Fuka: the Final Chapter (Haruka)

[Corwin]

<--->

[19:19] "So all the communication channels to the United States have been cut off, I take it?" Nao and Akira hear Yukino say as they approach the cavern where Nao and Haruka had previously found her.
[19:20] "Sounds like it," Haruka says.
[19:21] "Not the United States," Hiro responds, his voice echoing. "You misunderstood me, Haruka. The entire continent."
[19:22] "But the rest of the world is fine?" calls Nao, as she approaches.
[19:23] "As far as we can te--"
[19:23] White noise replaces Hiro's voice abruptly, and Yukino looks cross.
[19:23] Haruka frowns. "Hrm. Lost the connection, Yukino?"
[19:24] "Yes. How mysterious."
[19:24] Haruka frowns more! "I dislike mysterious things. I don't understand them."
[19:25] Nao stops at that point. "Hmm. Shorter range than I thought. I can hear from back here, do carry on," notes Nao, stepping back a few meters."
[19:25] The connection doesn't resume. "We were done, anyway," Yukino admits with a small sigh.
[19:26] "Any revelations afoot?"
[19:28] "Probably nothing you couldn't guess. Mass hysteria, world ending, all that stuff. Suzushiro people are on the way to get the civilians off the island, but that's about it."
[19:29] "The sky of the mainland has veins going through it," Yukino adds helpfully.
[19:31] "For all the good that'll do if the world grinds itself to pieces," murmurs Nao, her moodiness tilting back towards depression. "Kinda makes our little foibles seem small, huh..."
[19:32] "I wouldn't stop even if I could," Akira says simply to that. "The world has to be set right. This changes nothing."
[19:32] Yukino suddenly looks alert.
[19:32] "Akira's right. What we have to do is still the same."
[19:33] "Naturally. So. How to do that. Who knows? Mashiro. First District. Locked away within our own faulty minds."
[19:35] "The big question," Yukino states, settling back comfortably onto her makeshift throne, "is whether Mashiro is yet another face of the First District. If they are not on the same side, then tackling either of them is quite possible."
[19:36] "We need to confront Mashiro anyway. I'd assume she's still on the island--why run if she wants to win the contest?--so finding her is our best option. Unless any of you know where to find a First District informant we can lean on."
[19:37] "Do we?" Akira asks suddenly. "Is going through Mashiro even necessary?"
[19:38] "I don't know where anyone useful is, myself."
[19:39] "This world appears to be a good result for her," notes Nao. "I don't think she'd sit idly by and let us try something like this. Killing her, though... I'd enjoy it." Nao pauses. "If we can find any of their facilities, finding someone to talk wouldn't be an issue."
[19:40] "Like I said before, if we get to one of our safe houses, we'll have access to all the information we might need." Akira looks at Nao beyond what might be otherwise polite, before continuing, "I'm certain of it. This is my suggestion."
[19:41] "How close is the nearest one of these hideouts?"
[19:41] "Except one thing, I'll bet," notes Nao. "I don't know what you've got there, but do you have anything that'll locate Mai?"
[19:43] Rather than respond, Akira raises her eyes towards Yukino.
[19:43] "The same one we visited briefly, Haruka-chan," Yukino comments. "I doubt they would have gone farther than absolutely necessary while fleeing Fuka with faulty equipment."
[19:44] "Hmm?"
[19:44] "You were there, too."
[19:47] "Oh. Right. So. Fastest way there? Giant frog?"
[19:49] "Quite possibly," Yukino agrees.
[19:49] "What about Mai?" Akira interrupts. "You know well what I meant! You have all those mirrors to search the island with, so--"
[19:49] "Ah, that's right," Yukino says. "I had them. But your information is outdated. They were too fragile to survive this series of battles."
[19:52] "What about the PA system?"
[19:52] Nao pauses. "It's probably not intact anymore, is it..."
[19:53] "No, that's actually a good idea," Yukino says, pursing her lips. Akira seems hopeful. "Yes, it might take a bit of work, but I could manage that."
[19:53] "It can work even when the buildings are all flattened?"
[19:54] "The infrastructure probably wasn't completely wiped out, and the PA things work off a different system to the rest of the island." Nao shrugs. "With the military and ships gone, it's fine to coordinate a meeting publically."
[19:54] "Obviously, the controls for it that existed in those buildings are no longer there. But this is where the core of the system is, after all," Yukino responds evenly, patting the arm of her chair.
[19:55] "Give it a try. We need to get everyone together for evacuation anyway."
[19:55] She nods at Nao's words. "Yes, that was my concern as well with using an active system. But all the players who matter would know about Mai's situation, already, and that I have taken control of the system."
[19:55] "What else can this place do?" asks Nao, gazing at all the monitors.
[19:55] Nao notices that more of the monitors have gone out, but not enough to truly impede coverage of the island.
[19:56] "I can't activate it the way it is," Yukino tells Haruka, ignoring Nao's question.
[19:57] Haruka looks frustrated. "Then why mention it? Okay, what can we do from here?"
[19:58] "All good things are worth waiting for."
[19:58] "Just as long as we don't have to wait 'til after the apocrypha."
[19:59] "I don't know. Do we have a schedule on it?"
[20:02] "I have had it with this," snaps Nao, her temper flaring. "The straight answers, Kikukawa. We need them, if for no other reason that you might accidentally die stupidly, leaving us without that information and possibly crippling efforts that would, by the by, bring you back to life."
[20:03] Yukino laughs at the outburst. "I'll repeat myself, then. The PA system cannot work right now. It can be made to work, because it's core is here by all indications. I don't know how long it would take me to fix it. I don't know how long we really have, either. But I'm reasonably confident I'll manage in time. Was that all, or did I say more that needs repeating?"
[20:06] "Alright, you two, that's enough! Look, Yukino? Do whatever you can to get the PA up and running as quickly as possible. I don't care if it's a hack job, it doesn't need to be in use for long."
[20:08] "That would be a mistake," Yukino states. "It's in a delicate enough state right now. I don't want to risk ruining it in case this single use wouldn't be enough."
[20:08] Haruka sighs. "Alright, alright, you're the expert, not me."
[20:10] Yukino sighs herself. "Look. I fried enough of it using it before, all because we thought using it just the once would be enough. If I force it now on the same assumption, even I won't be able to recover it afterwards."
[20:11] "How long would it take you to fix?"
[20:11] "Hours, and it would go faster if someone was around to help. But it can't be you, and you know why."
[20:13] Haruka looks at the other two. "That's probably me."
[20:15] Yukino wilts ever so slightly. "As long as you follow orders it should be fine," she mutters. "Alright. The Suzushiro Group should bring emergency supplies, and I should be able to get in touch with you if you go for that hideout of yours." She glances at Akira and Nao. "Best of luck, then, to us all?"
[20:15] "Fine, just... Is there anywhere worth investigating left on Fuka Island itself? I think there are.. relics or systems of some kind, connected to the Hime and the Hime Star. Like that place in the mountain. I can't exactly help Akira use communications gear, either..."
[20:17] "Maybe," Yukino says thoughtfully, standing up. "Come with me. Since I can't just display things for you, I'll have to show it to you the old-fashioned way." She begins heading out of the cavern. "Watch the kids until I get back, won't you, Haruka-chan?"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[19:50] Akira shuffles uncomfortably as she eyes the scared children. Her eyes dart towards the entrance to the cave that Nao and Yukino had left through ever so often, but she seems content to wait for the time being.
[19:54] "So," Haruka starts awkwardly, not sure what to do with the time herself and making an attempt at conversation, "you and Tokiha, uh, living together...I'm pretty sure that violates several school guidelines." Her heart doesn't really seem to be into the whole enforcer role by this point, though.
[19:56] "Kazahana handled the room assignments," Akira mutters, her mood dropping visibly. "Take it up with her."
[19:57] "I guess it doesn't matter by this point," Haruka concedes.
[20:02] "So what are you fighting for?" Akira asks suddenly, turning to examine Haruka more closely.
[20:07] "I'm not really sure anymore," Haruka admits. She flexes an arm, morphing into a variety of lethal implements before speaking again. "But if there's one thing I'm suited for now, it's making sure that the people responsible for perpetrating this nightmare pay for it."
[20:08] "With their lives?"
[20:10] Haruka shrugs. "If that's the only way to fix things. And by this point, adding a few more to my name hardly matters."
[20:13] "Right." Akira seems to want to say more, but Yukino enters the cave at that time. The two exchange a brief nod, and Akira returns her eyes to Haruka. "I hope we'll get to do that. Fix thing, that is."
[20:18] "Well, hope's one thing. Determination's another."
[20:21] Haruka gets a nod of acknowledgement from Akira, before the ninja leaves.
[20:21] "I suppose we should start," Yukino muses, coming closer. She struts on approach, in a way Haruka would never have believed Yukino capable of mere days previously. She admires Haruka's bronze form. "So that claw truly doesn't affect you?" Yukino asks casually.
[20:24] "Claw? What do you mean?" Haruka asks.
[20:25] "Green energy, kills... just about everything?" Yukino's eyes draw to the monitors hanging overhead. "Except the Obsidian Lord's own technology, of course."
[20:26] "I don't know. Nao hasn't had a reason to use it on me yet. I don't plan to give her one."
[20:30] "That's not what I meant," Yukino says, holding her hand out, palm up. A vine grows out of the ground, pushing stone aside, and deposits several tools there. "Your body isn't disrupted by its very presence?"
[20:30] "Not so far."
[20:32] "How strange," Yukino notes. "I recall how Miyu had the ability to dissolve Hime attacks. It's strange that you wouldn't be affected in the slightest." The vine retracts, no tools offered to Haruka, though Yukino comments, "You've got this part handled, right?"
[20:33] "Well, a lot of things about me are strange these days," Haruka notes. "Remind me again: which part?"
[20:35] "Tools," Yukino speaks, looking pointedly at Haruka's arm, still morphed into a very lethal-looking scythe.
[20:37] Haruka blinks. "Oh, sure. Just tell me what you need." She wanders over to Yukino, glad to be of use for something that doesn't involve mass death.
[20:42] "What you have right now would do for this task," Yukino tells Haruka, leading her towards an empty corner of the cavern. "I got the kids to stay away from here because I think some of the infrastructure goes down there and I didn't want the hassle of having to move them later if I needed something done in a hurry. First, we'll need to get rid of the stone here and expose what's beneath it."
[20:43] "Right." Haruka nods and goes to work, knowing from experience that mere stone can't stand up to her assault.
[20:47] She works patiently-- "No, Haruka-chan, watch the cables!" --and has the area excavated in a short amount of time.
[20:47] "Now, someone will need to touch the cables and see if the isolation survived the stress of being abused just hours previously," Yukino states with authority. "Nothing seems outright melted down here, which is a good sign, but it never hurts to be cautious."
[20:51] "Don't you mean insulation, Yukino?" Haruka corrects. "And you might want to stand back. I doubt electricity will hurt me anymore, but I probably conduct it really well."
[20:53] Yukino giggles, for a moment looking just like Haruka's old childhood friend. "I never thought I would see the day, Haruka-chan," she says. Moving away as requested, she adds, "I doubt you could hurt me, but if it makes you feel better...."
[20:54] Haruka nods and does as requested. "Alright, here goes nothing."
[20:56] Nothing, Yukino must have been right on the money--
[20:57] Power. It is but a lazy pulse, but Haruka feels it. The part of her body making contact with the outer layer of the excavated cables tingles slightly, as Haruka is drawn to partake in that power, and make it her own.
[20:57] "Anything?"
[20:58] "There's something there," Haruka says. "It feels...good, for some reason. Maybe I run on electricity now?"
[20:59] "How strange," Yukino comments. "Does it mean the protective layer is damaged?"
[21:00] "I'd guess so."
[21:05] Yukino frowns. "I hope it doesn't hurt our estimate." She brings up a floating, translucent image of the chamber. "This is our lifeline, so to speak, at least as far as the Obsidian Lord'
s systems go," she elaborates, as the cables appear on the map. They seem to go deeper, leaving the three-dimensional model behind altogether. (more)
[21:07] "Aside from that, we appear to have a sort of barrier generated by a quintet of independant power-storing modules -- batteries to you, I suppose. I can redirect their output towards other uses with your help." Another line runs through the map, and noticing Haruka glance at it, Yukino waves in dismissal. "That's the regular power he was getting from the school. It's gone now along with some key controls."
[21:08] "Alright. What does fixing this do for us?"
[21:15] "If the main power supply is unreliable? Plenty. We'll have to sacrifice our defenses, however, and in a way that they couldn't be fixed. The defensive barrier wasn't really designed to be used this way, so I'll need to pretty much break it to get it to power anything else."
[21:17] "Right. Is there anything you need me to do?"
[21:20] With another grand gesture -- she's certainly making plenty of those lately -- five stone pillars rise up on on the outskirts of the cavern, forming a five-pointed star. They give Haruka a momentary feeling of dread, which quickly passes when she realizes they are not the same as in her vision.
[21:20] "I need to you to strip all that stone," Yukino says. "It'll just get in the way."
[21:22] "Right, I can do that," Haruka says, going about her business, and quite glad to apply her abilities to something that will neither shoot at her or scream in horror in response.
[21:26] The stone doesn't fight back. Haruka breaks through it on the first monolith, stopping herself just in time before hitting the machinery beneath. It is as if she can tell where power rests; not the same kind as what she had brushed against while touching the cables, but something noticeable in its own right still.
[21:26] That thought brings Haruka back to her excavation project, and a glance there reveals Yukino crouching by the disturbed ground. The younger girl seems to be maintaining a high level of concentration.
[21:28] "So far so good, Yukino?" Haruka asks, moving on to the other monoliths to give them the same treatment./
[21:30] Yukino doesn't respond, though it is in doubt she even heard the question. Haruka is done with two more of the pillars before Yukino finally steps back. "This should do it," she says in satisfaction.
[21:31] Haruka nods and stops.
[21:33] "Oh, I meant myself," Yukino tells her, approaching one of the pillars herself. "Together, we really should be done faster." Vines grow around her target, reaching out to lash
at it, chipping away the surface bit by bit. "It is such a shame that we couldn't work together like this from the start, Haruka-chan."
[21:38] "Yeah, well...maybe the next time a global crisis hits us, I'll be less confused about it all."
[21:39] "So what's Akira's role in all this?"
[21:42] Haruka glances over at the exit. "I guess she's fighting for Takumi," she says. "Other than that, you probably know at least as much as I do."
[21:45] Yukino shakes her head in irritation. "No. I meant in all this, the part where we win and seize the prize. We could still manage it with three, thanks to you two killing our
best chance at setting things right, so where does our fifth ninja wheel come into the equation?"
[21:51] Haruka looks pretty irritated herself. "Yukino, I can't look at people like they're just obstacles or inconveniences. There has to be another way to end all this," she insists, "and
we'll beat it out of Mashiro once we find her. If she really doesn't have anything, well...we can worry about contingent plans then."
[21:55] "I suppose we don't really need a sky," Yukino muses.
[21:56] "Well how many lives ARE you willing to sacrifice, Yukino? It has to stop somewhere."
[21:57] "I don't bother counting," she says, sounding frank. "Who cares? We'll just raise them back, like in a game."
[21:58] Haruka sees the gathered children tremble in the background.
[22:02] "THIS ISN'T A GAME. When did you get so cynical, Yukino? What happened? We're NOT going to go through this looking at everyone like they're pieces on a board. That's what Searrs
and the First District did, and I REFUSE to be like them. Someone in this mess has to have a conscious. You wouldn't talk about throwing lives away so casually if you'd been out there fighting
insted of just watching and letting other people do it for you."
[22:05] "They did it badly," Yukino says, a smile playing across her lips. "And I choose when and where to fight my battles, Haruka-chan." She laughs. "I can't help it, I'm sorry,"
Yukino confesses, shaking her head. "It's not the killing people part you have a problem with, not as long as it's covered up by nice ephitets and paying homage to your sensibilities.
[22:05] It's being callous about it that's the true, unforgivable crime! My, I never knew this about you."
[22:12] "Yukino, dammit--I HAVE killed people, yes, some of them by accident and some who didn't deserve it, and I don't want to see that happen again if there's any way we can avoid
it. Stop playing games with words."
[22:14] "Here that is again. If there is any way we can avoid it," Yukino quotes scornfully, mirth draining away. "Tell me, Haruka-chan, would you still try to do things that way,
despite knowing that things would go much easier and have a far higher chance of success if you just fell in line earlier without going through those motions?"
[22:18] "You know what I think? The easiest route isn't always the best! I think that if being an amoral schemer is the only way to win then winning isn't worth it. And I think maybe I
don't know who this person I'm talking to really is anymore."
[22:22] "I had much the same revelation earlier," Yukino agrees, sounding disappointed. "I think I'll be fine after all on my own, trying to win the game that isn't really worth it by
amoral, scheming means. The world would be saved, but that's hardly important because I'll have had my hands dirty in the process."
[22:22] She shrugs, indicating the monitor displaying a patch of shore. Haruka thinks it is near where the Academy's harbor used to be. Several ships are approaching it, civillian
vessels by the looks of it. "Daddy came riding to the rescue? Someone would need to go meet our saviors."
[22:23] "Right," Haruka says brusquely, glad for an excuse to be out of the room, "I'm on it."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[19:48] Making her way out of Yukino's hideout is an easy task for someone of her capabilities. As she stands there, treading that mockery of Fuka Academy's campus, Haruka is faced with a choice -- going towards the ships straight away, or trying to lead the survivors towards them.
[19:50] Haruka opts to go to the ships alone first. If there is anyone left out there who could be a threat, Haruka doesn't need a gang of kids to defend during the encounter.
[19:55] Haruka can see them from a distance, a forest no longer concealing the view, and the smoke from the fires having lessened a great deal due to burning through what flammable still remained. Four boats in number, looking much like she would expect to see in a private yacht or on a tourist cruise. Three have docked, while the last one is keeping some distance from shore.
[19:55] People have disembarked in the time it took Haruka to get there; they don't seem to be wearing any particular uniform or carrying weapons.
[19:56] Haruka approaches them, waving when she's still some distance away. The sooner these people get used to the strange sight of MetalliHaruka, the better.
[20:01] She gets some startled looks, but no one appears to be panicking.
[20:04] "Hi," she starts lamely when she's close enough for conversation. "It's me, Haruka. I know I warned father that I'd look different, but I don't imagine any of you were prepared for this. My apologies for the disturbing nature of my appearance at this time. Now, if you'll follow me, there are many frightened children who need to get off this island."
[20:07] "Just the children?" a man asks, coming closer. "Yamane Seiji. Your father placed me in charge of this expedition."
[20:10] "I haven't canvassed the town looking for survivors yet. There probably are some and they should also be evacuated, but we take the children first because I at least know where they are. I can lead you to a group of them. Please follow me." She heads back to Yukino's cave.
[20:15] Haruka spots Seiji gesture to the others as she turns around, and he soon falls into step with her. At least a dozen more are following nearby. The man by her side resembles a carreer soldier with his short-cropped hair and that somewhat stiff posture. His clothes are practical, at least, which applies to the entire relief force, from what Haruka had seen thus far.
[20:15] "I was under the impression you had allies on the island," Seiji says, his voice kept low.
[20:17] "Yes. Not so many as I would've hoped, and I can't vouch for the whereabouts of all of them. Yukino is in the cave, looking after the children--" probably an exaggeration, but whatever, "--but I imagine she'll be staying with me. Why do you ask?"
[20:22] Seiji taps his earpiece, nodding in satisfaction afterwards. "Good, our electronics work. We have short-range communication." Turning towards Haruka as they walk, he says, "Your father wanted you, Yuuki Nao, Kikukawa Yukino and any other unique individuals you have managed to get on your side to have some information that fell into his hands. It's not about Searrs, but he believed it to be important."
[20:25] "Alright. We'll be with Yukino soon enough; Yuuki Nao and Akira are still working with me, to the best of my knowledge, though they're elsewhere right now. What is it that we need to know?"
[20:30] "There is a certain thesis that was sent to individuals your father referred to as 'Hime'," Seiji says, sounding as if he is testing the term. "It is my understanding that your father was observing the individuals you named as belonging to that group. He received this information too late to deliver it to you before all this--" Seiji glances up at the blackened skies, "--broke loose, and it is extensive enough he didn't get a chance to tell it to you over the phone under that short notice, before the call got disconnected."
[20:32] "Alright. Is this 'thesis' something you can subsidize for me, or do you have a report to hand over?"
[20:34] "We brought a hardcopy along, though it seems this would work just as well." Seiji hands Haruka a small handheld device. "The entire thing was scanned into this."
[20:36] "Excellent, thank you." She takes the device and starts to glance through the files contained at is as they approach the cave.
[20:37] It would certainly take some time to peruse in full, and there is no convenient summary. A name on the front page catches Haruka's eye right away, however. The thesis is written by Midori Sugiura.
[20:39] "Sugiura!" she says aloud, surprised to be encountering that name again. "This comes from a reliable source, at least," she says. Does the title of the report give her any helpful hints on its contents?
[20:40] The work seems to be done on the Carnival and its history.
[20:40] "This should be useful. I'll read through it as soon as we're done evacuating the civilians."
[20:42] "Will we be abandoning the island altogether, or making a stand here?"
[20:44] "I'll be staying. All due respect to you and your men, but I'm better equipped to deal with the other Hime. Your job is to get anyone not involved in the Festival away from this island before violence breaks out again. Because I feel like it's only a matter of time before that happens."
[20:50] "We can handle that part," he agrees. The rest of the trip is made in silence, although once at their destination, Haruka has to help the men sent by her father navigate the caverns.
[20:50] Yukino is tinkering with one of the stripped pillars. She doesn't give any indication that she had seen them, but Haruka doesn't find it likely something like that could slip by her old friend.
[20:53] "Yukino?" Haruka says for the sake of appearances. "We've come to evacuate the children. If you know of any survivors in what's left of the town, my father's men will need to know their locations." She walks over with the report in hand. "And I think you'll want to read this."
[20:56] "Mmm?" Yukino looks up from her work. The moment her eyes land on the device's monitor, she nods. "Yes, I should take a break." The screens above flash, beginning to display a seemingly random montage of images. Only after a few moments does Haruka realize that Yukino had done as she'd asked, as survivors can be seen on them.
[21:01] "Great, thanks Yukino." To Seiji: "There we go. Take down the coordinates of the people shown on the screens. Those are our survivors." Haruka tries to remember...was there anyone left in Nao's cave? Not that they'd be glad to see Haruka, but they should be evacuated too.
[21:04] Haruka doesn't recall Nao or Akira ever mentioning evacuating the older students. Yukino waves back at the gratitude without looking away from the handheld; Seiji nods curtly. "It would take us a bit of time to get through the island, but as long as the path is clear, we should have that time."
[21:13] Haruka nods. "See to it." She cups her hands over her mouth and addresses the assembled children: "Okay, boys and girls. As a duly designated representative of the Executive Committee, I am announcing the evacuation of Fuka Academy. These men work for the Suzushiro Corporation, which we all know and love. They will take you to their boats and escort you to the mainland to be reunited with your families."
[21:17] There is a murmur at her words, the children sounding uncertain. Once adults normal in appearance and displaying no special powers approach them with blankets and water, however, their relief is palpable.
[21:24] More Suzushiro employees keep on coming, and the following groups bring more equipment with them, after the reports go out through the wireless for what is needed the most. Haruka is introduced to Shino Renji, the leader of one such groups charged with evacuating the other cavern.
[21:24] It is a relatively short trip there from her present location. Tokiha Takumi is standing by the entrance, looking up at the sky.
[21:26] "Tokiha? Hate to break your little reverence, but we're evacuating the students. Could you...speak to the people in the cave for me? The last time I spoke to them, we parted on bad terms."
[21:29] "I heard about that, Suzushiro-san," Takumi says neutrally, though he doesn't flinch away from Haruka or show any anger. Looking past her at the Suzushiro men and women, the boy asks, "Any chance of you having some clothing? Even overalls or coats would be fine."
[21:31] Haruka doesn't see any reason to deny that request, strange as it is. "Well? Anyone got anything to spare?"
[21:34] "An unusual request," Renji admits, tapping his earpiece and having a hushed coversation through it. "We have winter gear, essentially, which translates to coats, Suzushiro-san. It would take half an hour to get unpacked and delivered, since it wasn't a priority upon arrival. Should we wait?"
[21:35] To Takumi: "How many people do we need this for?"
[21:37] "Several hundred. It's better to have some remaining than to go without, isn't it?"
[21:40] Haruka blinks, glances from Takumi to the Suzushiro men, then back again. "Should I ask what happened here--wait, never mind." Light dawns in her memory! It's been a long, long day. To Renji: "Yeah, I'm afraid this'll be a priority."
[21:42] "Anything to put those inside at ease," Takumi agrees, and Renji nods, retreating to give them some privacy while he arranges for this.
[21:44] Haruka waits with Takumi. Though..."I guess it'd best if the kids inside didn't see me again, wouldn't it?"
[21:47] "At this point, would it really matter?" he asks her.
[21:48] "It might for them. Last time they saw me, I was killing people. I had to talk Nao out of going bulemic on me."
[21:50] "I heard that too," Takumi repeats. "Do you think that Oneechan was...." He seems to realize how tactless it would be to ask, and trails off lamely.
[21:52] Haruka just shrugs. "I don't know what I think about a lot of things at this point."
[21:57] He nods, remaining silent. The wait is not a long one; it has barely been twenty five minutes when the first shipment has arrived, and the group carrying it is comprised of women, Haruka notices. Takumi leads them inside, and a trickle of students begins to leave soon afterwards, starting with the junior high's lower grades.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The detour to the hospital succeeds in derailing Nao's brief elation, as the area seems to exude a solemn air. She makes the way back to Yukino's cavern in silence, Arach covering the ground effectively.

Nao dismisses Arach just short of the erstwhile campus to avoid harming the rescue efforts, and just in time, it seems. She can see a stream of what looks like the older students being lead off; they've only just started to evacuate, she believes.

"This is quite the document, Haruka-chan," Nao hears Yukino say as she makes her way into the cave proper. "Well worth the delay in fixing the Obsidian Lord's systems, I think."

"For the comfort of other viewers, please turn off your mobile phones while the movie is in progress," intones Nao, giving Yukino five seconds before striding further into the cave.

"Welcome back, Nao," Haruka says brusquely. "What are we looking at here, Yukino?"

"No! Stop!" Yukino exclaims in panic as Haruka sees Nao just emerge from the entrance. She's holding a palm-sized device. "We don't know the exact range, and this is more delicate than present equipment!"

Nao backs away a couple of steps. "Aha. Alright, I'll stay back here. Give me the lowdown," she states, sitting down a good distance away, gingerly pushing her hand against the dirt to see if it burns.

The dirt crystalizes. Haruka notices that the evacuation of the cave has been completed in her absense, the three Hime the only people present.

"Apparently, Miss Sugiura sent something quite incredible to all of us she could find. It's understandable the mail couldn't reach us here, but someone on the outside succeeded in intercepting one of those packages and had it scanned to be delivered in comfortable, palm-sized form," Yukino says. She's trying to keep her cool, but even Nao can tell that it's an act, below which excitement bubbles.

"I heard she'd found something, but with what happened to the island... anyway, what does it say? She'd been researching the festival, did she find an acceptable way to resolve it?"

Haruka listens, idly musing on what "acceptable" is to everyone by this point.

"It depends on what you would consider acceptable, I suppose," Yukino muses. "What do you?"

"I don't want to kill other Hime. If I could, I'd bring everyone back," replies Nao. "We already know that's possible, to a point, and just about any alternative is better than playing it through as normal. So. Out with it."

"It's not like I'm holding things back," Yukino complains. She seems to want to add more, but shakes her head in the end. "It wouldn't really be productive for us to argue, not over something like that. To fully understand everything said here would take more time than what we likely have left altogether, and Miss Sugiura didn't really leave a convenient summary. That part, at least, is understandable because she tried to document everything she could. Without knowing what situation we'll find ourselves in, her focus in said summary might have been tilted towards information we neither need nor want."

She smiles. "And that would be a shame, because she managed to uncover much about the previous Carnival."

"The one our poor, crippled chariman reigned victorious over?" Nao snorts. "Kagutsuchi isn't fucking fair."

Haruka ignores Nao's complaining, instead pressing Yukino for details. "Alright, so tell us the useful stuff?"

"It's true that she won," Yukino agrees. "And it's also a nice catch that she had Kagutsuchi back then, although I suppose the use of fire powers is a dead giveaway. However, you might be surprised to learn that it was an upset victory rather than a steamrolling. Kagutsuchi started out as quite the underdog, yet our beloved chairwoman raised it so well that it needed to be bound by the Obsidian Lord once the Carnival was concluded."

"How is a dragon that can melt buildings ever the underdog?"

"You remember when I fought her," interjects Nao. "Arach was bigger."

She looks away. "I was just so mad. If you have enough feeling behind it, any Child could be that monstrous."

"That, and the way we perceive as a dragon what other cultures would call a seahorse," Yukino adds. "I presume that it didn't start out quite so overwhelming when she contracted with it."

"So, if I got really angry, I could be gigantic AND metallic?"

"In other words, fat."

"In any case, Nao is correct," Yukino proceeds, ignoring the banter. "The feelings drive the Child, the same way they power the Hime Star. In fact, Miss Sugiura was able to point at a complicated link between all those, in addition to the bond between the Hime and her most important person. Her evidence is circumstantial at best, but for what is actually the weakest point of her thesis I have independantly been able to verify much of it."

Haruka narrows her eyes and just glares at Nao for a few seconds.

"I'm interested in what happens when a Hime loses," interjects Nao. "The bigger they come, the harder the fall, I'm guessing. And that could have implications for where all that power goes."

"Kazahana did everything she could for her brother, the Obsidian Lord. Not enough information exists to conclusively decide whether the Obsidian Lord chose to possess that man, if it were a trick of fate, or if he posed as that person all along," Yukino continues elaborating. At Nao's point, she nods. "This had not been verified, independantly or otherwise, but Miss Sugiura's theory is as good as any for a take on the matter. First and foremost, the link between the Hime and her most important person is adversely effected. Then, what we would see as that person disappearing from the world is actually the result of their very soul being channeled through that link, relayed through the Hime towards the Hime Star. Have you seen Highlander, Nao? Haruka-chan hadn't, unless she watched it without me. It was a movie which, ironically, fits our situation rather well."

"So, the Hime Star is SOUL-powered?"

"There can only be one! But that's not true in our case. At the least, there can be two," replies Nao. "But this makes me wonder. Isn't the Hime Star itself supposed to be the source of the world's ills? If so, why is pumping more power towards it supposed to help us, well, stop the end of the Earth?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Yukino says. "I don't think we really need to go into the metaphysics of how it all works -- or worked, since we're changing the rules as we go, now. A simple way to put it would be that the Hime Star provides us with our power, but in return we form the aforementioned link with it. The Obsidian Lord is said to smile as the Hime dance and weep, and that implies that through our battles, our determination and our agony, that investment is returned in spades, and the Obsidian Lord is right there, ready to seize it all in the end. If all Hime just gave up as soon as they gained power, the Hime Star and its influence over the world would likely disappear, if not right away than after several generations of this. However, the power doesn't seek out the suicidal, instead finding a girl who has an incredible potential for sorrow and something she must fight to protect at all costs."

She pauses. "Though Miss Sugiura theorized that happy emotions could power a Child just as well, the truly monstrous ones in recorded history have all been driven by grief, loss and sorrow. Mai... must be a really sad person."

"Okay, so the Obsidian Lord's a leech. Does the report theorize about what happens to the Festival if he gets killed?"

"No."

"Can you expectorate?"

"I can do that," replies Nao.

"Rocks fall, everyone dies."

"No, that's not true. The Obsidian Lord isn't integral to the festival. He's an outside actor, someone who reaps the benefits *because* he controls part of the mechanism. In short, he can be replaced."

Haruka looks irritated. "How could you, Nao? You haven't read the report."

"I've talked to first district personel and Nagi and others, same as you," shoots back Nao. "It's not like everything in the report is a total surprise."

"Okay, so him being dead doesn't shut everything down. How do we take his place and what can we do in that situation?"

"There is a slight problem with dismissing the Obsidian Lord like that," Yukino says, trying to catch Haruka and Nao's interest. "One of the things the thesis goes into is quite intriguing. Miss Sugiura speculates that the Hime Star might be alive or, at the very least, self-aware. The suggestion thus seems to be of an elaborate symbiotic relationship. The Obsidian Lord is granted the power, thus sparing the world from destruction for a time, until the process repeats, but every cycle the Hime Star grows in power still."

Nao bites her lip and looks away, with a disgruntled noise. "He's also immortal, correct? So he's the agent on the earth who ensures more power goes to the star, and he's goaded on by the prospect of oblivion? Not that different to us, really."

"Yes. Though I see several possible ways towards replacing him, I am no longer certain we should do it at this point. Not without finding out more."

Haruka visibly tries to sort all this out in her head. "So, the Obsidian Lord's kind of a middleman, arranging the sacrifice of people for the Hime Star's benefit? And it's happy enough about this that it doesn't kill EVERYONE on the planet."

"What are a few centuries, even several millennia, to a being lacking the very concept of time as we perceive it?"

"I think it's being pragmatic," notes Nao. "Why destroy a good source of fuel? Keep it around until it's rebellious, and then... find a new one, I guess."

"And therein lies the problem. I doubt the Hime Star was truly capable of laying waste to the Earth originally, but right now? That's all true and more."

"It's grotesque, is what it is. Look, could the Festival empower a few Hime enough to...kill the Hime Star itself?"

"Never mind that it's *in space*, our powers come from it. I can't see it just taking that lying down, even if we could get to it."

"Another thing to consider is... where would all that energy, tied to the Earth and in such close proximity to it right now, go?"

"I didn't think of that. I don't want to think of that."

"So we return to our options. I'll start with the worst one that doesn't lead to a bad end, as they say. We wait until everything starts dying and then we attempt the ritual. If it works, and we'll prepare ourselves adequately ahead of time, then we would be armed with enough information to possibly tip the scale next time."

"The last time we tried that, I lost all my memories. I still haven't rememebered exactly what happened at the end, either," notes Nao. "It'd be pot luck."

"Some of us were luckier, and it would only take one."

Nao pauses. "And there's the matter of entropy."

Yukino pauses herself, looking at Nao curiously.

"You know, starting all this over again doesn't sound like the best plan. We did it last time, right? And look where we are now. Talking about doing it again. Other options, Yukino?"

"Did we, Haruka-chan? We believe it was done, but I don't think I was a part of it. Were you?"

"Shizuru killed both of you."

"How would I know? I don't remember--what?!"

"That would account for it," Yukino says sourly.

"Look, put that aside. Everyone was killing everyone else back then. She almost killed me, I killed Gennai and Takumi, who knows who you two killed? It's irrelevant. God, I shouldn't have even said it," mutters Nao.

"How could she--I felt bad about her dying this whole time and she KILLED me? That insufferable--" Haruka is clearly headed for embolism territory.

"I remember fighting Mai," Yukino says quietly. "If anyone, I thought she would have been the death of me."

"Me too. But, no- actually, I'm not sure you died at all." Nao struggles with this for a moment. "Look, you remember Smith? Back when he first met, he told me that some people who were alive now shouldn't be. They lacked souls, the way he put it. I didn't want to believe him, but... well, you were one of them. He thought that if these people stayed alive, they'd cause the universe to spontaneously stop existing. So they had to die."

"--going to IMPEACH her when we fix all this--" Haruka stops mid-rant. "Huh? It's a good thing you didn't tell me this while he was around, then."

"Who would those people be, Nao?" Yukino asks. "And does that have to do with the entropy you mentioned?"

"It's just the word I thought fit. I saw something like it earlier in the playground," replies Nao. "It was like... I don't know how to quite describe it. Convergence between two worlds, it seemed. They didn't quite match up. It was like matter and antimatter; the whole place just vanished."

Clutching the wrist of her flaming claw, she starts trying to shake it out. "Anyway, what I think is that if we do this ritual and set the clock back, it's possible we'll do it imperfectly. Those people... well. Suzushiro Haruka. Ishigami Wataru. Yuuichi Tate. Tokiha Takumi. Kurauchi Kazuya. And... my mother." Nao sighs. "If she wasn't on the list, you might be a stain by now, Haruka. But I couldn't go through with this plan because of that. Say thanks to her later."

"From what I can gather, each and everyone one was a most important person to some Hime. I probably turned everything back the first time because I couldn't stand losing her."

Haruka would like to contest Nao's assumption that it would be an easy victory but, as Nao is clearly distraught, her discretion wins out just this once.

"It might becase the souls of everyone involved wound up in the Hime Star," continues Nao, pounding the dirt. "That'd explain why other people who were dead came back without repercussions, too..."

"Two of those are dead for good, or as close as one could make it," Yukino muses thoughtfully. "There might be some merit in ironing out the issues in this world before making a new one, but I don't think we have the time for it."

The fire on Nao's claw starts to go out, but swings back as she hits the dirt emotionally.

"Dead for good? Why do you say it like that?"

"Poor Yuuichi is all sparkles, now, and if Kazuya is more than a smear in the rubble of some First District lab, I would be very surprised. Whatever happens in this world, they are not coming back."

"Right, so restarting everything again? Sounds like a bad idea if some people won't be coming back no matter what. And it means Hime Star would be even stronger by the time we figured things out next cycle, since it's already taken a few people, right? There has to be something we can do NOW."

"Oh, right. I see the misunderstanding, now. No, it is quite possible that if the world is remade at a point before their death, that said deaths would be averted. Though Nao's words about two worlds colliding trouble me."

"It's all moot if we don't know what to do about the festival in the first place. So what are our other options?" interjects Nao. "I'm willing to risk resetting it again if there's a reasonable chance of success."

"Right," Yukino agrees. "We spent too much time on the least palatable option, after all."

"If THAT'S possible, why don't we reset things all the way back to before the Star showed up? I mean, setting aside that we might not have been alive then."

"We can't really set that aside, because the only advantage we have, the only reason for doing this, is that we'll be getting a second chance armed with our hard-won information. With no way to send it back, what's the use of a redo?"

"We don't even know exactly how this works. We might not be able to be precise with the time," says Nao, scrunching up her face and trying to remember how this worked. Dammit, it must be somewhere! There were pillars, she knows that!

"Moving on," Yukino announces. "There is the obvious option of abandoning all else and trying the ritual now. At the very least, if one of us makes it back with enough of her mind intact, she would know enough to get the others to cooperate. Then, we could devise a plan against Kazahana, the Crystal Princess. And against the Obsidian Lord and the Hime Star as well, perhaps."

She shrugs. "We've spent enough time debating the merits of such plans. Other options still are available."

"Go on," Haruka says. "I'd like a plan that involves beating someone into paste right now rather than something that's been tried before without total success."

Nao shrugs. "Let's hear it."

Yukino taps against the handheld's monitor a few times, nodding in satisfaction at what it displays her. "When Miss Sugiura said that Kazahana was dead -- do you remember that, Haruka-chan? Well, it seems she wasn't being any way but literal. The Kazahana Mashiro that you two have faced earlier today was not the real Chairwoman. By this, I mean to say that it was not her real body."

"Oh? I figured the winner might get perks, like immortality. So it's possession?"

"It's a deduction," Yukino responds with a snort. "Sorry. Miss Sugiura believes that the winner of the Carnival is encased in crystal to stay by the Obsidian Lord's side. Perhaps that crystal is the only reason the world is still in one place after the Obsidian Lord's untimely demise. I do not believe that Kazahana could have left what is effectively her prison as well as her seat of power on her own two feet."

"She has her loyal maid," replies Nao. "Still got the scythe?"

"Wait, so the WINNER gets frozen in crystal? This is the worst contest ever."

"And, uh...I know we kept the scythe around here somewhere. Didn't want Fumi getting it back, that's for sure."

"Would you do it if it meant your most important person lived?" questions Nao, glancing at the dynamic duo. "I'll bet there's no shortage of martyrs amongst Hime."

"The maid is an interesting point," Yukino agrees. "Did Kazahana offer her power, in essentially to sponsor her through the contest? Or did she carefully mold that woman into catering to her every whim? We must keep in mind that while she looks the younger and more frail of the two, the relationship between them is reversed in truth."

"How long has she been at the school? I assume longer than we've been Hime," notes Nao. "They presumably need each other. We've no idea how Kazahana's situation restricts her..."

Sitting up, her voice raises a little. "But I wonder what her goals are? One thing is clear- she doesn't want the Obsidian Lord controlling things, no doubt in favour of herself. Of course, that would be hard if she's stuck in a crystal all the time, so... I suspect the latter, frankly. She needs Fumi to be loyal enough to accept that fate in her stead."

"Haruka snorts. "Yeah, great deal there."

Nao shrugs. "I think she's willing to die for Mashiro, judging by the fight from earlier. It's strange, though. Hime just can't really think that way."

"Do we know anything about Fumi at all, outside of her being Mashiro's maid? I never really thought about her before."

"Only that she's a Hime." Nao frowns. "And last time around, I don't think anyone became aware of treachery... either that, or Shizuru didn't remember."

"Our resources are stretched pretty thin by this point, but maybe Fumi could be useful in some way if we knew enough about her."

"Maybe if we kill her, Mashiro dies. Which, by what Yukino just said, would be pretty bad." Nao's face turns ugly. "God, that sucks. It means that if we run into her again, we probably have to hold back."

"Hime can't think that way?" Yukino muses to herself. "How often have we seen a Hime try to sacrifice herself?" She shakes her head. "I think that rather than hoping to run into Kazahana by accident, we should arrange such a meeting. At a place and time of our choosing, of course."

"Sure, but how to arrange it? I mean, can we contact her? Maybe just set up some kind of signal she can't ignore."

"Shouldn't, then. Being selfish is good for you." Nao frowns. "Difficult to confirm that when she can fly. Even if we do, I have no idea what to say to her, or what incentive she has to spill."

"I don't know, splitting up her and Fumi somehow? It would put her off-balance, at least."

"Maybe. I could handle abduction. She must have knowledge about the inner workings of things. We could at least put her out of the game, restrain them somehow."

"That's the idea, yes."

"Could Mashiro do anything dangerous by herself? I don't know, but she wouldn't expect to be alone, and that could only help us."

"She can fly around and set things on fire? If it comes to affecting people who aren't Hime, I'd say she can do anything, and that could be a lot."

"Yes, the dreaded power of flying around and setting people on fire," Yukino notes dryly. "To get conversation back on track, please recall that I alluded to the Crystal Star being the source of Kazahana's powers. At the very least, she should be most powerful near it. Perhaps we could devise a plan that involved drawing her... apparition, for lack of better term, as far away from it as possible, while simultaneously taking measures to contain the Star somehow, if not get it under our control. There might have been a way for the Obsidian Lord to do so, and if it should be possible to step into his shoes using the artifacts he left behind and our own special link to the entire system, why not try to achieve the same here?"

"It sounds almost unworkable," admits Nao. "What could pull her away from the source of her strength? She knows we have these-" the sword is waved around for emphasis. "I don't know if she'd be that careless, even if we could force her to act somehow."

"And this is a point where we must make assumptions. I don't believe I exaggerate when I say that guessing wrong at this stage gives us the dreaded bad end."

Before anyone can comment, Yukino states, "I'll start. Kazahana Mashiro has something she wants."

"Power and the freedom to use that power."

Haruka isn't sure how to get that from her without equal or greater power, and lets Nao speculate first.

"We have to try and get inside her head to understand her goal. I feel it is of the utmost importance."

"Alright. So you've just won the festival for your beloved," states Nao. "Then he betrays you and locks you in a crystal prison for three odd centuries. You manage to get out. What do you want?"

"And what do you want to avoid?" Yukino adds. "Luring the chairwoman somewhere seems like an insurmountable task, until we make an assumption that a world reset is a situation she would do anything to prevent. Then, it would be a simple matter of setting things up for a trap."

"Of course. If that went through successfully, and we retained our memories, what's the first thing we'd be sure to do on arrival?" remarks Nao, humming to herself.

"But... I'm not entirely sure she was unaware of what happened," she adds.

"So, how to make it look like we're about to hit the reset button?"

"Go someplace else to perform the ritual while someone stays back here. Leak that information... to the First District."

"And that brings us to another assumption. Miss Sugiura thought that our chairwoman was integrated into their structure, though she lacked in specifics, owning perhaps to the secretive nature of that organization and the jealous way it is guarded. Perhaps that is why she was meeting with a government agent who conducted an investigation into First District proxies, although this is mere conjecture on my part."

"It's not an assumption. We know she's affiliated with them. Nagi said so," replies Nao. "The assumption is that she's maintained contact to this point, but I don't believe she'd lack in contacts."

Yukino nods at that. "Interesting. There is also our last possibility, though I doubt it is one either of you would adopt."

"Win by normal means?" guesses Nao.

"That's not my favorite option," Haruka confirms.

"I doubt it would do much but empower the Hime Star at this point," Yukino responds. "I suppose if someone were to try and seize the Obsidian Lord's place... I don't know. Originally, I wanted to win to align the conditions for a reset, rather than winning for its own sake. I do admit it might well be possible to succeed and rule over what is left of the world. Perhaps we could even arrive at an agreeable arrangement with First District and the remnants of Searrs."

"If we could even talk to them. America's a mess right now, remember? Can't reach them."

"And, incidentally, this brings me up to the real last option I thought to mention. We could simply... do nothing." Yukino spreads her arms wide. "The Obsidian Lord was not a very nice person. Kazahana was one of us, and she would be the closest person out of all those involved to really understand what we're going through. It could well be that she has a plan which is beneficient to the rest of the world. In fact, did she not avoid killing you when she had the chance?"

"Then there's no problem in dealing with them," replies Nao, acidly.

"And that is why I don't believe any of you would jump at the chance."

Yukino shrugs. "Still, it had to be voiced."

"If she were on our side, couldn't she have just explained it earlier? ...Granted, everyone was a little mad about her killing Mikoto."

"I think we have to do something, if only because of the problem I mentioned earlier," replies Nao. "And that will inevitably put us at odds with Kazahana."

Nao's claw pulsates rather noticably.

Yukino rolls her eyes at Haruka. "Please let me kill the little catgirl, it is for the sake of world peace. Yeah, that would've gone over well."

Haruka scowls for a moment. "Hey, I'm just thinking out loud here, okay? Anyway, making assumptions about Mashiro having our best interests in mind doesn't sti well with me either."

"You misunderstand. I'm not claiming she's acting out of our best interests in mind. No, what I'm saying is that it's quite possible that whatever we do will end badly, while not doing anything would... well, it would allow us to escape with our lives, our most important person and maybe even with the world itself intact."

"What about the souls in the Hime Star? If we can gain control of it, we may be able to excise them, return them to some form. Searrs did it with clones, and Mashiro has a secondary body- the same thing could apply."

Nao stands up. "I have to take that opportunity if it's there."

"The only known way to truly take control of the Hime Star in any way is to kill the other Hime. But the only one who gets that control is the Obsidian Lord, who happens to be dead. If one of the Hime serves as an arbiter in his stead, there is a certain risk that the control won't be perfect, even if it takes hold," Yukino cautions.

"You mentioned faking Mashiro out earlier as an alternative, and getting to the Crystal Star. But what exactly would we do from there? That route didn't involve taking out the other Hime."

"The Crystal Star is tuned to a Hime, the way the Hime Star is connected to the Obsidian Lord. Badly-chosen naming conventions aside, that is at the basis of my belief that doing something about the Crystal Star might be easier."

"Even if we wrest control of it from her, wouldn't that imply that one of us would have to step up to get locked inside?"

"It might, although we have a perfectly capable Hime already inside. She just needs to get over her rebelliousness, that's all."

"So hey, let's just go talk Mashiro into being sensible?" Haruka says skeptically.

"You mean beat her into being sensible."

Yukino looks like she wants to comment, but keeps her peace at Nao's words. "Wasn't it what you intended on doing all along? Consider the beating as having an added benefit, here."

"Then why are we still here talking? I thought I suggested brute force a while ago?"

"It's.. just cutting our losses, in a sense. That or doing nothing doesn't do anything for the people who died already," murmurs Nao, strangely uncomfortable. "How does the ritual to reset things work?"

"We'll need the sword, I think. I'm not sure it could work away from Fuka, but then again, I don't think the chairwoman would know that for certain. Anything to connect the Hime and the Obsidian Lord substitute or to forge a stronger bond between them would be most welcome."

"He bound himself with Mikoto with a pair of amulets. I still have them."

"That would do it, yes, or should if we get them to work with us. So what's it going to be? To use the brute force option Haruka-chan is quite partial to, we must go through the First District barring a cunning plan to draw Kazahana out or track her down."

"Well, again, if she wouldn't want us to reset things, is there anyway to make it look like that's what we're about to do?"

"Which is to know how it's actually done. Can you theorize on ways to retain our memories?"

"We already know emotions are key. Emotions translate to power, whether it is the Hime Star or the Child. Emotions also form the bond between a Hime and her most important person. It is my belief that a strong desire would prevail, especially if tied in some manner to a person dear to us." Yukino considers Haruka's question. "As for a bluff, I suppose I could get back to working on fixing the PA system for good. Aside from, again, going through the First District."

Nao twists the amulets around in her hand like marbles, staring into the dead orbs as if looking for answers.

"Well. I'm partial to turning back time. Forcing Mashiro to submit, or letting her do what she wants- it still leaves behind a ruined world that might not last anyway. Sue me for wanting a more optimistic ending."

Haruka shakes her head. "I'm not eager to try resetting things again. I don't want to keep this cycle going on any longer than we have to. Take Mashiro's place and maybe there's a way to use that power against the Hime Star. This has to end with it being killed, one way or another."

"But then Mikoto and Shizuru will still be dead!"

"So how many tries will it take to get everything right, Nao? Do we have any clue at all? We have to stop it now. We have some ideas and the means to put a plan into action. Who's to say things'll work out that way next time?"

"It'll work for the next time," replies Nao. "I'll make it work. I won't let myself forget this time. These other plans result in a world that's unacceptable. Besides- besides, what about all the people you killed? You're just going to forget about them?"

Yukino also waits for the answer to that, observing her two fellow Hime casually.

Haruka is silent for a moment. "...No. No, I'm not going to just forget. Yukino, might we still have time for the reset if facing down Mashiro doesn't solve everything?"

"Assuming she doesn't fly and set us on fire? Sure, I guess."

"Green beats red."

"Nao's optimistic, as you can see, Haruka-chan."

"Did you want to put in a vote, Kikukawa?"

Haruka looks at Yukino expectantly.

Yukino nods curtly. "Yes. Paradoxically, perhaps, I want to delay as much as possible. To me, information and power are interchangeable, as you might get from seeing Diana. I've already given up on this world, and anything I could do to have a better start the next time, I'll take. So ideally, I would like to try for the worst of the options I presented, by my own admission."

"We need to ensure the conditions for a reset are at their best. Which means we need a suitable pair to go through with it," notes Nao.

"As long as that's ensured, I don't mind if we wait."

"Alright, so..." Haruka starts, preparing for the question that has to be asked. "Who?"

"You two are right here... you tell me if that would work."

Haruka nods. "If I'm suggesting this plan, I can't really say no to that."

"I'll need the amulets and the sword, then."

Nao sticks the sword into the ground, and takes a step back. "Akira and Mai could've also worked- or even Takumi and Mai, if the stand-in need not be a Hime. All the people I care about vanished or died, though. If it was me, Natsuki would probably have been the best..."

She sighs. "I don't even know if she's alive anymore. I wonder, what happens if the Hime dies when their most important person, the one they're fighting for- is also dead? Can it even work that way?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," Yukino says cautiously. She's not approaching the sword, although that is easy to understand given the unmeasured range of Nao's green claw on her equipment.

"If I killed Takumi, do you think Mai would get weaker or stronger?" queries Nao, shrugging. "And if she got stronger, what would happen if she was defeated anyway? Her important person would've already been killed."

"Since negative emotions have been noted to increase a Hime's power, I would go with the latter," Yukino says thoughtfully. "Of course, her psychological state is another thing entirely. Will she overcome her little brother's death and channel the loss and rage into power? I cannot answer that. As for being defeated afterwards... I honestly don't know. Wouldn't you, by that very act, consume Mai's entire world and become her new most important person, featuring, perhaps, even more prominently in her thoughts?"

"Enough talk about killing people," Haruka says. "Let's get ready to beat the crap out of Mashiro."

"I guess it might work that way," murmurs Nao. "What a scary thought. Anyway, our plan is to do nothing, isn't it, since we're resetting things anyway. Information is power, I agree."

"Our plan... might need some work to gain cohesion," Yukino summarizes with a wince.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Lacking a concrete plan," Yukino is saying, "continuing my work on understanding the systems powering the Obsidian Lord's complex seems like my best move. Even if I fail to fix what we need in time, the knowledge gained would be invaluable. It is also something only I can do, while others could conceivably get in touch with First District, make contact with that ninja clan, or execute any number of other possible moves."

"We can approach this from multiple fronts," notes Nao. "If we can find their headquarters, Akira and his people may be able to infiltrate it. And if we can get in contact with them... well, it doesn't seem as though they want rid of us, so I believe they might be willing to discuss the future. At the least, they'll entertain diplomacy by this point."

"Do we know of any First District contacts? That are still alive, I mean. Otherwise, I can ask my father to look into it."

"Akira was working on it. But we could get their attention the same way we got people's attention on Fuka," replies Nao.

"How's that? ...It's been a long day, alright?"

"Television. Just walk into a station and demand them to put you on air. I doubt they'll refuse the amazing transforming girl... man, I just wish I could do it."

"Hah. Well, you COULD do it. I doubt they'd refuse someone with a scary neon claw either. But sure."

"No, but they can tell me their equipment is nonfunctional just fine," mutters Nao, glaring balefully at her hand.

"Anyway, you could demand that *they* meet *us*, and surely start up some nationwide efforts to uncover them. Or threaten them with the reset ritual. Or any number of things. Without some other means of communication, it's our best shot at getting this intelligence leaked.

"It's all part of getting Mashiro out in the open. We don't know exactly where the Crystal Star is, right?"

"No, I don't think so." To Yukino: "We don't, do we? If not, I suppose I need to talk to my father again to get things rolling."

"We don't, not really," Yukino affirms. "As for your father, Haruka-chan, I think you are overestimating whatever investigations he could perform in the time we have."

"Akira would be a better shot. We might as well contact her now and see if she can tell us anything about their installations."

She pauses, for a moment. "Time. Speaking of time, how much do you estimate we have?"

Yukino frowns. "Worst case scenario? Something is slowly eroding our world, starting with the western hemisphere. Unfortunately, this places us close enough to be threatened by the phenomenon. Even if we evacuated, we might not even need to have the Hime Star crash into Earth, since there would be no one left by that time. Speaking more optimistically, however, a couple of days sounds more reasonable; we've used up a considerable amount of one of them."

She looks at Nao questioningly. "Unless you know something I don't, the absolute deadline seems to be the date the Carnival was supposed to conclude, and even by that estimate, our window of opportunity to make a change is brief."

"What are the conditions necessary to complete this ritual?" asks Nao, biting her lip.

"Trust, cooperation, determination. The proper tools. Holding enough power over the Hime Star so that another won't try to contest the outcome." Yukino shrugs helplessly. "Since doing anything about the latter has been vetoed, and I don't believe there's anything more that could be done about the former, we could probably try it at any time. Location might be important, which is what I would try to work on once we're all set. Nothing else comes to mind."

"If nobody contests changing things, it's fine, isn't it? Then, either way, all we need to do is rub out Mashiro." Nao shrugs, and draws a few characters in the air. "I don't see why anyone would be against it."

"Neither do I." Yukino's frown deepens. "Strange. What made me say that?"

"You disagree?"

"No, I--" Yukino shakes her head. "I suppose it doesn't matter. Moving on to next on our list. Contacting the ninja, wasn't it?"

"Yes, did they leave a contact number or do I have to swim?"

"Isn't Takumi still on the island?"

"He's probably being evacuated with the rest."

"That does sound likely," Yukino agrees. "For what it matters, the ships haven't left yet."

"I'd be surprised if he left. Hist sister and Akira are still involved, right? But we can run down to the coast and find him first if we need to reach the ninjas."

"I mean, unless Yukino already has a number for them."

"Speaking of that, we have no idea where Mai is. Frankly, I'm assuming the worst."

"I sincerely doubt that, since you have been contemplating strategies for fighting her," Yukino states bluntly.

"That would be the worst," replies Nao. "I know she's not dead. But it wouldn't surprised me if she was kidnapped."

"Kidnapped? How do you kidnap someone who can do what we've seen Mai do? Unless she's totally given up hope, I guess."

"They managed it with Akane, didn't they?"

Nao frowns. "Although they probably got to Kazuya first. I don't know, it's just that there's been no sign of her. There's no telling what she's doing."

"Great," Yukino mutters. "Well, back to the ninja. I can try that hideout of theirs. Whether they answer or not is up to them."

"Go for it."

Haruka nods as well, waiting to see the results of Yukino's request before doing anything else.

In the interim, Nao grips her flaming hand with the other, and tries very hard to see if it can be stifled.

After nearly a dozen rings, there is the click of an answering machine. It is the basic one, a woman's prerecorded voice spelling out the number they have reached and the keys they would need to press to leave a message in the system.

As the explanation sounds, Yukino rolls her eyes. "I'll handle that part. Who wants to talk?"

"I've barely talked to them before. This part's probably you, Nao."

"I'll need to shout," mutters Nao, dryly. "Alright, though."

There is a loud beep.

"Akira! If you have any idea where the important facilities of the first district are, please let us know. We've barely got over 24 hours to make something happen, according to Yukino- don't delay. I'll discuss things further when we can actually talk."

Without further delay, the message is stored. Yukino cuts the transmission as the recording thanks them for taking the time to do so.

"I left a caller ID, in case we didn't put one in the message," she says. "Once they decide to answer, I'll know."

"Ninjas with answering machines," Haruka muses. "This is a strange world."

"Good. Here's the plan. We'll make a broadcast to the first district indicating that we want to discuss how to save the world, and that if they don't talk it over with us we'll have to resort to our own measures. Which we will, if they disagree. If not, Suzushiro and I will enter... discussion." states Nao.

"Get Akira and his people to try and infiltrate their headquarters, if possible. They've been studying the crystal star; they must have people there who know where it is and how it works. You might even get to go with them, Kikukawa- if it's stored digitally, that's your province, right?"

Yukino doesn't seem excited at the prospect, but nods. "I'll need to be onsite, due to the cumulative losses Diana incurred."

"Will you be fine on a battlefield?" queries Nao, unable to avoid smirking for a moment. "There might be blood."

"Don't worry about it, Nao," Haruka speaks up for her friend. "Yukino's turning out to be a lot of things I hadn't expected before."

"I'll bet she is. Anyway, we'll try that. We might be able to drag Mashiro out by threatening to use our own methods, like you said. I don't know the details- give me a good lie to spin to them."

"The best bluff would be to claim we hold her body hostage, though it is one she would easily call...." Yukino trails off. "Unless we already expected that and were in a position to track her down as she goes to check."

"To do that, we need to know roughly where she is or where she'll go."

"Exactly. I'd guess we don't have time to find her actual body?"

"If we could do that, we wouldn't need to bother with deception," admits Nao.

"There might be a way, if we do it gradually," Yukino muses. "Lure her into communicating with us by-- yes, using something she wants as leverage. We certainly have the Obsidian Lord's sword, don't we? And once we get her talking, it should be possible to trace her, stall her enough to get someone capable of tracking her into position and drop the other shoe on her. Our bluff would look more credible since the first part is actually true."

"Hey, Haruka, grow wings and see if you can fly for a sec," asks Nao, beeming at the blonde.

"Metal's not known for being aerodiabolic, Nao," Haruka replies. Still, having wings could be a good look!

The angelic wings are sharp, making Yukino edge away with a hiss. Haruka looks quite glorious with them, although a few inches shorter.

"I don't think this will actually work, Nao," Haruka says, hopping in the air experimentally.

Yukino looks at Haruka and Nao strangely, backing away further. "It's the stress, isn't it?" she asks quietly. "We all go through that."

"Don't hurt anyone with those things," mutters Nao. "Tracking her. If I could put this freaking claw out, I could probably keep up. Haruka stands out too much... and Akira's people would probably be the best at it."

At Yukino's comment, Nao giggles. "I already went through stress. Right now? I figure that if I have to do this stupid fight, I may as well enjoy it where I can. Didn't you find your powers fun now and then?"

Haruka absorbs the wings back into her body, then turns to Yukino. "Hey, if looking silly is necessary in order to esave the world, then that's a sacrifice I'm prepared to make!"

Yukino rolls her eyes. "Try going for something practical, Haruka-chan. If you shape them more like a glider, you could conceivably... glide. From a high spot. Without the sun to illuminate you for those below, it would probably even work."

"Seriously? Where should I start?" If it was anyone else, Haruka might be suspicious about someone trying to make her jump off a cliff, but not Yukino.

"She might well end up coming back to Fuka," opines Nao. "That's where everything important is, no? The mountains could be a good shot."

"A cliff or a skyscraper would be my first bet." At Nao's suggestion, she nods. "Also an option."

"Yukino, can you get me in touch with my father again? If we're going to get something out on television, we'll need a little help."

"It's doable," she agrees, and soon Hiro's voice fills the cavern again.

"Haruka?" he is asking. "Is that you? We got cut off the last time, and I've been unable to reach you since."

"Yeah, it's me. Everything's okay here, the evacuation's gone pretty smoothly. Look, we're going to need to make some kind of announcement to get the attention of our foes, something they can't miss. Do you know anyone in the press who can arrange this? I figure someone with a Hime's powers showing up on Tv and claiming to know what's going on with the world...that's hard to ignore."

"We have contacts in the press," Hiro says. "Setting up an exclusive is possible, and the other stations should pick it up if it's interesting enough, which I have no doubt this would be."

"How fast can you make this happen?" calls Nao.

"I could have a meeting set up within the hour, although making it to one of the TV stations would be the real issue."

"Couldn't they come here? They have helicopters and things."

"Why's that? Are things that much of a mess outside the island?"

"People are confused," Hiro tells Haruka, his voice tight. "And it's one thing to broadcast live to the entire nation after you demonstrate your special abilities to them. It is quite another to get them to fly over on faith to a remote, out of the way little island while there is already plenty to cover on the mainland. Lastly, I would suspect technical difficulties, unless there is a broadcasting tower in Fuka."

Nao looks at Yukino.

"I doubt it. There's been a lot of destruction here. Yukino?"

Speculatively. "No, ours is probably going to be busy. We could try working through one of the First District's fronts, or Haruka could go on a trip. How long do you think it would take?"

"For someone with your powers, considerably less than anyone else," Hiro responds. "How fast would it take you to get to the mainland from Fuka?"

Yukino, meanwhile, shakes her head silently to Haruka.

"For me, I think it'd take around half an hour. Even less for Haruka, who could have flippers and fins and stuff."

"And who doesn't have the same breathing problem I do," Nao adds, darkly.

"Well, I--what Nao said," Haruka admits hesitantly. Lord, what's her father going to make of those statements?

There is no immediate response.

"Don't worry about it. I'm still your daughter, even if I look a little different."

"Annnnyway, where do we go when we get there? I'll be honest, I have no idea where Fuka is."

Hiro coughs.

"Haruka, do you still have the contacts I gave you?"

"I'm afraid not. Things have been hectic here," Haruka admits.

"Unfortunate," Hiro says. "Ask the rescue force for help, then. They should have all the maps you might want, too. It would only be a matter of choosing whom to approach; get in touch with me if there is any trouble."

"Alright, I'll head to them straight away. Thank you."

"Hold on a sec," chimes in Nao. "We're going to try and ask them to contact us, and when they do, we're hoping to be able to trace their communications. Think you can do that?"

"That would be possible if they use our systems," Hiro responds after a brief period of thought. "The odds of that are high."

"Good enough. Yukino, presuming the crystal star is on Fuka, it shouldn't be hard to track her if we can goad her here. I don't know how powerful she is, but we'd outnumber her at the very least, and her maid no longer has a weapon. In short, our chances of, ah, 'negotiating from a strong position' are pretty high."

"Right," Yukino agrees with a crooked smile.

Haruka nods in agreement. "If we're all set on this plan, then I should probably set out soon. I need to catch the evacuation team before they leave."

"Ok. It only takes one of us to give an address," notes Nao. "And I probably can't. Still, I don't really want to be idle. What sort of location do we need to conduct the ritual, Yukino?"

There is a distinct click, before Yukino shrugs. "Here might be a good spot."

Haruka turns to exit the cave. "Keep an eye on the channels, Yukino. Next time you see me, I should be on TV! You know, that always sounded fun. Shame about the circumcisions, is all. Good luck in the meantime, you two."

"You know what you have to say, right?" asks Nao, slightly dubious.

"Yeah, of course. We're going to hit the reset button, cooperate or, uh, get reset?"

"I don't think there's a need to give away exactly what we plan," notes Nao. "Make sure they know we'll take our own measures if they don't try to cooperate, and make doubly sure they know that we have Mashiro's real body, and the sword. Be all concilatory-like, give them a line of communication to use." She frowns. "I don't think I missed anything. Stay in touch."

"Okay." You can almost SEE Haruka inscribing these statements into her brain to avoid forgetting them. Then she leaves.

Nao buries her face in her hands- well, her good hand. "This claw has doomed us all," she moans.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[20:59] Seiji is easily spotted supervising what seems like the evacuation's final stage as Haruka makes it towards the Suzushiro group's temporary base.
[21:01] "Seiji!" Haruka calls out, marching towards the man. "I need some information. My father said you could point me in the right direction."
[21:02] "I'll try to live up to his expectations," the man returns. Another takes over smoothly for him, as Seiji devotes his attention to Haruka.
[21:03] "I need to reach a television station on the mainland. One we have some influence over, whichever's closest."
[21:08] Seiji consults his palm-sized computer. "Your best option would be getting in contact with Sakurada Minami from NHK. She's worked with us before, and if you catch a ride with us, you'll be able to reach her swiftly. Unless you have other, faster means of leaving the island?"
[21:10] "Well, I doubt I could swim faster than your boats. How soon are you leaving? I don't have a lot of time to spare."
[21:11] "Two of the ships will be leaving as soon as the rest of the students and those we've managed to discover so far will board them." Haruka can tell that it wouldn't take long, twenty more minutes at most given their present progress. "We'll be diverting from the plan afterwards, and keep on looking for other survivors. Don't worry, those staying are all volunteers."
[21:12] Haruka nods. "Alright, that'll do. Point me in the direction of whichever ship's leaving first."
[21:13] "These two vessels would be departing together," Seiji says, sweeping his arm towards the shore. Another ship is docked by the one currently taking on refugees.
[21:14] Haruka thanks Seiji and boards one of the ships. Preferably one where she recognizes few of the students, as taking a boat ride with the older students would be awkward.
[21:19] There aren't any students on the deck that Haruka recognizes. Time passes, going impossibly slowly, but then comes the moment she had been waiting for. The ship leaves Fuka, laborously at first and then picking up more speed.
[21:20] Apart from sitting by the prow and keeping a watchful eye for any other ships loitering around the island, Haruka has no particular plans for the boat trip.
[21:28] As the mainland comes into view, Haruka can at last see what her father was talking about. Unlike the black skies above Fuka itself, the first thought that jumps into her mind is that the view is unnatural. It is as if the sky was made of an endless plane of glass, and someone threw a large rock at it.
[21:28] She can understand why someone would call the cracks overhead living veins, but to her, it seems more like something behind that broken sky, impossibly large and menacing, is trying to break through.
[21:30] And Haruka doesn't need to be told what it is! Seeing it only fuels her desire to rid the world of this unnatural menace.
[21:34] Haruka's ship is the first to make landfall. "Miss Suzushiro," a woman approaches her, offering a handheld device much like the one she was given earlier. "I was told to provide you with the directions and a bit of background information on your contact. Unfortunately, we couldn't supply you with a vehicle at this time."
[21:35] "I'll run," she says without complaint. "What have you got for me?"
[21:40] "Sakurada Minami-sama, age thirty two. Blonde, owning to a foreign grandfather of european ancestry. Your father sponsored her through college via a Suzushiro group scholarship. She has a good working relationship with the Suzushiro group, owning to striking friendships during that time and bolstering those ties afterwards."
[21:41] Haruka accepts the handheld device, peering at it quizzically. "And she works for NHK?"
[21:43] "That is correct, Miss Suzushiro," the brunette, appearing to be in her mid-twenties, responds. "We believe that she is presently in their branch here. It is unlikely that she would have been able to return with recent happenings."
[21:45] "Alright, thanks for your assistance. I'll contact her immediately. There isn't any time to lose."
[21:46] "Best of luck," Haruka is wished. The handheld details the course she would need to take. An hour by car, although she's certain she could do better.
[21:48] Haruka sets off on foot at top speed! If she finds someone with a vehicle, she'll flag them down and commandeer it, but she's not wandering around town looking for one right now. Not when she's a tireless machine herself!
[21:52] As soon as Haruka hits the streets, she can see for herself that it wouldn't be an option. Young people, mostly those in their early-to-mid twenties and teens, are out on the streets en masse, and many store fronts had been smashed. A pair of burning cars add to the image of bedlam.
[21:55] What's wrong with people? The end of the world might be coming and everyone's out looting TVs? Fools! Criminals! DELINQUENTS! Sadly Haruka doesn't have time to discipline this rabble, though. She does her best to ignore it all as she races through town to the station.
[21:57] Haruka is hardly ignored in turn, her ears catching up startled expletives as surely as her eyes spot the looks thrown her way. No one wants to step in her way, however, or give chase.
[21:59] Those lawbreakers had better stay out of her way, or she'd bowl them down! It'll have to do for now. Priorities, Haruka, priorities! We're trying to save the world here, there's no time to worry about the local Megamart!
[22:00] Her destination is an NHK branch office, immediately recognizable as soon as Haruka is near it. The office building appears intact, guards seen in the lobby through the reinforced glass doors. They don't open as Haruka comes closer.
[22:02] No time for subtlety! Haruka barrels right through the glass and screeches to a halt in the lobby. "On behalf of the Suzusiro Corporation, I need to speak with Sakurada Minami IMMEDIATELY."
[22:04] The guards gape, though whether at her appearance or the way she crashed into the lobby. They recover in record time, however, rushing Haruka with their nightsticks!
[22:06] Haruka sighs. Let them try to beat her down and see how useless it is. "Guys, I don't have time for this."
[22:08] A particularly hard slam against the side of her face moves Haruka's head sideways. None of the blows harm her, however, and the guards seem to realize that as well, backing away. Fear is clear on their faces.
[22:11] "Are we done being heroic?" Irritation is clear in Haruka's voice. "You've earned your salad for the day, alright? Notify Sakurada that I'm here and let me through. I don't mean anyone harm but I don't have time to waste."
[22:12] "Sakurada who?"
[22:14] "Sakurada Minami. I was told that she works here." She rolls her eyes. Is there a receptionist around, at least?
[22:14] There was one, though the time the guards had bought allowed her to flee inside. "Must be a mistake, then."
[22:17] Haruka strides around the desk to take the receptionist's place. "Okay, fine, I'll just look her up on your computer system. I'm going to find what I need, it's just a matter of time. Problem IS, we don't have time to waste. You guys looked
at the sky recently? Quit playing dumb and help me out here before it comes crashing down on us."
[22:20] No one by the name of Sakurada Minami is listed as employed at the branch office. The guards exchange looks, standing warily before the lift.
[22:22] Haruka thumps a fist on the desk, leaving a sizable dent in its surface. "This IS the NHK building, right?" she says, looking from one guard to another.
[22:25] The lift's doors open as Haruka speaks, revealing a blonde behind them. "Yes, it is," she says, stepping past the guards. "Suzushiro Haruka?"
[22:26] "That's me," Haruka says. About time SOMEONE knew who she was!
[22:28] "And living up to your reckless reputation, it seems," the woman comments. The guards look between her and Haruka's form warily. "Did they never teach you to knock?"
[22:28] "I was in a rush."
[22:30] "I'm tempted to ask how that worked out for you, in the way of saving time, but let's cut straight to the chase," the blonde says. "I'm Sakurada, and I just got a call from your father. It sounded like you had something important to say, so let's hear it."
[22:33] "Yes. It's about...the strangeness going on. I'm sure you've heard about the chaos in Fuka? It involves that as well as that mess up in the sky. We need to make an announcement to get the attention of the people behind it all. Something they can't miss."
[22:34] "Chaos in Fuka? You mean that supposed convergence of natural phenomena?"
[22:36] "Is that what people are calling it?" Haruka snorts. "It's a disaster, that's what it is. Anyway, time's running out. If this announcement's to have any effect, it needs to happen right now. Take me to your studio. I can promise that at the very least..."
[22:37] "...I'll make for interesting viewing." Haruka extends an arm and morphs it through a variety of shapes by way of demonstration: hammer, yo-yo, umbrella...
[22:38] "That's not how it works," Minami says flatly, attempting to push her glasses back up her nose. As Haruka's arm transforms unnaturally, she uses too much force, sending them tumbling off the bridge of her nose and on the floor as she gapes at her openly.
[22:42] "Actually, that is how it works. I don't care about your bronzecasting schedule, and I don't care about your sponsors. And right now, neither should you. You see this?" Haruka morphs into Minami! "This is nothing." She turns back. "We're talking about the end of the world here, and you can help me stop it or get knocked out of my way. And I'd rather not do that. Besides, you? You have OBLIGATIONS."
[22:43] "What the fuck?!" Minami exclaims. She looks at Haruka with some sort of sick fascination. "What the hell are you?"
[22:45] Haruka smiles. "Put me on TV and I'll explain everything."
[22:45] "The hell I will!" Minami snaps. "How do I even know you're the real Haruka and not-- not-- a goddamn bodysnatcher or something?!"
[22:50] "Call my father if you have to. He sent me here, he can pouch for me. If you want, you can have him ask me some questions only the REAL HARUKA would know. But you know what? Neither of us have time for that." She's starting to get irritated with this woman. Must resist the urge to slap her! "And you know, I WILL go to another network if I have to. But that's in neither of our best interests, right?"
[22:50] "Hmph. Go, then."
[22:52] "You're sure? You and your station won't regret later that you turned down THE most important story of your careers? Alright. But let me do one thing before I go." She heads back to the desk to pick up the phone and dials her father's number. "Let me just report to my father how you repaid our generous Suzushiro scholarship by turning away his daughter in the midst of a world crisis."
[22:54] "That wasn't a bribe, dammit!" Minami snaps, her features growing cold. "If you're really her, if you're really Suzushiro Haruka-- you don't own me!"
[22:57] "Oh, I must have touched a nerd with that one. Feeling guilty, Sakuraba?" Haruka listens to the phone ring, hoping her father will pick up soon so this whole farce can be put to an end.
[22:57] "Hello?" Haruka hears after three rings. It is her father's voice.
[22:57] Minami gives Haruka a truly withering glare and steps back into the lift; its doors close.
[22:59] Is it a portable phone? If so, Haruka will run with it to the lift and stop that bitch from just slinking away--by jamming her arm straight through the door and holding the lift back if necessary. "It's Haruka," she says on her way. "Our contact at the NHK isn't cooperating."
[23:01] It is a regular phone, to Haruka's disappointment. "What do you mean?" Hiro asks. "I've always known to Sakurada to be reasonable and professional in her dealings with us."
[23:02] "Well, apparently that courtesy doesn't extend to me. Unless you can do something to get these people to cooperate, I'll have to run to another station."
[23:03] Hiro is silent. "Haruka," he finally asks, "just what do you mean by cooperate?"
[23:04] "Well, for starters, it would help if she didn't call me a freak and run away in a snit."
[23:06] "I find that... hard to believe," Hiro says, sounding pained. "It also presents a problem. Our nearest other contact would be at least three hours away."
[23:09] "Alright, well...I'll follow her upstairs. If there's anything you could do to help on a, uh, professional level, it would be great."
[23:10] "Haruka," Hiro says, and he is sounding stern, now. "Do you mean that Sakurada literally fled from your presence?"
[23:11] "Well. Yes. But she was more annoyed than afraid."
[23:12] He sighs. "You are an important mission, Haruka. You said so yourself. Even if you did not have your position as a Suzushiro to think of, you must do everything to succeed in the mission you took on yourself! That is our way. Tell me, now, did you truly do everything you could?"
[23:15] "I'd say so! Maybe I was in a bit of rush because of the whole end of the world thing and I didn't waste any time on the pleasant trees, but come on! She was acting like it was just business as usual while the sky's falling outside!"
[23:19] "Not where the rest of us were," Hiro reminds her. "Yes, it looks horrible, especially with the loss in communications, but people who were neither in Fuka nor exposed to the supernatural until now are often eager to cling to what official story exists! Do you realize how much more comforting it is to cling to a scientific explanation over accepting an impossible truth?"
[23:20] Haruka sighs. "Okay, so. The Haruka way didn't work. I'd be grateful for your advice in moving forward."
[23:22] "Many people were brought to the brink with recent events," Hiro says gravely. "None is truly unaffected. Everyone is dealing in their own way. You must take that under consideration in your dealings with people." He pauses. "I will try to get in touch with Sakurada. My advice is to just wait where you are-- are you safe? I don't know if this advice would be plausible."
[23:24] "I'm safer than anyone else," Haruka admits. "I'm in the lobby. It should be alright."
[23:31] "Just give me some time, then," her father says. "Call me back in half an hour, whatever the outcome, alright?"
[23:32] "Of course. Thank you, father." She can't help but feel (and sound!) a little downcast.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[19:14] Time seems to crawl to a stop. Haruka spends the wait glancing from the wall-mounted clock and the wary-seeming guards. Their interest in Haruka doesn't seem to wane the more they all spend in each other's presence.
[19:18] When one of them presses a hand to his ear, tilting his head just so, the action is almost too sudden in the permeating lull. "Please take the elevator to the third floor," the man tells Haruka, his tone changing -- if not to welcoming, then at least less confrontational.
[19:19] Haruka manages to be gracious! "Thank you," she says, taking the elevator as directed.
[19:22] A woman meets her there; more a clerk than a proper receptionist. She can't disguise her reflexive flinch, even as she leads Haruka to a roon three doors down. Minami is seated there, along with a man in his fifties, dressed sharply in a suit.
[19:23] Haruka takes a seat across from them (assuming there's a chair for her. And why wouldn't there be?) "I apologize for my conduct before," she says to Minami (albeit grudgingly). "This has been a difficult time."
[19:29] "It has been," she agrees with a curt nod. "This is Takano Seishiro, and the one you'll really need to convince if you want to go on air." The man nods at Haruka as he is introduced.
[19:31] "What we have right now is fairly conclusive proof that you are... special." Minami frowns. "Your father has insisted that you would explain what you can. In any case, we cannot give you a stage without knowing what you are going to do with the opportunity. You might say it's akin to an attorney never asking someone a question they don't already know the answer to."
[19:32] "These are troubling times," Seishiro takes over for her. "We have a duty, an obligation to prevent mass hysteria. That goes even beyond the normal protections from libel and other legal aspects."
[19:35] "I understand. I need to ensure that a message reaches a certain group of people. People I don't otherwise know how to contact. You can package things however you feel is necessary to avoid causing a panic as long as I'm able to get their attention."
[19:38] He frowns. "We are not a telecommunication monolith. If anything, that would be your father's group."
[19:41] "If we knew how to reach these people, we would've done it already. We need something they can't ignore. A televised expose is just that."
[19:43] "The same people you're claiming are responsible for the current state of affairs?" Minami asks.
[19:45] "That's correct. I assume that I myself am enough proof that this is more than just some crazy conspiratorial theory?" She waves an arm--which briefly becomes a giant toothbrush--by way of demonstration.
[19:48] Minami flinches; Seishiro's reaction is more pronounced if one looks at his eyes, but otherwise he manages to maintain the illusion of staying calm and collected.
[19:48] "Again," Minami says, with more strength than previously, "just because you're--" She shakes her head. "I don't really know what, why and how. But how do we get from that to proof of you knowing anything? And what do you claim to know, anyway?"
[19:54] "That a secret organization has been forcing girls with unusual abilities, like me, to fight each other for the sake of some demonic entry," Haruka says without blinking. "It's a long story. And you know what? It doesn't really matter whether you believe that much or not, because I don't need to say everything on the air to get my point across. You can just present me as an eyewitness to the devastation on Fuka if you want."
[19:54] "The island was bombed by battleships. If that's not a story, I don't know what is."
[19:57] "Battleships belonging to a secret organization?" Minami asks in surprise. "I'm sorry, it's hard for me to get past that part, nevermind the magical girls fights."
[19:58] "Several of them were sunk just offshore, within the past twenty-four hours. I can show you where they are. Besides, the island WAS attacked. There's barely a building standing. A quick flyover would show you that much."
[20:04] "All flights have been grounded," Seishiro informs Haruka. "If you're right, then you would be the first one to make it off Fuka. Is there a second source who could corroborate your story?"
[20:04] Minami gives him a strange look, one she almost immediately covers up. "Also, if I may," she adds, "are you the one who sunk those ships? Who do they belong, anyway? Does this secret organization have a name?"
[20:06] "I left the island with a shipload of refugess," she says to Seishiro. "And more are on the way. Any of them could back me up. As for the organization, two were involved in a fight for the island: the First District, a local group and the people I need to reach; and the Searrs Foundation, from America. I'm told we can't reach America right now, though."
[20:06] "And I sunk several of the ships myself, yes."
[20:11] "There are two secret organizations, now?" Minami's voice has transcended mere disbelief. "And they both used their secret battleships to wage war at a small, remote island off the coast of Japan? A war we haven't heard about until now, but which utterly decimated the island, you're saying?"
[20:14] "That's correct," Haruka says, all seriousness. "All you need to do is look at the island. I defy you to find a better explanation once you've done that. It's still covered in dead soldiers." Haruka tries another appeal to her business sense! "If you don't cover the story now, someone else will later. Unless you think there's something more important going on?"
[20:20] "I don't know about this First District," Seishiro says, steepling his hands, elbows resting on the desk between Haruka and the two journalists. "But Searrs is a well-known name. Do you have any idea what will happen if we publically accuse them of this?
[20:20] And with communications out with the States and us lacking any certain means of witnessing the island for ourselves or getting a camera crew there, we can't corroborate it or even get a reaction from Searrs."
[20:27] "Personally, I don't care if you mention Searrs at all. As you say, we can't reach the States. Even if they saw the broadcast, they might not be able to respond, and they're not the ones I need to reach anyway. As far as I'm concerned, you can just present as an 'Early report of disaster on Fuka,' if you want. Just put my VOICE in as a witness, if that's what you want."
[20:28] "All I need to do is drop the right clues. First District WILL be listening for any indication that the media's caught onto the disaster, and they'll know what I mean. Suzushiro Corp. Boats can shuttle your people out to the island if need be. I need to go back there anyway."
[20:31] The two journalists exchange looks. "We can't broadcast from that far under present conditions," Seishiro says, frowning.
[20:31] Minami's eyes narrow. "What troubles me more is that the explicit intention of Suzushiro is to bring a shadowy group capable of such destruction into direct odds with us."
[20:42] "What materials would you need in order to broadcast?" Haruka asks Seishiro. "Worst case scenario, you broadcast from here and I join in by phone. As for the wrath of the First District...my remaining friends back on Fuka have something the First District needs. Something they can't complete their plans without. It'll be clear that any violence on their part will only make things worse."
[20:43] "For them, not us," Haruka adds with a grim smile.
[20:48] "What, with mutually assured destruction?" Minami asks, shaking her head. "Doesn't sound like it helped Fuka." She winces instantly. "I'm sorry. Whatever happened there, I was out of line just now." She raises her eyes to look at Haruka. "If all you've said is true... can you guarantee the safety of all those here?"
[20:51] Haruka ignores the faux pas graciously. With some effort, true. "I'll do everything I can. Get me a cel phone the First District can use to contact me--I lost my last one--and they should have no reason to even come here. But if it's necessary, I can ask for some Suzushiro people to be stationed here to beef up your security."
[20:54] "The Suzushiro group is another side to this?"
[20:56] "Not really. Only by virtue of me being dragged into the First District's sick little game. And MY only interest lies in stopping it all."
[21:02] Minami nods curtly as her question is answered. Another glance is exchanged, with Seishiro nodding as well.
[21:02] "I think we could do something about the second source," Minami announces as Seishiro leans back, clearly giving her the reigns. "You mentioned the Suzushiro group bringing people from the island? If we could get a few of them on the line, it should help us cover out bases." To Haruka's eyes, she doesn't seem particularly worried about that, but Seishiro nods in approval.
[21:04] "Alright. I left the rest of them with the boats as soon as we got ashore, and ran all the way here. Hopefully they're still in the vicinity, but it should take just a couple calls to track them down if they've been moved."
[21:08] "We can arrange that," Minami agrees. "Alright. So, again, what's the story? First District and another, unnamed American group used Fuka as a battleground, demolishing it in the process?"
[21:10] "If that's what you're comfortable with. You can be as vague as you feel necessary when it comes to placing responsibility for the disaster. Again, the First District knows who I am and they'll know I'm talking to them."
[21:17] Haruka lays out the story she intends to communicate over the airwaves (and she'll be plainly stating who she is, of course, to get the FD's attention): an armed group bombarded the island of Fuka and sent soldiers ashore to take the population hostage! The students of Fuka Academy were terrified, etcetera, much confused pleading as one would expect from kids.
[21:20] Some tried to fight back! Some fled! Some hid in the island's caves. It was there that the soldiers found the school's poor, crippled headmistress, miss Mashiro! Haruka got away at this point, but she can only assume that Mashiro's body is still there, in the caves...
[21:23] Oh how ashamed it makes one feel to have left behind an invalid, but otherwise Haruka wouldn't be here to share the story! She joined up with some other students and fled for the shore, one of the braver refugees actually fighting off a group of scouts with a mysterious black sword! Somewhere along the line another armed group showed up to oppose the first--Haruka's not sure about the chronology--as she was traumatized and everything was oh so confusing. The next thing she knew she was on a rescue ship with a group of other students. If any of her friends survived, please, PLEASE call her on her cel phone [the one she just asked for] to let Haruka know they're alright! She's worried to death and so on!
[21:48] As the story comes to a close, Haruka is alone with Minami in the room, Seishiro -- the head of the news desk, Haruka learns -- having left the room at the start of her explanation. "You're bronze," Minami states bluntly. "Don't take it the wrong way, but you as an innocent schoolgirl would be a hard sell. Think you're up to it?"
[21:50] "Well, yeah, that is a problem. It's why I thought you might want to run this as a phone interview instead."
[21:53] "It might hurt our credibility," Minami admits, biting down on her thumb's fingernail. "It's easily-confirmed that there are no lines to Fuka and the sattelite coverage is out throughout. There've been disruptions even in the regular service, though that's mostly the result of the systems being overwhelmed with the demand."
[21:53] She shakes her head. "So you have to be off the island to talk to us, and if so, why not come in?"
[21:55] "Alright, well...unless you think your makeup people can do a really good job of making me look normal, I guess it's up to my innate charisma to make things work."
[21:58] "We could place a curtain," Minami suggests. "Even disguise your voice. But that would have to cover your identity, then, which is something you wish to avoid."
[22:00] "Yes...maybe I have a ghastly wound from the violence on the island and everyone decided it was just best that I not be *shown*?"
[22:01] "And you're not in a hospital?"
[22:01] "...It was worth a shot."
[22:04] "If you want to alert First District--" Minami pauses abruptly. "It's just them, right? If you were to communicate with allies, you would use a code. So why not apply the same principle to your enemies? Our viewers would be kept in the dark about your identity, which works well enough for us. But if you say something First District would understand...."
[22:04] As time passes in conversation, Haruka can't help noticing that Minami opens up more and more to the idea of supernatural battles being fought by clandestine organizations.
[22:07] "Hm," Haruka muses. "That's not a bad idea. Something I can use for a fake name...Orihime, maybe..." Haruka tries to remember if she'd used the name in the presence of FD operatives (ones that lived through the encounter).
[22:08] It is incredibly hard for Haruka to think of anyone belonging to First District who got away from her with his or her life.
[22:10] Hm. Maybe Akane. They should know that Akane's dead. Maybe that would be enough of a clue.
[22:10] "Anything?"
[22:11] "Akane might do. She was another girl in their 'contest.' Someone they know is dead. That might get their attention."
[22:12] "Does anyone else?"
[22:14] "Just the rest of us Hime, I think. And it's a fairly common name, right? If someone didn't know what the story was with this peculiar Akane, they might not think twice about hearing the name."
[22:16] Minami nods. "I have enough, right now. I'll get your story out." She shakes her head. "I certainly did not believe that would happen when we first met. Still, this is only the first hurdle. You will make or break it, Suzushiro. And once it's all over, I'll expect to hear the entire thing."
[22:18] Haruka nods as well. "Sure, and...sorry about earlier." Ugh, apologies! It's like pulling teeth, acknowledging that Haruka of all people could be wrong about something, but it seems necessary.
[22:22] "Just don't... do that stuff while we're live," Minami warns her. "Take my word for it. Whatever results you want? You won't be getting them."
[22:22] "Don't worry. It's not like it worked out very well here."
[22:22] Minami shudders.
[22:24] "Anyway...I'm ready when you are."
[22:26] There is a knock at the door, and a male voice sounds through it, slightly muffled. "The studio is ready, Miss Sakurada."
[22:26] Minami smiles crookedly at Haruka. "So are we, it sounds."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[19:29] The preparations are a blur, much like the cliche goes. No one bothers with make up around Haruka; she receives a wireless microphone after several attempts to pin a standard one to her body fail.
[19:29] "In five, four, three," someone off the set is saying, gesturing the rest with his fingers. Haruka can't see him too clearly, being behind an opaque privacy screen.
[19:34] "We interrupt your normal broadcasting schedule," Minami is saying, Haruka attaching her voice to the indistinct blur located off to her right. "Good afternoon. I am Minami Sakurada, and welcome to this NHK special report.
[19:34] The island of Fuka had been at the heart of several heated debates, but all those have circled around a natural phenomenon of some sort. The truth, NHK has discovered, may well be far more sinister. Joining us today is Akane, an eyewitness to the events which had transpired earlier at Fuka."
[19:35] "H-hi," Haruka starts, trepidation clear in her unsteady teenage voice!
[19:41] "I know this is difficult, Akane," Minami says, seeming to turn towards Haruka, as far as the bronze girl can tell through the screen. "But this is a story that must be heard. Do you think you could tell us what happened there?"
[19:44] Haruka pauses to audibly draw a breath. "Yes, I'm ready. It was horrible, these people just came to the island, and I'm still not sure what they wanted...okay, I'll start at the beginning." Another pause.
[19:46] "Troops came to the school. They must have landed on the island in boats, since the bridge was out. Meanwhile, boats were bombing the the town from offshore. I didn't know all that at first, we students were just worried about what the soldiers wnated with us. They were rounding up all the kids they could find, young and old."
[19:51] "It must have been quite an ordeal," Minami says sympathetically.
[19:55] "Yeah, a lot of the younger kids couldn't stop crying," Haruka continues. "Some of the students actually tried to fight back, but can kids do against an army? So most of us tried to run or hide. There are lots of caves on Fuka, so some of us fled there."
[19:58] "I was in one with the school's headmistress, Miss Mashiro? Her and some other kids. The soldiers found us. Things got violent again...I don't think Miss Mashiro made it out. She was an invalid, she couldn't have got far on her own. Her body's probably still there, in the caves..."
[20:01] "I shouldn't have left her behind, but I was afraid! And some of the other kids seemed like they knew where they were going, so I just followed them. The caves are deep; there was another way out. A few of us managed to get away and tried to make it into town, but there was no town left."
[20:03] "Just rubble everywhere. The houses were all flattened. I don't know, maybe the soldiers, whoever they were, didn't want anyone interfering with their raid on the school. Anyway, we hid out in the woods for a while, met some other kids. A couple scouts found us, but one girl actually fought them off with this crazy black sword, of all things."
[20:05] "After a while there was more gunfire, but it was like two groups of soldiers fighting each other. Things were quiet for a long time after that. We were afraid to go out, but when we finally did we saw rescue ships evacuating people."
[20:10] "You were very fortunate to have escaped with your life, Akane," Minami says. "Can you tell us more about these soldiers that you saw assaulting Fuka and burnt it to the ground?"
[20:13] "I'm not sure who they worked for. I mean, they had uniforms and all, but not flags or insignia or anything. Like they weren't some real country's army, but some private group..."
[20:15] "And they never told you their goals as they seized the Fuka Academy?"
[20:19] "They wanted the kids, I don't know why. I'm not sure I want to know why. They weren't really big on explaining things to us. It was mostly 'Come with us or get shot.' But sometimes we'd hear them talking while we were hiding. A couple times someone mentioned something like 'The First Division.' Maybe that was their group? Actually, I think it was 'District.'"
[20:41] "We have another student joining us over the phone," Minami introduces. "Go ahead, Kana, you're on the air."
[20:41] "T-Thank you," a distorted voice, though unmistakably belonging to a girl, responds. "It was terrible." She is sniffling. "There was no warning. One night, they just came, the soldiers. They said there was gas, I think. Something that was dangerous and we had to get a checkup. But they... they just took our clothes, and they shaved off our hair, and...."
[20:43] "It's alright, Kana," Minami says gently. "You don't have to go on. Everyone here at NHK is glad that you made it back from tha--"
[20:43] "But that's the thing!" Kana exclaims, cutting Minami off. "I got to return, but... but what about everyone else? I've only seen three people from my class." She sniffles again. "What about Mikoto-chan? Where is she? Why couldn't she come back with us, too?"
[20:44] Haruka makes a concerted effort to stay silent here and, somehow, accomplishes this!
[20:54] Kana is taken off the air, and Minami clears her throat, perhaps to regain her composure. "I apologize," she speaks, turning towards the camera. "Clearly, the clash between these paramilitary groups at Fuka has taken quite a toll from their victims. Joining us now is Sachiko from the Fuka Academy Executive Committee, one of those who have chosen to fight against the invaders despite impossible odds."
[20:54] "Fight?" a girl asks, her voice not being disguised like Kana and Haruka's. It sounds bitter. "There wasn't much we could do in that situation."
[20:55] Executive Committee? Well now...Haruka keeps her mouth shut, but it's getting harder.
[20:57] Minami seems taken aback. "Surely, there wasn't much you could do against armed men--"
[20:57] "That wasn't the problem!" Sachiko exclaims. "Them, we could oppose. It wasn't all that effective, but we managed to spring some of the others out, and we were going to save the rest. But then we were betrayed!"
[20:58] Oh crap. Ohhhh crap.
[21:02] "Betrayed?" Minami asks.
[21:02] "We had a plan! Together with Nao, we were going to evacuate everyone while a few of the Committee members drew the guards away. It wasn't a perfect or foolproof plan, but it was the only one we had. Yuki... Yuki was leading us, and it would have worked, because she was leading us in Haruka Suzushiro's name! She kept us going, she rallied us by invoking her!"
[21:02] Minami throws a quick glance at the curtain separating Haruka from the rest of the studio.
[21:04] Haruka can only glance back and mime the international gesture for "Cut this off now!", wishing she could melt into the floor all the while.
[21:09] As Minami's confusion deepens, her indecision showing through her posture, Sachiko continues, "Some of us thought that she abandoned us, but that wasn't it at all! She appeared, and she was against those soldiers... because she was on the other side!" A sob is heard. "Yuki... she died without even knowing, but how... how can I just go on after that?!"
[21:09] The call disconnects, and the discordant sounds echo through the studio before someone cuts them off. Minami's mouth is open; her lips move, but no sound comes out for precious seconds.
[21:11] Haruka is pretty much lost for words herself after that outburst.
[21:18] "We seem to be getting another call from a survivor of the Fuka invasion," Minami speaks, her voice shaky. "The Superintendent of Fuka Academy?"
[21:18] "I prefer Chairwoman, Miss Sakurada," Mashiro's voice, slightly tinny, sounds. "As you can hear, reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."
[21:18] "Thank you for calling us, Mashiro Kazahana, Chairwoman of Fuka Academy," Minami says, introducing her to the audience as she speaks to the camera. "It is a great relief to hear that you made it off the island in peace. What can you tell us about the events that transpired?"
[21:19] LIES, that's what she can tell you! Haruka rages internally. None of this is turning out as planned, but her blowing up on the air isn't going to help get answers...
[21:25] "Thank you," Mashiro returns. "It seems that there was a clash between two rival groups, each with its own private army. I've heard second-hand reports of foreigners, though the fog of war is yet to clear on the matter. I managed to get a closer look than most at the ships surrounding Fuka, however, and the following might come as a shock.
[21:25] They clearly belonged to the Suzushiro group, who fielded trained men and women to gather up the students in a single encampment."
[21:26] That's as much as Haruka can take. "That's a lie! The Suzushiro Corp piloted the boats that SAFELY REMOVED the survivors from the island. Ask anyone who came back if the same people were among the soldiers!"
[21:29] "Ah, I see," Mashiro says in that insufferably smug voice of her that seems to come to her naturally. "And I suppose you will next claim that I was the one who sent those soldiers against my own students?"
[21:32] "It doesn't matter what I claim to you," Haruka replies, anger simmering below her words. "You and I both know what happened. So what's going to happen next? Ready to meet up with us and end this, or will we have to repair things our own way?"
[21:34] "My dear Akane, you've lost me, I'm afraid," Mashiro responds.
[21:35] "Then come back to Fuka and we'll explain everything. Only there's not much time left, as I'm sure you know."
[21:37] "I'm afraid you are being too cryptic, Akane," Mashiro says. "That aside, there is something I would like to say to all those watching. May I?"
[21:37] Minami nods ever so slightly, managing to force out, "Go ahead, Miss Kazahana."
[21:43] "Things look dire," Mashiro says, her voice getting slightly dreamy as she goes along. "Anyone with eyes to raise them skywards can sense this. However, there is no need to panic. The clouds will recede, and our normal, clear blue skies will be waiting for us. That is the way it has always been, and these troubling times are no exception.
[21:43] A lasting sky; it is a legacy any person would wish to leave behind, is it not?"
[21:44] Minami looks confused by Mashiro's declaration.
[21:46] "Sure, we'll just start the cycle over again, because that fixed all of our problems last time," Haruka mutters, deliberately loud enough to be heard by the others involved in the conversation.
[21:48] "I believe," Mashiro says, "that the endless circle of suffering will be broken, just as the skies, and as they heal in time, so would what used to be an inescapable destiny remain a mere forgotten memory."
[21:51] "Then our goals aren't so far off. Only, I know you can't fix things by yourself. Come to Fuka and we can do it together. Otherwise, those of us that are left will have to improvise. And there might not be any room for you in the next cycle."
[21:52] "Al... right," Minami speaks. "Thank you for your time, Miss Kazahana, Akane. We'll be back after these messages."
[21:52] Even through the screen, it is easy to tell that Minami drops her face in her hands as soon as she's signaled that she's off the air.
[21:53] "I'm...sorry," Haruka says. "That didn't exactly go as planned."
[21:55] Minami laughs quietly to herself. "Never give someone a stage if you're not certain about the story. Never ask someone a question if you don't know the answer to it. And after I said all that, too...."
[21:58] "I wasn't expecting Mashiro to call. Not during the show, I mean. She was the one I was trying to reach, but I'd assumed she'd try to contact me after the broadcast...and I couldn't just sit there while she started lying." Haruka stands and offers Minami an apologetic bow.
[21:59] "Was any of that true?" she asks tiredly.
[22:02] "Judge for yourself based on the other students' testimonies. Everything they said about what happened there was true. As for my story, a lot of us did hide in the caves. And there was a young student fighting with a sword. But I had to make up the part about Mashiro to get her attention."
[22:05] Minami seems to want to say something, but just pushes her head even deeper into her hands.
[22:08] There doesn't seem to be a lot Haruka can say to that. "I'll leave now, if you like. I'm sure Mashiro understood my offer even if she was playing dumb, so I guess my job here's done."

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Haruka takes the stairs down; less people to run to seems like a smart move, and she could use to spend a bit of time on her own. As she reaches the lobby, however, her gaze falls upon the receptionist's phone, and along with it, a promise to call her father resurfaces. It's not exactly the specified half an hour, but somehow, Haruka doubts he would mind the lack of punctuality.

Haruka grabs the phone and calls the familiar number!

"Haruka?" her father asks, picking up after the first ring.

"The broadcast's done," Haruka says. "You probably saw it. It's not exactly what I was hoping for, but we clearly got the First District's attention."

"So it seems," Hiro agrees. Haruka hears him press a few keys in the background. "I worry about you. They might use this chance to attack you through the media and get the public's opinion turned against you."

"They won't have much time for that. One way or another, we'll be ending things soon."

"It sounds ominous," Hiro notes.

"I suppose it does," Yukino says, as the somewhat familiar click of another line being added to a conference call sounds. "We've watched you on TV, Haruka-chan."

"Did you really have to use the name of a dead girl?" comes the somewhat distant voice of Nao.

"Oh? What do you guys think? Opportunity or disaster--oh, Nao? The staff decided I shouldn't be shown, for obvious reasons, and 'protecting my identity' was a good excuse for that. I chose a name that I knew would get the First District's attention."

"Ah. I see. Well. It doesn't seem disastrous. Old man, could your people trace that call?"

"'Old man?' Hey, my father has a name, Nao."

"Really? What is it?"

"You could always call him Suzushiro-sama!"

"I hate honorifics. Except when I'm talking to Yukino-chan and Haruka-chan, my bestest friends."

Yukino snickers in the background.

Haruka rolls her eyes. "Alright, alright. Dad, what do you think? Anything we could do?"

"We believe that we know where the call came from," Hiro says slowly. "After correlating that information with what we have gathered on the First District, I believe that it would be one of their holdings. There is, of course, the option of taking the fight to them."

"Where is it?"

"It is the site of a traditional inn. It lacks a hot spring, I'm afraid. The setting is in a rather remote area, which seemed a bit quaint until you theorize that it's not really an inn at all. Haruka, given the time you made from the ships to the studio, four hours might be all you need to reach it."

"What about me?"

"Can you match Haruka's speed?"

"What, are you kidding? Of course I can."

"Five hours, give or take, once you've left Fuka," Hiro responds. "You don't need to effectively make Haruka's detour."

"From the telecast, I doubt Mashiro will actually come to Fuka just because you asked, not since she ran away in the first place," notes Nao. "This seems like our best shot and getting at her. Like Haruka said, public opinion probably won't matter by the end."

"Alright...is Akira coming too, Nao? We'll need all the help we can get."

"She's not picking up when we try to call. I don't know her status."

"Alright. I guess it's just us, but...you know I like this plan, at least."

"I'll know if she calls back," Yukino comments. "She should already be somewhere in the same general area, so it might work out if she contacts us soon."

"Alright. Tell me how to get there from here, and where we should meet up. And Haruka? Steal a cellphone from someone to keep in touch, in case something comes up."

"That would be difficult," Yukino notes, "unless you meant for her to keep in touch with me. You would be, for all intents and purposes, unplottable."

"That's what I meant. I can either stay on Fuka and stay in contact, or I can head over there and double our force. You think I've got any reason to stick around here? Now's the time."

Yukino seems to think about it. "It should be fine if you grabbed one of the amulets along and left the other behind next to the sword. As long as someone I have a strong connection to wears it, I should be able to execute our backup plan. Or try to, anyway."

"So, it sounds like we've got a plan? If so, I'll meet you there, Nao."

"Alright," replies Nao, dropping one of the amulets around the sword. "There isn't anyone other than Haruka who fits that."

"Do correct me if I'm wrong."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short," Yukino says sultrily. "Am I not your bestest friend?"

"You're funny, Kikukawa. I'll remember that next time I take a walk in the park."

Yukino laughs.

Hiro clears his throat. "I'm afraid there's not much I can do at this stage, but I will continue working towards our original goals in case this does not solve our problems. Haruka, Yukino, I'll be here when you need me."

"Can you keep an eye on the sky? If Mashiro leaves the residence, she'll probably be airborne."

"As much as I can," Yukino and Hiro say together, the former giggling afterwards.

"Alright. If you two are done playing around, let's get going? I'd say Good Luck, but...you should never rely on luck alone! Willpower! Determination! Condiment! These are the things we need to achieve victory! Let's go!"

Yukino mutters something about the spice of victory, before saying, "Good luck. No sense in not wishing it."

"Words do not describe how much I hate you," mutters Nao, starting to leave. "Yukino. Remember what I said about entropy. I don't know if the world can hold as it is. Getting access to one of the stars might be our only shot at doing something about it. If not.. well. We'll just have to see," she mutters, starting to run out the cave.

Haruka canvasses the office building looking for a cel phone (assuming the staff didn't get her one before--she did ask for one, after all) before leaving, setting out for the specified coordinates at a full run.

Haruka will take any extra time she has to make a circuit of the building's vicinity to see what kind of security it might have, but will otherwise do nothing. She'll take extra care not to be spotted, as they can't afford to start a fight too early.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

[19:38] It's getting dark by the time Haruka has made it to the coordinates given to her by her father. Following them was easy enough even without staying in touch with a liberated cell phone, which proved to be a good thing as service was a touch and go thing with it. The Windbloom Inn looks more like an estate at first glance.
[19:38] Surrounded by a low perimeter wall and lush gardens, it certainly doesn't seem to be the humble, traditional establishment it purports to be on paper. There are no guards present that Haruka can see.
[19:41] Nevertheless, Haruka knows better ny now than to go in alone. She'll circle the perimeter at a good distance, taking advantage of any cover from trees and bushes. She'll want to see how many entrances the estate has.
[19:44] There is just the one -- the main road, wide enough for two cars to pass through side-by-side. There is a double gate, but it's been left open. After the arduous task of circling the perimeter, Haruka learns that while there is but a single building, it is made of three interconnected pavilions. The wall is low enough that one could easily climb over it.
[19:47] Haruka's not climbing over the wall. Just waiting for the others might be dull, but if there was ever a time to stick to the plan, it's now! Still, if there are no guards patrolling the perimeter, it wouldn't hurt to creep up to the wall and get a closer look, right? Haruka approaches it, keeping low to the ground and ready to bolt at the slightest noise.
[19:48] The perimeter is silent. Haruka's can't see through the windows of the estate, and the front door as well as what seems to be a service entrance are closed.
[19:51] Well, that was useless. Again, though, she's not approaching the inn alone. They might be expecting the Hime to come, so if there's any kind of trap set, Haruka's not going to spring it without backup. She retreats to the woods. Hmm...it might be a good idea to poke around the neighborhood (such as it is) and see if there are any obvious guard stations in the woods that could interfere in case of an attac on the inn.
[19:53] There is nothing whatsoever to dispel the illusion that this is a resort, albeit a very strangely-built one for a purported traditional inn.
[19:55] Well, boring as it is, she'll find a spot in the woods where she has a good view of the road leading to the inn and keep an eye out for anyone coming or going, then wait for Nao to show up. It might be dull, but the last time she took matters into her own hands, it resulted in a berserk Miyu. Haruka's not making that mistake again!

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Nao's approach is hard to miss; her claw glows eerily enough to point her out to Haruka in the twilight.

Whereas Nao can't see Haruka at all, only the resort that stands before her. She skids to a halt near the perimetre, but makes no attempt to hide herself from view. How can she?

"I've looked around the place," Haruka says, "didn't see anyone obviously on guard outside, no one's left or arrived while I've been here."

"What there- where'd you come from?!" snaps Nao, looking only very slightly out of breath from having run hundreds of kilometres. "Anyway. Nobody around? Hmph. Pity. I could use another army for a warm-up," she mutters. "Let's go. No need to take it slow- oh."

She pulls out Mikoto's amulet and tosses it at Haruka. "Put this on."

"Hm?" Haruka catches it, then casually absorbs it just like she did Fumi's scythe. Hey, it's tougher for someone to take it from her that way, right? "What does this do again?"

"It'll bind you to Yukino," replies Nao, crossing her arms. "It's necessary for the ritual to take place, or so she tells me."

As she absorbs the amulet Mikoto wore to her death, Haruka feels an echo in her mind, and a foreign presence that is nonetheless nostalgic in the background.

"...Huh." That aptly sums up Haruka's reaction. Anyway, this isn't time for a reverie. There is Justice to be done! "Ready to end this when you are. Front or back entrance seem better?"

"Who cares? They'll both be locked," replies Nao, tearing off towards the entrance to the inn at breakneck speed. A zigzagging trail of green embers trails in her wake.

"Hey! We should be coagulated here, wait for me!" Haruka darts after Nao, ready to barrel through any guards or walls that try to stand in her way!

The two take off through the driveway, and no guards or walls impede them on their way! The door remains closed, but Nao barrels into and through it, coming into the foyer. The interior is dark, but Nao's eyes can tell that it is kept spotlessly clean.

Coming on her heels, Haruka is just able to tell that a light comes on in one of the rooms on the second floor as she makes it inside.

There are arching staircases on either side of the pair of Hime, leading to the floor above.

"Someone's upstairs," Haruka communicates while dashing straight for the staircase on her left.

Stairs are for people who can't vault over skyscrapers. Nao is at the top in a flash, skittering into the corridor beyond and glancing in every direction.

The light is coming from the fifth room to Nao's right; the door is left ajar, as if in an unspoken invitation.

Haruka catches up to Nao in no time!

Haruka can't help but frown a little and mutter. "...Too easy..."

"There's only one person who could stop us anyway!" insists Nao, marching to the door and flinging it open. "Come out, Mashiro!"

The room revealing itself before their eyes is a replica of Mashiro's office at Fuka Academy, down to the large mahogany desk situated by the window. Mashiro can be found seated behind it, the very image of calm. She is alone.

"Isn't it pointless to call me out when you come in yourself?" she asks curiously, looking up at Nao.

Haruka follows Nao in. There doesn't seem to be any reason not to, since the enemy's right inside. Still, Haruka makes sure to glance around the room for any places goons could be waiting to shoot at them or something.

"There is no need for concern," Mashiro tells Haruka, noticing her wandering eyes. "We are quite alone, here."

"You've always been cowardly," sneers Nao, striding towards Mashiro. The claw jettisons a burst of fire towards the ground, as if warming up, and Nao raises it towards the other woman. "Run out of fodder? That makes this easy."

"And what would you possibly base that assessment on, Yuuki-san?" Mashiro asks the redhead in her childlike voice. "All I did was make a tactical retreat to allow you to return to your senses. Since you've gone through all that trouble to talk to me, I decided to oblige you... and all you have to say to my face are empty insults and boasts?"

"Talk? Fine, I'll stop," replies Nao, before dashing towards Mashiro and lunging for her throat!

"If you want to wait a minute I can think of some better insults--oh."

There is a sudden flare of light that wrecks havoc on Nao's sight, followed by the sound of breaking glass!

Nao plunges through the light blindly, lashing out with embers in a wide arc!

Haruka's eyesight returns. The desk has been cleaved in half, its surface scorched heavily. The chair Mashiro had been using is melting before her eyes, and the window had exploded outwards along with a segment of the adjacent wall.

Nao is lashing out wildly with her sickly-green claw at the center, her bangs singed.

Haruka runs to the edge of the broken wall, assuming Mashiro flew out threw it and is trying to get away already.

Mashiro is easy to spot, being a corona of light and energy floating several dozen feet above. Rather than get away, however, she seems to be getting brighter and brighter, the red energies swirling around her in chaotic patterns!

"Every time," hisses Nao, the claw retracting. "I don't have anything to talk to you about! For Mikoto, I'll kill you! For the sake of the world, I'll kill you! For me, I'll kill you!"

"That doesn't look good," Haruka observes for the sake of anyone completely ignorant of the situation. "How do you plan on getting to her, Nao? She's airborne. Uh, maybe I could throw you at her...?"

"Arach!"

"...Oh right, there's also that."

Mashiro throws her hands forward just as Arach appears on the ground, its head reaching the window! Twin dragons of flame launch at the mansion, making the air around them burn an angry red!

Nao was already running out, somehow intuitively knowing where Arach is and launching herself onto his back.

Haruka thinks this is a really good time to jump out of the window!

The room is vacated, just moments before the dragons tear through it!

Nao feels the heat on her back, before she's tossed off course as the dragons detonate indoors. She's sent flying down, bouncing a few times against the ground. A sharp pang of pain emanates from her right shoulder; it must be dislocated, or worse. Haruka weathers the explosion better, landing heavily on her feet by Arach's side. The massive Child, for its part, manages to retain its balance.

"Cowardly, was I?" Mashiro calls down, starting to glow once more to Haruka's eyes. "Very well! Let's fight this out, then. It would be a good warmup for what lies ahead."

"Alright. Motion to fight it out down here where we can actually hit you?" Haruka says, figuring she's down to her standard Throwing Things strategy otherwise.

It is impossible to see Mashiro blink from that distance. Certainly not with the reddish halo surrounding her. But Haruka could swear the Chairwoman did just that. "Are you mentally deficient?" she calls back down, sounding uncertain.

"Arach, pull her to the surface!" snarls Nao, biting her lip and reaching to snap her shoulder back into place. It'll hurt. So what? She's a Hime!

"COME DOWN HERE AND SAY THAT!"

The arm snaps into place with a gruesome sound that makes Nao want to retch, but the pain recedes as a result from her actions. Arach spews a cloud of semi-liquid silk at Mashiro, as ordered by Nao, but it melts away within a few feet of her.

The glow surrounding Mashiro reaches an apex, making it difficult for Haruka to look at her directly even though her vision is being filtered through the bronze serving as her outer shell. No response comes to her this time.

Haruka produces Fumi's stolen scythe from... wherever it is that she was keeping it, and hopes that it proves harder to melt than your average mansion. She winds up and flings it right at Mashiro, sending the blade spinning swiftly through the air!

Nao splits from where Haruka was, not sure where she's running, but relying on her senses to tell her when she needs to dodge. If they're too far apart, then Mashiro can't hurt both of them!

A semblance of Nao's eyesight returns in synch with an urgent warning from Arach!

Having launched her weapon, Haruka stumbles, as if she'd left a part of herself behind. She needs a moment to adjust to her new center of mass, and as her insides shift accordingly, she sees the glowing Mashiro raise her hands to the heavens, as if in prayer! And that plea is answered a moment later, as a pillar of fire without an end pierces the clouds above, enveloping Arach in its center!

Nao doesn't use words to will Arach away, but he won't be any help against a foe like this. She isn't sure even she can win. She can't allow herself to die, but she doesn't want to admit defeat!-

Squinting at the stars, she grabs her left wrist to steady it, and tries to blast Mashiro from afar!

Haruka can only hope Nao banishes Arach in time. Of course, if the flying scythe would be so considerate as to lop off Mashiro's head now, things would be even better!

Pain permeates Nao's entire being as Arach burns, the relief from its dismissal like a salve to those wounds. The anger and pain are channeled alongside Nao's strong desire to survive, as she sends a quintet of thin green beams at Mashiro's distant, glowing form!

They miss, Nao's vision struggling to make out Mashiro's small form accurately, but that leaves her open to the whirling scythe Haruka sent through the air! The fire-wielding Chairwoman only notices it at the last moment, and there is no time to dodge. She brings her left arm up, and succeeds in blocking it.

The scythe pierces it at the elbow with a sickening crack that is audible all the way below. Mashiro screams in outrage, and her form flares up again, annihilating the weapon entirely. Her arm hangs by her side, twitching unnaturally to Haruka's eyes.

As the bronze Hime feels more than sees the loss of the scythe, she finally comes to a realization. While appearing much like Fumi's weapon, it was in actuality a part of her, copying the design; that fact is hard to miss, given the way a part of her is undeniably destroyed by Mashiro with that explosion of flames.

Huh. Experimentally, Haruka tries forming another copy of the scythe. Not that she wants to be flinging them around until there's no Haruka left, but it's good to know one's options.

Her vision's not yet good enough to hit. It's not. It's quantity over quality, Nao realises, as she sends stream after stream of flame towards Mashiro. It's not about hitting her, it's about stopping her from hitting Nao! And Haruka.

Haruka summons a replica of the weapon; the adjustment of her form comes easier, now that she expects it. Meanwhile, Nao's barrage forces Mashiro to dance in midair, the brightness around her dimming as a result. She is taking great care to avoid touching any of the sickly green beams.

One beam doesn't strike Mashiro, instead dancing across the sides of the mansion in an attempt to split the whole building in two! Nao starts moving towards the rubble afterwards, intent on collapsing the ground beneath, as well!

Haruka circles around Mashiro for now, stationing herself on the opposite side from Nao and watching for an opportunity to strike again. If producing new ones uses up the finite amount of Haruka present, she's not going to strike until it's clear that Mashiro would be in a poor position to evade.

Nao reaches out for Arach again, in no mood to let him rest! He appears within the closest structure, and starts to charge through the remaining building, whilst Nao continues to fire away towards Mashiro!

The beams seek to keep her from having a clear view of Arach, who will only vanish once again once his demolitions are completed!

Circling the battlefield ultimately proves to be pointless; Mashiro is certainly doing her best to avoid Nao's attacks, and she attempts to achieve it by dancing all over the place in midair.

Nao's accuracy suffers once a more direct link to her suffering Child is again established. It manages to destroy the nearest pavillion before a particularly bad stab of pain causes Nao to momentarily lose her concentration. That is all the opening Mashiro needs, as she begins glowing once more!

"Again, Haruka!" screams Nao, wishing away her Child in a fashion that leaves a strange, bitter taste. It doesn't feel like a proper fight when she commands him like that. It just- doesn't matter, because winning is what matters.

When Mashiro's concentrating on offense is the best time to hit her! Haruka winds up for another careful shot and launches the scythe about her with all her strength!

The glow disappears into Mashiro's remaining useful hand, and she uses it to draw a pentagram in the air. A more intricate design appears behind it, runes glowing on the edges of a perfect circle framed by a trio of fiery magatama constantly running down its circumference chasing one another. The scythe impacts against the translucent shield with a shower of sparks, before it is violently repelled, sent flying all the way into the burning rubble of the inn!

Running to the side, Nao attempts to fire a blast into Mashiro from another angle to blindside her shield!

"...I didn't know she could do that," Haruka says, surprised and disappointed.

A scream of outrage sounds across the courtyard as Nao fires at Mashiro too quickly for the fire-wielding girl to bring her intricate shield to bear. Her mangled hand moves, eerily, unnaturally, and interposes itself in the path of the attack. There is a hiss, and the limb erodes halfway towards the shoulder before the attack runs out.

Maybe Haruka can produce weapons that are less resource-intensive than the scythe? Easier to throw, too? Like a small dart that can be flung with greater speed and accuracy? She does her best to form one and hurls it at Mashiro while she's busy getting burned by Nao!

A dart-like bit of Haruka is formed, and she flings it into the air. It fails to get the necessary altitude, not being particularly aerodynamic, missing horribly.

Nao presses her attack! Every second brings a little more vision back, and soon she'll have fully recovered- and then there's no getting away!

The shield is there, as Mashiro had bought herself enough time to interpose it. It shimmers with Nao's attack, but holds steady, unlike the basic version she had used in their previous battle.

"Haruka, repair thyself!" insists Nao, determined to keep Mashiro on the defensive until Haruka can strike again!

Haruka produces another scythe and makes every outward sign of being ready to throw it in order to draw Mashiro's attention. Hopefully Nao can blindside her when she falls for the feint, and then Haruka can really attack!

Mashiro is busy defending herself from Nao's incessant attack. Her gaze drifts towards Haruka and her brand new scythe and she curses.

"Are you really that eager to die?!" Mashiro calls down in a manner eerily reminiscent of Reito in his last moments. "You-- you misguided, childish fools! You persist in completing the Festival, even as the need for it has all but disappeared!"

"No! I will turn back the clock!" cries Nao. "I won't play this damn game or any other! I'll control the Star without slaying the other Hime, and everyone will live!"

"WHAT NAO SAID!" With this rousing battle cry, Haruka launches her scythe at the enraged Mashiro. At the worst, Nao can get some shots in while Mashiro tries to deflect this.

"I won't let that happen!" Mashiro cries out, panic creeping into her voice. She chants, her shield pulsing visibly with her words, meanignless to the two Hime on the ground. The scythe comes flying through the air as her voice reaches a crescendo, and she does not avoid it. The strike is clean, the weapon's blade sinking deep between her shoulder blades.

"I beseech thee," Mashiro intones loudly, her voice pained. "Accept this offering. Accept it and illuminate the heavens, oh Amaterasu!"

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

It is a wildfire. Mashiro's plea is heard, and the answer is spelled in blue flames burning brightly all around Nao and Haruka. They consume everything hungrily, as far as the eye can see.

Recoiling from the fires, Nao realises there's nowhere to run, nowhere to go. Continuing to attack might be the only thing she can do- and she does, in an attempt to flay the woman above with whips of ember.

"Are you so spiteful?!" she yells, utterly unable to comprehend the floating woman.

Haruka produces another scythe, mildly astonished that Mashiro is even alive while impaled with the last one, much less still talking and fighting back. Maybe cutting her head off would work? But these things aren't that easy to aim.

Nao's beams impact against Mashiro's shield, she thinks. It's hard to see; her lungs are filled with smoke, and it is even a chore to breathe. She's burning alive, and the pain threatens to overwhelm her, before it is relieved, just barely, by the appearance of a crystal before her. The Ice Silver Crystal, she knows instinctively.

Most things die when their head is cut off. It would need to be done soon, however. The scythe replica in Haruka's hand is melting. Haruka is melting. An agonized scream echoes in the back of her mind.

Haruka doesn't waste any more time, then! Let's fling that sucker at Mashiro while there's still an edge to it! This is the heroic final strike of a hero who's heroically burning to death! How can it fail?!!

She has to live, she didn't come here to die for a cause! Nao's not that kind of a martyr. If she's burning, then you reach for water and ice without thinking of where it comes from. Magic's too inscrutable to question when you see it.

So she lunges for it with her right hand.

The scythe is launched! Haruka can't follow it with her eyes. Her senses slowly shut down, one by one, and as they do, the feeling of urgency eating at her from within reaches a crescendo. She can taste panic, desperation, and a strong, inviolable will to live that is not her own.

Nao's hand makes contact with the crystal, and in that instant, it becomes a shield surrounding her and keeping the flames at bay! Through it, she can see Mashiro's startled twitch in mid-air, her form illuminated by the flames. She can see a badly-melted staff that might have been a scythe, once, strike Mashiro on the neck....

And then the flames are gone, and so is Mashiro. Night becomes day. Nao and Haruka stand in the front yard of a mansion, rather than its ruins.

The transition was just too fast to instantly take in. Nao breathes in, and out, and looks herself and Haruka over, somewhere between astonishment, relief, and simple emptiness.

Haruka's still cringing from the burning for a long moment before she really notices anything's happened. Hopefully she's not just a melty bronze blob right now and can look around?

Haruka's form is hideous to Nao's eyes. It illustrates far too closely what would happen to a person tossed into a furnace, while retaining that same bronze tint she had.

The Hime are not the only ones looking around in wonder. There are people at the inn's doors staring at them wide-eyed. A pair of men dressed in black suits, surely security personnel, are doing the same from their position by the main gate.

"What?" Haruka asks Nao, noticing her expression. She glances at one of her own arms, mutters a simple "Oh" and proceeds to concentrate for a moment to smooth herself back into a more normal look. As normal as a liquid bronze shapeshifter can look, at least.

Haruka seems shorter to Nao's eyes, and a bit thinner.

"What the hell?" one of the guards exclaims.

"That's exactly what we should be saying!" Haruka shoots back, regaining her composure quickly on being challenged by some, some...GUARD. "We just tore this building down! How did you fix it already?"

Nao gives Haruka a black look, before stepping forward. "We're Hime. Surrender, or die," she proclaims, an ominous shadow of a spider looming behind her.

Summoning even a shadow of Arach links now more directly to its raw pain, but Nao's goal is achieved. All those present become rooted to their spots. Haruka's question gets no answers.

Nao walks closer to the guards, no-doubt shorting out any communications devices they may hold. "Who is in this building right now?" she demands, scant inches away.

"Only Sumeragi Kippei and his family," the guard responds. He adds in disbelief, "You're a Hime?"

"Do we look like normal people to you?" Haruka snarks.

"What did you think we were, aliens?" asks Nao, with a snort, before frowning. "Get rid of your weapons," she adds, before leaning to whisper to Haruka. "You need to go inside and find a phone. See if you can contact Yukino. Get the date, too," she murmurs. "Don't let anyone hear what you're talking about. Push anyone inside out there where I can keep an eye on 'em."

Haruka receives no response this time, either. As her senses settle, however, she begins to realize that she feels a strong pull towards Fuka.

"Do you work for First District?" the guard asks, hesitating. The only weapon he and his companion have are pistols, visible in holsters on their hips.

Haruka nods and makes her way to the front door. Hopefully a glare will suffice for convincing anyone to let Totally Metal Haruka go where she wants.

"Don't you?" asks Nao, slightly surprised.

The guards clam up. They slowly reach for their weapons and crouch, laying them on the ground before straightening back up.

The onlookers flee from Haruka's approach, letting her reach the entrance to the inn unmolested. The interior is just as she remembered it, accounting for the light.

Haruka doesn't remember where the phones are (since, hey, she wasn't exactly looking for them before) but it shouldn't be hard to find one with a moment's glancing around. Once found, she will indeed call Yukino first.

"Are you First District or aren't you?"  demands Nao, putting her hands together.

There is one in the foyer, resting just by the door. It takes Haruka a few moments to realize that it requires pressing nine to get an outside line. Once that hurdle had been overcome, she dials Yukino's cellphone. After almost a dozen rings, the call goes to her voicemail.

"We're just security, here. We don't work for it directly," the other guard admits.

"What's the purpose of this building? Getaway for the higher-ups?"

Haruka forwns and hangs up without leaving a message. What can she really say, "Yukino, if you remember all that future stuff, call me back at this number even though I don't plan to setay here?" No, she'll try calling Fuka instead, see who answers.

"Pretty much. There are rooms for you two, if you'd like," the first guard offers hesitantly.

Much like when she called Yukino, Haruka eventually reaches the Chairwoman's voicemail.

She hangs up again! Isn't anyone answering their phones? What, are they in CLASS or something? She'll try...you know what? She'll try Shizuru.

"I might take you up on that," decides Nao, after a moment. "Not the rooms, but we'll be spending some time here getting our ground. What's this Sumeragi's position?"

This time, the call is answered. Shizuru's voice is unmistakable as she says, "Hello, this is Fujino."

"I honestly don't know," the guard responds, glancing at his companion, who shrugs. "Somewhere in finance? Middle management?"

"It's Haruka," she starts, balancing between her usual disdain and an odd feeling of relief at Fujino actually being alive, and winding up with a flat, businesslike tone. "Is everything okay at Fuka right now? Also, crazy question: what day is it?"

"Suzushiro-san?" Shizuru asks, and her voice sounds strange to Haruka. "Where are you right now?"

"Somewhere else. Can you answer me first? It's important."

There is a pause. When she answers, Haruka recognizes the date. According to Shizuru, she is two weeks in the past.

"Alright. Can you find Sugiura for me and tell her I need to speak to her. It might be a couple hours before I can get back to school, but it's important."

"I've answered your question, Suzushiro-san," Shizuru says in response. "What about my own? It's not really fair if you treat me like a gopher like that without telling me anything, now is it?"

"Did you miss the 'It's important' part? ...Okay, look. I'm with Nao at this country inn, a few hours from the school I think. Don't ask what we're doing here because it's too long a story and I'm sure you'd rather hear it in person anyway, right?"

"Nao... Yuuki Nao?" Shizuru asks. There is another pause, before she adds, "Who else is there with you?"

"It's just us two." She makes sure to keep the next part hushed. "And some goons working security for First District. I'd rather not stay here longer than I have to."

"Then don't," Shizuru tells her. "I could arrange for someone to pick the two of you up."

"Sure. Maybe have them meet us on the road? I'd rather not litter here longer than I have to."

"I will give the matter my utmost focus," Shizuru promises, words that make Haruka shiver. Far too often, she recalls, they meant that Haruka would be the one doing all the work and stuck with the bill in the end.

Haruka's already stuck with the bill. She's LIQUID METAL. If Fujino can do worse than this...

Haruka hangs up without further pleasantries. She's not entirely looking forward to dealing with Fujino again, much as it IS better for her to be alive than dead.

Meanwhile, Nao shrugs at the guards. "Take me to this guy," she instructs, heading into the building once it seems that Haruka's done.

It's hard to argue with someone whose hand is on fire, and Nao is taken to see Kippei. He turns out to be a man in his late forties, dressed in a robe. His hair is still wet; he must be fresh out of a bath.

"Sumeragi, right? What's your position?" asks Nao, without preamble.

"Legal counsel," he responds, trying to be firm and not succeeding all too well, judging by the way his voice trembles as he speaks. "And you would be...?"

"Good question. Do you know what I am?"

His eyes drift to the green flame in Nao's hand. "Searrs?" he ventures.

"Nope," replies Nao, shaking her head. "Dead opposite. I hate those guys. Have they started to move?"

"It is believed that they wouldn't dare," Kippei responds. He glances at Nao's claw once more. "Of course, it wasn't expected for Hime to turn on us, either."

"Turn on you? Oh, outside? Call it healthy paranoia," replies Nao. "It doesn't matter now. What I can tell you is that Searrs is more of a threat than any of you know." She puts a finger to her lips. "Or maybe I should say that they're more willing than any of you guessed."

The look he gives Nao is of mixed disbelief, driven from arrogance, and consideration. "And you would know this how?"

Back in the foyer, the pull Haruka feels towards Fuka intensifies. Merely standing still instead of going back is taking a physical toll on her body.

Haruka wanders outside the building, at least, though not before calling to her partner in a wavering voice. "Hey, Nao? I think leaving soon would be a great idea..."

"Because I've seen it first-hand. They've made a powerful weapon, but they've also managed to find a way to cheat death itself," replies Nao, pursing her lips. "Do you know much about cloning- I'll be right there, dammit!-, Sumeragi-san? Because it's no good just killing a Hime if you can keep a hold on her soul."

The man sounds genuinely disturbed at what Nao is telling him. "I am aware of the basics," he says, without elaborating. "Did Searrs capture and experiment on you?"

"No," replies Nao, shaking her head. "Not quite. I had to fight the same person many times, though. Every time, different, but the same... no, I can't stay long. I need to go back. But I know their plans."

She sighs. "They plan to unleash this weapon on the Hime on Fuka and take control of it for themselves. There's no way to beat it, and she's too powerful to be incapacitated. An army can't beat it, and even people like us can't stop her forever. But there are ways we can still win! This abomination still has a person who's important to them, who fuels everything! The president of Searrs! An ordinary man, who can die by ordinary means!"

Kippei's eyes narrow. "I see. I would be happy to pass that along for you, in that case."

"You'll see how they act soon enough. Remember what I've told you when they do," replies Nao, starting to leave. "But so much can be prevented if you begin preparing now."

He nods, following Nao with his eyes as she departs.

Haruka finds herself starting to meander down the road without her feet telling her to. Curious, that.

Nao grabs a coat from a rack in the lobby, and starts jogging after Haruka. "Oi, wait a sec!" she calls, swiftly catching up. "What's the hurry?"

"I don't know," Haruka says in all honesty. She points towards the general direction of Fuka. "It's just like there's a magnet this way or something."

"You can't stop yourself?" asks Nao, after a moment. "Oh, put this on," she adds, tossing the coat at Haruka. "You stand out too much. I mean, the world's... back in time. Right? It worked, right? Who did you talk to?"

"I called Shizuru. It was weird." She puts the coat on, not that anything short of a trenchcoat and a veil will do the trick for camouflaging Haruka. "I told her to get in touch with Sugiura."

"So she really is alive," replies Nao, a slow grin forming on her face. "It really did work! So that means... Natsuki, Mikoto, they'll be around as well! The other students, too, the people on Fuka, it's... amazing. I can't wait to get back, either."

"Oh yeah, we're two weeks ago," Haruka adds as an afterthought.

"But it's different, too," she adds. "Last time, I woke up at home with no memory. I figured we'd be ourselves, back in time. It's.. out of place, somehow. If we just popped into existance now, then what happened to the old us?"

"The old us? Uh." Haruka looks as though she is just considering this sort of complication.

"Ah, I'm..." Nao quiets down for a moment. "I'm sorry. I figured we'd... I'm sure we'll figure out something. Searrs and First District have the technology to.. work with bodies and stuff. We'll just take it for ourselves and make them help us."

"Right. Maybe they can transfer me into a body that isn't a blob of liquid metal." It's hard to tell how serious this comment is. Haruka isn't known for having a firm grasp of irony, though.

"Right," replies Nao. "Shouldn't we, y'know, hurry? We could go back and get a car, or just run home."

As she walks alongside Haruka, Nao starts trying to focus on her palm. She's too happy right now, all things aside, to keep letting that thing flicker forever- with her rage mostly spent, surely she should be able to control it.

"Oh, you mean go back and threaten those people into giving us a car? Can you actually drive? Anyway, Shizuru sent one here."

"If Kuga can ride a bike, I can drive a car," insists Nao.

"What? How does that make any sense? Why couldn't she drive a bi--oh, the motorcycle. Right."

The road the two find themselves on is desolate. The flames surrounding Nao's claw falter and, as time passes, go out.

Several hours spent walking aren't much of a challenge for either Hime. A car approaching is thus definitely a change in the same old scenery. It pulls over on the other side of the country road, several meters ahead and Shizuru Fujino steps out, brushing her hair aside as she looks at Nao and Haruka.

"Hi." Really, Haruka shouldn't need to say anything to make it clear what an odd situation this is.

The look Nao is giving Shizuru would seem, to any onlookers, to have a remarkable similarity to that of a girl with a crush staring at her object of affection.

Shizuru smiles at the two, her gaze lingering on Nao just a moment longer. If she is bothered by having adoring fangirls, she doesn't show it. "Ah, so it was true," she says, coming closer. "Yuuki-san and Suzushiro-san really were returned in the middle of nowhere after being abducted by aliens."

"That is- I- what happened at Fuka?" asks Nao, blinking. "Aliens?"

"Uh-uh. I'm future Haruka," Haruka corrects. Then, to further clarify things. "From the future."

Shizuru nods. "Just two minutes before Suzushiro-san's call, several people disappeared from campus in flashes of light. I, myself, witnessed it happen to Suzushiro-san." She comes closer as she speaks. At Haruka's words, she lays her eyes on Haruka and freezes in the spot.

"It's... complicated. We can explain on the way back. Well, maybe we can," murmurs Nao. "Who's with you?"

"Kanzaki-san drove us over," Shizuru responds, tearing her gaze away from Haruka with visible effort. Her face shows a bit of strain as she refocuses on Nao. "The Academy is in disarray, and this was our only clue as to the disappearances. While the Executive Council was left to maintain the peace, we've decided to investigate on our own." She hesitates briefly. "It is true, then? You two were the only ones to appear here?"

"Rei...to...? Ah. Um." She glances at Nao.

"He was quite worried," Shizuru responds to Haruka, without truly looking at her.

"Here, yes," responds Nao, after a moment of gritting her teeth. "Kanzaki, you say. Do you think he would mind if we waited on the explanations for a while?"

"I'm sure he was."

"If he must wait, then so be it," Shizuru responds. "But I really must insist on hearing what you two have to say. The situation is quite dire, and I've already spent hours driving here." She glances worriedly at the sky, before seeming to realize what she is doing and returns her eyes towards Nao. "Every minute might count."

"We're from the future, and everything went wrong. I didn't like it, so we came back to take another shot," replies Nao. "The other people who disappeared.. can I guess at some? Tokiha Mai, Okuzaki Akira, Kikukawa Yukino..."

"That's one out of three," Shizuru says thoughtfully. "I'm afraid only Kikukawa-san from that list has disappeared. The other instances we have managed to verify were of Higurash Akane, Kurauchi Kazuya, Greer Miyu, Harada Chie, Senoh Aoi and the two Searrs girls, Arika and Alyssa. On top of you two, of course." She seems a touch frustrated. "You can imagine the chaos this lead to. It might be impossible to truly estimate the correct toll of those who disappeared."

"The two Searrs girls existed at the same time? But that's- what's the date, exactly?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Shizuru asks in surprise, nevertheless answering the question with, "September 6th." As Haruka had said, it seems to be two weeks into the past, a time before Nao first woke up with no memory and sense of self.

Haruka frowns, trying to see a reason why some of the Hime would disappear and not others. "Hey, what about Makoto?"

"Who?"

"It's different. Things are different," replies Nao. "We didn't just go back in time, this is.. what they'd call an alternate dimension, or something... Mikoto, Minagi Mikoto."

Shizuru looks worried. "I don't know of a Minagi Mikoto, I'm afraid. Did she exist... in the future?" She seems hesitant as she adds the last part.

"What?!"

Shizuru takes a step back.

"Uh, yes. Mai's roommate. Black hair, climbed trees like a cat?"

Shizuru's eyes narrow in thought, before they clear. "Oh! You mean Kanzaki Mikoto from class 3-B? Reito-san's little sister?"

"Kanzaki... Mikoto? Yeah. That's it. I... don't know what to say. Is she alright? What about Natsuki?"

Shizuru becomes guarded. "Oh my, just where is this line of questioning leading to?" she asks, and her smile turns fake to Nao's eyes, who had seen both variants on the older girl.

"Because in the future, everyone you mentioned just now was either missing or dead," hisses Nao. "And I have no idea what happened to her back then. I mean, what will happened to her. What will have been going to happe- you know what I mean."

Haruka feels obligated to make a slight correction. "Don't forget Fujino in that list, Nao."

Shizuru's smile freezes in place. "It might be a time to get things in the open," she states, an edge of steel in her voice. "You are referring to the Carnival that Nagi is constantly speaking of? And the two of you are involved?"

"That's right!" Haruka says brightly. "Now we're on the same page."

Shizuru takes another step back. Her hand twitches, and she looks at it, before deliberately unclenching her fist and letting the hand rest at her side. "Judging by what you have said so far, you don't intend to harm Natsuki?"

"Oh, no, not at all. There are only a couple specific people we need to beat up and she's not one of them."

This only serves to make Shizuru more agitated. The car's door opens, and Reito steps outside. "Is everything alright, President?" he calls over.

Haruka frowns. "I'm not sure I'm getting through here. Um, Nao?"

"You really have changed. No, this is how you were to start..." mutters Nao. "I don't plan on it, no. I'd die first."

Shizuru holds Nao's eyes for an endless moment. "I'll hold you to that," she says quietly, before breaking off eye contact and turning to smile towards Reito. "Nothing is the matter," she tells him. "We'll be there in a moment."

Having said that, she approaches the two Hime, no longer averting her eyes from the bronze, emaciated form of Haruka. "Since that makes two of us, and I believe you, Nao, what are we going to do?" She points skywards. "That happened about the same time as the disappearances. Do you know who is behind this?"

Nao looks up.

At first, all she can see is the bright glare of the sun, just past noon, and the Hime Star visible past it. But as she ignores the pain to her eyes and continues to focus on the sky, suddenly, the image shifts! The Hime Star takes center stage, and it has grown enough to overshadow the sun itself! The sky becomes tinged with red, but Nao's main concern is that she had never seen the Hime Star so large.

Haruka also looks up, expecting to see the Hime Star, but...not anything like that prominent.

For Haruka, that red is the first true color she can see without a shade of bronze.

Haruka suppresses the urge to stab the big red spot until there is nothing left to stab! Because she can't reach it anyway.

"Who's responsible? It's not something you can lay at the feet of one person," replies Nao, shaking her head. "The star grows bigger every iteration, every carnival. We need to go back to Fuka, I need to catch up with Kikukawa, and then we need to have some words with the Chairwoman."

"Then we should be getting back. Let's go, Suzushiro-san, Yuuki-san," Shizuru says pleasantly, gesturing at the car waiting nearby.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

The door opens as they approach, Shizuru leading the way. She makes her way inside first, and as Nao and Haruka move to follow, they see that there is another passenger in the car. "Come on, get in, there's no time to waste and wait are you BRONZE?!" Midori exclaims upon glancing at Haruka.

Nao's face meets Nao's palm in a display of tired futility.

"Yes," Haruka states simply. She's used to this condition, no one else should have any problem with it!

"Literally, I mean. You reflect the sunlight," Midori says in horrified fascination.

"Is there a word for that feeling you get when something you think is old hat is all new to other people?" asks Nao, sliding into the car.

"Like it? I can turn my arms into weapons too!"

Nao feels Shizuru tense beside her, before she forms a smile. "Ah, that's too bad, Suzushiro-san. And here I was going to offer you to sit in my lap. But now I'm afraid you will need to sit by Kanzaki-san."

"I'm not sitting on anyone's lap! We've got work to do."

"So sit in the chair already and let's go? Oh, right. Kanzaki? Look this way for a second?"

Haruka sits down, then! Not without looking a little petulant, of course.

Reito gives Haruka a sideways glance, the only sign of his surprise a raised eyebrow, and then turns back to look at Nao. "Yes?"

"You wearing a necklace?"

"A necklace?" Reito glances at Shizuru, who shrugs at him. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Had to be sure. Thought it might be this way," replies Nao, sagging. "Alright, let's go. These windows are tinted, right?"

"Don't worry about being seen," Shizuru says, nodding at Reito. The vice president takes that as his sign to start driving back the way they came from. Midori looks like there is much she wants to ask, but she looks at Shizuru strangely when the latter turns towards Nao, asking, "Why is it so important to talk to Kikukawa-san and the Chairwoman?"

Haruka watches the road (and, occasionally, Reito, just to make sure he doesn't do anything sneaky!) while letting Nao do the talking.

"The first, because Kikukawa is why we're here in the first place," replies Nao, quietly. "She was working with us the whole time, and had a better handle on the situation than either of us. Of course, we have Midori-chan here to thank for that."

Haruka feels relaxed all of a sudden, as if an ache she had been suffering from all along has finally been soothed. Midori perks up. "Oh, really? What brilliant thing have I done now?"

"Your research came in handy... you'll have to show me the part about time travel." replies Nao.

"Time travel?" Midori asks. "Are you from the future? Do I invent a time machine? No, do I discover one among the alien relics of an ancient civilization?!" She gets more excited the more she talks.

"It's more like the latter?" asks Nao, frowning. "I thought something to do with it was in your.. thesis, right? Along with other things about a certain carnival."

The drive takes hours, and Midori spends most of it trying to weasel details out of Nao and Haruka. Not getting much out of either only drives her to ask again and again, much like an excited child. Shizuru remains silent through this all, smiling politely and responding with adddressed, but otherwise staying out of the conversation. Reito gets progressively more nervous as time passes, but that might be attributed due to the way Haruka keeps on watching him like a hawk for hours on end. Finally, their car crosses the bridge from the mainland leading to Fuka, and turns towards the Academy. Students with Executive Committee armbands are patrolling next to the gate, but Reito takes the car in, stopping by the Chairwoman's building. "Kazahana-san was the person we wanted to see first, is that right?" he asks, turning in the driver's seat to see the car's occupants more clearly.

"I wouldn't mind having Yukino with us when we go to see the Chairwoman," Haruka says, glancing at Nao.

"We're going to the library first," replies Nao, glancing edgily at Haruka. "D'ya want to stay unseen? I dunno, it's gonna be pretty hard to escape notice like this."

Haruka sighs. "Alright, alright."

"It's more... maybe we just can't avoid it," admits Nao. "Let's check things out first. I promise I'll explain things better," she adds, for Midori and Shizuru's benefit.

"The library it is," Shizuru affirms, and Reito maneuvers the car without questioning her. It is impossible to drive all the way, but he manages to get close, and the nearby area is devoid of students. "This is as good as it gets," Reito says, putting the car into parking. "So Kikukawa has been hiding in the library all this time, then?" he asks dubiously.

Haruka doesn't feel it necessary to explain anything to Reito! Nao can do it if she feels like it.

"Nope. Under it," replies Nao, starting to get out the car. "Although I'm rather hoping she comes out to meet us when we head in."

The library is deserted when Nao and Haruka enter it along with Shizuru and Midori. Reito stays by the car, perhaps sensing he is not welcome and keeping his distance. Without a doubt, this is where Haruka was being pulled towards all along.

Haruka is thankful for once that Fuka's students show little interest in reading in their free time. She glances at Nao, signalling with a nod her relief at being where she apparently needed to be.

"The short story, Midori, is yes, we're time travellers, yes, we're from.. two weeks into the future, and we're here because that future wasn't pretty! But this isn't the same world we left, and I'm trying to figure out what's changed so I can stop it getting as messed up as ours." Nao gives Haruka a nod, and gives a brief glance around the library. "Underneath this library is a control room, of sorts. It's where we left Yukino when we went to that resort. Since our physical location didn't change, I don't think hers would have, either."

Midori raptly takes this in, as Shizuru stands impassively, staring down at the clock taking up most of the ground floor. The minutes hand moves, and reality shifts. An image of Yukino appears, but such an indecent Yukino Haruka had never laid eyes on! Nevertheless, a naked Yukino floats above the clock face dejectedly.

Haruka is flabbergasted! "Yu-Yukino?! What are you doing? That's not appropriate for a public gathering!"

"Things didn't go quite right. What happened on your end?" asks Nao, witholding a barbed thrust at Yukino for the time being. Something about who the slut is now...

"I'm not like this because I want to be!" Yukino hisses, her words barely understandable due to burst of static that garble them. "You! How did you fuck up?" Her image wavers, and it is not clear who she is addressing.

"It was a fight! It was close, but we didn't die, so where's the fuckup?!"

"I was dying. It had to be done." There is more Yukino tries to say, but her image becomes distorted and she shows pain for the first time. "Are you alright, Kikukawa-san?" Shizuru asks, stepping up, and Yukino focuses on her, as if seeing the president for the first time. "Didn't you die?"

"She got better. It worked. In part. But nothing is quite the same," replies Nao, with a wince. "Do you even physically exist?"

"Yukino, everyone un-died when we went back in time. And um...Nao asks a good question."

"I think, therefore, I am," Yukino says, seeming contemplative. "Alright, let's go with that."

"In part?" Shizuru asks Nao.

"You were nicer to me before," replies Nao, frowning. "This is the second time someone's tried this time travel stunt. Even if most people forget everything, it seems like sometimes a few stray memories... anyway." Nao briefly takes the time to fill Yukino in on what she's learned about the present; where they appeared, the other disappearances around the school, and the obvious retention of their abilities.

"That last part, at least, is consistent with my observations," Yukino agrees, sighing. "But I'm puzzled about both of you making the trip back. Did you share the amulet somehow?"

"No- you *what?!* What was gonna happen to me?!" snaps Nao, her good mood evaporating. "Suzushiro had the thing the whole time, anyway."

Haruka is puzzled and worried by this entire conversation. "Yukino, what are you talking about? Wasn't both of us making it part of the plan?" Well, it was Haruka's plan at least!

Yukino snorts and points at Shizuru. "She's made it, and despite being dead, too. What's the big deal?"

"Losing my memory again has absolutely no appeal," mutters Nao. "Whatever. The thing is, we three vanished, but why would all those other people? I thought, at first, it could be because they died, but that doesn't hold much weight on it's own..."

"No, that is actually pretty close to my own theory," Yukino says, shaking her head. "And what would it be?" Midori asks, joining the conversation. She pointedly keeps her eyes on Yukino's face. "Would you say that a soul can be divided into parts?" Yukino asks, turning towards the teacher in response.

"Alyssa and Arika.. Kazuya and Akane.. Harada.. and.. Senoh wait a minute. Can Miyu even have a soul?" mutters Nao, turning over the permutations in her head.

Haruka is frankly bewildered by this entire metaphyiscal turn in the conversation, and looks it!

For her part, Nao doesn't exactly look like she's entirely on the ball.

"Why wouldn't she?" Midori asks, while Shizuru looks contemplative. "In any case," Yukino continues, "this isn't really the right question. The one we should be asking is whether a soul can undergo such strain that it would snap under the pressure. A traumatic event, perhaps repeated, that goes beyond its natural ability or tolerance. Do you see where I'm getting to, here?"

"Well, she was a robot," Haruka responds to Midori, quite casually. To Yukino: "I guess that makes some sense. If someone's mind can break after a traumatic event, then why not the rest of them?"

"If you're calling ressurection an unnatural strain..." Nao's face twists in disgust. "Then it's a wonder we did any good at all like this. Could it be that we've done damage ourselves?"

"The only reason you can still care about things like that is because we went ahead with the reset," Yukino points out in irritation. "If you prefer to be emo about it for all of eternity inside a pillar, go ahead and commit messy suicide. I'll wait. Just take off my pendant, first."

"I'm *so* sorry for caring! But if you think back, you'll realise that there was at least one person who was able to just keep coming back. What was once broken might be fixed." Glancing briefly at Haruka, Nao can't help but shrug. "The problem of souls and bodies was always going to be an issue, on top of the Hime Star and the Crystal Star. I'm hoping one can solve the others."

"Nao's right, Yukino. Bickering doesn't help any of us. And it's not like I enjoy being an amoeba statue, either. Well, most of the time I don't."

"Yes, yes, it might be fixed!" Yukino snaps. "But let's focus on the important things first. Like me being a ghost."

"Searrs is the only group I know of that manipulates life and death. And they're only going to help as at clawpoint. And even then, they'll probably fuck it up for us. So. What's your idea?"

"These are your allies now, right?" Yukino asks, glancing at Shizuru and Midori. "Are there more?"

"Anyone who's alive and willing to listen to reason, I'd hope. We want to stop the festival before it starts this time. This is just kind of...who we had available. We just got back, after all."

"We went looking for you first. The others should be around the school." Nao shrugs. "I can't predict how they'll react to us in this world. At least Natsuki will probably help us," she adds, glancing briefly at Shizuru. "Kanzaki is around, but I think he may be uninvolved, this time... I just don't know enough yet."

"The festival has already started," Shizuru voices, frowning. "But maybe it could be stopped just the same." At Nao's words, she adopts a curious expression. "Probably?" "Girls driven to the edge. Listen to reason. Sure." Yukino's image rolls its eyes. "Get those you can find over here, then. I have a plan and repeating myself is tiresome."

"Yes, Lady Kikukawa. Right away. Shall I bring bedsheets to complete the look?" asks Nao, sarcastically. "Tokhia Mai, Minag- no, Kanzaki Mikoto, Kuga Natsuki, that.. nun.. woman, Yukasomething... oh. Munakata Shiho. You know, maybe we can skip her."

"No, do bring her. Maybe I could blackmail her into killing you off," Yukino mutters.

"Yukariko," Haruka corrects. "And stop bickering, BOTH of you. We have work to do and we need to focus on that."

"Fine, we'll bring the octopus, too, and you'd better hope she didn't pick up old memories," notes Nao, flatly. "I don't think I missed anyone. Let's go see who we can find."

"What about the ninja? Love is over?"

Haruka feels it necessary to raise one important point: "Look, um...I don't know how useful I'd be for this part. I have to assume I'll just scare some people off, the way I am."

"That's very useful, Haruka-chan," Yukino instantly assures her.

"Not if I scare off the WRONG people!"

"Yeah, you know, if she was really was a guy, I'd probably be all over that. Yes, and Akira." Nao pauses, at that. "You could call your dad. He's influential enough that it's worth filling him in. Again."

Haruka sighs and can't help but take on a touch of Yukino's sarcasm. "That was so much fun the first time that I can't wait to do it again with time travel added into the explanation." 

"Yes, do have fun with-- hey!" There is a flash. A quick look reveals Midori holding up her cell at Yukino, cheeks red. "I couldn't resist myself!" she defends herself, clutching the phone to her chest.

"Aren't you a teacher?" asks Nao, the barest flickers of a grin appear on her face.

"Hey! You're a teacher, what are you going to do with that? You should be setting a good example for the irrepressible students of Fuka!"

"It's a ghost! A ghost!" She gestures wildly with the phone. "A real one!" Shizuru covers her mouth with her hand, while Yukino steams.

Haruka marches over to Midori and gets right up in her face. "It's also YUKINO. You don't show that to ANYONE, understand?"

"Anyone else, right?" mutters Nao, for Shizuru's benefit.

Shizuru pretends to think about it, tilting her head as a smile appears on her lips. "Perhaps we should get that sheet after all," she suggests softly.

"Yes, let's," Haruka announces to the room in general.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

Yukino winks away, muttering under her breath amidst the static. Midori has the grace to appear embarrassed over the entire affair, even as she surreptitiously slips her phone into a pocket.

"So it appears that we will be gathering those involved," Shizuru speaks. She seems apprehensive. "If only we had more time...."

"More time, huh? What we have will have to be enoguh," replies Nao. "Time's already been well spent, though... hey, Shizuru. Do you still help Natsuki with her research?"

Shizuru wilts ever so slightly. "If this must come out, let me be the one to tell her. I don't want Natsuki to have to find out from someone else."

Midori looks at the student council president curiously.

"Well, it would save time if you'd talk to Natsuki while we were dealing with the others."

Shizuru sighs theatrically. "Well, if I absolutely must talk to my Natsuki to save the world, I shall carry that burden."

"It must be pretty rough having us show up here and start ordering you about like this. Sorry 'bout that." Nao shrugs, and starts heading for the door. "Anyway, that research'll come in handy. Haruka, you know what you've gotta do."

"Ah, but you manage it so well, Yuuki-san," Shizuru says with a smile, following her towards the exit to the library. "Kanzaki-san will help you gather everyone you need."

"Guess I'll tag along," Midori offers, catching up herself. "We'll reform the Hime Rangers, stronger than ever before!"

"We don't need another childish name," replies Nao, before her voice lowers. "I mean, HiME was bad enough..."

"Right," Haruka says. "I guess I can get in touch with my father and see if we can check out what the First District is up to."

Midori acts as if she hadn't heard Nao. She looks at Haruka thoughtfully. "Ranger Bronze, that would be your assignment, then!"

She leads the way to the car, where Reito waits.

Shizuru has disappeared.

"Who ever heard of a metallic-colored ranger? Green suits me much better!"

"I can get a bucket of paint, I suppose," Midori muses.

"Would that work? Maybe you'd stop blinding me every time I look your way."

"I'm not above trying," Midori swears solemnly.

"No way! The paint would just flake off the moment I tried to move or change shape. Maybe if I concentrate really hard, I can change color..."

"Well, have fun playing with yourself. Hey, Reito, we're going to the dorms!" calls Nao, heading over to the car after Midori.

"Is there a purpose to this?" he asks, directing the question to Midori, who shrugs in response.

"I need to find some people. Isn't that where all the students would be at this time?"

Nao pauses for a moment. "Actually, what time is it, anyway..."

It is the afternoon.

Reito nods slowly. "That's a good guess. The Executive Committee imposed a curfew, so only the really determined would sneak outside at this time."

He seems to be looking at Nao as he speaks.

"What're you looking at?" mutters Nao, dourly.

"Being on the council, I am privy to the attendance records of the students," Reito responds evenly. He seems to deflate slightly afterwards, as his eyes land on Haruka. "In any case, who are we visiting?"

"Tokiha Mai and your sister, first," replies Nao.

Reito doesn't utter another word as he drives the car to the familiar dorm. He is focused and intent during the drive, not looking away from the road. Midori continues to pester Haruka about imaginative uses of paint along the way, doing much to dispel the oppressive atmosphere.

No one is around when Reito finally parks the car, getting out. Coming closer to the dorm's entrance, however, the group discovers that several students lounge by the entrance. Nao can't put names to the faces, but she'd seen them before, she thinks. Some end of the world party she got invited to, if she's not mistaken. Haruka likewise recognizes them as fellow students of Fuka, but without Yukino by her side such trivialties as personal details elude her.

Haruka eyes the lounging students and frowns. Look at them, just...sitting around! They should be studying! Or engaging in extracurricular activities!

"Dammit, everyone'll see you if you come along, Haruka- wait, I know."

Nao steps out the car and skips over to Reito, slipping an arm around his waist. "Play along a sec," she mutters, before putting on a bright, cheery face and strolling into the lounge.

"What are you doing?!" Reito exclaims, his voice an octave higher than normally. That certainly gets the attention of the lounging students, who stare and stare. One of them belatedly snaps off a shot with her cellphone.

Haruka waits in the car, slouching down and doing her best to be inconspicuous while Nao goes to work. Or whatever it is tht she's doing.

<--->

[Corwin]

<--->

"Not going with them?" Midori asks Haruka, as Reito and Nao depart for Mai's dorm.

"Marching into a crowded dorm while looking like this doesn't sound like the best of plans to me."

"Let's go for the nun, then!" Midori exclaims, grinning. "No one goes to church, anyway."

"Huh. Alright. Hopefully it'll go better than the last time I tried talking to her."

"It's okay, it's okay!" Midori is saying. She gets into the driver's seat. The car's keys are in her hand, Haruka sees. She feels apprehensive for some reason.

"Uh. Reito won't mind you taking the car, I hope...?"

"It's fine," Midori repeats, starting the car. She doesn't wait before gunning the engine, and the tires squeal as the car takes off!

Haruka grabs onto the seat reflexively (despite probably not having much to fear from a car crash in her present state). "Midori! We're still on the school grounds, so drive carefully. There are students around and you shouldn't set a bad example!"

"Oh, don't be a spoilsport," Midori chides Haruka, looking back at her.

"LOOK AT THE ROAD! Do you even have a license?"

Midori laughs, returning her eyes to the front in time to swerve past a tree. Somehow, they have left the road behind at one point, and the youthful teacher is in no hurry to return to it.

The church is ahead. Midori seems to be taking the most direct route to it.

"You're not driving on the way back! *I'd* be less dangerous behind the wheel than this."

Midori turns back to face Haruka again. "But you don't have a license. Or are human. I don't think that's legal."

"Neither is manslobber!"

Midori looks confused, and another tree comes to dominate the view. She jerks her hands, still focused on Haruka, and the car avoids a fatal collision.

"Don't look at me! Watch where you're driving!" Haruka climbs into the front passenger seat to at least minimize the chances of Midori crashing during conversation.

Midori suddenly hitting the breaks helps Haruka tumble into the front seat in an undignified heap. "We're here!" the teacher announces perkily, stepping outside. She forgot the handbreak, Haruka sees.

Haruka corrects this oversight (Midori would surely just laugh it off if Haruka pointed it out) and then gratefully exits the car. She's not looking forward to the return trip. "Alright, here we go. Hopefully Yukariko's not as paranoid as the last time I saw her."

Midori bravely heads inside the church! The car is parked precariously over a flowerbed, Haruka finds upon disembarking.

There's nothing she can do about that right now. Beginning to doubt the wisdom of her decision to bring Midori as backup, Haruka chases after the teacher into the church.

"Yoo-hoo!" Midori is calling, her voice echoing through the empty church. "Are you here, Yukariko?"

"Sister Yukariko?" Haruka calls out in a more serious tone. "Are you here? We need to speak with you."

The nun emerges from a prayer room. She's carrying cleaning supplies. "Can I help you two?" Sister Yukariko asks, placing them down before squinting at Haruka.

Haruka makes sure to start before Midori can get started on some crazy tangent. (She's suddenly very wary of the teacher's judgement, after that car ride.) "Well, yes, but we're kind of here to help you too."

"Oh, how delightful!" Sister Yukariko exclaims, clasping her hands together. "Father! We have volunteers!"

"Is that so?" a male voice asks. Father Greer emerges from the confessional. He has a feather duster in his hands.

"Ah, that's not exactly what I meant. Sister, can we speak to you in private? This is a personal matter."

"I'm afraid we're busy right now," the nun says sadly. "I cannot possibily leave the Father to do all the work."

Midori is trying to sneak outside.

"This is more important than sweeping the aisles, Sister. There's a life-or-death struggle afoot and we think you're in danger." Haruka turns to try and nab her "backup" before Midori can escape. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"Do you have any idea how huge this place is?" Midori hisses at Haruka. "I'm not sticking around!"

"It sounds like the matter might be important," Father Greer speaks. "You can take a few minutes off."

"But, Father--"

"Don't worry about it." He smiles disarmingly at her.

Haruka strides forward to take Yukariko by the arm. "See? He can get by without you for a little while. Let's take a walk outside, alright?"

She grabs Midori on her way past. "All three of us."

Yukariko shrieks as Haruka's features become clear upon approach!

Well, it was probably only a matter of time. Haruka was surprised this hadn't happened sooner, honestly. And yet somehow she still hadn't really planned for how to deal with it. "I know I look strange right now, but it's nothing to be frightened of. Otherwise Midori wouldn't even be with me, right? Relax and let me explain."

The nun is making warding gestures. Off to the side, Haruka can see the priest frown and start to make his way over.

Okay, time to go for broke. Haruka shapeshifts to produce a pair of glorious angel wings on her back, spreading them to capture the light and dazzle the nun with her...uh, gloriousness! A halo would be great too, but Haruka doubts she can keep a separate part of herself levitating above her head. "Sister Yukariko! I am a messenger from the Lord! Heed my divine guidance!"

Sister Yukariko's eyes roll into the back of her head and she faints. Midori jumps in surprise, but starts laughing once she gets over her initial shock.

"Good enough! Let's go, Midori." Haruka kneels down to scoop up the nun.

"What is going on here?" Father Greer asks, his voice steadier than one might expect of someone encountering a bronze humanoid with wings.

"I don't have time to explain in detail, Father, but we have reason to believe that the lives of specific Fuka residents are in danger. Sister Yukariko is among them and I need to take her somewhere safe."

"You intend to keep her safe by traumatizing and abducting her?" he seeks to clarify. Midori rubs the back of her head.

"Tough love, Father, tough love. Look, I wanted to TALK to her, but she wasn't really listening."

"And I suppose you would wish to take me along as well, solely for my protection?"

"You're not in any danger, Father. It'd be best if you stayed here. Let's go, Midori." She heads for the door. Father Greer isn't exactly someone she can trust with all the Himes' plans, but there's not much he can do to stop Haruka, either.

<--->