Nao's sorrowful little mask drops, replaced with a look of sheer irritation. She gives the card a baleful glance before shoving it back in the pocket.

"Was probably the bloody connection, not the card," she mutters, stomping towards the temple gate.

Nao climbs and, for the first time she can recall, begins to feel exhausted. There is something about this place that sets her on edge.

Maybe it's a sign she's at the right place. Or maybe she really is just stressed out and tired. But now that she's here, there's no going back, so she presses onwards, towards the top.

Only a few stairs remain, and Nao can already see the courtyard. A red-haired girl with what looks to be four ponytails is sweeping the grounds, clad in jeans and a t-shirt. She reminds Nao of an octopus.

Another redhead! Does she not get on with bluettes, too?

"Hey!" she calls, once she manages to clamber over the top stairs and pass through the gate, into the courtyard.

The girl's hair is actually a deep shade of pink, Nao discovers upon coming closer.

"Do you need something from the temp-- oh it's you." The girl's helpful tone becomes flat once she lays eyes on Nao.

This isn't fair! Why does she need to take this crap?

"Where is it? The obelisk," she demands, made mightily upset and in no mood to be obesquious.

"The what?"

Well, that's not good. After coming all this way, Nao feels rather lost.

"The shrine's open, right? I'll take a look around," she decides, heading past the girl and swivelling her head from side to side to get a better look.

"Hey!" the girl protests as Nao brushes past her, but Nao finds herself unmolested in her explorations. Something draws her away from the shrine, however, as Nao feels a pull towards something off to the right. A trail is there.

Time to go that way. Ignoring the girl's protestations, Nao heads off towards the nature path, starting to squeeze her wrist again.

The pull is stronger the more Nao heads down the trail. After walking for a few minutes, she can see that it heads towards a large cave, a man-made gate over it blown wide open. She doesn't feel like she should go there, however, but around the cave.

Following her intuition, Nao breaks into a run and starts heading for.. she doesn't know, exactly. But it's there.

She comes to a stop against the uneven rock that makes up the outer wall of the cave. No markings exist on it, even though Nao expected to see some, she realizes to her surprise. Something deep within her insists that she is where she needs to be.

Nao knows this place well.

She slowly comes to a halt, comparing it to what she saw in the cave back near the academy.

No, that was full of markings, while this place is empty. A clean slate, as it was, just like her. She steps closer to it, peering at the rock; as if it's hiding something from her, something so faint that it can't be seen to those who don't look.

It is indeed blank; too blank. The other sections of the wall are covered in what suspiciously looks like battle damage of some kind. This rock face is pristine, primal.

Should she carve something into it? It feels like her name, or something like it, should be written here.

She places an empty palm on the stone, trying to feel it's texture.

Nao's hand feels none of the apparent roughness of the stone as it is slowly absorbed into the wall.

She reaches into the stone, as if there's something beyond it she can grasp. Some rational voice screams something about the wisdom of this course of action, but she ignores it.

Her hand grasps at glue, it touches silk, it brushes against piano wires causing it to bleed and all throughout this, Nao's entire body is pulled within. A burning sensation covers her arm, spreading down the rest of Nao.

Nao closes her eyes and clenches her fist, making slight gasps and grasping at whatever is taking her apart and putting her back together. How many times has she become a new person, really? It's familiar and alien, but never calming.

Her face makes contact with the rock, and Nao sees herself smirk as the wall's surface ripples like a pond. Nao blacks out.

The awakening is slow, ponderous, and with that, a sharp contrast to the clear switches between the waking world and the dominion of nightmares haunting Nao's sleep. She is in a cave, a spider-themed monster facing her. It glitters green, as if its body were made of many fireflies teaming together. The sight feels Nao with a deep nostalgia. On the wall behind it, the stranged sign so much alike a magatama is etched into the surface, next to a drawing that could be a depiction of this creature, if one is generous.

She needs to call its name, Nao realizes.

"Arach," she calls, unable to consider anything more fitting for such a creature. Was she naming it, or was that always it's name? Does it matter?

The spider solidifies, its shape changing to become more angular than even before. It is a marriage between beast and machine, a grotesque thing that should not be.

Nao feels drawn to Arach, for it is her Child.

There could be nothing less childlike in this world, but there is still an obligation, here. Did she bring it into the world, then? An existence owed to her alone?

Maybe she'll find out, maybe she won't. She steps towards the creature, extending a hand towards it.

It towers above Nao, more than dwarfing her. But she knows with all her heart than her Child would never hurt her; it would lay down its life to protect her.

The Child's arachnine head lowers, what passes for its cheek nuzzling Nao's hand.

Nao's hand, which is adorned with metal claws.

"Good child," purrs Nao, patting Arach smoothly with one hand, as best as she can without touching the claws to it.

Her other hand flexes and clenches as she feels the weight of these new weapons; with these, she won't have to run, will she?

Her brow creases in consternation; even with things like these, she was already defeated once, or so she believes. Best not to be cocky. Not when her life isn't the only one at stake.

The claws are of the darkest black, deep red glimmering within if she looks at them for too long. They are nimble and respond to her wishes, feeling much like an extension of her fingers, a real part of her body.

But even with them, even with her Child, Nao still feels incomplete.

Could it be that she needed her.. Sacrifice here? That's as good a word to attach to the ultimate victim of this exchange. Or is it something else?

The answers won't come on their own, and feeling incomplete isn't entirely new. Where can she go now? What is left to do?

"We're going to have work to do, at some point," she murmurs to her pet. "We absolutely must not fail, not even once."

The Child wraps its many limbs around Nao comfortingly in response. There is a feeling of disorientation, and Nao finds herself next to the ruined door of the cave, alone. Her claws still adorn her hands.

Nao shakily steps away from the cave, and slowly steps back around to the rocky wall through which she entered previously.

All the while, she twists her claws back and forth, feeling how the move, bend, twist, and slash at the air.

The claws execute her commands loyally. Nao can't find the wall section she encountered; the entire wall of the cave is defaced by a battle of some sort, and she no longer feels a connection here.

How strong are these claws? That's the next question.

Natsuki was able to trash a wall with her... water-thing. Nao doesn't think she has anything that impressive, but she places them against the wall and tries to forcefully scratch it.

Hot knife through butter does not even begin to compare. A screeching sound accompanies Nao gouging out deep chunks out of the rock face, but she doesn't experience any of the unpleasantness she no doubt would have, had she used her own fingernails for the task.

Nao is constantly aware of what lies at the tips of her claws.

She tries, after that, to make them go away.

It would be troublesome, to say the least, if she tried to do simple things with these claws, like hold a pen. (Never mind how disturbing they are, even for her, to look at.)

The claws fade away at her mental command, although Nao feels a pang of regret. A very strong desire to lick them, first, almost overwhelmed her.

Shaking some imaginary dust off her hand, she starts heading back down the path, feeling both content and needy despite herself.

It's going to be a long walk back to a bus stop...

Nao starts to walk. She no longer feels exhausted; in fact, she feels more alive than ever, entirely invigorated.

She puts a bounce into her step, practically skipping back towards the shrine.

The pink-haired girl who was rude to her is no longer in the courtyard.

She pulls out her phone as she starts to head back down the steps; heading downhill is just a bonus to her present mood. She flips through the names on it until she finds Mikoto, and quickly dials it.

It would be an easy task, if the phone obliged by turning itself on.

Ngh.

It could've been anything. That Nagi kid? The freaky woman with the spears? If they shorted out electrical equipment and other things, like her card, then... there's nothing for it but to just head back to the school.

Is there a way to tell how much time has passed since she left the hospital?

The sun is not at the same spot she remembered it, so that's a few hours, at least.

Then there's no point hunting for them around town; they could've gone anywhere by now. So she just catches the next bus back to the school... if they're still running.

The buses are indeed running. Nao's sob story over losing her wallet in the day's events gets results, as it is apparently not that unique; more than a few students were in town, and some of them chose to flee at the first sign of danger, leaving their things behind.

Nao arrives at the academy, also finding out that it is approaching four in the afternoon.

She goes to her room and checks that out, first, to see if Shizuru has come back (with those wounds, though? Forlorn hope...)

Something tells Nao that those wounds alone would not stop a Hime, and she feels a pang of regret at that. On the other hand, when she last saw Shizuru, the latter was locked in battle with a flying girl that could turn her clothes into lethal weapons.

All in all, it doesn't surprise Nao to find that no one had been to her dorm room since she and Shizuru left it that morning.

She doesn't have any stuff to drop off, so she almost wonders why she bothered coming.

She pauses before Mikoto and Mai's door, before giving it a tentative knock.

There is no answer, and this does not surprise Nao, either. Not really.

Where too, next? She has a whole evening to kill.

She wanders over to where other students are likely to gather; she has no desire to be alone right now, even if she doesn't intend to really speak to anyone.

The school grounds have several places for that. Natsuki must have spoke of them, while talking about various little things Nao only half listened to. Or it could have been Tamaki, trying to be helpful as Nao was attempting to adjust to a normal life.

The cafeteria is one of them, open and bursting with students. The mood inside is excited and nervous at the same time.

Is the cafeteria selling food? Now that she thinks of it, Nao is ravenous.

She aimlessly picks through the crowd towards the counter if so, eavesdropping as she goes.

At a table she passes, a female student looking to be about her age is the center of that little group, telling excitedly of how frightened she had been when ball lightning struck her dorm and caused a small fire. Her further escapades included an emergency evacuation to the school's auditorium that she felt were a bit ham-handed, and  then spending the rest of the night there before finally being allowed to return, only a blanket over her night clothes to preserve her modesty.

By the counter, as they wait in line for their food, a pair of high-school boys discuss the fireball seen in town earlier that that. An exploding gas main is not something that happens every day.

Walking about without purpose, Nao also hears rumors about an incident of some kind at the Fuka Hospital. A terrorist act, it seems, but the news hasn't said much about it.

What about all the witnesses, though? It's pretty hard to mistake a giant fist of ice smashing apart a wall for a bomb. Maybe they rationalized it away somehow. Or maybe nobody believed them.

After she gets another bowl of pork ramen (no sense ruining a good thing), she finds some spot on a table near some of her classmates- at least a couple should be around somewhere, she hopes.

Aside from Nao, no one seems to be asking those questions.

Half her class is in attendance, mostly seating in pairs and trios.

Nao starts interjecting into the conversation, quering wondrously on who was actually there and if anyone saw things close at hand.

Natsuki, Mai, Mikoto- who else could be involved? Granted, she hasn't really had strong feelings towards anyone apart from them, but she finds herself studying her classmates, wondering which of them have truly important secrets they can't share.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

It is easy to secure the use of a phone with an edited version of the day's events, Nao finds, but upon calling Mikoto she reaches her voicemail. The same happens when she tries to dial Mai's number as well.

If their phones were messed up like hers, then that's not too surprising. Of course, Natsuki's was already proven not to work.

With that in mind, Nao can't think of doing much else but slinking back to her room. Somewhat dully, she remembers she didn't have a chance to pick up any of the things she meant to. Even now, mundane concerns still rise to the top of her mind.

Her room; she still can't really see it as more than a place to spend the night, once in a while. Home is something other people always had.

As Nao returns there, the sun having set, she finds that she is not alone. Natsuki, clad in a form-fitting leather biker's outfit is sitting backwards on a chair. Sitting is, perhaps, a charitable term. She has her arms placed on the back the chair, chin resting against them.

"Yo," greets Nao, closing the door behind her. There's a burning desire to ask what happened, exactly, but Natsuki likely has something to say on her own, and Nao finds it difficult to speak to her at the best of times.

The bluette raises her eyes at Nao. They are dull.

"Take a seat," she says. "Make yourself comfortable."

Nao obliges, not a trace of playfulness left inside her. She sits normally, pulling up a chair to face Natsuki. In contrast to the biker, her eyes aren't dull, but sombre.

This is going to be bad news, and the dictates of society indicate she is going to have to care more than she can- or at least not care in the wrong way; feeling an alien joy would be disastrous.

"Shizuru," Natsuki's voice breaks, and she looks away in anger, continuing stubbornly. "Shiruzu wanted you to know something. She said that she was sorry for everything, and that-- that she wished she could have become your friend. She said she regretted that the most about you." Natsuki swipes an arm against her eyes violently.

"You need to go to Fuka Shrine, and take a trail to the side to their storage building. The priest or his granddaughter should know where it is. Then, there would be some sort of message for you to find. Shizuru said you couldn't miss it." Natsuki returns her gaze to Nao, and the dead look in her eyes reminds Nao of an occasion she saw her like that. It pleased Nao a lot at the time, as well as the knoweldge she was at least partially responsible for it. "What sort of message could Shizuru possibly have for you? Why the secrecy? Did you get her involved--"

Natsuki swallows. "I always tried to protect her from all this. I knew she wanted me to tell her, but I couldn't." She looks like she wants to say more, but settles for waiting on Nao's answer.

Nao gazes at the ground, unable to keep meeting Natsuki's eyes for an instant, before they return to focus on her.

"I've already been. I got the message. More than just knowledge," she replies, and one of her hands flickers with the image of a black claw, arachine and slender.

"But questions, I.. didn't she know better than anyone? That's what I felt since I spoke to her the first time."

"What do you mean?" Natsuki asks. It's hard to judge her emotions, dominated as they are by fury and despair, but Nao thinks Natsuki sounds confused.

"Shizuru told me a lot of things. Armies of darkness? Children? Fighting? You still don't believe I forgot everything, do you? She told me everything all over again. And she was fighting, too, against that... thing.

"Getting her involved in it? I couldn't do that as I am. I thought you knew all about her."

"That's a lie!" Natsuki yells, jumping from the chair. It teeters, and she kicks it aside. The resulting crash sounds through the room; one of the chair legs must have been broken. The sound reminds Nao of the day's earlier events. "Shizuru didn't have to fight! Take it back!" She stretches an arm towards Nao, grasping at something. Natsuki's calls don't get answered, and the arm drops listlessly back. "Take it back," she repeats, shaking.

Nao starts at Natsuki's outburst, rocking back in her chair and almost falling herself.

"I can't," she replies, starting to shake. Looking back, Shizuru saved her life, and might have lived if she hadn't bothered. But Natsuki- could she take that? If she said it, it'd sound cruel.

"I'm sorry. I can't. I couldn't do a thing but watch and run. Never again. Never again."

Natsuki's hollow laughter fills the room. "Is that how it was?" she says, perhaps to herself. "Shizuru...."

Nao stands up, taking a few shaking steps to the kitchen, where she slowly pours a glass of water.

It should've been her, who had no life to start and had none who cared much for her. But Natsuki won't want to hear that. She probably doesn't want anything.

She brings it back, and bends down in front of Natsuki a bit. "Drink this," she offers, her face troubled and suddenly weary. But she can't cry or summon tears. In the end, they'd be for Natsuki more than Shizuru.

And Shizuru isn't worth them, a nagging voice insists. If she's dead? Good riddance, and what a shame she wasn't there to twist the knife.

Natsuki looks at the glass and shakes her head, refusing it. "You got your claws back," she notes. "And never again, you said. You'll get your chance. I'll find the Searrs witch, and we'll kill her."

That wasn't what Nao meant. She meant that nobody would do something stupid, like die because of her, again. Revenge had crossed her mind (how couldn't it?), but it wasn't the focus.

She takes a drink from the water at the thought, as her throat suddenly went dry. "When you need me, I'm there," she agrees, sitting back down in her chair. "But.. I have this feeling. That she'll find me before then."

"On campus, that's possible," Natsuki admits. "I'll investigate my own leads."

"My mobile got shorted out somehow. If you find something, you'll have to call me here," replies Nao, feeling some of her confidence returning. Making plans and talking about action- that's easy. Dealing with memories and feelings is nigh-impossible.

"What about Mikoto and Mai?"

"I don't know. Mai won't go for it, and Mikoto does what Mai tells her to."

"But.. she said we were under attack," reflects Nao, stretching back to look at the roof.

"I don't get it."

"We are," Natsuki says in irritation. "Orphans keep on showing up, sent by Searrs. Their vampire was the first direct attack on us, and now, they've gone all the way. Mai had a chance to stop that, but she's too damn soft and--" Natsuki shakes her head. "That doesn't matter now."

"What do they want?" asks Nao, memorizing that name. Searrs. It even sounds cruel. "It can't be just to kill us."

"To bring about the Golden Millennium, whatever that is. I don't know, alright! What good could possibly come from killing Shizuru?!" Natsuki slams a fist against the wall. It leaves cracks in the cement. "I don't fucking care if they want to cure cancer, I'll get them all to the last, starting with their Hime!"

That girl- an Orphan? wanted to be praised, she said. Too shallow a motivation. But it has suddenly become abundantly clear to Nao that there's more than two sides in this, and she's fast being drawn towards one. The question of what she was fighting for before- against Shizuru, if her unbidden thoughts travel fast to the logical conclusion.

Survival. That's what it comes down to for her. Shizuru's warning resurfaces briefly in her mind, and things aren't looking as simple as they did.

Natsuki won't explain things properly too her, and those that could are either dead or can't be trusted to start with. Mulling all this over leaves her with no immediate reply to the outburst.

Natsuki looks at the broken chair, as if seeing if the first time. "Here," she says, tossing a few bills on the desk. "For the furniture." Brushing past Nao, she heads outside. For the first time, Nao has noticed that Natsuki still had her shoes on indoors.

"Don't do anything rash without me," interjects Nao, as Natsuki edges out. 'Because you're not thinking straight' goes unsaid. She leaves Natsuki's methods to herself, glaring idly at the chair.

Well, it's not like she'll actually need two without a roommate, and she doesn't plan on having many guests.

Natsuki doesn't show any sign of having heard Nao as the door closes behind her, leaving Nao all alone.

Traitorous lock!

In no real mood to clean up, Nao, once again, finds herself bereft of motivation. She chains the door shut from the inside, and searches out an empty exercise book.

With little reservation, she begins recording some events as she remembers them, almost everything from the past two days that happened to her. How did she lose her memory? Could it happen again? If it does, then she'll find this. But she needs to put it somewhere where she'll surely find it, but nobody else is likely to... something she'll have to do regardless of her thoughts.

Amongst other, similar books could be a start. She labels it something innocous- a subject she isn't actually taking, amongst her other, similar books. She'll have to go through it, but it's unlikely anyone else will under most circumstances, especially not while she's aware of it- and if she loses her memory, then worse things could happen, evidently, far beyond some stranger locating it.

It takes quite a while to put everything to paper. Her thoughts, the information she had managed to gather, her fears, her Child -- Nao finds that she has more to write about them all than she had imagined, setting out to do such.

Above all, her ultimate goal of survival gets circled several times for good measure. Nao doesn't follow her inner voice much, but the two are in agreement over this, at least.

She slips it back into her bag, confident that if she forgets again, she'll come to remember in time.

Did, at any time, she happen to hear the neighbour's door during all of that?

Not Mai's and not, strangely enough, her other neighbor's. Then again, Nao can't recall whether the apartment to the other side is occupied.

She's never bothered to look at the plaque, and the urge to go outside doesn't really strike her at the moment.

She makes sure all the windows and such are closed, and then eventually falls into her bed, feeling mentally exhausted after writing everything down. Tomorrow feels so far away, but perhaps someone will be back by then. If not... she doesn't know what she'll do.

---

Nao dreams of terrible things, of being surrounded by men whose faces she cannot see, of backing into a corner where there is no escape and she hurts and she's tired and she can't run away anymore.

Nao dreams of plummeting down, that same horrible vision she had experienced before. Shizuru is there, and she can see the red naginata in her hands this time. There is more in the background, some kind of fire? But everything is out of focus, and Nao drops into the cold waters below.

Nao dreams, and she is not herself. She stands in a field of flowers, and her hand closes around one of them, a pretty dandelion. A plea to spare it staves off her hand, and she turns to see Shizuru, younger, but easily recognizable. The older girl says something, and suddenly, the act of harming a flower no longer seems desirable.

Nao dreams, and a girl appears before her. A spectre, her hair lavender. She's floating naked before Nao, extending a hand towards her. Uncanny lucidity fills Nao.

Nao reaches out, conscious of her hands moving but powerless to alter their course. Reality is little different from a dream. The path she has chosen has yet to branch.

The girl seems startled, and says something. Despite their proximity, Nao can't make out the words.

Her lips, watch her lips. Angry? Confused? Frightened? She's tired of being unknowing.

Urgent. The lips move faster, too fast to read for someone inexperienced.

And the dream ends with the usual abruptness. It is morning. The weekend is fully in swing.

Petulantly, Nao hides under her covers and refuses to get up for a couple of hours.

No one bothers Nao. Did she really have no friends, before? Moments like this suggest her fears weren't unfounded.

Morbidly, she wonders how long it would take for anyone to check up on her if she never left the room.

Eventually she drags herself out of bed and goes through the usual motions, preparing herself to face an empty day.

That might well be an apt description. It doesn't seem like Mai or Mikoto came home the previous night. The food situation is getting tight, however, and staying indoors is not going to resolve it.

She checks her phone, wondering if it's somehow magically working again despite yesterday. If so, the food situation looks better. If not...

...then she'll be heading to the cafeteria.

Whatever shut it down seemed to have been permanent or, at least, with a longer duration than several hours. Nao does, however, have several bills Natsuki had left over. On closer inspection, there are three of them, each a brand new ten thousand yen bill.

Oh, right. Her chair.

Then it's time to go shopping, she thinks with some kind of excited non-enthusiasm. Maybe a new bus pass while she's at it. Ten thousand yen is probably a lot.

Making sure to lock the frigging door behind her, Nao heads outside of her dorm, inhales the disgustingly fresh outside air, and starts trooping away towards the bus stop.

A door lock isn't likely to protect her from any of the powerful enemies she seems to have merely by existing. Or from her supposed allies, either, a nasty voice Nao has no control over adds.

A bus comes promptly as she arrives to the station, taking Nao and several other girls along to town. There is much excitement in the air, the previous day's events apparently not having put much of a damper on things.

People forget problems easily, or, if they don't seem to hurt *them*, even attract people. Nao is well aware of that, as she's apparently living proof.

She doesn't pay much attention to what others are saying, for once, and is glad to get off the bus when it reaches it's destination- preferably some kind of mall, where she can stock up on instant food and sliced meat.

A mall is one of the stations, complete with food court. Linden Baum is but one name she recognizes, alongside McDonalds and others.

Some kind of sick humour has her head over to Linden Baum and order something- she's not entirely picky about what. So this is what Mai does for a living. Odds are she's not there today, and Nao is curious. Did she learn to cook here, or get the job because she could? Other people's lives are so interesting!

The place is looking for a waitress, Nao spots. The uniforms are reasonably cute without being pandering to a certain demographic.

Only a single girl seems to be working; more like, being overworked, given the way the diner is full. The house special is decently tasty, and the melon soda Nao orders to wash it down passable.

Maybe if she's low on cash, she'll apply someday. Then again, maybe not. It wouldn't do to have customers get abducted... or something. Hidden voices in her mind promptly scream that it's a bad idea, and she finds herself hurrying away from the prospect, as if in stark (although controlled) terror.

Eventually she finds herself heading into a supermarket, where she pulls out a trolley and begins manouevering through aisles, picking up the essentials- instant noodles, instant noodles, more instant noodles, and some bread and sliced meat.

Nao has sufficient funds to secure her food for the next couple of weeks, even if she would have to sustain herself on instant noodles. As she travels the shopping center, advertizements for cell phones catch her eye. The store seems to be having a sale of some sort, trade in the old for a new model. More than a few girls Nao recognizes from school are there.

She was considering getting a new phone, so she heads over that-a-way and briefly eavesdrops on the other girls to see what they think of the newer model. She pulls out her own- dead, as expected- and takes note. Maybe hers wasn't the only one that shorted out yesterday.

The common thread seems to be that all the girls have stayed at the same dorm -- the one that caught fire briefly the other day. The girls in line to replace their old cells cast no doubts about realizing the sale is just a way for the store to avoid angry customers returning their phones en masse, but the new models are just so cute, according to them, that they don't really care.

"Hey..." says Nao, approaching one of the girls. "Did they find out what started that fire, yet?" she asks, curiously.

"I think that was lightning or something," the junior high student Nao approached responds. She doesn't seem to recognize Nao, and vice-versa; this girl must be from a different class, perhaps even a whole year below her. "You know, one of that weird kind that travels horizontally? Suzushiro-san has been saying that this girl from the high school section started it, but no one really believes her." She says the last sentence in what could charitably called a stage whisper. A few nearby students giggle.

"Maybe she's got something against her," snorts Nao. "Did she give a name?"

"That rebel girl, Kuga Natsuki."

Nao chokes again, and then bursts out into laughter. "Natsuki? Oh, man, you just made my day," she says, shaking her head. "She's got everyone slagging her," she mumbles, heading over to the counter to exchange phones and be done with this.

The exchange doesn't consume much of Nao's time. The salespeople are nice enough, although Nao thinks she can hear the tech personnel grumble in the background. She also retains most of her money in the process.

She leaves, after that. All in all, she's only taken a couple of hours. While she's in the mall, she amuses herself with some idle shopping, buying a new bag to lug her stuff around in, and a couple of other things which catch her eye, no doubt spending some henious amount of cash in the process.

Heading out of the mall, she doesn't feel like going back to the dorm to stare at the wall for the rest of the evening, so she begins wandering around the town, and her path soon draws her past the hospital again.

The hospital is open. The staff inside seems worn out, but ready to assist. No officers of the law can be seen on the premises.

Nao finds a receptionist and makes an enquiry about one... Takumi Tokiha, she thinks. A friend of hers who has a chronic illness; she checked him in yesterday but had to leave, is he alright?

Nao is recognized, which makes things easier. Takumi is in no life-threatening danger, but they are keeping him for observation for the time being. With his condition so progressed and no donor in sight, it only seems prudent. Takumi is really lucky to have such devoted friends and older sister, the nurse tells her.

"A donor?" asks Nao, unsure of whether she can get away with this sort of prying.

The nurse seems more guarded at the question. "Yes," she says. "We can't set a date for the operation without one."

Evidently not. "Sorry. He never told me exactly what.. ah, never mind," she replies, shaking her head. "Um. There was one other thing- some of my friends stayed here when I left, and they didn't come back to the dorms. Do you have any idea where they might be?"

"Who might they be?" the nurse asks, but Nao can see that the woman's suspicion is fading as she checks something on her computer terminal.

Nao dutifully gives the names of Mai and Mikoto, true concern highlighting her face, which seems a little pale.

"They're still here," the nurse informs Nao. "Takumi's sister was a bit hysterical after he got caught in that incident near the public park, and we gave her a room near him. She should be able to return home tomorrow."

"Ah, they stayed the night? May I see them?" asks Nao, hopefully.

"If they would like," the nurse responds, giving Nao the room number and directions. "As their friend, try not to push Tokiha-san if she still needs some time to herself?"

"Sure, I just want to say hi while I'm here," replies Nao, giving the nurse a short bow and navigating through the hospital towards the room given.

Mikoto is sitting outside the door. A long, wrapped bundle almost as tall as she is propped up against the wall by her side.

She didn't have that earlier...

Nao waves at Mikoto as she approaches, standing just before the door. "Hiya. How's it going?" she asks, asking the simplest possible question.

"Mikoto guarding Mai," the short girl declares, looking up at her. "Nao okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, somehow," replies Nao, thinking briefly back to Shizuru. "I was wondering where you two were. Is Mai.. feeling any better?"

"Mai kill person yesterday," Mikoto says matter-of-factly. "Mai needs time."

Would Nao need time if she killed someone? Something tells her that it wouldn't be anything more than a moment or two, and something else is repulsed by that notion.

She is quite sombre for a moment nonetheless. "What exactly happened yesterday, after we split up?"

"We fight!" Mikoto declares. The hall is thankfully empty. "Mikoto call Miroku! Pigtails girl very strong. Mai bring Kagutsuchi."

At that name, Nao's vision shifts. It is a horrible beast, made more terrible by the seeming innocence with which it nuzzles Mai's hand. The world is bathed in fire.

Nao's hand involuntarily covers her mouth, and she has to choke to keep the lunch she had from reappearing in a less appetizing form.

Mikoto frowns. "Mikoto misses Mai's lunches."

Wiping her mouth, Nao sits down across from Mikoto. "Wait. Mai killed this girl?" she asks, with a sinking feeling.

"No one survive that," Mikoto affirms.

"Did she carry a sword? One with two blades... lances like snakes, and ribbons like knives. I met a girl like that yesterday, too, just before I ran back into the hospital..."

Mikoto cradles her chin in the palm of her right hand, shifting to sit cross-legged. "Mmm. Pigtails girl had many weapons."

"Mai didn't kill her, and then the girl went and... fought Shizuru. And won," murmurs Nao. "She's still out there."

Mikoto's eyes widen. "Nao help Mikoto protect Mai?"

"Yeah, I will," replies Nao, her own face softening.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"She's after.. 'Hime', right? Why?" asks Nao, dropping across the aisle from Mikoto. Natsuki was incoherent when she asked, to say the least.

Mikoto shrugs. "Pigtails girl enemy. She attack Mai, so Mikoto fights."

It's as good a reason as any. Probably better than most.

"This happens often, huh?"

"Only second time," Mikoto answers, thinking it over. "Before, vampire kindap Natsuki."

Nao chokes back a snort. "*Natsuki?* Kidnapped? Must've been a brave vampire."

Mikoto shrugs. "Diana help us, we save Natsuki. Vampire, not so tough."

"I can't believe Natsuki is the kind of person who needs saving from anything, though. Especially not when she..." trails Nao, wringing her hands. "Well. You know, blew up the wall."

Mikoto shrugs again.

"What happened to the vampire in the end?"

"Miroku kill vampire." Mikoto nods with no small measure of pride. "Mmm."

"Didn't need stakes or sunlight or any of those things, eh? Not bad," reflects Nao, mirroring Mikoto's gesture. "Isn't it tough, though? Needing to fight like that? I mean, you seem more used to it than Mai." Obviously. But it almost seems like it's a game to Mikoto, whereas it's obviously all too real for Mai.

"Mikoto fights to find Brother," the girl declares. "Obstacles appear, so Mikoto cuts them down."

"Ah, everyone has someone after all," replies Nao. "How do you know fighting will lead you to him?"

"Grandfather said, go to Land of Fuka. Find Brother there."

"Is this place special in it's own right, somehow? I guess it must be, with so many... uh..."

Mikoto frowns. "Maybe."

"As for that girl... Natsuki's looking for her. Once she finds where she is, we can be the ones hunting her," continues Nao. Her forehead creases, and her eyes take on a hawklike expression. "It'll be better that way. If you're stuck waiting for someone to come to you, then they get to choose the time."

Mikoto nods seriously. "We fight together."

A thought dawns on Nao's mind. "You were here all night, weren't you? Guarding Mai."

Mikoto nods once more. "Mikoto protect Mai. Mikoto likes Mai!"

"A chef of her calibre is a treasure to be defended," replies Nao, nodding sombrely.

"Mai's food is good," Mikoto agrees. She seems to salivate a bit, and her stomach growls.

"It's not quite up to her standards, but there's probably a hospital cafeteria around here," replies Nao, reaching into her purse. "Wanna go get something? I'll wait here."

Mikoto seems torn, even as her stomach voices its protests again. "Nao call Mikoto if enemy attacks?" she asks, looking up at the red-head.

"I'll hit the fire alarm," replies Nao. "That'll get everyone out the way quickly, too."

Mikoto grabs her wrapped package, standing up. "Mikoto be back soon," she declares, and with a final glance at Mai's door, departs.

While Mikoto has run off, Nao opens the door a crack and peers inside, looking at Mai.

Mai seems to be asleep, lying on her bed and not reacting to the opening of the door.

How can the mind have such a problem killing someone who tries to kill you? It must be the shock of the incident to start. Natsuki said Mai never gives up, but if this is what she's like afterwards...

Closing the door again, Nao takes up Mikoto's position, idly watching people pass by. Mikoto must have been beyond bored; did she even sleep? She didn't look tired in the least...

What must be the most boring twenty minutes of her new life pass agonizingly slowly. Mikoto returns eventually, seeming content. She glances at Nao, as if to check whethere there've been any problems.

Not entirely. Waiting in her room for nothing to happen is difficult to beat. At least here there's a tension, as if something might happen at any moment. Although she's fearful, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't hoping. Maybe boredom is the ultimate weakness that way.

"We used to go out, right? What kind of guys did we meet?" asks Nao, once Mikoto has sat back down.

"Guys," Mikoto says simply. "We offer to have fun."

"There wasn't, like... a steady boyfriend or anything, right?"

Mikoto blinks. It doesn't seem to Nao that she understands.

"You know... isn't that the point of dating? Well, I guess not, I mean, not the way we were doing it. The way I think were doing it. Did we do anything with them?"

Mikoto nods.

Even Mikoto can't miss the consternation and confusion blanketing Nao's face, who is quite plainly distressed. She looks like she's about to ask another question, but gives up and just looks away.

Mikoto might see it plain as day, but she doesn't comment. Rather, she looks a bit confused. "Nao wanted to and invited Mikoto. Nao change mind?"

"Yeah... I don't think I want to do that stuff. I had some bad dreams," she replies, shaking her head. "You didn't have any problems with it, right?"

"Mikoto has problems," the girl responds. "But Nao Mikoto's friend, so Mikoto helps."

"What kind of problems?" asks Nao, sounding guilty.

"Mikoto think it wrong to do that."

"Wrong to chat up guys?"

"What comes next."

"I'm sorry," blurts out Nao, lowering her head. "I can't believe you'd do things that make you uncomfortable like that just because I asked. Yeah, we definately won't go 'dating' anymore. At least... not like that."

Mikoto nods firmly. "Nao understands, it's good."

Nao leans back, ensconced in silence. Again, she reminds herself that she's a different person, now. But probably not that different.

"How'd we meet, anyway?" queries Nao, starting to think a bit harder about this. She and Mikoto were, at least, clearly two completely different people. She can't see the old Nao having really thought of Mikoto as a friend, so much as a... clueless child.

Before Mikoto even answers, Nao remembers. A strange creature running on all fours knocked her down, and as it was spread over her in a very compromising position, its face resolved into a crying Mikoto. She latter proceeded to scamper off, leaving Nao confused.

And Nao is back in the present. Mikoto seems to be thinking very hard about the question.

Nao is no less confused. "You hit me?!" she manages, before remembering she did the same thing to Natsuki.

But Natsuki deserved it! This is totally different.

Mikoto tilts her head.

"...I think? Some four-legged beast, with your face," continues Nao, forgetting where she is and trying to remember that scene. "You were crying. But I was confused."

"I don't know where I was..."

"Spicy curry," Mikoto laments.

"W-w-wait, that's not the important thing here! What happened after that? That's not what you'd call a friendly introduction, you know."

"Mikoto meet Natsuki when Natsuki try to kill Mikoto."

"...with spicy curry?"

"With Duran."

"Why?"

Mikoto seems to think quite hard about it. She visibly puts into it a lot of effort. At the end, she shrugs.

Trying not to gnash her teeth in frustration, Nao just slumps against the wall. "If not that, then why'd she stop, uh, trying? I don't get this at all." Is everyone completely nuts, or something?

"Mai say Natsuki not enemy, so Mikoto stop," she tells Nao. "Mikoto trusts Mai!"

Later, Nao is going to have to talk to Mai about this. In detail. Natsuki's mad with grief and anger at the moment, though Nao can't argue with her current goal. And talking to Mikoto has proven challenging, at best.

The fact that nobody seems willing or able to explain anything too her is maddening.

Waiting for an attack that might come at any moment is tiring, but Mikoto's company makes it easier. Several hours later, once the sun is well past its apex, Mikoto stirs all of a sudden.

Nao drowsily checks the time on her watch. No, her phone. No, a nearby clock.

Her phone suggests it is a quarter to six.

Faint sounds are coming from inside Mai's room.

Nao raises an eyebrow, and stands up, walking over the door to have a look inside.

"Eek!" Mai cries out as the door opens, covering herself with a sheet.

Mikoto nods sagely. "Mai is Mai."

"This happens often?" asks Nao, repeating some earlier words.

Mikoto nods again.

"Close the damn door!" Mai calls from inside.

Nao obliges, letting it swing shut. "Come to think of it, she was like that when I came around yesterday, too..."

A minute or two pass, the silence only interrupted by the hurried shuffling inside Mai's room. She emerges from it, clad in the clothes she wore for that fateful outing, giving Nao the evil eye. "You did that on purpose," she states flatly.

"Completely false," replies Nao, shaking her head. "I didn't know you had such bad luck. Next time, it'll be on purpose."

Mai makes a sour face. It quickly changes into a look of worry, as she glances down the hall. "Takumi--?"

"I asked about him earlier," replies Nao, quietly. "They said he's stable for now, I think... are you going to go and see him?"

Mai nods. "After I wash my face and eat something. If Takumi's awake, I don't want him to see me this way."

Nao is forced to concur. Mai doesn't look at her best.

"Ah... sure," replies Nao, feeling a bit hungry herself. "How 'bout you wash up, and I'll get you something from the cafeteria? Just meet us over there. My treat."

"Sounds alright," Mai agrees. She looks at Mikoto, biting on her lower lip. "I hate to ask, but--"

"Mikoto guard here!" the younger girl offers, saving Mai the trouble of asking.

Nao can't help but chuckle. That kind of dedication... could be dangerous indeed, she thinks.

Shaking away that thought, she heads down to the cafeteria herself. The money Natsuki gave her is burning a hole in her pocket, anyway, so it's no problem.

Mai joins her there after several more minutes, used well for ordering a meal for the two of them. She looks much better, now, and certainly alive even if tiredness is showing through.

"Mikoto's really something," remarks Nao, starting to eat some cheap pasta. "Standing guard for that long."

She swirls her fork around a little. "It's hard to believe it."

"She can be very single-minded," Mai agrees with a sigh.

"Yeah. It's kinda admirable," replies Nao, smiling a bit.

"How are you feeling? I wanted to ask you some heavy things. But it can wait."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Wait for what?" Mai asks, sagging slightly. "A sudden turn for the better?"

"I guess not, then," replies Nao, lowering her eyes. "I wanted to hear about what's going on around here from the top. Who's attacking this island.. why... why it's apparently just teenagers who are able to do anything about it... nobody explained it. I don't know if anyone can. But I've got nobody else to ask."

Mai leans back in the cafeteria seat, staring at the ceiling. "You can see the star, too, can't you?"

Her words carry meaning for Nao. She remembers, suddenly, of how a large red shadow almost covered the sun, spreading its extremities as if to choke the warmth out of it.

"The Hime star," Mai continues. "There are those of us who see it, and we have those strange birthmarks on our bodies. I didn't know anything about that until I met Mikoto. Her clothes were torn, and I had to give her CPR... I ended up spotting it. That's how it all started for me."

"I haven't seen anything like that. But I remember it," replies Nao, shivering in her seat. "You saved her life, huh..."

"I sometimes wonder if Mikoto would have died from something like that," Mai muses, her worries visibly lessening as she reminisces. "We didn't actually become friends until later at school, when I cooked her dinner."

"Bribery, eh?"

"She was hungry!" Mai says defensively. "The girl practically fainted from hunger!"

"So we're back to the life-saving," nods Nao. "Was she your roommate from the start?"

"I guess that's how our rooms were assigned, I wouldn't put it past the chairwoman to try something like that," Mai grumbles. She waves her hands in panic afterwards. "I don't mean that I don't like living with Mikoto or anything!"

"Are you sure? I'll take her off your hands, if you want~" replies Nao, smiling cheerfully. But she's clearly joking; after Mikoto's most recent display of loyalty, there's no way she thinks Mikoto would likely leave Mai.

"Maybe we could share custody," Mai offers. "Would every other weekend be alright with you?"

"Deal! We'll start next week," replies Nao, emphatically nodding mid-way through slurping up some spaghetti.

Crimson blood flies ever- no, it's just a bit of sauce.

Mai titters, before finally starting to eat.

"Anyway," replies Nao, quickly going for the napkin- "-this pigtailed girl, I asked Kuga about what she was fighting for. She was... not in any mood to explain, we'll say. But she did mention something about a 'golden millenium.'"

Mai's mood visibly plummets. "Uh-huh," she says, eating slower.

"Yeah, that was a question. What the heck is that?"

"This Golden Millennium?" Mai repeats. "No idea. If Natsuki told you about it, you really should be asking her."

"She doesn't care about what they want. I doubt she'd bother finding out," replies Nao, shaking her head. "She probably didn't really know more than that..."

Shoving her empty plate aside, she rests her elbows on the table, propping up her chin. Her face could be described as 'speculative', and she continues making enquiries with all the detachment of a bored academic.

"Who else is there who knows anything?"

"There's that Nagi brat, and he seems to know a lot," Mai says, sighing. "The Chairwoman, too. You must have met her when you first came to the school. I thought it was a bit strange how Takumi and I both got full schollarships from her, but I never expected an ulterior motive like that." She has a strange smile on her face. "'Save the world!' Isn't that funny?"

Mai laughs sadly.

"At least you've been earning it?" offers Nao. "Maybe I did, I don't remember. I guess I'll have to go and speak to her sometime. But that Nagi kid... he can't be trusted, can he? It's like he enjoys watching other people suffer, soooooooo. Yeah."

"At least he's willing to help, for whatever reasons he might have." Mai sighs. "Even when Aoi-chan was attacked, all the Chairwoman would say is that she's asking me to sit that one out. And after all that speech about fighting the Orphans, too!"

Mai begins to eat the rest of her food angrily. "She never tells me a single useful thing!"

"-you know what happened to Aoi?!"

Mai looks startled. "Oh!" she exclaims. "Oh. No. It's just that one day Aoi-chan was trying to sneak in during curfew, and an Orphan attacked her. She forgot all about the attack because she hit her head, but her leg was in a cast for a while. Even if I didn't want to fight before, I couldn't just stand by and let this happen to my friends!"

"...you *sure* it was because she hit her head?" asks Nao, pointedly.

"That's what the doctors said at the time," Mai responds. "She remembered everything until the evening of the attack."

"Better shape than me, I guess," mutters Nao.

"Orphans... they're all kids? Both us and those against us?"

"Orphans are... orphans." Mai shivers. "I guess it's not much use to you. They're these slimy, disgusting monsters who can also become huge monsters with blades and claws and... you know, monster stuff."

"Oh. Yes, completely different from what I had in mind. They just appear at random, tormenting people out at night or something?"

"That's what we thought at first," Mai admits, "before Natsuki discovered that the Church was the base of operations for Searrs. They were summoning those monsters and setting them loose on the students!"

"At least they weren't making real or- no, wait, this is worse," mumbles Nao.

"But you went there and stopped 'em, I take it."

"Well, no," Mai says. "They kidnapped Natsuki, but this Diana person helped us, and Mikoto and I found them." Mai shows discomfort, looking away from Nao. "You didn't want to help, so you didn't come."

"I was probably laughing," replies Nao, telling Mai straight out. "But that was then and this is now."

"Right," Mai agrees. "We got Natsuki back, and Mikoto killed that 'vampire' Orphan that's been attacking people. But then Alyssa-chan was there and Natsuki yelled at me to do it, and I just couldn't! She was just in grade school!"

"Alyssa... is she that girl from before?"

Mai's face darkens. "No, that... it wasn't Alyssa."

While the girl was rather young, Nao wouldn't put her in the grade school years, either.

"So what did you end up doing with her?" queries Nao, setting the matter of Shizuru's murderer aside for now. "I'm guessing she had somewhat lethal abilities of her own. I can't imagine just... letting someone go."

"There was this flash of light and she was gone, along with Miyu. No one's seen them since at school, but I heard Natsuki say that paperwork for their transfer was processed."

"Mmmph. That's kinda reassuring," replies Nao, not really reassured- today's enemy could be tomorrow's, too.

"Then... this Seaars guy. When it comes right down to it, he's the one attacking the island? For whatever reason, it doesn't actually matter that much."

"Well, maybe." Mai doesn't look convinced. "I mean, I've seen at least one Orphan that couldn't have been sent by Searrs. Whatever Searrs is. I never really asked Natsuki about that...."

"Oh, great. Well. When I see her again, at least I'll know what to ask," replies Nao, standing up. "She's trying to find that girl, whoever she was, before she comes after us again. One way or the other, I've got a feeling I'll be seeing her.

"When I do, I'll be sure to get some answers out of her pretty little mouth. If we find her first, will you help me?"

"Find... that girl?" Mai asks, the gears in her head turning. "I-- she--" She clenches her fists. "She's dead," Mai says quietly. "I've accepted it."

"She's not. Pigtails, right? Some weird sword with two blades? Yeah. She tried to kill me. She..."

Nao's face twists into something ugly, as if it's struggling not to be gleeful.

"She *did* kill Shizuru."

"It... it simply couldn't be the same girl," Mai protests weakly. "There is no way! I saw her burn!"

The outburst gets a few looks from the nearby tables.

"Then she either has magical healing powers," replies Nao, skeptically. "Or a twin. It doesn't really matter much either way, because you're right. She's dead. She's going to be dead, because I'm going to kill her.

Mai trembles, wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't do it. I can't. I came here because Takumi and I promised to have a fun school life together, not to fight monsters!"

"I'll do it. I can. I don't have any reason to be here and nothing to lose. I wasn't helping before because I was selfish, not because I was scared," replies Nao, walking around to Mai's chair and putting her hands on her shoulders.

"But think about it for me, anyway. Because I don't know if I can do it, and if something happens to me... then I think someone will need to take it up instead. Because you'll still need to protect yourself. Now, come on, calm down. You can't let your brother see you like this, right?"

"Takumi...." Mai sighs. "I took this up, I bonded with Kagutsuchi... it was all to protect him, to protect all those who are dear to me. But when to protect their lives you have to kill other people... how can that ever be worth it, Nao?"

"It's simple. I'll never value my own life- or yours, or Mikoto's- less than a murderer's," replies Nao, shaking her head. "If someone tries to kill you, it's like they're telling you to kill them first. If someone is prepared to kill, then they'd better be prepared to get killed. In the end, they started it.

"That means we have to finish it."

"But there must be some way to talk it through!" Mai insists. "We're all Hime, it can't be that killing each other is the only way!"

It is. The certainty of that thought is overwhelming. There can be only one.

"I'm not sure the difference between me and someone who looses monsters on the island is something that can be resolved with words," replies Nao, shaking her head.

"If they talk to me, I'll talk back. It's only when they start killing me I'll kill them back. What else am I supposed to do? *I don't want to die.*"

"I don't want to kill," Mai returns. "Kagutsuchi is very powerful, and I can't control him well," she continues quietly. "I gave the order, but I couldn't take it back. Maybe if I tried harder, if I kept my cool, it wouldn't have happened. And the next time, I will have to do it on purpose? I can't, I'm sorry, I just can't."

"I guess that's admirable, too, though I'll never be able to see things your way," replies Nao. "But in the end, it's like I said. You do what you have to do. And I'll do what I have to do."

"I'm sorry," Mai repeats. "I... I'm not some stupid, naive airhead. I know I won't be left alone, and I'll fight, because I can't let it happen to-- if only we had been closer to that explosion--" She closes her eyes. "But I can't do what you can. And... and please don't ask Mikoto to. She's-- I know she's your age, but she's just a kid! She shouldn't have to--"

"Yeah. I think if I die, it'll go badly for her," replies Nao, quietly. "There's another reason. I almost forgot."

"She will be very sad," Mai agrees very quietly. "She really does like you, you know?"

"I don't think I deserved it, but she's the first friend I found after I woke up. She's the last person I want to... disappoint."

"I think it's hard to disappoint Mikoto." Mai sniffs, wiping at her eyes. "Spicy food might do it, though."

"Everyone has a fatal weakness," replies Nao, nodding, as she starts to head outside the cafeteria. "Coming?"

Mai nods, taking the trays. Hers still has some food on it, but she doesn't seem in a mood to finish it. "I'll clear the table, and freshen up. Meet you back next to Mikoto, Nao?"

"Gotcha, and thanks!" she replies, starting to head back.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Awaking with a start, Nao pulls herself upright, shaking away the latest in a string of nightmares. Once she's forgotten whatever dreadful thing it was (something to do with falling), she drags herself out of bed.

After Mikoto seemed to be showing no signs of tiring, she left the hospital, making the girl promise to call her if something happened. School starts again, today. After all. And that's what's *really* important. At least, that's what the teachers seemed to indicate, and structure is something Nao badly needs.

About thirty minutes later, she's dressed and prepared. Shoving no small amount of candy into her satchel (it's high in energy, the labels said so and they wouldn't lie), she starts trudging off to the daily grind, which still at least holds some novelty.

Nao merges with the stream of students headed to campus, making it to the junior high building with time to spare. Her classmates are busy gossiping about the mysterious events of the weekend, Tamaki waving at Nao.

Nao waves back, adopting the more-familiar 'dazed' expression she'd been unconsciously maintaining back when she was at school. It's not terribly hard to fake.

"Hiya," she greets, dropping her bag next to her seat and pulling herself to the edge of a table.

"Morning!" Tamaki greets brightly. "Did you hear the latest?"

"About the exploding gas main? I *saw* it," replies Nao, putting on some fake pride. "Was right there in the town park when it happened! Man, it was terrifying..."

She pulls out a lollipop from her pocket, and slowly starts taking off the wrapper.

"No, not that--" Tamaki stops abruptly. "Wait. You saw it?!"

"Well, yeah. It was kind of hard to miss. You'd have spotted it from almost anywhere in town, I think," replies Nao, shaking her head.

Tamaki makes the appropriate awed noises. She's barely able to restrain herself due to her excitement.

"I had no idea it was so dangerous here. Or do you think I just have bad luck?" reflects Nao, sticking the candy in her mouth, and keeping one hand on the other end of the stick.

"Ooh! Speaking of danger--" The girl leans closer to Nao, the obligatory conspiratorial ceremony of checking whether anyone is trying to listen to their conversation following. "--did you hear that a horrible criminal might have snuck into campus?!"

Something tells Nao that if Tamaki knows something, so does everyone else, making the ritual effectively pointless... from her end, anyway.

"Well, that'd just make my friggin' week, wouldn't it?" reflects Nao, sagging in her chair. "How do you know?"

"There are cops on school grounds and everything!"

"Huh. Well. There were those vanishing people, recently. Probably on the lookout for whoever's responsible."

"Or maybe it's about that fire I heard about," she continues, pulling the lollipop out her mouth with a slight pop. "Like I said! Dangerous. Way more dangerous than I thought."

"That's not all!" Tamaki adds, wide-eyed. "There is a rumor that the dangerous criminal is none other than a student here at Fuka! Disgruntled over his lack of friends and condescending attitude from his teachers, he is lurking about, armed and waiting for a chance to strike back at everyone!"

"So it'd all be okay if someone was nice to him?" replies Nao, tapping the candy against her lip. "Sounds like a bit of a loser, if you ask me."

"Shh! He might be listening! Do you want to end up like in all those horrible stories from America?"

"Hah! Like I need to fear a loser like that!" replies Nao, cockily. "I'll just kick him into the sky. Mikoto and me took out an entire soccer team without help, you know. Even if I did wind up fainting. I mean, that was a good twenty minutes of playing, this'd only take a couple.

"Besides, you think he'd try again with all these cops around? Nah, he'll give up. He's probably a wimp."

Tamaki gasps!

Nao stops sucking the lollypop and starts audiably crunching it into tiny pieces. "So you've got nothing to fear, especially if I'm around."

Tamaki looks like she would like to argue that point, but the bell rings and she uses the chance to escape to her seat with a wave at Nao.

"Good morning, class!" Mister Sakomizu greets, opening the door. "Today, a new student will be joining us. Please make her feel welcome."

A girl enters after him shyly. She walks to the front of the room and, standing before the blackboard, bows. "I'm Searrs Arika. Please treat me well."

Nao wouldn't mistake that face, the image of Shizuru's murderer vivid in her mind.

Nao gets up, and lunges towards the girl, claws forming in her hand as she vaults over her surprised classmates, and finishes up this problem with a single, decisive blow.

Then she snaps back awake and realises she's still in her seat, but the black look she finds herself throwing the girl would be difficult to miss... if anyone was looking at her.

She realises she's gripping the edges of her table so firmly that it hurts, and with some effort, forces herself to relax her hands.

As soon as Nao lets up, she sees that her fingers have left deep, visible imprints in her desk.

The girl is smiling at the class, and then begins to write her name on the blackboard when Nao's favorite teacher admonishes her for skipping that part of the introduction.

Nao starts flexing her fingers, in part to stop their jittering. She can't stand being so close to this girl and unable to do anything. What if the girl isn't constrained? She was smiling just like that before.

An opportunity will have to arise. She can't just kill the girl right here in the middle of class. Not if she wants to have much of a life in the future. Besides, there's no telling if she could even do the job.

At least Natsuki won't be working that hard.

Some inner urge tells Nao that other people will find her very strange if they look at her. A couple of her books move to discreetly cover up the gouging- though she has no idea how people won't notice later.

"Are you Alyssa-chan's big sister?" a question is thrown even before Arika has finished writing her name down.

"Yeah, do you sing in the choir, too?" another is asked, along with questions of whether this Alyssa will be returning soon.

"It's actually the other way around!" Arika responds with that brilliant, slightly-vacant smile that is so full of innocence. Her response draws laughter and smiles.

What's so funny? Nao doesn't know, and she doesn't join in.

Not paying attention in class was a previous talent of hers, it seems, and it's time to break it out again.

After the introduction, which includes several more questions Nao only barely listens to, is over with, Arika is told to take a vacant seat at the last row. It happens to be three seats behind Nao.

You've got to be kidding. There's no way Nao's letting that girl sit behind her.

After a moment, Nao stands up, trying to put a bit of a limp on her movements. "Um... I have a nurse's appointment," she blurts out, leaving her stuff on the desk. "I'll be back... later."

Without really listening for a response, she staggers out the classroom.

Nao hears an exchange as she limps out of class. Tamaki catches up to her a few moments afterwards, closing the door behind them. "Come on, I'll take you there," she says, offering Nao her shoulder. "Are you anemic again?"

"I'll be fine, you should get back to class," replies Nao, only mostly telling the truth. "Wouldn't want to miss... math, right? Heh."

"If you're sure," Tamaki drawls, looking over Nao critically.

"I'm pretty sure," Nao drawls back. "I'll see you in a bit." She starts heading away, feeling much better in short order.

It never really felt that way until now, but the main reason she wants that girl dead is due to fear. It's not like she didn't know that, but it never really hit her until this morning. When you really get down to it...

...she's just running away again.

Nao escapes both math and Arika. She is the only one who seems to be skipping the first period, the halls of the school empty and quiet.

Natsuki's gone to who-knows-where and won't be appearing anytime soon. Mai and Mikoto are still at the hospital. Nao doesn't feel particularly sick, but for the time being, she's not heading back to class.

Maybe this would be a good time to find that Chairwoman person. She's probably in the central school building (there must be some offices around here somewhere), so that's where she looks. Signs, or stray teachers, or anything might point the way. If not, she's in for a fairly aimless time.

The Chairwoman, Kazahana Mashiro. It's not a name that brings up feelings with it one way or the other, but Nao feels an urge to leave the campus and take the road back to the dorms.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Following her instincts, Nao leaves campus, with no one the wiser. She starts to walk back to the dorms, when she passes the maze of hedges and flowers, and turns towards it instead.

It must be a daunting task to navigate normally, but Nao's legs take her through the labyrinth, all the way to a small gazebo in its center. A girl with lavender hair is sitting in a wheelchair by the structure, admiring a flower in her hands.

Nao makes little secret of her approach, studying the girl as she walks towards her.

Evidently they've met before, and she's important, somehow. Could this be the chairwoman? Nao somehow expected someone older.

"Excuse me," she calls, drawing closer. "Have we met?"

"We have," the girl responds softly, looking at Nao. "I am Kazahana Mashiro. I was saddened to hear that you had lost your memory, Yuuki-san."

"That makes two of us," comes the glib reply. "But, I've been working it out. In bits and pieces. Can't say I'm sure most of it was worth keeping."

The girl doesn't respond, placing her hands in her lap before raising her eyes to Nao's face once more.

"If I could pick anything, to recall in full detail... one thing might be about people other than myself. But before that, I'd be asking about this island. Doesn't seem a place suitable for sustaining life, to my observations."

"People live here just fine," Mashiro responds, "and have for centuries. For millennia."

"Then I'm guessing this is just a bad year. Bound to happen sooner or later, right? But all I hear about these days are orphans, children, and Hime.

"Mai already told me a few things. So I'm curious. What's so important about this place? This 'land of fuka', as I heard it described."

"It does hold importance," Mashiro agrees. "I'm afraid I can't explain the rest, however. I cannot speak of this."

"It's my life on the line, sister. I think you'd better speak of something pretty quickly, or I might end up like Shizuru. And won't that be a shame."

Mashiro lowers her eyes. "It was not supposed to happen."

"What is supposed to happen, then?" replies Nao, unable to contain her growing frustration. "I'm sick of this! Everyone I ask, it's like pulling teeth! If someone had told me everything straight on day one, then maybe I could've done something! But they didn't, and I was clueless, and thanks to that, Shizuru's dead, Natsuki's god-knows-where, Mai's gone nuts, and I.. I can barely step outside without jumping at shadows! Does someone else need to die? More girls need to disappear?"

"I'm sorry," Mashiro tells her. "It is not something I can talk about."

Nao grabs Mashiro by the collar, pulling her up close. "I'm warning you, you fucking hippie, if you don't explain things to me, I don't know what I'll do. But I'll bet my fucking life that whatever it is 'isn't supposed to happen', and you'll be the only one to blame for it."

Nao's instincts scream at her to leap back! There is no time to waste!

Something clenches in Nao's throat, and she releases the girl and hops backwards, far further than she thought possible.

It is illogical, but she hears the danger before it even reveals to her eyes. As Nao vacates her spot, a blade whisltes through the air, gouging a deep trench in the ground.

A deadly scythe appears, drawing all nearby light into it. A pink-haired woman in a maid outfit is holding it in a deceptively leisurely grasp, standing protectively in front of Mashiro's wheelchair. She looks back at the wheezing girl, and then returns her eyes to Nao. They narrow.

Nao glowers right back, cocking one arm back for a moment, before letting it drop to her side. She already has one person hunting her down. If she's wounded here- even if she wins (and she's somehow sure she would)- then she won't have a chance against the one who's really after her.

"I've got a feeling. You're gonna have a lot to answer for," she snarls. "If you're half as sad as you look, woman, you'd tell me what's going on. I bet you're scared instead. Of what I'll do when I find out.

"*I will.* I hope you're ready."

"Mashiro-sama, shall I take care of her?" the maid asks, not taking her eyes off Nao. She hasn't blinked through the red-head's tirade, merely staring at her, unmoving.

The wheelchair-bound girl shakes her head, coughing. "No, Fumi." She looks past her at Nao. "That might be so, Yuuki-san. Best of luck to you in your investigations."

Yuuki-san spits, and takes her leave. Instead of bothering to wind a way through the maze, she starts cutting her way out in a straight line.

Cutting through the hedge takes quite some time, as it is almost as tall as Nao herself. She does find herself back on the path from her dorm to school eventually, however.

Better head back. It's not like that girl will try anything in class. Nao will find some way to get her. Somehow. For now there's nothing to do but endure it.

There are still ten minutes in the first period left. If Nao hurries, she could probably be in time to receive her homework.

She's in no particular hurry.

Nao makes it back as Mister Sakomizu leaves the classroom. He gives her a brief disappointed look, but continues along his way. The next class is geography, Nao thinks.

Nao enters as he leaves, managing to force her face into a more cheery disposition by the time any of her classmates see it. Today is the last day she intends to let her fear be so obvious (to anyone looking for it, of course.)

"Hi!" the object of her fear says brightly, skipping over to Nao with her hands behind her back. "You're Nao, right? I'm Arika! Do you wanna be friends?"

She smiles. It is that same carefree smile Nao can't forget.

"Sure! You had a sister, right? What happened to her? Sorry, my memory is pretty bad, but I think I'm supposed to know," replies Nao, all smiles and happiness herself.

"She messed up, so now I'm here," Arika responds cheerfully. "Don't worry, I'm not as weak as her, so it won't even hurt!"

"A slightly bigger ant is still an ant," replies Nao, wondering if anyone nearby is listening in on this no-doubt surreal conversation.

Some of the nearby students do, and their expressions are stuck halfway between a smile and a frown, as if unsure how they're supposed to react.

"Ooh, how did you know Daddy calls me his little ant?!" Arika asks in barely-restrained excitement.

Nao chokes, and can't hold back a grin. She manages to cover it with her hand, which then serves to muffle her derisive chuckle.

The others around Nao take it as their cue to adopt smiles, albeit somewhat clueless ones.

"High praise indeed," she manages, slouching towards her chair. "I'll do the same, then. Let's be friends, little ant~"

"Alright, Nao-chin~!" Arika chirps, and with a wave skips back to her seat.

"She must really like you," Tamaki comments, leaning closer to Nao. "Searrs-san even wanted to help you get to the nurse's office, and without knowing where it was, too!"

"Tamaki, you're a wonderful human being," replies Nao. "If you ever need me at three in the morning, I'll be there."

Tamaki blushes, and mumbles something before slipping away. She seems quite embarrassed.

The window is hopefully reflective enough to give Nao a glimpse of the little devil a few seats behind her, which should put her paranoid mind somewhat at ease.

It's not a sure thing by any means, but Nao should be able to spot a sneak attack in the middle of a lesson, if one comes at her from behind.

The ribbons are fast. She could be dead in a second and nobody would notice for another five. With that comforting thought in mind, she prepares herself to face... Geography, another subject she'll have little use for.

At sometime during lunch break, Nao forgoes her usual trip to the cafeteria to do some exploring, heading towards the university level of the school, and in particular wandering around the science labs.

Ideally, she'll find some geeky-looking guy departing from a chemistry laboratory. Even if that can't be arranged, she should at least work out where everything is.

A couple of lanky boys leave the lab as Nao is scouting it. They look as if they had sampling their own experiments, which fits her criteria just fine.

"Um, excuse me!" calls out Nao, waving clusmily at the two boys as she jogs up to them, 'breathlessly'. "Are you boys busy?" she asks, chest heaving.

Nao's chest draws the expected reaction, as is the junior high uniform she is wearing. "Uhh, no," one of the boys answers, the other shaking his head and asking, "What's up?"

"You wouldn't happen to be... chemistry students, would you?" she asks, deciding to put it to the test once and for all- is endearing cluelessness actually possible?

They exchange looks. "First year, yeah," both respond.

"Ah, thank goodness!" she exclaims. "Um, sorry. I'm Asuza Shiratori, from the ice-skating club. The president wanted me to find out about some... special effects for one of our upcoming performances, but it's hard because we don't have much of a budget," she says. "What we really want is some way of making coloured smoke. So, I say to myself, 'Asuza, who would know about making coloured smoke at this school?' And then I think, 'yeah! Science people!' So, um..."

She suddenly blinks, and blushes a deep red, glancing away. "..ifyoucouldhelpme, I'd really appreciate it!"

"Colored smoke?" the first boy repeats after her. "You mean, like with a signal flare?"

"Yeah, something like that! It's got to cover a decent area, and spread pretty quickly. At least, that's what the president said. Sometimes I think she asks too much, you know?"

"It doesn't sound too difficult," he responds with a glance at his friend, who nods. "But the problem would be making it harmless to the spectators if they get too close and inhale some."

"Mmm. We could probably have them sit back a bit," replies Nao, tapping her lip. "I'd be more worried about the skaters... you know, it doesn't have to last too long."

"Can you actually skate through colored smoke?" he asks curiously. "It'd be the same as going blind, pretty much, even if its harmless to the eyes."

"We'll practice lots," replies Nao, nodding. "I mean, what we're really going for is something impressive, so it's no good if they can't see us at all. We kind of want to... flit in and out, you know? Like ghosts or phantasms, the president said. We're getting one of those disco balls, too, and this'll complete the effect!"

"I guess we could talk to our advisor, see what we could come up with," the boy muses. "What did your president want, smoke that coils by the ground or something that rises upwards?"

"I hadn't really thought about that," admits Nao, chewing her finger. "Something that rises upwards could be best, but whatever spreads the quickest, I think."

"Sure thing," the two agree. "What's your president's name? We'll give her a call when we have something."

"Could you call me instead? She actually left the school this week to see her sick grandmother," replies Nao, looking very sombre indeed. "I'm meant to have something ready by the time she gets back."

"We could do that," he agrees. "Sure. What's, ah, your number?"

The boy seems quite eager to hear the answer.

Nao gives them her number."Thanks!" she responds, smiling cheerily and wandering back into the junior high section of the school.

"No problem!" he calls after her. "I'm Jin!"

"Yuto! I'm Yuto!" his more silent friend adds.

And then, Nao manages to escape the two.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

On her way back, Nao stops at the computer labs. Her efforts to look Arika up are fruitless, as the girl is not in the system yet. She sends a text message detailing the situation to Mai and Mikoto, but as the bell for class rings, Nao pauses. It does seem like the best time to test her physical limits, and Arika's presence in class had just made the entire thing more pressing.

It's imperative that she's not followed. Judging by her earlier attitude, Arika will use any and all opportunities to get alone with Nao. If she's interrupted while working herself out, it'd likely go badly.

She quietly makes her way out of the school whilst everyone else is going back in, slipping towards the now-familiar forest.

Stealth increases the time necessary for Nao's getaway, but not prohibitively so. Nao passes the dorms, and proceeds into the forest.

Climbing seems like a good way to start.

Nao's claws appear, and she tries using them to climb a particularly tall and smooth tree. It's possible that their sharpness, along with her weight, will make that impossible- but it's worth a try.

Nao's first attempts create much lumber, but she learns to utilize them better the more she practices with the claws. A true breakthrough comes when she makes the tips extend into long, sharp needles by accident. Made for stabbing as opposed to slashing, cutting and ripping apart, that configuration of her claws allows Nao to find sufficient purchase in the wooden surface of a tree.

Sitting on the top of a relatively high branch, Nao checks the length of these wondrous new tips. They'd make a pretty good surprise attack, if someone only saw the shorter variants; does the extension have enough force by itself to pierce the tree?

Nao has no problem piercing the ten inch needles all the way through the tree.

About a foot- that's good. They might make up a bit for her shortcomings.

Sine she's up so high, Nao starts going about getting down. It's as much a test of her gymnastic ability as anything; if she feels comfortable flipping, spinning or swinging along the way, she'll try it.

Nao leaps from branch to branch with surprising agility as she climbs down. She feels she can easily add a few flips into the process, but they seem a bit pointless.

Once she reaches the ground, Nao jumps straight back up again, putting as much force as she can into a jump that takes her straight up.

Nao's full-strength leap allows her to clear the tree. She put a bit too much strength, and overshoots her target by a few feet. There is, however, the inevitable drop down.

Elation suddenly gives way into panic. Just because she can jump this high might not necessarily mean gravity is her friend!

Summoning her claws again, Nao shoves them into the tree and uses that to slow her descent.

Nao neatly splits a nearby tree in ten uneven segments, though she gets back down safely.

There are a few other matters she needs to test out. Physical strength, for one thing; even without the claws, she feels pretty capable in that regard. She's more like a monster than a person, really. The one sobering thought is that she was already defeated, somehow. After all, no matter how strong you are, there's always someone better... right?

Juggling bits of a tree should determine her limits in that regard, and a short sprint should determine her land speed. But her claws remain, without a doubt, her flashiest ability, and she spends a few minutes just flexing and inspecting them, wondering if they possess other hidden traits.

They must, her mind insists, but no further explanation appears.

Juggling lumber doesn't really help Nao, however. Aside from a few annoying splinters, she doesn't have much of a difficulty tossing wooden blocks up.

When she runs, one thought wins over all else in Nao's mind. She is a ninja.

Braking in her tracks, Nao has almost run out of things to do.

There's not much need to practice hitting things with her claws; once she's close enough, it should only take a couple of swipes. They easily outpace a sword or spear, doubly so given her athletic ability. Reach is her only concern.

One final thing remains.

"Arach... can you hear me?"

A shadow rises from the ground, materializing before Nao. It is her monstrous Child.

"There you are. I knew I could count on you," she whispers. Forms can be deceiving. Arika seems as childlike and innocent as one would expect. Arach is the spitting image of a demon. As far as she's concerned, they both deserve the other's visage.

As for herself, Yuuki Nao... maybe she is exactly what she appears to be. One day, she'll look back and know for sure.

"You'll protect me from anything, I know that. I'll need you soon. I won't die like Shizuru..." she murmurs, patting the creature on the 'head'.

"I just hope it's enough."

The Child rises to its full length, awaiting orders.

"Go back, now. I just wanted to see you again," instructs Nao, deciding that it's high time she started heading back, too.

With a shimmer, Arach disappears from the world.

Nao's experiments take her the better part of an hour. At the end of the day, however, she finds that it must have been the most informative period of the day, as she is unable to recall anything covered in her other classes that day.

The public announcement system activates. A commanding voice demands that students gather in the auditorium. Nao doesn't recognize it, but quite a few students in her class groan at the news.

Nao takes note- self-study beats being taught.

"Who's that?" she asks, sidling up to Tamaki and looking rather pouty at the notion of needing to be at school for a second longer than necessary.

"Suzushiro-san," the girl responds. She seems to be one of those who are looking forward to the event. "She's in the student council! Well, not our student council, really, but the high-school section... and they always seem to be in charge of everyone else." She taps her lips thoughtfully. "I wonder whether they boss over the university crowd as well?"

"From what I've seen, it wouldn't be hard to make those guys roll over," replies Nao, shrugging. "She sounded... older, too. I was fooled!"

Tamaki shrugs. "That's only because you haven't seen Suzushiro-san. Once you do, you wouldn't really call her things like mature. I mean, old! Er. OldER!"

"She's not around, you can speak freely~" replies Nao. "So, uh... yeah! To the auditorium!" she pronounces, before realising she doesn't know where it is and just shuffling along with the rest of the students.

Tamaki is only too happy to show Nao the way. "Please don't tell her I said anything," she whispers. "I don't want them to take me to Sister Yukariko's lectures on the crimes of youth!"

"You can't commit crimes when you're young," replies Nao, philosophically. "They're just accidents."

Getting a glimpse of Arika, she amends that.

"They're *mostly* just accidents."

"Shh! The Executive Committee has spi-- I mean, there are a lot of people who volunteer for it."

"Really? Like who?"asks Nao, wide-eyed.

"Mostly boys who admire Suzushiro-san. And also some girls who admire Suzushiro-san."

"Does everyone on the council have a fanclub, then?"

"I think only the president and vice-president have fan clubs," Tamaki responds, frowing in thought. "Suzushiro-san would just yell a lot if she ever got a fanclub, so they can't really have one for her in the open. Kikukawa-san, the student council's secretary... she doesn't have a fanclub. That I know of. Not that I would try to find out or attempt to join or anything like that."

Nao seems to nod distantly at Tamaki's words, suddenly unable to offer further conversation.

Tamaki continues to ramble on about the student council, not really needing any further prompting. Nao learns that the council is apparently just those four students, though it does have quite a few helpers. The Executive Committee, lead by Suzushiro Haruka, is one. It operates under the mandate of the student council, and has a degree of autonomy, though Suzushiro is supposed to run her decision by the president. There are also others who interact with the student council, most notably Kuga Natsuki who can sometimes be seen in the room; no one really know what her affiliation with it is, if any. Tate Yuichi, likewise of the high school section, is also someone who is, by all accounts, the official gofer of the council.

"He's he the one who came and got me from class the other day?"asks Nao, thinking back to that spiky-haired wannabe cool guy.

Tamaki thinks back. "I guess so," she agrees. "I haven't really seen him before, so I wouldn't know, but he fits the description."

Nao nods to herself. She's unwilling to really speak about Natsuki or Shizuru in front of other people at this time, so she keeps silent for the rest of the trip.

A blonde girl in an outfit different than the rest of the students is pacing on the stage. As Shizuru also didn't wear a variant of the standard school uniform, it is quite likely the blonde is part of the student council. An armband Nao can't quite discern from the distance adorns the girl's wrist.

The assembly starts. Apparently, the blonde -- Suzushiro Haruka -- has no compunctions about speaking of Shizuru and her death in front of other people, which she does quite succinctly. Chaos erupts amongst the students. In Nao's immediate area, Tamaki looks stricken by the news.

Nao alone remains rather unfazed by the news, simply unable to participating in the angry shouts and speculation that are going on all around her. She can't help but cast a brief and hateful look at Arika before resuming a rather stony disposition.

Nao can't see Arika. She isn't even certain Arika entered the auditorium with everyone else.

Then she'll be hateful of nobody in particular. She just can't let it go.

A male student comes on stage, looking quite collected and handsome, if somber. He asks for a minute of silence in Shizuru's memory.

Nao isn't unwilling. She hasn't said a word since entering.

Would there be this sort of riot for anyone else, or just Shizuru? Kidnappings and comas should have rounded up similar interest, though murder is naturally a step ahead. But the number of people who seem to have been affected by this is almost surreal.

She can't exactly shake a guilty feeling of glee, either.

The auditorium is silent except for the quiet sobs of quite a few girls and a distant gunshot.

"What the-" yelps Nao, reacting a sight faster than anyone else to try and make out where the unmistakable report originated from.

People all around her startle, but as Nao tries to make out the source of the shot, she realizes that she is the one drawing all attention. Most of it is confusion, though there are a few glares thrown her way as well. Tamaki belongs to the first group.

The shot seems to have come from outside the auditorium.

Nao looks confused for a brief second. "Didn't any of you hear that?"she can't help but ask the glaring faces.

The faces are hostile. Nao can't find her confirmation there.

"There was a gunshot!" she shouts, starting to shove her way past other members of the audience, so she can run ahead and investigate herself.

Even if someone were to try and seriously impede Nao, she doubts they would succeed with the physical differences between them. Nao hears shouts as she leaves the hall, quite likely directed at her, but her attention is on trying to locate the source of the shot.

The church bell rings. Once, twice-- it doesn't seem to be stopping even after reaching twelve.

Is that where it came from? Nao follows the source of that sound.

She can't help but wonder if she can dodge a bullet. She decides along the way that she hopes she need not try.

Even if the sound were to reverberate after the shot itself, the loud ringing of the church bell pretty much makes Nao unable to determine its origin.

Well, something strange is going on over there, and it's probably worth checking out. Bells usually stop at twelve (or is it a twenty-four hour belltower?)

Nao can't really recall whether the bell was ever in use. What she does know, however, is that it's nowhere near the top of the hour.

It's definately strange, whatever it is.

She has no real choice but to hurry.

Nao runs with the wind. She is the first to arrive to the church, and how could she not?

She finds out the reason for the shot even before making it all the way into the church. A nun is standing atop the bell tower, aiming a strange pearly bow at a figure below, on the ground. Natsuki does not look amused at the gesture, and the gun -- the real gun, Nao notices -- in her hand is still trailing smoke.

"What the hell do you want, you crazy bitch?" Natsuki yells, aiming the gun at the nun.

An enemy of Natsuki is probably an enemy of Nao's.

Using whatever's handy for cover, she contemplates the idea of scaling the tower and coming up behind the nun.

Normally, such a feat would be both foolish to attempt and fruitless for the daring, as the nun shouldn't have trouble seeing anyone scaling the walls of the very tower she is standing atop. However, Nao has certain talents that help her with the first part, and Natsuki is doing an excellent job of drawing the woman's attention to herself.

"Repent your sins and accept the loving embrace of God!" the nun proclaims, firing a pair of shots at Natsuki. The bluette nimbly dodges to the left, and raises the gun in a practiced gesture before scowling. Her finger slackens on the trigger. "I don't even want to fight you!" she calls over to the nun. "I just need to see the basement! Greer must've left something when he left, something I overlooked! It's the only lead to Searrs!"

Oh. Well, Nao could've told her about that before she bothered climbing.

Once she reaches the top of the tower, she cocks her fist and delivers a solid blow to the back of the nun's head, hopefully putting her out for the count.

Nao must have stepped upon gravel, because there is a crunching sound as the advances to deliver her strike. The nun turns, her mouth opened in the shape of an O, just in time to receive a fist straight between the eyes.

She teeters at the edge, and falls.

Nao lunges for the nun's leg, hoping to prevent a rather messy end. She's not sure she'd be able to keep going if she causes a death in a stupid way like this!

The nun swings, and only sticking her claws straight through the tower's top to hold her position allows Nao to retain both her hold on the woman and her own stability. The swing ends with a dull thud, as the nun's head hits the side of the tower. Her bow drops down, becoming tiny motes of light on the way, which disappear before reaching the ground.

Grunting with the effort, Nao heaves the nun back into place on top of the tower. She briefly makes sure the nun isn't getting up anytime soon before quickly scaling back down the tower walls and dashing over to Natsuki.

"I already found her," she says. "Or, rather, she found me. She's in my fucking class!"

There is a bruise forming on the nun's forehead. Blood is dripping down her neck from where the back of her head hit the tower. The nun is still breathing, though she doesn't look like she would be waking up any time soon.

Natsuki is silent for a long moment. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know," replies Nao, shaking her head. 鉄ome Suzushiro person called an assembly to tell everyone about Shizuru. She vanished between the last class and then. I figure she's going to come after me sooner or later. She said as much.

"What the hell was going on here?"

Natsuki looks about to respond, before she glances left, then right. She hurriedly gestures for Nao to get down.

Nao is getting rather used to diving for cover, and she thusly hides without complaint.

Natsuki and Nao hide in the bushes by the church, crouching. Two officers come running towards the scene, breathing heavily. Natsuki's face twists in a scowl, and she gestures for Nao to follow her as she withdraws.

Nao has no arguments, trailing Natsuki back to wherever she's going; once the supernatural danger has been dealt with, she's far too happy to let cops sort everything else out. It's not like they'll find her.

"That freak just started shooting at me and ranting about Jesus's bosom." Natsuki looks very upset. "Woman lacks all common sense. Hime or not, a bullet in the head will put you down."

"I was beginning to wonder," admits Nao. "She saw me, though. That'll be a pain if she remembers. But Searrs... she's gotta be living on the campus somewhere, I think."

Natsuki grits her teeth. "Her arrogance will get her killed." The girl's hand tightens on the gun's handle.

"What next? That girl's going to come after me sooner or later. If she's not wearing her heart on her sleeve, she's a fucking good liar. I think we could ambush her."

Natsuki nods tersely. "If you think she's coming for you, then we'll use you as bait. Is Mai back yet?"

"I don't think so. She might be in her dorm by now, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't around at school.

"I talked to her last night, it's like you said. She'll only fight if she's attacked. She won't... put a stop to things."

"You're neighbors. Just get attacked at home." Natsuki looks away as she says it.

Nao snorts. "I guess. Frankly, I was more worried she'd just stab me during class."
She makes a disgustingly cute face. "'Hi, you'ree Nao, right? I'm Searrs Arika, let's be friends!' Disgusting."

Natsuki makes a disgusted sound. "Why don't you ask your new best friend over for drinks? Or dinner? Or sex, I don't care, as long as she comes and we blow her brains out."

"If she's alive by tomorrow, I'll consider it," replies Nao, rolling her eyes. 添ou gonna stick around? I figure that if she's coming, she'll come at night. If she doesn't, it's just a matter of finding her."

"This place is going to be crawling with cops," Natsuki responds, shaking her head. "I don't have much time. And if Searrs starts something with all of them around, they should buy you enough time with their lives to call me and lead her away. You know that trench Mai blasted in the mountain? Lure that witch over to the cave it leads from. She won't escape."

"I know the place. It's creepy, for some reason," replies Nao, her voice somehow thick with emotion.

"If Searrs was going to start something in front of people, she'd have done it in class. It'd be a pain for her if she blew her cover. But I'll do whatever it takes."

"Don't know if I'll be able to call you if she does something, though. Last time I was around her, my phone shorted out. Is yours even working?"

"I got it fixed," Natsuki says. "Damn. You're right, it's a problem. Is yours still working, after being in class with her?"

"It did at lunch," replies Nao, briefly checking. "I figure it only screws up when she pulls out her magical fairy powers or whatever it is."

Natsuki is the one to snort this time. "Magical fairy powers. Sure, whatever. Can you get a hold of a flare gun?"

"Would they keep one on campus somewhere? Like.. for camping or something?"

"As emergency supplies, maybe." Natsuki shrugs. "Suzushiro might have one. Or a dozen, anal-retentive freak that she is."

"I get the feeling she's not gonna like me much," opines Nao, optimistically.

"You don't need her to like you to steal her shit."

"I guess. Executive Committe have a place where they keep it? Somewhere in the high school building?"

Natsuki's mood darkens. "Suzushiro usually uses the student council room for that. Try it first."

"Alright," replies Nao. "What're you gonna do in the meanwhile?"

"I'll wait by that cave," Natsuki responds. "It's near enough, and there should be a seal around it. Normal people shouldn't be able to breach it easily."

"Okay. I better get going. I figure there are few people who want to have a chat with me right now, so I guess I'll avoid my dorm for a while.

"See you tonight."

Natsuki nods, and with a glance around, darts away. Nao is left alone, and with a start, she realizes that this place is familiar to her. She dreamt of it, when she was not herself and was about to crush a flower for some reason.

<--->

[Corwin]

[16:35] <--->
[16:37] It is a garden, somewhere behind one of the out-of-the-way school buildings. Nao is standing next to it, and though the feelings are foreign to her, she cannot escape both longing and sadness from filling her.
[16:41] Nao kneels in the field, mirroring her previous actions in a slight daze. She briefly cups a dandelion in one hand. "Shizuru," she murmurs, resisting the urge to immediately squash it. Did she grow up here? She must've been very young when she first saw this place...
[16:45] Someone comes around the corner. It is Arika, still in her school uniform. "Oh, so this is where you ran off to, Nao-chin!" she says perkily. "You thought that meeting was boring, too, right?"
[16:51] She keeps giving up perfect chances, really. Lightly picking the flower, Nao turns around to face Arika. "When did you run off?"
[16:52] "Oh, when everyone started sobbing, I think," Arika responds flippantly. "Really! All that just for one weak girl?"
[16:54] "Not weak enough to survive," replies Nao, bitterly. "Where do you get off on murder? You can't seriously be as pathetic as I think you are."
[16:56] "Murder?" Arika asks, surprised. "All I'm doing is making the world the way it should be. You aren't supposed to exist in it, you know." She sounds as if she's repeating something said to her before.
[17:02] "Anyone with an attitude like that doesn't need to exist," replies Nao, crushing the flower and letting the petals float to the grass below. "You really are pathetic. Deciding who lives and dies? What, you think you're some kind of god?"
[17:04] "Daddy said that when you all died like you're supposed to, I could become a queen!" Arika returns happily. "That's kinda like a god, isn't it? I'll be able to decide the 'fate of the world' and all those complicated things."
[17:05] "He's lying~"
[17:06] Arika's face twists. "Daddy wouldn't lie!" A distortion in the air heralds the materialization of her massive double-bladed sword.
[17:07] "He's been lying to you from the start~," replies Nao, not bothering to summon her claws. "It's so easy. A kind word here. A promise there. They're just words. A Queen? You? You really think he'd leave the fate of the world up to an ant?"
[17:14] "What's wrong with an ant?!" Arika whines. Someone rounds the opposite corner of the building, shining a flashlight at the pair. It is hardly dark enough to need one, but the light in Nao's eyes makes it hard to make out the person's features.
[17:21] Nao's eyes narrow, and she leaps to a ridiculous height, flying smoothly through one of the higher windows and coming to rest on her feet. Being indoors favours her against the witch, as long as nobody else is around...
[17:24] "Hey!" a male voice calls as Nao leaps. There is a hum, and just as Nao disappears through the open third floor window, the darkening skies behind her illuminate with radiant white. There is a gurgle; the glow begins to disappear.
[17:28] Nao whirls around and peers back through the window, ready to roll aside at any moment. An unknown factor appeared, and now this... fight or flight?
[17:31] Nao is just in time to see one of the blades slide back into place, forming a sword once more. A deep trench has been gouged out of the ground, and a few trees are burning past the building. A heavily-scorched, twisted object that might once have been a flashlight lies on the ground by the trench, inactive.
[17:31] Arika looks up, catching Nao's glance. "Be with you in just a sec, Nao-chin!"
[17:35] The second Arika seems like she's about to move, Nao points an accusatory finger at her and shouts "Arach!" No clear course of action is highlighted in her mind right now- merely sheer, murderous intent.
[17:37] "We're playing after all!" Arika exclaims happily, just before a spindly, shadowy arm reaches out of the very building to smack her away. Nao's Child emerges fully, almost reaching the second floor of the building, while Arika bounces off the ground a few times, ruining the flower field. She does manage to maintain her hold on her sword thoughout all this.
[17:39] Plans and thoughts fly from Nao's head. She has no idea just what Arach will do, if he's capable of taking care of her on his own or if he'll need help- but if Arika concentrates on him, she's less likely to be focusing on Nao.
[17:41] "After her!" she cries, getting ready to scramble down the school wall and hide behind him. Pity she didn't get killed instantly, but that'd be too much to hope for.
[17:44] Fear -- deep, primal fear -- lances through Nao's soul as she leaves her Child behind to look for cover. Will she see it die again?
[17:46] The monster twitches, and with a tearing sound, more and more legs appear until the lower body is truly that of a spider. The front two arms elongate unnaturally, glinting as metal does, and stab at Arika. A loud clang serves to inform Nao that Arika had blocked them with her own weapon. Two -- no, three -- gunshots are heard from somewhere on campus; Nao thinks they came from the direction of her dorm.
[17:49] There's no time to concentrate on that. If Natsuki's in trouble, she has to deal with it. Sliding down the side of the school wall, Nao kicks off against it, leaving behind a sizable dent as she leaps across the field! Instead of trusting her judgement, she trusts her instincts-
[17:50] -her claws appear again, replacing her fingers with a dull flash. While Arika is engaged with Arach, she flies towards the girl, aiming to deliver a single, fatal slash!
[17:53] With a burst of strength, Arika pushes the monster towering above her back. She springs from her defensive position, kneeling on one knee, and tumbles through the air gracefully. Her sword slashes upwards, and for the first time, Nao finds a substance that doesn't fall before her claws. Arika continues to twirl in mid-air, seeming to defy gravity itself, and the other end of her sword comes towards Nao, whose own claws have been deflected out of position earlier.
[17:58] Unable to fly, merely fall, Nao has little choice but to interpose her black fingers between her body and the sword! She aims to catch the blade between the fingers- anything to stop it touching the rest of her! The second she feels contact, the tips extend violently- where the sword is, Arika won't be far behind.
[17:59] Nao finds herself slammed ruthlessly into the ground! Her vision goes dark for the longest of moments, her ears ringing in sympathy. Something thick is running down her fingers.
[18:01] "That's the spirit, Nao-chin!" Arika's voice drifts over to her, as the sword Nao barely stopped an inch from her heart withdraws. Even more of the liquid -- blood -- spills over Nao at that. Her Child is roaring in defiance.
[18:02] The important thing is that her fingers are still there to feel the blood. The next most important thing is if they can still move. She'll find out the answer to that as she slashes across the air in front of her before flipping to her feet- and then there's time to look and see.
[18:05] Nao's claws find no resistance, and the girl manages to flip to her feet. The movement is clumsy, even for someone normal, but accomplishes the job. Nao's head begins to clear, and she realizes her ears aren't the ones ringing. Somewhere on campus, fire alarms have been triggered.
[18:05] Arika is floating in the air several meters away. Translucent, green sheets of energy serve as makeshift wings, extending from the girl's shoulder blades.
[18:06] Three important lessons were quickly learned. The first was that Arika's swordplay is far too good. The second is that claws, as she suspected, are terrible for defence- distance is going to be the only way she can avoid being struck.
[18:15] And, finally, not being able to fly is going to be a significant hindrance. Out here, in the open, they're just targets. She's lucky Arika treats this like a game. Lifting her bloodied hand to her lips, she licks the wound. "Aren't you supposed to be killing me?" she asks, adopting some kind of stance. But her real goal is to find a chance to flee; this battlefield just won't favour her.
[18:18] It's not her blood, Nao realizes. "Well, yeah," Arika responds. "Are you going to beg now? That other girl did. Are you?"
[18:18] Nao's Child is crouching, off to the side. Arika is low enough Nao thinks it could make the jump.
[18:20] "I don't beg," replies Nao. If it's not her blood, and Arika isn't bleeding... is it even red? "And neither would Shizuru. You're lying!"
[18:23] Arika isn't bleeding, though her shirt does look a bit stained in the chest area. "Oh, am I?" Holding her sword in one hand, she taps her lips thoughtfully with the other. "'Please let her go... I'm sorry....' She made such a big deal out of becoming your friend I just had to try it." Arika smiles. "And it's pretty fun, actually! I never killed a friend before! Did you?"
[18:28] Nao can't let it get to her. There's time enough to be mad before and afterwards. "I'm warming up to the idea," she spits, backing towards the school building.
[18:31] The spider lunges! Arika turns in time to face it, diverting its blade-arms, but then she looks shocked as wings much like her own spring out of the Child's back. There is a blast of iridescent light, and the monster pushes Arika back, crashing her into the second story of the building. Bricks are loosened, windows shatter, and Nao has a perfect chance to strike!
[18:34] Nao doesn't question it. She doesn't intent to give Arika time to utter any more words. The claws elongate into slender needles once again, pushes herself up and off the ground, intending to pin the bitch against the wall- floor- ceiling- it doesn't matter as long as she's dead!
[18:40] Arika tries to wriggle away, but Arach extends its other legs, and then drives them into her body. They are not as sharp or metallic as the front arms, but Nao hears Arika exhale sharply even as she leaps up, and then again once her claws find purchase in her stomach.
[18:42] "You had so many chances," whispers Nao, twisting them inside Arika's body and pulling them sharply upwards. What exactly happens doesn't bear thinking of. "In the next life, take the first one."
[18:45] As Nao's claws move upwards, Arika's wings suddenly flash bright green. Even closing her eyes does not chase the light away, as it claws at Nao's irises with a frenzy!
[18:48] No! She'll die right here! Nao tears her claws through the girl, and kicks off her, taking her far away from the glowing woman! "Arach, begone!" she commands, unable to prevent a sense of dread from overtaking her.
[18:55] There is an absense of sound. Nao is blind, tumbling to the ground, covered in blood; Arika's blood, and there is so much of it. How could anyone still move, still be alive, after sustaining such wounds? She feels pain, and it is not her own. Her Child twists in agony, Nao knows through her link, but her command sends him back whence he came from.
[18:55] Nao impacts against the ground. Her back hurts, and it's difficult to breathe.
[18:58] Nao can't prevent herself from uttering a short scream and a yelp as she collides with the dirt. But she can't rest longer than a few seconds, not unless she's absolutely certain Arika is dead. Mai was already mistaken once. Painfully, she tries to clear her eyes.
[19:01] She hears two gunshots before her eyes resolve any images. Natsuki is standing protectively over her, gun drawn and braced with both arms. Nao's sight is still blurry, but she watches Natsuki throw her a glance before moving over to the heavily-damaged school building. She points the gun at something on the ground and pulls the trigger again.
[19:03] "...'bout fucking time, Kuga," Nao manages, before a peaceful smile falls upon her face. It's over, it's over. Nobody out there wants her dead anymore. Now she can sleep.
[19:04] Natsuki does not respond. Her finger squeezes the trigger mechanically, and another shot rings out. Then another. The gun is empty, soon, and she still continues the motion, staring down at the ground.
[19:06] <--->