Fuka: the Final Chapter (Nao)

[Corwin]

<--->

Nao's entire world is blurry. Her eyes attempt to paint it ever-clearer, reporting their pain as an aside. Someone is firing a gun. Natsuki. Her prone target twitches the first few shots. The hammer clicks methodically, as Natsuki continues squeezing the trigger, her ammunition having run out.

Nao would like almost nothing more than to simply fall asleep.

Her body isn't complying, however, and the problems that could result if she does move to somewhere else are enough to prompt her to an attempt at action. The first thing to try is standing up; she can figure out where she is after that.

The flower field-- it's not much of one, now. Nao feels a pang of regret, entirely foreign to her.

The gun's hammer suddenly goes silent. Natsuki sags to her knees.

It's just grass, Nao tells herself rather roughly. It'll grow back. Shizuru won't.

Rather painfully, she starts inching towards Natsuki, uncomfortably aware that right now, they both probably look like insane psychopaths. Maybe it's not far wrong; more than any other emotion, glee is the only thing she feels in the wake of Arika's punishment.

Natsuki doesn't register Nao's slow approach. The gun in her hand drops on the ground.

Nao approaches a little faster, dismissing her claws when she reaches Natsuki and putting a hand on her shoulder. "We've got to go," she says, raggedly, glancing fleetingly at the scene in front of her.

Arika lays there, gutted horribly from pelvis to chest, her entire torso punctured. It is mostly due to these injuries that Nao recognizes her, for the girl certainly doesn't have a face anymore.

"Yeah, you should go," Natsuki says softly. There's blood on her back.

Nao spares a glance for it. Hers? Natsuki was wounded?

Though the bluette is crouching, at least light is not a problem. What remains of the sunlight is augmented with a soft green flow. It is coming from Arika's body.

There are two more blood stains on Natsuki's front. One of them, the one covering her stomach, seems to correspond to the one on her back, while the other is on her left shoulder.

"Who did it? I'll-" starts Nao, before her voices sags, and her shoulders begin to shake.

"No... you better not die on me! I'll get help, somehow, just... wait," she manages, sounding futile and pleading to her own ears.

"Stealth or speed, had to choose one," Natsuki tells her with a snort. It sounds pained. "We both know the place will be swarming with cops any moment. You can't stay here." She pauses. "Thanks. For avenging her."

"I'm sorry," replies Nao, withdrawing her hand. "I'm sorry," she repeats. "I'll see you again. I really won't forgive you if I can't!"

But she's right. She has to go. At least she's not bleeding; she won't leave a trail. The cops will probably come from the church- she goes in the opposite direction.

Heading towards her dorm, Nao realizes that she is following a blood trail. It must be Natsuki, unless several people were wounded and traveled in that direction recently.

It must have been those gunshots she heard earlier... she'd thought, maybe, it was Arika's last attack, but perhaps not.

The sooner the cops get there, the sooner they might save her. Or maybe they won't, by choice. At least it'll be easy for them to follow. If they were following. The fight might have only been a minute or two, but it wasn't all that far...

Not to a Hime, at least. Boosted strength, speed and constitution seem to be part of the package. And enhanced senses... which are telling Nao that someone is hiding in a hedge by the side of the path.

She's been spotted! She should've been more careful...

"Who?" she snaps, whirling to face the offending plant. Better tie up this loose end now.

There is shuffling. A girl stands up, seeming mousy. She has a pair of glasses that Nao desperately wishes could be hers, if that would help ease the pain in her eyes from the constant exertion to see at the levels Nao is accustomed to.

"Yuuki-san?" the girl asks. She is wearing a high school uniform, and Nao doesn't need her inner voice to tell her that it is Kikukawa Yukino. The somewhat-hesitant way she addressed her is the same as when they spoke over the phone.

"...Yukino? I talked to you on the phone," remembers Nao, peering back at the girl. Isn't she shocked by Nao's appearance?

By the way the girl's eyes are drawn to Nao's bloody fingers as fresh blood covers them and the rest of Nao's hands halfway to the elbow, shock is certainly a leading contender.

"There's someone back there who needs an ambulance," says Nao, glancing away. "You'd better call one for her. I'm not sure she'll last long."

"Did you-- I mean--" Yukino sounds flustered, and her posture is so defensive Nao feels an urge to slap her around.

"I didn't do anything... wrong," replies Nao, at length, before she starts to shout. "I didn't! That girl killed Shizuru, and I killed her, and now Natsuki- just call for help! I can't, not like this!"

"Why?"

"...my phone's dead," she manages, ignoring her bloody clothes for the time being. "I- it's complicated, I can explain later- cops can't handle it, and I'm scared of what will happen if they try- I have to go!"

Panicing, she starts to run away from the girl, doing her best to avoid any future encounters with... just about anyone, at this point.

Nao is undisturbed as she makes it to her dorm. Fire alarms are still going around the campus, audible despite the distance. A pair of cops are lying on the ground by the building, one of them in a puddle of blood.

What now?

Nao gingerly steps around the cops; given the alarms and everything going on, emergency services will be here soon enough regardless of what she does. She does her best washing away the blood that covers her hands and chest, and shreds her useless uniform into so many scraps. Stuffing them into a plastic bag, she gets changed into her spare and slips out a window.

She'll bury this stuff somewhere in the forest, where nobody will ever find it. Then she'll hide there for a while, and then probably see what's happening at night.

No one comes knocking on Nao's door, be their officials or fellow students. A place to bury the evidence is likewise easily found in the forest. No mysterious lights, green or otherwise, illuminate the skies as she does so.

It takes a couple of hours for Nao's nerves to settle. After that, she eventually dares making her way out of the woods; in a situation like this, she's not sure exactly how people will respond. But near the front of the school, she supposes, is where it'll all be happening. She can't exactly hide forever; given her exclamation during the assembly, there's a chance someone will want to speak to her. The idea of hiding, virtually forever, doesn't appeal to her; so that's where she goes. She can always run away later, it's not like anyone could stop her.

No one except for a Hime, a thought counters instantly, as a fresh surge of adrenaline hits Nao. But she took care of one just fine, didn't she?

Four boys and a girl wearing white bands on their sleeves can be seen behind the front gate. It is closed.

Night has arrived in all its glory as Nao waited in the woods, granting her eyes much-needed rest.

Well, time to bite the bullet.

Nao steps out of the forest and heads towards the gate, glancing at the boys and girls and looking, all things told, rather frightened.

"What are you doing out?" the girl asks, approaching. She uses her flashlight on Nao's clothes, before raising it to her face.

Daggers stab into Nao's eyes, as all she knows is pain.

Nao raises her hand in front of her eyes. wincing in pain. "I.. I was hiding," she stammers. "Has everything... stopped?"

Two of the boys are unlocking the gate. "You will be safe inside," the girl tells Nao.

"Ah, thank you. Uh, do you know what happened, yet?" she asks, starting to walk closer.

"The Executive Committee has suffered a terrible blow on this day of infamy," the girl tells Nao sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"Suzushiro-san was taken to the hospital."

"...Haruka? Haruka Suzushiro?" asks Nao, thinking back- that's the name of the girl who was speaking, and who she also was going to steal a flaregun from. Right. "I.. see. That's dreadful," manages Nao. No mention of Natsuki, and it would seem strange to ask. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Kikukawa-san thinks so," the girl affirms, seeming to take heart at Nao's interest in her leader's well-being. "But she won't forgive us for our mishap. An officer might lose his leg because we weren't alert enough...."

"..you know, if it were any other time, I'd think you were joking," replies Nao, a little shakily. "Uh. Anyway, where should I go? The auditorium?"

"Which dorm are you from?" she asks. Now that Nao is safely inside the school proper, the gate is being closed behind her once again.

"Uh, the one down that way," replies Nao, pointing in the aforementioned direction. "I haven't gone back there, though."

"A good thing, too," the girl tells her. Now that she's closer to her, and not shining a flashlight in her eyes, Nao can see that the girl is a few years older than she is, probably a senior in the high school section. "We've isolated it on orders from the president. The auditorium's where everyone from it is being housed for the time being."

"Ok. Thanks a lot!"

It's been a hectic few days, and Nao has to hand it to the students doing public service like that; even though the truth is likely scarier than the rumours, you'd still have to be pretty brave.

She starts jogging towards the auditorium, feeling a little better.

More students with the now-familiar white bands can be seen along the way, a sizeable group of them manning the perimeter to the auditorium. Nao can hear the unmistakable sounds of dozens of teens within.

Nao sort of mosies on in, wishing her hair wasn't so red and obvious.

"Ah, another one?" Nao is asked. A girl beloning to the Executive Committee is there, this one with a nametag placed conveniently on the breast of her school uniform. It reads 'Karas Yuki'.

"Hi," says Nao, lamely. "How's it going?"

"As could be expected, under the circumstances. Better, even." She extends a hand to Nao. "Karas Yuki, acting secretary for the student council. I'm holding down the fort here for Suzushiro-san until she gets back."

Nao takes the hand, giving it a shake. "Heya. Yuuki Nao," she replies. "I heard about Suzushiro from the guys at the gate, but they said she'll be fine?"

"Our hopes and prayers are with her," Yuki responds. "It sounded like she was blinded by that light, from what Kikukawa-san was saying."

"Ah... I think I know what you're talking about, though I didn't see it full on," replies Nao. Well, she did, just about, but she's some kind of iron girl, so it wasn't that much of a problem.

Still, Suzushiro couldn't have been close by when the light flared out, and she was blinded! If she'd been any closer...

Maybe it's too dangerous to stay around the school. But Nao just has nowhere else to go.

"I don't think there's anyone on campus who didn't see it," Yuki says with a snort. "Or off campus, for that matter. We're lucky for the mountain between us and the city, or there'd be total chaos there now. We can't spare the manpower to calm people down elsewhere."

"Was Suzushiro the only one affected?"

"Some have been complaining of headaches, sickness, that kind of thing. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, mostly. My vision was blurry for a while," replies Nao. "But it's been improving. I didn't really look directly at it."

"Really?" Yuki frowns. "That's strange. Yours is the first case I heard about this. Where exactly were you at that time?"

"I'm not sure about exactly where," admits Nao. "I don't know my way around some parts of the school very well, so I got lost, and then I was stumbling around for a bit."

That seems to satisfy Yuki. "Well, you shouldn't get lost inside," she tells Nao. "So it's either in you go, or I take you to the hospital to get looked at. Choose your poison."

"I'll go inside, I think I'll be fine," replies Nao. "Thanks for the concern."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[16:38] Nao finds it difficult to sleep during the night, but she manages to catch some rest before being woken unceremoniously by the invading sunlight. It makes her eyes water.
[16:40] Nao slowly sits up, trying to rub the water out of her eyes. There weren't any dreams or nightmares tonight, just a very empty, and somewhat uncomfortable sleep.
[16:41] It doesn't really help, although covering her eyes with her hands alleviates the pain until she removes them and tries to look around again.
[16:42] Great. Wearing glasses doesn't compliment her features (and worse yet, they'll probably fall off at an inopportune time.) If they're a little better than yesterday, it'll be enough, but otherwise, maybe she really does need to see an optometrist.
[16:46] As Nao considers her options, she hears more than spots someone arrive at the auditorium. The concept of stealth seems anathema to this person, she feels instinctively.
[16:46] Yuki comes to attention. "Welcome back, Suzushiro-san!" she says brightly, smiling at Haruka.
[16:47] "Too loud..." complains Nao, finding her covers and hiding back underneath them to block away the sun.
[16:50] Haruka strides in and surveys her troops--er, fellow students. "What's the situation?" she demands of her aide.
[16:51] "Everyone staying at... that dorm... has been made comfortable here instead," Yukino reports to her, having recovered from whatever seemed to be ailing her back in the hospital. Yuki nods at that assessment. "We're pretty confident we got the lot of them here, Suzushiro-san, and the rest have been confirmed as staying over with their classmates."
[16:52] At the sound of Yukino's voice, Nao turns over under her covers so she's facing the other way.
[16:53] Haruka isn't quite up to harassing blatantly lazy students just yet, but it'll be on the agenda once she's talked through the situation! "Good," she says. "No one other than Sister Yukariko injured? Did we hear anything from the police?"
[16:54] "They've been awfully tight-lipped," Yuki responds. "That alone should tell us something."
[16:57] Haruka frowns, but the usual Why Am I Not Told Everything rant doesn't quite happen. "Alright. Has Tokiha returned to the campus? Has anyone spotted Nao since she ran out on my speech?"
[16:58] Nao is invisible as long as nobody looks at her.
[17:01] "Nao? Yuuki Nao?" Yuki asks, blinking. "She's right here. Came in last night." Thinking about it, she adds, "Haven't heard anything about Tokiha. Were we supposed to be on the lookout for her, Suzushiro-san?"
[17:02] "I'd like to talk to her," Haruka says. "She was there in town when everything went hardwired. And she just disappeared from the hospital last night, right? What's up with that?" She glances around the auditorium. "But right now I need to see Nao!"
[17:03] "Alliterations," Yukino sighs softly. "She's right there, Haruka-chan," she says, pointing at a blanket-covered form.
[17:04] "it'stooearlygoaway" mumbles Nao, pulling her pillow over her head and apparently trying to strangle herself.
[17:06] Haruka marches right over to the blanket-shrouded form and attempts to yank it off. "This is no time for lollygagging! Fuka Academy is in *trouble* and I have reason to believe you hold vital information!"
[17:06] A fuzzy red-tipped form is lying there. If she squints, Haruka can see that it is indeed Nao, hugging a pillow to her face.
[17:07] Nao rolls over and peers up at Haruka through heavily lidded, extremely bloodshot eyes. "If it happened before last Thursday, I don't know about it," she grumbles, squinting up towards Haruka with a horrific bedhead.
[17:08] The light, it stabs its lances into Nao's eyes and through them!
[17:08] The eyes promptly shut, and with them, Haruka is saved from a vision into something truly hellish.
[17:08] "It happened last night," Haruka says. "Some of it. Other things happened on Saturday." The two of them squinting at each other must look truly undignified.
[17:09] If it does, no one is commenting.
[17:10] "Oh. Well. Someone fired a gun? Yesterday?" she insists, drawing herself to the knees and holding a hand in front of her eyes. "Then there was that weird green light. Uh. I think that's it? Seems like you saw it better than me."
[17:13] Haruka suddenly seems to remember that she and Nao are in a room full of other students. "Look, let's talk about this in private. Hey, Yukino? We've going to the student council room."
[17:15] Nao looks like she wants to complain, but staggers to her feet regardless. She apparently slept in her uniform last night, and it looks pretty rumbled. "Nngh. Sure. Whatever," she manages. "You got a shower in there?"
[17:15] "Are you sure you want to do that, Haruka-chan?" Yukino asks quietly, suddenly by the blonde's side.
[17:17] Bafflement. "What? No? This isn't time to worry about your appearance. The fate of Fuka itself might hang in the balance!" She takes Nao's hand and practically drags her away; she seems to just assume that Nao will follow her automatically. "Yes, Yukino. Now, come on."
[17:18] "'sjust a school," mutters Nao, letting Haruka drag her away.
[17:18] Yukino is following a few steps behind them. Behind Nao, the red-head realizes after a short while. Directly behind her, in fact.
[17:19] "Just a schoo--JUST A SCHOOL?! I've never heard such utter nonsense in my entire life! You should be proud to count yourself a student of Fuka Academy!" Haruka proclaims, pumping her fist in the air.
[17:20] There is a quiet sigh behind the two.
[17:21] Yukino has nothing to fear from Nao, so it's difficult for the redhead not to just laugh. "Do you have to scream? I'm right here, you know," she drawls, unable to summon up anything resembling enthusiasm.
[17:23] "I'm not screaming. I'm enthusistatic," Haruka corrects. "You could stand to learn a thing or two about enthusistatim. Ah, here we are." Well, hopefully. True, Haruka can't see well right now, but she should know how to get to this particular room with her eyes closed.
[17:24] And she's hardly to nearsighted that she would walk into walls. As she opens the door, Haruka finds the room empty, though realistically, she wouldn't expect to see Reito there at such an early hour.
[17:24] Nao doesn't, and wouldn't know where she was if she did. "I'll be as enthusiastic as you want at lunchtime," she yawns, stumbling after the girl and holding her spare hand to her eyes. What cruel genius included all these goddamned windows, anyway?
[17:25] Haruka assumes Yukino will close the door behind them all and just starts with the interrogation immediately. "Right, let's start with Saturday. You were in town with Fujino and the others, right?"
[17:26] "Right," replies Nao, sitting up straight. "It was my idea. I wanted to see what it was like."
[17:27] The windows have curtains Nao can draw over them, at least. Yukino indeed closes the door, coming to stand right in front of it, her hands gathered in her lap.
[17:27] Nao walks over and manages that, finding the dimmer surroundings far preferable.
[17:28] "What what was like?" Haruka wonders, confused. Eh, it doesn't matter. Understanding the inner workings of Yuuki Nao isn't really her goal here! "Okay. So where were you when the explosion happened?"
[17:28] "Uh, which one?"
[17:29] "Either one! Start at the beginning."
[17:30] "Ok. So I woke up on thursday with no memory," replies Nao, musing. "I sort of wandered out the dorm and got lost, but eventually found my way to the school. I beat up Natsuki because she slapped me, and then Shizuru dragged me off into some office and told me who I was. After that..."
[17:30] Nao's eyes only prickle, now. "After that?" Yukino asks.
[17:31] "Whoa whoa whoa. You're amniotic? How'd that happen?"
[17:31] Haruka seems totally unaware of the futility of asking this question.
[17:31] "...after that, I went to class. It was pretty boring," continues Nao. "I mean, it's really easy stuff, but apparently my grades were bad before? Anyway, then we had PE class, and Mikoto and I sort of trashed the other team, and then I fainted and woke up back in the dorm."
[17:31] "Er, I mean, the infirmary. And that's a REALLY GOOD QUESTION."
[17:32] Yukino makes her way to Haruka, and leans over, whispering something into her ear.
[17:32] Haruka waves this away. "Alright, well, go on, we can come back to that one when you remember."
[17:32] Yukino ducks her head.
[17:33] "Right. Anyway, after that, I got my stuff and went back to my dorm. Hung out with Mai and Mikoto a bit. Uh... Friday was pretty boring, can't think of anything there. Oh, yeah! Shizuru moved into my dorm for some reason. I think she felt sorry for me because this Senoh chick vanished."
[17:34] Haruka nods. "We're still looking for Senoh."
[17:35] "Yeah. Anyway, we didn't really talk too much. To be honest, talking to her is pretty hard," mumbles Nao, shaking her head. "Sorry, I don't mean to- anyway. I decided to go to town the next day, because, you know, I'd never been. So I grabbed Mikoto, Mai, and they grabbed a couple of guys, and we went to the park."
[17:35] "We were just messing around for a while; Shizuru went to get ice-cream, and we were playing tag, but then there was some huge explosion! I kinda panicked and ran off with the guys; we got seperated from the others. Had to feed Takumi some medicine, poor guy was having a fit."
[17:36] "We ended up waiting at the bus shelter, but Shizuru came by and picked us up in a taxi. Had to take Takumi to the hospital. We met up with the others there.. oh, right, Natsuki was there, too. She didn't come with us, so it seemed pretty weird."
[17:37] Haruka nods. "I know what you mean, I could never talk to Shizuru either. And Takumi is still in the hospital. He seems to be better now, though that friend of his was a hassle."
[17:38] "So Natsuki didn't leave with you all in the first place? You just met her by accident at the hospital?"
[17:38] "Yeah, that's how it happened. I felt pretty uncomfortable around her... I mean, she showed me around the school and stuff, but I had this impression that we didn't really get on very well. And, well, I did sort of wrestle her in front of everyone..."
[17:39] This bit stops Haruka cold. "Huh?"
[17:40] "Well, you know. Back on Thursday? I was pretty confused, and just wandering around being an idiot. I run into Natsuki, and she thinks I'm just pulling some trick, right? So she slaps me, and I sorta, uh, take her down."
[17:41] "...Oh. Well. Okay. Go on, then. You'd just got to the hospital?"
[17:42] "Yeah. We dropped Takumi off and waited a while, and then Shizuru showed up. We went around the back to chat, because it was kinda noisy. She had some stuff to give me, a debit card, and I had a couple questions about Natsuki and the others for her that.. well, you know. I didn't want to ask in front of them. I go back up without her, she wanted to stay outside for some reason."
[17:43] "I get to the top of the stairs, and go back to sit down. Then... there's this flash, and another explosion. I sorta panicked and ran off with the crowd again, I  mean, I was terrified! Well, no, I'm getting pretty used to it by now..."
[17:45] Haruka shakes her head. "These are sad times, when we get used to spontaneous combustion as part of everyday life. So, what did you do after that?"
[17:47] "I had trouble getting money out with my card after that," replies Nao. "I think it broke, along with my phone, still don't know why. After I got away, I sorta just.. tried to get away from people, you know? I thought there were terrorists around or something like that." She clasps her hands, and her eyes fall to the floor.
[17:48] "I found out later that the buses were taking people on even if they couldn't pay, so I got on one and went back home. It was pretty late. Shizuru wasn't there, but I figured she was still in the city or just went back to her place. I should've guessed something was wrong on Sunday, but... it's still coming back to me. What's weird and what's not."
[17:49] A nod. "I know what you mean. I know exactly what you mean! Every day lately, something terrible happens. I want you to know that I'm working to stop it, and I will not rest until Fuka is safe again! ...And my phone is dead, too. I think everyone's is. Maybe that's part of the conspiracy?"
[17:52] "Ah... really? Yeah, this is... pretty bad. Do you know what's going on? Can you tell me?" asks Nao, blinking up at Haruka with wide eyes. "I'm.. sorry, it just seems like half the people I know keep vanishing on me! That Senoh girl, Shizuru, and I haven't seen Natsuki, Mai, or Mikoto since I got back to school on Saturday..."
[17:54] "I'm...working on it," Haruka concedes, a little taken aback by hearing this kind of outburst from Nao. "And I think you can help. I'm sure Shizuru knew something about what's going on. I want you to think over your conversations with her and try to remember anything, *anything* that might seem odd."
[17:56] "It was mostly just about classes, who I was... there was something about vampire attacks? She doesn't like getting the police involved here when things go wrong?"
[17:58] "Tch. She takes after Natsuki that way, then. Has to do everything on her own. What did she say about vampires?"
[17:58] "Considering what happened to those that did, was she really wrong?" Yukino asks suddenly. "Two-- two are still in the hospital! And they're looking for the third! And it was just one night!"
[17:59] "Not much. There were some attacks, like, I think people were drained of blood or had bite marks or something. And then they stopped. It was a pretty abrupt story.. uh, what?"
[18:02] "Okay, look, calm down! Geez, you don't see me calling the cops right now, do you? Anyway, yeah, the attacks stopped, and Shizuru just said it was dealt with and I didn't have to worry about it. But obviously something's still going on. I think Sister Yukariko was involved too, somehow. Have you talked to her at all lately?"
[18:02] "Talked to who?"
[18:03] "Yukariko. I'm sure she knows something important, but she's in the hospital now and I can't reach her."
[18:04] "Sorry. I don't know that person," replies Nao, shakily. "What happened to her?"
[18:04] "Someone hit her very hard. Officers are now watching over her," Yukino says, her voice a bit harsher than before. "It happened last night, Yuuki-san."
[18:05] "I don't know!" Haruka says, exasperated. "She was attacked, *in her own church*," she adds for emphasis, clearly a great respecter of the sanctity of holy places.
[18:06] "It was a very vicious attack," Yukino adds, glaring at Nao.
[18:06] "How dreadful! I wish I could help you find the culprit... It's ridiculous. A nun would never attack anyone. Especially not in her own church. There would just be no reason for such a henious act! Why, it's a wonder someone so unscrupulous didn't finish the job!" replies Nao, thickly.
[18:07] "Maybe they had to flee before help arrived," Yukino notes coldly.
[18:08] Haruka quirks an eyebrow, not sure what to make of this whole act. "Uh, right. Okay, let's skip to last night. What happened after you left the auditorium? Did you see Kuga anywhere? I know she was here."
[18:09] "Not much. I didn't really see anything. There was that big green flash, but I had got lost around one side of the school by then. More gunshots, too. I ran off and hid in the forest," replies Nao, shakily. "I still don't know what possessed me to run out back then."
[18:12] "Well, I know I ran out because if there's a gunfight on the school grounds, the authorities *have* to put a stop to it." She nods. That's totally straightforward, right? Though, the redhead's motivation probably wasn't the same. Yuuki Nao, concerned citizen--that doesn't match up to prior experience. "Okay, so you saw the light. Did you have any weird dreams afterwards?"
[18:13] "No, no dreams last night," replies Nao, shaking her head, but she seems curious. "Did you?"
[18:14] Yukino looks troubled by the direction the conversation seems to be taking.
[18:14] Yeah, well, Yukino looks troubled by everything! That girl.
[18:14] "Well, yes!" Haruka confirms without elaborating. "Oh, right: did shizuru ever mention something called Orihime?"
[18:15] "Nope."
[18:15] "-wait, what?"
[18:16] "What do you mean 'what?' It's a straightforward question," Haruka says.
[18:16] "Can you repeat the question? I'm not sure I heard it right," replies Nao.
[18:16] Yukino makes a strangled sound, shaking her head furiously as she looks at Haruka.
[18:17] "Did Shizuru ever mention something called Orihime?" Haruka repeats, speaking slowly as though Nao had suddenly become a total retread. Yukino is ignored in Haruka's eagerness to get answers.
[18:18] "You can't tell those things to HER!" Yukino protests, whispering urgently in Haruka's ear. Nao has no difficulty hearing her.
[18:18] "Do you not like me or something?" asks Nao, standing up. "Got something to say?"
[18:19] Yukino's gaze drops down to Nao's hands -- her fingers, the red-head thinks -- before she raises it to glare at her defiantly.
[18:20] "Why not?" Haruka says to Yukino. "I don't even know what it means! What's the harm in asking?" Suddenly, it seems like a good idea to keep Yukino calmed down. "Look, no fightingm you two! There's been enough violet already!"
[18:21] "You're right. There's been enough violence already," echoes Nao, nodding in agreement. "There's only one reason to cause violence, and that's to stop more of it. Don't you agree? That's why I beat up Natsuki, and why I'll do the same to anyone who lays a hand on me!"
[18:21] Those words only serve to place the mousy girl further on edge.
[18:22] "Right, now we're getting somewhere! Yukino, calm down, alrigh--" She turns back to Nao. "Wait, what?"
[18:25] "Orihime. Where'd you hear that? A dream, right?" asks Nao, turning to face the older girl. "What happened in it?"
[18:26] Haruka doesn't see any reason not to go on about it. "I was in a cave with these pillars? And another me came and told me that everything was up to me now, and that I had to lead Orihime. I figure that if I said it, it has to mean something."
[18:27] "Pillars? Like, with markings on them?"
[18:30] As the cave with the pillars is mentioned, two things happen. The immense pain of losing her mother hits Nao all over again, and Yukino becomes pale, taking half a step back. The world suddenly takes a backstage, as Nao experiences a waking dream. The lavender-haired girl is there, reaching out for her. She's asking something, and if Nao focuses, she thinks she can almost hear the words.
[18:31] Haruka, for her part, does not experience anything strange, though her friend's paleness and the glassy look coming over Nao's eyes are difficult to miss even with her gutted sight.
[18:32] Nao stretches towards the girl all over again, her eyes starting to brim with unwanted tears. She stretches a hand towards the ceiling, and her breathing is very short and sharp. "Ka-san," she lilts, her voice cracking.
[18:34] "--live? You-- help-- Accept--" It is no more than a few words, not making much sense together. The girl desperately wants an answer, however, Nao realizes.
[18:36] "I.. I don't know..." moans Nao, stretching for the girl in any case. "What? What do I have to do?!"
[18:41] "Uh, hey, guys? You okay?" Haruka stammers, baffled by the two other girls apparently entering a trance state. Yukino's staring off into space, and Nao's...reaching for something nonexistant. Haruka waves a hand in front of Nao's eyes. "Hey, what's up?"
[18:42] Getting further drawn into the waking dream, Nao finds her senses getting warped. In particular, her depth perception is shot, bringing on a nasty bout of vertigo. The world seems bleaker, while the naked girl burns with color, her hair seemingly alive.
[18:42] "Another chance," Nao hears, pressure mounting on her very mind, assaulting it. "Another chance?" The words are repeated, and she thinks they form a question, now.
[18:43] "Chance for what? Hey, don't leave me out of the loop here!" She turns to Yukino. "What's wrong with you two? ...There *was* something in the water, I knew it!"
[18:44] "C'mon, you two. Hey, don't leave me out of the loop here!" She turns to Yukino. "What's wrong with you two? ...There *was* something in the water, I knew it!"
[18:44] Thud. Yukino drops to the floor unceremoniously, although Nao can barely notice it at the edge of her vision.
[18:45] Nao is hyperventilating by now, but Haruka, at least, can hear her whimper - "I'll take it, just give it all back to me, I - I - I can't stand between two lives!"
[18:46] "Yukino!" Haruka drops down next to her friend--sure, Nao's clearly got her own problems too, but Nao's generally been able to take care of herself. Yukino? No, she needs someone to watch out for her.
[18:47] Images assault Nao's mind, of a cave, of a laboratory above it, of a short-haired woman submerged in liquid in some kind of futuristic tank. The reset button, her mind labels it, and waiting to be pushed. The decision is hers. And then the pressure becomes unbearable.
[18:47] Yukino is unconscious. Haruka is certain she's breathing, however.
[18:49] Haruka pats Yukino on the cheek, that sort of mock-slap thing people do in the movies when they're trying to rouse someone from a stupor. "Hey, Yukino? C'mon!" She turns to Nao, and puts on her best Voice of Authority. That never fails! "Nao! Go back and get the nurse, at once!"
[18:50] Nao leans towards this girl. Is she trapped? Do things need to begin again? Is this the choice Shizuru spoke of? She wants to push it, to accept, to turn the next page.
[18:51] Nao leans... and keeps on leaning, until she tumbles over. Her vision goes grey, spots appearing everywhere across it, and when unconsciousness comes, it is a blessing.
[18:52] "Nao? Nao, hey! Oh, crap."
[18:56] Haruka puts Yukino down--gently!--and storms out into the hall, hollering at the top of her lungs for any student within hearing range to get to the nurse at the auditorium and bring her back here!
[18:57] The nurse doesn't happen to be in the auditorium, Haruka finds out, but the next attempt to locate her at the infirmary works quite well.
[18:58] Good enough! Haruka spits out something resembling a coherent explanation and then brings the nurse back to the student council room. If necessary, she'll flag down a group of her lackeys and have them carry the two unconscious girls back to the infirmary.
[19:01] Miss Sagisawa decides that yes, treating two students that collapsed after having fits all of a sudden would be better at the infirmary, and has them moved with the help of the Executive Committee.
[19:02] Haruka is right beside the two prone girls all the way. She doesn't intend to go anywhere until she's convinced they're okay.
[19:03] They don't seem to be waking up, but the nurse doesn't believe they are in any further danger. What bumps they suffered as a result of falling are expertly treated in that time.
[19:06] Haruka isn't going anywhere! She's had it with people brushing her off and then vanishing just when she's about to get an answer out of them. She's sticking right by her friend (and Nao) until they're up and moving again, and the authorities won't stop her (in part because Haruka doesn't acknowledge any authority above the Executive Committee).
[19:07] No authority figure seems to bother Haruka as she waits, as Yukino and Nao are given empty infirmary beds to rest on. The nurse remarks that she would have sent them to the hospital if it weren't for the recent events, which resulted in overwhelming its capacity.
[19:08] Nao is the first to wake up. It is near the afternoon, when she does. If there had been any classes, they are surely coming to a close, now.
[19:09] Nao sits bolt-upright, lunging for something. Her breathing is suddenly rapid, but it starts slowing down almost immediately, and she flops back into her bed, eyes staring at the ceiling.
[19:09] Haruka is more than glad to not send anyone else to the hospital. It's easier to interrogate folks here. "Nao?" she says, at the other girl's side quickly. "What happened? You went all googly and started talking to yourself."
[19:11] Nao's eyes hurt, despite the modest amount of light in the room.
[19:11] "I saw things," mumbles Nao. "Suzushiro... I did it. I really did it, I'll tell you everything."
[19:12] "It's about time someone said that!"
[19:12] "Wait, what did you do?"
[19:12] "But even that's not much," laments Nao, twisting her head from side to side and seeing who else is around.
[19:13] Yukino is lying on a bed next to her own. She seems to be asleep. Haruka is standing near. They seem to be the only ones in the infirmary at the moment, though the door is opened.
[19:13] "Close the door," she whispers.
[19:14] Haruka does as requested, then returns to Nao's side.
[19:15] "Shizuru was murdered that day," replies Nao, softly. "I saw her killer. Searrs Arika. I'll never forget her face. She was smiling, like it was.. all a game, all make-believe."
[19:16] "Arika?" Haruka stops to consider this. "Arika Searrs...do we have a student by that name? I only know of Alyssa."
[19:16] "Not anymore," replies Nao, with grim satisfaction. "I killed her."
[19:17] Haruka usually leaves such administrative matters to Yukino, anyway.
[19:18] "You--hold on, that's a joke, right? Fuka students shouldn't be killing each other!"
[19:19] "But I'll get to that," continues Nao, ignoring Haruka. "She attacks Shizuru from behind. I couldn't do a thing back then... but I knew. I knew that the others could fight with her, save Shizuru, so I ran up. I ran up the stairs, and told them, and Natsuki destroyed the wall and went to fight..."
[19:19] "...but it wasn't enough. Was it? I saw her get taken away by police.. but she wasn't the murderer! It was Arika!"
[19:21] Haruka has to wonder how Natsuki could just blow down a wall...but stops wondering when she remembers Kuga breaking out of the police station. "...Right. What happened to Arika, then?"
[19:23] "She threatened to kill me," replies Nao, thickly. "Because she thought I was a.. a 'Hime'. I wasn't, not then, but she would have." Was it really such a short time ago all this happened? "Shizuru had told me about a shrine. A place where once, before I lost my memory, I made some kind of contract..." [19:24] "A most cruel contract. I gained power there. More power than anyone should have," she muses, holding up a hand. There's a dull glow, and solid black claws form over her fingertips. Long and cruel, Nao flexes her newfound weapon, eventually curling it into a fist.
[19:26] Haruka shakes her head, thinking to herself: 'Shizuru...why didn't she tell the rest of us? I could've helped. She wouldn't be dead right now!' She steps back in surprise on seeing those claws, but soon realization dawns. "You too? The dream with the pillars, right? I told you!"
[19:27] In case this babbling is unclear in its meaning, time for a demonstration: Haruka reaches out her hand and calls force her spiked mace--which falls to ground with a *thunk* and the crack of broken floor tiles. Oops.
[19:28] "You did it, too? Then you know that price?" asks Nao, raising an eyebrow. "It must've been harder for you than me."
[19:30] "Price? Huh? I just gave it to myself." She shrugs. There are more important things to worry about right now! "This is important. I know it means something. I'm not sure what yet, but I'm going to figure it out!"
[19:32] Nao looks confused, a wonder, given her composure during the rest of the day. "Anyway. That's how it was. On Sunday, I met up with Natsuki. We were going to find Searrs and kill her. On Monday, Searrs joined my class. Imagine my surprise. She even spoke to me. Like she wanted to be my friend. She didn't know the meaning of the word!"
[19:34] "So what happened last night?" Haruka demands. She's having trouble getting past the Killing Fuka Students Is Wrong bit, but Nao having the same dream/ability is a compelling counter. "I mean, what really happened, this time?"
[19:35] "Yeah. I ran out the auditorium, you saw me," replies Nao, thinking back. "I found Yukariko and Natsuki squaring off at the church. Crazy nun was trying to redeem Kuga- get this- by shooting her full of arrows or something. I mean, what the hell? Yeah, I knocked her out. I could've killed her, but I don't do that to people. Not unless they try to off me first."
[19:36] "We ran off, right? Behind one of the school buildings- there was this field of flowers, there. We were going to ambush Searrs later- we figured she'd be coming after me sometime. Of course, she finds me before I find her, again..." Nao sighs, and props herself slightly higher on the bed.
[19:37] "Uh...huh..." Haruka says slowly. This is a lot to process for her! "Wait, was that flash of light you? Is it your fault I can't see right?"
[19:38] "Actually, I'm not sure," admits Nao, thinking back to how the fight played out. "We fought, and she had wings- this angel floating around school? There you go. I can't see straight, either- I saw the flash from point-blank range."
[19:40] The angel! About time that mystery's sorted out. Nao's turning out to be amazingly informative, if all this is true. "Do you have any idea where Natsuki is right now? Oh, and do you know who the Anticrisp is?"
[19:41] "Natsuki showed up at the end of the fight. I gutted Searrs pretty good, but to be honest, Natsuki finished her off," replies Nao. The claws vanish, leaving only her trembling hands. "She'd been shot. I couldn't call for help, though, I was covered in blood! How do I explain that? How do you explain any of this? I think it was the cops who shot her, too!"
[19:42] "My phone was pretty much dead- I think something Searrs did knocked it out. But I ran across Yukino when I was trying to get back to my dorm. What a sight I was. I figured something was up with her when the cops didn't come after me later."
[19:43] Haruka nods. That actually makes sense--the wounded cops she met said they'd encountered Natsuki. She says as much to Nao. "Wait, Yukino? What happened?"
[19:44] "She was hiding, but I called her out. She.. I asked her to call for help. Then I ran," replies Nao, lamely. "She probably thinks I'm too dangerous to be around."
[19:46] Haruka nods again. "I can understand that, you killed someone! I mean..." Haruka's still having some trouble processing the whole story. The Yuuki Nao she knows wouldn't fight to help someone else! ...Of course, the old Nao *also* wouldn't voluntarily admit to killing someone. Dilemma! Finding Natsuki would help to corroborate all of this--unless Nao and Natsuki are lying together! Bah, confusion.
[19:48] Still, Nao's story explains a lot. Not everything! But a lot. It makes more sense to believe her...but she can ask Yukino about that last part when she wakes up. "Alright. Okay. So, Arika was responsible for the explosions in the city too, you think?"
[19:50] "I think so. I didn't see her do them. She said she wanted to kill off us 'Hime', and that might've been a way of calling us out." Haruka can practically hear Nao's teeth grinding. "She would've killed me, Suzushiro. It was me or her."
[19:53] "Well, that's everything wrapped up in a nice little package. Except for the pieces that aren't. Like the whole Anticross thing. And what are Hime? Why would an angel want to destroy them? Setting aside that she clearly wasn't an angel because she was a JERK. I don't believe in angels anyway. Alright, the first thing we need to do is find Natsuki."
[19:55] Nao shakes her head. "There are other things I want to tell you. If you're getting involved, I need to tell you everything. It's the only way to avoid... accidents. There's one thing Shizuru told me about this power."
[19:56] "I took it to defend myself, right? But there was a price. If I fall, or if my Child falls, then the one I care about the most goes down with me. I think it's the same for you." Nao's face becomes determined, and she grips the side of the bed. "So just remember. You're not just fighting for yourself."
[20:00] Haruka looks aghast. "'Child?' You're PREGNANT?" Then the rest of it hits her. The one she cares about the most? Well, if Haruka falls, so does Fuka Academy! But she's always known that. ...Yukino? Haruka shakes her head. "I've always watched out for her before and I'm not about to stop now, so I don't think that changes anything," she says confidently. "All we have to do is not lose."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->
<Nao> "I'm not- no, don't even joke about that!" grouses Nao, pulling herself out of the blankets and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Anyway, yeah. I think so, I mean, it's pretty complicated and I can't really see the big picture. Sure, Searrs isn't around, but I don't think that's the end of it."
<Haruka> "I never joke about anything important!" Haruka insists. "But you're right. Yukariko said something about...'the Antichrist appearing in the form of a young boy.' And supposedly that came straight from Shizuru, so there might be something to it. I wanted to interrogate every boy on campus when I heard that, but Yukino thought it would be a bad idea." Haruka still sounds doubtful of that assessment.
<Nao> "She probably meant Nagi," clarifies Nao, snorting at the description. "He's this blue-haired kid. Shizuru didn't have nice things to say about him, oh no."
<Haruka> "Nagi?" Haruka wonders. "I don't know him. But that's a place to start. If Fujino said so, there's probably something to it." This last is a grudging admission, but it's pretty much apparent that her late rival knew what was going on.
<Nao> "I doubt we'll find him on campus," complains Nao, shaking her head. "Shizuru said that he played us- I mean, Hime, that's what I think we're called- off against each other. There were fights, people died. Were there ever weird incidents around the school before recently?"
* Haruka shrugs. "The vampire stuff, but then that stopped...I can't think of much else. Someone must've been good at keeping it all secret. I mean, look how long it took *me* to find out all this was going on!"
<Nao> "Right. As far as I know, Shizuru and the others wanted to keep a low profile. I don't really blame them... but maybe that was a mistake? Look where keeping secrets has got us so far."
* Haruka nods. "Yeah. The Hime have to stick together!" Not that Haruka is 100% sure on what a Hime actually is, but it seems the thing to say. "We need to find Natsuki if she's one. And I'd like to talk to Sister Yukariko again. Shizuru obviously told her something. Maybe she'll be a little more open when I show her this," she says, hefting that monstrous mace.
<Nao> "Natsuki was one. I don't even know if she's alive! The cops probably know where she is, right? They must have found her, alongside what was left of Arika. I just hope she ended up in a bed- even a prison bed- and not the morgue." Nao can't help but look at the mace with a shred of jealousy. It's not fair!
<Nao> If she's just got claws, and everyone else has big weapons like that, how can she even get clo- oh, well, she still has her Child.
<Haruka> "Well, I can call the police and see if they brought her in last night. Last time they caught her, they called us, but everyone's phone is dead now. They might've tried to call already, actually."
<Nao> "I can show you the place where it happened later, if you want," muses Nao. "Yukino, too. You believe me, right? I couldn't tell you both before, but it's different now."
<--->

[Corwin]

(14:46:35): <--->
(14:47:19): Yukino raises a hand to her forehead slowly, groaning.
(14:47:39): "Yukino!" Haruka exclaims, quick to rush to her friend's side.
(14:49:17): Nao stretches her arms while Yukino wakes up, working out a couple of kinks. Lying down all the time is going to be bad for her, she just knows it.
(14:50:30): Yukino winces at the sound of Haruka's voice. "My head," she complains piteously.
(14:51:31): "Yukino, what happened? Did you have that dream too?" Haruka presses, the very soul of courtesy.
(14:51:53): "Dream?" she asks, confused.
(14:52:39): "The cave and the pillars and the other you? That one."
(14:54:32): "No," Yukino responds, looking at Haruka strangely. "I didn't dream about another me." She's shielding her eyes with a hand, searching for something on a nearby table. Finally locating her glasses, the girl hurries to put them on.
(14:55:18): "I'm pretty sure that was just you, Suzushiro," reflects Nao. "It seems the experience is different for everyone."
(14:56:39): "Oh," she says, sounding a little disappointed. "Well, Yukino, I think we're on our way to cracking the case. Nao knows a lot about what's been happening the past few days."
(14:57:21): "I bet she does," Yukino says nastily. "Haruka-chan, you can't trust anything she says! She's dangerous!"
(14:57:37): "Oh, for the love of..."
(14:58:54): "Yukino, come on! This isn't the time for distression, we have to work together!"
(15:00:31): "I... don't even know what distression means," Yukino says dejectedly, hanging her head. "I-- alright, Haruka-chan. What do you need me to do?"
(15:01:27): "I think she meant 'dissent' or something like that," replies Nao, making an effort to control herself and mostly succeeding. "Look, maybe I'm dangerous, but only to people who attack me, alright?"
(15:02:05): "First, we need to find out what happened to Kuga. Nao thinks the cops might've picked her up again, so we should call them first." She looks around. Is there a phone in the infirmary?
(15:05:20): There was one all those times she visited before, and it hasn't been taken away. The phone sits on the nurse's desk, taunting Haruka with its presence.
(15:05:52): Yukino wilts as Haruka mentions Nao and Natsuki, but doesn't comment.
(15:06:30): Hey, it's normally Yukino's job to remember details like that, right? Anyway, Haruka dials up the police to inquire about their wayward peer.
(15:07:18): When Yukino doesn't reply to her, Nao just rolls her eyes back and flops back on the bed. If the girl doesn't want to listen, fine- she just better not do anything stupid.
(15:09:27): After three rings, the phone is picked up on the other end. "Detective Oiishi here," a familiar voice speaks, static distorting it slightly. "Hello?"
(15:11:11): "Detective Oiishi? This is Suzushiro, at Fuka Academy. Do you have any news on our missing students? Kuga?"
(15:13:02): "Ah, Suzushiro," he says, his voice oily. "I'm afraid I have bad news."
(15:13:37): "Go ahead," Haruka says, voice betraying nothing.
(15:18:22): "From questioning our officers at the scene, we managed to establish that Kuga did show up at the school. The dorm where one of your missing students was staying, in fact." He clears his throat.
(15:18:28): "We found a blood trail leading away from that dorm, and then... it was a mess. It's hard to believe that someone could survive losing so much blood, so we're treating the matter as a homicide.
(15:18:29): A very disturbing homicide, where the killer took the body with them for some reason."
(15:19:48): "...Right. Thank you for the update, Detective."
(15:21:15): "That dorm..." Oishi says, his tone thoughtful. "And the room, in particular. The other occupant is Yuuki Nao-san, isn't it?
(15:21:15): How curious it is, that one of her roommates disappears, the next is found dead, and the person responsible later shows up there...."
(15:22:54): "Yeah, that's interesting," Haruka says blandly. Given how pointless the cops were in dealing with Natsuki, she's got no use for them right now if they have no useful information.
(15:24:28): "You wouldn't happen to know how to contact Yuuki, would you?" the detective asks over the phone. "I believe it would be... very informative, yes."
(15:26:00): "You can always try her cel phone. I'm afraid I don't know the number, though." Not that it would be in working order anyway, of course.
(15:27:29): "Ah, of course, of course," he agrees with Haruka. "Still, for someone heading... what did you call it? The Executive Committee of Fuka Academy?
(15:27:29): It is quite regrettable that you don't have such information on hand. Unless Yuuki had not been coming to school recently, of course."
(15:28:16): "She was never one of our better students," Haruka says, quite honestly.
(15:29:16): "How unfortunate for us both," Oiishi laments. "Still, putting Yuuki aside, there is something else we should discuss, Suzushiro. One of the students in the high school section, in the first year, in fac--"
(15:29:36): Static. The noise is overwhelming, swallowing the detective's words.
(15:30:40): "Hello? Detective." She shrugs and hangs up the phone. "Well, that was useless," she says to the other girls. "They didn't find Kuga."
(15:31:22): Yukino nods at Haruka's words.
(15:33:17): "She must have got away, somehow," replies Nao, seeming somewhat relieved. "That means she might still be alive. Good. Did he say anything about Searrs?"
(15:34:58): "No, he didn't know much of anything. Looks like everything's up to us." Oddly, she doesn't sound upset about this last detail. After all, who's more reliable than Fuka students?
(15:37:33): "There's one place Natsuki might be. If she's not there, well.. she'll probably find me, if she's so inclined." replies Nao, wincing at the memory of how Natsuki was after the fight. "Can you tell me what you guys saw yesterday?"
(15:38:53): Yukino doesn't seem inclined to talk to Nao, even when the latter is apparently addressing her.
(15:39:11): "You saw more than I did, Nao. I keep showing up after the action's over with. Yukino? What happened after that flash of light?"
(15:43:43): Reluctantly, Yukino makes brief eye contact with Nao, before her hands form into fists. "She came and there was blood all over her-- her shirt and hands and everything, and she was crazy!"
(15:45:47): "Oh, yeah, you were asleep when I explained it to Haruka," reflects Nao. "Yeah. Sorry. I killed Searrs Arika. But it's like I said at the time. She killed Shizuru, and she would've killed me! I didn't have a choice!"
(15:45:56): "So what if I was a little crazy?" she continues, looking away. "Anyone would be..."
(15:46:29): Yukino looks at Haruka for guidance.
(15:49:58): "I know it sounds nuts, Yukino, but she's the only one we have right now who saw anything that happened in town."
(15:50:20): She hefts the mace again. "...and we're both Hime, apparently. It has to mean something."
(15:50:58): Yukino turns away. She seems depressed all of a sudden, but at least she's not glaring at Nao anymore.
(15:52:19): Haruka goes to sit down by her friend. "Yukino? You're with me on this, right? We have to look out for each other at a time like this."
(15:53:11): Yukino nods. "Yes, Haruka-chan. I'll look after you," she tells her quietly.
(15:54:06): Nao just shrugs helplessly. "I'm going to go look for Natsuki. Come if you want, stay if you don't."
(15:55:09): As seems to be her custom, Yukino leaves this decision to Haruka.
(15:56:27): She pats Yukino on the shoulder. "Good! Too many students have been hurt already and we stand a better chance of figuring things out if we stay together. So, the first thing we do is head for the last place Kuga was seen."
(15:57:20): "And besides," she says quietly (unusually so for Haruka!), "if you're worried about Nao, you can keep an eye on her this way."
(15:59:30): "I'm not too enthused about going back to the scene of the crime, as it were," replies Nao, uneasily. "I wanted to check out a place in the woods. We could split up for this, actually, and meet back here later?"
(16:00:19): "Or in the executive office. Or wherever."
(16:00:44): Haruka frowns. "We shouldn't split up. Something bad always seems to happen when we do that. Where is this place that you have in mind?"
(16:01:18): "There's a place in the woods where normal people would have trouble going," explains Nao. "There's some kind of magic ward there. If she was hiding, that's where she'd go."
(16:01:36): "We planned to ambush Arika there, away from everyone," continues Nao. "But you know what they say about plans."
(16:04:12): "Alright. *This* plan just means walking there, and simple plans are hard to mess up. So let's go." Yukino, being Haruka's shadow, will presumably be able to follow!
(16:04:47): "Yeah. It's a pretty long way," replies Nao, heading for the door. "It might be fruitless, and you'll be alone with me in the woods after dark. But if you're set, yeah, let's go!"
(16:08:45): Yukino indeed follows meekly a few steps behind, as Nao leads the way outside. The trio don't encounter any other students, though it took a while for Yukino to wake up, and the evening is rapidly approaching.
(16:08:46): The hill is steep.
(16:08:58): Haruka remembers she forgot something in the student council room.
(16:09:20): Unfortunately, she doesn't remember what she forgot!
(16:10:04): It seems to evade her, yes. Whatever it was certainly had to be very important.
(16:11:36): If it was *that* important, she'd remember it.
(16:14:12): The climb is difficult, or should be, but Haruka and Nao don't seem to be having any trouble going through the forest, almost competing with one another.
(16:14:13): A nagging doubt awakens in Haruka. What if Fuka will be in danger without her protection?
(16:15:45): Nao soldiers on, feeling a slight tingle in the back of her mind. "That's it," she remarks. "The fear gets to you around here. Just ignore it and move on."
(16:15:52): Well, that's a risk she'll have to take! Besides, she's out here to help Fuka in the first place.
(16:16:41): Haruka nods. "Okay." She turns back to look at her aide. "Yukino? Are you well enough to go on? You know I can't leave you behind."
(16:18:39): Yukino has managed to keep up, somehow. Haruka's cell phone rings.
(16:19:30): Whoa, what? Wasn't it totally fried? Oh well, no complaints about it mysteriously deciding to work again. She answers it: "Suzushiro here."
(16:21:12): "Ah, Suzushiro." It is detective Oiishi, although he sounds tinny. "We have to meet right away. Where are you?"
(16:21:12): Nao, for her part, sees Haruka hold her phone to her ear and speak.
(16:22:10): "At school," she says vaguely, intent on the hike. "What's new?"
(16:23:21): Nao stares curiously at Haruka, before flipping out her own phone. Come to think of it, she did just assume it had stopped working. And, well, everyone elses had...
(16:23:28): His words are starting to break up, but Haruka can still hear the note of warning in them. "I'll be there in five minutes. Are you in the high school section?"
(16:23:49): Nao finds that her phone doesn't have reception here, if its display is to be trusted.
(16:24:59): "No," she says into the phone. "I'm patrolling the grounds. Can you tell me what's going on?"
(16:25:44): Nao looks weirdly at it, and then puts it away.
(16:27:13): "It is very important that you--" The detective's words become unintelligible briefly. "I repeat, do not leave the campus. Stay constalt--" static "--ounded"
(16:27:14): The content becomes garbled, and the last word Haruka catches before the call ends is, appropriately for the situation, danger.
(16:28:26): Haruka frowns. "We've been in danger for the last week now. What is it this time? Hello?" She shakes the phone around, as if that would help.
(16:28:44): "Nao, how close are we? Something might be up back at school."
(16:28:47): Shaking the phone seems to cause it to go out.
(16:29:06): Worthless piece of crap!
(16:30:28): "We're pretty close," replies Nao. "Who was that?"
(16:31:41): "Detective Oiishi again. Telling us not to leave campus." She snorts. "You don't need to tell *me* we're in danger by this point.
(16:32:14): She does sound worried, but: "We stick together for now, though. Especially since we're close."
(16:33:16): "Yeah. There's probably not even anything here. Wasn't last time," replies Nao, shoving aside her fears and plunging onwards. "We'll hurry back afterwards, ok? We can run pretty fast. Being a Hime has some perks."
(16:33:40): Haruka nods and continues the hike.
(16:33:42): Yukino picks that moment to stumble behind the two, falling to her knees.
(16:34:14): *That* stops her, though. "Yukino?!" She rushes back to kneel by her friend. "What happened?"
(16:35:32): "Oh, I just tripped, Haruka-chan," Yukino responds, smiling at her. The smile looks a bit strained.
(16:36:37): A nod. "Alright, but let me know if you can't go on. I'll carry you if I have to!"
(16:37:15): Yukino ducks her head. Nao thinks she caught a hint of red on her cheeks.
(16:37:30): "It's a pretty tough climb," replies Nao. "Hey, you're not hurt, are you?"
(16:38:16): "I don't think she is. Just a little tired. It takes a lot of work to keep up with me!"
(16:38:21): "I'm fine," Yukino states firmly, getting back up.
(16:40:01): The cave is before them, at last. Nao's senses, already on edge the closer she got to it, go haywire as she takes a step into the clearing around it. Danger, and death, they haunt this place.
(16:40:02): There is a persistent smell of blood.
(16:40:48): "What is this place, exactly?" Haruka asks, a little wary.
(16:41:24): "I've done this before," mumbles Nao, swallowing. Climbed up here, danger, death, she's seen it all! "I don't know exactly," replies Nao. "I should ask Tokiha sometime. I think there was a fight, and.. well, you'll see."
(16:42:17): "Alright, well...let's go."
(16:42:47): "Please, Haruka-chan... don't go in there," Yukino says in a small voice, standing in the clearing. She is shaking.
(16:44:08): "Yukino? C'mon, you've got to toughen up! A Fuka student could be lying wounded inside. It's our responsibility to help her if we can."
(16:44:40): "Besides," she says, putting her hands on the younger girl's shoulders, "nothing can stop us as long as we stick together!"
(16:46:52): Nao moves into the cave, Haruka following, her arm around Yukino's shoulders.
(16:46:54): Blood. The ground is covered by it, and the smell-- the smell of death comes from the torn-up body offered to the visitors like a sacrificial lamb. Could that ever have been a real person?
(16:48:57): Haruka is more infuriated at this scene than horrified. "What the--what the hell? Nao, is that her?" Yukino would probably bolt if Haruka let her go, so she stays put by the entrance.
(16:49:40): Nao stares at what's going on here, wide-eyed, and clearly as shocked as Yukino and Haruka. She staggers against the wall, slowly backing away from the spectacle before her.
(16:49:48): "I.. I don't know," she replies, looking as likely to bolt as Yukino.
(16:51:11): Well, if no one else is up to the task..."Yukino? Don't move, alright?" She leaves her friend by the door, where she can at least stare outside instead of at the body.
(16:51:36): Haruka moves forward to examine the body. Not that she wants to, but *someone* has to.
(16:54:12): Haruka had never seen something like it. This person was beaten all over their body, and then torn apart, literally ripped into little pieces.
(16:54:12): She can only surmise it was once human by a few remaining shreds of clothing, all heavily matted with blood.
(16:56:12): "Let's go," replies Nao, her throat dry. She thinks she knows what happened, and finding Natsuki suddenly doesn't seem like a terribly good idea.
(16:56:28): She can't even teel who it might've been, then? "Ugh. This is terrible," Haruka mutters, backing away. "Nao...this wasn't here before? What do you think happened?"
(16:57:33): Female? Maybe?
(16:58:35): "I'll tell you later," replies Nao, her voice picking up slightly in speed.
(16:58:49): She starts backing away from the clearing and back towards the forest.
(16:59:15): Well, Haruka's not going to object to leaving, that's for sure. She collects Yukino and leaves.
(16:59:36): Yukino is as putty in Haruka's hands.
(17:00:16): Nao doesn't want to talk until they're well away from the clearing and back into the forest, a place that has felt safe to her since the first day she stumbled into it, half-dressed.
(17:01:34): Haruka, on the other hand, practically never stops talking. "When I catch whoever did that, I'm going to clobber them until they can't be clobbered any more. I swear on the name of Suzushiro!"
(17:02:14): "Don't you know fear, Suzushiro?" asks Nao, shuddering. "I'm jealous, can you teach me?"
(17:03:34): Yukino stands obediently by Haruka's side, her gaze vacant.
(17:03:49): "I don't have time to be afraid," Haruka declares, leading Yukino away from the cave. Though she *is* a fair bit nauseous, really.
(17:05:50): "You're an inspiration," mumbles Nao. "You said that cop called you, right? Yeah. Let's get back."
(17:07:06): "Come on, Yukino," Haruka says, noticing her friend's vacant state. "Things'll be better back at school."
(17:11:08): The stench of blood clings to the three as they return to campus. The sun is setting, and Nao spots flashlights in the distance; by the front gate, she estimates. Her eyes also begin to relax.
(17:12:09): "Actually," murmurs Nao. "This is... are those cops up there?" She squints, trying to see.
(17:12:44): Nao has yet to acquire the ability to discern between police-issue flashlights and regular ones, if indeed there is a difference.
(17:13:54): "Probably. Oiishi did call me earlier. Though they could be one of my security teams enforcing the curfew."
(17:14:22): "You know, maybe we should go get freshened up," murmurs Nao. "The... smell. It's pretty strong."
(17:15:18): "Where? Do you have a room off the school grounds or something?"
(17:15:41): "The dorms aren't on campus, right?"
(17:16:40): Haruka apparently forgets that not everyone lives at the executive committee's office. "Right," she says. "Let's go."
(17:19:19): Nao's dorm seems to have yellow police tape around it. It doesn't look as if the students have been allowed to return to it yet. No guards are visible, however.
(17:19:42): "Still blocked off," murmurs Nao. "Where do you stay?"
(17:20:09): Pfah, police tape. There's no reason that should stop the Executive Committe, right?
(17:21:51): "We'll try my place," Haruka says. It seems safer to try the dorm that hasn't been attacked repeatedly.
(17:22:40): "Yeah..." replies Nao, glancing at Yukino again. What's she got to be upset about? She was never drenched in the stuff! Some people are.. are... completely normal, and Nao just isn't one of them.
(17:24:54): Onward to Haruka's dorm, then!
(17:31:45): Haruka's dorm, which also happens to be Yukino's residence, are a bit of a walk from here. It takes them the better part of twenty minutes to close the distance,
(17:31:46): particularly because Haruka and Nao don't want to just cut through campus proper. Haruka's room is solitary, and Nao spots Yukino's name right next door, along with one Agata Shion.
(17:32:38): "We'll use my place," Haruka says, opening her door. Yukino's roommate doesn't need to know about all of this.
(17:33:33): "Sounds good. I need to wash my stuff," replies Nao, dully. "They'll probably be expecting me back in the auditorium, I think that's where my dorm is staying."
(17:34:29): "We can stop by there afterwards," she says, leading Nao and Yukino inside.
(17:34:43): Nao thinks she spots Shizuru's name on the door all the way down the corridor, but then she's inside Haruka's room.
(17:34:43): Headbands with invigorating slogans are lying all over the floor, and even crowding every piece of furniture within.
(17:36:50): Nao gazes after it for a moment, before trailing after Haruka into her place. "Got any spare clothes?" she asks, wanting to get out this well-overused uniform and into something a bit more comfortable... if ill-fitting.
(17:37:52): Ill-fitting it likely would be, for while Haruka's uniform does a good job of hiding it, Nao can't mistake the difference in size between Haruka's generous assets and her own. Or is that sizes?
(17:38:22): Haruka probably has spare clothes around somewhere and is quite ready to share them with her comrades. Hopefully Nao likes pea green.
(17:40:49): Nao can't restrain a brief look of disgust, but she quickly has a shower and gets changed. "I want to check something out," she says. "Back in a moment."
(17:41:10): She heads up a few doors to Shizuru's room- not too far, and tries the door. Maybe it's unlocked? If not there, there might be an open window, or a window that can be opened.
(17:42:19): Haruka waits for Nao to return and tries to coax Yukino into some semblance of coherence in the meantime. "Yukino? It's okay, we're back home now."
(17:42:45): The door is locked, but it is only made of wood. The only material able to stop Nao's claws to date had been Arika's strange weapon, and even the girl herself was no match for Nao, when she tore into her with ease.
(17:43:30): Yukino may not be catatonic as she walked all the way to Haruka's room with the latter's guidance, but she certainly doesn't respond to attempts to talk to her.
(17:45:14): Nao jams one of her needlelike claws into the lock, and does a pretty good job of mangling it apart before she gives the door a shove. Ideally, someone will actually have to try and open it before they realise it's been broken into.
(17:46:29): Maybe Yukino just needs to sleep it off? Haruka does her best to get the girl settled on the bed, at least. She'll probably have to wash the sheets later, of course.
(17:47:07): <--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The door opens at last. The curtains are drawn, coloring what little light the evening sun provides purple. A single bed takes up one side of the room, appearing quite posh to Nao's eyes. A fairly standard desk is by the bed, a solitary chair accompanying it.

Another door at the opposite side leads elsewhere. There are no bookshelves, no closets, not much in way of personal items. The suite looks quite spartan, aside from the luxurious bed.

Closing the door behind her, Nao steps slowly back into the room. The closed curtains are a blessing on more ways than one, and she takes her time whilst surveying the area.

The room reflected Shizuru, really. All it betrayed of her was that she was not the sort who showed herself to others easily. Nao walks across to the desk, glancing at the contents.

The desk is bare. Upon approaching it, Nao notices that the chair looks to be carefully placed before it, the perfect distance for someone to sit at the desk comfortably.

It's possible her stuff was already removed, though Nao doubts it. Of course, there's whatever Shizuru left in her own dorm to consider.

And it feels a little taboo to even think about going through the possessions of a dead woman. But if she left anything behind, anything that might give Nao a clue or help her survive, then Nao will willingly break it.

She heads through the other door, now, presuming it leads to her late friend's bathroom and closets.

There is only a bathroom, small if comfortable. Did Shizuru really live here?

The mirror above the sink is foggy.

Not in her last days, at least. Who else would come here? Natsuki, perhaps?

Nao glances at the shower; does it look like it's recently been used?

Not particularly, from what she can tell. It's quite spotless.

The sink?

The same can be said for anything except the mirror.

Nao draws a couple of lines on the fogged-up mirror with her fingertip, clearing a space through which she can see herself.

Natsuki's face stares back at her.

Nao blinks, tentatively giving the bluette in the mirror a wave.

It feels distinctively strange to witness a body not her own mirror her actions that way.

Nao clears a little more of the fog. Does it seem to reflect the surrounding area normally?

The more she studies the effects, the more Nao feels that she has been in this situation before. No, not quite like this, after all, but something incredibly similar....

Nao, in a body not her own, is dutifully shown doing the same tasks the real Nao does.

Nao tries to think this through logically. Mirrors shows reflections of people. Therefore, Natsuki is some kind of reflection of Nao?

Nao *is* Natsuki, and she just didn't real- no, that's stupid.

It reminds her of when she first ran into the older girl, and the feelings she had on the spot, which of course leads her to ask what she thinks of Natsuki at the moment. Rather irrationally, it pisses her off a little, and she leaves the bathroom.

Haruka. Will Haruka see the same thing, or something else? It's worth checking out.

Nao's other self is silent, a fact that astounds the red-head when she seeks the advice of her inner voice. After dealing with constant emotions and thoughts that are foreign and yet feel terribly right, it is a slight shock to be free of such influence.

As she leaves the bathroom, passing through Shizuru's room to the door outside, Nao spot a closed laptop sitting on the desk.

It was definately not there before, but Nao can't have missed someone come in. And more to the point, where did they go?

The door to the room is unlocked, of course, but Nao doesn't see any signs of it being in a a different position from that she left it at.

Then perhaps it's some kind of invitation. She has a bad habit of accepting those, one she isn't about to break.

Walking slowly to the desk, and occasionally glancing furtively over her shoulder, she opens the laptop screen, and turns it on if it isn't working already.

The system boots up into a screen requesting a password.

And thus her exploratory efforts are soon ground to a halt. Nao tries the names of a few people she knows, including her own.

KugaNatsuki
Natsuki
Kuga
Nao
Yuuki
YuukiNao
Mikoto
Tokiha
Mai
Guest
Password

It turns out that Nao's second attempt is the correct password. The laptop accepts it, proceeding to boot up.

It opens to two folders. One of them holds files, their names made of acronyms and numbers following some kind of elaborate system Nao can't quite figure out.  They appear to have been saved from some external system, unless Shizuru was horribly anal-retentive about her private files. The other, by contrast, only holds a single document titled 'Hime'.

Nao opens the document, going for what is easily understood before checking out other things. A text document is something even she can access, though.

"Dearest Natsuki," it opens with. "It is my fondest wish that you would never have to read this. However, it may not be up to me. Senoh Aoi and Harada Chie have disappeared. The significance is not lost on me; neither is the timing. Yes, it all comes back to time, doesn't it? I thought I would have more of it, but they have made the first move, whomever they might be. Could they be the First District that you despise so much? Or, perhaps, history is repeating itself? If so, I cannot allow for that tragedy to recur.

"I hope that you will forgive me for this, but I have made up my mind. Kiyohime must remain sealed, whatever the outcome. If I am to strive for change, I might as well start with myself. I can only pray that I succeed in my efforts. Trying to guide from the shadows, causing mistrust and discord... those were all mistakes, but I cannot change them in a single day. Perhaps, I have had enough time to impart on the others what I wanted them all to see. I will certainly try to do so.

"And the most important piece of advice I leave to you here, Natsuki. Revenge is wrong. Going down that path only twists you further, until you are no longer able to recall your original purpose and self. It took my defeat for me to understand that. Please don't let it be the only way for you to learn that same painful lesson.

Love, Shizuru."

What follows is a list of names. Tokiha Mai, Minagi Mikoto, Sugiura Midori, Himeno Fumi, Yukariko Sanada, Kikukawa Yukino, Higurashi Akane and Searrs Alyssa.

It raises more questions than it answers, makes things more confusing than they were before. But did Nao ever really expect things to get simpler?

Kiyohime. And Haruka mentioned Orihime. Hime, hime, hime, is everyone a princess around here? Is Kiyohime that girl in the tank? What calamity might occur if she is unsealed? Will it affect Nao?

When is the file dated?

A bit of tinkering allows Nao to find out that it was written the day Shizuru moved in with her. By the time stamp, a few hours before Nao returned to find Shizuru using her shower.

Natsuki is out there, somewhere, and presumably knows what Shizuru was talking about. It's a difficult question, as to whether or not she'd have read this, though the laptop appears to have magical powers and may well have found Natsuki first.

The part on revenge clearly went on deaf ears, if so. And that was never the point for Nao, regardless of what words she spins for anyone elses sake. Which brings her to the list names, and that of Searrs Alyssa. Will she want revenge, and is she capable of taking it?

Are these names supposed to be trusted? Haruka can probably identify the two Nao can't. And Nao herself has already damaged much hope of such trust between Yukariko and Fumi. Of course, she still doesn't regret it.

The other files may be interesting, and Nao opens one at random to see what it is.

Names, dates, places. Financial records. The files detail the administration of something called the First District, even going as far as to list some of its history. That part of the records is clear enough even for Nao: something has been happening every three centuries, and the records go back. She's never been a model student, but Nao is fairly certain that this festival taking place every three hundred years has been occuring before Japan's establishment. Ikusahime. Battle Princess?

Her instincts are pretty good, and Nao is willing to bet quite a lot that the last said festival was, indeed, three centuries prior.

If she and Haruka, at least, are any kinds of princess, battle certainly seems to be their inheritance.

That is true to the year, though the exact date is not calculated by the modern calendars, it seems. It would take a while to determine it.

If there's a particular individual day on which this festival occurs, Nao is quite willing to spend the time to figure out exactly which one it is.

Nao presently lacks the tools to do so.

Yukino is pretty smart. If she snaps out of her funk, maybe she can figure it out. Nao should be able to handle memorizing a couple of dates for her to consider.

She could take the laptop, but it's possible Natsuki hasn't looked at it yet. The whole experience is very strange, and if Nao meets her later, she can just explain it in person. For now, she closes it down and decides to go back and find Haruka. It seems their first order of business has changed, and they'd better find the other people on that list before they go further.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

About fifteen minutes after she leaves, Nao returns. Her somewhat frazzled look remains much as it has since she woke up in the infirmary, though she makes an effort to smooth over her features as she enters.

"There's something you should see," she says, glancing back outside for a moment.

"Yeah?" Haruka asks, glancing over at Yukino. She'll probably hold for the moment, right?

Yukino is in no hurry to rush anywhere.

Haruka nods, and opts to follow Nao.

Nao glances at Yukino like she wants her to come along as well, but apparently thinks better of it. She leads Haruka to Shizuru's room, opening the door easily (though a slight pair of holes in the lock give lie to just how she got inside.)

"There's a mirror in the bathroom," she explains, pointing the way. "Can you go there and tell me what you see in it?"

Haruka peers at Nao, one eyebrow quirked in curiosity. Defacing school property obviously isn't something she approves of, but these are desperate times! Anyway: "Sure thing," she says, entering the dread kingdom of Fujino.

A bed, quite above Fuka standards. A barren desk with a chair placed next to it. An open door leading to a small bathroom.

Fujino was leading quite the spartan life.

Except for the bed. But somehow, Haruka has trouble seeing Fujino sleep any other way.

Well, Haruka has to admit that her rival's restraint was actually rather admirable. She enters the bathroom to see what the deal is with this mystery mirror, expecting to see herself and not much more.

The bathroom is spotless. Every spot is cleaned to perfection, although it seems like it hasn't been used in days.

Haruka nods in approval at that, at least! So, the mirror then. ...Although, she can't help but be curious enough to poke around in Shizuru's medicine cabinet and the like.

The medicine cabinet is barren like the rest of the room. Haruka can't find any signs of it having been used before. The mirror reflects Haruka's face fairly truthfully.

Haruka shrugs and walks out to see Nao. "It's just a mirror. You feeling okay?"

"Just a mirror?" replies Nao, slightly unbelieving, as she walks past Haruka to make certain of this apparently incredible fact.

The mirror is capable of showing Nao's reflection, and if they huddle, that of Haruka and Nao together.

"Well, obviously I saw myself in it too," Haruka adds, tossing her hair. "Was something else supposed to be there?"

It is not a particularly large mirror.

Nao is clearly disconcerted by this development. "Yeah, when I looked in it the first time, it showed me Natsuki's reflection," she replies. "Then when I came out, there was a laptop on the desk, and.. now it's gone."

Normal behaviour is clearly too much for the redhead.

Haruka spares Nao another strange look. "I think maybe you need a good long nap, Nao."

"I've been sleeping all day! I.. I need to eat something, I haven't had anything since... yesterday morning," she reflects.

Haruka shakes her head. "That won't do at all! You need to stay fit in body and mind if you want to combat the forces of...whoever our enemy is." If there are any snacks in Haruka's room, Nao's welcome to them.

"Yeah, you're right," agrees Nao, heading out of Shizuru's room. 釘ut there was definately a laptop. I opened it, and there were some files, and... well, I'm not exactly sure who our enemy is. But I figured out who some of our friends might be."

Haruka is eager to learn this vital information! "Oh yeah? What'd you see? Tell me!"

"Well, from what I gathered, Shizuru knows that someone or something is out there, setting some events in motion. They've got something to do with Senoh and Harada's disappearance," muses Nao. "It seems that every three centuries, there's some kind of festival or fight or something called the 詮irst District" - don't ask, I don't know what it entails. We Hime clearly have something to do with it, though I still don't know what.

"There was a list of names, too. There were a couple I didn't know on it... Sugiura Midori and Higurashi Akane, do they ring any bells?"

"Sugiura is a teacher at Fuka. Higurashi was a student here, but she disappeared a while back. Not one of these mysterious disappearances, though," she corrects. "She eloped with some guy." She adds a *tsk* to emphasize how little she approves of setting aside one's studies in such a manner.

"We need to speak with her," replies Nao. "There were others. Mai, Mikoto, Yukariko, Yukino... and two more, but I really don't want to meet them again soon."

"So, this list. Was it like..." She gestures vaguely in the air for a moment. "...an *enemies* list? Was there anything saying what it was for, or--wait, Yukino?"

"It was a list of Hime, I think. We should all be friends! We should definately not be enemies. There were two names not on it, by the by- ours. It was dated before either of us changed, though."

"Well. Before I changed," she reflects, after a moment. "I don't really know your story."

And it'll have to wait, as Haruka suddenly has something much more pressing to worry about. She darts back into her room. "Hey, Yuikno?!"

Yukino stirs at the urgent call. She looks up at Haruka, eyes dull.

Haruka plants herself on the bed next to her friend, one hand on the other gir's shoulder. "Yukino! Hey, are you one too? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Yukino trembles. "One? What do you mean, Haruka-chan?"

While Yukino and Haruka have their no-doubt sickly heart-to-heart, Nao attempts to solve her hunger problems by putting Haruka's kitchen to use.

"Hime! There was a list on Shizuru's computer."

Yukino looks aghast, shaking her head. "Fujino-san kept a list?" she asks in disbelief.

Haruka nods. "Nao found it on her computer. What's wrong? This is great! We can get everyone together now and really figure out who our enemy is."

"You don't understand!" Yukino exclaims. "It's-- it's not great! It's horrible, really horrible!" She sends a glare in Nao's direction. "She put you up to all this, didn't she? She forced you into everything, made you become a Hime. Didn't she, Haruka-chan?!"

"Because I really know what's going on, here," replies Nao, bitterly.

"You be quiet!" Yukino snaps at Nao, standing up abruptly. She shivers, and genuine hate shows in her eyes.

"Yukino, I didn't know anything about it before I had the dream last night! This isn't the time for bickering. This is the time for Fuka students to STAND TOGETHER. ...But Yukino, why didn't you ever tell me about this? I've been running around like crazy trying to figure things out the past few days."

Nao is taken aback, and can only stare back at Yukino with uncomprehending eyes.

"There is no standing together, Haruka-chan," Yukino responds, not taking her eyes off Nao. Purple lightning flashes in them briefly, gone so swiftly Nao is left wondering whether she imagined the entire thing. "Only one Hime can survive the Festival. I didn't want you to know, because I didn't want to--" Yukino's voice breaks, "--fight you. But... but if she's gone, it will be alright, won't it? You can go back to being the normal Haruka-chan...."

Nao's eyes begin to narrow, and she starts quivering, herself.

"What? No! No one has to fight anyone! And *you're* not fighting *anyone* will I'm around!" Haruka insists, wrapping her arms around her friend in an embrace that's both a hug and an attempt to keep her under control.

Whether it is the hug or something else entirely, Yukino's eyes suddenly droop, and she staggers. Struggling to keep upright, she leans on Haruka, finally breaking eye contact with Nao.

"That's not true," growls Nao. "It's a lie, a trick. It's that Nagi brat, isn't it?"

"That's better. When we fight each other, Fuka loses no matter who wins! Now, slow down. What's with this Festival?"

"You can see it too, can't you? That ominous red star?" Yukino murmurs. Haruka feels, as her friend's weight shifts, that without her support she would sag to the floor. "If we lose, our most important person dies. If we don't fight, if there is no victor by the time of the Festival... they also die. Everyone dies." She laughs, a short, sad laugh that sounds too tired to convey the hysteria Yukino must feel. "There is no escape."

Haruka scowls. "What kind of festival is that? That's insane! And moreover, I don't remember it EVER coming before the Executive Committee! We are *not* fighting each other. You understand me, Yukino?"

Yukino shows no sign of hearing Haruka. "I don't want a world without Haruka-chan," she adds quietly.

"Is there such a star? I never saw it," replies Nao, trying to regain her composure. "I remember it, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes."

She shifts on her feet. "Maybe it's because I was defeated already..."

Haruka nods. "Me neither, Yukino," she responds, equally subdued.

Yukino merely leans further into Haruka, no longer speaking.

"Alright, so...red star..." Haruka muses aloud. "It should be easy to see that outside, right? So that part's a cinch to confirm."

"There's some way around this. I think Shizuru knew what it was," murmurs Nao. "Yeah, let's have a look." She heads to the door, intending to confirm this part, at least.

"On second thought, maybe later," she says, glancing at the remnants of the accursed daystar.

"What happened in your dream, Haruka? You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine. Shizuru's notes said something about some "Kiyohime" chick who apparently must not be unsealed, does that ring any bells?"

Haruka shakes her head, still holding Yukino. "No. I think I've mentioned most of it by now. I was in this cave, and another me came and said that it was up to me to lead Orihime now. I still don't know what that is, though. And I got my mace." Something else occurs to her, like a minor detail: "Oh, and there were these twelve pillars in the cave?

"And I walked over to one of them and it reminded me of Fujino somehow."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Did it have stuff written on it?" asks Nao, thinking back to the tattoo she saw on Shizuru.

Come to think of it, maybe she should have something like that, too. But now is not the time to look for it!

Haruka shrugs. "Not that I remember. I just knew that's who it resented, you know?"

"Wait, it what?"

"What do you mean, 'What?' I said just what I meant!"

"But that- I'm pretty sure our own powers don't hate us- that makes a lot of sense, though, if this really is supposed to be a fight to the death."

Nao rubs her head. "I dreamed of some girl in some kind of tube, filled with liquid. It was like some kind of science lab. I'm not sure what it was all about, but it was definately important. Finding her is some kind of... reset switch."

Haruka frowns. "I don't think we have anything like that in the lab here. Who was in the tube?"

"I didn't recognize her. And I really, really, really doubt it's anywhere obvious. I think it was some kind of cave." Sighing, she curls her hand into a claw, though not quite summoning the actual weapon.

"This festival thing is ancient. It's been happening every three hundred years, I think to the day. Why does it continue to this day?"

"Probably because there wasn't a Suzushiro around to stop it until now. I am -not- going to let it continue, that's for sure! Someone must be good at making sure word doesn't get out, because I know I've never heard of it before. I propose that we find this person and...throw them out a window!"

"How well do you know the chairman? What's her name, Mashiro or something?"

"I don't know her well. Fujino might have, but it's too late to ask her."

"Yeah. I heard from Mai that she knows more than she's letting on. But when I went to talk to her, it didn't go very well. She just.. refused to tell me anything!" Nao's eyes narrow, and a spot on her face twitches. "I don't know if she deserves it or not, but I definately want to defenestrate her. 'side from that, I was going to go check out the history books, see if there's anything there that might shed light on Fuuka itself.

"And there's the other people in that list, too. But they may not share our optimistic outlook. You got any ideas?"

"We talk to Sugiura," Haruka says decisively, clearly quite comfortable making decisions for the group. "She's a teacher here. If she doesn't know more than we do, she's still in a position to make someone else listen."

"I'm pretty sure we can make people listen to us," replies Nao, arching an eyebrow. "But do we really want this whole thing to become general knowledge?"

"Even if we don't, it would help to have someone on the staff along when we talk to the other students," Haruka says. She seems uncomfortable grappling with the notion that the voice of someone on the Executive Committee wouldn't be enough.

"Ugh. I dunno. What kind of person is she?" asks Nao, changing the topic from "should we" to "who is she"

"I don't know her very well personally, but she's definitely...enthusiastic."

Nao looks at Haruka rather skeptically, and eventually shrugs. "Good enough, I guess. I'm just worried that she can probably make life difficult for us if she's not, uh, friendly. I suppose it'll depend. Let's head off."

She pauses, as if forgetting something, and then glances at Yukino. "She coming?" she asks Haruka, sounding rather dour.

Haruka sets Yukino down on the bed for now. "Yukino? I'm going to see Sugiura. You need to get some rest, so just relax for now, okay?" She's not sure her friend is in a mood to talk right now, but it needed to be said anyway.

Yukino nods slightly, perhaps in answer.

Nao shrugs, and heads outside, managing about five steps before she realises she has no idea where to go.

"Alright. I'll be back. We'll talk then." She follows Nao outside. Probably Sugiura's classroom is the place to start? Maybe she's still on the grounds.

Nao trudges after Haruka, but apparently isn't done talking yet. "Your friend seems to hate me," she remarks. "You better not let her do anything stupid."

"Hey! 'Stupid' and 'Yukino' shouldn't be used in the same sentence. And the Nao she's used to isn't a very nice person, so it doesn't surprise me at all."

"Well, I'm working on fixing that," replies Nao, with a touch of hurt in her voice. "But this is actually for your sake. If she comes after me, I'm not gonna be held responsible for what comes next."

"Then I'll make sure she doesn't!" Haruka insists, because controlling people is just that simple.

"Good! I like you," agrees Nao. "You remind me of Natsuki. None of this screwing around, just straight to the point. That's *just what this situation needs.*"

"Except I attend classes," Haruka points out, not seeming entirely comfortable with the parallel here.

"I predict that the future holds much skipping of classes. Are classes even on? With all the explosions and injured people and whatnot, it'd actually surprise me if they continued."

"Classes are always on at Fuka! But I admit it will be hard to focus on that while we're trying to stop this Festival nonsense. It's just a sacrifice we'll have to make!"

"Sacrifice" is a word in pretty bad taste right now, you know."

Haruka just waves this away, like she would anytime Yukino corrected her.

It is evening as the unlikely pair reach what Haruka is fairly certain serves as Midori Sugiura's homeroom. The classroom is empty.

"It's empty," deadpans Nao.

"Shoot. I was hoping she might be working late or something." If there's a faculty directory available, they can always look up her phone number?

"We could catch her tomorrow when she comes in for work, though with all the students around it might be a hassle," muses Nao.

"Let's try the nurse for now. I think the two of them are friends, so maybe she'll know how to reach Sugiura. To the infirmary!"

Nao checks the clocks and shrugs. "I've seen way to much of that place lately," she mutters as she follows.

Yohko Sagisawa sighs as she lays eyes upon her two visitors, seeming to share Nao's earlier thoughts. "Again?" she asks tiredly. "What is it this time?"

"I just need to find Sugiura," Haruka says. "Do you know where to find her right now?"

"That's Miss Sugiura," the nurse says reproachfully. "What do you need with her at this hour?"

"It's a private matter, but it's urgent."

Yohko's eyelids droop. "Of course it is." She turns away to glance at a few papers on her desk, and Nao thinks she hears her mutter 'teenagers'.

All this serves to do is send Nao on an exceptionally morbid inner monologue about how she's physically fifteen, mentally about 25, and chronologically six days.

"Hey!" Haruka starts, slapping her hand down on the desk. "This is serious. She could be in danger!"

Nao chokes, and starts to cough.

"It's a matter of life and death, I take it?" Yohko drawls out, returning her gaze to Haruka.

"It could be!" Haruka replies, all seriousness.

The nurse looks past Haruka at Nao. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," replies Nao, shaking her head. Wait, that's not right.

"Did she go home? I knew it'd be too late."

Yohko smiles at Nao. "That was very clever of you, Yuuki."

"Don't tell me she gets this often," mutters Nao, sighing. "Come on, let's go. If she winds up in a ditch before tomorrow, I'll chalk it up to bad luck."

"I'm sure Midori-chan can take care of herself, but thank you for your concern," the nurse tells them.

"Hey! You can't just throw us out like that!"

"You are welcome to stay the night," Yohko tells Haruka with a smile, gesturing at the spare beds. "Please feel free to take whichever one you like."

Haruka just scowls and stalks out, fist clenched at her sides.

"Oh, really? Cool, I'll be back later," replies Nao, turning back to the nurse. "You'll be here all evening?"

"Plenty of work."

Nao seems quite cheerful at this development, and heads on out.

"'Matter of life and death' yeah, that's a good one, Suzushiro. Can't you lie about homework or something next time?"

Depending on Haruka for subtlety is generally a losing gamble. "I'm not good at being dishonest," she says. It sounds like she thinks it's an accomplishment. "Okay, who else was on the list?"

"Higurashi Akane. Tokiha Mai and Minagi Mikoto- I've already talked to them. Haven't seen them around lately, though, so I'm wondering if they got back today or not. Since my dorm is closed, if they're at school, they'll be in the auditorium, I guess.

"That crazy nun chick, too. If she sees me, she'll probably start shooting arrows at me, and I think I put her in hospital. Maybe she'll be stuck there until this is over, that'd suit me pretty well, but if not, itmightbebetterifyougoseeherwithoutme. Uh. Yukino, for all the frigging help she was. I killed Alyssa's sister, so that might not go so well, either. I'm pretty sure Fumi will follow Mashrio's lead, so she's probably useless. And Akane Higurashi. Is she even on Fuuka?"

Haruka shakes her head. "She eloped," she says, rolling her eyes. "I don't know where she is now. And I have no idea where Tokiha and Miangi have gone. Tokiha wasn't at the hospital anymore last time I was there. I can talk to Sister Yukariko, at least."

"Well, do that. Try and convince her that shooting people is bad and that if she doesn't do it, she won't get her head beat in. Yukino might be more talkative when I'm not around, too."

Nao frowns. "I'll try and do some research of my own tomorrow. There's a couple things I want to check out myself, so how about we meet up again after school or something and discuss what we learn? And, hey, you don't have a car or anything, do you?"

Haruka shakes her head. "No. I just take cabs everywhere. Alright, as much as I hate to split up again, that sounds like a plan."

"It'll be fine," replies Nao, waving her off. "You and Yukino can probably handle anything that comes up, and I can take care of myself. Probably. As long as I don't run into Yukariko before you talk to her, it should be ok.

"Ah, yeah, and we've gotta catch Sugiura when she comes into school, too."

Haruka shrugs. "Just stay away from the church. And she is still in the hospital, after all."

"Our bodies are pretty tough. I might hope, but I doubt she'll be there long. You might wanna call ahead."

"I guess that's not a bad idea. Alright, I'm going back to Yukino. Keep yourself alive, okay?"

"You know me, always looking out for number one," replies Nao, without much humour.

"Meet up outside the gates tomorrow morning, ok? If I'm not there, something's gone wrong."

Haruka nods. "I'll be there."

Nao waves at Haruka as she departs, heading off towards the library to indulge in yet more self-study (the only kind worth anything, in her limited experience.)

Haruka, of course, returns to her room.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The library is a separate building off to the back of the complex, and as Nao approaches it, she gets the feeling it is not often in use. The domed structure is open to all, and stepping inside, Nao sees book cases lined up against the walls. There is a second floor with a railing overlooking the main chamber, and a large mechanism on the floor in the center. A multitude of gears come together to form... a clock? It is not one Nao had seen before.

The clock certainly highlights the libraries grandeur, and in doing so, demonstrates the wealth and legacy of this school. It's highly doubtful anyone would use it at this time... but perhaps students may find it a quiet place to relax between classes.

That's something to consider for another time, though. Nao has work to do, and that work will start by looking for some kind of directory, or even a librarian.

There is some lighting in the building, enough to see by, although Nao is certain that her fellow students might complain of darkness and shadows. Even her own sight struggles to see the other end of the room clearly.

There are no humans that Nao can see in the area.

Then she has no real choice but to search, whether for a computer, some kind of elaborate card system, or even just by squinting at the spines of books to see what topics they cover.

It looks like there are several computers on the second floor.

Nao heads up there then (via stairs, not via bookshelves or in a single bound), intent on searching for "Fuuka history" or something similar.

The top ten searches direct Nao to articles about the establishment of the Fuka Academy by one Kazahana Mashiro, tackling the issue from several angles.

It seems like the school dominates the island (though given where she's searching...)

Still, if any of these texts hint at controversy, she'll make a note to take a look at them. She appends 訴sland" to the search, hoping for recollections of a more distant time.

People have lived here for at least three centuries; that's the earliest record Nao can find for the Fuka Shrine, and it didn't exist in a vacuum. The development of the local community and its transition from a rural to a more modern standard seems to roughly coincide with the establishment of the Academy.

Interesting. Perhaps she'll have to go back to the shrine, despite the danger of hostile squids.

Nao spends a bit of time going over the books she's labelled, primarily interested in getting histories, the whos and the whys of Fuuka Island's settlement and growth.

But she also takes an interest in any local periodicals; newspapers or magazines covering the last few weeks. The internet can probably be used for that.

Mysterious disappearances, unsolved murders, unforeseen natural disasters; it's all of interest.

There is nothing. No mysterious disappearances, murders unsolved or otherwise or natural distasters. No corresponding records exist.

The last thing Nao plans on doing is pulling up a map of the island. There may well be countless cliffs to plummet from by the sea, and she doubts she has time to go on a sightseeing tour of all of them.

But if there are any reasonably close to the school, they might be worth checking out.

"Working late, my Nao Hime?" Nagi asks as the computer displays the island's map. There is only a single bridge to the mainland shown on the map.

Nao twists her head, frustrated at the failure of her senses. A grimace crosses her face when she recognizes the voice.

"They're calling you the antichrist, you know," she remarks.

Nagi is sitting on the railing, although one might call it teetering as well. He laughs at Nao's words. "How delightful!"

A book is in Nagi's hands. Nao spots that he is reading Lord of the Flies.

"Inspirational reading, huh? What's your game, here?"

Nagi drops the book in his lap, raising his arms disarmingly. "Me? I'm just enjoying a quiet evening of reading." A piece of paper, looking like a newspaper clipping, slips out of the book, drifting slowly to the floor.

"I didn't think you were interested in quiet evenings," she replies swivelling the seat around.

"Do you enjoy it? People killing each other?"

"Did you?"

"Did I? Just how violent was the old Nao?" she responds, resolutely not thinking of how much *better* she felt when she saw Natsuki blow Searrs away.

"You're doing just fine, Princess," Nagi tells her with a wide, happy smile. "I'm betting on you being a finalist, I'll have you know. Good job with the scariest of them all! I don't know how you did it, but that's one obstacle you won't be facing in the future."

"What is all this? What's the point in slaughtering each other?" wonders Nao, eyeing Nagi coldly. "Is it all some sick idea of a joke? She might致e been correct, there's something here that doesn't belong in this world alright."

"She said that?" Nagi asks in surprise. "Huh. Learn something new every day." Shrugging, he places his hands on the guardrail to the sides of his body, and pulls himself up until he's standing atop it.

"Since you've been such a sport, here's a refresher course: only the remaining Hime will gain the power to save the world and stop the Hime Star. Win, and you're a heroine! Lose, and... well, just don't lose?"

"The world ends if we don't? Everyone dies, goodbye, planet Earth?" guesses Nao, briefly massaging her forehead.

"But that doesn't actually answer my question. If it can be stopped, why can't it just... be stopped? Why can't there be enough power without this fucking festival?"

"Hey, I just work here. Why don't you ask Mashiro-chan?"

"So her maid can rip me in half?" replies Nao, dryly.

"Oh, don't go underestimating yourself," Nagi returns, sounding excited.

"If you work here, what's your job description?"

"I'm just the messenger?"

"For who? Where do you come from? It'd take a lot of guts to find the impending end of the world so humorous... unless you're not going to get hurt by it either way."

"You'll find out in due time. Why not go ahead and seize a win, if you want to know that badly? There's a really weak Hime, all ripe for the picking, lying in a hospital right now."

"I can kill her anytime, even if she's healthy," mutters Nao. "But that won't answer anything. I知 not buying into this, not until I know there's no other way. I already lost once, didn't I? DIDN'T I? You'd have to be some kind of idiot to think you can fight it out after that! And there's still so much I don't know! Who is Kiyohime? Orihime? What does Hime even mean anyway, we're not princesses or royalty, just... kids."

Nagi sighs. "Fine, fine, let's talk about all that boring stuff. You're Hime because you can manipulate light, materialize it into objects, shape it into energy. Neat, isn't it?" The boy smirks, seeming to preen. "Kiyohime? Wasn't that Shizuru's Child? But you got rid of her, so you don't need to worry about it anymore. And what's this talk about you losing? That's just silly, Nao-chan. If you lose, you can't play again."

"You think *I* killed Shizuru?." replies Nao, appearing to lose interest in the boy for a moment, as she swivels around to face the screen.

"If anything, she killed me. Yet, here I am. I guess you don't have it right, after all. I can't tell if that should worry me or comfort me- no, it definately comforts me."

"You didn't set her up, then?" Nagi asks in surprise, before laughing loudly. The sound reverberates through the darkened library. "Oh, this is rich. It means you're a natural at this, Nao Hime. Yes, I'm definitely placing my bets on you."

There is a shuffling sound from Nagi's direction.

"I can't win by just fighting! If I could, then it'd be easy, but... there's got to be another way! I'll die... there's no way I'll let that happen, but I'll die if it comes down to that. I accepted that already. There's a way to step back from all of this, isn't there? Something that'll reset things back to the way they were. I don't even know what that is, but it's better that how things are!" She gets out of her seat and stares up at Nagi, clenching her fists in anger and desperation. "Tell me what it is!"

Nagi is gone. So is his book -- whatever did happen to it after he dropped the thing into his lap? Only a newspaper clipping remains on the floor as any sign that Nagi was there.

Nao slams a fist on the table, leaving behind a crack. No doubt, the next student who leans on the desk is in for a surprise.

She leaves the computer open, forgetting about it as she stands up and makes to leave. She only spends a moment to pick up the clipping Nagi left behind, hating herself even as she reads it.

It isn't comforting, knowing how easily you can be baited.

It is an obituary from what looks like a local paper, for one Mashiro Kazahana. The paper looks dated.

Was anything written in remembrance?

There is no family listed, and the obituary itself is rather run of the mill; there is no special feeling like it, as one would get when something is written by close friends or loved ones.

Either Mashiro's family has a very unoriginal way of picking names, or something very strange is going on. It wouldn't be the first thing.

Pocketing the slip of paper, Nao heads outside the library and looks at the sky.

The moon is overlaid with a red splotch, sending tendrils everywhere near it. It is like a cancer in the night sky, and feels so strangely familiar to Nao.

"Ugly..."

If the only people who seem to know anything refuse to tell her, then there really is no choice but to use force. It's dangerous- too dangerous. Yet if she ends up having to fight everyone, anyhow, there'll be no escaping it. Some risks you just can't get away with not taking, it seems.

Suzushiro will probably come with her, and perhaps Mai would, too, if she were around. Nao slips back to the auditorium for the time being. It is, after all, getting somewhat late.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Morning arrives. There are no signs of Yukino ever returning, Haruka discovers.

Well, that's disturbing. May as well check in with Yukino's roommate and see if she came back there.

It is still fairly early.

Haruka knocks anyway! Hey, it's not like it's Saturday. People should be waking up for school soon anyway.

"What is it?" an edgy voice asks. Yukino's roommate opens the door in pajamas; she has an impressive case of bed hair.

"Did Yukino ever come back last night?" Haruka asks, skipping the pleasantries.

"Of course it's all about her. No. Goodbye." The door is slammed promptly in Haruka's face.

Well, that was rude. Aside from checking in at the auditorium, though, Haruka can't think of much she can do to find her friend right now. So aside from that, meeting Nao and going into town to see Yukariko (not necessarily in that order!) looks like the plan.

Haruka runs into Nao as she approaches the auditorium. The red-head seems rested compared to the previous day.

But no less dour.

Until she sees Haruka, and cocky smirk arises (is that a fang?) "Mornin', Miss Bigshot Executive Suzushiro! What commands shall I relay to your minions?"

This gets Nao dark glares from a pair of said minions minding the entrance.

Haruka ignores any aspersions on her good name. "Do you have any news? For my part, I can't find Yukino."

"I have no news that good," replies Nao, cheerily, approaching Haruka at a brisk pace. "But Nagi found me last night," she adds, in a lower voice. "Seems that it's not just us who wind up in the ground if we don't go through with this festival."

"Hey! I won't have you talking about Yukino like that. This is serious. If we're going to work together, you will two will have to get along. Now...what did Nagi say?"

"He thinks I'm going to win!" replies Nao with a tinge of incredulity.

"Aside from that? Apparently whoever wins gets the power to save the world from that," she continues, jerking a finger towards the sky. "The Hime Star, that is. I don't know exactly what it's going to do, but it's pretty bad, I'm sure.

"There was some technical stuff, too. Seems our power comes from light. We're... what's the word? Photosynthetic soldiers? Don't see how that matters much, though.

"Only other thing is that I'm pretty sure he's baiting me into going after Mashiro. Said I should ask her if I had questions. Seeing as I've already gone after her once, with pretty terrible results... urgh. Maybe you'd have better luck, I dunno."

Rather absently, she digs around in her skirt and flips a newspaper clipping to Haruka. "Check this out."

Haruka nods. "I'll try. Maybe she'll llisten to someone on the executive committee." She takes the clipping and reads it.

It is an obituary from what looks like a local paper, for one Mashiro Kazahana. The paper looks dated.

Haruka's eyes widen. "She's dead?! And she's still running the school? There has to be a law against that. I don't think dead people are allowed to be in charge of anything."

"That isn't what's important here, Haruka-chan," replies Nao, doing a pretty fair imitation of Yukino's voice.

Which earns Nao a glare, but Haruka stays on-topic. "Well, I'm definitely going to mention it when we talk to her."

"Mmhmm. My first guess would've been a relative. Someone by her name apparently founded the school, don't you know? I figured her mother wasn't very creative."

Nao shrugs. "But you know what? Not much is gonna be a surprise to me, lately."

"Well, meeting with her is on my agenda now one way or another. She can't hide the truth from me!"

"Yeah. But first... Sugiura, right? Actually, maybe Yukariko," mutters Nao, losing some of her cheer. "Yeah, if I was Yukino, I might go see the nun..."

Haruka nods. "We have some time before school starts, so let's head to the hospital and check on her."

"Wait wait wait you want me to come with you?" asks Nao, blanching. "I did, you know, *bash her skull in*, she is not going to be happy to see me. I don't even want to be in the same room as her!"

Haruka rolls her eyes. "Fine, if you two can't sort out your differences, I'll talk to her."

"Hey, I can sort out our differences just fine! She didn't like the way I sorted them out. She might like your way better. It's less percussive."

Only figuratively. Haruka does kind of try to bludgeon people into submission--just with words! "Alright, well, I'll let you know how it went when I get back."

"Actually, I'll come after you," replies Nao, shaking her head. "I want to try and catch up with Sugiura, and there's a couple things here I want to look up, but I've gotta see some stuff in town, too. I'll meet you at the mall at, say, noon?"

"Sure thing."

"'kay. The town is pretty scary, Suzushiro, so stay out of dark alleys and don't accept any candy from blue-haired kids. Hey, see if you can track down Mai while you're there."

"Yeah. We should both keep an eye out for her and Mikoto."

"Right. Oh, and, uh, you know which entrance Sugiura might come through? Actually, what does she even look like..." mutters Nao, scrunching up her hair.

"Tall, red hair, boundless energy. We stopped by her classroom yesterday, so check there if all else fails."

"I like her already! Ok, see you later."

Nao skips off somewhere, most likely the cafeteria.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Asking about Yuki gets mixed results. Executive Committee members aren't particularly eager to talk to Nao after the way she spoke of them to their leader, not to mention right in front of them. On the other hand, they visibly don't want to alienate someone who was seen closely with said leader. In the end, shuffling the problem off onto someone else seems to be the solution, and Nao receives Yuki's dorm address and phone number.

Just how early is it, anyway?

A bit after seven.

It's still kind of early. Nao waits for a while, until about thirty or so minutes before school starts before fronting up at Yuki's dorm and waiting to see if she can catch the girl as she leaves.

Nao's promptness goes a long way towards helping her spot the older girl. Just as she arrives at the right dorm, she sees Yuki leaving in the direction of campus.

"Ah, Yuki!" greets Nao, heading towards the girl with a cheery wave. "You're on the executive committee, right? Can you help me with something?"

"Nao Yuuki, right? Sure, we're here for the students and all that." Yuki seems pretty upbeat.

"Great! I don't know if you heard or not, but I, uh, lost my memory last Thursday," replies Nao, coughing. "I still haven't really found out if I've got any family or anything, nobody actually told me. Can you help me track down my records, so I can find out just who's paying to keep me here and all that?"

Yuki's look turns briefly sympathetic, before she returns to her seemingly normal nonchalant self. "Don't see a problem with the request," she tells Nao. "Our access is higher than regular students, so I can see why you came to me. Okay, wanna tag along to a computer lab? I have a bit of time before I have to go take charge of things."

"Sure, that'd be great. Back in the auditorium, right? Hey, you know when they're going to let us back in the dorm?"

"Not at the auditorium, actually." Yuki seems a bit sad as she says that. "I've been relieved of that since I looked tired or some crap like that. Now I have to pretty much organize all the other odd jobs we're running at Fuka. Isn't resting great?"

"Must be pretty hard with everything happening lately," replies Nao, sympathetically. "But you won't find me arguing against the virtues of sleep, I'm afraid."

"That part I have no arguments with," Yuki says, and the cheer seems a bit forced this time. "It's what you have to wake up to that's the problem. But enough about that! You want the standard stuff; finances and such?"

"Money, family- *gulp*- educational history, all that cool stuff," replies Nao, nodding.

The computer lab is just ahead, as the two head that way, talking.

"And you haven't been told any of that since last Thursday?" Yuki asks Nao. "How did you get by? Your cash must've run out." She sounds more curious than caring.

"I found some in my room, and they seem to be happy serving my at the cafeteria, so... I figured I was rich?" Nao seems rather hopeful at this prospect.

Yuki snorts. "Could very well be. Some of the students here are. And the richer the folks, the less they seem to actually care, you know? Just something you notice."

She finds an unattended computer, booting it up. "Right, let's take a look. Yuuki Nao... grade?"

"Ninth," replies Nao, thinking she has it right.

"It's okay, you're not the only one to just not think about everyday stuff like that," Yuki tells her, checking her records. "Ah! 3-C. Yuuki Nao. An honor student... you're not."

"It was worth hoping, wasn't it?" asks Nao, peering over Yuki's shoulder at the screen... and, most likely, blanching and looking away. "If I could go back in time, I'd probably beat myself up for that."

"If anything, it shows a lack of effort." Yuki gives her an encouraging smile. "You're not stupid, just a slacker!"

"Let's not dwell on that," decides Nao, firmly. "What about finances?"

Yuki's hand directs the mouse. A few clicks later, and she blinks. "Huh. A Kazahana schollarship recipient? Who would've guessed?"

Looking past Yuki, Nao sees that all her living expenses are covered by the scholarship, and she receives a monthly stipend on top of that.

"Huh. Maybe once they get given out, they can't take 'em back?" replies Nao, dubiously. "What's the criteria for it, anyway? There some list of recipients?"

"There must be!" Yuki agrees. The keyboard comes into play, a search is run... and Nao is treated to an expression of dismay on the older girl's face. "Huuuh," Yuki says slowly. "Didn't expect that."

The criteria and the list of applicants, not to mention recipients, is classified. It is made clear that higher-level access is necessary to access that data.

A vague memory intrudes upon Nao's conscious thoughts. She's ranting about the poor access ordinary students get. Someone is listening to her, nodding in all the right places, the very image of sympathy. Something is off-- but not about that girl; about Nao. The vision begins to fade, and the last thing she hears clearly is herself -- or is it Nao herself? -- wishing out loud that she could get into the privileged areas somehow.

Nao rubs her head. "For a school, it seems pretty... locked down. Uh, we haven't met before the other day, have we? No, of course not. Who runs all the.. the.. computers?"

"IT is outsourced to some firm." Yuki shrugs. "Not really my thing."

Nao struggles to recall the memory; what were her actual greviances? What did she *want* from that section?

"Huh. Do I have my own login, or something? I kinda just used public access things before..."

"I suppose you do. I'll have to put in a request; those things usually take a bit of time to get processed, to prevent fraud and all that nasty stuff. Give me twenty four hours to get back to you on that one?"

But Yuki's words lose coherence, along with Yuki herself. Nao is drawn back into the memory.

It is a different one, she realizes instantly. She is investigating... financial matters? There are many companies, but only two of them matter, only two are real in the maze of fake corporations created to shift attention from them. First District and Searrs. They are the ones. They--

And Nao is back with Yuki. The latter seems a tad concerned. "Does it happen often?" she asks bluntly. "The whole zoning out thing?"

"Yeah. Every now and then," replies Nao, quietly. "I don't like.. thinking about it, though! I mean, telling people I'm amnesiac or anything," she adds, quickly. "It just makes things weirder. But there are a few things you just have to find out, you know?"

Yuki shrugs. "Can't answer that one for you. For all I know, I'd be pretty happy living without a past."

"I tried to tell myself that, actually," replies Nao, leaning back and staring at the ceiling.

"You get the desire in you, to search things out. And even when you learn about them, you don't know if it's really true, or if you're mistaken or being lied to. I don't recommend it to anyone, really."

"I'll try to avoid blunt trauma," Yuki returns. "Well, hate to cut this short, but I do have a school to run. It doesn't seem like Kanzaki could do it, or would even want to, and god knows where Suzushiro and Kikukawa are off to."

"Hey, wait, I still need to check up on my family!" replies Nao. "Can you just let me look stuff up for a sec?"

"Oh, sorry." Yuki does seem like it, a bit. "No family listed on file. Condolences."

"Ah," replies Nao, coughing. "I guess that explains the scholarship."

"Could be." Yuki is terse, logging off. "You need my cell in case you have questions or whatever?"

"Your phone still works?" replies Nao, in surprise. "I thought most of 'em got knocked out. But sure, thanks."

"Most?" Yuki seems confused. "I know it happened to some girls from that dorm with the fire. There was some ridiculous story about ball lightning? Whatever. Did you sneak in there for a party or something?"

"No, not there... it's just something I heard from someone, after the big flash the other day." She shrugs. "Guess they were wrong."

"Not everyone wastes their time at malls in town," Yuki responds with a shrug. "Anyway, take care." With a wave, she leaves at a brisque pace.

Nao checks the time. That took a while, but she'll hopefully be able to find Sugiura before class gets started. Thus resolved, she goes out to search for the woman, starting by asking students if they've seen her around and moving on from there.

Asking around, Nao discovers that Sugiura is apparently on some kind of vacation. Or suspension. It is a bit difficult to get the story straight, but some sordid affair with an Iron Chef-like baking competition slash final exam that she was involved with was the last time Midori Sugiura was consistently seen teaching.

Nao receives confirmation that the older red-head was seen plenty around campus after that affair, however, all the way until last tuesday.

She was abducted by aliens! It's all clear to Nao, now, and she makes enquiries as to where the nearest rocket launchpad is.

People begin to steer clear of Nao.

Something isn't right...

She'll dwell on that later. Instead it's time to go back to the computer lab and find out Sugiura's number, as well as see if she can't run a search on this 'First District' and see if it turns up anything.

She also searches for Alyssa Searrs, more out of curiosity than anything.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[17:18] Nao's searches, in order, provide varied results. Midori's number is easy to procure from her page; she's still listed as faculty for the high school section of the school. First District returns many results for either 'first' or 'district', but nothing for both.
[17:18] Alyssa Searrs... a pretty, blonde third-grader who was the star of the church choir. A lot of the time the 'Golden Angel' is used interchangeably with her name.
[17:25] Nao is having serious doubts about the so-called godliness of angels, lately. She grabs Midori's number, records it in her phone (or on a bit of paper, whichever works). She heads outside, loitering somewhere quiet until she knows everyone else is in the class, then slips away and heads back towards Shizuru's dorm.
[17:25] Shizuru's dorm is empty. It doesn't look like anyone trespassed there.
[17:26] Nao goes back inside, deciding to see if it's possible to replicate her original exploration of the room.
[17:27] Nao can't see any signs of the foggy mirror she had stumbled upon originally in the bathroom. Everything is clean.
[17:29] Disappointing, though not unexpected. Nao just wasn't sure if Haruka's presence or the like changed things, but it really does seem like it was a once-only affair. Nonetheless, the files she viewed are around in the privileged section of the school's network...
[17:30] ...if her own figments were any indication. And more, besides. Perhaps Haruka can look into that sometime. While she's here, she tries calling Midori on Shizuru's landline.
[17:32] The phone rings. There is no answer-- no, not quite. Nao reaches the voice mail of Midori Sugiura. The prerecorded message states that Midori is busy with important research at present.
[17:39] "Sugiura, this is Yuuki. I want to talk to you about 'Hime', so if you feel like it, call back and leave your own message. And if you don't, don't. But I'd rather you did, because I want to find a way to not get into trouble with all this." Having left that behind, Nao hangs up, and spends a couple of minutes pondering her next destination...
[17:40] ...before heading out, intent on finding that bridge her memories recall in flames. Is it the same one leading away from Fuuka? Or a different one? Hopefully, she'll be able to tell.
[17:41] The bridge connecting Fuka with the mainland is quite the distance from campus.
[17:43] Then.. she'll.. have to take a cab! She can get changed back into the stuff Haruka lent her, so at least she won't be trailing around in uniform.
[17:44] Arranging for all that consumes a bit of Nao's time, but she'd surely save more on taking a cab rather than walking, and fending off truancy officers should be easier.
[17:44] Truancy officers exist?
[17:44] Nao feels pity for these people.
[17:45] The cab takes Nao all the way to the bridge. She can either take a stroll from there on, or have it take her across.
[17:46] Nao will get out the cab and take a stroll. Either she'll remember something, or she won't, but she still has quite a bit of time to kill before she's supposed to meet up with Haruka.
[17:48] Two and a half hours, really, but that could be a lot of time when skipping class and having nothing to do. None of the now-familiar sensation of having a memory flash take over Nao as she walks slowly down the length of the bridge, her ride having left her behind, but she's reasonably confident that it is the one.
[17:51] It looks remarkably intact, all things told- and, of course, Natsuki didn't know anything about it blowing up. Shizuru's hinting; her own memories; maybe, rather than deciding to reset things, she already did?
[17:52] True or not, it doesn't much matter in the present. Nao stops roughly at the position on the bridge where those fireballs sprang up. There's nothing around that could trigger something like that, is there?
[17:53] Nao finds herself roughly at the center of the bridge. Though it was unlikely to begin with, her search allows her to exclude any natural causes for explosion there.
[17:58] After spending a few minutes just leaning against a bannister and resting, Nao eventually heads back towards the island, deciding to head back to the shrine where she originally bought into all of this. At least, the time she first remembers really buying into this. There was a bus, so she'll find and catch that.
[17:59] Time is a commodity she has to spare. Half an hour later, Nao finds herself at the base of the stairs leading up to the shrine. The sight is as intimidating as previously, even though she knows she can't possibly get tired climbing them with her endurance.
[18:00] On the other hand, she managed to faint in the middle of a soccer game where she out-muscled the entire enemy team. Her own mind and body lie to her, so they're difficult to trust as of late. Nonetheless, she made it up once, and she can do it again!
[18:02] After scaling those stairs, a shinto temple's courtyard awaits her. No octopi with brooms attack Nao, pink or otherwise.
[18:04] There might be someone else around, though. Aren't these places supposed to be open to the public during the day, or something? If there's a likely place to find any sort of keeper such as... in the temple, Nao will start by looking around there (and knocking politely, if need be.)
[18:07] An elderly man in priestly robes is in, answering the door when Nao knocks. "Yes?" he asks, looking at her. There is no sign of recognition in his eyes. "How could I help you, child?"
[18:11] Nao gives a polite bow. "Hello! I'm actually here to ask about the temple's history," she replies.
[18:12] "Oh?" he asks, taking another look at Nao. "Is there anything in particular you're interested in?"
[18:13] "It's founding. It was one of the first buildings built on the island, right? So I was curious as to why it was built, and by who. That sort of thing."
[18:18] "It was before my time," the old priest muses, before waving Nao inside. "Come in, let's not stand here at the doorway and talk about it."
[18:18] "Ah, thank you," she replies, heading in after the priest and looking around the temple's interior.
[18:20] It looks like any other shinto temple. The interior is just as well kept as the courtyard, leading Nao to believe that the priest doesn't maintain it on his own. Eventually, they come to a dining room with a steaming teapot on the table. "I've just finished brewing some tea," he says, sitting down. "Would you like some?"
[18:22] "No, I'm alright," replies Nao, shaking her head. "Ah, I'm Yuuki Nao, by the way."
[18:27] "A pleasure. Now, you wanted to hear the legend of the Fuka shrine?" He takes a deep breath, pouring tea into his own cup. "It goes like this. One day, a priestess unlike any other appeared. She was gifted with beauty, grace, and immense spiritual power. She came to Fuka, accompanied by her brother, and sought to purify this land.
[18:27] They faced many beasts together, but those were no match for her fiery passion. At last, however, the land required one more sacrifice, that of this young, nameless priestess, and for her brother's sake, along with all the people she had managed to protect, she accepted her sad fate.
[18:27] Hearing of her courage and desire to keep this Land of Fuka safe, my ancestors came here to mind the shrine in her stead, and our family has been doing that ever since."
[18:29] "Beasts? Monsters, that sort of thing?"
[18:33] "The demons?" he asks to that. "I suppose so. The legend says that one of them was to be sealed behind this very shrine, but an earthquake broke through the sealed room some time ago. I haven't really seen anything there."
[12:28] "What else does it say about these monsters? Were they all 'sealed away', somewhere on this island?"
[12:32] The priest looks somewhat apologetic. "It's just a legend, you must understand."
[12:36] "But people believed it strongly enough to build a shrine, didn't they?" Nao shrugs. "There's a bit of truth in everything, I think. I don't really believe in monsters or anything, but I do wonder what inspired people."
[12:39] "An interesting answer," he muses. "Still, the legend of the shrine only covers its creation, I'm afraid. I don't know if any other seals exist, and I should, being what I am -- but I suppose it would be possible. There is certain logic in not advertising where demons are sealed, if one wants to avoid greedy or foolish people attempting to break the seals."
[12:44] "If you can't put them down for good, let the world forget about them... eh. It sounds wise, but if they really existed, I wonder if it'd be enough? Accidents happen, after all."
[12:47] The elderly priest nods slowly. "Yes. But if the ancestors, blessed with great spiritual strength, couldn't find a way to destroy them... perhaps, they also lacked the strength to defend all the seals, and so, chose just one for some reasons lost to time."
[12:49] Nao is silent for a while, and she feels rather sorry for the shrine. They don't know that, in a sense, they've already failed. "It makes a good myth. Ah- what happened to the brother? Did he live happily ever after?"
[12:50] "That part remains a mystery as well, I'm afraid. Perhaps the legend is vague on purpose, to allow the listener come up with their own answer?"
[12:53] "What do you think?"
[12:56] He leans back, sipping his cooling tea. "I believe that it was too difficult for him to remain here, where his sister has lost her life, and he left for the mainland. That while the priestess paid a terrible price, it was not all in vain, and she is still remembered and honored by some of us."
[13:00] Nao's fingers aimlessly drift across the wall nearby, and she doesn't look directly at the priest with her next words. "He must have wished they had never come, after all." Standing up, she bows to the priest. "Thanks for telling me about the legend."
[13:02] "That might be so," he agrees, standing up himself. "He was the one who told his sister about this land, after all."
[13:02] Nao winces. "Ouch."
[13:08] "Do you have any help with working here?" asks Nao, thinking back to the redhead who seemed to know her.
[13:10] "Help?" he asks, starting to shake his head before stopping abruptly. "Oh, you must mean Shiho!" He smiles fondly. "My granddaughter helps me out after school and on the weekends. Without her, I don't know how I'd keep the shrine in one piece."
[13:12] "It's a pretty big place, so I was wondering," replies Nao, nodding. "Well, thanks for talking to me. Do you mind if I have a look around the grounds before I go?"
[13:12] "I could show you around the shrine," the priest offers, before winking at Nao, "as well as our gift shop."
[13:15] "Ah, but I am a poor student," replies Nao, with great sadness. "Your efforts may be wasted on me."
[13:16] He laughs. "Just the rest of the shrine, then."
[13:16] "I'd appreciate that."
[13:24] The shrine itself is not particularly large, consisting of the main building and the storage shed a ways behind it. The priest tells Nao that it was the building damaged in the earthquake, and that since then, it remains structurally unsound. Of interest in the temple is a room he stops by. "I'm sorry, but only our family is allowed inside," the priest apologizes.
[13:25] Nao can look inside, however, and sees what looks like shinto priestess robes. A symbol combined of three tomoe adorns the left breast, while a golden beads necklace is set aside on a pillow below.
[13:27] "No problem," replies Nao, looking at the beads with curiosity.
[13:30] "There were more," the priest says, "but sadly, the necklace is all that we've managed to recover."
[13:31] "What happened to the rest?"
[13:31] "Destroyed while battling the demons? Lost in her very own purifying fires? I suspect we'll never know."
[13:33] "Ah, so it was literally fiery passion after all."
[13:34] "There is a long history of fire being used to purify evil, but I won't bore you with that," the priest comments.
[13:36] "A compelling reason to walk the straight and narrow path, I'd say."
[13:40] Nao thanks the priest in short order, but after she departs the shrine, it's a bitter teenager that makes her way back down to the bus stop. She knows she can't trust legends, but if it's correct, the winner of the festival winds up dying anyway? How did they get anyone to fight in- well, there were a few ways...
[13:42] ...deception and duty chief amongst them, and never mind the disturbing paralell between that story and Mai's situation. History repeating itself seems to be in vogue, lately. But without anything else to hunt for in the city-
[13:43] -it's time to head to her rendevous with Haruka. Shopping, or at least looking at shops- it beats school, despite the hours remaining.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[16:56] Haruka does indeed run to grab a cab immediately! Can't have Nao assuming the worst and wandering off. She'll head to the mall with all due haste. Speed limits be damned!
[16:58] Nao is loitering around the main entrance, not looking inconspicuous at all in Haruka's ill-fitting clothes. Definately not amongst the shopping housewives. Ugh.
[16:58] Haruka runs over to her, eager for any news. "Hey! Find anything out?"
[17:00] "Yeah. Sugiura's been missing since last Tuesday. I tried her cell, and she's... not around. Maybe she'll call back, I don't know. N'much else, though. That is, that we didn't already know. Oh, yeah, I got you a present."
[17:02] "Is it a phone that works? And that's just...*urgh*. Everyone's disappearing on us. Yukariko was totally useless and doesn't trust me now because I don't believe her when she babbles about angels, and I haven't been able to find Yukino since last night."
[17:04] It turns out to be just that, though the cell is cheap and obviously snatched from some bargain bin, but at least it can send messages. "She doesn't trust you? You should've hit her again,
" mutters Nao. "I swear, the next person to give me shit for no reason is going to find out what happens when I really try to earn it. Also, you owe me 8000 yen, cash only, please."
[17:06] Haruka nods. "The Suzushiros wouldn't be where they are now if they didn't pay their debts." Presumably Haruka has the cash on her. If she doesn't, there's always an ATM somewhere, right? "Alright, so if Sugiura's out...who's left?"
[17:07] "Fumi, though she's Mashiro's pet. Searrs and Higurashi are kinda... out of reach right now. And I don't have a clue where M&M are."
[17:10] Haruka suddenly remembers that she was supposed to talk to Mashiro anyway--about the cops that are now swarming the school grounds. Oh well. "I can tell my staff to keep an eye out for them and call me if they show up. Right now, I think I'm due to have a good long chat with Miss Mashiro myself. Unless you know how to find Nagi, that is."
[17:11] Nao snorts. "The last time we spoke, I turned my back on him for a second, and he was gone. We're not gonna find him. But I'd love to know how he stays informed."
[17:12] "It is a gift," Nagi's voice sounds behind Nao.
[17:12] "Yeah. No one at this school should know more than I do--" She whirls around suddenly.
[17:13] Nagi gives Haruka a friendly wave. "Hello, fake Hime!"
[17:13] Nao steps aside, looking rather pained, all told.
[17:14] Haruka scowls. "What the hell does that mean? I've got a ball and chain which is completely real when it comes to hitting people in the face, so do you want to tell me what you're talking about?"
[17:15] "Your ball and chain?" Nagi looks confused. "Yukino-chan? Why would she make me talk?"
[17:15] Nao can't stop herself from snorting.
[17:17] Haruka glares at Nao. "Do you want to help me out here, or not?" Back to Nagi: "In all seriousness, I have good reason to believe you know a lot about what's going on at Fuka, and as a member of the Executive Committee I require you to diverge this information. Right now would be good."
[17:18] "No."
[17:20] Haruka practically chokes on her rage. "No? NO?! People are dying here, and if you know anything about why or how to stop it, you ARE going to tell me. This isn't a request, this is a statement of your social obligation as a student at Fuka, and you will be SEVERELY reprimanded if you don't compile."
[17:22] Nagi shrugs, spreading his arms for good measure. Ignoring Haruka, he turns towards Nao entirely. "Isn't it annoying to hang out around someone like her, Nao
Hime? Just take care of that fake Hime and go on to seize the win!"
[17:22] Nao looks around. They're in a mall, quite possibly the worst place ever to force a physical confrontation (never mind the inherent risk involved in starting a fight.)
"Why bother? I've heard the victorious hime dies anyway," she replies, shrugging. "Hardly seems worth the effort."
[17:24] "That's not true!" Nagi insists. "Who told you such a dirty lie?"
[17:29] "Dunno, my memory is hazy, lately," replies Nao, glancing at Haruka. "Hey, what's the difference between a real Hime and a fake one? She's still got a dirty big
mace, it's a compelling argument to take her seriously."
[17:30] "My memory is also hazy all of a sudden," Nagi says sullenly, turning around and starting to walk away.
[17:30] "HEY!" Haruka steps forward, reaching for Nagi's shoulder to turn him around. She's not about to let this creep walk away just like that!
[17:32] "Know your place, you fake Hime!" Nagi says angrily as Haruka whirls him around, brushing her hand off with his own. The decorative lights overhead shatter.
[17:34] "I know my place just fine!" she insists. "No one knows my place better than I do. And that place is SOMEONE WHO HAS DAMNED CONSCIENCE, UNLIKE YOU. ...Wait, are
YOU the anticross?"
[17:37] As glass rains below from the ceiling, people hurriedly get away. No one seems hurt, but those nearby are giving Haruka, and Nagi and Nao, by assosiation,
worried glances. Nao thinks that one man in particular is very focused on them.
[17:38] Nagi, for his part, looks confused. "The what? Did you have a troubled childhood?" He no longer seems angry, at least.
[17:41] "No, but you're about to if you don't coagulate! I know some boy at Fuka is the cause of all these problems. I'm thinking MAYBE it's you."
[17:41] "And see, when I find this person, I'll have to make them stop...whether they want to or ont."
[17:43] "I'm thinking, maybe this person, this source is closer to you than you think," Nagi says with a smirk, jumping back lightly. His agility is inhuman, as is the
distance he clears in a single bound. "Until next time, my Hime~!" He moves back, getting lost in the gathered crowd.
[17:44] "What the--hey, come back here! I'm not done interrogating you yet!"
[17:45] Nagi does not return, though Haruka's outburst refocuses people's attention on her.
[17:47] Cop? Spy? Friend of another Hime? Interested journalist? The possibilities are endless. "Let's go," she mutters, grabbing Haruka's hand and quickly taking off from
the mall. "He's got nothing for us. All he's interested in is having us fight, you see? I can't see much point bothering with him."
[17:48] Haruka practically seethes in place, but complies (*not* compiles) eventually. "Grrr...alright. I need to talk to Miss Mashiro after all this. I'm out of other leads."
[17:49] "There was a guy watching us back there," replies Nao, using nearby windowpanes to see if he's tailing them. "It just had to be in the middle of a damn mall,
didn't it?"
[17:49] Someone is, wearing similar clothes. Nao can't determine better than that, her eyesight being what it is.
[17:50] She pauses just long enough to buy a pair of sunglasses from a nearby vendor. "Yeah, he's following us. Think we should grab him?"
[17:52] "Well, Nagi had to show up in public, otherwise I would've clobbered him. And yeah...let's see what the mystery man has to say for himself."
[17:55] Spiders weave a beautiful web, a thought crosses Nao's mind. A web of lovely, sturdy silk.
[17:56] Nao winds around a corner, twisting back and forth between different stalls and shops and intending to eventually stride up behind the man and put a hand on his
shoulder.
[17:58] The man passes by Nao's hiding spot; the red-head can see him look around once he notices that Haruka is alone. He reacts as soon as he's grabbed, trying to twist
out of Nao's grasp, as one hand goes into the folds of his jacket!
[18:03] "Calm down," whispers Nao, sliding her arm down to link with the guy's arm, like she's his daughter or girlfriend (whilst keeping it from getting out, say, a gun.)
"Let's just... find somewhere and talk, hmm? Ah, the cafe will do nicely."
[18:56] He stiffens, caught off guard by the schoolgirl's speed. Nao feels him test her hold on him, and once he realizes his efforts don't bear fruit, the man's
efforts cease.
[18:59] Haruka casually makes her way over to Nao and her quarry. Nothing strange going on here, nope!
[19:00] Nao saunters over to a nearby cafe, gesturing for Haruka to join her. "I'm feeling chatty, so this could be your chance to learn something. But only if you're on your
best behaviour," instructs Nao. "We'll start with you." She tightens her grip slightly, emphasing how very strong she is to the man, before slowly, slowly releasing his arm
and allowing him to sit down, flanked by herself and Haruka.
[19:05] The man follows Nao's orders, keeping his hands in plain sight on the table. "What am I going to be learning about myself?" he asks, his voice sounding bland.
[19:06] "Just spill it, G-man! Why were you watching us?"
[19:06] "That you need to work on your technique, for one," replies Nao. "I'd like to know who you are to be so interested in us."
[19:07] "After that little show back there? Why wouldn't I be curious?" he returns.
[19:09] "Sure, but everyone else scattered when the windows broke. You had a *reason* to be watching us, didn't you?"
[19:09] "You've caught me," he deadpans. "I like watching high school girls."
[19:12] "Most people wouldn't go for their inside pocket when someone taps their shoulder," replies Nao, dryly. "Mister, we can trade barbs all day, but that won't get you
or me what we want."
[19:13] "And what is that you want from me, besides my company?" Nao's unnamed friend asks.
[19:14] "Who are you working for? You're not a cop, or we would've seen a badge by now."
[19:15] "All this time you've wanted to see a badge?" He snorts. "Badges, I've got plenty of them. Which would make you happiest?"
[19:17] Nao slips a hand into the man's pocket, intending to pull out a wallet or similar article. "Oooh! Can I pick from a list?" she responds, rolling her eyes.
[19:17] Haruka rolls her eyes. "Enough wisecracks, alright? You know what kind of people you're dealing with here, don't you?"
[19:19] Nao's hand closes around a somewhat familiar object. She thinks it is a cell phone, and her guess is confirmed once she retrieves it from his pocket. "People?"
he asks, the only sign that he noticed Nao's actions a slight twitch of his eyelids that the red-head spots. "Yes, I suppose you are."
[19:19] "Ah, you must be with Searrs, then," replies Nao, opening the phone and going through the messages and contacts within it.
[19:21] "As good a guess as any," he says with a shrug. The phone is perfectly clean of anything, as if freshly purchased.
[19:21] "Nao, this guy's pissing me off. Maybe we need to rough him up a little, then he'll take his situation more seriously?"
[19:23] "Yes, by all means, do 'rought me up'," he says, raising his voice. A few people nearby give the booth the trio has claimed for themselves strange looks.
[19:27] "I'd rather not, but, you know, I'm pretty desperate, lately. The thing is, you can either tell us who sent you, what you're doing, and do so quickly, or I'll just
kill you. Right here." Nao leans closer to the man, putting a hand on his knee. Mostly covered by the sleeve of her jacket, tiny points exude from it, only slightly piercing
the man's skin.
[19:32] "Like I said. It's better if you talk, for everyone involved, but if you don't, I'll assume you're my enemy. Are you? Or aren't you? The choice is, of course,
yours." The black marks across her fingers should be plainly visible to him at this point, though not so much to passerbys.
[19:32] He winces. "I'm Smith. John Smith." Trying to smile, the man places a hand over Nao's, pressing it against his leg. Despite his words, he doesn't look
particularly foreign. "If you're desperate, there's really no need to threaten me into helping you with all that tension. All you need to do is ask."
[19:33] "And what can you do for me, Agent Smith?"
[19:34] "That is SUCH a made up name," Haruka huffs.
[19:35] Rolling his eyes at Haruka's outburst, John leans ever-closer to Nao. "Quite a lot. Why don't we discuss this in private, without your loud... friend?"
[19:37] Haruka could not possibly be more affronted. "Hey! Don't go anywhere with this creep, Nao. He hasn't given us any reason to trust him."
[19:37] Wouldn't be the first time, a stray thought crosses Nao's mind. And none of the others had been a match for her, thus far.
[19:40] "I'm willing to entertain privacy, but my friend will hear what I do regardless," replies Nao, glancing briefly at Haruka, before releasing her pinch on the man's
knee and standing up to take his arm again. "I'm not into wasting time, Agent Smith. Do you have... a car?"
[19:42] "A car could be easily procured," he agrees smoothly, standing up after Nao. He towers over her slightly. "And it might not be as much a waste of time as you
think. What I have to offer is for you and you alone; of course, what you do with that information afterwards is of no concern to me."
[19:44] Haruka frowns, hands on her hips. "I don't like this, Nao...at best, this guy's full of crap. At worst, he's a megaperv. You have to keep me updated on a regular basis
if you go anywhere with him, okay?"
[19:46] Nao twists her head back to Haruka. "What could he possibly do to me?" she asks, smiling dreamily at Haruka. "The parking lots are pretty deserted. We'll speak there.
If you want her not to hear, my friend can wait nearby, but we're not splitting far."
[19:47] "Fine, fine. A parked car, a teenaged girl...." John nods. "I can work with that. Let's go?"
[19:48] "Mmhmm." Nao tosses Haruka the man's phone. "Wait near the exit for me. I'll be back in a couple. If I scream, kill him."
[19:50] Haruka does so. "Don't worry, Nao. If anything happens, I'll avenge you!"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[18:40] As Nao's older friend had promised, a car is waiting for them at the parking lot. He walks towards it steadily, and opens the back door. It appears to be unlocked, and he gestures for Nao to make her way inside.
[18:41] Is anyone else in the car?
[18:41] Not that Nao can see.
[18:45] Nao shoves the man into the back seat, and opens the front herself, taking the driver's position. "So what's up, Agent Smith?" she asks, twisting her head to face him, ready to turn violent anytime.
[18:49] John doesn't show much discomfort despite the way he's manhandled. "We've started on the wrong foot, I know. All I can say is that not everyone back home is in agreement about our course of action. The ruling faction, you might call them, is trying to sic the Valkyries on you, which is unfortunate."
[18:49] He spreads his arms, making himself comfortable in the car's back seat as he watches Nao impassively. "Yes, I come from Searrs. If that means you kill me on sight without listening to what I have to say, we might as well get that unpleasant business over with."
[18:52] "You're not in trouble at the moment." Nao absently fiddles with the gearstick, shifting it from neutral to first. "We're only in private because you asked, after all. All things told, I'd be just as happy at the cafe."
[18:54] "I meant what I said. The information I have... once you've heard it, you may not be so quick to share it with your blonde friend." John takes a deep breath. "You've come into contact with Arika, correct? What did she tell you?"
[18:55] "She told me how fun it was to kill friends," replies Nao, flatly. "I don't want to talk about Arika."
[19:00] "Fine. I wanted to save time, but I can start from the beginning." John Smith steeples his hands, leaning them against his knees. "Your friend, Haruka Suzushiro? She is dead. And she is not the only one. There was a cataclysm, though the disaster was anything but natural. It was related to a certain festival involving you and others like you. The details are not important; what is crucial for you to understand is that we have less than two weeks to fix it or, well, things aren't looking well for our world."
[19:01] "Are you going to tell me to kill her, too?"
[19:03] "Can you kill someone who's already dead?" John asks Nao. "Philosophy aside, however... I have neglected an important detail. You, Nao Yuuki, are not like the rest of them. You, and a select few others, are still legitimately alive." He shrugs, then. "For the next eleven days, anyway."
[19:06] "How do dead people come back to life? Suzushiro is real. She's there. She's breathing, walking, talking like she means it... she's way more alive than me, in a sense. I don't get it." Nao twists back into her seat, and leans back. "How does this end up bad for us all?"
[19:08] "Would you like the scientific explanation our best and brightest have come up with, or the layman's version?" John asks, his voice skillfully diffusing what otherwise might have been an offensive statement.
[19:08] "I'm no honor student."
[19:13] "This world is broken. It's stuck, for the lack of a better word. We believe that something different had gone during the festival, something that set it apart from others... but there was a reason for them to take place, however abhorrent. Someone -- we're not sure who, perhaps even the Obsidian Prince himself -- made a different choice this time around.
[19:14] But that choice only postponed the inevitable, and instead of the world being destroyed if there is no victor, as previous festivals have gone, we -- our entire universe -- will simply cease to exist unless we fix what's wrong with the world. At Searrs, we have identified the cause of the wrongness eroding the very fabric of the world as being caused by the people who should not be here with us anymore."
[19:18] "City, world, universe, makes no difference," replies Nao, shifting into second gear. "Who, what, or when is the Obsidian Prince? And I guess you already have a list of 'dead' people..."
[19:21] "I'm not here to tell you to kill them all," John says, his eyes dropping to the gear stick. "It is in your best interests to do so, but I can see how you may not see it just yet. As for the Obsidian Prince, we don't have his identity yet, if that is what you mean."
[19:23] John sighs suddenly. "And I know it's hard to imagine, but try. Please. The world ceasing to exist... it is as if you've never been born. As if all you've ever cared about, all who ever cared about you -- they never came into being. You might chance a disaster of a global scale for some offshot possibility we're wrong, but this is so much beyond that. Would you really risk all that?"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Nao is quiet for a long moment. The gearstick shifts randomly from point to point, and metal protests slightly with every nudge. "Does the world hate us?" she replies, bitterly. "I lost my memory, you know. Now I sometimes remember things that haven't happened. Sometimes they're not even my memories. You know, I already lost my Child once. But I'm here again! How can this be?"

"And I'm still here, searching for a way to stop the festival, and now you tell me that if we've got another chance, I can't even try and take it?!" Wonder, hope and horror cross across her features, reflected back to Smith through the rearview mirror. The gearstick crunches under her palm. "Is my loved one- my *sacrifice*- alive again? Are you going to ask me to kill her, too?"

John Smith shifts uncomfortably. "What do you want me to say?" he asks Nao. "The others at Searrs don't mind if a few thousand innocents die -- if this entire island disappears off the face of the Earth -- if that means history goes on. Those of us who disagree with their methods are trying to find a way, one that still manages to salvage something. Yeah, you've been dealt a shitty hand in life. Want to complain? Try God. I can't do a damn thing about your problems, even though they're legitimate."

Taking out a handkerchief, John wipes sweat off his forehead. "You want the full truth? Yes. Your Child, as you call it, cannot be allowed to exist. But while there are many who would be happy to get at it through you, I don't think you need to die. If you can find it within you to accept my help, I can help you get through this!"

"How many?" she asks, suddenly deflating. "How many people should be dead?"

"Half a dozen." He breathes in deeply. "Just those six, as far as we've been able to determine. And for those six, to dispatch the Valkyries without clear orders...."

"Who?"

"Wataru Ishigami. Yuichi Tate. Takumi Tokiha. Kazuya Kurauchi. Haruka Suzushiro. And," John hesitates briefly, before plowing right through, "your comatose mother. I could talk myself to death about how she is already dead, her soul having moved on, and what exists here isn't really her, but I doubt you would be in any mood to listen to that."

Nao's head meets the rim of the steering wheel, and energy flees from her body at that particular tidbit. The other Nao may not say much lately, but this Nao wasn't unaffected.

Thud, thud, thud. This was supposed to be another chance, wasn't it, Shizuru? To fix things that went wrong, but...

"Aren't you just fucking with me? Trying to kill those people would just keep the festival going. So it's obviously bullshit. And your dear little Arika-chan killed one of the only people who might have known what was going on, too, before she decided to tell me. How convenient for everyone. Except us Hime."

"Yes, it's very convenient knowing I have under two weeks to get my affairs in order. Get it through your head -- it's not just your problem!" John sounds angry, dropping his head onto his steepled hands. "Yes, you have to fight, and you're under a lot of pressure and hell if any of that were fair. But the choices you make affect all of us. All of humanity. Even the damn little green men on Mars. Everyone dies if things go on the way the are now. Everything ends. My Arika-chan? MY? If she knew I were here with you, talking about this, you'd see exactly how squeeshy I am once she were done with me." Seeming to calm down somewhat, John leans back in the seat, letting his head drop all the way back. "For what it matters, I don't think this would keep the festival going. Except for Suzushiro, it shouldn't be difficult for someone of your talents to get the drop on them. You don't have to be present for the last one. I'll take it upon myself."

Up until the last sentence, Nao was listening without moving, but at that, she spins and slams her claws just inches from the man's face. Her lips are twisted in a snarl of rage, and he can surely feel her breath.

After a long moment, her eyes start turning cloudy. "Let Arika trouble you no more," she says, hoarsely pulling back and turning away again. "Kuga Natsuki killed her."

John remains silent. If Nao had to guess, she would bet on apathy dominating him.

"I still have things I need to look into before I can even think of agreeing. You don't know anything about a girl in a.. some kind of liquid tank, do you?"

John visibly swallows his first response. "Describe the girl and the tank? Cloning's the first thing that comes to mind, but it could be anything from just that."

"She had short hair," replies Nao, scrunching her forehead. "It was covered by liquid of some kind. It was in some kind of cave, underneath a.. lab or something. She was important, somehow. I think she has something to do with how everything got reversed. I need to find her."

"She is. It sounds like Miyu, a prototype... well, a robot, if we're back to layman's terms. We've lost contact with it recently. You said it was in a tank, submerged in liquid? Do you think you could find this lab?"

"Maybe.. I think I know who to ask about it. I'll get it out of her."

She tilts the wheel from side to side, staring through the windscreen. "What is the Obsidian Lord? What kind of choice is his to make?"

"The Obsidian Prince." John frowns. "The legend goes that he is the one behind this festival, who then uses the victor to gain unlimited power. Or, at least, for three centuries or so, when he apparently runs out. Can't say I've met him myself. As for the choice? Perhaps, a poor wording on my part. It is easy to see everyone participating in the festival as locked into the roles fate dealt them with, facing Hobson's choice. I guess I wondered... what if there is an actual choice, and making a different one than the one assigned to you only makes things worse for everyone?"

"Worse... for everyone? What right does everyone have to live? The choices I have... there's only bad, and worse, and that's even assuming I believe you in the first place."

Her voice is low and empty.

"I was put here to find another way, of that I'm sure, and I'll keep trying. But my life comes first. If I can't, then... all those people will end up dying anyway, if the festival continues, won't they... If that, itself, is not a lie."

"I'm not here to ask you to participate in that festival," John says, seeking out Nao's eyes in the rearview mirror. "I don't know what winning it under these conditions would do; it can't be particularly good. As to whether you believe me or not? I could offer you information. I could support you. But I'm not sure there's anything in what passes as proof for me that would convince you beyond any doubt, so it's really up to you in the end."

"I thought we didn't have a choice in the matter, but assuming the world won't cave in if nobody wins it, I can be at least a bit cheerful. Thanks for your information. I'll consider it. After all, I'm living on this world, too. I'll continue my own investigations and see what I find.

"Am I the only one you've spoken to about this? Why me?"

"You're involved," John states bluntly. "But not so much that it is impossible for you to see reason. Mai Tokiha, though? According to our information on her, I would be wasting my time. She'd rather watch the world crash and burn than consider this." He sighs again. "I'm not being judgemental, mind. I don't know what I'd do in her place, either. That answers why you. I'm sure you're interested about 'why now?' and you could thank the Obsidian Prince's servant for that. The unprecedented way he approached you in public like that shows two things: you're not working with him and he wants to change that. It meant our window of opportunity with you was small."

"I thought you were going to say Suzushiro. It wouldn't take a HiME to deal with the others, surely... but I guess the rest of your group isn't going for that?"

"It's a matter of logistics, and we aren't that numerous to begin with," John responds. "It's ironic, but our own group's actions made our life infinitely more difficult. If Arika hadn't put Takumi Tokiha into the hospital, where he remains under constant watch.... Then again, if they'd listened to us, they wouldn't have used Arika that way to begin with. But no, if we could say with certainty that we can deal with the situation on our own in the time we have available, this meeting wouldn't take place."

"As an organisation, I guess you reap what you sow. But... you said they'd be comfortable taking out the island, right? You're talking to me only because you don't want that to happen?"

It takes a while until John responds. "No. Not the only reason. I didn't join Searrs out of altruism. But just because I have other motives doesn't invalidate my desire to do what's right, here."

"Hmph, none of us are altruists. Except maybe the ones who are 'dead' to start with. Good guys finish last, huh."

"Keep my phone," he says, choosing to change the subject. "I'll be able to reach you through it. Might consider what you'll tell your friend when you ask for it back."

"If you find out exactly what caused things to get all messed up, or how, let me know. Since you seem to have the worst-case plan set out, you might as well look for a better option. Ah, and if your people intend to pull the plug early... let me know that, too."

"I may not get advance notice," John warns, "but I'll see what I can do."

"Uh-huh. You know where the other HiME are, by any chance?"

"One at the hospital. We believe two have left the island recently. We're trailing them, but we don't have their destination yet. I believe you know all three."

"Yukariko's in the hospital, I know... Mai and Mikoto left the island? Or do you mean Higurashi and someone else, or..."

John startles at that name. "Higurashi?" he asks. "Higurashi Akane? She's a Hime?"

"Don't you get it? I figure, all the people on your list are special to a HiME, and she's Kazuya's girlfriend, so... it's not a stretch."

"I see." He nods to himself, repeating once more, "I see. So that's why the First District is holding onto a teenaged girl. We've been wondering about that." John shrugs apologetically. "We don't keep a list of who's dating who at your school, I'm afraid. Yes, it makes perfect sense now."

"I thought they eloped... how can they hold a HiME against her will?"

"There might be ways," John muses slowly, "but in the end, Hime are human, and humans get manipulated and blackmailed all the time. I wouldn't put money on a secret drug holding her complacent and the like. Would you like to investigate this for us?"

"I'm game. I need to learn more about that group. I remember hating them, but I can't remember why." Nao reaches for the door handle, but her hand stop just as they take hold. "Maybe it's... yeah, if they're the ones who made my mother like that... that'd explain it. Where are they?"

"I'll mail you the relevant information," John offers. "You're not an honor student, remember? No reason to try and keep it all in your head."

"Hmph, it's not like I couldn't if I tried," mutters Nao, opening the door and stepping out. "Keep me posted."

John offers Nao a wave as she leaves the car, not making any move to follow.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

It's hard to tell, but Nao seems to move around a lot in the car, and at least once she seems to go for the man's throat.

Eventually she emerges unharmed and mostly unruffled, though, trudging back towards Haruka with an unreadable expression.

Haruka has to restrain herself from rushing in and putting a stop to any possible impropriety on Smith's part, but does so with great effort! "What happened?" she asks, rushing towards Nao and grabbing her by the shoulders. "What'd he do?"

"We talked, that's all," she responds, putting her hands back on Haruka's shoulders to steady herself. "He said some pretty crazy stuff that I can't really believe, but for now, we're working in the same direction."

Haruka looks confused. "Okay...so that means we don't beat him up?"

"Not yet. Let's go back inside, first," she replies, heading back into the mall. "Ah, you still got his phone?"

"Mmhm," she says simply.

"Gimme. You know how Higurashi was supposed to be a HiME? He said she's been taken prisoner by the First District somewhere. He'll be sending me the address. I think I can trust that much, at least. Looks like she wasn't eloping, after all."

Haruka hands over the phone. "What's the First District? And h ow do we know this isn't a trap?"

"Some kind of organisation that has something to do with us HiME. I don't know what exactly, but I do remember hating them. And.. well, I don't think so. Suzushiro..."

Nao sighs. "You're not a ghost, right?"

Haruka punches Nao in the shoulder. *Playfully*, but that word probably doesn't mean the same thing to Haruka as it does to other people. "You tell me. If I'm a ghost, it was rude of someone not to tell me before now."

"Seems like you might be. I don't get it myself, but he basically told me that you died. Except you're still here. And you're not the only one."

"I am *totally* still alive, Nao." Haruka thumps one fist into the opposing palm for emphasis, with a meaty *smack*. "I think he was playing a joke on you. *I* know I'm still alive, so I'm not going to worry about it. If Higurashi is someone's prisoner, though, then *that's* our main concern. I will NOT allow a Fuka student to be incalculated without good cause."

"It's incarcerate- no, this actually happened! I remember losing my child, you know? My mother... she died when I lost. But she's still alive, and... so's Takumi Tokiha, isn't he. I knew he died, I remembered he was dead, but he's still alive, in that hospital."

Nao's mouth stops moving for a moment, and she slumps on a bench, looking at Haruka with pity, of all things.

"The festival happened. But then it somehow unhappened. And now it's happening again. Definately not a joke. If I can remember bits of it, can't you? How do you forget dying? Was it because Yukino lost, or something else?"

Haruka radiates confusion. "Huh? I don't have to forget dying, because it didn't happen. Look, Nao, I don't know what that guy told you, but I don't remember any of that stuff happening. And I'm not going to waste time thinking about it, either. If what he told you about Higurashi is true, then we'll go find her. That's something we can *do*."

"He'll give us the details when he gets them," replies Nao, dispiritedly. "He did say that given the circumstances, fighting out the festival might be a bad idea due to some metaphysical crap. I guess that's a bright spot."

"I knew that much already, metababble or not. So, if we can't do that right now, I'd say we owe Miss Mashiro a visit."

"Yeah, I've got to ask her about a robot."

"Robot? Whatever, we'll add that to the list of questions. Let's go. Oh, and there are cops all over the school. They were real excited when I left, so I think they might've found the cave. If they ask, we didn't know anything about it. So, ready?"

"Oh, great, cops! They weren't interested in me, were they?"

"No. A detective of theirs vanished. Oiishi. They were looking for him. ...They don't have reason to be interested in you, do they?"

"Well, I killed someone, and then didn't attend class for the next few days," mutters Nao.

"Yeah, but I don't think they know about Arika. And skipping class is something for the Executive Committee to worry about, so we should be okay."

"No, I don't care about getting caught for skipping class, but if they put two and- I mean, yeah, you're right. Let's head back. I'm curious to know what happened to the detective, too. There's a lot of people around who wouldn't appreciate a nosy cop."

Haruka thinks she'd already met the cabbie taking them back to campus. It feels quite possible, with the way she keeps on shuttling to and from town that the day she is on a first name basis with all of them in Fuka isn't far.

The police presence at the Academy seems lessened, at least judging from the gates. Executive Committee members have been dismissed from their posts, and a pair of cops in uniform are standing guard in their stead. Neither Nao nor Haruka are accosted as they approach, seeking to enter the complex.

If the cops aren't interested in her, she doesn't care about them. Haruka means to head straight to Mashiro without wasting any time.

Nao could stand to be interested in cops, but she doesn't want them to be interested back, so she toddles after Haruka. If she put on some glasses- wait, she already has.

It's a sad day.

There is no answer at Mashiro's office, Haruka discovers.

Haruka looks around. "I wonder if we could break the door down..."

"Huh? Why go to that much trouble? I hate to ruin a perfectly good door."
Nao walks forward and proceeds to give the lock the same treatment she gave Shizuru's. "Besides, that's noisy."

"Well...I guess. It *does* get around damaging Fuka property."

Nao is yet to meet a lock that stands firm against her wiles. The door opens at her prodding.

No maids assault her at the insolence.

"So this is where another dead person lives," muses Nao, heading inside and closing the door behind. "You think she might've left something interesting here, though?"

"Let's find out!" Haruka's likely to scan for any conveniently incriminating documents, first.=, if there's a desk around.

"Even if there's nothing, it's fun to snoop around~"

"Yeah, well, don't make it a habit, Nao. Under *normal* circumstances, no student should ever be poking around in the headmistress's office."

"Aww, Haruka-chaaan, I'm the very soul of common decency! You don't need to tell me!"

There is one in Mashiro's room, down the corridor. Easily locating it, Haruka and Nao toss the place around! Mashiro's calendar reveals the first useful bit of information -- the Chairwoman is apparently away on business. She is expected to return somewhere within the week; if she is to return earlier, there are no appointment scheduled for her eariler.

Haruka expresses her skepticism of Nao with a simple "Huh, sure," then continues the search. the calendar suggests that they don't have to worry about anyone barging in on them, at least. "Though, isn't it strange for her to leave when there's this 'Festival' going on?"

"No, it makes a lot of sense. Her maid, Fumi, is a HiME. Why not spirt her away and let the others kill each other while you're gone, then come back and clean up the rest?"
Nao suddenly coughs. "Not that I thought of doing that."

Haruka considers this. "Huh. You're right. That's just...devious! I really didn't know her at all."

"You've got to think one step ahead of the enemy! And people who think they're your enemy. And people who think you're their enemy. Even if you don't want to be. Yep, that's the ticket. Come on, let's check out the rest of the place."

Searching further, Nao and Haruka discover that the Chairwoman keeps a lot of cash in a locked drawer of her desk.

Haruka doesn't care about the cash. The lack of a computer is frustrating--though Haruka wouldn't know what to do with it if she found one, she could probably coerce someone into hacking it for her!

Nao does care about the cash, but, you know, cops (and Haruka can pay for everything important, anyway.)

"I don't think we'll be finding anything helpful around here, though. I mean, would you leave 'secret master plan to have a dozen students kill each other' papers lying around where anyone could find them?" asks Nao, forgetting who she's talking to.

"No, I'd just ask Yukino if I forgot anything," Haruka admits, in a rare moment of self-deprecation. "Got any other ideas? Maybe she has a secret room hidden here somewhere?"

"What, you want to go around pulling on books and all of that to see if something opens? We'll be here all night, it'd be quicker just to knock the house down and see what's left."

Haruka shrugs. "Well, it's that or we go see what's up with the cops. I mean, come on, she's the headmistress. She has to know *something*!"

"She has a brain, even if it is tiny. She's probably keeping it all in there," replies Nao, snorting. "Cops, sure. You do the talking?"

"Yeah, yeah. They know me already anyway."

Heading towards the front door, Nao and Haruka both hear someone approaching it from the other side.
Nao blanches, and darts into a nearby room, deciding that discretion is the better part of valor. There are.. windows and backdoors and things! Common sense.

Haruka is totally entitled to go wherever she wants. She's on the Executive Committee, right? So really, there's no reason for them to look guilty about being here! ...Though, she kind of has to follow Nao's lead, now. She's not very happy about that, but she runs after the redhead.

It doesn't even require a Hime's speed and agility to make a clean getaway. Either their presence has gone undetected for the time being, or whomever it was lacked the desire to go in pursuit.

"I'm gonna stay hidden around here for a while and see if they come out again," mutters Nao. "You wanna go talk to the cops?"

"Yeah, you can find me later. Just use my new number."

Nao mutters something about 'voice' and 'loud' and 'other side of mountain'.

"Got it. I put mine on there already, too."

<--->