Soulriders 5.0: Legend of the Unending Games

<--->

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can papers be consumed?

A sniff indicates that they probably can't.

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

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

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

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

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

She finds none, but the door is unlocked.

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

She opens the door and goes outside!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heading back should do the trick.

Wasn't the view restricted by the forest?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"No."

"Direction."

"Is."

"Provided."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unless, of course, she starts it again.

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

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

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

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

<--->

<--->

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is another uniform, which does look identical.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Fuck yes!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What is it, Yuuki?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nao looks back at them, rather quizzically.

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

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

Nao's face twitches.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, either way, this suits her just fine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<--->

<--->

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nao clenches a fist in victory!

But where were all the other teammates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, that's one thing cleared up!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nao makes a note to visit her later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nao is in a white room.

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

That woman, the strange one. Is anyone around?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is something she's not saying.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How about messages?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<--->

<--->

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Natsuki appears troubled at that admission.

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

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

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

"Yes, she's--"

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

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

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

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

"Mai's your roommate or something?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is still no sign of a roommate.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"How hard can it be?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Strange thing to like."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Since after school yesterday?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Any takers from here?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"She's her stalker?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nao can't tell whether Shizuru is being serious.

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

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

"You found the culprit?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yuuki pauses for a moment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

<--->

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

<--->

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That bad, huh?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mai and Mikoto shrug, glancing at each other.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Truly, a twisted desire indeed."

Shizuru merely smiles in response.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They aren't, as it so happens.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We'll keeping waiting," she decides.

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

<--->

<--->

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

And Nao, Akira and Takumi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Red string flashes before her eyes.

"...do it again."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"So. Tell me what happens next."

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

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

<--->

<--->

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nao nods, releasing the girl and straightening up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nao's hearing catches people coming up the stairs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is the matter of payment, however.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Do you need something from the temp-- oh it's you." The girl's helpful tone becomes flat once she lays eyes on Nao.

This isn't fair! Why does she need to take this crap?

"Where is it? The obelisk," she demands, made mightily upset and in no mood to be obesquious.

"The what?"

Well, that's not good. After coming all this way, Nao feels rather lost.

"The shrine's open, right? I'll take a look around," she decides, heading past the girl and swivelling her head from side to side to get a better look.

"Hey!" the girl protests as Nao brushes past her, but Nao finds herself unmolested in her explorations. Something draws her away from the shrine, however, as Nao feels a pull towards something off to the right. A trail is there.

Time to go that way. Ignoring the girl's protestations, Nao heads off towards the nature path, starting to squeeze her wrist again.

The pull is stronger the more Nao heads down the trail. After walking for a few minutes, she can see that it heads towards a large cave, a man-made gate over it blown wide open. She doesn't feel like she should go there, however, but around the cave.

Following her intuition, Nao breaks into a run and starts heading for.. she doesn't know, exactly. But it's there.

She comes to a stop against the uneven rock that makes up the outer wall of the cave. No markings exist on it, even though Nao expected to see some, she realizes to her surprise. Something deep within her insists that she is where she needs to be.

Nao knows this place well.

She slowly comes to a halt, comparing it to what she saw in the cave back near the academy.

No, that was full of markings, while this place is empty. A clean slate, as it was, just like her. She steps closer to it, peering at the rock; as if it's hiding something from her, something so faint that it can't be seen to those who don't look.

It is indeed blank; too blank. The other sections of the wall are covered in what suspiciously looks like battle damage of some kind. This rock face is pristine, primal.

Should she carve something into it? It feels like her name, or something like it, should be written here.

She places an empty palm on the stone, trying to feel it's texture.

Nao's hand feels none of the apparent roughness of the stone as it is slowly absorbed into the wall.

She reaches into the stone, as if there's something beyond it she can grasp. Some rational voice screams something about the wisdom of this course of action, but she ignores it.

Her hand grasps at glue, it touches silk, it brushes against piano wires causing it to bleed and all throughout this, Nao's entire body is pulled within. A burning sensation covers her arm, spreading down the rest of Nao.

Nao closes her eyes and clenches her fist, making slight gasps and grasping at whatever is taking her apart and putting her back together. How many times has she become a new person, really? It's familiar and alien, but never calming.

Her face makes contact with the rock, and Nao sees herself smirk as the wall's surface ripples like a pond. Nao blacks out.

The awakening is slow, ponderous, and with that, a sharp contrast to the clear switches between the waking world and the dominion of nightmares haunting Nao's sleep. She is in a cave, a spider-themed monster facing her. It glitters green, as if its body were made of many fireflies teaming together. The sight feels Nao with a deep nostalgia. On the wall behind it, the stranged sign so much alike a magatama is etched into the surface, next to a drawing that could be a depiction of this creature, if one is generous.

She needs to call its name, Nao realizes.

"Arach," she calls, unable to consider anything more fitting for such a creature. Was she naming it, or was that always it's name? Does it matter?

The spider solidifies, its shape changing to become more angular than even before. It is a marriage between beast and machine, a grotesque thing that should not be.

Nao feels drawn to Arach, for it is her Child.

There could be nothing less childlike in this world, but there is still an obligation, here. Did she bring it into the world, then? An existence owed to her alone?

Maybe she'll find out, maybe she won't. She steps towards the creature, extending a hand towards it.

It towers above Nao, more than dwarfing her. But she knows with all her heart than her Child would never hurt her; it would lay down its life to protect her.

The Child's arachnine head lowers, what passes for its cheek nuzzling Nao's hand.

Nao's hand, which is adorned with metal claws.

"Good child," purrs Nao, patting Arach smoothly with one hand, as best as she can without touching the claws to it.

Her other hand flexes and clenches as she feels the weight of these new weapons; with these, she won't have to run, will she?

Her brow creases in consternation; even with things like these, she was already defeated once, or so she believes. Best not to be cocky. Not when her life isn't the only one at stake.

The claws are of the darkest black, deep red glimmering within if she looks at them for too long. They are nimble and respond to her wishes, feeling much like an extension of her fingers, a real part of her body.

But even with them, even with her Child, Nao still feels incomplete.

Could it be that she needed her.. Sacrifice here? That's as good a word to attach to the ultimate victim of this exchange. Or is it something else?

The answers won't come on their own, and feeling incomplete isn't entirely new. Where can she go now? What is left to do?

"We're going to have work to do, at some point," she murmurs to her pet. "We absolutely must not fail, not even once."

The Child wraps its many limbs around Nao comfortingly in response. There is a feeling of disorientation, and Nao finds herself next to the ruined door of the cave, alone. Her claws still adorn her hands.

Nao shakily steps away from the cave, and slowly steps back around to the rocky wall through which she entered previously.

All the while, she twists her claws back and forth, feeling how the move, bend, twist, and slash at the air.

The claws execute her commands loyally. Nao can't find the wall section she encountered; the entire wall of the cave is defaced by a battle of some sort, and she no longer feels a connection here.

How strong are these claws? That's the next question.

Natsuki was able to trash a wall with her... water-thing. Nao doesn't think she has anything that impressive, but she places them against the wall and tries to forcefully scratch it.

Hot knife through butter does not even begin to compare. A screeching sound accompanies Nao gouging out deep chunks out of the rock face, but she doesn't experience any of the unpleasantness she no doubt would have, had she used her own fingernails for the task.

Nao is constantly aware of what lies at the tips of her claws.

She tries, after that, to make them go away.

It would be troublesome, to say the least, if she tried to do simple things with these claws, like hold a pen. (Never mind how disturbing they are, even for her, to look at.)

The claws fade away at her mental command, although Nao feels a pang of regret. A very strong desire to lick them, first, almost overwhelmed her.

Shaking some imaginary dust off her hand, she starts heading back down the path, feeling both content and needy despite herself.

It's going to be a long walk back to a bus stop...

Nao starts to walk. She no longer feels exhausted; in fact, she feels more alive than ever, entirely invigorated.

She puts a bounce into her step, practically skipping back towards the shrine.

The pink-haired girl who was rude to her is no longer in the courtyard.

She pulls out her phone as she starts to head back down the steps; heading downhill is just a bonus to her present mood. She flips through the names on it until she finds Mikoto, and quickly dials it.

It would be an easy task, if the phone obliged by turning itself on.

Ngh.

It could've been anything. That Nagi kid? The freaky woman with the spears? If they shorted out electrical equipment and other things, like her card, then... there's nothing for it but to just head back to the school.

Is there a way to tell how much time has passed since she left the hospital?

The sun is not at the same spot she remembered it, so that's a few hours, at least.

Then there's no point hunting for them around town; they could've gone anywhere by now. So she just catches the next bus back to the school... if they're still running.

The buses are indeed running. Nao's sob story over losing her wallet in the day's events gets results, as it is apparently not that unique; more than a few students were in town, and some of them chose to flee at the first sign of danger, leaving their things behind.

Nao arrives at the academy, also finding out that it is approaching four in the afternoon.

She goes to her room and checks that out, first, to see if Shizuru has come back (with those wounds, though? Forlorn hope...)

Something tells Nao that those wounds alone would not stop a Hime, and she feels a pang of regret at that. On the other hand, when she last saw Shizuru, the latter was locked in battle with a flying girl that could turn her clothes into lethal weapons.

All in all, it doesn't surprise Nao to find that no one had been to her dorm room since she and Shizuru left it that morning.

She doesn't have any stuff to drop off, so she almost wonders why she bothered coming.

She pauses before Mikoto and Mai's door, before giving it a tentative knock.

There is no answer, and this does not surprise Nao, either. Not really.

Where too, next? She has a whole evening to kill.

She wanders over to where other students are likely to gather; she has no desire to be alone right now, even if she doesn't intend to really speak to anyone.

The school grounds have several places for that. Natsuki must have spoke of them, while talking about various little things Nao only half listened to. Or it could have been Tamaki, trying to be helpful as Nao was attempting to adjust to a normal life.

The cafeteria is one of them, open and bursting with students. The mood inside is excited and nervous at the same time.

Is the cafeteria selling food? Now that she thinks of it, Nao is ravenous.

She aimlessly picks through the crowd towards the counter if so, eavesdropping as she goes.

At a table she passes, a female student looking to be about her age is the center of that little group, telling excitedly of how frightened she had been when ball lightning struck her dorm and caused a small fire. Her further escapades included an emergency evacuation to the school's auditorium that she felt were a bit ham-handed, and  then spending the rest of the night there before finally being allowed to return, only a blanket over her night clothes to preserve her modesty.

By the counter, as they wait in line for their food, a pair of high-school boys discuss the fireball seen in town earlier that that. An exploding gas main is not something that happens every day.

Walking about without purpose, Nao also hears rumors about an incident of some kind at the Fuka Hospital. A terrorist act, it seems, but the news hasn't said much about it.

What about all the witnesses, though? It's pretty hard to mistake a giant fist of ice smashing apart a wall for a bomb. Maybe they rationalized it away somehow. Or maybe nobody believed them.

After she gets another bowl of pork ramen (no sense ruining a good thing), she finds some spot on a table near some of her classmates- at least a couple should be around somewhere, she hopes.

Aside from Nao, no one seems to be asking those questions.

Half her class is in attendance, mostly seating in pairs and trios.

Nao starts interjecting into the conversation, quering wondrously on who was actually there and if anyone saw things close at hand.

Natsuki, Mai, Mikoto- who else could be involved? Granted, she hasn't really had strong feelings towards anyone apart from them, but she finds herself studying her classmates, wondering which of them have truly important secrets they can't share.

<--->

<--->

It is easy to secure the use of a phone with an edited version of the day's events, Nao finds, but upon calling Mikoto she reaches her voicemail. The same happens when she tries to dial Mai's number as well.

If their phones were messed up like hers, then that's not too surprising. Of course, Natsuki's was already proven not to work.

With that in mind, Nao can't think of doing much else but slinking back to her room. Somewhat dully, she remembers she didn't have a chance to pick up any of the things she meant to. Even now, mundane concerns still rise to the top of her mind.

Her room; she still can't really see it as more than a place to spend the night, once in a while. Home is something other people always had.

As Nao returns there, the sun having set, she finds that she is not alone. Natsuki, clad in a form-fitting leather biker's outfit is sitting backwards on a chair. Sitting is, perhaps, a charitable term. She has her arms placed on the back the chair, chin resting against them.

"Yo," greets Nao, closing the door behind her. There's a burning desire to ask what happened, exactly, but Natsuki likely has something to say on her own, and Nao finds it difficult to speak to her at the best of times.

The bluette raises her eyes at Nao. They are dull.

"Take a seat," she says. "Make yourself comfortable."

Nao obliges, not a trace of playfulness left inside her. She sits normally, pulling up a chair to face Natsuki. In contrast to the biker, her eyes aren't dull, but sombre.

This is going to be bad news, and the dictates of society indicate she is going to have to care more than she can- or at least not care in the wrong way; feeling an alien joy would be disastrous.

"Shizuru," Natsuki's voice breaks, and she looks away in anger, continuing stubbornly. "Shiruzu wanted you to know something. She said that she was sorry for everything, and that-- that she wished she could have become your friend. She said she regretted that the most about you." Natsuki swipes an arm against her eyes violently.

"You need to go to Fuka Shrine, and take a trail to the side to their storage building. The priest or his granddaughter should know where it is. Then, there would be some sort of message for you to find. Shizuru said you couldn't miss it." Natsuki returns her gaze to Nao, and the dead look in her eyes reminds Nao of an occasion she saw her like that. It pleased Nao a lot at the time, as well as the knoweldge she was at least partially responsible for it. "What sort of message could Shizuru possibly have for you? Why the secrecy? Did you get her involved--"

Natsuki swallows. "I always tried to protect her from all this. I knew she wanted me to tell her, but I couldn't." She looks like she wants to say more, but settles for waiting on Nao's answer.

Nao gazes at the ground, unable to keep meeting Natsuki's eyes for an instant, before they return to focus on her.

"I've already been. I got the message. More than just knowledge," she replies, and one of her hands flickers with the image of a black claw, arachine and slender.

"But questions, I.. didn't she know better than anyone? That's what I felt since I spoke to her the first time."

"What do you mean?" Natsuki asks. It's hard to judge her emotions, dominated as they are by fury and despair, but Nao thinks Natsuki sounds confused.

"Shizuru told me a lot of things. Armies of darkness? Children? Fighting? You still don't believe I forgot everything, do you? She told me everything all over again. And she was fighting, too, against that... thing.

"Getting her involved in it? I couldn't do that as I am. I thought you knew all about her."

"That's a lie!" Natsuki yells, jumping from the chair. It teeters, and she kicks it aside. The resulting crash sounds through the room; one of the chair legs must have been broken. The sound reminds Nao of the day's earlier events. "Shizuru didn't have to fight! Take it back!" She stretches an arm towards Nao, grasping at something. Natsuki's calls don't get answered, and the arm drops listlessly back. "Take it back," she repeats, shaking.

Nao starts at Natsuki's outburst, rocking back in her chair and almost falling herself.

"I can't," she replies, starting to shake. Looking back, Shizuru saved her life, and might have lived if she hadn't bothered. But Natsuki- could she take that? If she said it, it'd sound cruel.

"I'm sorry. I can't. I couldn't do a thing but watch and run. Never again. Never again."

Natsuki's hollow laughter fills the room. "Is that how it was?" she says, perhaps to herself. "Shizuru...."

Nao stands up, taking a few shaking steps to the kitchen, where she slowly pours a glass of water.

It should've been her, who had no life to start and had none who cared much for her. But Natsuki won't want to hear that. She probably doesn't want anything.

She brings it back, and bends down in front of Natsuki a bit. "Drink this," she offers, her face troubled and suddenly weary. But she can't cry or summon tears. In the end, they'd be for Natsuki more than Shizuru.

And Shizuru isn't worth them, a nagging voice insists. If she's dead? Good riddance, and what a shame she wasn't there to twist the knife.

Natsuki looks at the glass and shakes her head, refusing it. "You got your claws back," she notes. "And never again, you said. You'll get your chance. I'll find the Searrs witch, and we'll kill her."

That wasn't what Nao meant. She meant that nobody would do something stupid, like die because of her, again. Revenge had crossed her mind (how couldn't it?), but it wasn't the focus.

She takes a drink from the water at the thought, as her throat suddenly went dry. "When you need me, I'm there," she agrees, sitting back down in her chair. "But.. I have this feeling. That she'll find me before then."

"On campus, that's possible," Natsuki admits. "I'll investigate my own leads."

"My mobile got shorted out somehow. If you find something, you'll have to call me here," replies Nao, feeling some of her confidence returning. Making plans and talking about action- that's easy. Dealing with memories and feelings is nigh-impossible.

"What about Mikoto and Mai?"

"I don't know. Mai won't go for it, and Mikoto does what Mai tells her to."

"But.. she said we were under attack," reflects Nao, stretching back to look at the roof.

"I don't get it."

"We are," Natsuki says in irritation. "Orphans keep on showing up, sent by Searrs. Their vampire was the first direct attack on us, and now, they've gone all the way. Mai had a chance to stop that, but she's too damn soft and--" Natsuki shakes her head. "That doesn't matter now."

"What do they want?" asks Nao, memorizing that name. Searrs. It even sounds cruel. "It can't be just to kill us."

"To bring about the Golden Millennium, whatever that is. I don't know, alright! What good could possibly come from killing Shizuru?!" Natsuki slams a fist against the wall. It leaves cracks in the cement. "I don't fucking care if they want to cure cancer, I'll get them all to the last, starting with their Hime!"

That girl- an Orphan? wanted to be praised, she said. Too shallow a motivation. But it has suddenly become abundantly clear to Nao that there's more than two sides in this, and she's fast being drawn towards one. The question of what she was fighting for before- against Shizuru, if her unbidden thoughts travel fast to the logical conclusion.

Survival. That's what it comes down to for her. Shizuru's warning resurfaces briefly in her mind, and things aren't looking as simple as they did.

Natsuki won't explain things properly too her, and those that could are either dead or can't be trusted to start with. Mulling all this over leaves her with no immediate reply to the outburst.

Natsuki looks at the broken chair, as if seeing if the first time. "Here," she says, tossing a few bills on the desk. "For the furniture." Brushing past Nao, she heads outside. For the first time, Nao has noticed that Natsuki still had her shoes on indoors.

"Don't do anything rash without me," interjects Nao, as Natsuki edges out. 'Because you're not thinking straight' goes unsaid. She leaves Natsuki's methods to herself, glaring idly at the chair.

Well, it's not like she'll actually need two without a roommate, and she doesn't plan on having many guests.

Natsuki doesn't show any sign of having heard Nao as the door closes behind her, leaving Nao all alone.

Traitorous lock!

In no real mood to clean up, Nao, once again, finds herself bereft of motivation. She chains the door shut from the inside, and searches out an empty exercise book.

With little reservation, she begins recording some events as she remembers them, almost everything from the past two days that happened to her. How did she lose her memory? Could it happen again? If it does, then she'll find this. But she needs to put it somewhere where she'll surely find it, but nobody else is likely to... something she'll have to do regardless of her thoughts.

Amongst other, similar books could be a start. She labels it something innocous- a subject she isn't actually taking, amongst her other, similar books. She'll have to go through it, but it's unlikely anyone else will under most circumstances, especially not while she's aware of it- and if she loses her memory, then worse things could happen, evidently, far beyond some stranger locating it.

It takes quite a while to put everything to paper. Her thoughts, the information she had managed to gather, her fears, her Child -- Nao finds that she has more to write about them all than she had imagined, setting out to do such.

Above all, her ultimate goal of survival gets circled several times for good measure. Nao doesn't follow her inner voice much, but the two are in agreement over this, at least.

She slips it back into her bag, confident that if she forgets again, she'll come to remember in time.

Did, at any time, she happen to hear the neighbour's door during all of that?

Not Mai's and not, strangely enough, her other neighbor's. Then again, Nao can't recall whether the apartment to the other side is occupied.

She's never bothered to look at the plaque, and the urge to go outside doesn't really strike her at the moment.

She makes sure all the windows and such are closed, and then eventually falls into her bed, feeling mentally exhausted after writing everything down. Tomorrow feels so far away, but perhaps someone will be back by then. If not... she doesn't know what she'll do.

---

Nao dreams of terrible things, of being surrounded by men whose faces she cannot see, of backing into a corner where there is no escape and she hurts and she's tired and she can't run away anymore.

Nao dreams of plummeting down, that same horrible vision she had experienced before. Shizuru is there, and she can see the red naginata in her hands this time. There is more in the background, some kind of fire? But everything is out of focus, and Nao drops into the cold waters below.

Nao dreams, and she is not herself. She stands in a field of flowers, and her hand closes around one of them, a pretty dandelion. A plea to spare it staves off her hand, and she turns to see Shizuru, younger, but easily recognizable. The older girl says something, and suddenly, the act of harming a flower no longer seems desirable.

Nao dreams, and a girl appears before her. A spectre, her hair lavender. She's floating naked before Nao, extending a hand towards her. Uncanny lucidity fills Nao.

Nao reaches out, conscious of her hands moving but powerless to alter their course. Reality is little different from a dream. The path she has chosen has yet to branch.

The girl seems startled, and says something. Despite their proximity, Nao can't make out the words.

Her lips, watch her lips. Angry? Confused? Frightened? She's tired of being unknowing.

Urgent. The lips move faster, too fast to read for someone inexperienced.

And the dream ends with the usual abruptness. It is morning. The weekend is fully in swing.

Petulantly, Nao hides under her covers and refuses to get up for a couple of hours.

No one bothers Nao. Did she really have no friends, before? Moments like this suggest her fears weren't unfounded.

Morbidly, she wonders how long it would take for anyone to check up on her if she never left the room.

Eventually she drags herself out of bed and goes through the usual motions, preparing herself to face an empty day.

That might well be an apt description. It doesn't seem like Mai or Mikoto came home the previous night. The food situation is getting tight, however, and staying indoors is not going to resolve it.

She checks her phone, wondering if it's somehow magically working again despite yesterday. If so, the food situation looks better. If not...

...then she'll be heading to the cafeteria.

Whatever shut it down seemed to have been permanent or, at least, with a longer duration than several hours. Nao does, however, have several bills Natsuki had left over. On closer inspection, there are three of them, each a brand new ten thousand yen bill.

Oh, right. Her chair.

Then it's time to go shopping, she thinks with some kind of excited non-enthusiasm. Maybe a new bus pass while she's at it. Ten thousand yen is probably a lot.

Making sure to lock the frigging door behind her, Nao heads outside of her dorm, inhales the disgustingly fresh outside air, and starts trooping away towards the bus stop.

A door lock isn't likely to protect her from any of the powerful enemies she seems to have merely by existing. Or from her supposed allies, either, a nasty voice Nao has no control over adds.

A bus comes promptly as she arrives to the station, taking Nao and several other girls along to town. There is much excitement in the air, the previous day's events apparently not having put much of a damper on things.

People forget problems easily, or, if they don't seem to hurt *them*, even attract people. Nao is well aware of that, as she's apparently living proof.

She doesn't pay much attention to what others are saying, for once, and is glad to get off the bus when it reaches it's destination- preferably some kind of mall, where she can stock up on instant food and sliced meat.

A mall is one of the stations, complete with food court. Linden Baum is but one name she recognizes, alongside McDonalds and others.

Some kind of sick humour has her head over to Linden Baum and order something- she's not entirely picky about what. So this is what Mai does for a living. Odds are she's not there today, and Nao is curious. Did she learn to cook here, or get the job because she could? Other people's lives are so interesting!

The place is looking for a waitress, Nao spots. The uniforms are reasonably cute without being pandering to a certain demographic.

Only a single girl seems to be working; more like, being overworked, given the way the diner is full. The house special is decently tasty, and the melon soda Nao orders to wash it down passable.

Maybe if she's low on cash, she'll apply someday. Then again, maybe not. It wouldn't do to have customers get abducted... or something. Hidden voices in her mind promptly scream that it's a bad idea, and she finds herself hurrying away from the prospect, as if in stark (although controlled) terror.

Eventually she finds herself heading into a supermarket, where she pulls out a trolley and begins manouevering through aisles, picking up the essentials- instant noodles, instant noodles, more instant noodles, and some bread and sliced meat.

Nao has sufficient funds to secure her food for the next couple of weeks, even if she would have to sustain herself on instant noodles. As she travels the shopping center, advertizements for cell phones catch her eye. The store seems to be having a sale of some sort, trade in the old for a new model. More than a few girls Nao recognizes from school are there.

She was considering getting a new phone, so she heads over that-a-way and briefly eavesdrops on the other girls to see what they think of the newer model. She pulls out her own- dead, as expected- and takes note. Maybe hers wasn't the only one that shorted out yesterday.

The common thread seems to be that all the girls have stayed at the same dorm -- the one that caught fire briefly the other day. The girls in line to replace their old cells cast no doubts about realizing the sale is just a way for the store to avoid angry customers returning their phones en masse, but the new models are just so cute, according to them, that they don't really care.

"Hey..." says Nao, approaching one of the girls. "Did they find out what started that fire, yet?" she asks, curiously.

"I think that was lightning or something," the junior high student Nao approached responds. She doesn't seem to recognize Nao, and vice-versa; this girl must be from a different class, perhaps even a whole year below her. "You know, one of that weird kind that travels horizontally? Suzushiro-san has been saying that this girl from the high school section started it, but no one really believes her." She says the last sentence in what could charitably called a stage whisper. A few nearby students giggle.

"Maybe she's got something against her," snorts Nao. "Did she give a name?"

"That rebel girl, Kuga Natsuki."

Nao chokes again, and then bursts out into laughter. "Natsuki? Oh, man, you just made my day," she says, shaking her head. "She's got everyone slagging her," she mumbles, heading over to the counter to exchange phones and be done with this.

The exchange doesn't consume much of Nao's time. The salespeople are nice enough, although Nao thinks she can hear the tech personnel grumble in the background. She also retains most of her money in the process.

She leaves, after that. All in all, she's only taken a couple of hours. While she's in the mall, she amuses herself with some idle shopping, buying a new bag to lug her stuff around in, and a couple of other things which catch her eye, no doubt spending some henious amount of cash in the process.

Heading out of the mall, she doesn't feel like going back to the dorm to stare at the wall for the rest of the evening, so she begins wandering around the town, and her path soon draws her past the hospital again.

The hospital is open. The staff inside seems worn out, but ready to assist. No officers of the law can be seen on the premises.

Nao finds a receptionist and makes an enquiry about one... Takumi Tokiha, she thinks. A friend of hers who has a chronic illness; she checked him in yesterday but had to leave, is he alright?

Nao is recognized, which makes things easier. Takumi is in no life-threatening danger, but they are keeping him for observation for the time being. With his condition so progressed and no donor in sight, it only seems prudent. Takumi is really lucky to have such devoted friends and older sister, the nurse tells her.

"A donor?" asks Nao, unsure of whether she can get away with this sort of prying.

The nurse seems more guarded at the question. "Yes," she says. "We can't set a date for the operation without one."

Evidently not. "Sorry. He never told me exactly what.. ah, never mind," she replies, shaking her head. "Um. There was one other thing- some of my friends stayed here when I left, and they didn't come back to the dorms. Do you have any idea where they might be?"

"Who might they be?" the nurse asks, but Nao can see that the woman's suspicion is fading as she checks something on her computer terminal.

Nao dutifully gives the names of Mai and Mikoto, true concern highlighting her face, which seems a little pale.

"They're still here," the nurse informs Nao. "Takumi's sister was a bit hysterical after he got caught in that incident near the public park, and we gave her a room near him. She should be able to return home tomorrow."

"Ah, they stayed the night? May I see them?" asks Nao, hopefully.

"If they would like," the nurse responds, giving Nao the room number and directions. "As their friend, try not to push Tokiha-san if she still needs some time to herself?"

"Sure, I just want to say hi while I'm here," replies Nao, giving the nurse a short bow and navigating through the hospital towards the room given.

Mikoto is sitting outside the door. A long, wrapped bundle almost as tall as she is propped up against the wall by her side.

She didn't have that earlier...

Nao waves at Mikoto as she approaches, standing just before the door. "Hiya. How's it going?" she asks, asking the simplest possible question.

"Mikoto guarding Mai," the short girl declares, looking up at her. "Nao okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, somehow," replies Nao, thinking briefly back to Shizuru. "I was wondering where you two were. Is Mai.. feeling any better?"

"Mai kill person yesterday," Mikoto says matter-of-factly. "Mai needs time."

Would Nao need time if she killed someone? Something tells her that it wouldn't be anything more than a moment or two, and something else is repulsed by that notion.

She is quite sombre for a moment nonetheless. "What exactly happened yesterday, after we split up?"

"We fight!" Mikoto declares. The hall is thankfully empty. "Mikoto call Miroku! Pigtails girl very strong. Mai bring Kagutsuchi."

At that name, Nao's vision shifts. It is a horrible beast, made more terrible by the seeming innocence with which it nuzzles Mai's hand. The world is bathed in fire.

Nao's hand involuntarily covers her mouth, and she has to choke to keep the lunch she had from reappearing in a less appetizing form.

Mikoto frowns. "Mikoto misses Mai's lunches."

Wiping her mouth, Nao sits down across from Mikoto. "Wait. Mai killed this girl?" she asks, with a sinking feeling.

"No one survive that," Mikoto affirms.

"Did she carry a sword? One with two blades... lances like snakes, and ribbons like knives. I met a girl like that yesterday, too, just before I ran back into the hospital..."

Mikoto cradles her chin in the palm of her right hand, shifting to sit cross-legged. "Mmm. Pigtails girl had many weapons."

"Mai didn't kill her, and then the girl went and... fought Shizuru. And won," murmurs Nao. "She's still out there."

Mikoto's eyes widen. "Nao help Mikoto protect Mai?"

"Yeah, I will," replies Nao, her own face softening.

<--->

<--->

"She's after.. 'Hime', right? Why?" asks Nao, dropping across the aisle from Mikoto. Natsuki was incoherent when she asked, to say the least.

Mikoto shrugs. "Pigtails girl enemy. She attack Mai, so Mikoto fights."

It's as good a reason as any. Probably better than most.

"This happens often, huh?"

"Only second time," Mikoto answers, thinking it over. "Before, vampire kindap Natsuki."

Nao chokes back a snort. "*Natsuki?* Kidnapped? Must've been a brave vampire."

Mikoto shrugs. "Diana help us, we save Natsuki. Vampire, not so tough."

"I can't believe Natsuki is the kind of person who needs saving from anything, though. Especially not when she..." trails Nao, wringing her hands. "Well. You know, blew up the wall."

Mikoto shrugs again.

"What happened to the vampire in the end?"

"Miroku kill vampire." Mikoto nods with no small measure of pride. "Mmm."

"Didn't need stakes or sunlight or any of those things, eh? Not bad," reflects Nao, mirroring Mikoto's gesture. "Isn't it tough, though? Needing to fight like that? I mean, you seem more used to it than Mai." Obviously. But it almost seems like it's a game to Mikoto, whereas it's obviously all too real for Mai.

"Mikoto fights to find Brother," the girl declares. "Obstacles appear, so Mikoto cuts them down."

"Ah, everyone has someone after all," replies Nao. "How do you know fighting will lead you to him?"

"Grandfather said, go to Land of Fuka. Find Brother there."

"Is this place special in it's own right, somehow? I guess it must be, with so many... uh..."

Mikoto frowns. "Maybe."

"As for that girl... Natsuki's looking for her. Once she finds where she is, we can be the ones hunting her," continues Nao. Her forehead creases, and her eyes take on a hawklike expression. "It'll be better that way. If you're stuck waiting for someone to come to you, then they get to choose the time."

Mikoto nods seriously. "We fight together."

A thought dawns on Nao's mind. "You were here all night, weren't you? Guarding Mai."

Mikoto nods once more. "Mikoto protect Mai. Mikoto likes Mai!"

"A chef of her calibre is a treasure to be defended," replies Nao, nodding sombrely.

"Mai's food is good," Mikoto agrees. She seems to salivate a bit, and her stomach growls.

"It's not quite up to her standards, but there's probably a hospital cafeteria around here," replies Nao, reaching into her purse. "Wanna go get something? I'll wait here."

Mikoto seems torn, even as her stomach voices its protests again. "Nao call Mikoto if enemy attacks?" she asks, looking up at the red-head.

"I'll hit the fire alarm," replies Nao. "That'll get everyone out the way quickly, too."

Mikoto grabs her wrapped package, standing up. "Mikoto be back soon," she declares, and with a final glance at Mai's door, departs.

While Mikoto has run off, Nao opens the door a crack and peers inside, looking at Mai.

Mai seems to be asleep, lying on her bed and not reacting to the opening of the door.

How can the mind have such a problem killing someone who tries to kill you? It must be the shock of the incident to start. Natsuki said Mai never gives up, but if this is what she's like afterwards...

Closing the door again, Nao takes up Mikoto's position, idly watching people pass by. Mikoto must have been beyond bored; did she even sleep? She didn't look tired in the least...

What must be the most boring twenty minutes of her new life pass agonizingly slowly. Mikoto returns eventually, seeming content. She glances at Nao, as if to check whethere there've been any problems.

Not entirely. Waiting in her room for nothing to happen is difficult to beat. At least here there's a tension, as if something might happen at any moment. Although she's fearful, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't hoping. Maybe boredom is the ultimate weakness that way.

"We used to go out, right? What kind of guys did we meet?" asks Nao, once Mikoto has sat back down.

"Guys," Mikoto says simply. "We offer to have fun."

"There wasn't, like... a steady boyfriend or anything, right?"

Mikoto blinks. It doesn't seem to Nao that she understands.

"You know... isn't that the point of dating? Well, I guess not, I mean, not the way we were doing it. The way I think were doing it. Did we do anything with them?"

Mikoto nods.

Even Mikoto can't miss the consternation and confusion blanketing Nao's face, who is quite plainly distressed. She looks like she's about to ask another question, but gives up and just looks away.

Mikoto might see it plain as day, but she doesn't comment. Rather, she looks a bit confused. "Nao wanted to and invited Mikoto. Nao change mind?"

"Yeah... I don't think I want to do that stuff. I had some bad dreams," she replies, shaking her head. "You didn't have any problems with it, right?"

"Mikoto has problems," the girl responds. "But Nao Mikoto's friend, so Mikoto helps."

"What kind of problems?" asks Nao, sounding guilty.

"Mikoto think it wrong to do that."

"Wrong to chat up guys?"

"What comes next."

"I'm sorry," blurts out Nao, lowering her head. "I can't believe you'd do things that make you uncomfortable like that just because I asked. Yeah, we definately won't go 'dating' anymore. At least... not like that."

Mikoto nods firmly. "Nao understands, it's good."

Nao leans back, ensconced in silence. Again, she reminds herself that she's a different person, now. But probably not that different.

"How'd we meet, anyway?" queries Nao, starting to think a bit harder about this. She and Mikoto were, at least, clearly two completely different people. She can't see the old Nao having really thought of Mikoto as a friend, so much as a... clueless child.

Before Mikoto even answers, Nao remembers. A strange creature running on all fours knocked her down, and as it was spread over her in a very compromising position, its face resolved into a crying Mikoto. She latter proceeded to scamper off, leaving Nao confused.

And Nao is back in the present. Mikoto seems to be thinking very hard about the question.

Nao is no less confused. "You hit me?!" she manages, before remembering she did the same thing to Natsuki.

But Natsuki deserved it! This is totally different.

Mikoto tilts her head.

"...I think? Some four-legged beast, with your face," continues Nao, forgetting where she is and trying to remember that scene. "You were crying. But I was confused."

"I don't know where I was..."

"Spicy curry," Mikoto laments.

"W-w-wait, that's not the important thing here! What happened after that? That's not what you'd call a friendly introduction, you know."

"Mikoto meet Natsuki when Natsuki try to kill Mikoto."

"...with spicy curry?"

"With Duran."

"Why?"

Mikoto seems to think quite hard about it. She visibly puts into it a lot of effort. At the end, she shrugs.

Trying not to gnash her teeth in frustration, Nao just slumps against the wall. "If not that, then why'd she stop, uh, trying? I don't get this at all." Is everyone completely nuts, or something?

"Mai say Natsuki not enemy, so Mikoto stop," she tells Nao. "Mikoto trusts Mai!"

Later, Nao is going to have to talk to Mai about this. In detail. Natsuki's mad with grief and anger at the moment, though Nao can't argue with her current goal. And talking to Mikoto has proven challenging, at best.

The fact that nobody seems willing or able to explain anything too her is maddening.

Waiting for an attack that might come at any moment is tiring, but Mikoto's company makes it easier. Several hours later, once the sun is well past its apex, Mikoto stirs all of a sudden.

Nao drowsily checks the time on her watch. No, her phone. No, a nearby clock.

Her phone suggests it is a quarter to six.

Faint sounds are coming from inside Mai's room.

Nao raises an eyebrow, and stands up, walking over the door to have a look inside.

"Eek!" Mai cries out as the door opens, covering herself with a sheet.

Mikoto nods sagely. "Mai is Mai."

"This happens often?" asks Nao, repeating some earlier words.

Mikoto nods again.

"Close the damn door!" Mai calls from inside.

Nao obliges, letting it swing shut. "Come to think of it, she was like that when I came around yesterday, too..."

A minute or two pass, the silence only interrupted by the hurried shuffling inside Mai's room. She emerges from it, clad in the clothes she wore for that fateful outing, giving Nao the evil eye. "You did that on purpose," she states flatly.

"Completely false," replies Nao, shaking her head. "I didn't know you had such bad luck. Next time, it'll be on purpose."

Mai makes a sour face. It quickly changes into a look of worry, as she glances down the hall. "Takumi--?"

"I asked about him earlier," replies Nao, quietly. "They said he's stable for now, I think... are you going to go and see him?"

Mai nods. "After I wash my face and eat something. If Takumi's awake, I don't want him to see me this way."

Nao is forced to concur. Mai doesn't look at her best.

"Ah... sure," replies Nao, feeling a bit hungry herself. "How 'bout you wash up, and I'll get you something from the cafeteria? Just meet us over there. My treat."

"Sounds alright," Mai agrees. She looks at Mikoto, biting on her lower lip. "I hate to ask, but--"

"Mikoto guard here!" the younger girl offers, saving Mai the trouble of asking.

Nao can't help but chuckle. That kind of dedication... could be dangerous indeed, she thinks.

Shaking away that thought, she heads down to the cafeteria herself. The money Natsuki gave her is burning a hole in her pocket, anyway, so it's no problem.

Mai joins her there after several more minutes, used well for ordering a meal for the two of them. She looks much better, now, and certainly alive even if tiredness is showing through.

"Mikoto's really something," remarks Nao, starting to eat some cheap pasta. "Standing guard for that long."

She swirls her fork around a little. "It's hard to believe it."

"She can be very single-minded," Mai agrees with a sigh.

"Yeah. It's kinda admirable," replies Nao, smiling a bit.

"How are you feeling? I wanted to ask you some heavy things. But it can wait."

<--->

<--->

"Wait for what?" Mai asks, sagging slightly. "A sudden turn for the better?"

"I guess not, then," replies Nao, lowering her eyes. "I wanted to hear about what's going on around here from the top. Who's attacking this island.. why... why it's apparently just teenagers who are able to do anything about it... nobody explained it. I don't know if anyone can. But I've got nobody else to ask."

Mai leans back in the cafeteria seat, staring at the ceiling. "You can see the star, too, can't you?"

Her words carry meaning for Nao. She remembers, suddenly, of how a large red shadow almost covered the sun, spreading its extremities as if to choke the warmth out of it.

"The Hime star," Mai continues. "There are those of us who see it, and we have those strange birthmarks on our bodies. I didn't know anything about that until I met Mikoto. Her clothes were torn, and I had to give her CPR... I ended up spotting it. That's how it all started for me."

"I haven't seen anything like that. But I remember it," replies Nao, shivering in her seat. "You saved her life, huh..."

"I sometimes wonder if Mikoto would have died from something like that," Mai muses, her worries visibly lessening as she reminisces. "We didn't actually become friends until later at school, when I cooked her dinner."

"Bribery, eh?"

"She was hungry!" Mai says defensively. "The girl practically fainted from hunger!"

"So we're back to the life-saving," nods Nao. "Was she your roommate from the start?"

"I guess that's how our rooms were assigned, I wouldn't put it past the chairwoman to try something like that," Mai grumbles. She waves her hands in panic afterwards. "I don't mean that I don't like living with Mikoto or anything!"

"Are you sure? I'll take her off your hands, if you want~" replies Nao, smiling cheerfully. But she's clearly joking; after Mikoto's most recent display of loyalty, there's no way she thinks Mikoto would likely leave Mai.

"Maybe we could share custody," Mai offers. "Would every other weekend be alright with you?"

"Deal! We'll start next week," replies Nao, emphatically nodding mid-way through slurping up some spaghetti.

Crimson blood flies ever- no, it's just a bit of sauce.

Mai titters, before finally starting to eat.

"Anyway," replies Nao, quickly going for the napkin- "-this pigtailed girl, I asked Kuga about what she was fighting for. She was... not in any mood to explain, we'll say. But she did mention something about a 'golden millenium.'"

Mai's mood visibly plummets. "Uh-huh," she says, eating slower.

"Yeah, that was a question. What the heck is that?"

"This Golden Millennium?" Mai repeats. "No idea. If Natsuki told you about it, you really should be asking her."

"She doesn't care about what they want. I doubt she'd bother finding out," replies Nao, shaking her head. "She probably didn't really know more than that..."

Shoving her empty plate aside, she rests her elbows on the table, propping up her chin. Her face could be described as 'speculative', and she continues making enquiries with all the detachment of a bored academic.

"Who else is there who knows anything?"

"There's that Nagi brat, and he seems to know a lot," Mai says, sighing. "The Chairwoman, too. You must have met her when you first came to the school. I thought it was a bit strange how Takumi and I both got full schollarships from her, but I never expected an ulterior motive like that." She has a strange smile on her face. "'Save the world!' Isn't that funny?"

Mai laughs sadly.

"At least you've been earning it?" offers Nao. "Maybe I did, I don't remember. I guess I'll have to go and speak to her sometime. But that Nagi kid... he can't be trusted, can he? It's like he enjoys watching other people suffer, soooooooo. Yeah."

"At least he's willing to help, for whatever reasons he might have." Mai sighs. "Even when Aoi-chan was attacked, all the Chairwoman would say is that she's asking me to sit that one out. And after all that speech about fighting the Orphans, too!"

Mai begins to eat the rest of her food angrily. "She never tells me a single useful thing!"

"-you know what happened to Aoi?!"

Mai looks startled. "Oh!" she exclaims. "Oh. No. It's just that one day Aoi-chan was trying to sneak in during curfew, and an Orphan attacked her. She forgot all about the attack because she hit her head, but her leg was in a cast for a while. Even if I didn't want to fight before, I couldn't just stand by and let this happen to my friends!"

"...you *sure* it was because she hit her head?" asks Nao, pointedly.

"That's what the doctors said at the time," Mai responds. "She remembered everything until the evening of the attack."

"Better shape than me, I guess," mutters Nao.

"Orphans... they're all kids? Both us and those against us?"

"Orphans are... orphans." Mai shivers. "I guess it's not much use to you. They're these slimy, disgusting monsters who can also become huge monsters with blades and claws and... you know, monster stuff."

"Oh. Yes, completely different from what I had in mind. They just appear at random, tormenting people out at night or something?"

"That's what we thought at first," Mai admits, "before Natsuki discovered that the Church was the base of operations for Searrs. They were summoning those monsters and setting them loose on the students!"

"At least they weren't making real or- no, wait, this is worse," mumbles Nao.

"But you went there and stopped 'em, I take it."

"Well, no," Mai says. "They kidnapped Natsuki, but this Diana person helped us, and Mikoto and I found them." Mai shows discomfort, looking away from Nao. "You didn't want to help, so you didn't come."

"I was probably laughing," replies Nao, telling Mai straight out. "But that was then and this is now."

"Right," Mai agrees. "We got Natsuki back, and Mikoto killed that 'vampire' Orphan that's been attacking people. But then Alyssa-chan was there and Natsuki yelled at me to do it, and I just couldn't! She was just in grade school!"

"Alyssa... is she that girl from before?"

Mai's face darkens. "No, that... it wasn't Alyssa."

While the girl was rather young, Nao wouldn't put her in the grade school years, either.

"So what did you end up doing with her?" queries Nao, setting the matter of Shizuru's murderer aside for now. "I'm guessing she had somewhat lethal abilities of her own. I can't imagine just... letting someone go."

"There was this flash of light and she was gone, along with Miyu. No one's seen them since at school, but I heard Natsuki say that paperwork for their transfer was processed."

"Mmmph. That's kinda reassuring," replies Nao, not really reassured- today's enemy could be tomorrow's, too.

"Then... this Seaars guy. When it comes right down to it, he's the one attacking the island? For whatever reason, it doesn't actually matter that much."

"Well, maybe." Mai doesn't look convinced. "I mean, I've seen at least one Orphan that couldn't have been sent by Searrs. Whatever Searrs is. I never really asked Natsuki about that...."

"Oh, great. Well. When I see her again, at least I'll know what to ask," replies Nao, standing up. "She's trying to find that girl, whoever she was, before she comes after us again. One way or the other, I've got a feeling I'll be seeing her.

"When I do, I'll be sure to get some answers out of her pretty little mouth. If we find her first, will you help me?"

"Find... that girl?" Mai asks, the gears in her head turning. "I-- she--" She clenches her fists. "She's dead," Mai says quietly. "I've accepted it."

"She's not. Pigtails, right? Some weird sword with two blades? Yeah. She tried to kill me. She..."

Nao's face twists into something ugly, as if it's struggling not to be gleeful.

"She *did* kill Shizuru."

"It... it simply couldn't be the same girl," Mai protests weakly. "There is no way! I saw her burn!"

The outburst gets a few looks from the nearby tables.

"Then she either has magical healing powers," replies Nao, skeptically. "Or a twin. It doesn't really matter much either way, because you're right. She's dead. She's going to be dead, because I'm going to kill her.

Mai trembles, wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't do it. I can't. I came here because Takumi and I promised to have a fun school life together, not to fight monsters!"

"I'll do it. I can. I don't have any reason to be here and nothing to lose. I wasn't helping before because I was selfish, not because I was scared," replies Nao, walking around to Mai's chair and putting her hands on her shoulders.

"But think about it for me, anyway. Because I don't know if I can do it, and if something happens to me... then I think someone will need to take it up instead. Because you'll still need to protect yourself. Now, come on, calm down. You can't let your brother see you like this, right?"

"Takumi...." Mai sighs. "I took this up, I bonded with Kagutsuchi... it was all to protect him, to protect all those who are dear to me. But when to protect their lives you have to kill other people... how can that ever be worth it, Nao?"

"It's simple. I'll never value my own life- or yours, or Mikoto's- less than a murderer's," replies Nao, shaking her head. "If someone tries to kill you, it's like they're telling you to kill them first. If someone is prepared to kill, then they'd better be prepared to get killed. In the end, they started it.

"That means we have to finish it."

"But there must be some way to talk it through!" Mai insists. "We're all Hime, it can't be that killing each other is the only way!"

It is. The certainty of that thought is overwhelming. There can be only one.

"I'm not sure the difference between me and someone who looses monsters on the island is something that can be resolved with words," replies Nao, shaking her head.

"If they talk to me, I'll talk back. It's only when they start killing me I'll kill them back. What else am I supposed to do? *I don't want to die.*"

"I don't want to kill," Mai returns. "Kagutsuchi is very powerful, and I can't control him well," she continues quietly. "I gave the order, but I couldn't take it back. Maybe if I tried harder, if I kept my cool, it wouldn't have happened. And the next time, I will have to do it on purpose? I can't, I'm sorry, I just can't."

"I guess that's admirable, too, though I'll never be able to see things your way," replies Nao. "But in the end, it's like I said. You do what you have to do. And I'll do what I have to do."

"I'm sorry," Mai repeats. "I... I'm not some stupid, naive airhead. I know I won't be left alone, and I'll fight, because I can't let it happen to-- if only we had been closer to that explosion--" She closes her eyes. "But I can't do what you can. And... and please don't ask Mikoto to. She's-- I know she's your age, but she's just a kid! She shouldn't have to--"

"Yeah. I think if I die, it'll go badly for her," replies Nao, quietly. "There's another reason. I almost forgot."

"She will be very sad," Mai agrees very quietly. "She really does like you, you know?"

"I don't think I deserved it, but she's the first friend I found after I woke up. She's the last person I want to... disappoint."

"I think it's hard to disappoint Mikoto." Mai sniffs, wiping at her eyes. "Spicy food might do it, though."

"Everyone has a fatal weakness," replies Nao, nodding, as she starts to head outside the cafeteria. "Coming?"

Mai nods, taking the trays. Hers still has some food on it, but she doesn't seem in a mood to finish it. "I'll clear the table, and freshen up. Meet you back next to Mikoto, Nao?"

"Gotcha, and thanks!" she replies, starting to head back.

<--->

<--->

Awaking with a start, Nao pulls herself upright, shaking away the latest in a string of nightmares. Once she's forgotten whatever dreadful thing it was (something to do with falling), she drags herself out of bed.

After Mikoto seemed to be showing no signs of tiring, she left the hospital, making the girl promise to call her if something happened. School starts again, today. After all. And that's what's *really* important. At least, that's what the teachers seemed to indicate, and structure is something Nao badly needs.

About thirty minutes later, she's dressed and prepared. Shoving no small amount of candy into her satchel (it's high in energy, the labels said so and they wouldn't lie), she starts trudging off to the daily grind, which still at least holds some novelty.

Nao merges with the stream of students headed to campus, making it to the junior high building with time to spare. Her classmates are busy gossiping about the mysterious events of the weekend, Tamaki waving at Nao.

Nao waves back, adopting the more-familiar 'dazed' expression she'd been unconsciously maintaining back when she was at school. It's not terribly hard to fake.

"Hiya," she greets, dropping her bag next to her seat and pulling herself to the edge of a table.

"Morning!" Tamaki greets brightly. "Did you hear the latest?"

"About the exploding gas main? I *saw* it," replies Nao, putting on some fake pride. "Was right there in the town park when it happened! Man, it was terrifying..."

She pulls out a lollipop from her pocket, and slowly starts taking off the wrapper.

"No, not that--" Tamaki stops abruptly. "Wait. You saw it?!"

"Well, yeah. It was kind of hard to miss. You'd have spotted it from almost anywhere in town, I think," replies Nao, shaking her head.

Tamaki makes the appropriate awed noises. She's barely able to restrain herself due to her excitement.

"I had no idea it was so dangerous here. Or do you think I just have bad luck?" reflects Nao, sticking the candy in her mouth, and keeping one hand on the other end of the stick.

"Ooh! Speaking of danger--" The girl leans closer to Nao, the obligatory conspiratorial ceremony of checking whether anyone is trying to listen to their conversation following. "--did you hear that a horrible criminal might have snuck into campus?!"

Something tells Nao that if Tamaki knows something, so does everyone else, making the ritual effectively pointless... from her end, anyway.

"Well, that'd just make my friggin' week, wouldn't it?" reflects Nao, sagging in her chair. "How do you know?"

"There are cops on school grounds and everything!"

"Huh. Well. There were those vanishing people, recently. Probably on the lookout for whoever's responsible."

"Or maybe it's about that fire I heard about," she continues, pulling the lollipop out her mouth with a slight pop. "Like I said! Dangerous. Way more dangerous than I thought."

"That's not all!" Tamaki adds, wide-eyed. "There is a rumor that the dangerous criminal is none other than a student here at Fuka! Disgruntled over his lack of friends and condescending attitude from his teachers, he is lurking about, armed and waiting for a chance to strike back at everyone!"

"So it'd all be okay if someone was nice to him?" replies Nao, tapping the candy against her lip. "Sounds like a bit of a loser, if you ask me."

"Shh! He might be listening! Do you want to end up like in all those horrible stories from America?"

"Hah! Like I need to fear a loser like that!" replies Nao, cockily. "I'll just kick him into the sky. Mikoto and me took out an entire soccer team without help, you know. Even if I did wind up fainting. I mean, that was a good twenty minutes of playing, this'd only take a couple.

"Besides, you think he'd try again with all these cops around? Nah, he'll give up. He's probably a wimp."

Tamaki gasps!

Nao stops sucking the lollypop and starts audiably crunching it into tiny pieces. "So you've got nothing to fear, especially if I'm around."

Tamaki looks like she would like to argue that point, but the bell rings and she uses the chance to escape to her seat with a wave at Nao.

"Good morning, class!" Mister Sakomizu greets, opening the door. "Today, a new student will be joining us. Please make her feel welcome."

A girl enters after him shyly. She walks to the front of the room and, standing before the blackboard, bows. "I'm Searrs Arika. Please treat me well."

Nao wouldn't mistake that face, the image of Shizuru's murderer vivid in her mind.

Nao gets up, and lunges towards the girl, claws forming in her hand as she vaults over her surprised classmates, and finishes up this problem with a single, decisive blow.

Then she snaps back awake and realises she's still in her seat, but the black look she finds herself throwing the girl would be difficult to miss... if anyone was looking at her.

She realises she's gripping the edges of her table so firmly that it hurts, and with some effort, forces herself to relax her hands.

As soon as Nao lets up, she sees that her fingers have left deep, visible imprints in her desk.

The girl is smiling at the class, and then begins to write her name on the blackboard when Nao's favorite teacher admonishes her for skipping that part of the introduction.

Nao starts flexing her fingers, in part to stop their jittering. She can't stand being so close to this girl and unable to do anything. What if the girl isn't constrained? She was smiling just like that before.

An opportunity will have to arise. She can't just kill the girl right here in the middle of class. Not if she wants to have much of a life in the future. Besides, there's no telling if she could even do the job.

At least Natsuki won't be working that hard.

Some inner urge tells Nao that other people will find her very strange if they look at her. A couple of her books move to discreetly cover up the gouging- though she has no idea how people won't notice later.

"Are you Alyssa-chan's big sister?" a question is thrown even before Arika has finished writing her name down.

"Yeah, do you sing in the choir, too?" another is asked, along with questions of whether this Alyssa will be returning soon.

"It's actually the other way around!" Arika responds with that brilliant, slightly-vacant smile that is so full of innocence. Her response draws laughter and smiles.

What's so funny? Nao doesn't know, and she doesn't join in.

Not paying attention in class was a previous talent of hers, it seems, and it's time to break it out again.

After the introduction, which includes several more questions Nao only barely listens to, is over with, Arika is told to take a vacant seat at the last row. It happens to be three seats behind Nao.

You've got to be kidding. There's no way Nao's letting that girl sit behind her.

After a moment, Nao stands up, trying to put a bit of a limp on her movements. "Um... I have a nurse's appointment," she blurts out, leaving her stuff on the desk. "I'll be back... later."

Without really listening for a response, she staggers out the classroom.

Nao hears an exchange as she limps out of class. Tamaki catches up to her a few moments afterwards, closing the door behind them. "Come on, I'll take you there," she says, offering Nao her shoulder. "Are you anemic again?"

"I'll be fine, you should get back to class," replies Nao, only mostly telling the truth. "Wouldn't want to miss... math, right? Heh."

"If you're sure," Tamaki drawls, looking over Nao critically.

"I'm pretty sure," Nao drawls back. "I'll see you in a bit." She starts heading away, feeling much better in short order.

It never really felt that way until now, but the main reason she wants that girl dead is due to fear. It's not like she didn't know that, but it never really hit her until this morning. When you really get down to it...

...she's just running away again.

Nao escapes both math and Arika. She is the only one who seems to be skipping the first period, the halls of the school empty and quiet.

Natsuki's gone to who-knows-where and won't be appearing anytime soon. Mai and Mikoto are still at the hospital. Nao doesn't feel particularly sick, but for the time being, she's not heading back to class.

Maybe this would be a good time to find that Chairwoman person. She's probably in the central school building (there must be some offices around here somewhere), so that's where she looks. Signs, or stray teachers, or anything might point the way. If not, she's in for a fairly aimless time.

The Chairwoman, Kazahana Mashiro. It's not a name that brings up feelings with it one way or the other, but Nao feels an urge to leave the campus and take the road back to the dorms.

<--->

<--->

Following her instincts, Nao leaves campus, with no one the wiser. She starts to walk back to the dorms, when she passes the maze of hedges and flowers, and turns towards it instead.

It must be a daunting task to navigate normally, but Nao's legs take her through the labyrinth, all the way to a small gazebo in its center. A girl with lavender hair is sitting in a wheelchair by the structure, admiring a flower in her hands.

Nao makes little secret of her approach, studying the girl as she walks towards her.

Evidently they've met before, and she's important, somehow. Could this be the chairwoman? Nao somehow expected someone older.

"Excuse me," she calls, drawing closer. "Have we met?"

"We have," the girl responds softly, looking at Nao. "I am Kazahana Mashiro. I was saddened to hear that you had lost your memory, Yuuki-san."

"That makes two of us," comes the glib reply. "But, I've been working it out. In bits and pieces. Can't say I'm sure most of it was worth keeping."

The girl doesn't respond, placing her hands in her lap before raising her eyes to Nao's face once more.

"If I could pick anything, to recall in full detail... one thing might be about people other than myself. But before that, I'd be asking about this island. Doesn't seem a place suitable for sustaining life, to my observations."

"People live here just fine," Mashiro responds, "and have for centuries. For millennia."

"Then I'm guessing this is just a bad year. Bound to happen sooner or later, right? But all I hear about these days are orphans, children, and Hime.

"Mai already told me a few things. So I'm curious. What's so important about this place? This 'land of fuka', as I heard it described."

"It does hold importance," Mashiro agrees. "I'm afraid I can't explain the rest, however. I cannot speak of this."

"It's my life on the line, sister. I think you'd better speak of something pretty quickly, or I might end up like Shizuru. And won't that be a shame."

Mashiro lowers her eyes. "It was not supposed to happen."

"What is supposed to happen, then?" replies Nao, unable to contain her growing frustration. "I'm sick of this! Everyone I ask, it's like pulling teeth! If someone had told me everything straight on day one, then maybe I could've done something! But they didn't, and I was clueless, and thanks to that, Shizuru's dead, Natsuki's god-knows-where, Mai's gone nuts, and I.. I can barely step outside without jumping at shadows! Does someone else need to die? More girls need to disappear?"

"I'm sorry," Mashiro tells her. "It is not something I can talk about."

Nao grabs Mashiro by the collar, pulling her up close. "I'm warning you, you fucking hippie, if you don't explain things to me, I don't know what I'll do. But I'll bet my fucking life that whatever it is 'isn't supposed to happen', and you'll be the only one to blame for it."

Nao's instincts scream at her to leap back! There is no time to waste!

Something clenches in Nao's throat, and she releases the girl and hops backwards, far further than she thought possible.

It is illogical, but she hears the danger before it even reveals to her eyes. As Nao vacates her spot, a blade whisltes through the air, gouging a deep trench in the ground.

A deadly scythe appears, drawing all nearby light into it. A pink-haired woman in a maid outfit is holding it in a deceptively leisurely grasp, standing protectively in front of Mashiro's wheelchair. She looks back at the wheezing girl, and then returns her eyes to Nao. They narrow.

Nao glowers right back, cocking one arm back for a moment, before letting it drop to her side. She already has one person hunting her down. If she's wounded here- even if she wins (and she's somehow sure she would)- then she won't have a chance against the one who's really after her.

"I've got a feeling. You're gonna have a lot to answer for," she snarls. "If you're half as sad as you look, woman, you'd tell me what's going on. I bet you're scared instead. Of what I'll do when I find out.

"*I will.* I hope you're ready."

"Mashiro-sama, shall I take care of her?" the maid asks, not taking her eyes off Nao. She hasn't blinked through the red-head's tirade, merely staring at her, unmoving.

The wheelchair-bound girl shakes her head, coughing. "No, Fumi." She looks past her at Nao. "That might be so, Yuuki-san. Best of luck to you in your investigations."

Yuuki-san spits, and takes her leave. Instead of bothering to wind a way through the maze, she starts cutting her way out in a straight line.

Cutting through the hedge takes quite some time, as it is almost as tall as Nao herself. She does find herself back on the path from her dorm to school eventually, however.

Better head back. It's not like that girl will try anything in class. Nao will find some way to get her. Somehow. For now there's nothing to do but endure it.

There are still ten minutes in the first period left. If Nao hurries, she could probably be in time to receive her homework.

She's in no particular hurry.

Nao makes it back as Mister Sakomizu leaves the classroom. He gives her a brief disappointed look, but continues along his way. The next class is geography, Nao thinks.

Nao enters as he leaves, managing to force her face into a more cheery disposition by the time any of her classmates see it. Today is the last day she intends to let her fear be so obvious (to anyone looking for it, of course.)

"Hi!" the object of her fear says brightly, skipping over to Nao with her hands behind her back. "You're Nao, right? I'm Arika! Do you wanna be friends?"

She smiles. It is that same carefree smile Nao can't forget.

"Sure! You had a sister, right? What happened to her? Sorry, my memory is pretty bad, but I think I'm supposed to know," replies Nao, all smiles and happiness herself.

"She messed up, so now I'm here," Arika responds cheerfully. "Don't worry, I'm not as weak as her, so it won't even hurt!"

"A slightly bigger ant is still an ant," replies Nao, wondering if anyone nearby is listening in on this no-doubt surreal conversation.

Some of the nearby students do, and their expressions are stuck halfway between a smile and a frown, as if unsure how they're supposed to react.

"Ooh, how did you know Daddy calls me his little ant?!" Arika asks in barely-restrained excitement.

Nao chokes, and can't hold back a grin. She manages to cover it with her hand, which then serves to muffle her derisive chuckle.

The others around Nao take it as their cue to adopt smiles, albeit somewhat clueless ones.

"High praise indeed," she manages, slouching towards her chair. "I'll do the same, then. Let's be friends, little ant~"

"Alright, Nao-chin~!" Arika chirps, and with a wave skips back to her seat.

"She must really like you," Tamaki comments, leaning closer to Nao. "Searrs-san even wanted to help you get to the nurse's office, and without knowing where it was, too!"

"Tamaki, you're a wonderful human being," replies Nao. "If you ever need me at three in the morning, I'll be there."

Tamaki blushes, and mumbles something before slipping away. She seems quite embarrassed.

The window is hopefully reflective enough to give Nao a glimpse of the little devil a few seats behind her, which should put her paranoid mind somewhat at ease.

It's not a sure thing by any means, but Nao should be able to spot a sneak attack in the middle of a lesson, if one comes at her from behind.

The ribbons are fast. She could be dead in a second and nobody would notice for another five. With that comforting thought in mind, she prepares herself to face... Geography, another subject she'll have little use for.

At sometime during lunch break, Nao forgoes her usual trip to the cafeteria to do some exploring, heading towards the university level of the school, and in particular wandering around the science labs.

Ideally, she'll find some geeky-looking guy departing from a chemistry laboratory. Even if that can't be arranged, she should at least work out where everything is.

A couple of lanky boys leave the lab as Nao is scouting it. They look as if they had sampling their own experiments, which fits her criteria just fine.

"Um, excuse me!" calls out Nao, waving clusmily at the two boys as she jogs up to them, 'breathlessly'. "Are you boys busy?" she asks, chest heaving.

Nao's chest draws the expected reaction, as is the junior high uniform she is wearing. "Uhh, no," one of the boys answers, the other shaking his head and asking, "What's up?"

"You wouldn't happen to be... chemistry students, would you?" she asks, deciding to put it to the test once and for all- is endearing cluelessness actually possible?

They exchange looks. "First year, yeah," both respond.

"Ah, thank goodness!" she exclaims. "Um, sorry. I'm Asuza Shiratori, from the ice-skating club. The president wanted me to find out about some... special effects for one of our upcoming performances, but it's hard because we don't have much of a budget," she says. "What we really want is some way of making coloured smoke. So, I say to myself, 'Asuza, who would know about making coloured smoke at this school?' And then I think, 'yeah! Science people!' So, um..."

She suddenly blinks, and blushes a deep red, glancing away. "..ifyoucouldhelpme, I'd really appreciate it!"

"Colored smoke?" the first boy repeats after her. "You mean, like with a signal flare?"

"Yeah, something like that! It's got to cover a decent area, and spread pretty quickly. At least, that's what the president said. Sometimes I think she asks too much, you know?"

"It doesn't sound too difficult," he responds with a glance at his friend, who nods. "But the problem would be making it harmless to the spectators if they get too close and inhale some."

"Mmm. We could probably have them sit back a bit," replies Nao, tapping her lip. "I'd be more worried about the skaters... you know, it doesn't have to last too long."

"Can you actually skate through colored smoke?" he asks curiously. "It'd be the same as going blind, pretty much, even if its harmless to the eyes."

"We'll practice lots," replies Nao, nodding. "I mean, what we're really going for is something impressive, so it's no good if they can't see us at all. We kind of want to... flit in and out, you know? Like ghosts or phantasms, the president said. We're getting one of those disco balls, too, and this'll complete the effect!"

"I guess we could talk to our advisor, see what we could come up with," the boy muses. "What did your president want, smoke that coils by the ground or something that rises upwards?"

"I hadn't really thought about that," admits Nao, chewing her finger. "Something that rises upwards could be best, but whatever spreads the quickest, I think."

"Sure thing," the two agree. "What's your president's name? We'll give her a call when we have something."

"Could you call me instead? She actually left the school this week to see her sick grandmother," replies Nao, looking very sombre indeed. "I'm meant to have something ready by the time she gets back."

"We could do that," he agrees. "Sure. What's, ah, your number?"

The boy seems quite eager to hear the answer.

Nao gives them her number."Thanks!" she responds, smiling cheerily and wandering back into the junior high section of the school.

"No problem!" he calls after her. "I'm Jin!"

"Yuto! I'm Yuto!" his more silent friend adds.

And then, Nao manages to escape the two.

<--->

<--->

On her way back, Nao stops at the computer labs. Her efforts to look Arika up are fruitless, as the girl is not in the system yet. She sends a text message detailing the situation to Mai and Mikoto, but as the bell for class rings, Nao pauses. It does seem like the best time to test her physical limits, and Arika's presence in class had just made the entire thing more pressing.

It's imperative that she's not followed. Judging by her earlier attitude, Arika will use any and all opportunities to get alone with Nao. If she's interrupted while working herself out, it'd likely go badly.

She quietly makes her way out of the school whilst everyone else is going back in, slipping towards the now-familiar forest.

Stealth increases the time necessary for Nao's getaway, but not prohibitively so. Nao passes the dorms, and proceeds into the forest.

Climbing seems like a good way to start.

Nao's claws appear, and she tries using them to climb a particularly tall and smooth tree. It's possible that their sharpness, along with her weight, will make that impossible- but it's worth a try.

Nao's first attempts create much lumber, but she learns to utilize them better the more she practices with the claws. A true breakthrough comes when she makes the tips extend into long, sharp needles by accident. Made for stabbing as opposed to slashing, cutting and ripping apart, that configuration of her claws allows Nao to find sufficient purchase in the wooden surface of a tree.

Sitting on the top of a relatively high branch, Nao checks the length of these wondrous new tips. They'd make a pretty good surprise attack, if someone only saw the shorter variants; does the extension have enough force by itself to pierce the tree?

Nao has no problem piercing the ten inch needles all the way through the tree.

About a foot- that's good. They might make up a bit for her shortcomings.

Sine she's up so high, Nao starts going about getting down. It's as much a test of her gymnastic ability as anything; if she feels comfortable flipping, spinning or swinging along the way, she'll try it.

Nao leaps from branch to branch with surprising agility as she climbs down. She feels she can easily add a few flips into the process, but they seem a bit pointless.

Once she reaches the ground, Nao jumps straight back up again, putting as much force as she can into a jump that takes her straight up.

Nao's full-strength leap allows her to clear the tree. She put a bit too much strength, and overshoots her target by a few feet. There is, however, the inevitable drop down.

Elation suddenly gives way into panic. Just because she can jump this high might not necessarily mean gravity is her friend!

Summoning her claws again, Nao shoves them into the tree and uses that to slow her descent.

Nao neatly splits a nearby tree in ten uneven segments, though she gets back down safely.

There are a few other matters she needs to test out. Physical strength, for one thing; even without the claws, she feels pretty capable in that regard. She's more like a monster than a person, really. The one sobering thought is that she was already defeated, somehow. After all, no matter how strong you are, there's always someone better... right?

Juggling bits of a tree should determine her limits in that regard, and a short sprint should determine her land speed. But her claws remain, without a doubt, her flashiest ability, and she spends a few minutes just flexing and inspecting them, wondering if they possess other hidden traits.

They must, her mind insists, but no further explanation appears.

Juggling lumber doesn't really help Nao, however. Aside from a few annoying splinters, she doesn't have much of a difficulty tossing wooden blocks up.

When she runs, one thought wins over all else in Nao's mind. She is a ninja.

Braking in her tracks, Nao has almost run out of things to do.

There's not much need to practice hitting things with her claws; once she's close enough, it should only take a couple of swipes. They easily outpace a sword or spear, doubly so given her athletic ability. Reach is her only concern.

One final thing remains.

"Arach... can you hear me?"

A shadow rises from the ground, materializing before Nao. It is her monstrous Child.

"There you are. I knew I could count on you," she whispers. Forms can be deceiving. Arika seems as childlike and innocent as one would expect. Arach is the spitting image of a demon. As far as she's concerned, they both deserve the other's visage.

As for herself, Yuuki Nao... maybe she is exactly what she appears to be. One day, she'll look back and know for sure.

"You'll protect me from anything, I know that. I'll need you soon. I won't die like Shizuru..." she murmurs, patting the creature on the 'head'.

"I just hope it's enough."

The Child rises to its full length, awaiting orders.

"Go back, now. I just wanted to see you again," instructs Nao, deciding that it's high time she started heading back, too.

With a shimmer, Arach disappears from the world.

Nao's experiments take her the better part of an hour. At the end of the day, however, she finds that it must have been the most informative period of the day, as she is unable to recall anything covered in her other classes that day.

The public announcement system activates. A commanding voice demands that students gather in the auditorium. Nao doesn't recognize it, but quite a few students in her class groan at the news.

Nao takes note- self-study beats being taught.

"Who's that?" she asks, sidling up to Tamaki and looking rather pouty at the notion of needing to be at school for a second longer than necessary.

"Suzushiro-san," the girl responds. She seems to be one of those who are looking forward to the event. "She's in the student council! Well, not our student council, really, but the high-school section... and they always seem to be in charge of everyone else." She taps her lips thoughtfully. "I wonder whether they boss over the university crowd as well?"

"From what I've seen, it wouldn't be hard to make those guys roll over," replies Nao, shrugging. "She sounded... older, too. I was fooled!"

Tamaki shrugs. "That's only because you haven't seen Suzushiro-san. Once you do, you wouldn't really call her things like mature. I mean, old! Er. OldER!"

"She's not around, you can speak freely~" replies Nao. "So, uh... yeah! To the auditorium!" she pronounces, before realising she doesn't know where it is and just shuffling along with the rest of the students.

Tamaki is only too happy to show Nao the way. "Please don't tell her I said anything," she whispers. "I don't want them to take me to Sister Yukariko's lectures on the crimes of youth!"

"You can't commit crimes when you're young," replies Nao, philosophically. "They're just accidents."

Getting a glimpse of Arika, she amends that.

"They're *mostly* just accidents."

"Shh! The Executive Committee has spi-- I mean, there are a lot of people who volunteer for it."

"Really? Like who?"asks Nao, wide-eyed.

"Mostly boys who admire Suzushiro-san. And also some girls who admire Suzushiro-san."

"Does everyone on the council have a fanclub, then?"

"I think only the president and vice-president have fan clubs," Tamaki responds, frowing in thought. "Suzushiro-san would just yell a lot if she ever got a fanclub, so they can't really have one for her in the open. Kikukawa-san, the student council's secretary... she doesn't have a fanclub. That I know of. Not that I would try to find out or attempt to join or anything like that."

Nao seems to nod distantly at Tamaki's words, suddenly unable to offer further conversation.

Tamaki continues to ramble on about the student council, not really needing any further prompting. Nao learns that the council is apparently just those four students, though it does have quite a few helpers. The Executive Committee, lead by Suzushiro Haruka, is one. It operates under the mandate of the student council, and has a degree of autonomy, though Suzushiro is supposed to run her decision by the president. There are also others who interact with the student council, most notably Kuga Natsuki who can sometimes be seen in the room; no one really know what her affiliation with it is, if any. Tate Yuichi, likewise of the high school section, is also someone who is, by all accounts, the official gofer of the council.

"He's he the one who came and got me from class the other day?"asks Nao, thinking back to that spiky-haired wannabe cool guy.

Tamaki thinks back. "I guess so," she agrees. "I haven't really seen him before, so I wouldn't know, but he fits the description."

Nao nods to herself. She's unwilling to really speak about Natsuki or Shizuru in front of other people at this time, so she keeps silent for the rest of the trip.

A blonde girl in an outfit different than the rest of the students is pacing on the stage. As Shizuru also didn't wear a variant of the standard school uniform, it is quite likely the blonde is part of the student council. An armband Nao can't quite discern from the distance adorns the girl's wrist.

The assembly starts. Apparently, the blonde -- Suzushiro Haruka -- has no compunctions about speaking of Shizuru and her death in front of other people, which she does quite succinctly. Chaos erupts amongst the students. In Nao's immediate area, Tamaki looks stricken by the news.

Nao alone remains rather unfazed by the news, simply unable to participating in the angry shouts and speculation that are going on all around her. She can't help but cast a brief and hateful look at Arika before resuming a rather stony disposition.

Nao can't see Arika. She isn't even certain Arika entered the auditorium with everyone else.

Then she'll be hateful of nobody in particular. She just can't let it go.

A male student comes on stage, looking quite collected and handsome, if somber. He asks for a minute of silence in Shizuru's memory.

Nao isn't unwilling. She hasn't said a word since entering.

Would there be this sort of riot for anyone else, or just Shizuru? Kidnappings and comas should have rounded up similar interest, though murder is naturally a step ahead. But the number of people who seem to have been affected by this is almost surreal.

She can't exactly shake a guilty feeling of glee, either.

The auditorium is silent except for the quiet sobs of quite a few girls and a distant gunshot.

"What the-" yelps Nao, reacting a sight faster than anyone else to try and make out where the unmistakable report originated from.

People all around her startle, but as Nao tries to make out the source of the shot, she realizes that she is the one drawing all attention. Most of it is confusion, though there are a few glares thrown her way as well. Tamaki belongs to the first group.

The shot seems to have come from outside the auditorium.

Nao looks confused for a brief second. "Didn't any of you hear that?"she can't help but ask the glaring faces.

The faces are hostile. Nao can't find her confirmation there.

"There was a gunshot!" she shouts, starting to shove her way past other members of the audience, so she can run ahead and investigate herself.

Even if someone were to try and seriously impede Nao, she doubts they would succeed with the physical differences between them. Nao hears shouts as she leaves the hall, quite likely directed at her, but her attention is on trying to locate the source of the shot.

The church bell rings. Once, twice-- it doesn't seem to be stopping even after reaching twelve.

Is that where it came from? Nao follows the source of that sound.

She can't help but wonder if she can dodge a bullet. She decides along the way that she hopes she need not try.

Even if the sound were to reverberate after the shot itself, the loud ringing of the church bell pretty much makes Nao unable to determine its origin.

Well, something strange is going on over there, and it's probably worth checking out. Bells usually stop at twelve (or is it a twenty-four hour belltower?)

Nao can't really recall whether the bell was ever in use. What she does know, however, is that it's nowhere near the top of the hour.

It's definately strange, whatever it is.

She has no real choice but to hurry.

Nao runs with the wind. She is the first to arrive to the church, and how could she not?

She finds out the reason for the shot even before making it all the way into the church. A nun is standing atop the bell tower, aiming a strange pearly bow at a figure below, on the ground. Natsuki does not look amused at the gesture, and the gun -- the real gun, Nao notices -- in her hand is still trailing smoke.

"What the hell do you want, you crazy bitch?" Natsuki yells, aiming the gun at the nun.

An enemy of Natsuki is probably an enemy of Nao's.

Using whatever's handy for cover, she contemplates the idea of scaling the tower and coming up behind the nun.

Normally, such a feat would be both foolish to attempt and fruitless for the daring, as the nun shouldn't have trouble seeing anyone scaling the walls of the very tower she is standing atop. However, Nao has certain talents that help her with the first part, and Natsuki is doing an excellent job of drawing the woman's attention to herself.

"Repent your sins and accept the loving embrace of God!" the nun proclaims, firing a pair of shots at Natsuki. The bluette nimbly dodges to the left, and raises the gun in a practiced gesture before scowling. Her finger slackens on the trigger. "I don't even want to fight you!" she calls over to the nun. "I just need to see the basement! Greer must've left something when he left, something I overlooked! It's the only lead to Searrs!"

Oh. Well, Nao could've told her about that before she bothered climbing.

Once she reaches the top of the tower, she cocks her fist and delivers a solid blow to the back of the nun's head, hopefully putting her out for the count.

Nao must have stepped upon gravel, because there is a crunching sound as the advances to deliver her strike. The nun turns, her mouth opened in the shape of an O, just in time to receive a fist straight between the eyes.

She teeters at the edge, and falls.

Nao lunges for the nun's leg, hoping to prevent a rather messy end. She's not sure she'd be able to keep going if she causes a death in a stupid way like this!

The nun swings, and only sticking her claws straight through the tower's top to hold her position allows Nao to retain both her hold on the woman and her own stability. The swing ends with a dull thud, as the nun's head hits the side of the tower. Her bow drops down, becoming tiny motes of light on the way, which disappear before reaching the ground.

Grunting with the effort, Nao heaves the nun back into place on top of the tower. She briefly makes sure the nun isn't getting up anytime soon before quickly scaling back down the tower walls and dashing over to Natsuki.

"I already found her," she says. "Or, rather, she found me. She's in my fucking class!"

There is a bruise forming on the nun's forehead. Blood is dripping down her neck from where the back of her head hit the tower. The nun is still breathing, though she doesn't look like she would be waking up any time soon.

Natsuki is silent for a long moment. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know," replies Nao, shaking her head. 鉄ome Suzushiro person called an assembly to tell everyone about Shizuru. She vanished between the last class and then. I figure she's going to come after me sooner or later. She said as much.

"What the hell was going on here?"

Natsuki looks about to respond, before she glances left, then right. She hurriedly gestures for Nao to get down.

Nao is getting rather used to diving for cover, and she thusly hides without complaint.

Natsuki and Nao hide in the bushes by the church, crouching. Two officers come running towards the scene, breathing heavily. Natsuki's face twists in a scowl, and she gestures for Nao to follow her as she withdraws.

Nao has no arguments, trailing Natsuki back to wherever she's going; once the supernatural danger has been dealt with, she's far too happy to let cops sort everything else out. It's not like they'll find her.

"That freak just started shooting at me and ranting about Jesus's bosom." Natsuki looks very upset. "Woman lacks all common sense. Hime or not, a bullet in the head will put you down."

"I was beginning to wonder," admits Nao. "She saw me, though. That'll be a pain if she remembers. But Searrs... she's gotta be living on the campus somewhere, I think."

Natsuki grits her teeth. "Her arrogance will get her killed." The girl's hand tightens on the gun's handle.

"What next? That girl's going to come after me sooner or later. If she's not wearing her heart on her sleeve, she's a fucking good liar. I think we could ambush her."

Natsuki nods tersely. "If you think she's coming for you, then we'll use you as bait. Is Mai back yet?"

"I don't think so. She might be in her dorm by now, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't around at school.

"I talked to her last night, it's like you said. She'll only fight if she's attacked. She won't... put a stop to things."

"You're neighbors. Just get attacked at home." Natsuki looks away as she says it.

Nao snorts. "I guess. Frankly, I was more worried she'd just stab me during class."
She makes a disgustingly cute face. "'Hi, you'ree Nao, right? I'm Searrs Arika, let's be friends!' Disgusting."

Natsuki makes a disgusted sound. "Why don't you ask your new best friend over for drinks? Or dinner? Or sex, I don't care, as long as she comes and we blow her brains out."

"If she's alive by tomorrow, I'll consider it," replies Nao, rolling her eyes. 添ou gonna stick around? I figure that if she's coming, she'll come at night. If she doesn't, it's just a matter of finding her."

"This place is going to be crawling with cops," Natsuki responds, shaking her head. "I don't have much time. And if Searrs starts something with all of them around, they should buy you enough time with their lives to call me and lead her away. You know that trench Mai blasted in the mountain? Lure that witch over to the cave it leads from. She won't escape."

"I know the place. It's creepy, for some reason," replies Nao, her voice somehow thick with emotion.

"If Searrs was going to start something in front of people, she'd have done it in class. It'd be a pain for her if she blew her cover. But I'll do whatever it takes."

"Don't know if I'll be able to call you if she does something, though. Last time I was around her, my phone shorted out. Is yours even working?"

"I got it fixed," Natsuki says. "Damn. You're right, it's a problem. Is yours still working, after being in class with her?"

"It did at lunch," replies Nao, briefly checking. "I figure it only screws up when she pulls out her magical fairy powers or whatever it is."

Natsuki is the one to snort this time. "Magical fairy powers. Sure, whatever. Can you get a hold of a flare gun?"

"Would they keep one on campus somewhere? Like.. for camping or something?"

"As emergency supplies, maybe." Natsuki shrugs. "Suzushiro might have one. Or a dozen, anal-retentive freak that she is."

"I get the feeling she's not gonna like me much," opines Nao, optimistically.

"You don't need her to like you to steal her shit."

"I guess. Executive Committe have a place where they keep it? Somewhere in the high school building?"

Natsuki's mood darkens. "Suzushiro usually uses the student council room for that. Try it first."

"Alright," replies Nao. "What're you gonna do in the meanwhile?"

"I'll wait by that cave," Natsuki responds. "It's near enough, and there should be a seal around it. Normal people shouldn't be able to breach it easily."

"Okay. I better get going. I figure there are few people who want to have a chat with me right now, so I guess I'll avoid my dorm for a while.

"See you tonight."

Natsuki nods, and with a glance around, darts away. Nao is left alone, and with a start, she realizes that this place is familiar to her. She dreamt of it, when she was not herself and was about to crush a flower for some reason.

<--->

[16:35] <--->
[16:37] It is a garden, somewhere behind one of the out-of-the-way school buildings. Nao is standing next to it, and though the feelings are foreign to her, she cannot escape both longing and sadness from filling her.
[16:41] Nao kneels in the field, mirroring her previous actions in a slight daze. She briefly cups a dandelion in one hand. "Shizuru," she murmurs, resisting the urge to immediately squash it. Did she grow up here? She must've been very young when she first saw this place...
[16:45] Someone comes around the corner. It is Arika, still in her school uniform. "Oh, so this is where you ran off to, Nao-chin!" she says perkily. "You thought that meeting was boring, too, right?"
[16:51] She keeps giving up perfect chances, really. Lightly picking the flower, Nao turns around to face Arika. "When did you run off?"
[16:52] "Oh, when everyone started sobbing, I think," Arika responds flippantly. "Really! All that just for one weak girl?"
[16:54] "Not weak enough to survive," replies Nao, bitterly. "Where do you get off on murder? You can't seriously be as pathetic as I think you are."
[16:56] "Murder?" Arika asks, surprised. "All I'm doing is making the world the way it should be. You aren't supposed to exist in it, you know." She sounds as if she's repeating something said to her before.
[17:02] "Anyone with an attitude like that doesn't need to exist," replies Nao, crushing the flower and letting the petals float to the grass below. "You really are pathetic. Deciding who lives and dies? What, you think you're some kind of god?"
[17:04] "Daddy said that when you all died like you're supposed to, I could become a queen!" Arika returns happily. "That's kinda like a god, isn't it? I'll be able to decide the 'fate of the world' and all those complicated things."
[17:05] "He's lying~"
[17:06] Arika's face twists. "Daddy wouldn't lie!" A distortion in the air heralds the materialization of her massive double-bladed sword.
[17:07] "He's been lying to you from the start~," replies Nao, not bothering to summon her claws. "It's so easy. A kind word here. A promise there. They're just words. A Queen? You? You really think he'd leave the fate of the world up to an ant?"
[17:14] "What's wrong with an ant?!" Arika whines. Someone rounds the opposite corner of the building, shining a flashlight at the pair. It is hardly dark enough to need one, but the light in Nao's eyes makes it hard to make out the person's features.
[17:21] Nao's eyes narrow, and she leaps to a ridiculous height, flying smoothly through one of the higher windows and coming to rest on her feet. Being indoors favours her against the witch, as long as nobody else is around...
[17:24] "Hey!" a male voice calls as Nao leaps. There is a hum, and just as Nao disappears through the open third floor window, the darkening skies behind her illuminate with radiant white. There is a gurgle; the glow begins to disappear.
[17:28] Nao whirls around and peers back through the window, ready to roll aside at any moment. An unknown factor appeared, and now this... fight or flight?
[17:31] Nao is just in time to see one of the blades slide back into place, forming a sword once more. A deep trench has been gouged out of the ground, and a few trees are burning past the building. A heavily-scorched, twisted object that might once have been a flashlight lies on the ground by the trench, inactive.
[17:31] Arika looks up, catching Nao's glance. "Be with you in just a sec, Nao-chin!"
[17:35] The second Arika seems like she's about to move, Nao points an accusatory finger at her and shouts "Arach!" No clear course of action is highlighted in her mind right now- merely sheer, murderous intent.
[17:37] "We're playing after all!" Arika exclaims happily, just before a spindly, shadowy arm reaches out of the very building to smack her away. Nao's Child emerges fully, almost reaching the second floor of the building, while Arika bounces off the ground a few times, ruining the flower field. She does manage to maintain her hold on her sword thoughout all this.
[17:39] Plans and thoughts fly from Nao's head. She has no idea just what Arach will do, if he's capable of taking care of her on his own or if he'll need help- but if Arika concentrates on him, she's less likely to be focusing on Nao.
[17:41] "After her!" she cries, getting ready to scramble down the school wall and hide behind him. Pity she didn't get killed instantly, but that'd be too much to hope for.
[17:44] Fear -- deep, primal fear -- lances through Nao's soul as she leaves her Child behind to look for cover. Will she see it die again?
[17:46] The monster twitches, and with a tearing sound, more and more legs appear until the lower body is truly that of a spider. The front two arms elongate unnaturally, glinting as metal does, and stab at Arika. A loud clang serves to inform Nao that Arika had blocked them with her own weapon. Two -- no, three -- gunshots are heard from somewhere on campus; Nao thinks they came from the direction of her dorm.
[17:49] There's no time to concentrate on that. If Natsuki's in trouble, she has to deal with it. Sliding down the side of the school wall, Nao kicks off against it, leaving behind a sizable dent as she leaps across the field! Instead of trusting her judgement, she trusts her instincts-
[17:50] -her claws appear again, replacing her fingers with a dull flash. While Arika is engaged with Arach, she flies towards the girl, aiming to deliver a single, fatal slash!
[17:53] With a burst of strength, Arika pushes the monster towering above her back. She springs from her defensive position, kneeling on one knee, and tumbles through the air gracefully. Her sword slashes upwards, and for the first time, Nao finds a substance that doesn't fall before her claws. Arika continues to twirl in mid-air, seeming to defy gravity itself, and the other end of her sword comes towards Nao, whose own claws have been deflected out of position earlier.
[17:58] Unable to fly, merely fall, Nao has little choice but to interpose her black fingers between her body and the sword! She aims to catch the blade between the fingers- anything to stop it touching the rest of her! The second she feels contact, the tips extend violently- where the sword is, Arika won't be far behind.
[17:59] Nao finds herself slammed ruthlessly into the ground! Her vision goes dark for the longest of moments, her ears ringing in sympathy. Something thick is running down her fingers.
[18:01] "That's the spirit, Nao-chin!" Arika's voice drifts over to her, as the sword Nao barely stopped an inch from her heart withdraws. Even more of the liquid -- blood -- spills over Nao at that. Her Child is roaring in defiance.
[18:02] The important thing is that her fingers are still there to feel the blood. The next most important thing is if they can still move. She'll find out the answer to that as she slashes across the air in front of her before flipping to her feet- and then there's time to look and see.
[18:05] Nao's claws find no resistance, and the girl manages to flip to her feet. The movement is clumsy, even for someone normal, but accomplishes the job. Nao's head begins to clear, and she realizes her ears aren't the ones ringing. Somewhere on campus, fire alarms have been triggered.
[18:05] Arika is floating in the air several meters away. Translucent, green sheets of energy serve as makeshift wings, extending from the girl's shoulder blades.
[18:06] Three important lessons were quickly learned. The first was that Arika's swordplay is far too good. The second is that claws, as she suspected, are terrible for defence- distance is going to be the only way she can avoid being struck.
[18:15] And, finally, not being able to fly is going to be a significant hindrance. Out here, in the open, they're just targets. She's lucky Arika treats this like a game. Lifting her bloodied hand to her lips, she licks the wound. "Aren't you supposed to be killing me?" she asks, adopting some kind of stance. But her real goal is to find a chance to flee; this battlefield just won't favour her.
[18:18] It's not her blood, Nao realizes. "Well, yeah," Arika responds. "Are you going to beg now? That other girl did. Are you?"
[18:18] Nao's Child is crouching, off to the side. Arika is low enough Nao thinks it could make the jump.
[18:20] "I don't beg," replies Nao. If it's not her blood, and Arika isn't bleeding... is it even red? "And neither would Shizuru. You're lying!"
[18:23] Arika isn't bleeding, though her shirt does look a bit stained in the chest area. "Oh, am I?" Holding her sword in one hand, she taps her lips thoughtfully with the other. "'Please let her go... I'm sorry....' She made such a big deal out of becoming your friend I just had to try it." Arika smiles. "And it's pretty fun, actually! I never killed a friend before! Did you?"
[18:28] Nao can't let it get to her. There's time enough to be mad before and afterwards. "I'm warming up to the idea," she spits, backing towards the school building.
[18:31] The spider lunges! Arika turns in time to face it, diverting its blade-arms, but then she looks shocked as wings much like her own spring out of the Child's back. There is a blast of iridescent light, and the monster pushes Arika back, crashing her into the second story of the building. Bricks are loosened, windows shatter, and Nao has a perfect chance to strike!
[18:34] Nao doesn't question it. She doesn't intent to give Arika time to utter any more words. The claws elongate into slender needles once again, pushes herself up and off the ground, intending to pin the bitch against the wall- floor- ceiling- it doesn't matter as long as she's dead!
[18:40] Arika tries to wriggle away, but Arach extends its other legs, and then drives them into her body. They are not as sharp or metallic as the front arms, but Nao hears Arika exhale sharply even as she leaps up, and then again once her claws find purchase in her stomach.
[18:42] "You had so many chances," whispers Nao, twisting them inside Arika's body and pulling them sharply upwards. What exactly happens doesn't bear thinking of. "In the next life, take the first one."
[18:45] As Nao's claws move upwards, Arika's wings suddenly flash bright green. Even closing her eyes does not chase the light away, as it claws at Nao's irises with a frenzy!
[18:48] No! She'll die right here! Nao tears her claws through the girl, and kicks off her, taking her far away from the glowing woman! "Arach, begone!" she commands, unable to prevent a sense of dread from overtaking her.
[18:55] There is an absense of sound. Nao is blind, tumbling to the ground, covered in blood; Arika's blood, and there is so much of it. How could anyone still move, still be alive, after sustaining such wounds? She feels pain, and it is not her own. Her Child twists in agony, Nao knows through her link, but her command sends him back whence he came from.
[18:55] Nao impacts against the ground. Her back hurts, and it's difficult to breathe.
[18:58] Nao can't prevent herself from uttering a short scream and a yelp as she collides with the dirt. But she can't rest longer than a few seconds, not unless she's absolutely certain Arika is dead. Mai was already mistaken once. Painfully, she tries to clear her eyes.
[19:01] She hears two gunshots before her eyes resolve any images. Natsuki is standing protectively over her, gun drawn and braced with both arms. Nao's sight is still blurry, but she watches Natsuki throw her a glance before moving over to the heavily-damaged school building. She points the gun at something on the ground and pulls the trigger again.
[19:03] "...'bout fucking time, Kuga," Nao manages, before a peaceful smile falls upon her face. It's over, it's over. Nobody out there wants her dead anymore. Now she can sleep.
[19:04] Natsuki does not respond. Her finger squeezes the trigger mechanically, and another shot rings out. Then another. The gun is empty, soon, and she still continues the motion, staring down at the ground.
[19:06] <--->

<--->

Nao's entire world is blurry. Her eyes attempt to paint it ever-clearer, reporting their pain as an aside. Someone is firing a gun. Natsuki. Her prone target twitches the first few shots. The hammer clicks methodically, as Natsuki continues squeezing the trigger, her ammunition having run out.

Nao would like almost nothing more than to simply fall asleep.

Her body isn't complying, however, and the problems that could result if she does move to somewhere else are enough to prompt her to an attempt at action. The first thing to try is standing up; she can figure out where she is after that.

The flower field-- it's not much of one, now. Nao feels a pang of regret, entirely foreign to her.

The gun's hammer suddenly goes silent. Natsuki sags to her knees.

It's just grass, Nao tells herself rather roughly. It'll grow back. Shizuru won't.

Rather painfully, she starts inching towards Natsuki, uncomfortably aware that right now, they both probably look like insane psychopaths. Maybe it's not far wrong; more than any other emotion, glee is the only thing she feels in the wake of Arika's punishment.

Natsuki doesn't register Nao's slow approach. The gun in her hand drops on the ground.

Nao approaches a little faster, dismissing her claws when she reaches Natsuki and putting a hand on her shoulder. "We've got to go," she says, raggedly, glancing fleetingly at the scene in front of her.

Arika lays there, gutted horribly from pelvis to chest, her entire torso punctured. It is mostly due to these injuries that Nao recognizes her, for the girl certainly doesn't have a face anymore.

"Yeah, you should go," Natsuki says softly. There's blood on her back.

Nao spares a glance for it. Hers? Natsuki was wounded?

Though the bluette is crouching, at least light is not a problem. What remains of the sunlight is augmented with a soft green flow. It is coming from Arika's body.

There are two more blood stains on Natsuki's front. One of them, the one covering her stomach, seems to correspond to the one on her back, while the other is on her left shoulder.

"Who did it? I'll-" starts Nao, before her voices sags, and her shoulders begin to shake.

"No... you better not die on me! I'll get help, somehow, just... wait," she manages, sounding futile and pleading to her own ears.

"Stealth or speed, had to choose one," Natsuki tells her with a snort. It sounds pained. "We both know the place will be swarming with cops any moment. You can't stay here." She pauses. "Thanks. For avenging her."

"I'm sorry," replies Nao, withdrawing her hand. "I'm sorry," she repeats. "I'll see you again. I really won't forgive you if I can't!"

But she's right. She has to go. At least she's not bleeding; she won't leave a trail. The cops will probably come from the church- she goes in the opposite direction.

Heading towards her dorm, Nao realizes that she is following a blood trail. It must be Natsuki, unless several people were wounded and traveled in that direction recently.

It must have been those gunshots she heard earlier... she'd thought, maybe, it was Arika's last attack, but perhaps not.

The sooner the cops get there, the sooner they might save her. Or maybe they won't, by choice. At least it'll be easy for them to follow. If they were following. The fight might have only been a minute or two, but it wasn't all that far...

Not to a Hime, at least. Boosted strength, speed and constitution seem to be part of the package. And enhanced senses... which are telling Nao that someone is hiding in a hedge by the side of the path.

She's been spotted! She should've been more careful...

"Who?" she snaps, whirling to face the offending plant. Better tie up this loose end now.

There is shuffling. A girl stands up, seeming mousy. She has a pair of glasses that Nao desperately wishes could be hers, if that would help ease the pain in her eyes from the constant exertion to see at the levels Nao is accustomed to.

"Yuuki-san?" the girl asks. She is wearing a high school uniform, and Nao doesn't need her inner voice to tell her that it is Kikukawa Yukino. The somewhat-hesitant way she addressed her is the same as when they spoke over the phone.

"...Yukino? I talked to you on the phone," remembers Nao, peering back at the girl. Isn't she shocked by Nao's appearance?

By the way the girl's eyes are drawn to Nao's bloody fingers as fresh blood covers them and the rest of Nao's hands halfway to the elbow, shock is certainly a leading contender.

"There's someone back there who needs an ambulance," says Nao, glancing away. "You'd better call one for her. I'm not sure she'll last long."

"Did you-- I mean--" Yukino sounds flustered, and her posture is so defensive Nao feels an urge to slap her around.

"I didn't do anything... wrong," replies Nao, at length, before she starts to shout. "I didn't! That girl killed Shizuru, and I killed her, and now Natsuki- just call for help! I can't, not like this!"

"Why?"

"...my phone's dead," she manages, ignoring her bloody clothes for the time being. "I- it's complicated, I can explain later- cops can't handle it, and I'm scared of what will happen if they try- I have to go!"

Panicing, she starts to run away from the girl, doing her best to avoid any future encounters with... just about anyone, at this point.

Nao is undisturbed as she makes it to her dorm. Fire alarms are still going around the campus, audible despite the distance. A pair of cops are lying on the ground by the building, one of them in a puddle of blood.

What now?

Nao gingerly steps around the cops; given the alarms and everything going on, emergency services will be here soon enough regardless of what she does. She does her best washing away the blood that covers her hands and chest, and shreds her useless uniform into so many scraps. Stuffing them into a plastic bag, she gets changed into her spare and slips out a window.

She'll bury this stuff somewhere in the forest, where nobody will ever find it. Then she'll hide there for a while, and then probably see what's happening at night.

No one comes knocking on Nao's door, be their officials or fellow students. A place to bury the evidence is likewise easily found in the forest. No mysterious lights, green or otherwise, illuminate the skies as she does so.

It takes a couple of hours for Nao's nerves to settle. After that, she eventually dares making her way out of the woods; in a situation like this, she's not sure exactly how people will respond. But near the front of the school, she supposes, is where it'll all be happening. She can't exactly hide forever; given her exclamation during the assembly, there's a chance someone will want to speak to her. The idea of hiding, virtually forever, doesn't appeal to her; so that's where she goes. She can always run away later, it's not like anyone could stop her.

No one except for a Hime, a thought counters instantly, as a fresh surge of adrenaline hits Nao. But she took care of one just fine, didn't she?

Four boys and a girl wearing white bands on their sleeves can be seen behind the front gate. It is closed.

Night has arrived in all its glory as Nao waited in the woods, granting her eyes much-needed rest.

Well, time to bite the bullet.

Nao steps out of the forest and heads towards the gate, glancing at the boys and girls and looking, all things told, rather frightened.

"What are you doing out?" the girl asks, approaching. She uses her flashlight on Nao's clothes, before raising it to her face.

Daggers stab into Nao's eyes, as all she knows is pain.

Nao raises her hand in front of her eyes. wincing in pain. "I.. I was hiding," she stammers. "Has everything... stopped?"

Two of the boys are unlocking the gate. "You will be safe inside," the girl tells Nao.

"Ah, thank you. Uh, do you know what happened, yet?" she asks, starting to walk closer.

"The Executive Committee has suffered a terrible blow on this day of infamy," the girl tells Nao sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"Suzushiro-san was taken to the hospital."

"...Haruka? Haruka Suzushiro?" asks Nao, thinking back- that's the name of the girl who was speaking, and who she also was going to steal a flaregun from. Right. "I.. see. That's dreadful," manages Nao. No mention of Natsuki, and it would seem strange to ask. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Kikukawa-san thinks so," the girl affirms, seeming to take heart at Nao's interest in her leader's well-being. "But she won't forgive us for our mishap. An officer might lose his leg because we weren't alert enough...."

"..you know, if it were any other time, I'd think you were joking," replies Nao, a little shakily. "Uh. Anyway, where should I go? The auditorium?"

"Which dorm are you from?" she asks. Now that Nao is safely inside the school proper, the gate is being closed behind her once again.

"Uh, the one down that way," replies Nao, pointing in the aforementioned direction. "I haven't gone back there, though."

"A good thing, too," the girl tells her. Now that she's closer to her, and not shining a flashlight in her eyes, Nao can see that the girl is a few years older than she is, probably a senior in the high school section. "We've isolated it on orders from the president. The auditorium's where everyone from it is being housed for the time being."

"Ok. Thanks a lot!"

It's been a hectic few days, and Nao has to hand it to the students doing public service like that; even though the truth is likely scarier than the rumours, you'd still have to be pretty brave.

She starts jogging towards the auditorium, feeling a little better.

More students with the now-familiar white bands can be seen along the way, a sizeable group of them manning the perimeter to the auditorium. Nao can hear the unmistakable sounds of dozens of teens within.

Nao sort of mosies on in, wishing her hair wasn't so red and obvious.

"Ah, another one?" Nao is asked. A girl beloning to the Executive Committee is there, this one with a nametag placed conveniently on the breast of her school uniform. It reads 'Karas Yuki'.

"Hi," says Nao, lamely. "How's it going?"

"As could be expected, under the circumstances. Better, even." She extends a hand to Nao. "Karas Yuki, acting secretary for the student council. I'm holding down the fort here for Suzushiro-san until she gets back."

Nao takes the hand, giving it a shake. "Heya. Yuuki Nao," she replies. "I heard about Suzushiro from the guys at the gate, but they said she'll be fine?"

"Our hopes and prayers are with her," Yuki responds. "It sounded like she was blinded by that light, from what Kikukawa-san was saying."

"Ah... I think I know what you're talking about, though I didn't see it full on," replies Nao. Well, she did, just about, but she's some kind of iron girl, so it wasn't that much of a problem.

Still, Suzushiro couldn't have been close by when the light flared out, and she was blinded! If she'd been any closer...

Maybe it's too dangerous to stay around the school. But Nao just has nowhere else to go.

"I don't think there's anyone on campus who didn't see it," Yuki says with a snort. "Or off campus, for that matter. We're lucky for the mountain between us and the city, or there'd be total chaos there now. We can't spare the manpower to calm people down elsewhere."

"Was Suzushiro the only one affected?"

"Some have been complaining of headaches, sickness, that kind of thing. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, mostly. My vision was blurry for a while," replies Nao. "But it's been improving. I didn't really look directly at it."

"Really?" Yuki frowns. "That's strange. Yours is the first case I heard about this. Where exactly were you at that time?"

"I'm not sure about exactly where," admits Nao. "I don't know my way around some parts of the school very well, so I got lost, and then I was stumbling around for a bit."

That seems to satisfy Yuki. "Well, you shouldn't get lost inside," she tells Nao. "So it's either in you go, or I take you to the hospital to get looked at. Choose your poison."

"I'll go inside, I think I'll be fine," replies Nao. "Thanks for the concern."

<--->

<--->

[16:38] Nao finds it difficult to sleep during the night, but she manages to catch some rest before being woken unceremoniously by the invading sunlight. It makes her eyes water.
[16:40] Nao slowly sits up, trying to rub the water out of her eyes. There weren't any dreams or nightmares tonight, just a very empty, and somewhat uncomfortable sleep.
[16:41] It doesn't really help, although covering her eyes with her hands alleviates the pain until she removes them and tries to look around again.
[16:42] Great. Wearing glasses doesn't compliment her features (and worse yet, they'll probably fall off at an inopportune time.) If they're a little better than yesterday, it'll be enough, but otherwise, maybe she really does need to see an optometrist.
[16:46] As Nao considers her options, she hears more than spots someone arrive at the auditorium. The concept of stealth seems anathema to this person, she feels instinctively.
[16:46] Yuki comes to attention. "Welcome back, Suzushiro-san!" she says brightly, smiling at Haruka.
[16:47] "Too loud..." complains Nao, finding her covers and hiding back underneath them to block away the sun.
[16:50] Haruka strides in and surveys her troops--er, fellow students. "What's the situation?" she demands of her aide.
[16:51] "Everyone staying at... that dorm... has been made comfortable here instead," Yukino reports to her, having recovered from whatever seemed to be ailing her back in the hospital. Yuki nods at that assessment. "We're pretty confident we got the lot of them here, Suzushiro-san, and the rest have been confirmed as staying over with their classmates."
[16:52] At the sound of Yukino's voice, Nao turns over under her covers so she's facing the other way.
[16:53] Haruka isn't quite up to harassing blatantly lazy students just yet, but it'll be on the agenda once she's talked through the situation! "Good," she says. "No one other than Sister Yukariko injured? Did we hear anything from the police?"
[16:54] "They've been awfully tight-lipped," Yuki responds. "That alone should tell us something."
[16:57] Haruka frowns, but the usual Why Am I Not Told Everything rant doesn't quite happen. "Alright. Has Tokiha returned to the campus? Has anyone spotted Nao since she ran out on my speech?"
[16:58] Nao is invisible as long as nobody looks at her.
[17:01] "Nao? Yuuki Nao?" Yuki asks, blinking. "She's right here. Came in last night." Thinking about it, she adds, "Haven't heard anything about Tokiha. Were we supposed to be on the lookout for her, Suzushiro-san?"
[17:02] "I'd like to talk to her," Haruka says. "She was there in town when everything went hardwired. And she just disappeared from the hospital last night, right? What's up with that?" She glances around the auditorium. "But right now I need to see Nao!"
[17:03] "Alliterations," Yukino sighs softly. "She's right there, Haruka-chan," she says, pointing at a blanket-covered form.
[17:04] "it'stooearlygoaway" mumbles Nao, pulling her pillow over her head and apparently trying to strangle herself.
[17:06] Haruka marches right over to the blanket-shrouded form and attempts to yank it off. "This is no time for lollygagging! Fuka Academy is in *trouble* and I have reason to believe you hold vital information!"
[17:06] A fuzzy red-tipped form is lying there. If she squints, Haruka can see that it is indeed Nao, hugging a pillow to her face.
[17:07] Nao rolls over and peers up at Haruka through heavily lidded, extremely bloodshot eyes. "If it happened before last Thursday, I don't know about it," she grumbles, squinting up towards Haruka with a horrific bedhead.
[17:08] The light, it stabs its lances into Nao's eyes and through them!
[17:08] The eyes promptly shut, and with them, Haruka is saved from a vision into something truly hellish.
[17:08] "It happened last night," Haruka says. "Some of it. Other things happened on Saturday." The two of them squinting at each other must look truly undignified.
[17:09] If it does, no one is commenting.
[17:10] "Oh. Well. Someone fired a gun? Yesterday?" she insists, drawing herself to the knees and holding a hand in front of her eyes. "Then there was that weird green light. Uh. I think that's it? Seems like you saw it better than me."
[17:13] Haruka suddenly seems to remember that she and Nao are in a room full of other students. "Look, let's talk about this in private. Hey, Yukino? We've going to the student council room."
[17:15] Nao looks like she wants to complain, but staggers to her feet regardless. She apparently slept in her uniform last night, and it looks pretty rumbled. "Nngh. Sure. Whatever," she manages. "You got a shower in there?"
[17:15] "Are you sure you want to do that, Haruka-chan?" Yukino asks quietly, suddenly by the blonde's side.
[17:17] Bafflement. "What? No? This isn't time to worry about your appearance. The fate of Fuka itself might hang in the balance!" She takes Nao's hand and practically drags her away; she seems to just assume that Nao will follow her automatically. "Yes, Yukino. Now, come on."
[17:18] "'sjust a school," mutters Nao, letting Haruka drag her away.
[17:18] Yukino is following a few steps behind them. Behind Nao, the red-head realizes after a short while. Directly behind her, in fact.
[17:19] "Just a schoo--JUST A SCHOOL?! I've never heard such utter nonsense in my entire life! You should be proud to count yourself a student of Fuka Academy!" Haruka proclaims, pumping her fist in the air.
[17:20] There is a quiet sigh behind the two.
[17:21] Yukino has nothing to fear from Nao, so it's difficult for the redhead not to just laugh. "Do you have to scream? I'm right here, you know," she drawls, unable to summon up anything resembling enthusiasm.
[17:23] "I'm not screaming. I'm enthusistatic," Haruka corrects. "You could stand to learn a thing or two about enthusistatim. Ah, here we are." Well, hopefully. True, Haruka can't see well right now, but she should know how to get to this particular room with her eyes closed.
[17:24] And she's hardly to nearsighted that she would walk into walls. As she opens the door, Haruka finds the room empty, though realistically, she wouldn't expect to see Reito there at such an early hour.
[17:24] Nao doesn't, and wouldn't know where she was if she did. "I'll be as enthusiastic as you want at lunchtime," she yawns, stumbling after the girl and holding her spare hand to her eyes. What cruel genius included all these goddamned windows, anyway?
[17:25] Haruka assumes Yukino will close the door behind them all and just starts with the interrogation immediately. "Right, let's start with Saturday. You were in town with Fujino and the others, right?"
[17:26] "Right," replies Nao, sitting up straight. "It was my idea. I wanted to see what it was like."
[17:27] The windows have curtains Nao can draw over them, at least. Yukino indeed closes the door, coming to stand right in front of it, her hands gathered in her lap.
[17:27] Nao walks over and manages that, finding the dimmer surroundings far preferable.
[17:28] "What what was like?" Haruka wonders, confused. Eh, it doesn't matter. Understanding the inner workings of Yuuki Nao isn't really her goal here! "Okay. So where were you when the explosion happened?"
[17:28] "Uh, which one?"
[17:29] "Either one! Start at the beginning."
[17:30] "Ok. So I woke up on thursday with no memory," replies Nao, musing. "I sort of wandered out the dorm and got lost, but eventually found my way to the school. I beat up Natsuki because she slapped me, and then Shizuru dragged me off into some office and told me who I was. After that..."
[17:30] Nao's eyes only prickle, now. "After that?" Yukino asks.
[17:31] "Whoa whoa whoa. You're amniotic? How'd that happen?"
[17:31] Haruka seems totally unaware of the futility of asking this question.
[17:31] "...after that, I went to class. It was pretty boring," continues Nao. "I mean, it's really easy stuff, but apparently my grades were bad before? Anyway, then we had PE class, and Mikoto and I sort of trashed the other team, and then I fainted and woke up back in the dorm."
[17:31] "Er, I mean, the infirmary. And that's a REALLY GOOD QUESTION."
[17:32] Yukino makes her way to Haruka, and leans over, whispering something into her ear.
[17:32] Haruka waves this away. "Alright, well, go on, we can come back to that one when you remember."
[17:32] Yukino ducks her head.
[17:33] "Right. Anyway, after that, I got my stuff and went back to my dorm. Hung out with Mai and Mikoto a bit. Uh... Friday was pretty boring, can't think of anything there. Oh, yeah! Shizuru moved into my dorm for some reason. I think she felt sorry for me because this Senoh chick vanished."
[17:34] Haruka nods. "We're still looking for Senoh."
[17:35] "Yeah. Anyway, we didn't really talk too much. To be honest, talking to her is pretty hard," mumbles Nao, shaking her head. "Sorry, I don't mean to- anyway. I decided to go to town the next day, because, you know, I'd never been. So I grabbed Mikoto, Mai, and they grabbed a couple of guys, and we went to the park."
[17:35] "We were just messing around for a while; Shizuru went to get ice-cream, and we were playing tag, but then there was some huge explosion! I kinda panicked and ran off with the guys; we got seperated from the others. Had to feed Takumi some medicine, poor guy was having a fit."
[17:36] "We ended up waiting at the bus shelter, but Shizuru came by and picked us up in a taxi. Had to take Takumi to the hospital. We met up with the others there.. oh, right, Natsuki was there, too. She didn't come with us, so it seemed pretty weird."
[17:37] Haruka nods. "I know what you mean, I could never talk to Shizuru either. And Takumi is still in the hospital. He seems to be better now, though that friend of his was a hassle."
[17:38] "So Natsuki didn't leave with you all in the first place? You just met her by accident at the hospital?"
[17:38] "Yeah, that's how it happened. I felt pretty uncomfortable around her... I mean, she showed me around the school and stuff, but I had this impression that we didn't really get on very well. And, well, I did sort of wrestle her in front of everyone..."
[17:39] This bit stops Haruka cold. "Huh?"
[17:40] "Well, you know. Back on Thursday? I was pretty confused, and just wandering around being an idiot. I run into Natsuki, and she thinks I'm just pulling some trick, right? So she slaps me, and I sorta, uh, take her down."
[17:41] "...Oh. Well. Okay. Go on, then. You'd just got to the hospital?"
[17:42] "Yeah. We dropped Takumi off and waited a while, and then Shizuru showed up. We went around the back to chat, because it was kinda noisy. She had some stuff to give me, a debit card, and I had a couple questions about Natsuki and the others for her that.. well, you know. I didn't want to ask in front of them. I go back up without her, she wanted to stay outside for some reason."
[17:43] "I get to the top of the stairs, and go back to sit down. Then... there's this flash, and another explosion. I sorta panicked and ran off with the crowd again, I  mean, I was terrified! Well, no, I'm getting pretty used to it by now..."
[17:45] Haruka shakes her head. "These are sad times, when we get used to spontaneous combustion as part of everyday life. So, what did you do after that?"
[17:47] "I had trouble getting money out with my card after that," replies Nao. "I think it broke, along with my phone, still don't know why. After I got away, I sorta just.. tried to get away from people, you know? I thought there were terrorists around or something like that." She clasps her hands, and her eyes fall to the floor.
[17:48] "I found out later that the buses were taking people on even if they couldn't pay, so I got on one and went back home. It was pretty late. Shizuru wasn't there, but I figured she was still in the city or just went back to her place. I should've guessed something was wrong on Sunday, but... it's still coming back to me. What's weird and what's not."
[17:49] A nod. "I know what you mean. I know exactly what you mean! Every day lately, something terrible happens. I want you to know that I'm working to stop it, and I will not rest until Fuka is safe again! ...And my phone is dead, too. I think everyone's is. Maybe that's part of the conspiracy?"
[17:52] "Ah... really? Yeah, this is... pretty bad. Do you know what's going on? Can you tell me?" asks Nao, blinking up at Haruka with wide eyes. "I'm.. sorry, it just seems like half the people I know keep vanishing on me! That Senoh girl, Shizuru, and I haven't seen Natsuki, Mai, or Mikoto since I got back to school on Saturday..."
[17:54] "I'm...working on it," Haruka concedes, a little taken aback by hearing this kind of outburst from Nao. "And I think you can help. I'm sure Shizuru knew something about what's going on. I want you to think over your conversations with her and try to remember anything, *anything* that might seem odd."
[17:56] "It was mostly just about classes, who I was... there was something about vampire attacks? She doesn't like getting the police involved here when things go wrong?"
[17:58] "Tch. She takes after Natsuki that way, then. Has to do everything on her own. What did she say about vampires?"
[17:58] "Considering what happened to those that did, was she really wrong?" Yukino asks suddenly. "Two-- two are still in the hospital! And they're looking for the third! And it was just one night!"
[17:59] "Not much. There were some attacks, like, I think people were drained of blood or had bite marks or something. And then they stopped. It was a pretty abrupt story.. uh, what?"
[18:02] "Okay, look, calm down! Geez, you don't see me calling the cops right now, do you? Anyway, yeah, the attacks stopped, and Shizuru just said it was dealt with and I didn't have to worry about it. But obviously something's still going on. I think Sister Yukariko was involved too, somehow. Have you talked to her at all lately?"
[18:02] "Talked to who?"
[18:03] "Yukariko. I'm sure she knows something important, but she's in the hospital now and I can't reach her."
[18:04] "Sorry. I don't know that person," replies Nao, shakily. "What happened to her?"
[18:04] "Someone hit her very hard. Officers are now watching over her," Yukino says, her voice a bit harsher than before. "It happened last night, Yuuki-san."
[18:05] "I don't know!" Haruka says, exasperated. "She was attacked, *in her own church*," she adds for emphasis, clearly a great respecter of the sanctity of holy places.
[18:06] "It was a very vicious attack," Yukino adds, glaring at Nao.
[18:06] "How dreadful! I wish I could help you find the culprit... It's ridiculous. A nun would never attack anyone. Especially not in her own church. There would just be no reason for such a henious act! Why, it's a wonder someone so unscrupulous didn't finish the job!" replies Nao, thickly.
[18:07] "Maybe they had to flee before help arrived," Yukino notes coldly.
[18:08] Haruka quirks an eyebrow, not sure what to make of this whole act. "Uh, right. Okay, let's skip to last night. What happened after you left the auditorium? Did you see Kuga anywhere? I know she was here."
[18:09] "Not much. I didn't really see anything. There was that big green flash, but I had got lost around one side of the school by then. More gunshots, too. I ran off and hid in the forest," replies Nao, shakily. "I still don't know what possessed me to run out back then."
[18:12] "Well, I know I ran out because if there's a gunfight on the school grounds, the authorities *have* to put a stop to it." She nods. That's totally straightforward, right? Though, the redhead's motivation probably wasn't the same. Yuuki Nao, concerned citizen--that doesn't match up to prior experience. "Okay, so you saw the light. Did you have any weird dreams afterwards?"
[18:13] "No, no dreams last night," replies Nao, shaking her head, but she seems curious. "Did you?"
[18:14] Yukino looks troubled by the direction the conversation seems to be taking.
[18:14] Yeah, well, Yukino looks troubled by everything! That girl.
[18:14] "Well, yes!" Haruka confirms without elaborating. "Oh, right: did shizuru ever mention something called Orihime?"
[18:15] "Nope."
[18:15] "-wait, what?"
[18:16] "What do you mean 'what?' It's a straightforward question," Haruka says.
[18:16] "Can you repeat the question? I'm not sure I heard it right," replies Nao.
[18:16] Yukino makes a strangled sound, shaking her head furiously as she looks at Haruka.
[18:17] "Did Shizuru ever mention something called Orihime?" Haruka repeats, speaking slowly as though Nao had suddenly become a total retread. Yukino is ignored in Haruka's eagerness to get answers.
[18:18] "You can't tell those things to HER!" Yukino protests, whispering urgently in Haruka's ear. Nao has no difficulty hearing her.
[18:18] "Do you not like me or something?" asks Nao, standing up. "Got something to say?"
[18:19] Yukino's gaze drops down to Nao's hands -- her fingers, the red-head thinks -- before she raises it to glare at her defiantly.
[18:20] "Why not?" Haruka says to Yukino. "I don't even know what it means! What's the harm in asking?" Suddenly, it seems like a good idea to keep Yukino calmed down. "Look, no fightingm you two! There's been enough violet already!"
[18:21] "You're right. There's been enough violence already," echoes Nao, nodding in agreement. "There's only one reason to cause violence, and that's to stop more of it. Don't you agree? That's why I beat up Natsuki, and why I'll do the same to anyone who lays a hand on me!"
[18:21] Those words only serve to place the mousy girl further on edge.
[18:22] "Right, now we're getting somewhere! Yukino, calm down, alrigh--" She turns back to Nao. "Wait, what?"
[18:25] "Orihime. Where'd you hear that? A dream, right?" asks Nao, turning to face the older girl. "What happened in it?"
[18:26] Haruka doesn't see any reason not to go on about it. "I was in a cave with these pillars? And another me came and told me that everything was up to me now, and that I had to lead Orihime. I figure that if I said it, it has to mean something."
[18:27] "Pillars? Like, with markings on them?"
[18:30] As the cave with the pillars is mentioned, two things happen. The immense pain of losing her mother hits Nao all over again, and Yukino becomes pale, taking half a step back. The world suddenly takes a backstage, as Nao experiences a waking dream. The lavender-haired girl is there, reaching out for her. She's asking something, and if Nao focuses, she thinks she can almost hear the words.
[18:31] Haruka, for her part, does not experience anything strange, though her friend's paleness and the glassy look coming over Nao's eyes are difficult to miss even with her gutted sight.
[18:32] Nao stretches towards the girl all over again, her eyes starting to brim with unwanted tears. She stretches a hand towards the ceiling, and her breathing is very short and sharp. "Ka-san," she lilts, her voice cracking.
[18:34] "--live? You-- help-- Accept--" It is no more than a few words, not making much sense together. The girl desperately wants an answer, however, Nao realizes.
[18:36] "I.. I don't know..." moans Nao, stretching for the girl in any case. "What? What do I have to do?!"
[18:41] "Uh, hey, guys? You okay?" Haruka stammers, baffled by the two other girls apparently entering a trance state. Yukino's staring off into space, and Nao's...reaching for something nonexistant. Haruka waves a hand in front of Nao's eyes. "Hey, what's up?"
[18:42] Getting further drawn into the waking dream, Nao finds her senses getting warped. In particular, her depth perception is shot, bringing on a nasty bout of vertigo. The world seems bleaker, while the naked girl burns with color, her hair seemingly alive.
[18:42] "Another chance," Nao hears, pressure mounting on her very mind, assaulting it. "Another chance?" The words are repeated, and she thinks they form a question, now.
[18:43] "Chance for what? Hey, don't leave me out of the loop here!" She turns to Yukino. "What's wrong with you two? ...There *was* something in the water, I knew it!"
[18:44] "C'mon, you two. Hey, don't leave me out of the loop here!" She turns to Yukino. "What's wrong with you two? ...There *was* something in the water, I knew it!"
[18:44] Thud. Yukino drops to the floor unceremoniously, although Nao can barely notice it at the edge of her vision.
[18:45] Nao is hyperventilating by now, but Haruka, at least, can hear her whimper - "I'll take it, just give it all back to me, I - I - I can't stand between two lives!"
[18:46] "Yukino!" Haruka drops down next to her friend--sure, Nao's clearly got her own problems too, but Nao's generally been able to take care of herself. Yukino? No, she needs someone to watch out for her.
[18:47] Images assault Nao's mind, of a cave, of a laboratory above it, of a short-haired woman submerged in liquid in some kind of futuristic tank. The reset button, her mind labels it, and waiting to be pushed. The decision is hers. And then the pressure becomes unbearable.
[18:47] Yukino is unconscious. Haruka is certain she's breathing, however.
[18:49] Haruka pats Yukino on the cheek, that sort of mock-slap thing people do in the movies when they're trying to rouse someone from a stupor. "Hey, Yukino? C'mon!" She turns to Nao, and puts on her best Voice of Authority. That never fails! "Nao! Go back and get the nurse, at once!"
[18:50] Nao leans towards this girl. Is she trapped? Do things need to begin again? Is this the choice Shizuru spoke of? She wants to push it, to accept, to turn the next page.
[18:51] Nao leans... and keeps on leaning, until she tumbles over. Her vision goes grey, spots appearing everywhere across it, and when unconsciousness comes, it is a blessing.
[18:52] "Nao? Nao, hey! Oh, crap."
[18:56] Haruka puts Yukino down--gently!--and storms out into the hall, hollering at the top of her lungs for any student within hearing range to get to the nurse at the auditorium and bring her back here!
[18:57] The nurse doesn't happen to be in the auditorium, Haruka finds out, but the next attempt to locate her at the infirmary works quite well.
[18:58] Good enough! Haruka spits out something resembling a coherent explanation and then brings the nurse back to the student council room. If necessary, she'll flag down a group of her lackeys and have them carry the two unconscious girls back to the infirmary.
[19:01] Miss Sagisawa decides that yes, treating two students that collapsed after having fits all of a sudden would be better at the infirmary, and has them moved with the help of the Executive Committee.
[19:02] Haruka is right beside the two prone girls all the way. She doesn't intend to go anywhere until she's convinced they're okay.
[19:03] They don't seem to be waking up, but the nurse doesn't believe they are in any further danger. What bumps they suffered as a result of falling are expertly treated in that time.
[19:06] Haruka isn't going anywhere! She's had it with people brushing her off and then vanishing just when she's about to get an answer out of them. She's sticking right by her friend (and Nao) until they're up and moving again, and the authorities won't stop her (in part because Haruka doesn't acknowledge any authority above the Executive Committee).
[19:07] No authority figure seems to bother Haruka as she waits, as Yukino and Nao are given empty infirmary beds to rest on. The nurse remarks that she would have sent them to the hospital if it weren't for the recent events, which resulted in overwhelming its capacity.
[19:08] Nao is the first to wake up. It is near the afternoon, when she does. If there had been any classes, they are surely coming to a close, now.
[19:09] Nao sits bolt-upright, lunging for something. Her breathing is suddenly rapid, but it starts slowing down almost immediately, and she flops back into her bed, eyes staring at the ceiling.
[19:09] Haruka is more than glad to not send anyone else to the hospital. It's easier to interrogate folks here. "Nao?" she says, at the other girl's side quickly. "What happened? You went all googly and started talking to yourself."
[19:11] Nao's eyes hurt, despite the modest amount of light in the room.
[19:11] "I saw things," mumbles Nao. "Suzushiro... I did it. I really did it, I'll tell you everything."
[19:12] "It's about time someone said that!"
[19:12] "Wait, what did you do?"
[19:12] "But even that's not much," laments Nao, twisting her head from side to side and seeing who else is around.
[19:13] Yukino is lying on a bed next to her own. She seems to be asleep. Haruka is standing near. They seem to be the only ones in the infirmary at the moment, though the door is opened.
[19:13] "Close the door," she whispers.
[19:14] Haruka does as requested, then returns to Nao's side.
[19:15] "Shizuru was murdered that day," replies Nao, softly. "I saw her killer. Searrs Arika. I'll never forget her face. She was smiling, like it was.. all a game, all make-believe."
[19:16] "Arika?" Haruka stops to consider this. "Arika Searrs...do we have a student by that name? I only know of Alyssa."
[19:16] "Not anymore," replies Nao, with grim satisfaction. "I killed her."
[19:17] Haruka usually leaves such administrative matters to Yukino, anyway.
[19:18] "You--hold on, that's a joke, right? Fuka students shouldn't be killing each other!"
[19:19] "But I'll get to that," continues Nao, ignoring Haruka. "She attacks Shizuru from behind. I couldn't do a thing back then... but I knew. I knew that the others could fight with her, save Shizuru, so I ran up. I ran up the stairs, and told them, and Natsuki destroyed the wall and went to fight..."
[19:19] "...but it wasn't enough. Was it? I saw her get taken away by police.. but she wasn't the murderer! It was Arika!"
[19:21] Haruka has to wonder how Natsuki could just blow down a wall...but stops wondering when she remembers Kuga breaking out of the police station. "...Right. What happened to Arika, then?"
[19:23] "She threatened to kill me," replies Nao, thickly. "Because she thought I was a.. a 'Hime'. I wasn't, not then, but she would have." Was it really such a short time ago all this happened? "Shizuru had told me about a shrine. A place where once, before I lost my memory, I made some kind of contract..." [19:24] "A most cruel contract. I gained power there. More power than anyone should have," she muses, holding up a hand. There's a dull glow, and solid black claws form over her fingertips. Long and cruel, Nao flexes her newfound weapon, eventually curling it into a fist.
[19:26] Haruka shakes her head, thinking to herself: 'Shizuru...why didn't she tell the rest of us? I could've helped. She wouldn't be dead right now!' She steps back in surprise on seeing those claws, but soon realization dawns. "You too? The dream with the pillars, right? I told you!"
[19:27] In case this babbling is unclear in its meaning, time for a demonstration: Haruka reaches out her hand and calls force her spiked mace--which falls to ground with a *thunk* and the crack of broken floor tiles. Oops.
[19:28] "You did it, too? Then you know that price?" asks Nao, raising an eyebrow. "It must've been harder for you than me."
[19:30] "Price? Huh? I just gave it to myself." She shrugs. There are more important things to worry about right now! "This is important. I know it means something. I'm not sure what yet, but I'm going to figure it out!"
[19:32] Nao looks confused, a wonder, given her composure during the rest of the day. "Anyway. That's how it was. On Sunday, I met up with Natsuki. We were going to find Searrs and kill her. On Monday, Searrs joined my class. Imagine my surprise. She even spoke to me. Like she wanted to be my friend. She didn't know the meaning of the word!"
[19:34] "So what happened last night?" Haruka demands. She's having trouble getting past the Killing Fuka Students Is Wrong bit, but Nao having the same dream/ability is a compelling counter. "I mean, what really happened, this time?"
[19:35] "Yeah. I ran out the auditorium, you saw me," replies Nao, thinking back. "I found Yukariko and Natsuki squaring off at the church. Crazy nun was trying to redeem Kuga- get this- by shooting her full of arrows or something. I mean, what the hell? Yeah, I knocked her out. I could've killed her, but I don't do that to people. Not unless they try to off me first."
[19:36] "We ran off, right? Behind one of the school buildings- there was this field of flowers, there. We were going to ambush Searrs later- we figured she'd be coming after me sometime. Of course, she finds me before I find her, again..." Nao sighs, and props herself slightly higher on the bed.
[19:37] "Uh...huh..." Haruka says slowly. This is a lot to process for her! "Wait, was that flash of light you? Is it your fault I can't see right?"
[19:38] "Actually, I'm not sure," admits Nao, thinking back to how the fight played out. "We fought, and she had wings- this angel floating around school? There you go. I can't see straight, either- I saw the flash from point-blank range."
[19:40] The angel! About time that mystery's sorted out. Nao's turning out to be amazingly informative, if all this is true. "Do you have any idea where Natsuki is right now? Oh, and do you know who the Anticrisp is?"
[19:41] "Natsuki showed up at the end of the fight. I gutted Searrs pretty good, but to be honest, Natsuki finished her off," replies Nao. The claws vanish, leaving only her trembling hands. "She'd been shot. I couldn't call for help, though, I was covered in blood! How do I explain that? How do you explain any of this? I think it was the cops who shot her, too!"
[19:42] "My phone was pretty much dead- I think something Searrs did knocked it out. But I ran across Yukino when I was trying to get back to my dorm. What a sight I was. I figured something was up with her when the cops didn't come after me later."
[19:43] Haruka nods. That actually makes sense--the wounded cops she met said they'd encountered Natsuki. She says as much to Nao. "Wait, Yukino? What happened?"
[19:44] "She was hiding, but I called her out. She.. I asked her to call for help. Then I ran," replies Nao, lamely. "She probably thinks I'm too dangerous to be around."
[19:46] Haruka nods again. "I can understand that, you killed someone! I mean..." Haruka's still having some trouble processing the whole story. The Yuuki Nao she knows wouldn't fight to help someone else! ...Of course, the old Nao *also* wouldn't voluntarily admit to killing someone. Dilemma! Finding Natsuki would help to corroborate all of this--unless Nao and Natsuki are lying together! Bah, confusion.
[19:48] Still, Nao's story explains a lot. Not everything! But a lot. It makes more sense to believe her...but she can ask Yukino about that last part when she wakes up. "Alright. Okay. So, Arika was responsible for the explosions in the city too, you think?"
[19:50] "I think so. I didn't see her do them. She said she wanted to kill off us 'Hime', and that might've been a way of calling us out." Haruka can practically hear Nao's teeth grinding. "She would've killed me, Suzushiro. It was me or her."
[19:53] "Well, that's everything wrapped up in a nice little package. Except for the pieces that aren't. Like the whole Anticross thing. And what are Hime? Why would an angel want to destroy them? Setting aside that she clearly wasn't an angel because she was a JERK. I don't believe in angels anyway. Alright, the first thing we need to do is find Natsuki."
[19:55] Nao shakes her head. "There are other things I want to tell you. If you're getting involved, I need to tell you everything. It's the only way to avoid... accidents. There's one thing Shizuru told me about this power."
[19:56] "I took it to defend myself, right? But there was a price. If I fall, or if my Child falls, then the one I care about the most goes down with me. I think it's the same for you." Nao's face becomes determined, and she grips the side of the bed. "So just remember. You're not just fighting for yourself."
[20:00] Haruka looks aghast. "'Child?' You're PREGNANT?" Then the rest of it hits her. The one she cares about the most? Well, if Haruka falls, so does Fuka Academy! But she's always known that. ...Yukino? Haruka shakes her head. "I've always watched out for her before and I'm not about to stop now, so I don't think that changes anything," she says confidently. "All we have to do is not lose."

<--->

<--->
<Nao> "I'm not- no, don't even joke about that!" grouses Nao, pulling herself out of the blankets and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Anyway, yeah. I think so, I mean, it's pretty complicated and I can't really see the big picture. Sure, Searrs isn't around, but I don't think that's the end of it."
<Haruka> "I never joke about anything important!" Haruka insists. "But you're right. Yukariko said something about...'the Antichrist appearing in the form of a young boy.' And supposedly that came straight from Shizuru, so there might be something to it. I wanted to interrogate every boy on campus when I heard that, but Yukino thought it would be a bad idea." Haruka still sounds doubtful of that assessment.
<Nao> "She probably meant Nagi," clarifies Nao, snorting at the description. "He's this blue-haired kid. Shizuru didn't have nice things to say about him, oh no."
<Haruka> "Nagi?" Haruka wonders. "I don't know him. But that's a place to start. If Fujino said so, there's probably something to it." This last is a grudging admission, but it's pretty much apparent that her late rival knew what was going on.
<Nao> "I doubt we'll find him on campus," complains Nao, shaking her head. "Shizuru said that he played us- I mean, Hime, that's what I think we're called- off against each other. There were fights, people died. Were there ever weird incidents around the school before recently?"
* Haruka shrugs. "The vampire stuff, but then that stopped...I can't think of much else. Someone must've been good at keeping it all secret. I mean, look how long it took *me* to find out all this was going on!"
<Nao> "Right. As far as I know, Shizuru and the others wanted to keep a low profile. I don't really blame them... but maybe that was a mistake? Look where keeping secrets has got us so far."
* Haruka nods. "Yeah. The Hime have to stick together!" Not that Haruka is 100% sure on what a Hime actually is, but it seems the thing to say. "We need to find Natsuki if she's one. And I'd like to talk to Sister Yukariko again. Shizuru obviously told her something. Maybe she'll be a little more open when I show her this," she says, hefting that monstrous mace.
<Nao> "Natsuki was one. I don't even know if she's alive! The cops probably know where she is, right? They must have found her, alongside what was left of Arika. I just hope she ended up in a bed- even a prison bed- and not the morgue." Nao can't help but look at the mace with a shred of jealousy. It's not fair!
<Nao> If she's just got claws, and everyone else has big weapons like that, how can she even get clo- oh, well, she still has her Child.
<Haruka> "Well, I can call the police and see if they brought her in last night. Last time they caught her, they called us, but everyone's phone is dead now. They might've tried to call already, actually."
<Nao> "I can show you the place where it happened later, if you want," muses Nao. "Yukino, too. You believe me, right? I couldn't tell you both before, but it's different now."
<--->

(14:46:35): <--->
(14:47:19): Yukino raises a hand to her forehead slowly, groaning.
(14:47:39): "Yukino!" Haruka exclaims, quick to rush to her friend's side.
(14:49:17): Nao stretches her arms while Yukino wakes up, working out a couple of kinks. Lying down all the time is going to be bad for her, she just knows it.
(14:50:30): Yukino winces at the sound of Haruka's voice. "My head," she complains piteously.
(14:51:31): "Yukino, what happened? Did you have that dream too?" Haruka presses, the very soul of courtesy.
(14:51:53): "Dream?" she asks, confused.
(14:52:39): "The cave and the pillars and the other you? That one."
(14:54:32): "No," Yukino responds, looking at Haruka strangely. "I didn't dream about another me." She's shielding her eyes with a hand, searching for something on a nearby table. Finally locating her glasses, the girl hurries to put them on.
(14:55:18): "I'm pretty sure that was just you, Suzushiro," reflects Nao. "It seems the experience is different for everyone."
(14:56:39): "Oh," she says, sounding a little disappointed. "Well, Yukino, I think we're on our way to cracking the case. Nao knows a lot about what's been happening the past few days."
(14:57:21): "I bet she does," Yukino says nastily. "Haruka-chan, you can't trust anything she says! She's dangerous!"
(14:57:37): "Oh, for the love of..."
(14:58:54): "Yukino, come on! This isn't the time for distression, we have to work together!"
(15:00:31): "I... don't even know what distression means," Yukino says dejectedly, hanging her head. "I-- alright, Haruka-chan. What do you need me to do?"
(15:01:27): "I think she meant 'dissent' or something like that," replies Nao, making an effort to control herself and mostly succeeding. "Look, maybe I'm dangerous, but only to people who attack me, alright?"
(15:02:05): "First, we need to find out what happened to Kuga. Nao thinks the cops might've picked her up again, so we should call them first." She looks around. Is there a phone in the infirmary?
(15:05:20): There was one all those times she visited before, and it hasn't been taken away. The phone sits on the nurse's desk, taunting Haruka with its presence.
(15:05:52): Yukino wilts as Haruka mentions Nao and Natsuki, but doesn't comment.
(15:06:30): Hey, it's normally Yukino's job to remember details like that, right? Anyway, Haruka dials up the police to inquire about their wayward peer.
(15:07:18): When Yukino doesn't reply to her, Nao just rolls her eyes back and flops back on the bed. If the girl doesn't want to listen, fine- she just better not do anything stupid.
(15:09:27): After three rings, the phone is picked up on the other end. "Detective Oiishi here," a familiar voice speaks, static distorting it slightly. "Hello?"
(15:11:11): "Detective Oiishi? This is Suzushiro, at Fuka Academy. Do you have any news on our missing students? Kuga?"
(15:13:02): "Ah, Suzushiro," he says, his voice oily. "I'm afraid I have bad news."
(15:13:37): "Go ahead," Haruka says, voice betraying nothing.
(15:18:22): "From questioning our officers at the scene, we managed to establish that Kuga did show up at the school. The dorm where one of your missing students was staying, in fact." He clears his throat.
(15:18:28): "We found a blood trail leading away from that dorm, and then... it was a mess. It's hard to believe that someone could survive losing so much blood, so we're treating the matter as a homicide.
(15:18:29): A very disturbing homicide, where the killer took the body with them for some reason."
(15:19:48): "...Right. Thank you for the update, Detective."
(15:21:15): "That dorm..." Oishi says, his tone thoughtful. "And the room, in particular. The other occupant is Yuuki Nao-san, isn't it?
(15:21:15): How curious it is, that one of her roommates disappears, the next is found dead, and the person responsible later shows up there...."
(15:22:54): "Yeah, that's interesting," Haruka says blandly. Given how pointless the cops were in dealing with Natsuki, she's got no use for them right now if they have no useful information.
(15:24:28): "You wouldn't happen to know how to contact Yuuki, would you?" the detective asks over the phone. "I believe it would be... very informative, yes."
(15:26:00): "You can always try her cel phone. I'm afraid I don't know the number, though." Not that it would be in working order anyway, of course.
(15:27:29): "Ah, of course, of course," he agrees with Haruka. "Still, for someone heading... what did you call it? The Executive Committee of Fuka Academy?
(15:27:29): It is quite regrettable that you don't have such information on hand. Unless Yuuki had not been coming to school recently, of course."
(15:28:16): "She was never one of our better students," Haruka says, quite honestly.
(15:29:16): "How unfortunate for us both," Oiishi laments. "Still, putting Yuuki aside, there is something else we should discuss, Suzushiro. One of the students in the high school section, in the first year, in fac--"
(15:29:36): Static. The noise is overwhelming, swallowing the detective's words.
(15:30:40): "Hello? Detective." She shrugs and hangs up the phone. "Well, that was useless," she says to the other girls. "They didn't find Kuga."
(15:31:22): Yukino nods at Haruka's words.
(15:33:17): "She must have got away, somehow," replies Nao, seeming somewhat relieved. "That means she might still be alive. Good. Did he say anything about Searrs?"
(15:34:58): "No, he didn't know much of anything. Looks like everything's up to us." Oddly, she doesn't sound upset about this last detail. After all, who's more reliable than Fuka students?
(15:37:33): "There's one place Natsuki might be. If she's not there, well.. she'll probably find me, if she's so inclined." replies Nao, wincing at the memory of how Natsuki was after the fight. "Can you tell me what you guys saw yesterday?"
(15:38:53): Yukino doesn't seem inclined to talk to Nao, even when the latter is apparently addressing her.
(15:39:11): "You saw more than I did, Nao. I keep showing up after the action's over with. Yukino? What happened after that flash of light?"
(15:43:43): Reluctantly, Yukino makes brief eye contact with Nao, before her hands form into fists. "She came and there was blood all over her-- her shirt and hands and everything, and she was crazy!"
(15:45:47): "Oh, yeah, you were asleep when I explained it to Haruka," reflects Nao. "Yeah. Sorry. I killed Searrs Arika. But it's like I said at the time. She killed Shizuru, and she would've killed me! I didn't have a choice!"
(15:45:56): "So what if I was a little crazy?" she continues, looking away. "Anyone would be..."
(15:46:29): Yukino looks at Haruka for guidance.
(15:49:58): "I know it sounds nuts, Yukino, but she's the only one we have right now who saw anything that happened in town."
(15:50:20): She hefts the mace again. "...and we're both Hime, apparently. It has to mean something."
(15:50:58): Yukino turns away. She seems depressed all of a sudden, but at least she's not glaring at Nao anymore.
(15:52:19): Haruka goes to sit down by her friend. "Yukino? You're with me on this, right? We have to look out for each other at a time like this."
(15:53:11): Yukino nods. "Yes, Haruka-chan. I'll look after you," she tells her quietly.
(15:54:06): Nao just shrugs helplessly. "I'm going to go look for Natsuki. Come if you want, stay if you don't."
(15:55:09): As seems to be her custom, Yukino leaves this decision to Haruka.
(15:56:27): She pats Yukino on the shoulder. "Good! Too many students have been hurt already and we stand a better chance of figuring things out if we stay together. So, the first thing we do is head for the last place Kuga was seen."
(15:57:20): "And besides," she says quietly (unusually so for Haruka!), "if you're worried about Nao, you can keep an eye on her this way."
(15:59:30): "I'm not too enthused about going back to the scene of the crime, as it were," replies Nao, uneasily. "I wanted to check out a place in the woods. We could split up for this, actually, and meet back here later?"
(16:00:19): "Or in the executive office. Or wherever."
(16:00:44): Haruka frowns. "We shouldn't split up. Something bad always seems to happen when we do that. Where is this place that you have in mind?"
(16:01:18): "There's a place in the woods where normal people would have trouble going," explains Nao. "There's some kind of magic ward there. If she was hiding, that's where she'd go."
(16:01:36): "We planned to ambush Arika there, away from everyone," continues Nao. "But you know what they say about plans."
(16:04:12): "Alright. *This* plan just means walking there, and simple plans are hard to mess up. So let's go." Yukino, being Haruka's shadow, will presumably be able to follow!
(16:04:47): "Yeah. It's a pretty long way," replies Nao, heading for the door. "It might be fruitless, and you'll be alone with me in the woods after dark. But if you're set, yeah, let's go!"
(16:08:45): Yukino indeed follows meekly a few steps behind, as Nao leads the way outside. The trio don't encounter any other students, though it took a while for Yukino to wake up, and the evening is rapidly approaching.
(16:08:46): The hill is steep.
(16:08:58): Haruka remembers she forgot something in the student council room.
(16:09:20): Unfortunately, she doesn't remember what she forgot!
(16:10:04): It seems to evade her, yes. Whatever it was certainly had to be very important.
(16:11:36): If it was *that* important, she'd remember it.
(16:14:12): The climb is difficult, or should be, but Haruka and Nao don't seem to be having any trouble going through the forest, almost competing with one another.
(16:14:13): A nagging doubt awakens in Haruka. What if Fuka will be in danger without her protection?
(16:15:45): Nao soldiers on, feeling a slight tingle in the back of her mind. "That's it," she remarks. "The fear gets to you around here. Just ignore it and move on."
(16:15:52): Well, that's a risk she'll have to take! Besides, she's out here to help Fuka in the first place.
(16:16:41): Haruka nods. "Okay." She turns back to look at her aide. "Yukino? Are you well enough to go on? You know I can't leave you behind."
(16:18:39): Yukino has managed to keep up, somehow. Haruka's cell phone rings.
(16:19:30): Whoa, what? Wasn't it totally fried? Oh well, no complaints about it mysteriously deciding to work again. She answers it: "Suzushiro here."
(16:21:12): "Ah, Suzushiro." It is detective Oiishi, although he sounds tinny. "We have to meet right away. Where are you?"
(16:21:12): Nao, for her part, sees Haruka hold her phone to her ear and speak.
(16:22:10): "At school," she says vaguely, intent on the hike. "What's new?"
(16:23:21): Nao stares curiously at Haruka, before flipping out her own phone. Come to think of it, she did just assume it had stopped working. And, well, everyone elses had...
(16:23:28): His words are starting to break up, but Haruka can still hear the note of warning in them. "I'll be there in five minutes. Are you in the high school section?"
(16:23:49): Nao finds that her phone doesn't have reception here, if its display is to be trusted.
(16:24:59): "No," she says into the phone. "I'm patrolling the grounds. Can you tell me what's going on?"
(16:25:44): Nao looks weirdly at it, and then puts it away.
(16:27:13): "It is very important that you--" The detective's words become unintelligible briefly. "I repeat, do not leave the campus. Stay constalt--" static "--ounded"
(16:27:14): The content becomes garbled, and the last word Haruka catches before the call ends is, appropriately for the situation, danger.
(16:28:26): Haruka frowns. "We've been in danger for the last week now. What is it this time? Hello?" She shakes the phone around, as if that would help.
(16:28:44): "Nao, how close are we? Something might be up back at school."
(16:28:47): Shaking the phone seems to cause it to go out.
(16:29:06): Worthless piece of crap!
(16:30:28): "We're pretty close," replies Nao. "Who was that?"
(16:31:41): "Detective Oiishi again. Telling us not to leave campus." She snorts. "You don't need to tell *me* we're in danger by this point.
(16:32:14): She does sound worried, but: "We stick together for now, though. Especially since we're close."
(16:33:16): "Yeah. There's probably not even anything here. Wasn't last time," replies Nao, shoving aside her fears and plunging onwards. "We'll hurry back afterwards, ok? We can run pretty fast. Being a Hime has some perks."
(16:33:40): Haruka nods and continues the hike.
(16:33:42): Yukino picks that moment to stumble behind the two, falling to her knees.
(16:34:14): *That* stops her, though. "Yukino?!" She rushes back to kneel by her friend. "What happened?"
(16:35:32): "Oh, I just tripped, Haruka-chan," Yukino responds, smiling at her. The smile looks a bit strained.
(16:36:37): A nod. "Alright, but let me know if you can't go on. I'll carry you if I have to!"
(16:37:15): Yukino ducks her head. Nao thinks she caught a hint of red on her cheeks.
(16:37:30): "It's a pretty tough climb," replies Nao. "Hey, you're not hurt, are you?"
(16:38:16): "I don't think she is. Just a little tired. It takes a lot of work to keep up with me!"
(16:38:21): "I'm fine," Yukino states firmly, getting back up.
(16:40:01): The cave is before them, at last. Nao's senses, already on edge the closer she got to it, go haywire as she takes a step into the clearing around it. Danger, and death, they haunt this place.
(16:40:02): There is a persistent smell of blood.
(16:40:48): "What is this place, exactly?" Haruka asks, a little wary.
(16:41:24): "I've done this before," mumbles Nao, swallowing. Climbed up here, danger, death, she's seen it all! "I don't know exactly," replies Nao. "I should ask Tokiha sometime. I think there was a fight, and.. well, you'll see."
(16:42:17): "Alright, well...let's go."
(16:42:47): "Please, Haruka-chan... don't go in there," Yukino says in a small voice, standing in the clearing. She is shaking.
(16:44:08): "Yukino? C'mon, you've got to toughen up! A Fuka student could be lying wounded inside. It's our responsibility to help her if we can."
(16:44:40): "Besides," she says, putting her hands on the younger girl's shoulders, "nothing can stop us as long as we stick together!"
(16:46:52): Nao moves into the cave, Haruka following, her arm around Yukino's shoulders.
(16:46:54): Blood. The ground is covered by it, and the smell-- the smell of death comes from the torn-up body offered to the visitors like a sacrificial lamb. Could that ever have been a real person?
(16:48:57): Haruka is more infuriated at this scene than horrified. "What the--what the hell? Nao, is that her?" Yukino would probably bolt if Haruka let her go, so she stays put by the entrance.
(16:49:40): Nao stares at what's going on here, wide-eyed, and clearly as shocked as Yukino and Haruka. She staggers against the wall, slowly backing away from the spectacle before her.
(16:49:48): "I.. I don't know," she replies, looking as likely to bolt as Yukino.
(16:51:11): Well, if no one else is up to the task..."Yukino? Don't move, alright?" She leaves her friend by the door, where she can at least stare outside instead of at the body.
(16:51:36): Haruka moves forward to examine the body. Not that she wants to, but *someone* has to.
(16:54:12): Haruka had never seen something like it. This person was beaten all over their body, and then torn apart, literally ripped into little pieces.
(16:54:12): She can only surmise it was once human by a few remaining shreds of clothing, all heavily matted with blood.
(16:56:12): "Let's go," replies Nao, her throat dry. She thinks she knows what happened, and finding Natsuki suddenly doesn't seem like a terribly good idea.
(16:56:28): She can't even teel who it might've been, then? "Ugh. This is terrible," Haruka mutters, backing away. "Nao...this wasn't here before? What do you think happened?"
(16:57:33): Female? Maybe?
(16:58:35): "I'll tell you later," replies Nao, her voice picking up slightly in speed.
(16:58:49): She starts backing away from the clearing and back towards the forest.
(16:59:15): Well, Haruka's not going to object to leaving, that's for sure. She collects Yukino and leaves.
(16:59:36): Yukino is as putty in Haruka's hands.
(17:00:16): Nao doesn't want to talk until they're well away from the clearing and back into the forest, a place that has felt safe to her since the first day she stumbled into it, half-dressed.
(17:01:34): Haruka, on the other hand, practically never stops talking. "When I catch whoever did that, I'm going to clobber them until they can't be clobbered any more. I swear on the name of Suzushiro!"
(17:02:14): "Don't you know fear, Suzushiro?" asks Nao, shuddering. "I'm jealous, can you teach me?"
(17:03:34): Yukino stands obediently by Haruka's side, her gaze vacant.
(17:03:49): "I don't have time to be afraid," Haruka declares, leading Yukino away from the cave. Though she *is* a fair bit nauseous, really.
(17:05:50): "You're an inspiration," mumbles Nao. "You said that cop called you, right? Yeah. Let's get back."
(17:07:06): "Come on, Yukino," Haruka says, noticing her friend's vacant state. "Things'll be better back at school."
(17:11:08): The stench of blood clings to the three as they return to campus. The sun is setting, and Nao spots flashlights in the distance; by the front gate, she estimates. Her eyes also begin to relax.
(17:12:09): "Actually," murmurs Nao. "This is... are those cops up there?" She squints, trying to see.
(17:12:44): Nao has yet to acquire the ability to discern between police-issue flashlights and regular ones, if indeed there is a difference.
(17:13:54): "Probably. Oiishi did call me earlier. Though they could be one of my security teams enforcing the curfew."
(17:14:22): "You know, maybe we should go get freshened up," murmurs Nao. "The... smell. It's pretty strong."
(17:15:18): "Where? Do you have a room off the school grounds or something?"
(17:15:41): "The dorms aren't on campus, right?"
(17:16:40): Haruka apparently forgets that not everyone lives at the executive committee's office. "Right," she says. "Let's go."
(17:19:19): Nao's dorm seems to have yellow police tape around it. It doesn't look as if the students have been allowed to return to it yet. No guards are visible, however.
(17:19:42): "Still blocked off," murmurs Nao. "Where do you stay?"
(17:20:09): Pfah, police tape. There's no reason that should stop the Executive Committe, right?
(17:21:51): "We'll try my place," Haruka says. It seems safer to try the dorm that hasn't been attacked repeatedly.
(17:22:40): "Yeah..." replies Nao, glancing at Yukino again. What's she got to be upset about? She was never drenched in the stuff! Some people are.. are... completely normal, and Nao just isn't one of them.
(17:24:54): Onward to Haruka's dorm, then!
(17:31:45): Haruka's dorm, which also happens to be Yukino's residence, are a bit of a walk from here. It takes them the better part of twenty minutes to close the distance,
(17:31:46): particularly because Haruka and Nao don't want to just cut through campus proper. Haruka's room is solitary, and Nao spots Yukino's name right next door, along with one Agata Shion.
(17:32:38): "We'll use my place," Haruka says, opening her door. Yukino's roommate doesn't need to know about all of this.
(17:33:33): "Sounds good. I need to wash my stuff," replies Nao, dully. "They'll probably be expecting me back in the auditorium, I think that's where my dorm is staying."
(17:34:29): "We can stop by there afterwards," she says, leading Nao and Yukino inside.
(17:34:43): Nao thinks she spots Shizuru's name on the door all the way down the corridor, but then she's inside Haruka's room.
(17:34:43): Headbands with invigorating slogans are lying all over the floor, and even crowding every piece of furniture within.
(17:36:50): Nao gazes after it for a moment, before trailing after Haruka into her place. "Got any spare clothes?" she asks, wanting to get out this well-overused uniform and into something a bit more comfortable... if ill-fitting.
(17:37:52): Ill-fitting it likely would be, for while Haruka's uniform does a good job of hiding it, Nao can't mistake the difference in size between Haruka's generous assets and her own. Or is that sizes?
(17:38:22): Haruka probably has spare clothes around somewhere and is quite ready to share them with her comrades. Hopefully Nao likes pea green.
(17:40:49): Nao can't restrain a brief look of disgust, but she quickly has a shower and gets changed. "I want to check something out," she says. "Back in a moment."
(17:41:10): She heads up a few doors to Shizuru's room- not too far, and tries the door. Maybe it's unlocked? If not there, there might be an open window, or a window that can be opened.
(17:42:19): Haruka waits for Nao to return and tries to coax Yukino into some semblance of coherence in the meantime. "Yukino? It's okay, we're back home now."
(17:42:45): The door is locked, but it is only made of wood. The only material able to stop Nao's claws to date had been Arika's strange weapon, and even the girl herself was no match for Nao, when she tore into her with ease.
(17:43:30): Yukino may not be catatonic as she walked all the way to Haruka's room with the latter's guidance, but she certainly doesn't respond to attempts to talk to her.
(17:45:14): Nao jams one of her needlelike claws into the lock, and does a pretty good job of mangling it apart before she gives the door a shove. Ideally, someone will actually have to try and open it before they realise it's been broken into.
(17:46:29): Maybe Yukino just needs to sleep it off? Haruka does her best to get the girl settled on the bed, at least. She'll probably have to wash the sheets later, of course.
(17:47:07): <--->

<--->

The door opens at last. The curtains are drawn, coloring what little light the evening sun provides purple. A single bed takes up one side of the room, appearing quite posh to Nao's eyes. A fairly standard desk is by the bed, a solitary chair accompanying it.

Another door at the opposite side leads elsewhere. There are no bookshelves, no closets, not much in way of personal items. The suite looks quite spartan, aside from the luxurious bed.

Closing the door behind her, Nao steps slowly back into the room. The closed curtains are a blessing on more ways than one, and she takes her time whilst surveying the area.

The room reflected Shizuru, really. All it betrayed of her was that she was not the sort who showed herself to others easily. Nao walks across to the desk, glancing at the contents.

The desk is bare. Upon approaching it, Nao notices that the chair looks to be carefully placed before it, the perfect distance for someone to sit at the desk comfortably.

It's possible her stuff was already removed, though Nao doubts it. Of course, there's whatever Shizuru left in her own dorm to consider.

And it feels a little taboo to even think about going through the possessions of a dead woman. But if she left anything behind, anything that might give Nao a clue or help her survive, then Nao will willingly break it.

She heads through the other door, now, presuming it leads to her late friend's bathroom and closets.

There is only a bathroom, small if comfortable. Did Shizuru really live here?

The mirror above the sink is foggy.

Not in her last days, at least. Who else would come here? Natsuki, perhaps?

Nao glances at the shower; does it look like it's recently been used?

Not particularly, from what she can tell. It's quite spotless.

The sink?

The same can be said for anything except the mirror.

Nao draws a couple of lines on the fogged-up mirror with her fingertip, clearing a space through which she can see herself.

Natsuki's face stares back at her.

Nao blinks, tentatively giving the bluette in the mirror a wave.

It feels distinctively strange to witness a body not her own mirror her actions that way.

Nao clears a little more of the fog. Does it seem to reflect the surrounding area normally?

The more she studies the effects, the more Nao feels that she has been in this situation before. No, not quite like this, after all, but something incredibly similar....

Nao, in a body not her own, is dutifully shown doing the same tasks the real Nao does.

Nao tries to think this through logically. Mirrors shows reflections of people. Therefore, Natsuki is some kind of reflection of Nao?

Nao *is* Natsuki, and she just didn't real- no, that's stupid.

It reminds her of when she first ran into the older girl, and the feelings she had on the spot, which of course leads her to ask what she thinks of Natsuki at the moment. Rather irrationally, it pisses her off a little, and she leaves the bathroom.

Haruka. Will Haruka see the same thing, or something else? It's worth checking out.

Nao's other self is silent, a fact that astounds the red-head when she seeks the advice of her inner voice. After dealing with constant emotions and thoughts that are foreign and yet feel terribly right, it is a slight shock to be free of such influence.

As she leaves the bathroom, passing through Shizuru's room to the door outside, Nao spot a closed laptop sitting on the desk.

It was definately not there before, but Nao can't have missed someone come in. And more to the point, where did they go?

The door to the room is unlocked, of course, but Nao doesn't see any signs of it being in a a different position from that she left it at.

Then perhaps it's some kind of invitation. She has a bad habit of accepting those, one she isn't about to break.

Walking slowly to the desk, and occasionally glancing furtively over her shoulder, she opens the laptop screen, and turns it on if it isn't working already.

The system boots up into a screen requesting a password.

And thus her exploratory efforts are soon ground to a halt. Nao tries the names of a few people she knows, including her own.

KugaNatsuki
Natsuki
Kuga
Nao
Yuuki
YuukiNao
Mikoto
Tokiha
Mai
Guest
Password

It turns out that Nao's second attempt is the correct password. The laptop accepts it, proceeding to boot up.

It opens to two folders. One of them holds files, their names made of acronyms and numbers following some kind of elaborate system Nao can't quite figure out.  They appear to have been saved from some external system, unless Shizuru was horribly anal-retentive about her private files. The other, by contrast, only holds a single document titled 'Hime'.

Nao opens the document, going for what is easily understood before checking out other things. A text document is something even she can access, though.

"Dearest Natsuki," it opens with. "It is my fondest wish that you would never have to read this. However, it may not be up to me. Senoh Aoi and Harada Chie have disappeared. The significance is not lost on me; neither is the timing. Yes, it all comes back to time, doesn't it? I thought I would have more of it, but they have made the first move, whomever they might be. Could they be the First District that you despise so much? Or, perhaps, history is repeating itself? If so, I cannot allow for that tragedy to recur.

"I hope that you will forgive me for this, but I have made up my mind. Kiyohime must remain sealed, whatever the outcome. If I am to strive for change, I might as well start with myself. I can only pray that I succeed in my efforts. Trying to guide from the shadows, causing mistrust and discord... those were all mistakes, but I cannot change them in a single day. Perhaps, I have had enough time to impart on the others what I wanted them all to see. I will certainly try to do so.

"And the most important piece of advice I leave to you here, Natsuki. Revenge is wrong. Going down that path only twists you further, until you are no longer able to recall your original purpose and self. It took my defeat for me to understand that. Please don't let it be the only way for you to learn that same painful lesson.

Love, Shizuru."

What follows is a list of names. Tokiha Mai, Minagi Mikoto, Sugiura Midori, Himeno Fumi, Yukariko Sanada, Kikukawa Yukino, Higurashi Akane and Searrs Alyssa.

It raises more questions than it answers, makes things more confusing than they were before. But did Nao ever really expect things to get simpler?

Kiyohime. And Haruka mentioned Orihime. Hime, hime, hime, is everyone a princess around here? Is Kiyohime that girl in the tank? What calamity might occur if she is unsealed? Will it affect Nao?

When is the file dated?

A bit of tinkering allows Nao to find out that it was written the day Shizuru moved in with her. By the time stamp, a few hours before Nao returned to find Shizuru using her shower.

Natsuki is out there, somewhere, and presumably knows what Shizuru was talking about. It's a difficult question, as to whether or not she'd have read this, though the laptop appears to have magical powers and may well have found Natsuki first.

The part on revenge clearly went on deaf ears, if so. And that was never the point for Nao, regardless of what words she spins for anyone elses sake. Which brings her to the list names, and that of Searrs Alyssa. Will she want revenge, and is she capable of taking it?

Are these names supposed to be trusted? Haruka can probably identify the two Nao can't. And Nao herself has already damaged much hope of such trust between Yukariko and Fumi. Of course, she still doesn't regret it.

The other files may be interesting, and Nao opens one at random to see what it is.

Names, dates, places. Financial records. The files detail the administration of something called the First District, even going as far as to list some of its history. That part of the records is clear enough even for Nao: something has been happening every three centuries, and the records go back. She's never been a model student, but Nao is fairly certain that this festival taking place every three hundred years has been occuring before Japan's establishment. Ikusahime. Battle Princess?

Her instincts are pretty good, and Nao is willing to bet quite a lot that the last said festival was, indeed, three centuries prior.

If she and Haruka, at least, are any kinds of princess, battle certainly seems to be their inheritance.

That is true to the year, though the exact date is not calculated by the modern calendars, it seems. It would take a while to determine it.

If there's a particular individual day on which this festival occurs, Nao is quite willing to spend the time to figure out exactly which one it is.

Nao presently lacks the tools to do so.

Yukino is pretty smart. If she snaps out of her funk, maybe she can figure it out. Nao should be able to handle memorizing a couple of dates for her to consider.

She could take the laptop, but it's possible Natsuki hasn't looked at it yet. The whole experience is very strange, and if Nao meets her later, she can just explain it in person. For now, she closes it down and decides to go back and find Haruka. It seems their first order of business has changed, and they'd better find the other people on that list before they go further.

<--->

<--->

About fifteen minutes after she leaves, Nao returns. Her somewhat frazzled look remains much as it has since she woke up in the infirmary, though she makes an effort to smooth over her features as she enters.

"There's something you should see," she says, glancing back outside for a moment.

"Yeah?" Haruka asks, glancing over at Yukino. She'll probably hold for the moment, right?

Yukino is in no hurry to rush anywhere.

Haruka nods, and opts to follow Nao.

Nao glances at Yukino like she wants her to come along as well, but apparently thinks better of it. She leads Haruka to Shizuru's room, opening the door easily (though a slight pair of holes in the lock give lie to just how she got inside.)

"There's a mirror in the bathroom," she explains, pointing the way. "Can you go there and tell me what you see in it?"

Haruka peers at Nao, one eyebrow quirked in curiosity. Defacing school property obviously isn't something she approves of, but these are desperate times! Anyway: "Sure thing," she says, entering the dread kingdom of Fujino.

A bed, quite above Fuka standards. A barren desk with a chair placed next to it. An open door leading to a small bathroom.

Fujino was leading quite the spartan life.

Except for the bed. But somehow, Haruka has trouble seeing Fujino sleep any other way.

Well, Haruka has to admit that her rival's restraint was actually rather admirable. She enters the bathroom to see what the deal is with this mystery mirror, expecting to see herself and not much more.

The bathroom is spotless. Every spot is cleaned to perfection, although it seems like it hasn't been used in days.

Haruka nods in approval at that, at least! So, the mirror then. ...Although, she can't help but be curious enough to poke around in Shizuru's medicine cabinet and the like.

The medicine cabinet is barren like the rest of the room. Haruka can't find any signs of it having been used before. The mirror reflects Haruka's face fairly truthfully.

Haruka shrugs and walks out to see Nao. "It's just a mirror. You feeling okay?"

"Just a mirror?" replies Nao, slightly unbelieving, as she walks past Haruka to make certain of this apparently incredible fact.

The mirror is capable of showing Nao's reflection, and if they huddle, that of Haruka and Nao together.

"Well, obviously I saw myself in it too," Haruka adds, tossing her hair. "Was something else supposed to be there?"

It is not a particularly large mirror.

Nao is clearly disconcerted by this development. "Yeah, when I looked in it the first time, it showed me Natsuki's reflection," she replies. "Then when I came out, there was a laptop on the desk, and.. now it's gone."

Normal behaviour is clearly too much for the redhead.

Haruka spares Nao another strange look. "I think maybe you need a good long nap, Nao."

"I've been sleeping all day! I.. I need to eat something, I haven't had anything since... yesterday morning," she reflects.

Haruka shakes her head. "That won't do at all! You need to stay fit in body and mind if you want to combat the forces of...whoever our enemy is." If there are any snacks in Haruka's room, Nao's welcome to them.

"Yeah, you're right," agrees Nao, heading out of Shizuru's room. 釘ut there was definately a laptop. I opened it, and there were some files, and... well, I'm not exactly sure who our enemy is. But I figured out who some of our friends might be."

Haruka is eager to learn this vital information! "Oh yeah? What'd you see? Tell me!"

"Well, from what I gathered, Shizuru knows that someone or something is out there, setting some events in motion. They've got something to do with Senoh and Harada's disappearance," muses Nao. "It seems that every three centuries, there's some kind of festival or fight or something called the 詮irst District" - don't ask, I don't know what it entails. We Hime clearly have something to do with it, though I still don't know what.

"There was a list of names, too. There were a couple I didn't know on it... Sugiura Midori and Higurashi Akane, do they ring any bells?"

"Sugiura is a teacher at Fuka. Higurashi was a student here, but she disappeared a while back. Not one of these mysterious disappearances, though," she corrects. "She eloped with some guy." She adds a *tsk* to emphasize how little she approves of setting aside one's studies in such a manner.

"We need to speak with her," replies Nao. "There were others. Mai, Mikoto, Yukariko, Yukino... and two more, but I really don't want to meet them again soon."

"So, this list. Was it like..." She gestures vaguely in the air for a moment. "...an *enemies* list? Was there anything saying what it was for, or--wait, Yukino?"

"It was a list of Hime, I think. We should all be friends! We should definately not be enemies. There were two names not on it, by the by- ours. It was dated before either of us changed, though."

"Well. Before I changed," she reflects, after a moment. "I don't really know your story."

And it'll have to wait, as Haruka suddenly has something much more pressing to worry about. She darts back into her room. "Hey, Yuikno?!"

Yukino stirs at the urgent call. She looks up at Haruka, eyes dull.

Haruka plants herself on the bed next to her friend, one hand on the other gir's shoulder. "Yukino! Hey, are you one too? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Yukino trembles. "One? What do you mean, Haruka-chan?"

While Yukino and Haruka have their no-doubt sickly heart-to-heart, Nao attempts to solve her hunger problems by putting Haruka's kitchen to use.

"Hime! There was a list on Shizuru's computer."

Yukino looks aghast, shaking her head. "Fujino-san kept a list?" she asks in disbelief.

Haruka nods. "Nao found it on her computer. What's wrong? This is great! We can get everyone together now and really figure out who our enemy is."

"You don't understand!" Yukino exclaims. "It's-- it's not great! It's horrible, really horrible!" She sends a glare in Nao's direction. "She put you up to all this, didn't she? She forced you into everything, made you become a Hime. Didn't she, Haruka-chan?!"

"Because I really know what's going on, here," replies Nao, bitterly.

"You be quiet!" Yukino snaps at Nao, standing up abruptly. She shivers, and genuine hate shows in her eyes.

"Yukino, I didn't know anything about it before I had the dream last night! This isn't the time for bickering. This is the time for Fuka students to STAND TOGETHER. ...But Yukino, why didn't you ever tell me about this? I've been running around like crazy trying to figure things out the past few days."

Nao is taken aback, and can only stare back at Yukino with uncomprehending eyes.

"There is no standing together, Haruka-chan," Yukino responds, not taking her eyes off Nao. Purple lightning flashes in them briefly, gone so swiftly Nao is left wondering whether she imagined the entire thing. "Only one Hime can survive the Festival. I didn't want you to know, because I didn't want to--" Yukino's voice breaks, "--fight you. But... but if she's gone, it will be alright, won't it? You can go back to being the normal Haruka-chan...."

Nao's eyes begin to narrow, and she starts quivering, herself.

"What? No! No one has to fight anyone! And *you're* not fighting *anyone* will I'm around!" Haruka insists, wrapping her arms around her friend in an embrace that's both a hug and an attempt to keep her under control.

Whether it is the hug or something else entirely, Yukino's eyes suddenly droop, and she staggers. Struggling to keep upright, she leans on Haruka, finally breaking eye contact with Nao.

"That's not true," growls Nao. "It's a lie, a trick. It's that Nagi brat, isn't it?"

"That's better. When we fight each other, Fuka loses no matter who wins! Now, slow down. What's with this Festival?"

"You can see it too, can't you? That ominous red star?" Yukino murmurs. Haruka feels, as her friend's weight shifts, that without her support she would sag to the floor. "If we lose, our most important person dies. If we don't fight, if there is no victor by the time of the Festival... they also die. Everyone dies." She laughs, a short, sad laugh that sounds too tired to convey the hysteria Yukino must feel. "There is no escape."

Haruka scowls. "What kind of festival is that? That's insane! And moreover, I don't remember it EVER coming before the Executive Committee! We are *not* fighting each other. You understand me, Yukino?"

Yukino shows no sign of hearing Haruka. "I don't want a world without Haruka-chan," she adds quietly.

"Is there such a star? I never saw it," replies Nao, trying to regain her composure. "I remember it, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes."

She shifts on her feet. "Maybe it's because I was defeated already..."

Haruka nods. "Me neither, Yukino," she responds, equally subdued.

Yukino merely leans further into Haruka, no longer speaking.

"Alright, so...red star..." Haruka muses aloud. "It should be easy to see that outside, right? So that part's a cinch to confirm."

"There's some way around this. I think Shizuru knew what it was," murmurs Nao. "Yeah, let's have a look." She heads to the door, intending to confirm this part, at least.

"On second thought, maybe later," she says, glancing at the remnants of the accursed daystar.

"What happened in your dream, Haruka? You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine. Shizuru's notes said something about some "Kiyohime" chick who apparently must not be unsealed, does that ring any bells?"

Haruka shakes her head, still holding Yukino. "No. I think I've mentioned most of it by now. I was in this cave, and another me came and said that it was up to me to lead Orihime now. I still don't know what that is, though. And I got my mace." Something else occurs to her, like a minor detail: "Oh, and there were these twelve pillars in the cave?

"And I walked over to one of them and it reminded me of Fujino somehow."

<--->

<--->

"Did it have stuff written on it?" asks Nao, thinking back to the tattoo she saw on Shizuru.

Come to think of it, maybe she should have something like that, too. But now is not the time to look for it!

Haruka shrugs. "Not that I remember. I just knew that's who it resented, you know?"

"Wait, it what?"

"What do you mean, 'What?' I said just what I meant!"

"But that- I'm pretty sure our own powers don't hate us- that makes a lot of sense, though, if this really is supposed to be a fight to the death."

Nao rubs her head. "I dreamed of some girl in some kind of tube, filled with liquid. It was like some kind of science lab. I'm not sure what it was all about, but it was definately important. Finding her is some kind of... reset switch."

Haruka frowns. "I don't think we have anything like that in the lab here. Who was in the tube?"

"I didn't recognize her. And I really, really, really doubt it's anywhere obvious. I think it was some kind of cave." Sighing, she curls her hand into a claw, though not quite summoning the actual weapon.

"This festival thing is ancient. It's been happening every three hundred years, I think to the day. Why does it continue to this day?"

"Probably because there wasn't a Suzushiro around to stop it until now. I am -not- going to let it continue, that's for sure! Someone must be good at making sure word doesn't get out, because I know I've never heard of it before. I propose that we find this person and...throw them out a window!"

"How well do you know the chairman? What's her name, Mashiro or something?"

"I don't know her well. Fujino might have, but it's too late to ask her."

"Yeah. I heard from Mai that she knows more than she's letting on. But when I went to talk to her, it didn't go very well. She just.. refused to tell me anything!" Nao's eyes narrow, and a spot on her face twitches. "I don't know if she deserves it or not, but I definately want to defenestrate her. 'side from that, I was going to go check out the history books, see if there's anything there that might shed light on Fuuka itself.

"And there's the other people in that list, too. But they may not share our optimistic outlook. You got any ideas?"

"We talk to Sugiura," Haruka says decisively, clearly quite comfortable making decisions for the group. "She's a teacher here. If she doesn't know more than we do, she's still in a position to make someone else listen."

"I'm pretty sure we can make people listen to us," replies Nao, arching an eyebrow. "But do we really want this whole thing to become general knowledge?"

"Even if we don't, it would help to have someone on the staff along when we talk to the other students," Haruka says. She seems uncomfortable grappling with the notion that the voice of someone on the Executive Committee wouldn't be enough.

"Ugh. I dunno. What kind of person is she?" asks Nao, changing the topic from "should we" to "who is she"

"I don't know her very well personally, but she's definitely...enthusiastic."

Nao looks at Haruka rather skeptically, and eventually shrugs. "Good enough, I guess. I'm just worried that she can probably make life difficult for us if she's not, uh, friendly. I suppose it'll depend. Let's head off."

She pauses, as if forgetting something, and then glances at Yukino. "She coming?" she asks Haruka, sounding rather dour.

Haruka sets Yukino down on the bed for now. "Yukino? I'm going to see Sugiura. You need to get some rest, so just relax for now, okay?" She's not sure her friend is in a mood to talk right now, but it needed to be said anyway.

Yukino nods slightly, perhaps in answer.

Nao shrugs, and heads outside, managing about five steps before she realises she has no idea where to go.

"Alright. I'll be back. We'll talk then." She follows Nao outside. Probably Sugiura's classroom is the place to start? Maybe she's still on the grounds.

Nao trudges after Haruka, but apparently isn't done talking yet. "Your friend seems to hate me," she remarks. "You better not let her do anything stupid."

"Hey! 'Stupid' and 'Yukino' shouldn't be used in the same sentence. And the Nao she's used to isn't a very nice person, so it doesn't surprise me at all."

"Well, I'm working on fixing that," replies Nao, with a touch of hurt in her voice. "But this is actually for your sake. If she comes after me, I'm not gonna be held responsible for what comes next."

"Then I'll make sure she doesn't!" Haruka insists, because controlling people is just that simple.

"Good! I like you," agrees Nao. "You remind me of Natsuki. None of this screwing around, just straight to the point. That's *just what this situation needs.*"

"Except I attend classes," Haruka points out, not seeming entirely comfortable with the parallel here.

"I predict that the future holds much skipping of classes. Are classes even on? With all the explosions and injured people and whatnot, it'd actually surprise me if they continued."

"Classes are always on at Fuka! But I admit it will be hard to focus on that while we're trying to stop this Festival nonsense. It's just a sacrifice we'll have to make!"

"Sacrifice" is a word in pretty bad taste right now, you know."

Haruka just waves this away, like she would anytime Yukino corrected her.

It is evening as the unlikely pair reach what Haruka is fairly certain serves as Midori Sugiura's homeroom. The classroom is empty.

"It's empty," deadpans Nao.

"Shoot. I was hoping she might be working late or something." If there's a faculty directory available, they can always look up her phone number?

"We could catch her tomorrow when she comes in for work, though with all the students around it might be a hassle," muses Nao.

"Let's try the nurse for now. I think the two of them are friends, so maybe she'll know how to reach Sugiura. To the infirmary!"

Nao checks the clocks and shrugs. "I've seen way to much of that place lately," she mutters as she follows.

Yohko Sagisawa sighs as she lays eyes upon her two visitors, seeming to share Nao's earlier thoughts. "Again?" she asks tiredly. "What is it this time?"

"I just need to find Sugiura," Haruka says. "Do you know where to find her right now?"

"That's Miss Sugiura," the nurse says reproachfully. "What do you need with her at this hour?"

"It's a private matter, but it's urgent."

Yohko's eyelids droop. "Of course it is." She turns away to glance at a few papers on her desk, and Nao thinks she hears her mutter 'teenagers'.

All this serves to do is send Nao on an exceptionally morbid inner monologue about how she's physically fifteen, mentally about 25, and chronologically six days.

"Hey!" Haruka starts, slapping her hand down on the desk. "This is serious. She could be in danger!"

Nao chokes, and starts to cough.

"It's a matter of life and death, I take it?" Yohko drawls out, returning her gaze to Haruka.

"It could be!" Haruka replies, all seriousness.

The nurse looks past Haruka at Nao. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," replies Nao, shaking her head. Wait, that's not right.

"Did she go home? I knew it'd be too late."

Yohko smiles at Nao. "That was very clever of you, Yuuki."

"Don't tell me she gets this often," mutters Nao, sighing. "Come on, let's go. If she winds up in a ditch before tomorrow, I'll chalk it up to bad luck."

"I'm sure Midori-chan can take care of herself, but thank you for your concern," the nurse tells them.

"Hey! You can't just throw us out like that!"

"You are welcome to stay the night," Yohko tells Haruka with a smile, gesturing at the spare beds. "Please feel free to take whichever one you like."

Haruka just scowls and stalks out, fist clenched at her sides.

"Oh, really? Cool, I'll be back later," replies Nao, turning back to the nurse. "You'll be here all evening?"

"Plenty of work."

Nao seems quite cheerful at this development, and heads on out.

"'Matter of life and death' yeah, that's a good one, Suzushiro. Can't you lie about homework or something next time?"

Depending on Haruka for subtlety is generally a losing gamble. "I'm not good at being dishonest," she says. It sounds like she thinks it's an accomplishment. "Okay, who else was on the list?"

"Higurashi Akane. Tokiha Mai and Minagi Mikoto- I've already talked to them. Haven't seen them around lately, though, so I'm wondering if they got back today or not. Since my dorm is closed, if they're at school, they'll be in the auditorium, I guess.

"That crazy nun chick, too. If she sees me, she'll probably start shooting arrows at me, and I think I put her in hospital. Maybe she'll be stuck there until this is over, that'd suit me pretty well, but if not, itmightbebetterifyougoseeherwithoutme. Uh. Yukino, for all the frigging help she was. I killed Alyssa's sister, so that might not go so well, either. I'm pretty sure Fumi will follow Mashrio's lead, so she's probably useless. And Akane Higurashi. Is she even on Fuuka?"

Haruka shakes her head. "She eloped," she says, rolling her eyes. "I don't know where she is now. And I have no idea where Tokiha and Miangi have gone. Tokiha wasn't at the hospital anymore last time I was there. I can talk to Sister Yukariko, at least."

"Well, do that. Try and convince her that shooting people is bad and that if she doesn't do it, she won't get her head beat in. Yukino might be more talkative when I'm not around, too."

Nao frowns. "I'll try and do some research of my own tomorrow. There's a couple things I want to check out myself, so how about we meet up again after school or something and discuss what we learn? And, hey, you don't have a car or anything, do you?"

Haruka shakes her head. "No. I just take cabs everywhere. Alright, as much as I hate to split up again, that sounds like a plan."

"It'll be fine," replies Nao, waving her off. "You and Yukino can probably handle anything that comes up, and I can take care of myself. Probably. As long as I don't run into Yukariko before you talk to her, it should be ok.

"Ah, yeah, and we've gotta catch Sugiura when she comes into school, too."

Haruka shrugs. "Just stay away from the church. And she is still in the hospital, after all."

"Our bodies are pretty tough. I might hope, but I doubt she'll be there long. You might wanna call ahead."

"I guess that's not a bad idea. Alright, I'm going back to Yukino. Keep yourself alive, okay?"

"You know me, always looking out for number one," replies Nao, without much humour.

"Meet up outside the gates tomorrow morning, ok? If I'm not there, something's gone wrong."

Haruka nods. "I'll be there."

Nao waves at Haruka as she departs, heading off towards the library to indulge in yet more self-study (the only kind worth anything, in her limited experience.)

Haruka, of course, returns to her room.

<--->

<--->

The library is a separate building off to the back of the complex, and as Nao approaches it, she gets the feeling it is not often in use. The domed structure is open to all, and stepping inside, Nao sees book cases lined up against the walls. There is a second floor with a railing overlooking the main chamber, and a large mechanism on the floor in the center. A multitude of gears come together to form... a clock? It is not one Nao had seen before.

The clock certainly highlights the libraries grandeur, and in doing so, demonstrates the wealth and legacy of this school. It's highly doubtful anyone would use it at this time... but perhaps students may find it a quiet place to relax between classes.

That's something to consider for another time, though. Nao has work to do, and that work will start by looking for some kind of directory, or even a librarian.

There is some lighting in the building, enough to see by, although Nao is certain that her fellow students might complain of darkness and shadows. Even her own sight struggles to see the other end of the room clearly.

There are no humans that Nao can see in the area.

Then she has no real choice but to search, whether for a computer, some kind of elaborate card system, or even just by squinting at the spines of books to see what topics they cover.

It looks like there are several computers on the second floor.

Nao heads up there then (via stairs, not via bookshelves or in a single bound), intent on searching for "Fuuka history" or something similar.

The top ten searches direct Nao to articles about the establishment of the Fuka Academy by one Kazahana Mashiro, tackling the issue from several angles.

It seems like the school dominates the island (though given where she's searching...)

Still, if any of these texts hint at controversy, she'll make a note to take a look at them. She appends 訴sland" to the search, hoping for recollections of a more distant time.

People have lived here for at least three centuries; that's the earliest record Nao can find for the Fuka Shrine, and it didn't exist in a vacuum. The development of the local community and its transition from a rural to a more modern standard seems to roughly coincide with the establishment of the Academy.

Interesting. Perhaps she'll have to go back to the shrine, despite the danger of hostile squids.

Nao spends a bit of time going over the books she's labelled, primarily interested in getting histories, the whos and the whys of Fuuka Island's settlement and growth.

But she also takes an interest in any local periodicals; newspapers or magazines covering the last few weeks. The internet can probably be used for that.

Mysterious disappearances, unsolved murders, unforeseen natural disasters; it's all of interest.

There is nothing. No mysterious disappearances, murders unsolved or otherwise or natural distasters. No corresponding records exist.

The last thing Nao plans on doing is pulling up a map of the island. There may well be countless cliffs to plummet from by the sea, and she doubts she has time to go on a sightseeing tour of all of them.

But if there are any reasonably close to the school, they might be worth checking out.

"Working late, my Nao Hime?" Nagi asks as the computer displays the island's map. There is only a single bridge to the mainland shown on the map.

Nao twists her head, frustrated at the failure of her senses. A grimace crosses her face when she recognizes the voice.

"They're calling you the antichrist, you know," she remarks.

Nagi is sitting on the railing, although one might call it teetering as well. He laughs at Nao's words. "How delightful!"

A book is in Nagi's hands. Nao spots that he is reading Lord of the Flies.

"Inspirational reading, huh? What's your game, here?"

Nagi drops the book in his lap, raising his arms disarmingly. "Me? I'm just enjoying a quiet evening of reading." A piece of paper, looking like a newspaper clipping, slips out of the book, drifting slowly to the floor.

"I didn't think you were interested in quiet evenings," she replies swivelling the seat around.

"Do you enjoy it? People killing each other?"

"Did you?"

"Did I? Just how violent was the old Nao?" she responds, resolutely not thinking of how much *better* she felt when she saw Natsuki blow Searrs away.

"You're doing just fine, Princess," Nagi tells her with a wide, happy smile. "I'm betting on you being a finalist, I'll have you know. Good job with the scariest of them all! I don't know how you did it, but that's one obstacle you won't be facing in the future."

"What is all this? What's the point in slaughtering each other?" wonders Nao, eyeing Nagi coldly. "Is it all some sick idea of a joke? She might致e been correct, there's something here that doesn't belong in this world alright."

"She said that?" Nagi asks in surprise. "Huh. Learn something new every day." Shrugging, he places his hands on the guardrail to the sides of his body, and pulls himself up until he's standing atop it.

"Since you've been such a sport, here's a refresher course: only the remaining Hime will gain the power to save the world and stop the Hime Star. Win, and you're a heroine! Lose, and... well, just don't lose?"

"The world ends if we don't? Everyone dies, goodbye, planet Earth?" guesses Nao, briefly massaging her forehead.

"But that doesn't actually answer my question. If it can be stopped, why can't it just... be stopped? Why can't there be enough power without this fucking festival?"

"Hey, I just work here. Why don't you ask Mashiro-chan?"

"So her maid can rip me in half?" replies Nao, dryly.

"Oh, don't go underestimating yourself," Nagi returns, sounding excited.

"If you work here, what's your job description?"

"I'm just the messenger?"

"For who? Where do you come from? It'd take a lot of guts to find the impending end of the world so humorous... unless you're not going to get hurt by it either way."

"You'll find out in due time. Why not go ahead and seize a win, if you want to know that badly? There's a really weak Hime, all ripe for the picking, lying in a hospital right now."

"I can kill her anytime, even if she's healthy," mutters Nao. "But that won't answer anything. I知 not buying into this, not until I know there's no other way. I already lost once, didn't I? DIDN'T I? You'd have to be some kind of idiot to think you can fight it out after that! And there's still so much I don't know! Who is Kiyohime? Orihime? What does Hime even mean anyway, we're not princesses or royalty, just... kids."

Nagi sighs. "Fine, fine, let's talk about all that boring stuff. You're Hime because you can manipulate light, materialize it into objects, shape it into energy. Neat, isn't it?" The boy smirks, seeming to preen. "Kiyohime? Wasn't that Shizuru's Child? But you got rid of her, so you don't need to worry about it anymore. And what's this talk about you losing? That's just silly, Nao-chan. If you lose, you can't play again."

"You think *I* killed Shizuru?." replies Nao, appearing to lose interest in the boy for a moment, as she swivels around to face the screen.

"If anything, she killed me. Yet, here I am. I guess you don't have it right, after all. I can't tell if that should worry me or comfort me- no, it definately comforts me."

"You didn't set her up, then?" Nagi asks in surprise, before laughing loudly. The sound reverberates through the darkened library. "Oh, this is rich. It means you're a natural at this, Nao Hime. Yes, I'm definitely placing my bets on you."

There is a shuffling sound from Nagi's direction.

"I can't win by just fighting! If I could, then it'd be easy, but... there's got to be another way! I'll die... there's no way I'll let that happen, but I'll die if it comes down to that. I accepted that already. There's a way to step back from all of this, isn't there? Something that'll reset things back to the way they were. I don't even know what that is, but it's better that how things are!" She gets out of her seat and stares up at Nagi, clenching her fists in anger and desperation. "Tell me what it is!"

Nagi is gone. So is his book -- whatever did happen to it after he dropped the thing into his lap? Only a newspaper clipping remains on the floor as any sign that Nagi was there.

Nao slams a fist on the table, leaving behind a crack. No doubt, the next student who leans on the desk is in for a surprise.

She leaves the computer open, forgetting about it as she stands up and makes to leave. She only spends a moment to pick up the clipping Nagi left behind, hating herself even as she reads it.

It isn't comforting, knowing how easily you can be baited.

It is an obituary from what looks like a local paper, for one Mashiro Kazahana. The paper looks dated.

Was anything written in remembrance?

There is no family listed, and the obituary itself is rather run of the mill; there is no special feeling like it, as one would get when something is written by close friends or loved ones.

Either Mashiro's family has a very unoriginal way of picking names, or something very strange is going on. It wouldn't be the first thing.

Pocketing the slip of paper, Nao heads outside the library and looks at the sky.

The moon is overlaid with a red splotch, sending tendrils everywhere near it. It is like a cancer in the night sky, and feels so strangely familiar to Nao.

"Ugly..."

If the only people who seem to know anything refuse to tell her, then there really is no choice but to use force. It's dangerous- too dangerous. Yet if she ends up having to fight everyone, anyhow, there'll be no escaping it. Some risks you just can't get away with not taking, it seems.

Suzushiro will probably come with her, and perhaps Mai would, too, if she were around. Nao slips back to the auditorium for the time being. It is, after all, getting somewhat late.

<--->

<--->

Morning arrives. There are no signs of Yukino ever returning, Haruka discovers.

Well, that's disturbing. May as well check in with Yukino's roommate and see if she came back there.

It is still fairly early.

Haruka knocks anyway! Hey, it's not like it's Saturday. People should be waking up for school soon anyway.

"What is it?" an edgy voice asks. Yukino's roommate opens the door in pajamas; she has an impressive case of bed hair.

"Did Yukino ever come back last night?" Haruka asks, skipping the pleasantries.

"Of course it's all about her. No. Goodbye." The door is slammed promptly in Haruka's face.

Well, that was rude. Aside from checking in at the auditorium, though, Haruka can't think of much she can do to find her friend right now. So aside from that, meeting Nao and going into town to see Yukariko (not necessarily in that order!) looks like the plan.

Haruka runs into Nao as she approaches the auditorium. The red-head seems rested compared to the previous day.

But no less dour.

Until she sees Haruka, and cocky smirk arises (is that a fang?) "Mornin', Miss Bigshot Executive Suzushiro! What commands shall I relay to your minions?"

This gets Nao dark glares from a pair of said minions minding the entrance.

Haruka ignores any aspersions on her good name. "Do you have any news? For my part, I can't find Yukino."

"I have no news that good," replies Nao, cheerily, approaching Haruka at a brisk pace. "But Nagi found me last night," she adds, in a lower voice. "Seems that it's not just us who wind up in the ground if we don't go through with this festival."

"Hey! I won't have you talking about Yukino like that. This is serious. If we're going to work together, you will two will have to get along. Now...what did Nagi say?"

"He thinks I'm going to win!" replies Nao with a tinge of incredulity.

"Aside from that? Apparently whoever wins gets the power to save the world from that," she continues, jerking a finger towards the sky. "The Hime Star, that is. I don't know exactly what it's going to do, but it's pretty bad, I'm sure.

"There was some technical stuff, too. Seems our power comes from light. We're... what's the word? Photosynthetic soldiers? Don't see how that matters much, though.

"Only other thing is that I'm pretty sure he's baiting me into going after Mashiro. Said I should ask her if I had questions. Seeing as I've already gone after her once, with pretty terrible results... urgh. Maybe you'd have better luck, I dunno."

Rather absently, she digs around in her skirt and flips a newspaper clipping to Haruka. "Check this out."

Haruka nods. "I'll try. Maybe she'll llisten to someone on the executive committee." She takes the clipping and reads it.

It is an obituary from what looks like a local paper, for one Mashiro Kazahana. The paper looks dated.

Haruka's eyes widen. "She's dead?! And she's still running the school? There has to be a law against that. I don't think dead people are allowed to be in charge of anything."

"That isn't what's important here, Haruka-chan," replies Nao, doing a pretty fair imitation of Yukino's voice.

Which earns Nao a glare, but Haruka stays on-topic. "Well, I'm definitely going to mention it when we talk to her."

"Mmhmm. My first guess would've been a relative. Someone by her name apparently founded the school, don't you know? I figured her mother wasn't very creative."

Nao shrugs. "But you know what? Not much is gonna be a surprise to me, lately."

"Well, meeting with her is on my agenda now one way or another. She can't hide the truth from me!"

"Yeah. But first... Sugiura, right? Actually, maybe Yukariko," mutters Nao, losing some of her cheer. "Yeah, if I was Yukino, I might go see the nun..."

Haruka nods. "We have some time before school starts, so let's head to the hospital and check on her."

"Wait wait wait you want me to come with you?" asks Nao, blanching. "I did, you know, *bash her skull in*, she is not going to be happy to see me. I don't even want to be in the same room as her!"

Haruka rolls her eyes. "Fine, if you two can't sort out your differences, I'll talk to her."

"Hey, I can sort out our differences just fine! She didn't like the way I sorted them out. She might like your way better. It's less percussive."

Only figuratively. Haruka does kind of try to bludgeon people into submission--just with words! "Alright, well, I'll let you know how it went when I get back."

"Actually, I'll come after you," replies Nao, shaking her head. "I want to try and catch up with Sugiura, and there's a couple things here I want to look up, but I've gotta see some stuff in town, too. I'll meet you at the mall at, say, noon?"

"Sure thing."

"'kay. The town is pretty scary, Suzushiro, so stay out of dark alleys and don't accept any candy from blue-haired kids. Hey, see if you can track down Mai while you're there."

"Yeah. We should both keep an eye out for her and Mikoto."

"Right. Oh, and, uh, you know which entrance Sugiura might come through? Actually, what does she even look like..." mutters Nao, scrunching up her hair.

"Tall, red hair, boundless energy. We stopped by her classroom yesterday, so check there if all else fails."

"I like her already! Ok, see you later."

Nao skips off somewhere, most likely the cafeteria.

<--->

<--->

Asking about Yuki gets mixed results. Executive Committee members aren't particularly eager to talk to Nao after the way she spoke of them to their leader, not to mention right in front of them. On the other hand, they visibly don't want to alienate someone who was seen closely with said leader. In the end, shuffling the problem off onto someone else seems to be the solution, and Nao receives Yuki's dorm address and phone number.

Just how early is it, anyway?

A bit after seven.

It's still kind of early. Nao waits for a while, until about thirty or so minutes before school starts before fronting up at Yuki's dorm and waiting to see if she can catch the girl as she leaves.

Nao's promptness goes a long way towards helping her spot the older girl. Just as she arrives at the right dorm, she sees Yuki leaving in the direction of campus.

"Ah, Yuki!" greets Nao, heading towards the girl with a cheery wave. "You're on the executive committee, right? Can you help me with something?"

"Nao Yuuki, right? Sure, we're here for the students and all that." Yuki seems pretty upbeat.

"Great! I don't know if you heard or not, but I, uh, lost my memory last Thursday," replies Nao, coughing. "I still haven't really found out if I've got any family or anything, nobody actually told me. Can you help me track down my records, so I can find out just who's paying to keep me here and all that?"

Yuki's look turns briefly sympathetic, before she returns to her seemingly normal nonchalant self. "Don't see a problem with the request," she tells Nao. "Our access is higher than regular students, so I can see why you came to me. Okay, wanna tag along to a computer lab? I have a bit of time before I have to go take charge of things."

"Sure, that'd be great. Back in the auditorium, right? Hey, you know when they're going to let us back in the dorm?"

"Not at the auditorium, actually." Yuki seems a bit sad as she says that. "I've been relieved of that since I looked tired or some crap like that. Now I have to pretty much organize all the other odd jobs we're running at Fuka. Isn't resting great?"

"Must be pretty hard with everything happening lately," replies Nao, sympathetically. "But you won't find me arguing against the virtues of sleep, I'm afraid."

"That part I have no arguments with," Yuki says, and the cheer seems a bit forced this time. "It's what you have to wake up to that's the problem. But enough about that! You want the standard stuff; finances and such?"

"Money, family- *gulp*- educational history, all that cool stuff," replies Nao, nodding.

The computer lab is just ahead, as the two head that way, talking.

"And you haven't been told any of that since last Thursday?" Yuki asks Nao. "How did you get by? Your cash must've run out." She sounds more curious than caring.

"I found some in my room, and they seem to be happy serving my at the cafeteria, so... I figured I was rich?" Nao seems rather hopeful at this prospect.

Yuki snorts. "Could very well be. Some of the students here are. And the richer the folks, the less they seem to actually care, you know? Just something you notice."

She finds an unattended computer, booting it up. "Right, let's take a look. Yuuki Nao... grade?"

"Ninth," replies Nao, thinking she has it right.

"It's okay, you're not the only one to just not think about everyday stuff like that," Yuki tells her, checking her records. "Ah! 3-C. Yuuki Nao. An honor student... you're not."

"It was worth hoping, wasn't it?" asks Nao, peering over Yuki's shoulder at the screen... and, most likely, blanching and looking away. "If I could go back in time, I'd probably beat myself up for that."

"If anything, it shows a lack of effort." Yuki gives her an encouraging smile. "You're not stupid, just a slacker!"

"Let's not dwell on that," decides Nao, firmly. "What about finances?"

Yuki's hand directs the mouse. A few clicks later, and she blinks. "Huh. A Kazahana schollarship recipient? Who would've guessed?"

Looking past Yuki, Nao sees that all her living expenses are covered by the scholarship, and she receives a monthly stipend on top of that.

"Huh. Maybe once they get given out, they can't take 'em back?" replies Nao, dubiously. "What's the criteria for it, anyway? There some list of recipients?"

"There must be!" Yuki agrees. The keyboard comes into play, a search is run... and Nao is treated to an expression of dismay on the older girl's face. "Huuuh," Yuki says slowly. "Didn't expect that."

The criteria and the list of applicants, not to mention recipients, is classified. It is made clear that higher-level access is necessary to access that data.

A vague memory intrudes upon Nao's conscious thoughts. She's ranting about the poor access ordinary students get. Someone is listening to her, nodding in all the right places, the very image of sympathy. Something is off-- but not about that girl; about Nao. The vision begins to fade, and the last thing she hears clearly is herself -- or is it Nao herself? -- wishing out loud that she could get into the privileged areas somehow.

Nao rubs her head. "For a school, it seems pretty... locked down. Uh, we haven't met before the other day, have we? No, of course not. Who runs all the.. the.. computers?"

"IT is outsourced to some firm." Yuki shrugs. "Not really my thing."

Nao struggles to recall the memory; what were her actual greviances? What did she *want* from that section?

"Huh. Do I have my own login, or something? I kinda just used public access things before..."

"I suppose you do. I'll have to put in a request; those things usually take a bit of time to get processed, to prevent fraud and all that nasty stuff. Give me twenty four hours to get back to you on that one?"

But Yuki's words lose coherence, along with Yuki herself. Nao is drawn back into the memory.

It is a different one, she realizes instantly. She is investigating... financial matters? There are many companies, but only two of them matter, only two are real in the maze of fake corporations created to shift attention from them. First District and Searrs. They are the ones. They--

And Nao is back with Yuki. The latter seems a tad concerned. "Does it happen often?" she asks bluntly. "The whole zoning out thing?"

"Yeah. Every now and then," replies Nao, quietly. "I don't like.. thinking about it, though! I mean, telling people I'm amnesiac or anything," she adds, quickly. "It just makes things weirder. But there are a few things you just have to find out, you know?"

Yuki shrugs. "Can't answer that one for you. For all I know, I'd be pretty happy living without a past."

"I tried to tell myself that, actually," replies Nao, leaning back and staring at the ceiling.

"You get the desire in you, to search things out. And even when you learn about them, you don't know if it's really true, or if you're mistaken or being lied to. I don't recommend it to anyone, really."

"I'll try to avoid blunt trauma," Yuki returns. "Well, hate to cut this short, but I do have a school to run. It doesn't seem like Kanzaki could do it, or would even want to, and god knows where Suzushiro and Kikukawa are off to."

"Hey, wait, I still need to check up on my family!" replies Nao. "Can you just let me look stuff up for a sec?"

"Oh, sorry." Yuki does seem like it, a bit. "No family listed on file. Condolences."

"Ah," replies Nao, coughing. "I guess that explains the scholarship."

"Could be." Yuki is terse, logging off. "You need my cell in case you have questions or whatever?"

"Your phone still works?" replies Nao, in surprise. "I thought most of 'em got knocked out. But sure, thanks."

"Most?" Yuki seems confused. "I know it happened to some girls from that dorm with the fire. There was some ridiculous story about ball lightning? Whatever. Did you sneak in there for a party or something?"

"No, not there... it's just something I heard from someone, after the big flash the other day." She shrugs. "Guess they were wrong."

"Not everyone wastes their time at malls in town," Yuki responds with a shrug. "Anyway, take care." With a wave, she leaves at a brisque pace.

Nao checks the time. That took a while, but she'll hopefully be able to find Sugiura before class gets started. Thus resolved, she goes out to search for the woman, starting by asking students if they've seen her around and moving on from there.

Asking around, Nao discovers that Sugiura is apparently on some kind of vacation. Or suspension. It is a bit difficult to get the story straight, but some sordid affair with an Iron Chef-like baking competition slash final exam that she was involved with was the last time Midori Sugiura was consistently seen teaching.

Nao receives confirmation that the older red-head was seen plenty around campus after that affair, however, all the way until last tuesday.

She was abducted by aliens! It's all clear to Nao, now, and she makes enquiries as to where the nearest rocket launchpad is.

People begin to steer clear of Nao.

Something isn't right...

She'll dwell on that later. Instead it's time to go back to the computer lab and find out Sugiura's number, as well as see if she can't run a search on this 'First District' and see if it turns up anything.

She also searches for Alyssa Searrs, more out of curiosity than anything.

<--->

<--->

[17:18] Nao's searches, in order, provide varied results. Midori's number is easy to procure from her page; she's still listed as faculty for the high school section of the school. First District returns many results for either 'first' or 'district', but nothing for both.
[17:18] Alyssa Searrs... a pretty, blonde third-grader who was the star of the church choir. A lot of the time the 'Golden Angel' is used interchangeably with her name.
[17:25] Nao is having serious doubts about the so-called godliness of angels, lately. She grabs Midori's number, records it in her phone (or on a bit of paper, whichever works). She heads outside, loitering somewhere quiet until she knows everyone else is in the class, then slips away and heads back towards Shizuru's dorm.
[17:25] Shizuru's dorm is empty. It doesn't look like anyone trespassed there.
[17:26] Nao goes back inside, deciding to see if it's possible to replicate her original exploration of the room.
[17:27] Nao can't see any signs of the foggy mirror she had stumbled upon originally in the bathroom. Everything is clean.
[17:29] Disappointing, though not unexpected. Nao just wasn't sure if Haruka's presence or the like changed things, but it really does seem like it was a once-only affair. Nonetheless, the files she viewed are around in the privileged section of the school's network...
[17:30] ...if her own figments were any indication. And more, besides. Perhaps Haruka can look into that sometime. While she's here, she tries calling Midori on Shizuru's landline.
[17:32] The phone rings. There is no answer-- no, not quite. Nao reaches the voice mail of Midori Sugiura. The prerecorded message states that Midori is busy with important research at present.
[17:39] "Sugiura, this is Yuuki. I want to talk to you about 'Hime', so if you feel like it, call back and leave your own message. And if you don't, don't. But I'd rather you did, because I want to find a way to not get into trouble with all this." Having left that behind, Nao hangs up, and spends a couple of minutes pondering her next destination...
[17:40] ...before heading out, intent on finding that bridge her memories recall in flames. Is it the same one leading away from Fuuka? Or a different one? Hopefully, she'll be able to tell.
[17:41] The bridge connecting Fuka with the mainland is quite the distance from campus.
[17:43] Then.. she'll.. have to take a cab! She can get changed back into the stuff Haruka lent her, so at least she won't be trailing around in uniform.
[17:44] Arranging for all that consumes a bit of Nao's time, but she'd surely save more on taking a cab rather than walking, and fending off truancy officers should be easier.
[17:44] Truancy officers exist?
[17:44] Nao feels pity for these people.
[17:45] The cab takes Nao all the way to the bridge. She can either take a stroll from there on, or have it take her across.
[17:46] Nao will get out the cab and take a stroll. Either she'll remember something, or she won't, but she still has quite a bit of time to kill before she's supposed to meet up with Haruka.
[17:48] Two and a half hours, really, but that could be a lot of time when skipping class and having nothing to do. None of the now-familiar sensation of having a memory flash take over Nao as she walks slowly down the length of the bridge, her ride having left her behind, but she's reasonably confident that it is the one.
[17:51] It looks remarkably intact, all things told- and, of course, Natsuki didn't know anything about it blowing up. Shizuru's hinting; her own memories; maybe, rather than deciding to reset things, she already did?
[17:52] True or not, it doesn't much matter in the present. Nao stops roughly at the position on the bridge where those fireballs sprang up. There's nothing around that could trigger something like that, is there?
[17:53] Nao finds herself roughly at the center of the bridge. Though it was unlikely to begin with, her search allows her to exclude any natural causes for explosion there.
[17:58] After spending a few minutes just leaning against a bannister and resting, Nao eventually heads back towards the island, deciding to head back to the shrine where she originally bought into all of this. At least, the time she first remembers really buying into this. There was a bus, so she'll find and catch that.
[17:59] Time is a commodity she has to spare. Half an hour later, Nao finds herself at the base of the stairs leading up to the shrine. The sight is as intimidating as previously, even though she knows she can't possibly get tired climbing them with her endurance.
[18:00] On the other hand, she managed to faint in the middle of a soccer game where she out-muscled the entire enemy team. Her own mind and body lie to her, so they're difficult to trust as of late. Nonetheless, she made it up once, and she can do it again!
[18:02] After scaling those stairs, a shinto temple's courtyard awaits her. No octopi with brooms attack Nao, pink or otherwise.
[18:04] There might be someone else around, though. Aren't these places supposed to be open to the public during the day, or something? If there's a likely place to find any sort of keeper such as... in the temple, Nao will start by looking around there (and knocking politely, if need be.)
[18:07] An elderly man in priestly robes is in, answering the door when Nao knocks. "Yes?" he asks, looking at her. There is no sign of recognition in his eyes. "How could I help you, child?"
[18:11] Nao gives a polite bow. "Hello! I'm actually here to ask about the temple's history," she replies.
[18:12] "Oh?" he asks, taking another look at Nao. "Is there anything in particular you're interested in?"
[18:13] "It's founding. It was one of the first buildings built on the island, right? So I was curious as to why it was built, and by who. That sort of thing."
[18:18] "It was before my time," the old priest muses, before waving Nao inside. "Come in, let's not stand here at the doorway and talk about it."
[18:18] "Ah, thank you," she replies, heading in after the priest and looking around the temple's interior.
[18:20] It looks like any other shinto temple. The interior is just as well kept as the courtyard, leading Nao to believe that the priest doesn't maintain it on his own. Eventually, they come to a dining room with a steaming teapot on the table. "I've just finished brewing some tea," he says, sitting down. "Would you like some?"
[18:22] "No, I'm alright," replies Nao, shaking her head. "Ah, I'm Yuuki Nao, by the way."
[18:27] "A pleasure. Now, you wanted to hear the legend of the Fuka shrine?" He takes a deep breath, pouring tea into his own cup. "It goes like this. One day, a priestess unlike any other appeared. She was gifted with beauty, grace, and immense spiritual power. She came to Fuka, accompanied by her brother, and sought to purify this land.
[18:27] They faced many beasts together, but those were no match for her fiery passion. At last, however, the land required one more sacrifice, that of this young, nameless priestess, and for her brother's sake, along with all the people she had managed to protect, she accepted her sad fate.
[18:27] Hearing of her courage and desire to keep this Land of Fuka safe, my ancestors came here to mind the shrine in her stead, and our family has been doing that ever since."
[18:29] "Beasts? Monsters, that sort of thing?"
[18:33] "The demons?" he asks to that. "I suppose so. The legend says that one of them was to be sealed behind this very shrine, but an earthquake broke through the sealed room some time ago. I haven't really seen anything there."
[12:28] "What else does it say about these monsters? Were they all 'sealed away', somewhere on this island?"
[12:32] The priest looks somewhat apologetic. "It's just a legend, you must understand."
[12:36] "But people believed it strongly enough to build a shrine, didn't they?" Nao shrugs. "There's a bit of truth in everything, I think. I don't really believe in monsters or anything, but I do wonder what inspired people."
[12:39] "An interesting answer," he muses. "Still, the legend of the shrine only covers its creation, I'm afraid. I don't know if any other seals exist, and I should, being what I am -- but I suppose it would be possible. There is certain logic in not advertising where demons are sealed, if one wants to avoid greedy or foolish people attempting to break the seals."
[12:44] "If you can't put them down for good, let the world forget about them... eh. It sounds wise, but if they really existed, I wonder if it'd be enough? Accidents happen, after all."
[12:47] The elderly priest nods slowly. "Yes. But if the ancestors, blessed with great spiritual strength, couldn't find a way to destroy them... perhaps, they also lacked the strength to defend all the seals, and so, chose just one for some reasons lost to time."
[12:49] Nao is silent for a while, and she feels rather sorry for the shrine. They don't know that, in a sense, they've already failed. "It makes a good myth. Ah- what happened to the brother? Did he live happily ever after?"
[12:50] "That part remains a mystery as well, I'm afraid. Perhaps the legend is vague on purpose, to allow the listener come up with their own answer?"
[12:53] "What do you think?"
[12:56] He leans back, sipping his cooling tea. "I believe that it was too difficult for him to remain here, where his sister has lost her life, and he left for the mainland. That while the priestess paid a terrible price, it was not all in vain, and she is still remembered and honored by some of us."
[13:00] Nao's fingers aimlessly drift across the wall nearby, and she doesn't look directly at the priest with her next words. "He must have wished they had never come, after all." Standing up, she bows to the priest. "Thanks for telling me about the legend."
[13:02] "That might be so," he agrees, standing up himself. "He was the one who told his sister about this land, after all."
[13:02] Nao winces. "Ouch."
[13:08] "Do you have any help with working here?" asks Nao, thinking back to the redhead who seemed to know her.
[13:10] "Help?" he asks, starting to shake his head before stopping abruptly. "Oh, you must mean Shiho!" He smiles fondly. "My granddaughter helps me out after school and on the weekends. Without her, I don't know how I'd keep the shrine in one piece."
[13:12] "It's a pretty big place, so I was wondering," replies Nao, nodding. "Well, thanks for talking to me. Do you mind if I have a look around the grounds before I go?"
[13:12] "I could show you around the shrine," the priest offers, before winking at Nao, "as well as our gift shop."
[13:15] "Ah, but I am a poor student," replies Nao, with great sadness. "Your efforts may be wasted on me."
[13:16] He laughs. "Just the rest of the shrine, then."
[13:16] "I'd appreciate that."
[13:24] The shrine itself is not particularly large, consisting of the main building and the storage shed a ways behind it. The priest tells Nao that it was the building damaged in the earthquake, and that since then, it remains structurally unsound. Of interest in the temple is a room he stops by. "I'm sorry, but only our family is allowed inside," the priest apologizes.
[13:25] Nao can look inside, however, and sees what looks like shinto priestess robes. A symbol combined of three tomoe adorns the left breast, while a golden beads necklace is set aside on a pillow below.
[13:27] "No problem," replies Nao, looking at the beads with curiosity.
[13:30] "There were more," the priest says, "but sadly, the necklace is all that we've managed to recover."
[13:31] "What happened to the rest?"
[13:31] "Destroyed while battling the demons? Lost in her very own purifying fires? I suspect we'll never know."
[13:33] "Ah, so it was literally fiery passion after all."
[13:34] "There is a long history of fire being used to purify evil, but I won't bore you with that," the priest comments.
[13:36] "A compelling reason to walk the straight and narrow path, I'd say."
[13:40] Nao thanks the priest in short order, but after she departs the shrine, it's a bitter teenager that makes her way back down to the bus stop. She knows she can't trust legends, but if it's correct, the winner of the festival winds up dying anyway? How did they get anyone to fight in- well, there were a few ways...
[13:42] ...deception and duty chief amongst them, and never mind the disturbing paralell between that story and Mai's situation. History repeating itself seems to be in vogue, lately. But without anything else to hunt for in the city-
[13:43] -it's time to head to her rendevous with Haruka. Shopping, or at least looking at shops- it beats school, despite the hours remaining.

<--->

<--->

[16:56] Haruka does indeed run to grab a cab immediately! Can't have Nao assuming the worst and wandering off. She'll head to the mall with all due haste. Speed limits be damned!
[16:58] Nao is loitering around the main entrance, not looking inconspicuous at all in Haruka's ill-fitting clothes. Definately not amongst the shopping housewives. Ugh.
[16:58] Haruka runs over to her, eager for any news. "Hey! Find anything out?"
[17:00] "Yeah. Sugiura's been missing since last Tuesday. I tried her cell, and she's... not around. Maybe she'll call back, I don't know. N'much else, though. That is, that we didn't already know. Oh, yeah, I got you a present."
[17:02] "Is it a phone that works? And that's just...*urgh*. Everyone's disappearing on us. Yukariko was totally useless and doesn't trust me now because I don't believe her when she babbles about angels, and I haven't been able to find Yukino since last night."
[17:04] It turns out to be just that, though the cell is cheap and obviously snatched from some bargain bin, but at least it can send messages. "She doesn't trust you? You should've hit her again,
" mutters Nao. "I swear, the next person to give me shit for no reason is going to find out what happens when I really try to earn it. Also, you owe me 8000 yen, cash only, please."
[17:06] Haruka nods. "The Suzushiros wouldn't be where they are now if they didn't pay their debts." Presumably Haruka has the cash on her. If she doesn't, there's always an ATM somewhere, right? "Alright, so if Sugiura's out...who's left?"
[17:07] "Fumi, though she's Mashiro's pet. Searrs and Higurashi are kinda... out of reach right now. And I don't have a clue where M&M are."
[17:10] Haruka suddenly remembers that she was supposed to talk to Mashiro anyway--about the cops that are now swarming the school grounds. Oh well. "I can tell my staff to keep an eye out for them and call me if they show up. Right now, I think I'm due to have a good long chat with Miss Mashiro myself. Unless you know how to find Nagi, that is."
[17:11] Nao snorts. "The last time we spoke, I turned my back on him for a second, and he was gone. We're not gonna find him. But I'd love to know how he stays informed."
[17:12] "It is a gift," Nagi's voice sounds behind Nao.
[17:12] "Yeah. No one at this school should know more than I do--" She whirls around suddenly.
[17:13] Nagi gives Haruka a friendly wave. "Hello, fake Hime!"
[17:13] Nao steps aside, looking rather pained, all told.
[17:14] Haruka scowls. "What the hell does that mean? I've got a ball and chain which is completely real when it comes to hitting people in the face, so do you want to tell me what you're talking about?"
[17:15] "Your ball and chain?" Nagi looks confused. "Yukino-chan? Why would she make me talk?"
[17:15] Nao can't stop herself from snorting.
[17:17] Haruka glares at Nao. "Do you want to help me out here, or not?" Back to Nagi: "In all seriousness, I have good reason to believe you know a lot about what's going on at Fuka, and as a member of the Executive Committee I require you to diverge this information. Right now would be good."
[17:18] "No."
[17:20] Haruka practically chokes on her rage. "No? NO?! People are dying here, and if you know anything about why or how to stop it, you ARE going to tell me. This isn't a request, this is a statement of your social obligation as a student at Fuka, and you will be SEVERELY reprimanded if you don't compile."
[17:22] Nagi shrugs, spreading his arms for good measure. Ignoring Haruka, he turns towards Nao entirely. "Isn't it annoying to hang out around someone like her, Nao
Hime? Just take care of that fake Hime and go on to seize the win!"
[17:22] Nao looks around. They're in a mall, quite possibly the worst place ever to force a physical confrontation (never mind the inherent risk involved in starting a fight.)
"Why bother? I've heard the victorious hime dies anyway," she replies, shrugging. "Hardly seems worth the effort."
[17:24] "That's not true!" Nagi insists. "Who told you such a dirty lie?"
[17:29] "Dunno, my memory is hazy, lately," replies Nao, glancing at Haruka. "Hey, what's the difference between a real Hime and a fake one? She's still got a dirty big
mace, it's a compelling argument to take her seriously."
[17:30] "My memory is also hazy all of a sudden," Nagi says sullenly, turning around and starting to walk away.
[17:30] "HEY!" Haruka steps forward, reaching for Nagi's shoulder to turn him around. She's not about to let this creep walk away just like that!
[17:32] "Know your place, you fake Hime!" Nagi says angrily as Haruka whirls him around, brushing her hand off with his own. The decorative lights overhead shatter.
[17:34] "I know my place just fine!" she insists. "No one knows my place better than I do. And that place is SOMEONE WHO HAS DAMNED CONSCIENCE, UNLIKE YOU. ...Wait, are
YOU the anticross?"
[17:37] As glass rains below from the ceiling, people hurriedly get away. No one seems hurt, but those nearby are giving Haruka, and Nagi and Nao, by assosiation,
worried glances. Nao thinks that one man in particular is very focused on them.
[17:38] Nagi, for his part, looks confused. "The what? Did you have a troubled childhood?" He no longer seems angry, at least.
[17:41] "No, but you're about to if you don't coagulate! I know some boy at Fuka is the cause of all these problems. I'm thinking MAYBE it's you."
[17:41] "And see, when I find this person, I'll have to make them stop...whether they want to or ont."
[17:43] "I'm thinking, maybe this person, this source is closer to you than you think," Nagi says with a smirk, jumping back lightly. His agility is inhuman, as is the
distance he clears in a single bound. "Until next time, my Hime~!" He moves back, getting lost in the gathered crowd.
[17:44] "What the--hey, come back here! I'm not done interrogating you yet!"
[17:45] Nagi does not return, though Haruka's outburst refocuses people's attention on her.
[17:47] Cop? Spy? Friend of another Hime? Interested journalist? The possibilities are endless. "Let's go," she mutters, grabbing Haruka's hand and quickly taking off from
the mall. "He's got nothing for us. All he's interested in is having us fight, you see? I can't see much point bothering with him."
[17:48] Haruka practically seethes in place, but complies (*not* compiles) eventually. "Grrr...alright. I need to talk to Miss Mashiro after all this. I'm out of other leads."
[17:49] "There was a guy watching us back there," replies Nao, using nearby windowpanes to see if he's tailing them. "It just had to be in the middle of a damn mall,
didn't it?"
[17:49] Someone is, wearing similar clothes. Nao can't determine better than that, her eyesight being what it is.
[17:50] She pauses just long enough to buy a pair of sunglasses from a nearby vendor. "Yeah, he's following us. Think we should grab him?"
[17:52] "Well, Nagi had to show up in public, otherwise I would've clobbered him. And yeah...let's see what the mystery man has to say for himself."
[17:55] Spiders weave a beautiful web, a thought crosses Nao's mind. A web of lovely, sturdy silk.
[17:56] Nao winds around a corner, twisting back and forth between different stalls and shops and intending to eventually stride up behind the man and put a hand on his
shoulder.
[17:58] The man passes by Nao's hiding spot; the red-head can see him look around once he notices that Haruka is alone. He reacts as soon as he's grabbed, trying to twist
out of Nao's grasp, as one hand goes into the folds of his jacket!
[18:03] "Calm down," whispers Nao, sliding her arm down to link with the guy's arm, like she's his daughter or girlfriend (whilst keeping it from getting out, say, a gun.)
"Let's just... find somewhere and talk, hmm? Ah, the cafe will do nicely."
[18:56] He stiffens, caught off guard by the schoolgirl's speed. Nao feels him test her hold on him, and once he realizes his efforts don't bear fruit, the man's
efforts cease.
[18:59] Haruka casually makes her way over to Nao and her quarry. Nothing strange going on here, nope!
[19:00] Nao saunters over to a nearby cafe, gesturing for Haruka to join her. "I'm feeling chatty, so this could be your chance to learn something. But only if you're on your
best behaviour," instructs Nao. "We'll start with you." She tightens her grip slightly, emphasing how very strong she is to the man, before slowly, slowly releasing his arm
and allowing him to sit down, flanked by herself and Haruka.
[19:05] The man follows Nao's orders, keeping his hands in plain sight on the table. "What am I going to be learning about myself?" he asks, his voice sounding bland.
[19:06] "Just spill it, G-man! Why were you watching us?"
[19:06] "That you need to work on your technique, for one," replies Nao. "I'd like to know who you are to be so interested in us."
[19:07] "After that little show back there? Why wouldn't I be curious?" he returns.
[19:09] "Sure, but everyone else scattered when the windows broke. You had a *reason* to be watching us, didn't you?"
[19:09] "You've caught me," he deadpans. "I like watching high school girls."
[19:12] "Most people wouldn't go for their inside pocket when someone taps their shoulder," replies Nao, dryly. "Mister, we can trade barbs all day, but that won't get you
or me what we want."
[19:13] "And what is that you want from me, besides my company?" Nao's unnamed friend asks.
[19:14] "Who are you working for? You're not a cop, or we would've seen a badge by now."
[19:15] "All this time you've wanted to see a badge?" He snorts. "Badges, I've got plenty of them. Which would make you happiest?"
[19:17] Nao slips a hand into the man's pocket, intending to pull out a wallet or similar article. "Oooh! Can I pick from a list?" she responds, rolling her eyes.
[19:17] Haruka rolls her eyes. "Enough wisecracks, alright? You know what kind of people you're dealing with here, don't you?"
[19:19] Nao's hand closes around a somewhat familiar object. She thinks it is a cell phone, and her guess is confirmed once she retrieves it from his pocket. "People?"
he asks, the only sign that he noticed Nao's actions a slight twitch of his eyelids that the red-head spots. "Yes, I suppose you are."
[19:19] "Ah, you must be with Searrs, then," replies Nao, opening the phone and going through the messages and contacts within it.
[19:21] "As good a guess as any," he says with a shrug. The phone is perfectly clean of anything, as if freshly purchased.
[19:21] "Nao, this guy's pissing me off. Maybe we need to rough him up a little, then he'll take his situation more seriously?"
[19:23] "Yes, by all means, do 'rought me up'," he says, raising his voice. A few people nearby give the booth the trio has claimed for themselves strange looks.
[19:27] "I'd rather not, but, you know, I'm pretty desperate, lately. The thing is, you can either tell us who sent you, what you're doing, and do so quickly, or I'll just
kill you. Right here." Nao leans closer to the man, putting a hand on his knee. Mostly covered by the sleeve of her jacket, tiny points exude from it, only slightly piercing
the man's skin.
[19:32] "Like I said. It's better if you talk, for everyone involved, but if you don't, I'll assume you're my enemy. Are you? Or aren't you? The choice is, of course,
yours." The black marks across her fingers should be plainly visible to him at this point, though not so much to passerbys.
[19:32] He winces. "I'm Smith. John Smith." Trying to smile, the man places a hand over Nao's, pressing it against his leg. Despite his words, he doesn't look
particularly foreign. "If you're desperate, there's really no need to threaten me into helping you with all that tension. All you need to do is ask."
[19:33] "And what can you do for me, Agent Smith?"
[19:34] "That is SUCH a made up name," Haruka huffs.
[19:35] Rolling his eyes at Haruka's outburst, John leans ever-closer to Nao. "Quite a lot. Why don't we discuss this in private, without your loud... friend?"
[19:37] Haruka could not possibly be more affronted. "Hey! Don't go anywhere with this creep, Nao. He hasn't given us any reason to trust him."
[19:37] Wouldn't be the first time, a stray thought crosses Nao's mind. And none of the others had been a match for her, thus far.
[19:40] "I'm willing to entertain privacy, but my friend will hear what I do regardless," replies Nao, glancing briefly at Haruka, before releasing her pinch on the man's
knee and standing up to take his arm again. "I'm not into wasting time, Agent Smith. Do you have... a car?"
[19:42] "A car could be easily procured," he agrees smoothly, standing up after Nao. He towers over her slightly. "And it might not be as much a waste of time as you
think. What I have to offer is for you and you alone; of course, what you do with that information afterwards is of no concern to me."
[19:44] Haruka frowns, hands on her hips. "I don't like this, Nao...at best, this guy's full of crap. At worst, he's a megaperv. You have to keep me updated on a regular basis
if you go anywhere with him, okay?"
[19:46] Nao twists her head back to Haruka. "What could he possibly do to me?" she asks, smiling dreamily at Haruka. "The parking lots are pretty deserted. We'll speak there.
If you want her not to hear, my friend can wait nearby, but we're not splitting far."
[19:47] "Fine, fine. A parked car, a teenaged girl...." John nods. "I can work with that. Let's go?"
[19:48] "Mmhmm." Nao tosses Haruka the man's phone. "Wait near the exit for me. I'll be back in a couple. If I scream, kill him."
[19:50] Haruka does so. "Don't worry, Nao. If anything happens, I'll avenge you!"

<--->

<--->

[18:40] As Nao's older friend had promised, a car is waiting for them at the parking lot. He walks towards it steadily, and opens the back door. It appears to be unlocked, and he gestures for Nao to make her way inside.
[18:41] Is anyone else in the car?
[18:41] Not that Nao can see.
[18:45] Nao shoves the man into the back seat, and opens the front herself, taking the driver's position. "So what's up, Agent Smith?" she asks, twisting her head to face him, ready to turn violent anytime.
[18:49] John doesn't show much discomfort despite the way he's manhandled. "We've started on the wrong foot, I know. All I can say is that not everyone back home is in agreement about our course of action. The ruling faction, you might call them, is trying to sic the Valkyries on you, which is unfortunate."
[18:49] He spreads his arms, making himself comfortable in the car's back seat as he watches Nao impassively. "Yes, I come from Searrs. If that means you kill me on sight without listening to what I have to say, we might as well get that unpleasant business over with."
[18:52] "You're not in trouble at the moment." Nao absently fiddles with the gearstick, shifting it from neutral to first. "We're only in private because you asked, after all. All things told, I'd be just as happy at the cafe."
[18:54] "I meant what I said. The information I have... once you've heard it, you may not be so quick to share it with your blonde friend." John takes a deep breath. "You've come into contact with Arika, correct? What did she tell you?"
[18:55] "She told me how fun it was to kill friends," replies Nao, flatly. "I don't want to talk about Arika."
[19:00] "Fine. I wanted to save time, but I can start from the beginning." John Smith steeples his hands, leaning them against his knees. "Your friend, Haruka Suzushiro? She is dead. And she is not the only one. There was a cataclysm, though the disaster was anything but natural. It was related to a certain festival involving you and others like you. The details are not important; what is crucial for you to understand is that we have less than two weeks to fix it or, well, things aren't looking well for our world."
[19:01] "Are you going to tell me to kill her, too?"
[19:03] "Can you kill someone who's already dead?" John asks Nao. "Philosophy aside, however... I have neglected an important detail. You, Nao Yuuki, are not like the rest of them. You, and a select few others, are still legitimately alive." He shrugs, then. "For the next eleven days, anyway."
[19:06] "How do dead people come back to life? Suzushiro is real. She's there. She's breathing, walking, talking like she means it... she's way more alive than me, in a sense. I don't get it." Nao twists back into her seat, and leans back. "How does this end up bad for us all?"
[19:08] "Would you like the scientific explanation our best and brightest have come up with, or the layman's version?" John asks, his voice skillfully diffusing what otherwise might have been an offensive statement.
[19:08] "I'm no honor student."
[19:13] "This world is broken. It's stuck, for the lack of a better word. We believe that something different had gone during the festival, something that set it apart from others... but there was a reason for them to take place, however abhorrent. Someone -- we're not sure who, perhaps even the Obsidian Prince himself -- made a different choice this time around.
[19:14] But that choice only postponed the inevitable, and instead of the world being destroyed if there is no victor, as previous festivals have gone, we -- our entire universe -- will simply cease to exist unless we fix what's wrong with the world. At Searrs, we have identified the cause of the wrongness eroding the very fabric of the world as being caused by the people who should not be here with us anymore."
[19:18] "City, world, universe, makes no difference," replies Nao, shifting into second gear. "Who, what, or when is the Obsidian Prince? And I guess you already have a list of 'dead' people..."
[19:21] "I'm not here to tell you to kill them all," John says, his eyes dropping to the gear stick. "It is in your best interests to do so, but I can see how you may not see it just yet. As for the Obsidian Prince, we don't have his identity yet, if that is what you mean."
[19:23] John sighs suddenly. "And I know it's hard to imagine, but try. Please. The world ceasing to exist... it is as if you've never been born. As if all you've ever cared about, all who ever cared about you -- they never came into being. You might chance a disaster of a global scale for some offshot possibility we're wrong, but this is so much beyond that. Would you really risk all that?"

<--->

<--->

Nao is quiet for a long moment. The gearstick shifts randomly from point to point, and metal protests slightly with every nudge. "Does the world hate us?" she replies, bitterly. "I lost my memory, you know. Now I sometimes remember things that haven't happened. Sometimes they're not even my memories. You know, I already lost my Child once. But I'm here again! How can this be?"

"And I'm still here, searching for a way to stop the festival, and now you tell me that if we've got another chance, I can't even try and take it?!" Wonder, hope and horror cross across her features, reflected back to Smith through the rearview mirror. The gearstick crunches under her palm. "Is my loved one- my *sacrifice*- alive again? Are you going to ask me to kill her, too?"

John Smith shifts uncomfortably. "What do you want me to say?" he asks Nao. "The others at Searrs don't mind if a few thousand innocents die -- if this entire island disappears off the face of the Earth -- if that means history goes on. Those of us who disagree with their methods are trying to find a way, one that still manages to salvage something. Yeah, you've been dealt a shitty hand in life. Want to complain? Try God. I can't do a damn thing about your problems, even though they're legitimate."

Taking out a handkerchief, John wipes sweat off his forehead. "You want the full truth? Yes. Your Child, as you call it, cannot be allowed to exist. But while there are many who would be happy to get at it through you, I don't think you need to die. If you can find it within you to accept my help, I can help you get through this!"

"How many?" she asks, suddenly deflating. "How many people should be dead?"

"Half a dozen." He breathes in deeply. "Just those six, as far as we've been able to determine. And for those six, to dispatch the Valkyries without clear orders...."

"Who?"

"Wataru Ishigami. Yuichi Tate. Takumi Tokiha. Kazuya Kurauchi. Haruka Suzushiro. And," John hesitates briefly, before plowing right through, "your comatose mother. I could talk myself to death about how she is already dead, her soul having moved on, and what exists here isn't really her, but I doubt you would be in any mood to listen to that."

Nao's head meets the rim of the steering wheel, and energy flees from her body at that particular tidbit. The other Nao may not say much lately, but this Nao wasn't unaffected.

Thud, thud, thud. This was supposed to be another chance, wasn't it, Shizuru? To fix things that went wrong, but...

"Aren't you just fucking with me? Trying to kill those people would just keep the festival going. So it's obviously bullshit. And your dear little Arika-chan killed one of the only people who might have known what was going on, too, before she decided to tell me. How convenient for everyone. Except us Hime."

"Yes, it's very convenient knowing I have under two weeks to get my affairs in order. Get it through your head -- it's not just your problem!" John sounds angry, dropping his head onto his steepled hands. "Yes, you have to fight, and you're under a lot of pressure and hell if any of that were fair. But the choices you make affect all of us. All of humanity. Even the damn little green men on Mars. Everyone dies if things go on the way the are now. Everything ends. My Arika-chan? MY? If she knew I were here with you, talking about this, you'd see exactly how squeeshy I am once she were done with me." Seeming to calm down somewhat, John leans back in the seat, letting his head drop all the way back. "For what it matters, I don't think this would keep the festival going. Except for Suzushiro, it shouldn't be difficult for someone of your talents to get the drop on them. You don't have to be present for the last one. I'll take it upon myself."

Up until the last sentence, Nao was listening without moving, but at that, she spins and slams her claws just inches from the man's face. Her lips are twisted in a snarl of rage, and he can surely feel her breath.

After a long moment, her eyes start turning cloudy. "Let Arika trouble you no more," she says, hoarsely pulling back and turning away again. "Kuga Natsuki killed her."

John remains silent. If Nao had to guess, she would bet on apathy dominating him.

"I still have things I need to look into before I can even think of agreeing. You don't know anything about a girl in a.. some kind of liquid tank, do you?"

John visibly swallows his first response. "Describe the girl and the tank? Cloning's the first thing that comes to mind, but it could be anything from just that."

"She had short hair," replies Nao, scrunching her forehead. "It was covered by liquid of some kind. It was in some kind of cave, underneath a.. lab or something. She was important, somehow. I think she has something to do with how everything got reversed. I need to find her."

"She is. It sounds like Miyu, a prototype... well, a robot, if we're back to layman's terms. We've lost contact with it recently. You said it was in a tank, submerged in liquid? Do you think you could find this lab?"

"Maybe.. I think I know who to ask about it. I'll get it out of her."

She tilts the wheel from side to side, staring through the windscreen. "What is the Obsidian Lord? What kind of choice is his to make?"

"The Obsidian Prince." John frowns. "The legend goes that he is the one behind this festival, who then uses the victor to gain unlimited power. Or, at least, for three centuries or so, when he apparently runs out. Can't say I've met him myself. As for the choice? Perhaps, a poor wording on my part. It is easy to see everyone participating in the festival as locked into the roles fate dealt them with, facing Hobson's choice. I guess I wondered... what if there is an actual choice, and making a different one than the one assigned to you only makes things worse for everyone?"

"Worse... for everyone? What right does everyone have to live? The choices I have... there's only bad, and worse, and that's even assuming I believe you in the first place."

Her voice is low and empty.

"I was put here to find another way, of that I'm sure, and I'll keep trying. But my life comes first. If I can't, then... all those people will end up dying anyway, if the festival continues, won't they... If that, itself, is not a lie."

"I'm not here to ask you to participate in that festival," John says, seeking out Nao's eyes in the rearview mirror. "I don't know what winning it under these conditions would do; it can't be particularly good. As to whether you believe me or not? I could offer you information. I could support you. But I'm not sure there's anything in what passes as proof for me that would convince you beyond any doubt, so it's really up to you in the end."

"I thought we didn't have a choice in the matter, but assuming the world won't cave in if nobody wins it, I can be at least a bit cheerful. Thanks for your information. I'll consider it. After all, I'm living on this world, too. I'll continue my own investigations and see what I find.

"Am I the only one you've spoken to about this? Why me?"

"You're involved," John states bluntly. "But not so much that it is impossible for you to see reason. Mai Tokiha, though? According to our information on her, I would be wasting my time. She'd rather watch the world crash and burn than consider this." He sighs again. "I'm not being judgemental, mind. I don't know what I'd do in her place, either. That answers why you. I'm sure you're interested about 'why now?' and you could thank the Obsidian Prince's servant for that. The unprecedented way he approached you in public like that shows two things: you're not working with him and he wants to change that. It meant our window of opportunity with you was small."

"I thought you were going to say Suzushiro. It wouldn't take a HiME to deal with the others, surely... but I guess the rest of your group isn't going for that?"

"It's a matter of logistics, and we aren't that numerous to begin with," John responds. "It's ironic, but our own group's actions made our life infinitely more difficult. If Arika hadn't put Takumi Tokiha into the hospital, where he remains under constant watch.... Then again, if they'd listened to us, they wouldn't have used Arika that way to begin with. But no, if we could say with certainty that we can deal with the situation on our own in the time we have available, this meeting wouldn't take place."

"As an organisation, I guess you reap what you sow. But... you said they'd be comfortable taking out the island, right? You're talking to me only because you don't want that to happen?"

It takes a while until John responds. "No. Not the only reason. I didn't join Searrs out of altruism. But just because I have other motives doesn't invalidate my desire to do what's right, here."

"Hmph, none of us are altruists. Except maybe the ones who are 'dead' to start with. Good guys finish last, huh."

"Keep my phone," he says, choosing to change the subject. "I'll be able to reach you through it. Might consider what you'll tell your friend when you ask for it back."

"If you find out exactly what caused things to get all messed up, or how, let me know. Since you seem to have the worst-case plan set out, you might as well look for a better option. Ah, and if your people intend to pull the plug early... let me know that, too."

"I may not get advance notice," John warns, "but I'll see what I can do."

"Uh-huh. You know where the other HiME are, by any chance?"

"One at the hospital. We believe two have left the island recently. We're trailing them, but we don't have their destination yet. I believe you know all three."

"Yukariko's in the hospital, I know... Mai and Mikoto left the island? Or do you mean Higurashi and someone else, or..."

John startles at that name. "Higurashi?" he asks. "Higurashi Akane? She's a Hime?"

"Don't you get it? I figure, all the people on your list are special to a HiME, and she's Kazuya's girlfriend, so... it's not a stretch."

"I see." He nods to himself, repeating once more, "I see. So that's why the First District is holding onto a teenaged girl. We've been wondering about that." John shrugs apologetically. "We don't keep a list of who's dating who at your school, I'm afraid. Yes, it makes perfect sense now."

"I thought they eloped... how can they hold a HiME against her will?"

"There might be ways," John muses slowly, "but in the end, Hime are human, and humans get manipulated and blackmailed all the time. I wouldn't put money on a secret drug holding her complacent and the like. Would you like to investigate this for us?"

"I'm game. I need to learn more about that group. I remember hating them, but I can't remember why." Nao reaches for the door handle, but her hand stop just as they take hold. "Maybe it's... yeah, if they're the ones who made my mother like that... that'd explain it. Where are they?"

"I'll mail you the relevant information," John offers. "You're not an honor student, remember? No reason to try and keep it all in your head."

"Hmph, it's not like I couldn't if I tried," mutters Nao, opening the door and stepping out. "Keep me posted."

John offers Nao a wave as she leaves the car, not making any move to follow.

<--->

<--->

It's hard to tell, but Nao seems to move around a lot in the car, and at least once she seems to go for the man's throat.

Eventually she emerges unharmed and mostly unruffled, though, trudging back towards Haruka with an unreadable expression.

Haruka has to restrain herself from rushing in and putting a stop to any possible impropriety on Smith's part, but does so with great effort! "What happened?" she asks, rushing towards Nao and grabbing her by the shoulders. "What'd he do?"

"We talked, that's all," she responds, putting her hands back on Haruka's shoulders to steady herself. "He said some pretty crazy stuff that I can't really believe, but for now, we're working in the same direction."

Haruka looks confused. "Okay...so that means we don't beat him up?"

"Not yet. Let's go back inside, first," she replies, heading back into the mall. "Ah, you still got his phone?"

"Mmhm," she says simply.

"Gimme. You know how Higurashi was supposed to be a HiME? He said she's been taken prisoner by the First District somewhere. He'll be sending me the address. I think I can trust that much, at least. Looks like she wasn't eloping, after all."

Haruka hands over the phone. "What's the First District? And h ow do we know this isn't a trap?"

"Some kind of organisation that has something to do with us HiME. I don't know what exactly, but I do remember hating them. And.. well, I don't think so. Suzushiro..."

Nao sighs. "You're not a ghost, right?"

Haruka punches Nao in the shoulder. *Playfully*, but that word probably doesn't mean the same thing to Haruka as it does to other people. "You tell me. If I'm a ghost, it was rude of someone not to tell me before now."

"Seems like you might be. I don't get it myself, but he basically told me that you died. Except you're still here. And you're not the only one."

"I am *totally* still alive, Nao." Haruka thumps one fist into the opposing palm for emphasis, with a meaty *smack*. "I think he was playing a joke on you. *I* know I'm still alive, so I'm not going to worry about it. If Higurashi is someone's prisoner, though, then *that's* our main concern. I will NOT allow a Fuka student to be incalculated without good cause."

"It's incarcerate- no, this actually happened! I remember losing my child, you know? My mother... she died when I lost. But she's still alive, and... so's Takumi Tokiha, isn't he. I knew he died, I remembered he was dead, but he's still alive, in that hospital."

Nao's mouth stops moving for a moment, and she slumps on a bench, looking at Haruka with pity, of all things.

"The festival happened. But then it somehow unhappened. And now it's happening again. Definately not a joke. If I can remember bits of it, can't you? How do you forget dying? Was it because Yukino lost, or something else?"

Haruka radiates confusion. "Huh? I don't have to forget dying, because it didn't happen. Look, Nao, I don't know what that guy told you, but I don't remember any of that stuff happening. And I'm not going to waste time thinking about it, either. If what he told you about Higurashi is true, then we'll go find her. That's something we can *do*."

"He'll give us the details when he gets them," replies Nao, dispiritedly. "He did say that given the circumstances, fighting out the festival might be a bad idea due to some metaphysical crap. I guess that's a bright spot."

"I knew that much already, metababble or not. So, if we can't do that right now, I'd say we owe Miss Mashiro a visit."

"Yeah, I've got to ask her about a robot."

"Robot? Whatever, we'll add that to the list of questions. Let's go. Oh, and there are cops all over the school. They were real excited when I left, so I think they might've found the cave. If they ask, we didn't know anything about it. So, ready?"

"Oh, great, cops! They weren't interested in me, were they?"

"No. A detective of theirs vanished. Oiishi. They were looking for him. ...They don't have reason to be interested in you, do they?"

"Well, I killed someone, and then didn't attend class for the next few days," mutters Nao.

"Yeah, but I don't think they know about Arika. And skipping class is something for the Executive Committee to worry about, so we should be okay."

"No, I don't care about getting caught for skipping class, but if they put two and- I mean, yeah, you're right. Let's head back. I'm curious to know what happened to the detective, too. There's a lot of people around who wouldn't appreciate a nosy cop."

Haruka thinks she'd already met the cabbie taking them back to campus. It feels quite possible, with the way she keeps on shuttling to and from town that the day she is on a first name basis with all of them in Fuka isn't far.

The police presence at the Academy seems lessened, at least judging from the gates. Executive Committee members have been dismissed from their posts, and a pair of cops in uniform are standing guard in their stead. Neither Nao nor Haruka are accosted as they approach, seeking to enter the complex.

If the cops aren't interested in her, she doesn't care about them. Haruka means to head straight to Mashiro without wasting any time.

Nao could stand to be interested in cops, but she doesn't want them to be interested back, so she toddles after Haruka. If she put on some glasses- wait, she already has.

It's a sad day.

There is no answer at Mashiro's office, Haruka discovers.

Haruka looks around. "I wonder if we could break the door down..."

"Huh? Why go to that much trouble? I hate to ruin a perfectly good door."
Nao walks forward and proceeds to give the lock the same treatment she gave Shizuru's. "Besides, that's noisy."

"Well...I guess. It *does* get around damaging Fuka property."

Nao is yet to meet a lock that stands firm against her wiles. The door opens at her prodding.

No maids assault her at the insolence.

"So this is where another dead person lives," muses Nao, heading inside and closing the door behind. "You think she might've left something interesting here, though?"

"Let's find out!" Haruka's likely to scan for any conveniently incriminating documents, first.=, if there's a desk around.

"Even if there's nothing, it's fun to snoop around~"

"Yeah, well, don't make it a habit, Nao. Under *normal* circumstances, no student should ever be poking around in the headmistress's office."

"Aww, Haruka-chaaan, I'm the very soul of common decency! You don't need to tell me!"

There is one in Mashiro's room, down the corridor. Easily locating it, Haruka and Nao toss the place around! Mashiro's calendar reveals the first useful bit of information -- the Chairwoman is apparently away on business. She is expected to return somewhere within the week; if she is to return earlier, there are no appointment scheduled for her eariler.

Haruka expresses her skepticism of Nao with a simple "Huh, sure," then continues the search. the calendar suggests that they don't have to worry about anyone barging in on them, at least. "Though, isn't it strange for her to leave when there's this 'Festival' going on?"

"No, it makes a lot of sense. Her maid, Fumi, is a HiME. Why not spirt her away and let the others kill each other while you're gone, then come back and clean up the rest?"
Nao suddenly coughs. "Not that I thought of doing that."

Haruka considers this. "Huh. You're right. That's just...devious! I really didn't know her at all."

"You've got to think one step ahead of the enemy! And people who think they're your enemy. And people who think you're their enemy. Even if you don't want to be. Yep, that's the ticket. Come on, let's check out the rest of the place."

Searching further, Nao and Haruka discover that the Chairwoman keeps a lot of cash in a locked drawer of her desk.

Haruka doesn't care about the cash. The lack of a computer is frustrating--though Haruka wouldn't know what to do with it if she found one, she could probably coerce someone into hacking it for her!

Nao does care about the cash, but, you know, cops (and Haruka can pay for everything important, anyway.)

"I don't think we'll be finding anything helpful around here, though. I mean, would you leave 'secret master plan to have a dozen students kill each other' papers lying around where anyone could find them?" asks Nao, forgetting who she's talking to.

"No, I'd just ask Yukino if I forgot anything," Haruka admits, in a rare moment of self-deprecation. "Got any other ideas? Maybe she has a secret room hidden here somewhere?"

"What, you want to go around pulling on books and all of that to see if something opens? We'll be here all night, it'd be quicker just to knock the house down and see what's left."

Haruka shrugs. "Well, it's that or we go see what's up with the cops. I mean, come on, she's the headmistress. She has to know *something*!"

"She has a brain, even if it is tiny. She's probably keeping it all in there," replies Nao, snorting. "Cops, sure. You do the talking?"

"Yeah, yeah. They know me already anyway."

Heading towards the front door, Nao and Haruka both hear someone approaching it from the other side.
Nao blanches, and darts into a nearby room, deciding that discretion is the better part of valor. There are.. windows and backdoors and things! Common sense.

Haruka is totally entitled to go wherever she wants. She's on the Executive Committee, right? So really, there's no reason for them to look guilty about being here! ...Though, she kind of has to follow Nao's lead, now. She's not very happy about that, but she runs after the redhead.

It doesn't even require a Hime's speed and agility to make a clean getaway. Either their presence has gone undetected for the time being, or whomever it was lacked the desire to go in pursuit.

"I'm gonna stay hidden around here for a while and see if they come out again," mutters Nao. "You wanna go talk to the cops?"

"Yeah, you can find me later. Just use my new number."

Nao mutters something about 'voice' and 'loud' and 'other side of mountain'.

"Got it. I put mine on there already, too."

<--->

<--->

As Haruka disappears into the maze, Nao remains behind to stalk the premises. Pressing herself against the outside walls, she creeps along, glancing inside through any window crossing her path. After several tries, she is in luck. A man dressed in a gray suit can be seen in the foyer. He is observing the broken lock with a frown, and doesn't seem to have noticed the red-head just yet.

Well, thanks to Nao's earlier handiwork, at least Haruka won't have trouble navigating it.

Nao ducks back around the side of the window, relying on her ears to tell her where the man is going next.

Nao's sharp senses inform her that the man is dialing a cell, before reporting his location and the state of the lock. He concludes the brief report by saying that he is about to explore the rest of the house, and hanging up.

Nao tracks the man as best she can from the outside of the house, deciding to try and see if he finds anything that she and Haruka didn't.

Nao continues to stalk the man. She hears his displeasure at the state Mashiro's tossed room is -- the same room Nao and Haruka found her business calendar in. Nothing else of particular interest reveals itself to Nao; the man doesn't seem to stop anywhere else overly much, and even when he heads upstairs, Nao is able to sneak back into the house and keep tabs on him with her superhuman senses.

Finally, it seems the man is ready to return to the ground floor.

Nao keeps out of his way, but stays in the house for the moment, deciding to see if he makes another call before departing.

He does, standing just outside the main entrance. His report this time concludes that the house was definitely broken into, and not by thieves, either, as a significant amount of cash was left behind despite the perpetrator certainly coming across it.

Nao decides to see where the man goes after leaving the mansion, watching his destination through a window before leaving it and trailing after him a goodly distance back.

He walks straight outside, passing by the two officers guarding the front gate. He nods at them, not pausing, and they seem to reciprocate.

A detective?

Well, if that's all there is, Nao heads into the school again a little while afterwards, deciding to head to the cafeteria and see if there are any new rumours or developments. (Not to mention eat. Eating is important.)

If she sees that Tate Yuuichi person, though, she'll certainly take an interest.

Luck is with Nao. Tate is sitting at a table, staring at his food dejectedly. He is not alone; the priestess Nao had encountered at the shrine she regained her powers is there with him. She's trying to talk to Tate, seeming frustrated by his curt responses.

Ah, the unpleasant girl.

No better way to do this than to dive right in! Nao orders a bowl of noodles for herself, and approaches the duo with a saccharine smile. "Do you mind if I have a seat here?" she asks, the very picture of politeness.

The pink-haired girl certainly seems to mind. She glares at Nao, and her hair almost seems to have a mind of its own as it twitches at Nao's approach. Tate doesn't react either way, lost in thought.

Nobody is saying no, so Nao has no trouble taking that as acceptance.

"When I saw you here, I wanted to apologize, I think," she explains to the younger girl, though she can't keep an element of doubt from her voice. "But I do want to ask what I did to prompt that reaction on the weekend."

Surprise is the dominant expression on the younger girl's face, and her hair settles down. She starts to answer, but then her eyes dart to Tate briefly, and she very deliberately closes her mouth. "Apology accepted," she says instead, a fair deal more stiffly than Nao would expect those words to sound. "Did you want anything else?"

She glances at Tate once more. He hasn't acknowledged Nao's presence, yet.

"Yes," she replies, cheerily. "What did I just apologize for? I lost my memory, you see."

She glances at Tate, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know?"

Tate looks up, staring at Nao with confusion.

Seething, Shiho jumps out of her seat and grabs Nao's hand, smiling pleasantly at Tate. "It's nothing, just go back to your lunch. I just have to talk to Yuuki real quick and I'll be back, alright?" Turning to Nao, she grits her teeth, trying to maintain her smile, and gestures to a different corner of the cafeteria, conveniently empty.

Nao cheerily goes over there. Clearly, Natsuki was wrong (or soon will be wrong) about people hating her.

Shiho finds them a table and sits in a spot she would have a free view of Tate, Nao notices. She directs the red-head to sit opposite of her.

Nao slouches on the seat, favouring Shiho with only the most pleasant demeanour.

"Look," Shiho says in irritation, "we are not friends. We've never been friends. We won't be friends in the future even if you did lose all your memory and became a nun. I want you to stay away from Tate. What do I need to do for that to happen?"

"Hmm, I was interested in him? You don't need to worry about that now," replies Nao, rolling her eyes. "Special to you, huh?"

"I need him," Shiho states. It doesn't sound like the words of a lovestruck girl with a crush.

"But, does he need you?" muses Nao, twisting her head to glance back at him for a moment.

Then she shrugs, and goes for the noodles again.

Shiho doesn't dignify that with an answer, merely scowling at Nao. "Are you done? Did you just want to insult me?"

"Well, I don't like to leave an apology undeserved," replies Nao, standing up to leave. "Good luck~"

Shiho gives Nao one final glare, before returning to Tate. She appears frustrated when he doesn't pay her any more attention than Nao got upon arrival.

<--->

<--->

Nao's phone dials Haruka's... and dials... and keeps dialling...

Haruka answers, of course. "What's new?"

"Precious little. Where are you?"

"Police station. Well, leaving it. I'm coming back to Fuka now. Guess I'll meet you there?"

"Mmmhmmmm they know anything, or are we all still in the dark?"

"They found Detective Oiishi's car outside the school, and there was blood inside it. No idea who or what got to him. Other than that, they don't know anything that we don't. I told them to keep an eye out for Nagi, at least."

"Oh, great. Worse luck, they'll find him, and he'll tell them about us. Did they tow his car away already?"

"What could he tell them that they'd actually believe? Anyway, I didn't ask about the car, but I think it's a safe ascension that they took it."

"Uh-huh. Find out where it happened or something? Still got time to kill until we learn where Higurashi is."

"They didn't tell me. But they did say that there wasn't a trail leading away from the car or anything. Like he just vanished? ...Or like something flew away with him."

"...then it could be anywhere. Better have your goons keep an eye on the sky from here on out, eh? Anyway, I'll meet you in the library."

"Sure thing." Haruka hangs up and hails a cab to ride back to school. She wonders if the cabbies know her by name yet.

The one who takes her back to campus doesn't, but the belief that it's only a matter of time gets stronger.

In any event, arrival at the library and looking for Nao proceeds, posthaste!

Nao seems to be at one of the computers, using it to try and look up architectural plots of the school.

"Hey," she grunts, glancing over at Haruka. "The guy snooping around the mansion was a cop or a detective or something, I think. He just looked around and left."

Haruka nods. "I asked about Mashiro while I was there. They know she planned to be out of town in advance. Also, I might have said something that leads to them being interested in you but they don't think you did anything so don't worry. Anyway, what are you looking at?"

"Maps," replies Nao, turning back to the computer. "Rather, I'm looking *for* maps, of the school. I keep thinking about that cave I saw, and it's got to be on Fuka, somewhere. Since all the weirdness seems focused around here, I thought there might be a clue."

She rocks back in the chair with a sigh. "God, I'm sick of this, though. I don't even know exactly what sort of stuff I'm looking for on these. It looks like so much scribble."

"-and wait, what? Well... whatever," she adds, before her voice grows suddenly soft and pleasant. "I lost my memory, detective, so I might not be very helpful to you," she mews, overwhelming Haruka with false sweetness.

"Exactly. It's nothing to worry about. Anyway, I guess there are no blueprints that say Hidden Secret Cave or anything?" It's hard to tell, but she actually sounds serious.

Nao gestures at the computer. "Check it out yourself, my eyes are getting sore."

Haruka doesn't really know anything about computers. That kind of thing is Yukino's job, you know? "I'll take your word for it. Anyway, I'm pretty much out of leads until we know more about where Higurashi is."

"Probably in for a wait. Why don't you go get some food or something?" replies Nao, standing up. "I've gotta go check if Sugiura called me back, too. I'll let you know when I know more."

"Sure thing." Haruka may as well check in with the goon squad and see if anything new's happened, or if Yukino's been around.

Nao intends to go back to Shizuru's room and check if Sugiura called back, as well as find out if her own dorm has, in fact, been opened up again or not.

<--->

Yukino hasn't been seen, and not just by Haruka. The blonde's inquiries only serve to increase the worries of fellow Executive Committee members, while not providing her with any fresh information.

Nao is no more successful than her partner, as Shizuru's room looks exactly the same as the last time she'd been there. Midori hadn't called back, which could mean a dozen different things. Her new, blank phone does get a call, however. It is still on silent mode, and Nao doesn't realize it at first, but she had been sent mail.

Nao reads the message (was it from a private number?)

Nao can't tell where it came from. On opening the message, she sees that it is very concise, containing only a set of numbers. Fiddling with the phone further reveals that amongst its installed programs is a GPS tracker.

Using phones comes naturally to Nao, so she inputs the directions on the one hand whilst calling Haruka on the other.

It turns out to be a good call, as the phone she had been given cannot handle both actions at once. While calling Haruka on her private cellphone, Nao sees the numbers resolve into coordinates. The location is not in Fuka, but still in Japan. She thinks it would be about half a day's drive from the Academy.

"I've got the place, but it's half a day's drive away. You don't have an easily-bullied friend with a car, do you? Or can your wallet handle the taxi?"

It is getting late. Nao knows they won't make it to their destination, whatever it might be, while there's daylight left. Any attempts at diplomacy might be harmed by that, though a nightly infiltration is another thing entirely.

"I'm sure it's getting used to the strain," Haruka says. "Besides, this mission is more important than money! This is about FUKA."

"Alright. Call a taxi, and I'll meet you at the roadside, just down from the gates."

Haruka does so, heading out from the gates to meet Nao.

The driver is one who recognizes Haruka, though she can't actually recall his name. "Where to?" he asks, rolling down the window.

"You up for a long drive?" asks Nao. "We're talking most of the night, here."

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," Haruka says nobly.

"Not *you*."

The cabbie snorts. "It's a special rate at night, but your friend here knows all about it. Seems like she could afford it, too."

"You're loaded, aren't you, Suzushiro? We should just buy a frigging car or something," replies Nao, before giving some general directions to their destination.

Given that the cab lacks a GPS tracker of its own, Nao would have to provide directions as they go. Other than an inconvenience to her, however, it shouldn't be too difficult to get to their destination with the tools at their disposal.

Haruka just shrugs. It's not like her family didn't earn it all.

The drive takes them to the mainland through the bridge connecting the island to it, and Nao is once again melancholic as she passes it. There is a sense of wrongness in the bridge existing, she feels, but it soon disappears as they leave it behind. Darkness falls, the cab taking what feels like the scenic route at times, following the shore.

Eventually, the road takes Nao and Haruka further inland, beginning to rise soon afterwards. They pass through several tunnels, and Nao and Haruka can both see their phones' reception go inside, the cab's radio playing static for the duration. The GPS tracker never stops displaying information, however, its connectivity bar unchanged whenever Nao looks at it.

Hours after departing, around two o'clock, Nao can see them begin to reach their final destination. The maps displayed on her borrowed phone get smaller and smaller in scale. There is nothing on the map -- no cities, towns, villages or settlements of any kind. No gas stations. No industrial compounds. Yet the coordinates lead her ahead.

"I knew we should've stopped for food an hour ago," mutters Nao. "We're almost there, though."

Haruka is quite prepared to solider on without dinner! ...But a meal would've been nice, yeah.

As Nao stops the cab roughly a mile away from the coordinates, the driver looks at her. "Is this some kind of prank? Or a satanic ritual you kids are into these days?" he asks, seeming quite tired after the long drive.

"Sanatic ritual. We're off to meet with the coven. You get paid, so it's all the same, right?"

Haruks scowls. At the cabbie or Nao, it's hard to say. "Let's go already," she says, stalking off.

"Yes, about payment. If you want me to wait here, I'll need the fare back as well."

Haruka can cover that, so they may as well have him wait. They don't have any other way back to Fuka, do they?

It might be interesting to steal a vehicle from the place they're going, but there's no counting on that! Nao slips out and trails after Haruka.

"Ok, Suzushiro, I know this isn't your style, but we're *sneaking* in, not *breaking* in, right? I mean, there'll be breaking, but it should be quiet breaking."

Nao won't approach directly from the road, but will use the GPS to go around the.. whatever it is and come in from the side!

Haruka looks skeptical. "I'll do my best."

As Nao and Haruka travel on foot, the former discerns a building of some kind ahead. It appears blocky and unimaginative in design, perhaps two stories at most.

Haruka sees blurry darkness.

Nao squints to see if there's a wall surrounding it (for all the good that might do). Once they start getting close, she'll proceed more carefully until she's got a better picture of what needs to be done to get inside.

No walls, but there is a chainlink fence, as well as at least one guard post off to the side. The compound is dark.

"Are they even using this place?" murmurs Nao, glancing at the guard post- can she tell if any actual guards are there?

Given that it is more like a shack where guards would presumably be, she can't tell without actually coming far closer to it than she currently is. Nao can tell that if she'd continued on the original approach, she would have arrived at it, so the front gate is apparently located there.

Nao creeps up to the back of the guard post and listens for signs of inhabitance!

Haruka can barely see anything here, so she's mostly following Nao at the moment.

As Nao and Haruka make their way to the post, they are able to confirm that there is someone within. They also appear to have just heard something, debating their next move in hushed voices.

"So much for subtlety. Ready?" mutters Nao, creeping around to the entrance as a prelude to rushing inside and punching out all three.

"They're onto us!" Haruka whispers. "We'd better jump 'em!"

Nao rushes inside, having no difficulty seeing in the darkness. The guard post is manned, indeed -- there are three men in a uniform of some kind which she had not seen before, one sitting by a console which could be anything from a radar to a high-tech microwave. He has some kind of headphones on, which don't connect into anything, appearing wireless. Two others are holding automatic weapons, one in the center of the room and the other by a wall.

Like some kind of demented monster, Nao leaps through the door with blinding speed, almost bouncing off the walls. With a kick, she aims to send the central guard flying into his similarly armed friend, and intends to send his nerdy companion flying after them shortly thereafter.

The two guards go down, even as their seated companion whirls around at Nao's entrance! Nao is certain she heard a thump as her leg met the guard's chest, an uncomfortable feeling of ribs breaking under her foot, but then she has other issues more pressing to worry about, as the light switch it flipped. The guard post is illuminated in a flash, and Nao feels herself go blind!

<--->

<--->

Looks like it's finally time for Haruka to put her alternate self's gift to work! She materializes her mace and darts in after Nao, meaning to knock down whichever of the guards is left before than can move against the redhead.

Nao heart leaps into her throat, even as she throws herself into a clumsy roll away from where she was. "The light, fuck!"

That which takes Nao out of the fight allows Haruka to see the situation clearly. Only one of the guards is still in any shape to resist; it is the one manning the technical station. Haruka has no better luck identifying it than Nao on such a short notice, and then it largely becomes moot as the mace makes contact with the man's face, brutally sending him careening to the ground, and continuing to embed itself in the equipment. Sparks fly into the air.

Nao manages to duck behind a group of chairs, crashing against them with her back.

A guard tries to get up, pushing his downed comrade off himself.

Tangled up in the chairs and mostly unaware of what's going on, Nao isn't in much shape to react to that.

...Well. Probably best she avoids using that thing on regular people very often. The man trying to get up earns himself a good kick in the face instead.

Haruka crosses the guard post to deliver the kick before the man can even get back to his feet. His head snaps back, meeting the wall, and he sags back to the floor slowly.

A glance around to make sure all three of them are down for the count, then she checks on Nao.

Nao fishes around in her pockets for her sunglasses, and slowly puts them on.

Haruka doesn't think they're all unconscious, but it is quite doubtful any of them would be getting up any time soon. Or at all, in the case of two of them, if they don't receive medical attention soon.

And if they don't do any good, she struggles out of the chairs anyway. "We'd better hurry," she mutters, stumbling the door. "They got anything interesting in here?"

Haruka glances around. "Well, whatever that thingy was, it's wrecked now," she says, pointing to the ruined equipment.

Nao struggles to an upright position, although attempts to open her eyes and test the sunglasses are greeted with residual flashes. Perhaps, after a minute or two of giving her eyes time to adjust, the results would be different.

And sound beyond Nao and Haruka's returns, sudden. There are no screams from the guards, either in panic or pain. Only groans.

Haruka sees the outside illuminate, as if it were daylight.

Haruka squints and shields her eyes. That can't be a good sign.

"We've got to move," mutters Nao. "I can't see shit, but we should try and get inside before someone comes out here."

"I see no faults with this plan," Haruka announces, full of bravado as always. "Forward!" If there's anyone waiting for them outside the shack, they're getting a face full of mace.

"-the roof. We can jump to the top and go in that way!" grunts Nao, squinting as she gingerly heads through the door, hoping she can see better outside than she can in.

"*Jump* to the roof. Nao, I think I'm in pretty good shape, but not THAT good."

"'snot that hard," mutters Nao, opting to rush outside and make good on that once her vision has cleared up just enough to see dimly by.

Nao's vision clears up, and with the help of her shades, she can see that spotlights cover the entire compound. The majority of them seem to be coming from the main building's roof. Haruka's sight tells her much the same picture, albeit blurrier.

An alarm sound, jarring to their ears.

At that, Nao bolts, heading straight for the building and putting all her strength into a single leap to the heavens!

...Well, if Nao can do it, *Haruka* has to be able to!

Nao's practices come in handy as her legs catapult her at just the right height to land comfortably on the roof. She floats down through a column of light, hair trailing behind her, and other projectors try to focus on her, but they are slow, oh so slow to her tearing eyes.

Haruka follows, and her inexperience shows. Her jump is wasteful, taking her to easily two or even three times the necessary height, and then, she has to deal with the descent. A small mercy is that the operators of the projectors don't appear to anticipate an assault from such a height and angle, and Haruka enjoys what relative shadow there remains in the area.

Haruka crashes to the roof, stumbling to keep her footing. "I really shouldn't be able to do that," she announces...but hey, this isn't the time for questions. If she *can* somehow leap tall buildings in a single bound, she's going to put that ability to good use. For JUSTICE.

Haruka's legs hurt from foot to thigh. It's not the familiar pain of a broken bone or a twisted ankle, or even of overworked muscles. They merely protest, for lack of a better word. The roof where she landed groans, cratering, a spider web of cracks spreading from the point of impact.

Nao doesn't have time to catch Haruka; she's stuck running to punch out as many of the people here as she can- all but one. Half-blind as she is, it's difficult for her to pull her blows, but she does try to go for the torso and avoid the face.

"Ow ow ow." Prooobably not a good idea to stay there. She bounces away, hopping lightly across the roof towards Nao.

The roof doesn't collapse, and as Haruka hops after the blur that is Nao -- due to her speed, the blonde thinks, rather than a defect of her eyes -- she realizes with dismay that the pain in her legs does not go away.

Meanwhile, Nao has taken out three of the four people manning the rooftop projectors. As she punches the last one square in the face, the access door to the roof is thrown open. Something is thrown through it, bouncing a few times. It probably makes a sound of some sort, but the alarm makes that impossible to make out.

Nao grabs Haruka and pounces to the side of the access door, shielding her eyes.

"Is that a grenade? Oh shi-" That's all Haruka can say before Nao tackles her.

Even through her impromptu shield, Nao feels the flash go off, leaving her dazed. Haruka tastes dirt, tackled out of the blast area, and as she raises her eyes she sees two red-heads with their right hands over their faces.

There is the sound of boots stomping, louder and louder as people rush onto the roof.

"Play with them, Arach," spits out Nao, putting one hand against the wall and catching her breath for a moment.

There is gunfire. Nao can smell the gunpowder, but she and Haruka remain protected as Nao's Child materializes betwen them and the soldiers. With a metallic clicking sound, Arach's limbs split at the joints, blurring in the air in front of it. There is a drilling sound, unpleasant, bringing with it worse assosiations than sliding one's fingernails across a blackboard.

It's music to Nao's ears. She drags her claws across the back of the shack, opening a new door to drop through whilst Arach handles anyone stuck on the roof.

To Haruka, it contributes mightily to her budding headache.

"What the hell is that?" Haruka babbles, pointing to the spidermech. "Nao? Hey!" ...Well, at least it's shredding the Bad Guys. Haruka can't help but feel a little left out, though.

Nao cuts with her claws twice, and a doorway is made. Two surprised soldiers are behind it, and the one further back starts to aim his weapon towards the red-head.

"My beautiful Child."

Claws still out, Nao lunges at the man through the dust and haze created by her impromptu excavation, ready to do anything to remove the threat of the rifle. Ten scarlet strings spit forth before she realises it, dancing towards the armaments of the men and tearing them away.

Haruka was about to send a mace flying towards one of the men, but this is hard to do with Nao jumping in front. Oh well, she'll have to clean up the leftovers.

<--->

<--->

The wires tie themselves around the weapon of the soldier at the front. Rather than tugging it loose, however, they slice cleanly through the metal. The other soldier's weapon is trickier -- to get to it, Nao would need to send her wires through its comrade.

...Or, they could just knock #2's comrade into him! Haruka dips to one side of Nao to aboid hitting her, and then sends her mace flying towards the disarmed man's midsection, intending to knock him back more than actually injure him (though the latter is probably inevitable too).

The burst of gunfire from him merges with the other sounds of automatic weapons discharges to their side. Something grazes Nao's right arm, several inches above the elbow. Both soldiers topple over, and fall down the stairs.

Nao yelps in sudden shock, clutching her arm and exaggerating the pain that surely exists.

Putting it aside is difficult, but she tries to peer through the gap she's opened before jumping down- diving in front of more guns is the last thing she wants to do.

No soldiers remain on the stairwell that Nao can see; those two must've been the stragglers of the group.

Onwards, then! Haruka glances at Nao first. "Are you okay? Also, how do I get one of those crazy spider droids?"

Haruka's own voice sounds strange to her.

Haruka can only peer around the stairwell in confusion. Is there an echo in here?

With that, Nao drops through and dashes down a couple of flights, before she pauses for a moment to take a five-second breather.

"You don't have one?" asks Nao, raggedly. "And I'm fine. I think." Mild concern gnaws at her, but Arach shouldn't take long to deal with the other soldiers. "Are you coping, Suzushiro?" she adds, giving the blonde a weird look.

"Coping with what?" she asks, honestly oblivious to whatever it is that should be bothering her. Hey, she's on a MISSION here. There's no time for self-doubt.

The stairways are illuminated with a harsh red light. Nao and Haruka don't hear gunfire anymore.

Nao stares at her companion for a second, before sighing. "I guess I thought you might get scared. But you're the actual scary one," she opines, before dashing down the stairs to the floor below, ready to kick anyone in her way.

"Arach, begone," she mutters to herself, suddenly paranoid about leaving her Child alone. She has to take care of it, after all.

"I'm just determined, that's all!" Haruka shouts, chasing after her companion. Man, she really has to get one of those awesome robots.

There is no answer, audible or otherwise.

The door exiting to the first floor is before the two Hime. Haruka's finding it difficult to keep up with Nao's pace.

"Nao, slow down a little! I'm not used to this whole filtration thing."

"We're right past infiltarting and into invading," replies Nao, pausing at the door to both give Haruka a couple of seconds and to listen- and then bursting through, blurring through the flashing lights and searching for someone to punch or grab.

Nao shoulder rams the door off its hinges, arriving at the inner corridor. The area is well-illuminated, the red ceiling lights flashing in tune to the alarm's wail. No one is in the immediate vicinity.

Well, that's convenientL it means Haruka can actually catch up. "Do we have any idea where in this faculty Higurashi is being held?" she asks, glancing around.

The corridor goes to a T-shaped intersection at one end, and to a set of double doors on the other. Nao and Haruka are roughly in its middle.

"Double doors always lead somewhere important. I say we go there next."

Nao bolts for the doors and goes straight through them, letting them swing in her wake. Even as she goes through them she anticipates trouble, rolling to the left (on her good shoulder.)

Haruka chases after her (again), stumbling a little as the doors swing back and hit her. That's it, she needs to take the lead next time.

Nao's hunch is on the money. As she rolls to the side, completing a turn, she spots five soldiers taking aim at the doors, which haven't even finished closing back. This appears to be a reception hall of some sort. Two of the soldiers are using the reception desk as cover, while the other three have overturned a sofa to use as a makeshift barricade.

Focused bursts of gunfire from two different spots greet Haruka in a crossfire, as she rushes into the room after Nao. The stumble she took after hitting her head on the swinging doors saved her brains from getting pasted all over the wall behind her, but she is hit all the same -- twice in her right leg, above the knee and higher up the thigh, and a lucky bullet in her side.

<--->

<--->

Nao can't stop running, calling for Arach even as her feet begin taking her across the walls rather than the floor. Strings dance from her hands, flickering across the room and lunging for the weapons of the men, but her main goal is finding cover- either behind Arach or something more mundane.

Before she even calls for her strings, Nao realizes that she can't get at the weapons of the soldiers. Not with the cover and distance they have. Not if she wants to spare them.

Arach comes at her call, but cover is sparse. Nao can either hide behind her Child for a state of impasse, or send it after one of the groups of soldiers, leaving herself exposed.

The strings drop loosely from her fingertips. Even though those men are trying to kill her, Nao can't help but remind herself that in this case, she struck first. If she just slaughters them all, then what claim to right does she have? What point is there pretending to care about the lives of the other HiME if she's willing to just murder anyone in her way? No doubt they all have their circumstances...

They have grenades and numbers- hesitation will mean death. Instead of attacking the soldiers themselves, her strings lash out towards the emergency  lights scattered across the room. In the darkness, she can prevail.

The gunfire targets her, now, but Arach is there, protecting Nao. Her strings take out light after light, dancing in the air and casting eerie shadows as muzzle flashes from the automatic weapons illuminate them whenever the wires come near.

The room plunges into darkness, near total except for what little comes from beneath three doors -- the one Nao went through, one to the right and another next to the men barricaded behind the overturned sofa.

"Forward, Arach," mutters Nao, directing him at the sofa and counting on the confusion that creates to let her leap from floor to roof to wall to behind the cover of the soldiers whom her Child does not incapacitate.

The guns tell her where they are, and once she gets her hands on them, she doesn't need her eyes to do the rest.

Nao's hand-to-hand skills are amateurish at best, but the physical discrepancy between she and her targets makes this largely moot. In no time they are silenced, but not forever, due to her care.

The other group continues firing, and Nao can tell that they are heading rapidly for the third doorway out of the room.

Nao grabs one of the comatose soldiers and drags him back the way she came in, realising that Haruka hasn't come in after her and fearing the worst.

A little voice in her head tells her that if Suzushiro dies here, at least it's not Nao's hands that'll have blood on them.

<--->

<--->

The instant their hands touch, Haruka feels a discharge of energy course through the point of contact. Unable to stop her muscles from twitching, she falls back, impacting against the wall once again.

Nao emerges through the doors, illuminated by the corridor lights. The gunfire seems to have tapered off.

A bronze statue is standing over the fallen Haruka. She turns towards Nao, and her hair lashes out at the red-head, stopping a foot away from her for some reason as she looks at Nao curiously. Framed by the unnatural hair is Shizuru's face, or pretty close to it. The statue lacks a mouth.

Nao darts backwards, out of reach of the hair. "Haruka! Shizuru?" she gapes, momentarily stunned. Her claws elongate, ready to deflect any blow, but she hesitates for a moment, allowing the statue time to make another move.

The bronze Shizuru is holding perfectly still.

Haruka waves both parties to a halt. "It's okay, I found some help. ...Um, Mecha-Fujino? Nao's our friend."

For once, Nao looks completely at a loss.

Haruka glances at Nao. "Look, I'm as surprised as you are. I'm also *bleeding*. So, I don't know if you know anything first aid, but, uh..."

Haruka also discovers that her headache and disorientation return with a vengeance.

"I.. how bad is it?" winces Nao, gingerly walking past the... Fujino thing... and closer to Haruka. "There's probably something around here.. somewhere. Bandages. I don't know."

"I, uh...it's the first time I've been shot, so I don't exactly have a frame of inference. 'Not good' is a place to start, though. Bandages would be a help. And we've got to keep moving, before more of them find us." She looks up at the...statue. "So, Mecha-Fujino...can you carry me for now and still be able to protect us?"

Silence is Haruka's only response. Orihime doesn't move one bit to acknowledge her.

"Um...let's try it this way: Orihime, pick me up before I bleed to death!"

Nao glances at the soldier she dragged in. If he doesn't have a medkit on him, his clothes will become improptu bandages, at least until they find something better around here.

Regardless of the circumstances, Haruka will probably need a doctor after this.

Orihime complies with Haruka's orders orders. The Child flows rather than moves across the short distance. Its arms elongate, wrapping around Haruka, and raise her, pressing the blonde against her Child's chest.

This seems to have no effect on the bleeding.

After searching the soldier, Nao discovers that he seems to have some emergency supplies, handily marked off with a red cross. There is a sterile packaged bandage and a syringe with liquid of some sort.

The syringe is probably anaesthetic, but Nao doesn't know how to properly apply it.

She can handle the bandaids, though, and ties them to Haruka's wounds as quickly as she can- speed is more important than efficiency.

With that done, she nods. "That way," she indicates, heading back down to the T-intersection. This time, however, she intends to let her Child take the lead, with Orihime bringing up the rear.

Haruka nods. "Orihime, follow Nao."

The instant Arach steps into the intersection, it is sprayed with gunfire from both directions. Bullets bounce off its form, some ricocheting on dangerous vectors, but Arach's limbs prevent them from reaching Nao.

Orihime's hair is spread around the Child in a golden halo, forming a protective circle around Haruka, who is cradled in its arms.

Haruka can't do much on her own to help with this fight. Unless there's somewhere safe Orihime can set her for the duration, that is.

Orihime provides no fresh insight on the situation.

"Get back to the stairwell," mutters Nao, backing away there herself, away from any guards. "Arach, deal with them," she adds, letting the monstrosity deal with the mundane for the time being.

Haruka can't disagree. "Orihime, follow Nao...again!"

Orihime executes Haruka's orders, retreating after Nao even as screams sound from across the bend.

Through the opened door, Nao can't see any fresh guards charge at them from the stairway.

Eventually, the screams should stop, and once the sound dies away, Nao will determine it to be safe to emerge once more.

It takes the better part of two minutes.

"They'll run out of these guys eventually, I hope."

For that two minutes, Nao squats back against the wall, cupping her face with her hands and constantly massaging her temple.

"If they're smart, they'll all have run off by now," replies Nao. Her voice is flat.

"Smart? They're guards. Intelligence is not in the job deposition." She nods. "Anyway, let's move on. Arach takes the lead still, I guess."

"If they're stupid, and you got shot by them, what does that make you?"

Nao peers out either side of the corridor before emerging, and goes back to the T-junction.

Haruka thinks that Orihime is leering at her.

It makes her very lucky to have Mecha-Fujino, basically, but that's not much of a comeback. She scowls at her Child and turns her head away. "And no sass out of you, just follow Nao."

Bodies litter both ends, Nao sees. None move, though they're all still in one piece, if bloodied. She can't tell more without stopping by each one to check for vitals.

As Orihime follows Nao, Haruka can distinctly feel someone tracing their fingers lightly down her spine, agonizingly slowly.

Each new corridor before Nao ends in a reinforced door.

Haruka shudders. "Hey Nao, out of curiosity, does your Child ever behave...inappropriately?" Presumably the bodies lining the hall have nothing to do with Haruka's query.

Nao slowly trudges towards the door, briefly stopping to check the pulse of one of the soldiers.

"Haruka... it's the second time, today, that I've used him to fight," whispers Nao, peering through the window in the doorframe.

"That's not really what I meant," Haruka replies, quietly now that they're entering a new area.

There is a faint pulse on the soldier Nao stops by. Beyond the window, there is a row of similar doors, their distance from each other suggesting they lead into rooms. The corridor ends after seven such dorways.

No living soul can be seen beyond the door.

Something is nibbling on Haruka's left ear.

Hey! Mecha-Fujino didn't even have a mouth! How's that possible? "Stop messing with me," Haruka commands. "That's an *order*. We have an important job to do here."

It doesn't seem like there will be much reason to fear here, so Nao slits the door open with her claws and pushes it open.

"In the end, the Child does what I tell it to," she responds, heading through the door to peer at these other rooms. "Can you identify Higurashi?"

"Yes, it won't be a problem," Haruka says, still monitoring Orihime for any signs of insolence.

The first two rooms are empty, looking like they would fit in a psychiatric ward. The insides are sterile white, and appear padded. The third is similar, but Nao notices pictures hanging on the walls. It's difficult to discern then from the corridor.

Haruka confirms that Orihime still lacks a mouth. Its hands continue to hold her closely to its chest, and the Child follows Nao around as ordered. If only the damned nibbling would stop, too.

Arach stands guard at the intersection. It seems alert to Nao, but does not react to her advancing past the now-ruined door.

"Found anything, Nao?" Haruka asks, doing her best to ignore Orihime's rank insubordination.

Nao knocks briefly on the door. If no reaction is forthcoming, she slits this one open and heads inside. "Maybe."

The room is empty, no response forthcoming. Taking hold of the door's handle, Nao notices that this door is open, and there is no need to ruin the lock.

Nao bursts inside, rolling into the centre of the room and looking for inhabitants.

Nao is met with no resistance as she executes her plan.

The only things of note inside the room are the drawings taped to the walls. They all seem to be of a smiling boy with shaggy brown hair. The drawings feel like they've been made by a child.

Haruka motions Orihime to walk over to the door so that she can look inside and see what Nao's found.

Nao stares at them uselessly and then heads back outside, intending to check out the rest of the rooms.

Haruka is carried into the padded room at her request. It feels very comfortable, and she gets a strange urge to spend the rest of her life there.

The remaining four doors lead to rooms just like the first two, all barren.

There's the other side of the corridor to check out, then. Nao uses Arach to open the first door, though, and checks out the rest in succession. "There's still the second floor," she reminds Haruka, but her heart isn't in it.

Five more rooms are behind this door, equally empty. Unlike the other corridor, however, this one leads into a set of double doors much like the ones in the reception room.

Upon checking, only the third door at the other corridor was open. The rest of the rooms are locked away.

Haruka orders Orihime to take her back out of the room. "Nao...I think this was Higurashi's room. The drawings are blurry, but I remember her boyfriend had brown hair."

Haruka's sides are being tickled mercilessly. Unfortunately, she's feeling too nauseous to enjoy the ministrations.

"They must have taken her away when the alarm sounded," replies Nao, ordering Arach through these doors and trailing after him, picking up the pace.

"Yeah," Haruka says, squirming in her Child's grasp. "Unless we can find someone who knows where she went, and fast, we should retreat. I don't know much longer I'll be conscienscious."

"-oi, don't fall asleep! I can't just have your Child carry you into the ER, you know!"

"Right. I hate to say it, but we might need to leave now, then."

Nao moves past Arach, no bullets greeting them as they cross the threshold. The chamber is large, and resembles an operating room. A hospital bed dominates its center, a variety of instruments which see entirely high-tech even for surgeons surrounding it.

A girl in a blue hospital gown is seated on the bed. She has short brown hair and reddish eyes that seem a bit dull to Nao as she turns its head to stare in the red-head's direction -- but that could be the fault of the emergency lighting meddling with the regular illumination.

Haruka steals a glance down the hall, at the room Arach's entering. "Wait a mi--I think that's her!"

Beyond the bed, there is another exit from the room. It resembles the locked door at the T-shaped intersection.

Nao rushes over to the girl, crouching next to her. "Akane? Higurashi Akane?" she asks, trying to force some cheer into her voice. No matter what, this trip hasn't been a total waste, then.

Arach blurs, reappearing before Nao halfway towards the girl. It feels more alert to Nao than at any other point during her assault on the base.

The girl on the bed tilts her head slightly, not reacting to Nao's words. "What was that, Kazu-kun?" she asks softly. "You want me to defeat her?" She jumps off the bed, reaching down, and a pair of large tonfa appear in her hands. "Alright, Kazu-kun. If it's for you."

<--->

<--->

Haruka is speechless for a moment. Then: "Whoa, Higurashi? We're here to *help* you, so it would be best for you to not attack us."

"He's not here, Akane. It's just us," replies Nao, in a low voice. "Fighting isn't... good."

"I was afraid of fighting, too," Akane says, looking at Nao and Haruka. Her eyes seem dull, lifeless. "But then, one day, Mai-chan gave me courage. Kazu-kun accepted me for what I am."

"Akane, did Mai also tell you that it would be a bad idea to fight your classmates? Because it totally is."

Mai? Nao is going to have to have words with Mai about this, later.

"Right. Mai is your friend, right? She wouldn't want this," adds Nao, doing her very best to be soothing. "Let's... go back to Fuuka, okay?"

"Go back to Fuka..." Akane says quietly, before her head tilts once again. "I'm sorry, Kazu-kun. I won't leave you!" she promises, showing emotion for the first time.

Arach presses against Nao, pushing her back.

"We'll just bring him with us!" Haruka says hurriedly. "Right?"

Nao doesn't resist her Child's urges, backing away from the unpredictable girl. She nods at Haruka's words, but dread wells up in her regardless.

"No! I won't let you take him!" Akane yells. "HARRY!"

A beast materializes before her, twin turbines welded horrifically to its back. They begin to whirl ominously.

Haruka thinks the Child has a disctinctive green tint.

That's it. If she's gonna live in a dreamworld, Haruka will have to push her into a different hallucination! "Akane Higurashi! In the name of the Executive Committee, I demand that you stand down this instant! Students fighting is strictly against the rules of conduct of Fuka Academy and you WILL be held accountable for breaking if you precede with violence here. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"You're... what happened to you?" blurts out Nao, even has her claws spike from her fingers and she makes ready to attack herself, ignoring Haruka's tirade.

"I'm talking SERIOUS detention here, Higurashi!" Granted, this whole tirade would likely be more impressive if Haruka could walk on her own.

"Harry... eat them."

The whispered command might be lost in the torrent of Haruka's yells, although a Hime's ears pick it up easily enough. It helps that the alarm is no longer blaring; when did it stop?

Akane's Child, a fierce feline the size of bison, leaps at the closest being it recognizes as an enemy -- Arach!

"ARACH!" screams Nao, and her strings fly forth to wrap around the unnatural tiger's leg, dragging it away as to ironically protect her guardian.

Nao herself runs to the right with terrible reflexes, every hurried step leaving a dent in the floor.

"Great, just great," Haruka bitches. "Orihime? I need Higurashi immobilized as quickly as possible. Not hurt, just make sure she can't do anything to us. Set me down in a corner somewhere if you have to." She summons her mace--she can at least fend off anyone moving towards her, if not really FIGHT.

Nao weaves a web of red from her claws to Harry's legs, using all her strength to redirect it to the right. In that, she fails, just as she finds herself unable to cut through the beast's appendages. An unexpected result of her actions, however, is tying both of the massive tiger's front paws together just as Arach slams a limb into the beast's head. The limb breaks with a metallic tearing sound, but Harry topples on its side as a result.

There is a rustling; it is Arach, Nao realizes. Her Child is the source of the noise, and it doesn't make a follow-up attack.

Orihime flows around Haruka's body, the crossed arms it cradles Haruka in becoming liquid and covering the blonde in a sheaf of bronze-tinted see-through metal. Her vision is distorted, but still serviceable enough in close quarters. There is a leap -- Haruka flies through the air. Over Harry, a bit off to the tiger's side, and she can see the twin whirlwinds sucking in the very light near them like miniature black holes. Orihime's outline distorts as it passes near Harry, some of the same liquid bronze making up its body being sucked into the nearest turbine.

But then Orihime has made its way through, and reforms into a humanoid form again. Its hair lashes out, clashing with Akane's tonfa in showers of sparks. The other Hime manages to defend against the attack, but she only has two arms while Orihime's attacking hairs split and flow and split again, ever-increasing the pressure on the brown-haired girl. Now at close quarters with her, Haruka realizes to her shock that Akane's eyes truly are dead, unseeing.

Haruka might have her hangups. But Nao doesn't. "We can't fight like that, Haruka! With Hime, it's kill or be killed!" she shouts, lunging towards Harry's exposed stomach while the whirlwinds are directed elsewhere, and shoving her ten-inch claws into any gaps she can find!

Haruka isn't going to kill anyone if she doesn't have to. ...Although from the looks of things, Akane's already gone. "Akane isn't the only one that dies if you do that, Nao! Remember?" Maybe the Child can be...bargained with, even if its master cannot? "Child of Akane Higurashi, 'Harry!' Stand down or Orihime WILL strangle your master to death!"

"Better him than me!" snarls Nao.

Nao's claws bounce off the tiger Child's stomach with a dull clang. The worst part about the attack, however, is the pain. Nao once had a nail torn off, in an accident, but this feels like all ten of them on her hands had suffered the same fate.

Arach sends a torrent of some foul-smelling web at the topmost turbine on the downed tiger's back. Nao is close enough to see it slow down, turning erratically now as it tries to cut through the webs clogging it up.

Orihime keeps on scaling up its attack, and Akane is now pushed back, the hospital bed's metal supports groaning and then snapping free of the ground, the contraption crashing backwards. Akane's forehead creases with the efforts, but her eyes never show any intelligence within them.

At Haruka's words, Harry struggles anew, and the wire holding his front legs togehter snaps, Nao no longer holding it tight together.

"Dammit. Orihime. I need her down for the count, NOW. If she's still alive afterwards, that's a bonus, but I need her to stop fighting immediately."

The claws had to have trouble with what most needed breaking. But there's more than one way to skin a cat, and Nao pounces back, intent on tying up all of it's legs, this time.

Rather than bashing against Akane's tonfa and keeping her occupied and on the defensive, Orihime's hair ties itself against the weapons, and pulls away sharply. Akane is strung in the air like a doll, crucified, wet pops sounding from her joints. She doesn't remains hanging long, however, as Orihime follows up by cleanly slicing through the exposed flesh of her arms, just above the palms.

The girl crashes back down, hospital gown splattered with her own blood, only to be impaled by Orihime shoving one of its reformed hands through her chest.

The blow avoids the heart, Haruka can tell that much, as well as any other vital organ, since Akane still draws breath.

Harry pounces at Orihime's back, shredding it mercilessly with its claws. Nao and Arach, working together, make use of its distraction. The beast's turbines have trouble working, one due to blunt damage to it and another from Arach's attack, and nothing is there to prevent Hime and Child from tying it up in a web so strong it cannot rip itself free from.

Nao's hands can't stop jittering. She clenches her fists to try and stop them, and to hold the web in place, and stares at Haruka's Child with what could be any of fear, respect, relief or awe.

Swallowing, she tries to speak. "Yeah. That's real better," she affects, determined to sound callous.

Haruka can only hope that Orihime wasn't severely damaged by that last-ditch attack. It's not like she can ask her Child and get a response, after all.

"That's it, we're getting out of this nuthouse. It looks like Orihime can walk me out and carry Higurashi...but I don't know what we could do with her once we get back to civilization anyway."

"Are you nuts? I can't hold her Child forever, and you cut off her fucking hands, Suzushiro! She'll come after you!"

Harry continues struggling, though the rate at which Arach can supply fresh adhesive exceeds the tiger Child's ability to cut through it. In such a state, Nao finds herself just able to hold it in place, but even she is human and would need to rest eventually.

"I know," Haruka says solemly. "And I'm not sure there's anything left of Higurashi in there anyway. ...Orihime? Finish her. Make it quick and as painless as possible."

Orihime's hand withdraws from Akane's chest, before sinking anew into the wounded girl's body before she had a chance to fall down. Akane is dead before Orihime's limb even exited from the back of the girl's head.

Harry lets out a keening wail.

Nao stares at Haruka for a long moment, and then at Harry's entangled form.

The weight of everything suddenly catches up to her, and she leans a hand against Arach, starting to breath heavily. "You know the deal," she manages. "We didn't have another choice, right?"

"That's what I'm telling myself, yeah." Haruka will worry about the ramifications of this later. Right now, it would only complicate the business of getting out safely. "You think that John Smith knew this would happen when he sent us here?"

The web holding Harry burns, as it ignites with bright green flames. It never stops its animalistic cries, not even when most of its body is gone.

At least, that's what Nao sees. Haruka can only watch in confusion as the web holding Harry down disintegrates slowly, freeing the beastly Child!

"I don't know," replies Nao, after the fact, wandering over to the sides of the room and looking over the equipment for anything... recognizable. "Maybe.

He's the only source of leads we had..."

She kicks a nearby wall. "You're gonna need to get to a hospital. I don't know what's going to happen then. The cops will ask about the bullet. They'll ask why you came way out here. Fuck, we won't have time to waste with all that shit."

"Well, the four of us are going to have a good, long chat with him when we get back to town. ...And if the cops find out about just this much, we'll have to tell them everything. I'd almost rather see the nurse at Fuka--I know she's not as qualified to treat bullet wounds, and it is my health we're talking about here, but at least I'm sure we can trust her."

The hospital bed and the immediate equipment near it are irrevokably damaged, as far as Nao can tell. On closer inspection, it had restraints on it -- in just the right places for a girl of Akane's size, she realizes. Nao feels quite certain in this knowledge, in fact.

Harry shakes off the rest of the burning web, and turns towards Haruka. Its jaws open, letting loose a mighty roar of anger and loss, and it leaps at the blonde!

"Oh sh--" Wasn't it supposed to die along with its Hime? Nothing here makes any sense. "Orihime, dodge!"

Nao pulls a sheet from the bed, and drapes it over Akane's body, kneeling down next to it.

"Was she like this when she came here? Or did they twist her mind, somehow-"

At Haruka's voice, Nao's head snaps up, and she darts aside herself, looking for an opponent.

Orihime flows across the floor, moving away from the attacking beast. The liquid Child's speed is less than before, but still enough to safely take Haruka away from the tiger, and from Arach and Nao.

Nao briefly asesses the situation, and stares at Haruka. "What the hell are you doing, Suzushiro? There's nothing here but us."

Nao speaks, but the tiger roars again, louder than before, drowning out her words. It prepares to strike again, and its left turbine seems to be returning to a semblance of working order.

"The tiger, it's up again!" She readies Orihime to make a flying leap whenever the beast jumps at her, hoping her Child can jab at something vital in Harry's head as it passes beneath her.

Watching Orihime and Haruka prance about the room is disturbing to Nao, to say the least. Does everyone brought here go mad?

"Stop it, Suzushiro! We don't have time to play around! You're injured! We need to finish searching this place and get out!" she yells, directing Arach to start leaving the room through the other side, intending to follow after he clears anyone behind the door.

At Arach's movements, Harry switches targets, and leaps at the monstrous spider's unprotected back! Orihime remains unmoving.

"Nao, what the--?" How can she just walk away like that? There's a killer monster in the room! ...Right? Haruka shakes her head. Is the creature still there?

Maybe it's the massive blood loss at work here. "I'm not going crazy here. I'm NOT." Maybe Orihime can be relied upon more than Haruka's own senses? It's worth finding out. "Orihime, if Nao's in danger, protect her!"

"You ARE going crazy, and I am NOT in danger already!" replies Nao, turning to scream directly at Haruka. "Get a grip, Executive Officer Suzushiro Haruka! Or do you want to wind up in the asylum?"

Orihime's hair shoots off in Nao's direction!

"Call her off, for god's sake, Haruka! I don't know what'll happen if you don't, but it won't be pretty!" yells Nao, diving to the side, away from the awful, arm-severing hair.

Orihime's hair tendrils impact against the ground all around the spot Nao had just been occupying, gouging deep marks in it. Harry backs off at the last moment with a whine, looking at them warily.

Haruka grits her teeth--how can she not trust her own eyes? But wouldn't Nao KNOW if something was attacking her? ...Alright. Haruka closes her eyes and calls back Orihime. "Stop! Just...follow Nao, okay? Don't harm her or Arach under any circumstances. ...And Nao, we need to leave this place, imminently."

Rather than retrieving the hair, the rest of Orihime's body flows towards it.

"That thing does exactly what you say, Haruka, don't be so flippant. And... augh, I know!" she adds, stalking after Arach towards what lies beyond the door.

"I just want to see if there's anything more."

The door's lock is nothing against Arach's might. The room has no other exits.

A woman and a man, both in their thirties and wearing white lab coats, are crouching behind a large desk. Atop said desk, there are several computers, each with a pair of monitors or more. A metal cabinet in a room's corner completes the room's decor.

"Come out. Hands on head," orders Nao, flatly. "I'm in charge. Do as I say and I won't kill you both for what just happened in the room behind me."

They follow Nao's orders to the letter, remaining silent.

Haruka decides to let Nao take the lead here, as she's starting to conclude that, for whatever reason, she can't trust her own senses right now.

Now that she has them, Nao isn't exactly sure what to do with them.

"You two are doctors, correct? What were you trying to do here?" she demands, narrowing her eyes. "I require a good explanation from you."

"If anything happens to us, the Elders would never forget it," the man speaks up. His bravery feels faked to Nao, who is able to taste his fear as a tangible thing. "We're here on... on direct orders from them. The research being done here falls under their jurisdiction!"

"WE don't fall under their jurisdiction, and we're PISSED," Haruka scoffs. "Try harder."

Nao raises her claws to her lips, licking the edge of them slightly. Audiable clicking sounds can be heard as she flexes her knuckles.

"Consider this a hostile takeover."

The gestures reminds Nao of the pain at her fingertips.

"You could never go against the Obsidian Lord!" the researcher cries out. "He will destroy you all, and recreate Japan in its image! We'll be the chosen few at his side!"

"Arach, he's annoying. Tie him up."

The man startles, but he doesn't get a chance to do much more. Arach envelopes him in web strands from head to toe. A small space is left for the mouth, and Arach pauses, turning its head to look at Nao.

Nao smiles, and then glances at the woman instead. "Perhaps you would care to speak more plainly?" she asks, hopefully.

Perhaps she is. The male researcher's screams put that on hold, however, making her pale and clam up.

Nao wanders over and rolls him over. "Shut up, ingrate. Now, I'll ask again- what were you trying to accomplish here?"

"A controllable Hime. A weapon," the woman says curtly, visibly composing herself. She pushes her glasses slightly up the bridge of her nose, straightening up. "It was going quite well, too, until you two showed up."

"How did you capture a Hime without her will?"

"I don't look a gift horse in the mouth. That's how she got here, and I don't know more than that."

"Controllable? You turned her into a lunatic?" Haruka exclaims.

"She was quite lucid, thank you," the woman reacts icily to Haruka's outburst.

"Emphasis on was."

"What about her most important person? Did you capture him, too?"

"So, we just...killed...oh, that is it. That is IT. Give me one good reason I shouldn't have Orihime disassemble both of you right this second?"

She smirks. "Our best achievement, the one leading to the big breakthrough. Yes, we captured it."

The smirk disappears at Haruka's words, replaced by a terrible scowl. "I don't see a reason to dance to your tune, you freak. Both of you! What can a normal human do against the likes of you? How can we defend ourselves? I've seen just now how you treat your own kind." Her face twists in disgust. "Dismembering a regular person me probably comes even easier to Hime! There are no qualms, are there? Just the clear certainty of righteousness?" She crosses her arms in front of her chest, tapping her foot rapidly against the ground. "Hmph. Unlike that fool I know we're dead already. But there's something you should know. We can fight back, even if it costs us a lot in manpower. This facility might fall, but it's not the only one that would make a difference in this war. In the end, I'll be the one with the last laugh!"

"You... I spared them all. I spared every single soldier here. Haruka got SHOT because I wanted to SPARE your WORTHLESS FUCKING LIVES!"

The woman doesn't look especially convinced by Nao's words, staring at her with derision. The fear is there as well, quite present, but she almost seems past it.

"I've tried to avoid hurting people every step of the way! I've done everything possible to avoid killing ANYONE, but somehow people keep interfering, and nudging every saturation towards violence. What I WANT is to protect Fuka and all the students there. It's people like YOU that won't let me do my job. You have no one but yourselves to blame for us being here."

"Yes. Because we've invaded Fuka and hamstrung a bunch of your staff and then threatened to kill the rest at gunpoint. Slipped my mind, that."

"Oh, I don't have a gun," Haruka says, ominously.

"Oh, good for you," the scientist says flatly.

She makes a motion to look at her hand, where a watch would normally be. "Are you going to be killing or otherwise horribly torturing me, now, or can I go?"

Haruka grinds her teeth. "I'm still thinking. Tell us about this Obsidian Prince first."

"Every second you waste with us is one you could be using to prevent people out there becoming cripples for life, doctor. If you're going to pretend you care, answer our questions."

<--->

<--->

[16:43] "Hmph. What about the Obsidian Lord?"
[16:44] "Where is he?"
[16:44] Haruka rolls her eyes. "You could tell us who he is, also."
[16:46] The woman mirrors Haruka's expression, looking angry with herself afterwards. "In Fuka. He leads our country to glory and riches, not that you two would care about any of that patriotism crap."
[16:47] "Yeah, yeah, yeah. When you're the pawns being sanctified, patriotism looks a whole lot different. So, what does this Prince look like?"
[16:48] "Sacrificed," mutters Nao, wandering around the room and inspecting the contents, idly tossing aside stuff that doesn't seem relevant.
[16:49] "I can't talk to this one," the scientist addresses Nao, shifting so that she is facing her directly while snubbing the blonde. "She's mangling my intellect by breathing. And is bleeding all over my clean floor."
[16:49] The latter part is an exaggeration; while Haruka's clothes and bandages are soaked with blood, she's not leaving puddles of it over the floor as she travels.
[16:50] "Who. Is. The. Obsidian. Lord."
[16:50] "Yeah, well I'm sorry your soldiers SHOT me for trying to find out who kidnapped one of my classmates. Next time I'll just roll over and DIE, okay?"
[16:51] "Don't tell me that's his whole name."
[16:52] The woman appears to struggle with her temper, before her eyes brighten at Nao's follow up. "Why, yes. That is the name I know him by. We don't exactly hang out after work. Or even met each other. I'm sure his closest friends call him Jiro or Sanada or Bob, but I'm not one of them."
[16:54] Haruka wanders over to the computers. Not that she's any good with them, but she may as well see what she can find while Nao's talking with the woman.
[16:54] "How are you intending to control us HiME?" Nao glances back into the room outside. "Where are the others?"
[16:57] Upon touching the nearest mouse, the screensaver on a pair of the closest monitors -- floating fish, of all things -- turns off, replaced by a password prompt.
[16:57] "Controlling you is easy enough," the scientist tells Nao with a shrug of her shoulders. "Ironically, it happens through the unnatural link you have to another. It goes both ways, although I bet neither of you expected that."
[16:59] "Hey, Miss Scientist, what's the password here?"
[17:00] "Hime must die. In one word."
[17:00] Haruka scowls, but types it in.
[17:01] That doesn't appear to be the right password. The woman laughs.
[17:01] Nao sits on the table and crosses her legs across the bench. "Just what do you think we are, anyway? A HiME kill your goldfish or something?"
[17:02] "Is that case sensitive?" Haruka asks, oblivious to any mockery.
[17:04] "I think you're a bunch of freaks with no inhibitions running around and doing as you please, not thinking about us real people one bit. And the one who happens to be the most ruthless of the bunch ends up being the Obsidian Lord's bride and dictates our lives for a few centuries until the circle repeats."
[17:04] Chuckling at Haruka's question, she says, "It just might be. Why don't you try all the permutations?"
[17:07] Haruka whips around to glare at the woman. "Wow, teenagers behaving unpredictably? Who would have imagined something like that could EVER happen? Listen, try to magine a REAL PERSON like yourself, in high school, being told you have to kill your friends and marry someone you've never met. I'm sure you'd handle it REAL well." Haruka crashes her mace into the monitor out of sheer frustration.
[17:08] The woman doesn't react to the destruction of her property. "Ah, yes, the good old way to hack into a computer."
[17:09] "Is that was this is about, then? You're going to have your mind-controlled HiME win, thus allowing you to dictate the course of the world?"
[17:10] "Why, yes!" she says, showing surprise. "That is exactly my plan. The Obsidian Lord's on our side and all, but it's a marriage of convenience. Why should we remain eternal second strings to him?"
[17:10] Haruka stalks over to the woman (or, rather, has Orihime do it). "Look, none of us CHOSE to take part in this stupid 'festival!' You guys DID choose to play with the lives of schoolgirls like it was your god-given right. If anyone here is accountable for being out of control, it's you people."
[17:10] "Haruka, shut up."
[17:11] "Nao, how can you put up with this creep?"
[17:11] The scientist looks amused by the apparent discord.
[17:11] Nao receives mail.
[17:15] Nao starts checking her phone. "Look, it's the same for us. Playing this sick game to marry some freak. All I want is to find a way to end this stupid festival once and for all. You get me? If that's done, then I won't need this power anymore." She glances at the scientist before reading the message. "You understand me?"
[17:19] She shrugs. "I almost had the means to do that within my grasp, and now they're splattered all over the floor next door. You'll understand why I'm not terribly sympathetic." A level look is directed at Haruka, next. "Every kid has their future planned out for them by something -- their parents, the world, you name it. Not all get the nice, cushy life. Cry me a river."
[17:19] The message is brief, and reads, 'Get out of there.'
[17:33] "Haruka, we're leaving," announces Nao, after a short pause, and she jumps on Arach's back, and briefly glances back at the scientist. "As promised, I won't kill you. But I find it hard to be sympathetic, too. Your way would still have me six feet under- or at least a dozen others."
[17:34] "If you're serious, find another way, and tell me." She snorts. "But I'm not expecting much. Arach, get me out of here."
[17:35] The scientist snorts, herself, as the spider Child picks up Nao and scampers out through the door.
[17:36] Haruka can only assume something important was in that message. She's not going to take chances, given the tone in Nao's voice. "Alright." She turns to the scientist before leaving, unable to restrain her vindictiveness any longer. "Orihime? Knock this bitch out. Then follow Nao."
[17:37] A hateful glare is Haruka's reward, but that's all the woman can manage before a tendril shoots out of Orihime's body, slamming into the side of her head and sends the scientist flying into a cluster of monitors. She doesn't move after crashing through them on the table.
[17:37] Orihime travels after Nao obediently.
[17:45] Once outside of the facility, Arach proceeds to retreat on a straight course towards where their cab once parked. Orihime follows, and the difference in their relative velocities becomes apparent; At full speed, even without making any great leaps Nao had seen Arach execute, he travels so fast that Orihime is unable to keep up.
[17:45] The cab that took Nao and Haruka from Fuka isn't there, they discover upon getting close enough.
[17:45] Haruka hears a great roar coming from the sky, getting louder and louder in its anger.
[17:47] "Arach, pull up a moment! Haruka, get on!" calls Nao, reaching out to the blonde.
[17:48] Haruka was about to ask for that, and isn't about to utter a word of complaint. "Orihime: uh, demat..erialize? Yeah, that," she says, once she's safle aboard Arach.
[17:48] "Hold on," mutters Nao. "Arach, go, get us away from here."
[17:49] She dimly remembers those glittering green wings. "Fly, if you can."
[17:50] A mighty oriental dragon swoops down from the skies! Orihime flees before its presence, becoming a puddle and flowing to the ground, where the Child is absorbed. Arach proceeds to leap; the Child cannot remain flying, but its speed increases further, at the expense of banging its passengers against its body in a way that is sure to leave bruises.
[17:52] As long as it's faster than that dragon, Haruka is fine with a bumpy ride. Bruises are the least of her worries right now. "What the--who is that?" she says, glancing back.
[17:52] Nao grunts. "Just running's fine," she mutters, before staring back at the sky. "What the..."
[17:52] The dragon chooses that moment to breathe fire! The entire compound Nao and Haruka have just escaped is engulfed in its cleansing flames!
[17:53] "Holy--is that thing another Child?"
[17:54] Nao stares at the dragon, with no small degree of awe. "Must be." Suddenly, she starts to laugh. "God, what a waste of time."
[17:56] Arach continues to distance itself and its passengers from the area. Nao's phone rings again.
[17:56] Nao checks it. Good that even the middle of nowhere has coverage.
[18:02] The phone she had liberated from John Smith has yet to run into an area where it lacks coverage. The message this time is similar to the first one, with what must be coordinates. It is followed by another set of numbers, however, separated by dashes. The first four correspond to the present year, the next two to the month. 15T13:00 concludes the message.
[18:02] Meanwhile, Haruka sees the dragon soar away, before coming for another pass, fires blooming anew over what used to be the First District laboratory.
[18:04] Nao uses the GPS to figure out where this place is, because that's where she'll have to go.
[18:05] It is in Fuka, somewhere. She recognizes the geography. The location is somewhere in town near the mall, Nao believes.
[18:05] The dragon flies off, and does not return again.
[18:06] Haruka can only mutter "Wow," as she watches this mystery Child torch the lab. And Haruka was stressing out over killing ONE person. Whoever's behind that one is bad news for sure.
[18:07] "They really weren't that different from us. Scared to death of things they don't really understand."
[18:10] "Sure," Haruka says, not sounding very sympathetic towards the staff at that facility. "Nao, where are we going right now? Other than Away?"
[18:11] Arach is traveling down the road Haruka and Nao came through on their way to the facility. For now, the surroundings are barren, but they're bound to run into other people eventually.
[18:13] "We need to get you to a hospital. I need to get back to Fuka," replies Nao, using the GPS to check out possible travel options.
[18:14] Haruka grumbles a little--she's not too eager to go to an actual hospital. The doctors will undoubtedly contact the police once they notice the bullet wounds.
[18:15] "Look, we still get hurt and die like anyone else. Our freakiness is in all the wrong places."
[18:16] The area is mountainous, and the closest spot to rest and recover would be at a gas station twenty miles away. Arach could likely make its way there in under an hour, but the ride would be bumpy and clearly felt for days to come. Beyond that point, it would be possible to travel either towards the coast and find a settlement there, or proceed further inland.
[18:17] Haruka relents. "Alright, alright." At least if it's the hospital near Fuka, she's not likely to run into the local cops. She can probably talk her way out of whatever happens, then.
[18:25] They need to go to the coastal area- that's closer to Fuuka. Nao takes Arach in that direction. "Look, once we're close to this city, we'll call an ambulance and get them to pick you up. We can't just go in there on my Child's back, so that's how it's got to be. Unless there's a private surgeon around or something. Your family know anyone?"
[18:29] "Maybe." Haruka sighs. She probably can't afford to wait around for the best option, here. "The hospital's probably closer, though...let's just go."
[18:34] "Yeah. Look, get back to Fuuka and contact me when you're taken care of, alright? I'll see what else I can dig up." Nao pauses. "I don't know what you're going to have to tell the cops. Keep it quiet if you can. At the least, don't let them spread it all over the news."
[18:35] Nao plans to reach the outskirts of a settlement and use Haruka's phone to call emergency services, pulling in an ambulance. She'll loiter around to make sure it arrives, but vanish as it does and start making her own way after that (helping herself to any cash in Haruka's wallet, first, since she clearly needs it more.)
[18:41] Haruka's phone works in what is almost a refreshing change of pace from all the battles Nao had been part of. The contents of Haruka's wallet should let Nao travel wherever she wants twice over and have cash enough to spare to get through high school in a private high school of her choice.
[18:41] After calling emergecy services and hanging up on the operator, the relevant details delivered, Nao hides herself and sees an ambulance pull up by Haruka's side.
[18:43] Haruka glances up at the ambulance, doing her bes tto look like someone in dire need of first aid. Fortunately, this takes little effort on her part.
[18:44] The paramedics look shocked at the extent of her wounds; more than a few times their eyes are drawn towards the bloody bandages clumsily applied to Haruka's wounds.
[18:47] Less looking at the wounds, more treating them, thanks. Not that Haruka can really say that. She's playing the Shocked Speechless angle here; it'll make it easier to be vague when people ask questions later.
[18:48] Nao lurks, waits, and watches until the ambulance pulls away.
[18:49] They get to work with professionalism, placing Haruka on a gurney and into the back of the ambulance. An oxigen mask is placed over her nose and mouth, fastened behind Haruka's head. The ambulance begins driving off, siren blaring. One of the medics remains with Haruka in the back, slowly peeling away the bandages from her legs. Haruka starts to feel drowsy.
[18:50] It's all too easy to drift away in the back of the ambulance--and frankly, Haruka isn't inclined to resist anymore. It's been a long night, she's lost a lot of blood, and it's all starting to catch up with her. Surely a good nap would aid her recovery!
[18:53] Those are Haruka's last conscious thoughts.
[18:53] Once the ambulance had left, Nao stealthily heads into the town, liberating a coat and then using her newfound disguise to purchase some clean clothes for herself. No one impedes her during her impromptu shopping trip, or when she takes a train to a station near Fuka, close to the bridge connecting the island to the mainland.
[18:54] It is late in the morning when Nao finally returns to Fuka.

<--->

<--->

After the train gets Nao as close as she'll ever get to Fuka, a bus is inconspicious enough to take her the rest of the way in, certainly more than a taxy even discarding recent events.

It takes her across the bridge again, and she spends the journey staring aimlessly out the window. It's reflective, summing up her present state of mind, and this is enough to ward off anyone trying to sit next to her.

One way or the other, public transport should take her fairly close to the hospital, and that's where she wants to go.

When Nao arrives at the hospital, it is late morning.

Visiting hours must be open, then. Nao heads for one of the hospital's many entrances, intending to find and visit Takumi's room today.

Takumi's room still has his name on him, so he is either in stable condition or recently vacated the room.

Nao knocks!

There's shuffling from the other side, before the door opens. Mai blinks in surprise at Nao, before pressing a finger to her lips swiftly. Behind her, Takumi is lying on his bed.

Nao looks surprised, too, before glancing over her shoulder. "We've got to talk," she whispers.

Mai nods at Nao, and waits for her to step aside so that she could exit to the corridor.

Nao steps aside, moving back to lean against the nearby wall (or even sit on a bench, if she's lucky.)

"I've got some news," she starts, quietly. "Most of it bad, but what can you do?"

"Not a lot, I suppose," Mai agrees sadly.

Nao's eyes drift away from Mai, at that, and she draws in breath.

"I raided a laboratory last night, this First District place way over in the middle of nowhere. They've found some way to control us via the poor saps we happen to give a damn about."

Mai looks horrified before Nao has even finished speaking.

"We barely got out alive, we left just before something set the whole place on fire," continues Nao, grimly. "Doesn't matter. They had that Higurashi girl there, and..."

Nao swallows, and starts looking around to see if anyone else could possibly hear them.

The corridor is empty. Nao and Mai seems to be the only visitors in the area.

Mai swallows visibly.

"...yeah, they duped her into fighting us. She kept thinking Kazuya was talking to her. We didn't have a choice but to... put her down. I questioned one of the scientists afterwards, and... do you know anything about the Obsidian Lord? Actually, where've you been the past few days?"

Mai has gone white throughout Nao's explanation. "I got a mail from Diana, about Natsuki being kidnapped again. Mikoto and I went to try and rescue her, but it was all a ruse. We... we destroyed that place. We had no choice! I didn't know you were there, or about Higurashi...."

The more she speaks, the more her sentences becomes runon, until Mai is reduced to babbling.

Nao tenatively reaches for Mai's shoulder, pausing for a moment and letting it drop. "That was you?" she asks, shaking her head. "You couldn't have known. Just.. take it easy. Have you eaten? Slept?"

Mai shakes. "Higurashi -- Oh god -- Akane-chan!? I... with these hands, I...."

It might be a change from Suzushiro, but Nao isn't sure that makes it easier to deal with. She does put her hands on Mai's shoulders now, almost as if she's scared of the older girl running off.

"It's not your fault, Mai! It's... the First District's fault. Besides, it wasn't you who killed her. You can't fall apart! *I need you.*"

Mai's eyes are needy when they look at Nao, and the younger girl is struck with the realization that the reverse might well be truer. "Diana!" Mai exlaims suddenly, latching onto the word. "Did she send you there as well?"

"No," replies Nao. "This Diana, I don't think she set me up for this. Just you. Who is she?"

"I don't know," Mai responds, shaking her head. "Her information was right the last time. And the location fit; Natsuki told me once it was an abandoned First District research lab."

Nao doesn't point out the obvious flaw, there. No doubt, Mai will realise the full implications of what she did later (preferably not right now.)

"How does she contact you? Phone?"

Mai nods. "My cell. I don't know how she has it -- or if it's a she, really. But with a name like that? It's just easier to place a face to it."

"I'm guessing she didn't leave behind a handy return number," mutters Nao.

"Alright. Why'd you end up just blowing the place away? Did you get attacked yourself? Tell me how the whole thing went, because even if she set you up, Natsuki's still nowhere to be found, and I can't think of a more likely suspect than the First District."

"We flew there with Kagutsuchi, because it was the easiest way. I don't really know where Natsuki gets all her things like boats and stuff, so we didn't have much choice. It was supposed to be abandoned, but it clearly wasn't, once we got close enough. There were lights and everything, so Diana had to be right! But everything went wrong! They were ready for us and there was all the shooting and Mikoto wanted to jump down to attack them and she was moving so much and she got from out of the shield and got shot and then I got angry really angry and I called for Kagutsuchi--!"

Mai stops abruptly, dropping her head. "I'm always like this. I go somewhere half-heartedly, and then I try to control Kagutsuchi, and I always end up regretting it. Because I can't, and he always burns everything. Just like I asked him to. I'm a terrible person."

"The lights were on because I'd already broken in by then. But they'd kept them all off beforehand, and they're not nice people anyway, frankly, so I don't think you're terri- Mikoto got shot?"

Nao isn't sure if she should be shocked, if her heart should be in her throat, or if she should be angry.

"She's okay!" Mai exclaims quickly, perhaps a bit louder than Nao would've liked. "It looked really bad but it actually wasn't when I checked her afterwards."

"Suzushiro got shot, too," mutters Nao. "It looked really bad and I didn't think to check her, so.. so I put her on an ambulance. God knows how that's going."

"How did you get away?" Mai asks, biting on her lower lip.

"My Child runs pretty fast. We went to one of the coastal towns," explains Nao. "After the doctors took Haruka away, I caught the train back here. She should call me when she gets a chance, but... I really don't know what's going to happen. Where's Mikoto now?"

Mai looks doubtful, but confusion is the dominating expression on her features. "Why did you take Haruka-san with you?" she asks Nao, and her voice carries the undertone of accusation.

"She's a HiME, too. Sorry, I should've said so earlier."

Mai laughs, with just a touch of histeria. "I wonder who else I know, and has just been hiding it all this time. Maybe Aoi-chan and Chie-chan, too? But then, it's not like I told anyone, either...."

Nao slumps back against the wall. Unable to keep her demeanour up forever, her own voice cracks, slightly. "Yeah. It's not the easiest thing to talk about."

"Mikoto is being examined," Mai says tiredly several moments later, and then she chuckles again. "I had to tell her I won't like her anymore if she didn't stay with the doctors. She can be such a kid sometimes."

"Ah, the secret of bathing her is revealed. What did you tell the doctors?"

"It looks like a really bad bruise." Mai frowns, now. "I really did think it was more serious, but in the end I just dressed her in fresh clothes and just told them some story about falling badly at the jungle gym. I don't know if they bought it." Mai shrugs. "If Mikoto tells them the truth, they actually might, because flying children and fire and armed, secret shadow groups? Yeah.

"She might've regenerated. Chalk it up to whatever other weird stuff we've got," replies Nao, though she suddenly seems irritated. "Anyway. You said you didn't know who might be a HiME? I've got some idea. Have you got any idea where Sugiura is?"

"Midori-chan?" Mai thinks about it. "She was really busy working on something. Her thesis, I think. She's been into it for a long time, too! When I asked her about going to rescue Natsuki, either time, she just said she was busy and, well, pretty much slammed the door in my face."

Mai waves her hands in front of her in panic. "But Midori-chan is not a bad person! She was just really troubled by something, and I saw she wasn't really paying attention. It would've been dangerous to take her along like that."

"As long as it's not a thesis on the moral questions raised by the Highlander series, I'm fine with that," replies Nao, but she seems troubled regardless. "But is now really the time for academia?"

Mai shrugs helplessly.

Nao is silent again for a few moments, and she yawns, despite herself- not having slept properly for a while is taking it's toll.

"I've got a question, it's a bit weird. But do you have a sense that, somehow, we've gone through all this before?"

"No," Mai answers instantly.

"Right. Well. I do. And I don't think it went well." Nao rubs her head. "Flashbacks and stuff."

Mai merely shrugs, looking away.

<--->

<--->

"This doesn't even sound crazy like the rest of it, but I'm certain there's some loophole in this festival. And this isn't just some idle hope," continues Nao, rolling her eyes to the dull hospital lighting.

"In the memories I can't recall, or known by the First District, or the Obsidian Lord himself. Really, he's the key to it all, if I could find out who he actually was. I've heard from two places that whoever wins this thing winds up stuck with him, and together they reshape the world."

"Oh?" Mai asks. Her voice trembles.

"I don't know if he just uses our power like a shovel, or if it's mutually decided between us. Hell, for all I know, the HiME might be the one calling the shots. I doubt it and don't want to find out that way. He's at the crux of the festival and I mean to find him before it ends." Nao's voice picks up speed as she talks, almost fanatical in it's approach.

"That's my goal for now. I've had other flashbacks. I just don't know what they mean. That Miyu girl, I saw a vision of her in some tank. You've dealt with her, haven't you? Do you know why she might be important?"

"Miyu...." Mai closes her eyes. "She is some sort of cyborg serving Alyssa-chan. I didn't get to see it too well firsthand, but she had some sort of weird power that blocked ours. She cut Natsuki's bullets in half-- but not like Mikoto! It was really different, like they... disintegrated or something. Miyu is very, very dangerous."

"Ah. I wish I could say why I know she's important, but..."

Nao resists the urge to spit, settling for clenching her wrist. "It's like walking through a swamp, or a maze. I should be able to get some more information tomorrow- I'm going to be going after the top First District people, if I can work out where they are."

Mai looks bothered by Nao's plans, but if she has any objections, she keeps them to herself.

"What are you going to do?"

"Right now? Wait on Mikoto's clean bill of health. Spend some time with my brother. Search for Diana." Mai sighs. "In that order, I think. It might be delaying the inevitable, but it's not all that easy for me. Accepting this situation. I mean, this time, I know-- when I go find Diana, I have to be prepared in advance. To fight. So I won't be able to make excuses afterwards. And I think I need a bit more time for that, you know? A last memory of normalcy, maybe? I don't even know myself for certain."

"Normalcy, huh..." mutters Nao. It wouldn't be right to call her green with envy, but she's still slightly jealous. She puts that aside, though, and reaches to squeeze Mai's hand.

"Well, just remember that you don't have to fight alone, alright? We all want the same thing, here."

"Do we, Nao?" Mai asks suddenly. "That time with Mikoto made me realize something. If... if I were at that situation again, and someone very close to me could be shot, could be dead... I wouldn't let it happen. I would do anything to stop that, to save them." She laughs self-deprecatingly. "Many people would say that, I'd bet, about their families and their loved ones. But many people don't have a Child to back it up with."

Mai looks depressed as she asks, looking at Nao, "Aren't you like that, too? Do you have the strength to try and work things out, if we end up on different sides? I'm not sure I do."

Nao is hardly an example of cheer herself. Fingers press into the wall, scraping it slightly.

"I told you, didn't I? That I don't have mercy on people who attack me?" Nao's eyes are downcast, and she lacks the conviction of her previous statements to this effect. "Things aren't as simple as I thought they were then. But it's all I've got. I can't work things out with Kagutsuchi. I just don't want to have to fight other Hime in the first place. I'll never buy into this festival. Because that's the only way I can see us fighting. Killing."

She steps away from the wall, turning to face Mai down the hall.

"Nobody wins if we fight. You'll end up hurting people you care about one way or the other. Even if I came out on top of the festival after that, I'd never forgive myself. It's the same for you, isn't it?"

"Yes," Mai responds, sighing. "But for Takumi... even if I have to become a demon, I'll protect him with all I've got. Because it's my fault he's like that, and that never forgiving business? It's all true."

Nao wants to scream. He's already dead! He died once already, and it's probably because of this kind of attitude!

"What about Mikoto?" she finds herself saying.

Mai frowns at the question. "Do you want me to list all the people I would fight for? Dammit, yes, Mikoto too!"

"You say you're going to fight for Takumi and Mikoto? Let's say you win. The other girls are left in a broken, weeping pile of angst behind you, and only you and Mikoto are left. What do you do? Only one Hime can win the festival, they say."

An unreadable expression comes over Mai's face, before she breathes in deeply, visibly struggling to control herself. "You said you'll have some new information tomorrow," she says instead, her tone carefully neutral. "Talk to me afterwards, and I'll give you my answer. You'll know where to find me."

"Yeah, tomorrow," replies Nao. "I've got an entire day to kill before then, and I'm done talking about this business. Right."

She makes a visible effort to try and smooth her face over, and adopt a more calm demeanour. "Any idea when they'll be done with Mikoto?"

At the mention of the younger girl, Mai smiles despite herself. "If I know her, it won't be long now." She suddenly looks worried. "I hope she doesn't run away, though."

"Well, then we shall be duty-bound to catch her."

<--->

<--->

Contrary to Mai's worries, Mikoto doesn't come bounding over, half-dressed and leading nurses and doctors alike on a merry chase. Instead, one of the nurses comes up to Mai for a brief conversation. Standing reasonably nearby, Nao surmises that Mikoto is ready to be released, pending hospital bureaucracy. Mai is needed for signing some sort of forms.

"Is it alright if I go and see her while you're getting her signed off?" Nao asks, glancing at the nurse.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, alright?" Mai responds.

"I'll try and keep her restrained for you."

Nao steps off towards Mikoto's ward, setting aside her worries about herself (courtesy of Mai) for the time being.

With the directions Nao receives before setting off, she makes the trip without getting lost along the way. In a matter of minutes, Nao spots Mikoto down the corridor she had entered. The smaller girl is glaring at a pair of young doctors that almost seem afraid of her.

"Hiya! Are you alright?" asks Nao of everyone in the room.

All three are visibly relieved to see the red-head.

"Nao!" Mikoto exclaims, leaping into her arms. The distance is a good dozen feet.

"That's a yes, then," remarks Nao with a start, catching Mikoto and swinging her around. "Really, running off to have fun without me. What were you thinking?" she asks, lugging the girl back down the hall.

The swing allows Nao to keep her balance and look good while doing it, too.

"It wasn't fun," Mikoto says, not sounding as cheery as earlier.

Nao manages to set Mikoto down again, and mirrors Mikoto's expression. "Mmm. Mai told me," she replies, quietly. "I was really worried when the two of you vanished. Let me know when you're going out like that from now on, alright?"

"Mai didn't want to bother Nao because Nao forgot a lot of stuff," Mikoto says, looking up at the Nao's face.

"I remembered some things lately," replies Nao, seriously. "It might've been better if I didn't, but I did, and it's like you said. We should fight together from now on."

Mikoto nods solemnly.

As the two round a corner, they spot Mai. There either weren't a lot of forms, or Mai was that eager to be reunited with Mikoto. She waves, approaching.

There'd probably be a lot more if they'd figured it was a gunshot, so Nao puts her mind at ease, waving back at Mai. "Mai agrees, don't you, Mai?" she adds, brightly.

"Huh? What?" Mai asks, looking confused.

Mikoto smiles, nodding firmly. "Yup!"

"That we should go and eat together. My treat. We can afford to go somewhere nice, too," replies Nao, tapping her pocket. "If Mikoto is up to it, of course," she adds, glancing askance at the girl.

Mai is hesitant. "That money... I mean, about it...." She finally lets out a quiet sigh. "Where did it come from, Nao?"

Mikoto is blissfully ignorant of her friend's troubles, her eyes closed as an expression of ecstasy spreads her face. It is unclear she heard anything mentioned after the suggestion to eat.

"Suzushiro. The girl is so rich it's almost disgusting. I could probably buy a country with this kind of money," replies Nao. "Natsuki gave me some, too, before she.. you know."

"I'm sorry--" Mai begins to apologize, reddening, before Natsuki's name is mentioned. She stops instantly, looking down. "Yes," she says a short while afterwards, her voice subdued. "Maybe we should go eat something together."

Nao heads out of the hospital, planning closer to a downtown area and finding a decent place to relax for a moment.

"What, where'd you think I got it?" asks Nao, raising an eyebrow.

Mai throws Mikoto a panicked look. "Umm, well...."

Nao blinks for a moment, and coughs.

"Uh. Well. I don't do that anymore," she replies, breaking into a quick stride and pulling away from the other two.

"I'm sorry!" Mai apologizes again, running up to Nao to catch up with her. "I'm stuck in the past and I shouldn't. You've been nothing but nice to me, to everyone, and I really shouldn't be suspicious. I'll try to do better from now on, alright?"

The urge to gut the hypocrite is as strong as it is sudden. There she goes, putting on a facade again. The great mediator. Her hands are the most bloodstained of them all!

Nao glances away from Mai for a moment, so the girl won't see the furious look that spreads across her features, or her shivering clenched fist that itself flickers with dark metal.

She must have been silent a moment too long by the time she forces the words out. "It's fine, Mai. The past is far behind us, and I'm just glad I can talk to someone, anyway."

Mai gives Nao a tentative smile.

Nao turns back to Mai with a fresh smile of her own, plastered on just in time. Faking it, at least, comes naturally, even more naturally than the real thing.

And she's not faking it. really, Yuuki Nao is not faking this, and damn those alien urges!

"Anyway, madame chef. What do you prefer when others do the cooking?"

Mai presses her index finger against her lips thoughtfully. "I like to try dishes from foreign cultures. European, Chinese... well, when I get the chance." The way she says the latter makes it sound that such chances don't come often.

"A foreign restraunt it is. Me, I'm happy to eat anything that isn't ramen or sandwiches," replies Nao, aiming to pick somewhere not *too* expensive but definately stylish.

Mikoto cries, "I want to eat Mai's ramen," leading to such a forlorn expression on Mai's face that it is hard to remain unaffected.

Nao twitches. "It would be low to use the friendship threat here, wouldn't it," she whispers to Mai.

Mai looks tempted herself, but nods sadly.

"Ramen, ramen, ramen, Mai's ramen!"

"I'm not sure if our dorm is open," replies Nao, at length. "I guess it's been a few days by now, though.."

Mai seems confused.

Even Mikoto looks at Nao curiously.

"Yeah, you weren't here. That's right. Do you remember that girl you fought at the park?" asks Nao, before plunging on anyway. "She showed up at school on Monday. Well, Natsuki came after her, but the cops were after Natsuki. She had to beat them up, and that happened outside our dorm."

"By the end of the day, we'd... dealt with Arika. But Natsuki was wounded- hell, by the cops more than that little bitch, I think. We split up, and I havn't seen her since. I tried to look for her! We all did. We thought the cops had taken her away, but..."

Nao shrugs, helplessly.

"But that's impossible," Mai says quietly. Mikoto is frowning by her side.

"Why?"

"There was no way she could have survived. No way."

"That's what you said before," replies Nao, before pressing her palm to her face. "But I thought.. I thought you were mistaken! From your descriptions, it was definately her, and this time.. we did a very thorough job. Unless there's more than one, or she's somehow..."

"I..." Mai hesitates. "I watched her die. It couldn't have been her again. It just couldn't. I had time to think afterwards, and there is no way I've made a mistake about this. I'm not proud of what I did, but I'm not running away from it either, or letting another shoulder the responsibility."

"There weren't any reports that her body was found," mutters Nao. "I think. The school would've been in an uproar by now. If there's more than one of her.. kind, or if she can somehow cheat death, then what the hell do we do?"

Nao laughs, an empty, hollow sound. "She was in my class. She could even still be there! I haven't been there since then!"

"That's a scary thought," Mai says, subdued. "It's not an easy choice, is it? If you stay away, you might be protecting your classmates. But it might be the opposite, as well, and we have no way of knowing."

"She's after Hime. Not regular people, just us freaks," replies Nao, grimacing. "She's got power, murderous intent, and the backing of that Searrs group. We can't ignore her if she's still around."

"That's her name, after all," adds Nao, snorting. "Arika Searrs."

Mai murmurs something. Nao thinks it might be "Alyssa".

"We should find out," Mai decides. "If there's someone from Searrs in your class still. If only Chie-chan--" She shakes her head firmly. "Nao, did you get to know anyone who would still be at school? We could call them."

"Yeah, but I didn't get their numbers," replies Nao, cursing. "What about Akira? Can we contact him?"

Mai bites on her lower lip strong enough enough to leave imprints briefly when she finally lets go. "Akira is always with Takumi. Please, let's just leave them alone and find another way."

"Ah, I didn't see him there, so.. never mind," replies Nao. "I never got Tamaki's phone. Don't you know anyone? Does your phone even work? Arika seemed to short out some gadgets just by being near them, I had to get a new one and so did like half the school."

Mai gives Nao a surprised look. "I thought it was just me," she responds. "Huh. It really did stop working after-- well. After that time."

"-wait, there is one person," replies Nao, fiddling with her phone for a second. "On the executive committee, no less. Gimme a sec."

Hopefully class isn't actually in right now, and Yuki will be able to take the call.

It could be that classes are on break; after three rings the line is connected.

"Yes?"

Yuki's voice is easily recognizable.

"Hi, Yuki? it's Nao~, have you got a minute?" asks Nao, slightly jittery.

"I've got two. Maybe a third," Yuki responds. "What's up?"

"Yeah, can you check something out for me? Can you see if Arika Searrs is around? In my classroom, 3-C, two long pigtail-braids, can't miss her."

"It's doable," Yuki agrees amiably. "I'll call you back?"

"Sure thing. Do it all quiet-like, alright? Thanks!" replies Nao, finishing the call and twisting back to Mai and Mikoto.

"Alright, Yuki's gonna call back in a sec. We'll see how it goes," replies Nao. "Anyway- I got reminded of something. You know that big trench, right? What happened there?"

"The big trench?" Mai asks. Mikoto, for her part, is sniffing at the air. A thin line of drool escapes from her mouth.

"Yeah. You know, the one that leads out of that cave in the mountain," replies Nao.

"Ah." Mai flushes. "I did it."

"Yes. Is there something weird about the cave?" asks Nao, plunging on ahead. "There were markings on the wall, and there's that horrible feeling you get when you try to walk there, and then..."

Nao shudders.

"Kagutsuchi was sleeping there," Mai tells Nao. "I think it might have been some sort of shrine to it? But I don't know, I haven't been back to it after unsealing him."

"It is an unpleasant place to be," notes Nao, walking to slouch on a nearby bench.

"Hey... why'd you contract with Kagutsuchi in the first place?"

"That's... part of the reason I haven't been back," Mai admits, sitting down next to Nao. Much like the red-head had done earlier, Mai's hand lands on Nao's shoulder. "Bad memories. Somehow, Takumi had gotten involved with Orphans and lured there, and we got there just in time to see him collapse. Me, Mikoto and Natsuki. I had to do something to protect him, and Nagi pointed me in the right direction. He seemed pretty ecstatic all along, the sadistic bastard!" Mai's other hand clenches into a fist. "He spoke of prices. What did it matter? If Takumi d-- if something happened to him, there wouldn't be any point, so it wasn't a hard choice to make. There was a sword in the stone. I pulled on it, and it came out. Just like in a fairytale, right? And that was Kagutsuchi's seal, and then--" Mai shrugs. "The trench."

"I wonder if it was like that for the other Hime? A devil's bargain," murmurs Nao, flicking a stone onto the empty road. "Does Takumi know?"

"He didn't seem to remember anything when he woke up in the infirmary," Mai says, sighing. "Well, he must have known I had something to do with half the mountain being set on fire, but he never asked me about a thing."

"If he asked you now... what would you say?"

Nao pauses, and shakes her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't ask."

"I don't know," Mai says honestly. "Would all the time we've spent together still mean anything once he finds out what I've done?"

"People are selfish. It's not a bad thing, but it's true," replies Nao, glancing away. "If you were in his position, you might be horrified. But you'd be glad, too, that someone was willing to go that far for you.

"Even if you didn't admit it."

Mai doesn't comment, seeming content to merely sit in Nao's presence. When Mikoto becomes more aggressive sniffing at the air, Mai pats Nao's shoulder, standing up at last. "We really should go get something to eat before Mikoto hunts something down."

"She really would, wouldn't she..."

Nao stands up, too. "Lead the way, senpai~"

Mai's expression makes it clear that she believes this possible, perhaps even extremely likely.

The first foreign cuisine establishment the three come across serves Italian food. It may not be a first class restaurant, but looks inviting all the same. Most important, Mikoto nods firmly to indicate her approval of the place.

Nao wanders inside, quickly acquiring a table for three. She suspects Mikoto would have nodded at any source of food, from the crudest fryup to the most elaborate kitchen.

Mikoto claims a seat opposed to Nao's, curling up on the chair. Mai seems divided about her own sitting arrangements, but Mikoto grabs her arm and pulls her down into another chair next to her, solving the dilemma.

Nao tries to think of something to say, and in the process acquires a fairly dopey expression, before sagging in her chair.

"I'm not gonna be much of a conversationalist," she remarks, sadly.

Mai doesn't seem to mind, taking over the conversation. There is a brief pause when the three order, and then Mai resumes her tale of the first time she cooked spaghetti for Takumi. The process apparently involved a small fire and a pepperoni pizza take out, but the memory seems a happy one, the way she tells it.

Nao's phone rings halfway through their meal.

Nao checks the caller before answering. "Hello?"

It's Yuki, her voice confirming it. "Took me a while, but I got the information for you. I don't know if I should disapprove of you two ditching school for different reasons or just feel better that you're not off doing something probably illegal together."

"Illegal? Me? Surely you jest," titters Nao. "Anyhow, thanks for letting me know."

"Yeah, sure," Yuki tells her. "Just be sure you have some good excuse like she does. Calling in sick? That would look bad, so don't copy poor Arika-chan."

"She's sick?" asks Nao, paling.

"I sincerely doubt it," Yuki responds with a snort. "But that's the way her absences get treated. Now, listen, don't cut school too much, alright? It's actually here for learning and finding your path in life and all that jazz. Miss too much and you're totally getting kept back a grade."

"Who called it in? Like, her dad?"

"Arika did, apparently," Yuki muses, sounding confused. "It's all third and fourth hand knowledge, really, at this point. Why? Does it matter?"

"Yeah, a bit," replies Nao. "Nothing that important, though. I'll see you around, Yuki."

Nao hangs up, grimacing and suddenly not very hungry.

"Bad news?" Mai asks, attentive.

"Arika's been calling in sick," mutters Nao. "So I presume she's still around, and just... busy with something. God, I beat her last time, and I'm stronger now! I shouldn't be so fucking scared..."

Mai doesn't have an answer. She does, however, grip her fork a bit tighter.

Nao slowly sips her drink, forcing down the cool liquid to straighten out her thoughts.

"I don't know what she's up to, or where she is. I just hope it's same from her angle."

Mai places her eating utensils down and leans over the table, coming dangerously close to the dishes laid atop it in the process. "Nao," she says, taking the younger girl's hands in her own. "You won't need to face Searrs alone."

"Did I look weak for a second, there?" asks Nao, laughing shakily. "She scares me, Mai. It's not just that she's dangerous, it's.. it's that she was so damn *happy* about fighting."

Mai looks sad and supportive at the same time, but whatever she was about to say is lost as Mikoto leaps on her back, sending the older girl toppling over and onto the table. "Me too!" Mikoto happily insists, laughing.

Nao vainly tries to avoid any flying plates or sauce, but superhuman reflexes may not be enough to save her top.

"Mou, Mikoto!" she groans, frustrated at her inability to wear a shirt without getting red liquid all over it.

Nao's shirt might need thorough cleaning, but Mai's entire wardrobe is a write off, from appearances. The orange-haired girl merely raises her head slightly and lets it drop against the table with a dull thud, repeating the process a few more times.

Mikoto smiles at Nao, perched on Mai's back.

Nao puts her plate back on the table and leans on it herself, staring eye to eye with Mikoto.

"Is Mai that comfortable?"

"Yup!" Mikoto nods happily to confirm.

Nao's peripheral vision catches more than a few shocked glances directed their way. At least one is coming from a waitress.

Nao gazes back at the them with a twisted and hapless grin, resolving to never take Mikoto out, anywhere, again unless Mai stays home.

"Uh. The... cheque?"

<--->

<--->

[18:15] After the debacle at the restaurant, Mai takes Mikoto back to their dorm. Nao tags along, as she is curious herself about the situation back at the academy. Upon arrival, they see that the dorm had reopened, a few students hanging out by the entrance.
[18:18] "Huh, so it did open again," remarks Nao, sticking her hands in her pockets as she walks to the building. "Hey~" she greets one of the students at random, looking around. "When did they decide to let us back in?"
[18:20] "This morning," one of the girls responds, before peering closer at Nao's shirt. "Is that, like, blood?" Once Mai comes into view, carrying Mikoto on her back, she blinks. "Huh. I see. Kinky sex games with food, then?"
[18:21] "Mai's pretty creative."
[18:21] Mai flushes, throwing Nao a betrayed look.
[18:26] "Anyway, it's about time. Any more weird shit happen the last couple days? Could you even say that it's... safe to come back? They still got cops around campus?"
[18:27] "They're there," another girl confirms. "But mostly at the school itself and stuff. Nothing really weird's happened, unless you mean all the weird stuff on TV."
[18:29] "The TV? Haven't seen it for the past few days."
[18:32] Both girls look appalled to hear that. "No way," one of them protests; her friend is quick to recover, however, and rolls her eyes. "Volcanos, dormant ones, keep on erupting. There's earthquakes. Flooding. All kinds of crazy shit, like, all at once. Even in Japan, there's this island not far from here that just spontaneously combusted. Freaky, huh?"
[18:34] "An entire island blew up?" asks Nao, losing her catty tone and glancing worriedly at Mai. "Sounds like the world is ending."
[18:36] Mai is distinctly uncomfortable, looking anywhere but at the other girls.
[18:36] "Totally," Nao's dormmates echo. "Listen, we're planning a 'The World Is Ending' party this weekend. Wanna come? There'll be entertainment."
[18:39] "Will there be guys there? If any of them pull the "You don't wanna die a virgin line", then people are going to get hurt." Nao sniffs, slightly, and tosses her head.
[18:40] "Well, I'm sure everyone there would know better than to try it with you," Nao is bluntly told.
[18:45] "Reputation has perks, huh. Sounds thrilling, if morbid. Probably not got time." Nao shrugs. "Whatever. Later." She swoops past the girls into the foyer, glancing around for a newspaper.
[18:46] None are lying casually around, just waiting to be liberated by Nao. Mai follows her indoors, subdued.
[18:49] "They didn't give us TVs, huh," mutters Nao, heading up the stairs to their neighbouring rooms. "Well. Home sweet home. Any idea how you're going to look for Diana?"
[18:51] "Not per room," Mai agrees quietly, before seeming to shake off her funk. "I have this feeling that Diana is a student here. That's a start, right?"
[18:53] "I don't know," replies Nao, shrugging. "Someone at the school, definately, but they'd have had to have known about Natsuki's disappearance- known how it happened, to some degree. It all goes to shit if Natsuki just shows up on her own."
[18:55] "Midori-chan might be able to help. And the superintendant, too..." Mai muses.
[18:56] Mikoto seems asleep.
[18:57] "The superintendant's gone off somewhere on business. I need to talk to her about a lot of things, too," mutters Nao. "She wasn't here yesterday and I'm not sure when she gets back."
[19:02] "I'm not sure she's out to get you, when I think about it. She helped you the first time, right? Against Searrs? It might be more she's.. I dunno, pitting you against her enemies." Nao shrugs.
[19:09] "But what about Natsuki?" Mai asks. "I think you're right. The whole house of cards collapses if Natsuki just shows up, so Diana had to have known-- I mean, something clearly happened! And if she's not telling me about it, then who knows what's happening to Natsuki right now?"
[19:12] "Let's think back a sec. Your phone got fried, right? After the fight in the park? When did you get a new one?"
[19:13] "I... didn't." Mai blinks. "That's right! You said Searrs had some way of messing with the phones, didn't you? But I did get that text message on it afterwards...."
[19:13] She takes out her phone, pushing the power button. It doesn't respond.
[19:13] "Where were you when you got it?"
[19:17] "I'm not sure." Mai stares at her phone in frustration. "I can't remember. Campus? No, can't be, I wouldn't leave Takumi's side. But then--"
[19:29] "Well, when did you get it? Did you leave immediately?" asks Nao. "And what kind of power is the power to make nonfunctional phones operate, anyway?"
[19:32] "Well, I tried to talk to Midori-chan, first," Mai responds. "So not immediately, no. We couldn't defeat Alyssa-chan and Miyu the last time, I thought if only more people came along... I thought it would be better, because Natsuki is one of us." At Nao's other question, Mai frowns. "Power over electricity, maybe?" she suggests.

<--->

<--->

[17:01] "Electricity..." mutters Nao. The source of convenience, indeed. "Kikukawa. She might. She was nearby when it all went down, too, and then she up and vanished, so maybe she figured something out, and... didn't tell us- no, she'd tell Suzushiro if not me, the stupid- but maybe-" Nao can feel a headache coming on. "You know her, right? Does she know you're a Hime?
[17:01] "Yukino-chan?" Mai asks. "Know about Hime? I never got that impression from her."
[17:06] "She is one," confirms Nao, looking away. "She doesn't like me very much. You mentioned electricity, and that's why I thought of her. I've seen it in her eyes." Hateful, hateful eyes, Nao keeps to herself. "I haven't seen her since the night before yesterday. When did you get the call?"
[17:09] "The day after the commotion at the Academy," Mai responds. "I was here when they brought the injured policemen. I didn't get all the details, but it sounded like a Hime battle."
[17:12] "Yeah. The battle was between me, Natsuki and Arika. Afterwards I ran away, and Yukino saw me all bloody. I yelled at her to call an ambulance and freaked out and ran off, I mean..." Nao shakes her head. "I thought I was the last person to see Natsuki before she vanished. But it's possible Yukino investigated on her own. Or I could be completely wrong, I mean..."
[17:12] "I just don't get why she wouldn't tell Haruka, so..."
[17:13] "About being a Hime? Or about seeing you," Mai pauses, stumbling over the word, "bloody?"
[17:19] Nao snorts. "No, about what happened to Natsuki, if she figured it out. But I'm pretty sure she was with Haruka and I the whole time that day anyway, so I guess that's out."
[17:20] "Haruka knows about all that stuff, anyway. It's pretty unfortunate about those two being Hime."
[17:23] "Because they're friends?" Mai asks, sounding a touch confused.
[17:28] "Yeah, and I thought I had it bad, but there's always a shining beacon of a lousier situation out there, I guess."
[17:29] Mai sneaks a peek over her shoulder, where Mikoto had seemingly fallen asleep. A thin line of drool escapes the smaller girl's parted lips. "I guess so," Mai agrees quietly.
[17:31] Getting up, Nao glances rather fondly at Mikoto, before heading for the door. "Is there a lounge or something around here? I've got this sudden urge to watch some TV."
[17:32] "Only at the school itself," Mai responds. "Aside from the cafeteria, there are a few spots to, well, socialize. I heard my classmates talk about that." Her voice has a hint of longing in it.
[17:38] "I could pass on socializing. Now's not the time to make new friends," mutters Nao. "I'll give you my number again. Let me know if anything comes up, I'll be right there."
[17:39] Mai nods. "I hope I don't need to use it any time soon."
[17:47] Watching the television, Nao learns that what she had been told really doesn't do the actual news justice. Natural disasters have been documented all over the globe, and one report goes back several weeks, discovering many others that didn't get much mention outside the local media where they took place.
[17:47] There seems to be a connection of some sort, but neither scientists nor the reporters interviewing them can suggest a logical one. The only thing clear is that whatever it is, it is picking up in pace.
[17:48] Getting back to her dorm is easy enough. Cops are indeed at the entrance, and a few can be seen at the courtyard, but Nao is more than capable of getting past them.
[17:52] Having not had any of it for a couple of days, sleep is far too inviting for Nao at the moment. She doesn't even bother to get changed before falling on her bed and closing her eyes. It might be a bit early- she doesn't care.
[17:56] Nao wakes up with the certainty that she just had a very important dream -- a vision, perhaps. Something interrupted it, however. Something with dire consequences for her.
[17:56] There are two hours and change before her arranged meeting; she really needed the rest, it seems.
[17:58] Dreams, visions, the mind; just how important are they? Nao tries to remember the dream of which her instincts silently scream as she picks herself up.
[17:59] It had to do with Natsuki and the Hime, but as Nao tries to recall the contents, a vicious headache is her only reward.
[18:03] Is there something actively impeding her memory? Why, and how? Yet another set of questions to which she has no answers. She should be able to find a few today. Getting cleaned and changed, Nao exits her dorm, checks her phones, looks around (slightly furtively) and starts making away into the town.
[18:05] No cops are trailing her, nor shadowy agents that Nao is able to pick up. Her phone is operational for a change; how long that state would last is another thing entirely.
[18:09] Nao follows the location inputted into the GPS tracker in her phone. It leads her to Lindem Baum, where the 'help wanted' notice is still hanging in the window. The restaurant is reasonably filled, though there is a booth near a window a few meters to her right that is unoccupied.
[18:11] If Nao recalls correctly, Mai mentioned that Akane worked here, once. With that happy thought in mind, she heads to the empty booth and orders some some kind of elaborate fruit drink.
[18:16] The waiting time is quite long, making Nao wonder whether the food is that good to keep the place full. Her drink arrives just as a familiar man steps into the restaurant. He looks around, and spots Nao, inclining his head at her.
[18:19] Clearly, help is not just wanted, but needed. Nao begins inhaling her drink, giving Smith a cursory nod of her own.
[18:23] He takes it as an invitation, settling himself into the booth. Sitting opposite Nao, he smiles at her. "I'm glad you listened. I was half-worried the warning would be in vain."
[18:25] "How did you know it was coming?" asks Nao, tapping the rim of the glass with the straw.
[18:27] "We are monitoring the First District's assets," John tells her, leaning back. "Once their forces got the order to mobilize, we knew it. Combined with the only reason it could have happened, it was easy enough to decuce what their mission was. Really, the difficult part was contacting you without our president's notice."
[18:33] "How extensive are they? I mean, private armies? Mobilisation, right in the middle of Japan? Does the media not do their jobs these days, or what?"
[18:35] "The media is coopted by them," John responds patiently. "You're really looking at this from the wrong angle. Is Searrs really a private organization with an unlawful army of its own? Or is it that freedom and democracy are the illusion, as Searrs is the true power in America?
[18:35] Given that we make the important decisions behind the scenes, up to and including selecting the presidents, I'm more tempted towards the latter."
[18:41] "Ah, I see. But when the fate of the world is up to pubescent girls, it's a real upset to all concerned." Nao snorts. "I guess Arika was mistaken. If she did end up killing us all, what would you have done with her?"
[18:44] "As it happens, for a long time, the fate of the world was hardly up to girls," John tells her. "The Obsidian Prince would manipulate them, and in turn, be the one with the power. He, and his allies, the First District. This may well be the first time that the circle would truly be broken."
[18:44] At the mention of Arika's name, he winces. "Me? There's nothing I can do about that thing, however much I might wish otherwise."
[18:44] "What is she?"
[18:50] John Smith looks truly shifty for the first time. "It might be best if I don't say anything. I don't think the answer would give you anything but fuel your rage, and we both need you as cool and collected as possible, under the circumstances."
[18:54] "Then just tell me how to kill her," growls Nao. "For every six sanctioned murders, I should get at least one freebie."
[19:00] "There... might be a way," John says. "We've theorized that the link between a Hime and her person of importance goes both ways. If you were able to strike against our president, then maybe--" He shakes his head. "But this plan is foolish and destined to fail."
[19:03] "Do they teach you manipulation at some special school, or do you just pick it up on the job? You're saying all the right things, you know."
[19:05] He snorts at Nao's words. "Maybe you've just been surrounded by idiots all your life, so a bit of intellect and honesty is difficult to deal without framing it as an attempt at manipulation?"

<--->

<--->

(12:54) "Nine out of ten teenagers would agree. Where is she now? Am I going to need to  worry about her coming after me again? How long does it take her to regenerate, anyway- that's what it is, right?"
(12:56) "It's not, actually," he says, before asking suddenly, "Do you believe in souls?"
(12:59) "...I could."

Setting her glass aside, Nao looks at Smith in the eye. "I believe in something like that beyond the mind and body. It's the best explanation for our contracts, isn't it?"
(13:03) "Yes. We had a similar conversation before," John agrees. "There is no better explanation for your contract than a joining of two souls on some level."

He sighs, looking mildly disturbed as he says, "It might be best if you considered Arika's soul to be endlessly recycled and left it at that."
(13:07) "No, I want to know. What is it, spare bodies? Possession?" asks Nao- after actually meeting, speaking to and fighting Arika, this sort of stuff seems almost humourous.

Apart from how it may be all too real.
(13:15) "Fine. Yes, clones, grown in a lab, grafted with a soul integrated with that special something that makes one a Hime. That's what Project: Valkyrie is all about, and with Valkyrie 144, the science team finally succeeded. In a way, that makes Alyssa a failure, but I do wonder, sometimes, by what measure failure is decided." He takes a deep breath. "A major breakthrough was achieved when it was discovered that after being defeated, a Hime's soul is bound to what could only be described a mystical object of immense power. Once it was known that a soul could be bound in such a way, it was a short distance towards replicating those conditions for one particular soul way in advance. Arika cannot die; that was extensively tested. I don't believe she is any longer sane, if she were to begin with."
(13:21) "-but the Hime doesn't need to die for that to happen, it's the Child! So... so... so what? What happens to them after that?"

She starts. "What Hime lost to figure this out? Oh, you were right, I'm angry, but I won't let that get in the way of staying alive. I haven't yet, I'm still here."
(13:22) "I'm not partial to that information," John responds. He seems to be deferring to Nao to keep the conversation going.
(13:23) "And.. that doesn't make sense. Suzushiro. She doesn't have a soul, you tell me, but she's a Hime alright."
(13:25) "She has the powers of one," John corrects. "This may not be mere semantics."
(13:26) "True, Nagi did say..." murmurs Nao, slumping in her seat. "She talked about another her."
(13:27) "Oh?" John Smith seems interested at those words.
(13:28) "She had a dream where she talked to herself," confirms Nao. "That's what she told me. Gave herself her.. her... mace."
(13:28) "What about memories?" asks Nao, suddenly. "Are they tied to the soul?"
(13:30) "And you believe it might have been... similar to Arika's case?" John asks. As the conversation turns to memories, he blinks. "Personally, I would have to say yes. If a soul is the essence of what you are, your memories are often at its root. They shape you into who you are."
(13:32) "I don't know. The whole world is.. different, like you said. I'm not going to call it wrong, not yet," replies Nao. "But Suzushiro doesn't remember things that haven't happened like I do. But I think the other her does. It's... what would you call that? It doesn't sound quite like Arika's case."
(13:33) John is silent for a while, contemplating. "I wouldn't wish it on anyone," he says at last. "Take that as you will."
(13:35) "If Suzushiro got given her powers by herself, and the powers of a Hime are tied to the soul, then it's logically her own soul from the afterlife. Or whatever happens after you die," continues Nao, fervently. "So.. I don't know, isn't there some way to attach them properly?"
(13:39) "Even if I agreed that it was the right thing to do, I lack the knowledge and the means to do so," John responds after another poignant pause. "This is one case where I'm glad I can't be of service, to be perfectly honest."
(13:44) Disappointment shows plainly in Nao's face, with all her mental defences down for a few seconds.

"Fine. Whatever. Let's go back to my immediate concern. Is Arika going to be coming after me again, and is she.. I dunno, if you were me, what would you do about her when she shows up? It doesn't matter how many times she loses if she wins once."
(13:47) "She doesn't quite... regenerate," John says with a wince he seems to be trying to hide, however unsuccessfully. "If it were me, and I had the means to actually do this... I would incapacitate her to such a degree she couldn't harm me while remaining alive and unable to end her own existence. I don't need to specify what this means, do I? But that would be the only way to be safe, if only for a while."
(13:51) "Well. That's digusting. And I'll do it, too, you see if I don't, because I'm a monster and that's what monsters do.

"Oh- what about the object her soul gets bound to? What if it got moved or destroyed?"
(13:54) "You might have noticed how I've framed just about everything else in scientific terms?" John speaks, seemingly relieved to move to another topic. "This is the big exception. Yes, even when souls are brought into the equation. There's actually a perfectly thought out if little known theory-- but you won't care about that. In any case, this is something of a black box for Searrs, as far as I know. We haven't been able to reverse-engineer this object a soul would theoretically get bound to. This means our understanding of how the process works is superficial at best. Any question you might possibly have on the subject would require quite a lot of guessing on my part, and I suspect the same would be true if you asked the science team in its entirety."
(13:56) "So if something happened to Arika's soul-closet, you have no idea whether or not she'd be getting dressed again," replies Nao, nodding, and then blanching. "Metaphorically speaking. God, that was bad."
(13:57) John blanches as well, but whether at the thought of an underdressed Arika or Nao's phrasing remains a mystery.
(13:58) "Ok. So. I still have a lot more stuff I want to ask you, but I guess you want what you came here for, huh."
(14:00) "It's a pretty good guess," he agrees, schooling his features. "You know time is running out. You've tried striking out on your own. Tell me, do you still think you can find your own way to save the world?"
(14:01) "Ah, this. Let's get this out the way real fast. Of all the people you've given me, only one would actually be a problem, and that's because I don't know who he is. Ishigami. Who is he? Is he around Fuka or a million miles away?"
(14:06) John Smith withdraws a handheld device no larger than his phone, currently in Nao's possesison. "Wataru Ishigami," he says, after tapping the screen with a stylus a few times. "He is the art teacher at the Fuka Academy highschool section. I suppose it is no wonder you haven't crossed paths with him. He is known to be a loner, preferring to hold art club meetings over the weekends at the academy."

He leans on his elbows, moving closer to Nao. "We believe him to be a plant by the First District. It is possible he is there to act as a handler for others; perhaps those in his club. We have received certain information that suggests someone as young as junior-high level might be a First District agent at Fuka Academy."
(14:09) "Well, he'll be my first target when I start doing this. No offence, but dealing with you secret society people is way easier on the heart than the other Hime," replies Nao, firmly.

"I think I'll interrogate him. But you're saying a kid is a spy?"
(14:09) "We don't have final confirmation," John hedges his answer. "But the information seems very reliable."
(14:09) "Do you have a name?"
(14:10) "No. If we did, getting it would be easy, one way or the other."
(14:10) "Any way I can find out for you?"
(14:11) "I don't see how, unless you do it by interrogating First District personnel without letting in on what you know, so that they won't feed you half-truths."
(14:15) "You guys are actually opposed to the first district, right? The two of you don't coexist happily, I mean with all the spying and all. What's the difference in ideology?"
(14:20) "I'm not sure one exists, at the core," John admits. "We both want the world, and we are hardly the only ones. For a long, long time, First District was the only one capable of this. They enjoyed their monopoly on human life and existence itself. And then, we came along, the first of many, no doubt. They don't like the competition, and we don't like what they've done with the world with the power at their disposal. Once you've accepted that, any differences would feel very small indeed."
(14:29) "You're both filthy rich already, your brass needs a holiday or something, that's all I can say," replies Nao, shaking her head. "Anyway. If he works at the school it's no problem. Do you have a picture or something?"
(14:44) John nods, pressing a button on his handheld. The phone in Nao's pocket vibrates a second later.
(14:44) Nao pulls it out and looks at it.
(14:45) Nao has mail!
(14:45) Nao opens it!
(14:45) It is a picture of questionable resolution, though the man being shown is recognizable enough. Nao thinks she'd spotted him once during her brief stint as a student.
(14:46) It'll do. "The trick is that he probably knows I assaulted that place," she remarks. "So I can't just go up to him, but I figure he won't be hard to catch up to. Anyway. Do you have any idea as to the whereabouts of Kuga Natsuki?"
(14:48) "No," he replies, looking troubled all of a sudden. "I can make it my priority to find out."
(14:49) "I'd be obliged. She helped me kill Arika the first time, but was wounded. Both of them vanished. Cops didn't have a clue- do they ever have a clue? Actually, that Ooishi guy might have, seeing as he vanished."
(14:49) Nao takes a moment to survey the diner, suddenly self-conscious about discussing murder in such a public place.
(14:53) Linden Baum is as busy as Nao had ever seen it. Now that she is paying attention, Nao can't help but wince at the level of background noise permeating the establishment. It is a small wonder she and John Smith are able to talk and hear each other.

"The cops don't have either. We know that much," John tells her. "We do know that some of them have either died or disappeared under mysterious circumstances. We are not looking into them, however. Not officially. Therefore, my information there is limited."
(14:55) "Well, this Ooishi guy was pretty strange. He vanished from his car while driving to Fuka," explains Nao. "It's like he got pulled out of it by something that just flew off afterwards, right in the middle of calling Haruka about something, too."
(14:55) "Got anything there?"
(14:58) "It wasn't Arika, if that's what you're insinuating," John says at length. "I don't believe so, no. While I'm not privy to her deployment orders, there was nothing a small-town local cop could've done to threaten us that would justify using her in this manner."
(15:02) "Yeah, I thought so, too," replies Nao. "Oh, yeah. Say I help you and kill everyone. So what next? The Hime Star is still there, but you said we can't just go win the festival, and I don't know any other way to deal with it yet, you, Nagi, the first district person, they all said the same thing so far.."

Nao pauses. "And you know, what happens to me afterwards. After you kill my-"

Her heart suddenly clenches, and she leans on the table, dropping her head onto her arm and breathing heavily. There's a faint crack, indicating some structural damage to the desk.

"Just answer me," she says, hoarsely. 
(15:05) "You'll live," he says quietly. "I'll use all the resources at my disposal to help you. In time, you will recover. I have faith in that. On the Star--"

There is a ringing coming from John's pocket.
(15:06) "Go ahead," mutters Nao.
(15:17) "Yes."

"Yes."

"Now?"

"It can't wait. I see."

John flips the phone closed. "I have to go. Let's reschedule for tomorrow; I'll send you the details." Without waiting for an answer, he stands up. "Just in case, don't stick around much after I'm gone."
(15:36) "What happened? Is something coming here?" asks Nao.
(16:44) "Seems that way," John agrees, turning away from Nao. "Good luck with Ishigami."

He starts walking away, headed straight towards the exit.
(16:52) Nao waits half a minute or so before paying the bill at the diner and exiting, taking a second to look around after she leaves.
(16:55) A bell-shaped flower catches Nao's eye. By itself, it is hardly unusual. However, Nao has never seen a flower hover of its own power before.
(16:59) Nao backs cautiously away from the hovering flower, her hands curling up. It's magic! And magic-like things mean.. Hime! But where? Nao searches out likely hiding spots, not to mention how many people are wandering around.
(17:00) A few passer-bys give Nao brief curious looks, before continuing on their way.

The flower is gone when Nao looks at it next.
(17:01) Shuddering, slightly, Nao fades back into the streets of the town, wandering around in a loop for fifteen minutes or so and trying to gauge whether or not someone is following her.
(17:04) Nao gets the feeling that she is being watched. But is that mere paranoia after what she heard from John Smith? She certainly can't see any signs of pursuit.
(17:05) Then the only choice is to go somewhere with no hiding places whatsoever, relying entirely on her reflexes, if it comes to that. They've served her well so far.

The park seems like a good choice.
(17:08) The walk helps clear Nao's head somewhat, although the sense of being tracked remains. The park she had visited with Shizuru, Mai and Mikoto mere days earlier is desolate. Even though no signs remain of the events of that day that changed everything for her, it seems people have longer memories.
(17:09) It's sometimes easy to forget that Nao is just over a week old, according to her own measure. 
(17:09) Instead just hanging around, Nao wanders towards the site where she saw the original explosion that prompted the park's quick evacuation. 
(17:15) No sign of the damage can be seen there, either. The construction company must be good. The only way Nao could possibly tell that something happened here is by the newness of the asphalt, or the adjacent section of the fence... even the grass seems newly transplanted, a shade greener than that which Nao passed on her way.

As she walks closer to ground zero for that explosion, Nao gets the strange feeling that she's passed through a veil.
(17:18) Nao turns to look behind her, before proceeding onwards, intending to make one pass through the area before giving it up and going back to Fuka. She has a date with Ishigami, if she can corner him in a secluded place.

Will Mai help? Maybe. She checks the time on her phone, but it shouldn't be long past noon; class is still in.
(17:19) Nothing looks out of the ordinary. The time suggests that a teacher at the Academy would still be occupied with one class or another, but in a couple of hours that would all change.
(17:20) Maybe she can get in some practice with her wires in the forest, and there could be less slicing and more tying by the time she goes to meet him. Nao heads back to downtown to find a bus and travel back.
(17:22) Nao's danger sense spikes as she is about to leave the area! Only once can she remember herself feeling like that, and in that case, it meant that a wicked glaive was about to cut her in half!
(17:24) Another explosion? It can't be.

There's nobody around, but that might not stop people some distance away see Nao's impressive leap taking her well out of ground zero and far to the side.
(17:28) Though the park is virtually deserted compared to the other time she visited it, quite a few people are still within sight of the red-head. Thus, it goes against all logic that Nao's physics-defying leap goes unnoticed.

However, there's nothing-- no, wait! A small hole has opened in the ground where Nao had just been walking; just where she was about to place her foot, if she is sure. But there is no time to double-check, because her body warns Nao yet again of an imminent attack!
(17:42) Nao runs towards one of the trees and leaps halfway up it, shadowed slightly within the leaves. Red strings fly from her newly-clawed fingertips and dart towards the hole she expects will surely be left behind, latching on to anything inside, and pulling with all her might!
(17:50) Nao's string definitely latches onto something, but her pull must be too strong. The red wires cut cleanly through it even as she lands in the tree. By the time Nao looks back, whatever it was that attacked her through the ground has dissolved into dark green goop.
(17:50) Nao stays in the tree for a few seconds, peering at the ground all around.
(17:52) As Nao observes, one of the pedestrians comes within a foot of the second hole in the ground. He doesn't give it a second look.

The sense of danger passes.
(17:53) Nao stares at the man oddly, and then gives a happy wave to whatever pedestrian seems to be looking in her general direction.
(17:53) Claws retract in a hurry, mind.
(17:54) No one is giving particular attention to the seemingly unbalanced girl in a tree.
(17:59) Nao supposed she should be grateful Smith came to her, and not whatever Hime or creature is responsible for this- what she wouldn't give to have the obsfucation abilities of this.. thing.

She summons her claw again and tests something; with a single wire, she tries to penetrate the ground, as opposed to tying something up (and then tearing it apart.)

(18:01) The wire cuts into the ground, but fails to find purchase, instead gauging a chunk of the surface. Several of the park goers closest to the spot stare at it dumbly, their attention unmistakable. 
(18:01) That is clearly Nao's signal to leave, and she slips out the tree and slinks away, 
(18:02) -claws gone away and looking like nothing so much as a guilty traunt. Nothing to see here! 

<--->

<--->

[15:37] Nao begins to make her way back to the school after being ambushed at the park, when something gives her pause. A brilliance lance of emerald pierces the heavens, impacting vengefully against the ground in the distance, somewhere in an area Nao knows is being used for construction.
[15:41] The frazzled girl almost panics at the sight, clenching her fists and squinting towards the beam. Not for the first time, she feels a little overwhelmed- is the person responsible for this an enemy? If so...
[15:42] Either way, she'd better take a look, though with the time it'll take her to get there, it must just be the aftermath she witnesses.
[15:47] On foot, without pushing human boundaries, it should take her the better part of an hour. Nao is the only one headed towards the flash, however; the other people are either watching that spot warily or move away altogether.
[15:51] Sidling up to a bike rack and waiting for the people nearby to be looking the other way, Nao snaps a security chain in her fist and takes off on a ten-speed. With her fitness, it'd probably be quicker this way than finding a bus (and she'd rather not use a taxi.)
[15:52] Using the bike is likely to cut the travel time in half; perhaps more, if Nao is right about the course she would need to take, as she would need to follow roads to a large degree.
[15:52] The gawkers Nao passes on her way are rewarded with a tornado coming into being, crackling unnaturally with electricity. More green flashes follow in quick succession, though no other pillars of emerald light are sighted. Instead, one of raging fire erupts somewhere in the direction of Nao's dorm, licking angrily at the clouds.
[15:56] Mai hangs around the dorm, and Nao knows of her ability to create exceptional conflagrations, so she can pass on burning to death today and instead go for getting battered by flying buildings, or whatever collateral damage the tornado will surely cause.
[15:56] Of course, this sheds some new light on the source of the natural disasters around the globe. Some Hime must really get around.
[16:01] Nao leaves the city behind altogether, riding her stolen bike towards the Academy. If she gains enough elevation, perhaps from near the sealed cave atop the mountain or the bell tower on campus, she would be able to have a true bird's eye view on the tornado. However, that would inevitably take her away from her destination. The pillar of fire disperses.
[16:04] She'll have to chance seeing it from ground level. She should at least be able to circle it, though there's no telling what ground zero will be like.
[16:07] The tornado dies down by the time Nao reaches the access road leading to her destination. The land belongs to the Suzushiro corporation. Nao vaguely recalls that the development in question had something to do with the Academy. There shouldn't be anything but a large construction site ahead.
[16:09] Nao rides as far as the road ahead will take her (there will surely not be any normal people around, except, perhaps, the injured), ready to ditch the bike if it becomes unwieldy. Is it a coincidence that the Suzushiros own this land, or is there something more to it?
[16:11] The road goes all the way to the construction site ahead, but the first thing Nao spots on approach is the majestic figure of Kagutshuchi floating above. Mai is nowhere to be seen.
[16:13] It's certainly a fearsome sight, but Mai is on Nao's side right now. She hopes. She continues to the site, jumping off the bike and leaping to the top of some scaffolding to get a better view.
[16:15] An overturned car draws Nao's attention briefly. It shows battle damage. So does the rest of the yard. Mai is on her knees on the ground, clutching something desperately. She's sobbing, Nao can hear. A young man Nao had never seen before is standing by Mai's side, his suit ruffled.
[16:17] Hopping back down to ground level, Nao approaches Mai quietly, casting a suspicious look at the man beside her before looking at what Mai is holding.
[16:19] He startles as Nao makes the impossible leap down, and Mai's head jerks in Nao's direction. Her eyes are angry, brimming with tears, and a jet of flame is sent Nao's way before she can even react. She's knocked away before it can hit her, however. Mikoto ends up sprawled across her.
[16:23] Nao's claws appear almost of their own voilition. "Look before you shoot, idi-" Nao spits out, clenching her jaw at the last word, and clenching her black-red fists, settling for an icy stare at Mai.
[16:24] "Nao," Mikoto says quietly, shaking her head.
[16:27] Nao looks away, sucking in her breath, and settling back up onto her feet. She gently moves Mikoto off her, but it's the younger girl she addresses whe she asks "What happened?"
[16:28] "Nao can't approach Mai, now," Mikoto says in that same quiet, sad tone. "Mai can't help it. Don't blame Mai."
[16:31] "Can't help it?" asks Nao, almost incredulously. That would be a great excuse, if there was anyone left to apologize to. Grimacing, Nao does her very best to set aside her reflexive fury at being attacked. "Who was fighting?"
[16:37] "A strange, armored girl. Her face was concealed," the man speaks suddenly, answering Nao's question before Mikoto could. "She attacked Midori and myself out of the blue. I would advise against approaching Tokiha at this time; she couldn't control herself even with Mikoto."
[16:38] "Armor? Can you describe it more clearly?" asks Nao, before she blinks. "Midori? Sugiura Midori? And who're you, exactly?"
[16:40] "I am--"
[16:40] Mai clutches her sides suddenly, curling into a ball. She shivers, before falling on her side. A red-headed, older woman is lying on her back, now visible from Nao's viewpoint. She's not moving.
[16:43] "Mai..." murmurs Nao, too hesitant to approach the girl after her last, furious attack. She settles for glancing over the woman for wounds, before giving the man a questioning look.
[16:45] "Call me Mamoru," the man tells Nao, kneeling next to Mai. He presses a finger to her neck without a reprisal, before nodding. "She's out cold."
[16:45] Above, Kagutsuchi dissolves into green motes of light.
[16:46] "Nao," replies Nao, steeling her features and walking towards the man. "What about her? Midori, right? Is she..."
[16:48] He shakes his head, clenching his fists. "Gakutenoh's absolute defense was a double-edged sword. But she really wanted the information she gathered to reach you all."
[16:51] "Well, here we are. The others are- they're all over the place. I'll do my best to spread it around, but..." Nao shrugs, helplessly. "Trust is hard to find, these days."
[16:56] "I know," Mamoru agrees, kneeling by Midori's body. He picks her up gently. "We'll have to get to the school. The police would take it from there." Glancing at Nao, then Mai's unconscious form, he asks, "Can you make sure she gets back safely?"
[16:59] "Yes. When will you join us?" replies Nao, kneeling next to Mai and gently picking up the girl.
[17:01] "I'll get in touch," Mamoru responds. "Midori was planning on returning your call." He looks angry, briefly. "She didn't get the chance, but I know how to find you."
[17:04] "I tend to go out a lot. Use my cell," replies Nao, nodding. "Just.. one thing. The girl who attacked, can you describe her a little more for me? I need to know."
[17:07] "Form-fitting armor covered her body. There's not much to add," Mamoru tells Nao. "She had some sort of mechanical wings to fly with, and fought with a high-tech rifle. That's how it seemed at the time, at least. I don't know how she made the first attack; the rifle seemed unsuited for that level of damage."
[17:07] He looks down at Midori's form in his arms, a sad expression crossing his face. "The rest can wait, can't it?"
[17:09] Nao looks uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have to ask, too, but are you sure you'll be alright.. alone?"
[17:11] His face grows cold. "Don't worry. Whether I live or die, Midori's last words will reach you." He begins walking out of the construction yard, giving a brief glance to the overturned car before pressing on.
[17:16] There was something not right about this, something Nao couldn't quite put her finger on. It might be that being so close to death is giving her this feeling. Nao starts to leave the construction site, glancing frequently at the burden in her arms. "I can't feel things like you do," she whispers. But that's probably for the best.
[17:18] Mikoto shadows her. "Mai is breaking," she says sadly.
[17:20] "Mai can't break," replies Nao. "No, she musn't break."

<--->

<--->

[14:45] Haruka takes the phone and dials a number. Time to check in with Nao!
[14:47] "This is Nao," comes an unusually subdued voice, lacking either arrogance or a sultry tone. "What."
[14:47] "It's Haruka. Are you at Fuka right now?"
[14:48] "If you mean the island, yes. If you mean the school, soon enough," replies Nao. "A lot happened. Again. I was wondering when you were gonna call."
[14:49] "What's going on there?" Haruka demands. "I've got a picture of this pillar of fire, but that's all."
[14:50] "There was a fight. Someone attacked Sugiura Midori. The fire was Mai, trying to fly over and save her. She didn't make it."
[14:52] "That was MAI? Okay, who started the fight? Was anyone else hurt? ...Is Midori dead?"
[14:53] Yukino shifts uncomfortably as she listens in. "Sugiura-sensei is dead?" she asks, audible over the phone.
[14:54] "Some strange girl with magical fucking wings and a laser rifle. My policy from now on is to kill anything with wings, by the by. Don't surprise me." Nao pauses. "And yeah. She's dead. I couldn't get there in time, either. Something attacked me, as well- have you been alright? Did your wounds heal? Where are you?"
[14:57] Haruka nods silently to Yukino before resuming the conversation. "Wings and a laser rifle, right. Don't worry, I haven't got either of those. Unless our R&D people have been working overtime. I'm at one of the Suzushiro corporate buildings with father and Yukino. I'm not in any state to fight someone, but that doesn't mean I can't tell Orihime to do it for me. Who attacked you?"
[14:59] "I don't know. It was..." replies Nao, struggling to describe what attacked her. "There was this.. flower, just floating in midair. The next time I looked it was gone. I thought I was being followed, so I went to the park- I could easily pick out anyone weird there. Then.. things got weird."
[15:00] "Weirder. Something tried to grab me from the earth. I didn't get a good look. The funny thing was that nobody seemed to notice when I broke out the claws and swiped back. Like they couldn't see anything weird happening."
[15:02] "...Right," Haruka says slowly, none of this making a whole lot of sense to her. "What about the fire. Did they not even notice that?"
[15:02] "I'm pretty sure everyone noticed the fire. And the tornado."
[15:03] "Tornado?" Haruka repeats, looking at the others with her. "We didn't hear about that."
[15:03] "Uh. What?"
[15:04] "It was like right on fucking top of one of your construction sites."
[15:04] Hiro shakes his head silently in response.
[15:08] "That...must be where Midori was meeting her friend from the police. I know they were attacked, but we couldn't see what actually happened. Midori had found something about Miss Mashiro being dead, but we didn't hear the details."
[15:09] "Well, yeah, we knew something was up with that already. I showed you that obituary, didn't I?" asks Nao, frowning. "Anyway, I met that guy. He was... he said he'd make sure he got her last message to me. I wanted to stay with him, just in case- you know. But he insisted."
[15:10] "You lost him? Did he explain anything first, at least?"
[15:12] "Only that Midori had been doing research into this, and that she was going to return my call," replies Nao. "What was his name, Mamoru or something? He was pretty upset by Midori's death... well. Who wouldn't be..."
[15:12] "He took Midori's body away, anyhow. I had to carry Mai back to the dorms."
[15:14] "Mamoru, yes." Haruka presses on. There'll be a chance to mourn later. This is a time for *action*. "How's Mai?"
[15:17] "Mai's going nuts," replies Nao, succinctly. "She couldn't take Midori's death. When I showed up at the scene, she didn't seem to recognize me- she attacked me! Me! If it wasn't for Mikoto..." Nao breaths in, slowly. "Anyway, she's asleep in her dorm. Mikoto is with her, so she should be fine. I've got things to do though. One of the teachers at school is a First District agent-"
[15:17] "-and I'd like to have a few words with him. Privately. In a place where he can't get away. You guys don't have any of those black limos lying around I can borrow, do you?"
[15:18] As Nao speaks with Haruka over the phone, her augmented senses pick something. She's not alone in the woods.
[15:18] Haruka appears to take this request at face value. "Father? Do we have a limo to spare for Nao?"
[15:19] "We have plenty, but there is a blockade over Fuka that is as real as it is illegal," Hiro reminds his daughter. "I presume this is where your friend is right now?"
[15:19] Haruka nods.
[15:19] Yukino snorts in disgust when Nao is called Haruka's friend.
[15:20] "Even if we could get a car past the First District goons, would it not just paint a target over your friend, who is currently free and running about?"
[15:20] "Hey. Haruka. You said you could send Orihime out, right? She'd be real handy around about now," remarks Nao, clicking her tounge and starting to pick up her pace, looking for her company.
[15:22] Dark human-sized shapes are moving through the forest. They don't blend in too well considering there's still plenty of light out, but then again, Nao isn't certain a regular schoolgirl would've noticed them.
[15:23] Haruka glances at Hiro and Yukino, and considers for a moment. How far away is she from Fuka? How long would it take help to reach Nao?
[15:23] "Call me again in twenty minutes," whispers Nao, clicking off the phone and setting it to silent.

<--->

<--->

[15:24] The figures at the edge of Nao's perception are moving unmistakably in the direction of her dorm.
[15:26] Nao quickly sends of a message to Mai's phone, warning her of incoming trouble. Does Mikoto even know how to use the thing? But it's all she can do. She starts tailing the figures before her, edging slightly closer to get a better idea of their numbers.
[15:29] One, two, three... half a dozen in this group. From the way they're moving steadily ahead without bothering to spread out, Nao is almost certain there are others if the idea is to encircle the building entirely, cutting off all escape.
[15:35] Six of them. Too many to take down hand-to-hand, even with her strength. But there are alternatives to that approach, which until quite recently, Nao was loathe to consider. How times change, and how quickly.
[15:36] Red strings flicker out from her hands and whip towards the necks of five of the soldiers. Nao herself dashes towards the last. This should be over quickly.
[15:39] Nao's victims don't even cry out, their lives snuffed in an instant. Judging the sturdiness of the strings and the strength with which to wield them all simultaneously merely to incapacitate is well outside Nao's capabilities. Perhaps, with practice-- but that's neither here nor there. The remaining figure turns, an automatic weapon raising--
[15:40] Nao ducks to the left, while the strings all whisk to the right, obscuring her as well as the trees. They converge on the unfortunate soldier's weapon to tear it to shreds, and Nao follows the rest of the way, lunging to grip the man by his neck and pull him from the ground.
[15:42] The figure is a woman, which Nao discovers when the soldier screams as her weapon comes apart, a scream that Nao chokes out of her as she hauls her up.
[15:43] Nao holds the woman's throat tight enough to make speaking painful, but not so tight that it's impossible. "Scum. What are your intentions here?" she growls, glancing over the woman's uniform.
[15:45] Nondescript black clothes. A ski mask. She almost looks like a robber, but the automatic weapon and the way she moved along with the rest speaks of training and funding. She tries to spit at Nao, but only manages to let drool escape past her lips and down her chin.
[15:46] Nao rips off the mask and presses the woman heavily against the ground. "You're not the only soldier out here I can question," she promises, claws raised back to strike.
[15:48] "You'll kill me anyway," she gasps in response defiantly.
[15:48] The woman is reasonably attractive. Her hair is a bit on the long side, collected together in a bun. It is hardly a military haircut.
[15:51] "Perhaps I will. Will all your friends say the same thing when I get to them?" replies Nao, licking the edge of her claws.
[15:53] She closes her eyes. "We are securing the dorm. To protect it from those like you!" she hisses, desperation coming across clearly. There is also fear, and anger, and much loathing.
[15:55] "Silly First District Woman. I don't hate my classmates. Just you people." Nao muses over this for a moment. "No, not even you. You're just pawns. Where's your CO."
[15:55] She doesn't respond, but her head jerks slightly, as if of its own accord, in the direction of the dorm.
[15:58] "Would you believe that all of our sins are a result of your foolish meddling?" asks Nao, raising an eyebrow. "No? Well, don't blame me. Blame your leaders." She raises the claw back to strike, but it vanishes at the last second and instead connects with a hard- but not lethal- blow to the woman's temple.
[15:58] The woman goes slack in Nao's grip.
[15:59] Dropping her, Nao searches her comatose body. It's surprisingly easy to repress the bile that builds up in her throat at her recent actions, and a voice in her head keeps telling her how *easy* all of that was.
[16:00] There is a radio, as well as ammunition for the weapon she was carrying. No forms of identification are on her person.
[16:01] Nao picks up the radio briefly, putting in an earpiece if she finds one. The weapons of the other soldiers... are pathetic, really. Nao is more a weapon than any of those metal contraptions. And she doesn't have a speck of blood on her. She starts heading to the dorm herself, intent on approaching it stealthily.
[16:05] The other forces, if they are in the area, seem to be observing radio silence. As Nao approaches the edge of the tree line, just short of the dorm itself, she spots a familiar face. Wataru Ishigami is standing near the building, talking to several students. Men and women in an olive-green uniform are spread out, weapons held in the open.
[16:06] Well, well, well. Not that much a surprise, truly. She strains her ears to try and determine what he is saying, crouching behind some thick trees to keep out of sight.
[16:08] Nao can't hear it all too well with all the distractions and the other conversations, but the gist seems to be that Ishigami is trying to calm the students down. The story he gives is that the soldiers found someone suspicious had snuck into the grounds to set off a gas explosion, and might still be lurking. The students are being evacuated by the soldiers for their own safety.
[16:14] Nao feels another presence behind her suddenly!
[16:14] Nao whips around, claws soundlessly springing into being! Dammit, the worst possible time!-
[16:16] It is a crouching figure dressed all in black, and as it looks at Nao through its mask, she is certain it must be another of the masked soldiers--
[16:17] But then it stands up, drawing a short sword, of all things. As Nao looks on, she feels a tinge of disbelief. A ninja, a real, honest to goodness ninja!
[16:18] Nao flinches, looks over her shoulder, looks back at the ninja, and holds her claws before her defensively. "Who are you?" she mouths, unwilling to make a sound right now.
[16:18] The futility of the question is an interesting topic, one she will think about at a later time.
[16:20] The sword's tip lowers in acknowledgement of Nao's gesture. The ninja brings a strange whistle to his lips, blowing it. A bird's call, one Nao can't immediately place, sounds through the forest. It is answered a few moments later.
[16:23] Nao looses her posture, and she points an accusing finger at Ishigami. "He's the one really in charge," she whispers, very softly.
[16:24] He nods curtly, and gestures below, holding up three fingers. They slowly come down, as if in some kind of countdown.
[16:24] Thick smoke surrounds the grounds, as far as Nao can see. Shocked cries sound from the smoke-shrouded dorm. Weapons discharge, and more cries sound, urgent and panicking.
[16:25] Nao nods, and bounds into the smoke where she last saw Ishigami, intending to grab him admist the confusion and leap back to the forest, whether he likes it or not!
[16:27] The smoke makes her eyes sting, and her respiratory system certainly protests, but it is hardly on the level of tear gas. Nao finds Ishigami disoriented, trying to grope his way around.
[16:28] Her unnatural constitution should see her through (although it's a pity her skin isn't as tough as her claws are sharp.) She grips Ishigami by the neck and covers his mouth with her other hand, and drags him back to the forest at- well, not quite breakneck pace. After all, sometimes she misjudges her own strength. But she's certainly not hanging around.
[16:31] It doesn't go as smoothly as punching him in the gut and hauling the man over her shoulder would do, but Nao finds her physical attributes sufficient. She gets out of the protective smokescreen to find the same ninja -- no, a different, shorter one, with a fancy emblem over his heart. He gestures silently for Nao to follow, not batting an eye at her hostage, and moves swiftly deeper into the forest.
[16:32] In the smoke, Nao could miss, and punch his ribs and actually destroy the man's heart. This way was... well, maybe she just likes the feeling of helpless prey struggling. It certainly gives her a wonderfully heady feeling, especially now that this time, it's a man. Nao is willing to trust the ninja for now, and drags Ishigami after him.
[16:35] He leads Nao and her quarry to a bike, a net draped over it and concealing the vehicle from a distance. There should be enough space for two and, perhaps, some wrapped up baggage.
[16:38] "Arach, tie him up. Quietly," defers Nao, finally getting around to slugging Ishigami in the gut and dropping him on the ground.
[16:40] The ninja doesn't react as a spider-shaped monstrosity emerges from the shadows, wrapping the teacher up for her and retreating just as silently as it came.
[16:41] It should be short work to bind the hapless spy to the bike with leftover threads, and Nao doesn't waste time... until he's secure. "Ninjas, huh. What's the pay like? Any positions open?"
[16:44] Nao gets no answers. The ninja hops on the bike, starting it. There is none of the familiar rumbling of the engine Nao had always noticed in such vehicles. He glances back, as if waiting for Nao to join him.
[16:45] Nao does so, rolling her eyes. The silent treatment, is it? Well, either way, answers loom ahead. She gets on the back of the bike, glancing over it curiously, as it's evidently not a normal vehicle.
[16:47] Once she's on, the bike takes off. The terrain is rough, but the ninja handles it well. At first, Nao thinks they are headed to the city, but a sudden turn challenges that assumption. Ten minutes later, she is reasonably certain they are moving towards the coast, while trying to avoid any of the Academy's building.
[16:47] Nao's phone vibrates silently in her pocket.
[16:47] Nao picks it up, expecting the one and only...

<--->

<--->

[16:48] "Is that you, Haruka?" comes Nao's voice, difficult to hear over some roaring wind.
[16:49] "Yeah. So, the hospital's on fire, huh?"
[16:49] The ninja throws Nao a dark look, but this doesn't get him to speak, either.
[16:49] "What."
[16:50] "Okay, never mind. I guess you're not there. What's your situation?"
[16:51] "Well, maybe I should be there! I've secured Ishigami, and am going... someplace. Give me a number to call you back on, now isn't such a good time. Oh, yeah, there are soldiers crawling over the school looking for people like me. I don't think they're doing anything to the regular students."
[16:52] Haruka grinds her teeth. Soldiers? At Fuka? Sacrilege! Anyway, she looks to her father for a number for Nao to call back and then relays it to the other girl.
[16:53] "Yeah. Alright. I should be able to talk in a little while. 'till then." *click*

<--->

<--->

The bike continues on its way. The coast is visible, now, and they only need to descend the hill they are on to reach it.

"Where are we going?" calls Nao, not really expecting a reply. Away was a start, but now the destination is important.

The ninja points ahead. Nao can't discern anything at the coastline, but then again, she hadn't seen him either before he revealed his presence.

There's the water!

That is not reassuring.

Nao just gives up attempting to figure out his motivations for now, and simply holds on tight.

The bike tears down the slope, showing no signs of stopping. The water approaches at an alarming pace, but the driver shows no sign of discomfort.

Hah! Nao won't scream. If she starts to drown, she can always swim out! If she can swim. She can leap over the eiffel tower, she should be able to handle swimming.

Probably.

She sucks in her breath.

The bike plunges into water! Instead of receiving a cold shower, however, Nao's vision goes double for the briefest of moments. When her eyes readjust, she can see several other similar bikes parked in a semi-circle a hundred feet away. The one she is on breaks, stopping well clear of them.

Looking up, Nao is treated to the sight of an aurora hanging over them in the sky. The vision fills her with dread.

"We have to move fast," the ninja who drove her over speaks at last. His voice sounds familiar.

The real coastline is a few feet away.

Nao shudders, before glancing behind her as well. Concealment? She was attacked earlier!

"Deal, but you have to explain fast," she returns, unable to determine where she has to go.

He nods, and Nao thinks it's directed to her before one of the others tosses something over to her. It looks like a wetsuit. "Put that on," the ninja commands. His gaze lingers on the tied-up Ishigami.

Nao catches the wetsuit and looks at it dubiously, before glancing at Ishigami. "He's an important prisoner, but if he behaves badly, I'll deal with him myself."

Oxygen tanks are being distributed, and one is laid out by the bike, clearly for Nao's use. The ninja by her side gestures, and a second tank is brought over. The ninja all shed their outfits, revealing that they have been prepared in advance.

Nao grabs the wetsuit and starts getting changed; there's no time for false modesty (and she is not a modest person by nature, is she?) Attaching the oxygen tank properly shouldn't be too hard, and she ensures the corresponding tank is attached to Ishigami's unconscious form.

Dragging a regular person along like this underwater would be hard on the muscles, but Nao should be fine.

"How long?" the ninja next to her asks. Although small, he seems to be the leader. His wetsuit seems off on him, Nao finds, but it could be that he has that same mark his previous outfit bore.

"Two minutes. Do we wait on her?"

He glances up at the sky, upon receiving the answer. "There's no other choice."

Nao gestures to her back, slightly, and her only truly important possession- her phone- is sprayed by a looming presence, encasing it in a protective wrap.

Bereft of answers, Nao stares plaintively at the sky. Could it be that the deadline for the festival is sooner than her other timer?

An unearthly glow fills the skies, as the aurora asserts its prominence, overwhelming all other light. A sickly green beam lashes out through it, as if from the heavens themselves. It impacts against the bridge connecting Fuka with the mainland, and several seconds later, Nao feels the shockwave all the way from where she's at.

The air above her flickers in the shape of a dome.

"One indirect hit is the limit," the lead ninja is told.

He nods curtly. "Head out. Take her with you." He gestures at Nao, in case there was doubt. "I'll catch up."

It seems as though history is repeating itself. It makes Nao feel sick inside. Is there really nothing she can do?

"Who was responsible for that?"

The ninja glares at her. "Every second you waste my men are placed in danger!" he hisses.

"You can spare me minutes of silence, but not seconds of explanation. How fucking typical," growls Nao, reaching to pick up Ishigami. "Whatever. You all know what I can do. Don't fuck with me."

She glances at the sea, and starts dragging Ishigami towards it. So. More puppetry. Who will they ask Nao to kill, this time?

The water is cold when Nao enters it. The ninja surrounding her, five in number, are hard to spot; the wetsuits seemed to have been chosen for specifically this reason. That Nao can see them anyway likely means they want her to follow them.

Nao does so. Her concern isn't falling behind, but outpacing them and losing track (although she would be much easier to spot, given her load.)

And dragging Ishigami through the water is taxing even for her, as Nao is unused to diving. She can't have been in the water longer than a minute, before the ninja to her left suddenly gestures down. He dives deeper shortly after, and the rest follow suit.

Nao dives along with the ninja. The world above dissolves into green.

Maintaining their present depth, the ninja team takes Nao towards a fishing vessel. The waters glow green thrice more during the journey, but not at all during the second half of the trip.

As Nao climbs aboard, she sees a familiar face. Tokiha Takumi is seated on the deck, looking worriedly at the horizon. Following his gaze, Nao easily sees what trouble him. Fuka is burning.

"Takumi..." murmurs Nao, flinging Ishigami roughly onto the boat and pulling herself over.

It must be Searrs. They threatened to destroy the entire island, and then.. then they actually did. Damn Smith for not telling her. And it was pointless, anyway, because there was Takumi, who'd still need to die.

"So. Are you going to tell me what your angle is, yet?" asks Nao, glaring bitterly at the nearest ninja.

Takumi notices Nao, looking at her in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he asks, before flushing, as if only just realizing how rude he sounded. The surrounding ninja take this chance to disappear.

"I wish I knew. I really did."

"About Oneechan," he asks, biting on his lower lip. "Was she with you?"

"Earlier today. But we got seperated," replies Nao, staring woodenly at Takumi. "She's ok, though. I know that much. Why are you here?"

"Akira-kun suddenly said we had to leave," Takumi responds, sounding sad. He returns his eyes to the distant Fuka. "I guess this is why."

"Ah. Lucky us," replies Nao, before her face pales. "I never even found out," she mutters. "Oh god."

"Found out what?" Takumi asks worriedly.

"My mother- she's comatose, she- I don't even know her name," replies Nao, quietly. "Or where she was kept... Or anything. I never even saw her."

She drops down and leans against the side of the ship, face in her palm.

"I'm sorry," he says honestly. "I was selfish. I wouldn't go without Oneechan, but I didn't even think about anyone else."

"She's very lucky to have a brother like you," replies Nao, listlessly. "There's nothing selfish about that."

Takumi doesn't have a response to that. Minutes pass.

The boat's engine starts.

Nao gets up, and shakes her head. "I may just be worrying needlessly," she murmurs. "I've still got my strength. Don't touch my package."

She stalks towards the ship's bridge, intending to find out their destination. And plans. And everything.

There was none of the backlash she had been half-expecting through the link the Hime were claimed to have to the people important to them, although would a woman she doesn't even remember hold that place in Nao's heart?

As she wrestles with that dilemma, Nao arrives at what passes for a bridge on the fishing vessel. The person manning that post looks quite the authentic fisherman, although Nao thinks his posture is too rigid.

But someone has to.

"Where're we going?" she asks, walking to his side.

"To the alpha site," he responds, keeping his eyes to the front. "It should be safe, but we can't confirm the situation by remaining here."

"The what?"

"We have several temporary bases in case there is a need to evacuate in a hurry. This would be the first option on the list."

"And who is 'we'?"

"The Okuzaki clan and its allies."

"What are the goals of the Okuzaki clan?"

"To follow the orders of the head of the clan," the man returns, adding, "which are to assist Akira-sama in every way."

Nao shifts on her feet, and glances out the window. "What do you know about those explosions?"

"The First District invaded Fuka in force to take hold of the Hime. We believe that Searrs retaliated."

So it wasn't even to save the world, but to prevent their enemies from controlling it. Unbelievable.

"Do you have any idea how the First District would have cornered the Hime with ordinary soldiers?"

"Akira-sama ordered us to move as soon as the preliminary information came in. There was no time to study it indepth." While still largely bland to the point of being mechanical, the man's tone begins to tilt towards annoyance.

At least they're not holding students hostage, but this isn't helping much. It's clear what needs to be done in the future, however.

Nao heads backs out to the deck, briefly checking her phone to see if it's even still connected. The infrastructure must have been taken out.

Yet another phone has become a casualty of this conflict. The one she took from John Smith doesn't have that problem, although it curiously shows no reception.

"When did Akira tell you he was a ninja?" asks Nao of Takumi, leaning over the railing, hand on her chin.

"He didn't," Takumi responds, mirroring Nao's posture. "But when a monster attacked me, I discovered that the campus had a secret ninja protecting it. Akira-kun would deny it when I asked, and he seemed very embarrassed, so I kept his secret."

"A monster? An orphan," murmurs Nao, dismally. "How did he manage to overcome it?"

"He made some seals with his hands, you know, like ninja do on tv and in anime? And then he summoned a large frog that destroyed the monster!" Takumi's demeanor changes as he recalls what must be a fond memory. "Akira-kun was very flustered when I thanked him for saving my life."

"He summoned a creature of his own, did he..." remarks Nao. An unbelievable grimace takes hold of her lips. "If he is indeed a he. Oh, that's just priceless."

"Akira-kun is not like the monsters!" Takumi insists. "He fights them to protect the peace!"

"Peace... is impossible. I feel sorry for you," replies Nao, hopelessly wandering over to her kidnapped teacher. Has he yet regained consciousness?

Takumi has no response for that. The art teacher also lacks a witty remark; he is still out cold.

<--->

<--->

[16:16] The ship Nao is on docks at its destination, not looking out of place with the other fishing vessels. Both she and her luggage are shown to one of the nearby houses, fitting it quite nicely with others like it in the village. Inside, though, state of the art communications equipment greets Nao, as well as more men carrying themselves like those who took her to this hideout.
[16:20] Luggage? What's that? Nao only has what she's wearing. She stares rather skeptically at the outfits of the men running around, but ultimately shrugs her shoulders. "May I?" she asks, glancing at the communications gear.
[16:21] Silent communication of some sort goes between the men present, but Nao is granted access to the system afterwards without a complaint.
[16:23] It takes her a moment to figure out exactly what buttons to push, but when you really get down to it, it's just an oversized phone, and Nao *knows* phones. Eventually she manages to input Suzushiro's contact number, and sits back to let it dial.
[16:24] Haruka picks up, apparently not having wandered far from her father's office during her stay at the corporate building. "Nao? What's happening?" she asks, straight to business.
[16:25] "Fuka blew up."
[16:26] Haruka sighs, an odd sound since it's mixed with obvious frustration. "So did the hospital. Who did it this time?"
[16:27] Nao is clad in a wetsuit that is still dripping, slightly. Her hair is soaked, and her skin is pale. Her eyes, however, are empty. "Searrs. The First District dispatched soldiers to the school to capture us. Searrs decided that blowing everything to smithereens was preferable."
[16:31] "They took down our communications satellite, too. I am totally convinced of the need to dispatch justice by means of a mace to the head once we actually find these people. Nao...is there anything left of Fuka? Was there time for any organized innoculation before the explosion happened?"
[16:33] "I don't know. I wasn't on the island when it happened," she replies, grimacing. "I captured Wataru Ishigami, one of the District's men. I'll be interrogating him later. We were rescued by ninjas. Would you believe it? It seems that Okuzaki Akira leads a fucking honest-to-god ninja clan. Tokiha Takumi is here, too."
[16:36] Haruka grinds her teeth, mentally tallying up the number of people who could now be dead as a result of the explosion at Fuka and quickly running out of numbers. And think of the *property* damage! Someone is going to PAY. "I need to be there for the interrogation." It's not a request. "Also, any sign of Mai?"
[16:37] "I put her to bed in her room. Mikoto was with her. I don't know where they are now, and my phone got busted again." Nao looks exceptionally pained. "She's alive, at least. Takumi's still here, after all. But what's happened to you since I left you?"
[16:40] "We've got time to talk now, so let's trade the last couple days."
[16:41] "Not much. As I said, something happened at the hospital in the city, but we lost contact with our satellite when we tried to get a closer look at it. Right now I'm at one of the Suzushiro corporate buildings with Yukino. I suggested to father that he have our men dig up what they can on Miss Mashiro, since Midori was working on that before she died."
[16:42] "I believe the event at the hospital was Akira's men recovering Takumi. Though I'm not sure that required a fire."
[16:42] "There definitely was one. Maybe it happened after they left. I think Sister Yukariko was still there, after all."
[16:45] Nao's face twists in frustration. "Great. Anyway, things were a bit more crazy on my end. After I left you, I met up with Mai in the hospital, and we talked for a bit. Mai was the one who blew up that facility, you know? It seems she was tipped off by some 'Diana' woman. According to her, Kuga Natsuki was being held there."
[16:46] "Diana seems to have strange and mysterious powers of telecommunication, enabling her to activate otherwise-broken mobile phones at long range."
[16:47] "Di...ana...Huh. Okay, so why did Mai torch the place if she thought Natsuki was there?"
[16:47] "Because Mikoto got shot," replies Nao, clenching her jaw. "It made her very, very angry."
[16:51] "Oh. Let's try to not let that happened again. Or at least make sure Mai's pointed at someone else when it does. Alright, we need to get together, all of us who are left, and make a plan. No more Hime getting picked off one by one, whoever wants us will have to face all of us at once. Can you tell me where you are right now?"
[16:58] "I'm at some secret ninja base. I'll see if they're willing to give you directions later," replies Nao, shrugging. "What kind of plan? I'm all out of plans. I need to interrogate Ishigami and see if these ninjas are actually going to tell me anything."
[16:58] Nao starts massaging her forehead. "And I still don't have a clue how to deal with the Hime Star. You've seen the news, right?"
[16:59] "No-oo," Haruka says slowly. "I've spent a lot of time unconscionable lately. What did I miss?"
[17:00] "Natural disasters are on the rise. There was a blizzard in the Sahara. Volcanic eruptions everywhere. The world is getting fucked up."
[17:01] "Fuka's gone. How much worse can things get? Alright, interrogate Ishigami and tell me whatever you learn as soon as possible. Do not hold back, Nao! He's a traitor to Fuka and he deserves whatever it takes to make him talk!"
[17:03] "I won't hold back," Nao assured her student representative. "I'll make him squeal." Nao plainly agrees with Haruka's assessment of Ishigami's morality; the thought of interrogating him brings a feral glint to her eye. "Have you got anything else? Had any more weird dreams?"
[17:05] "Nothing worth mentioning," Haruka says, deciding that a dream of her keeping a harem that included the late Shizuru Fujino isn't worth sharing for quite a wide variety of reasons.
[17:08] "Uh-huh. Alright. Anyway. As I said, after I spoke to Mai, I talked to Smith. You know that Arika girl? Shizuru's murderer? She doesn't stay dead. She's got.. cloned bodies in some lab, somewhere, and every time she dies, she gets a new one. If you run into her, don't kill her. Just make it impossible for her to do anything, even commit suicide."
[17:11] Haruka would like to kill her once just for the satisfaction of doing it, but nods anyway. "Yukino said something like that, but I thought she was just delicious and not thinking straight. Why did Smith tell you this? Isn't Arika with Searrs too?"
[17:13] "Smith claims not to agree with the methods used by the current leadership." Nao frowns, and seems to glance at the ground. "He's been feeding me some information because of that. But I can't trust him. He never tipped me off about what was going to happen on the island. He had to at least know about the First District incursion."
[17:14] Nao frowns, suddenly. "Speaking of Yukino. What's she been up to?"
[17:15] "Watching over me, mostly. Why do you ask?"
[17:15] "I'm trying to keep tabs on the other Hime when I can. If she's got information I don't, I want to know it."
[17:16] "I'll talk to her," Haruka says simply, intending to do that anyway for several reasons.
[17:23] "Alright." Nao is silent for a few seconds, and when she speaks, there's a hard edge to her voice. "Haruka, I don't know if we can stop the festival. I do know that we can tear apart the First District and Searrs, if we work together. If there's any way, they know it. If there isn't, then they all deserve to die."
[17:26] "I absolutely agree," Haruka says with equal resolve. "Call me as soon as you know anything. I'll see if Father and Yukino have anything new, in the meantime."
[17:28] "I'll give you the details of this place. When Ishigami wakes up, I'll get to work on him." Nao smiles, after that, without any malice or sarcasm in her face. "I'm glad I got a chance to see you again, though. Don't do anything crazy without letting me in on it, alright?"
[17:29] "Crazy? I don't know what you mean, Nao. No one's more sane than I am." As far as one can tell, Haruka is being totally serious.
[17:32] "Well. Try to spread that around a bit. We could all use a bit more sanity, I think. Let's speak again in an hour."
[17:32] "Sure." Haruka hangs up.

<--->

<--->

[16:59] The art teacher is still out when Nao checks up on him again, although he gives a moan when she pokes him with her toe.
[16:59] Nao strips off enough of the binding to free the teacher's head, and dumps a bucket of water over it.
[17:00] Wataru Ishigami sputters, gasping. His eyes blinks rapidly, before trying to focus on her.
[17:01] "You've finally come to. I was wondering if you ever would," remarks Nao, standing over the man. "Wataru Ishigami. You're in a pickle, indeed. Happily, however, I, your guardian angel, am here to save you!"
[17:02] He just stares at her.
[17:05] "I don't think you deserve it, honestly," she adds, kneeling down next to the man. "Being part of the District and all. What exactly was your goal, anyway? Don't give me that 'protect the school' rot."
[17:07] "The Hime, captured," Ishigami responds, trying to shrug. His bindings don't allow for that, and he hisses in pain. "I don't think my superiors quite had this in mind, though."
[17:10] "And after you capture them?" asks Nao, pursing her lips. "I won't even get started on how you intended for normal soldiers to accomplish that."
[17:11] "I'm just a pawn in all this," the teacher says. He looks composed, but only to someone who hadn't spent the time Nao had studying people. To her eyes, Ishigami is scared out of his wits. "I was only following orders."
[17:15] "You give as many as you take, don't you? I suppose it doesn't matter now, though," replies Nao, frowning. "The attack failed. Searrs retaliated by levelling Fuka. From orbit. Destroying both your people and the Hime seemed preferably to letting them fall into your hands."
[17:16] "Then I have to thank you for saving my life," Ishigami says smoothly. "Please allow me to repay the favor by allying myself with you."
[17:18] "Certainly! Oh, I know you're lying, but you actually don't have a choice. You, in particular, have been targeted by Searrs, and they have dispatched an assassin to end your life. It isn't because of any ideological or material concern, really. They simply believe that if you aren't dead, the world will end."
[17:19] He pales, gulping audibly. "M-Me?" Ishigami asks, sounding honest in his confusion. "But why?!"
[17:19] "Do you believe in souls?"
[17:21] His mouth opens, closing a moment later without a sound. "What I believe is immaterial," the teacher says, regaining a bit of his composure. "What is your point?"
[17:23] "You're dead, Ishigami. You're supposed to be dead. You're a vessel without a soul, a walking paradox. Left unchecked, you'd cause reality to fall apart by your mere existence."
[17:24] He lacks a response for that statement.
[17:28] Nao continues, her voice a monotone. "Agencies within Searrs will take any measures to ensure you die. I believe, however, that it may be possible to reunite your soul with your body. I can't be certain, but I think that would stabilize the situation." Nao purses her lips, and begins pacing. "I know there are people in your group who have made studies into these things."
[17:32] "Since your own group didn't kill you, I can only presume they haven't discovered what Searrs has. They are likely the only ones who can save you. If you want to live, you must tell me how to get into contact with them. If you know anything about these matters yourself, of course, it's to your benefit to tell me."
[17:33] "You want to find the headquarters of the First District?" Ishigami asks, and after receiving his clarification wiggles enough to be able to nod at Nao. "I can help you with that. You will find me very useful."
[17:34] "I'll bet," she replies, dryly. "Alright. What can you tell me?"
[17:36] "I could give you directions, but unless you intend to just storm the front gates, you would want to bring me along," Ishigami informs Nao, getting more comfortable despite his bindings as tension begins to leave him. "I could help you bypass the onsite security systems and get you inside."
[17:38] "What sort of security are we talking about?"
[17:39] "Fingerprints, retina scans, randomly-generated passwords -- the works. Anything you can think of and many others afterwards. It is the most secure facility in Japan, after all."
[17:40] "No, no, not that. If I decided to just break in, what could they honestly do to stop me?"
[17:41] Ishigami is debating his answer. He is taking a long time.
[17:43] Nao snorts. "Think about that for a while. In any case, try to remember that if I can't find any way around this, your life is forfeit. I do have another question, however. Do you have any idea as to the whereabouts of Senoh Aoi, or Harada Chie?"
[17:46] "...the Hime Containment System," Ishigami says quietly, laying back. It seems a decision of some sort had been reached. "It hadn't been tested in field conditions, so I honestly don't know if it would work on you."
[17:47] Nao pauses. "I assume it strips us of our powers, or the like?"
[17:48] "I don't know all the details. No, that's not quite right. I doubt anyone does. The technology was reverse-engineered, rather than invented, after all."
[17:49] "If it were to be used, it would be in desperation," adds Nao. She slices off a few more layers of the bindings, giving Ishigami a little more freedom around his shoulders. "How did you come across it?"
[17:50] "I made some unofficial inquiries into the Obsidian Lord."
[17:50] Nao raises an eyebrow.
[17:52] "The system was created from studies and observations made of the Crystal Star. It is his most prized possession," Ishigami explains.
[17:54] "The Crystal Star? As opposed to the Hime Star? Or are they one and the same?"
[17:55] He shakes his head. "First District believes that the Hime Star is the ultimate source of the Obsidian Lord's powers. The Crystal Star, in turn, allows for him to control that power. Fine-tune it, perhaps."
[17:57] "Like a lens, perhaps. Does he need the festival to take place to access that power at all?"
[17:59] "Perhaps he needs to focus it once in a while, or the power becomes too wild or unusable?" Ishigami suggests.
[17:59] A man dressed as a fisherman enters the room Nao appropriated for her interrogation. "'Haruka' is calling you."
[18:00] "That would make sense, with the natural dis- ah. We'll have to continue later," says Nao, glancing at the fisherman. "I don't think he's going anywhere, but mind keeping an eye on him?" she asks, before heading for the comm room.

<--->

<--->

[18:56] Haruka picks up the office phone again and dials Nao.
[18:56] "Yes?" an unfamiliar male voice asks.
[18:57] Haruka frowns. "I'm looking for Yuuki Nao. She called me from this number not long ago. Tell her it's Haruka."
[18:58] "Alright." The line goes quiet, though Haruka is certain it hadn't been disconnected. The mute button must have been hit from the other end.
[18:59] Haruka waits impatiently, tapping her foot.
[19:01] Nao is on the line soon enough. "It's me. I'm in the middle of an interrogation, but what's up?"
[19:01] "I'm ready to meet up. Can you tell me where you are?"
[19:02] "Yeah." Nao gives Haruka the necessary directions to the fishing village. "I'll let them know you're coming."
[19:03] Nao pauses a moment. "What's your mode of transportation? Helicopter? Private jet? Catapult?"
[19:04] Haruka glances around to see if her father's in the vicinity. "I'm hoping for a helicopter, but I wouldn't rule out driving there in a car."
[19:05] He's not, but finding the man wouldn't be too hard for Haruka.
[19:05] "Who's coming, altogether?"
[19:06] "Yukino, myself...maybe a couple security guys if father insists on protecting me."
[19:07] Nao snorts. "You'll be the one doing the protecting, I'm sure. Alright. See you whenever."
[19:08] Haruka nods and hangs up, now needing to track down her father.

<--->

<--->

[17:10] After she's finished with Ishigami and Haruka for the time being, Nao seeks out Takumi once again, her face a mask concealing indecision.
[17:11] Nao finds the boy in a room clearly set aside for him. There is a television present, although it remains turned off. Takumi is leafing through a notebook of some kind.
[17:12] "Takumi-kun," greets Nao, unable to keep at least some apprehension out of her tone as she enters the room. "There's something important I have to tell you."
[17:13] "What is it?" he asks, placing aside what Nao sees from up close is a sketchbook.
[17:14] "Mai will probably hate me for telling you," remarks Nao, quietly. "But I think you have a right to know a little of what's going on."
[17:15] At the mention of his sister, Takumi looks closer at Nao.
[17:17] "A number of girls at Fuka Academy made a contract," she explains, sitting against the wall and leaning back, looking at her hand. "For power, I guess. An awesome power, to protect someone they cherish, in most cases. But they put that person at stake when they accept."
[17:20] "I don't understand what you're saying," Takumi tells Nao, looking confused. "Do you mean training in martial arts or something like that?"
[17:22] "No. You might as well call it magic," replies Nao, shaking her head. Inky black claws spring out from her upraised hand, and she flexes the fingers therein a little before she allows the weapon to vanish. "With my hands, there's nothing I can't tear down. Other Hime- that's what we're called- have different weapons. Mai, for example, has control over fire."
[17:24] Takumi scrambles out of the sofa he was occupying, keeping his eyes squarely on Nao's hands, devoid as they are once again of claws.
[17:26] "I won't hurt you," Nao promises, though there's a bitter edge to her voice. "I just.. feel you should know. If a Hime loses, one way or the other- the person closest to them, they... disappear, I guess."
[17:27] Takumi looks panicked, and Nao's words don't seem to be helping much with that.
[17:29] "But I guess that's reassuring, in a way," she reflects, turning for the door. "As long as you're alright, you'll know Mai's alright. It might've been easier for you if you didn't know, but..." She shakes her head. "No. Secrets aren't.. good for people."
[17:30] "Why would you lose?" Takumi asks. "What do you need to fight?"
[17:31] "Fate," replies Nao, unable to answer that question and leaving the room, cursing herself with every step.

<--->

<--->

[14:20] Nao boots the door back open and wanders back into Ishigami's room, scowling. "Let's pick up from where we left off," she states, sitting on the edge of the bed. "We're talking about the Obsidian Lord's power, here. What exactly can he do?"
[14:23] He shifts. "I won't make things up to appear more valuable to you. Any information I have there has almost certainly been invalidated by the festival being so near, and his previous reign ending. If you mean merely his personal abilities, then I would expect his vessel to be the epitome of human perfection."
[14:24] "His vessel? Possession, again?"
[14:27] "We simply don't know, and no one alive remains from the time of the Obsidian Lord's previous reign. No pictures exist, either, or physical descriptions sufficient to identify a person." Ishigami attempts to shrug despite his confinement. "It could be possession, reincarnation or rejuvenation, any of those easily tied into the ritual the festival culminates in."
[14:30] "Assuming the festival and ritual proceeded as planned, what result does the First District expect? I know that none of the Hime escape unscathed."
[14:31] "That's not true," Ishigami says, his tone a mix between surprise and caution. "No Hime actually needs to die, and certainly not the victor."
[14:32] "It's not their lives I'm talking about. But what's in it for the victor? Save the world, become a battery-bride- it's not an appealing choice." Nao narrows her eyes, and studies Ishigami carefully for his next words.
[14:36] "I think I understand what you mean," the art teacher admits. "However, it seems to me that you're confusing cause and effect. From my admittedly only partial understanding, it's not that doing one leads to the other, but that one is required to make the other happen. If you think about it, how would one save the world with waning powers without a, well, 'battery' available to do so?"
[14:37] "And after that business is done, the surviving Hime... picks up her life, or what's left of it, from where she left off?"
[14:38] "Now, that would depend on the one she pledged her loyalty to, wouldn't it?"
[14:39] "What do you mean?"
[14:41] "Since the dawn of time, we are lead to believe that only the Obsidian Lord can draw this power through the winner, saving the world. And I am certain you can understand and see the appeal of keeping her bound to him afterwards, all that power at his disposal. But can it be that only the Obsidian Lord can save us all?"
[14:42] "It's possible someone else could accomplish this?" Nao pauses, and snorts. "Is this why you were investigating his tools?"
[14:43] "You won't be able to do it on your own," Ishigami says instead of answering. "The system simply doesn't work that way. But maybe, you have another option instead of turning to the Obsidian Lord. Someone knowledgeable enough to pull it off, together with you."
[14:45] "That might be so," Nao readily agrees. "More to the point, what implications does this have for the festival? Need it be carried out as Nagi dictates?"
[14:47] "If you mean that only one must remain to call upon all the power that is currently being divided between you, yes."
[14:51] "Then the core issue I have with this remains the same," replies Nao, standing up and shaking her head. "The power we have can't be combined any other way? It isn't as though we can't cooperate. I know the means to manipulate the... source of this power is out there."
[14:53] Ishigami looks upset, but shrugs again. "I won't say it's impossible. But there's not much I can do about it here." He looks pointedly at his bindings.
[14:58] "True," admits Nao, cocking a claw to slash apart the man's bindings. "You're still my prisoner, but consider this your reward. We'll be raiding the First District HQ in good time." She glances firmly at Ishigami. "The problem we discussed earlier still remains. Help me solve both these issues, and it'll be worth your while. I'm sure you can imagine more ominous threats that I can say, but be assured that I'll make them all come true if you get second thoughts."
[14:59] "There's no need to threaten me. I've gone over to your side of my own free will," he promises, rubbing at his wrists briefly before trying to get some feeling back in his legs.
[15:00] "Hmph. Somehow, I doubt this is the first time you've said something like that," snorts Nao, briefly patting down the man for personal belongings before leaving the room and locking the door.

<--->

<--->

[17:33] It is dark when Nao is alerted to a black car arriving in the fishing village she is staying at with men of the Okuzaki clan. As they aren't expecting any visitors and it doesn't look like a full-scale assault, they believe it must be Haruka Suzushiro; she is the only one who knows the location.
[17:34] Nao is there to greet the car. Having gotten changed into ill-fitting jeans and a shirt, she doesn't look anything like her usual fashion-savvy self.
[17:35] It stops just short of Nao, pulling over. Yukino is the first to exit it, and her eyes lock onto Nao's form instantly, glaring.
[17:36] Which doesn't bother Haruka at all. Results, that's all that matters! Action, not fashion! She gets out of the car to greet her ally, hoping Yukino doesn't go straight for the throat.
[17:36] Nao looks back at Yukino. And smiles.
[17:37] Yukino gestures and the air around her shimmers, mirrors springing into being, surrounding her. "This was a trap, Haruka-chan!" she insists.
[17:37] "There's no way Haruka is dumb enough to fall for that," insists Nao, with a rude snort.
[17:38] "Yukino?!" Haruka barks, quickly stepping to the younger girl and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Get a hold of yourself!"
[17:38] Yukino scowls. The mirrors remain, though she doesn't make any further hostile moves. "She's smiling and it's creepy," she insists, glaring still.
[17:39] "Kikukawa, you would make an excellent policewoman."
[17:39] "Okay, but that's not enough reasons to attack someone in their own home. I mean, did I ever hit Fujino? No, never. So just follow my example."
[17:40] Haruka's words seem to have quite an effect on Yukino, who pales instantly upon hearing them. The mirrors shimmer and fall, dissipating before they hit the ground.
[17:41] "That's better," Haruka says, throwing an arm around Yukino's shoulder to guide her forward. "Now we're all going to talk this out together and really make a plan. And then we'll hit the people we're SUPPOSED to hit."
[17:42] Yukino's expression becomes meek the instant Haruka embraces her, the girl's resistance evaporating.
[17:43] "First District. Searrs," replies Nao, nodding. "They have to go down. I don't think there's any disagreement on this front."
[17:44] Haruka nods. "Exactly. So, everyone we could find is here, right? Mai, Mikoto?"
[17:45] "They're not here. I haven't seen them since I put Mai to bed." Nao faces creases with concern. "I'm fairly sure they escaped the blasts on Fuka. But I don't know where they are, and I don't know if they can find this place."
[17:46] Haruka nods again. "Well, maybe Yukino can find them for us," she says to her friend, encouragingly. "In the meantime, what did you find out from that teacher?"
[17:47] "He knows where the First District headquarters is. And he can get us inside, or so he claims."
[17:47] "Well, we'll just have to make it clear what happens to him if he *can't*," Haruka says with a decisive nod.
[17:48] "I've already done that. He's very docile," replies Nao, shrugging. "But when you get down to it, he's a pawn. He doesn't know much about the inner workings."
[17:49] "Well, as long as he can get us there, we can find someone who does know something."
[17:50] "Quite. We can question him further, later. At the moment, though, I'm waiting for Akira to show up. These ninjas seemed to have advance warning of the strikes, and I want to know what they know about the situation."
[17:52] "Ninjas..." Haruka shakes her head, skeptical. "How are there ninja clans in this day and age. It's like right out of an anime."
[17:54] <--->
[17:54] John Smith's phone wakes Nao up in the middle of the night. It is the first time she can recall receiving an actual call on it.
[17:54] "Talk to me," she demands, upon picking it up.
[17:58] "The timeline has changed," Jonn's voice tells her, cutting straight to the chase. "I don't know how it happened, but things are spiraling out of control. There's nothing I can do. Nothing. Searrs reacted to the massive mobilization of the First District in Fuka, and it went downhill from there."
[18:00] "Has First District retaliated?"
[18:03] "I don't know about their movements," John speaks. He's breathing heavier than usually. "I don't even know what got them to move. But the president must, and it has to be bad, because he ordered to use Apollo to level the island. It didn't have time to finish the job before moving out of alignment, but it's only a matter of--
[18:03] I don't know, less than a day for sure. And next time, they won't keep it in standby. As soon as it is in position, it would keep on firing until nothing is left."
[18:03] "Can it be stopped? I will take on any measure."
[18:06] "Yes. That's why I'm breaking--" He laughs, sounding amused. "I suppose it's not really radio silence. Listen carefully. You told me that you might know where Miyu is. I'm about to give you her control codes. With those, we can still turn this around. Write this down."
[18:08] Nao scrambles for a pen and paper, but her own voice sounds doubtful. "Go on."
[18:09] A series of nonsensical English words follow, no seeming link between them. "'Fairytale' is the final command," John continues. "It will allow you to activate Miyu's Platinum Mode, with the only weapon capable of facing Apollo."
[18:09] "Alright. But I- I can't promise I can find her. I only had the barest of glimpses. What exactly is Apollo?"
[18:11] Jonn laughs again. It cuts off when Nao hears gunfire in the background. "There is a way to stop Arika, after all. They made many bodies for her, but even Searrs couldn't afford to tie a separate Child to each. Arika is replaceable. Apollo is not. And they are ultimately one."
[18:13] "Apollo is her Child? The flying girl in armour?"
[18:15] "It's the weak point, if you could call a heavily-defended state of the art sattelite that." John sounds somber, then, as he says, "Please, Nao, save the world. I can only count on you, now." The next burst of gunfire sounds much closer, and the line goes dead.
[18:16] "Wait, I-" calls Nao, before her voice drops. "-don't have a clue..." she mutters, before shaking her head, and pulling herself out of bed. "GET UP! EVERYONE, UP, NOW!"
[18:17] Half a dozen men rush into Nao's room mere moments afterwards, armed with semi-automatic weapons.
[18:18] "We need to get moving immediately," she declares, starting to exit the room. "Haruka! Yukino! You don't need your beauty sleep, get up! Up! We're leaving!"
[18:19] Haruka is quick to get up, though not too happy about it. Sure, she's used to being up late at night, but usually she has plenty of junk food to sustain through those hours! Duty calls, though, and she's not about to complain. "Leaving for where?"
[18:21] "To find Miyu. My informant just called," declares Nao, once everyone seems to be getting ready to leave. "The source of the attacks on Fuka is by the Child of Arika Searrs. It's named Apollo, an orbital satellite that can fire beams of destruction. We can't kill Arika, and we can't fight the Child. Miyu is the only one who can help us."
[18:22] "Satellite..." Haruka trails off. "Well, that explains a couple things. What can Miyu do? Is she another Hime?"
[18:23] "No. I don't know exactly what she can do," admits Nao. "He was pretty convined that only she can help us, however. I don't think he was lying." She curses, spitting at the ground. "The satellite is in orbit at the moment, but it'll have lined up to fire again within the day."
[18:23] "You can't," Yukino says in disbelief, shaking her head. "Miyu, I mean, it's madness to use her!"
[18:24] "I know. She's dangerous, isn't she? I've been given her control codes," replies Nao, shaking her head. "If you have another idea for stopping Arika and her Child, I'm all ears."
[18:24] Haruka considers this for a minute. "Some of this might be on the level. *Something* destroyed the Suzushiro satellite; another one would make sense. But--hey, Yukino? What is it? What do you know that we don't?"
[18:26] Yukino's lips become a thin line. "Tokiha-san. She can do it."
[18:26] "Oneechan?" Takumi asks, standing at the doorway to Nao's room. "Do what?"
[18:27] "With Kagutsuchi? Kagutsuchi can fly into space?" asks Nao, disbelieving.
[18:28] "It's overwhelming," Yukino spits out. "That monster. None can match it!"
[18:28] "Fine. Either way, we have to go to Fuka. Miyu, Mai, whichever we find first."
[18:29] "Well, then whoever set up the Festival is also guilty of stacking the deck! Yukino, can you keep an eye out for Mai along the way? You've got more eyes than the rest of us."
[18:29] "Huh?"
[18:29] Takumi mirrors Nao's confusion.
[18:30] Haruka waves this away. "This isn't the time for silly questions. We need to move out!"
[18:31] "Right," responds Nao, turning to find one of the Okuzaki men. "You heard me. We need to go to Fuka and search. How fast can we get there? Can you help?"
[18:33] Only one of them remains in the room, the others having left. "It shouldn't be difficult, but our orders were to leave Fuka and protect... our allies." His eyes move towards Takumi ever so slightly as he speaks, however.
[18:34] "If Mai is on Fuka, and Arika incinerates the island, then- that speaks for itself," replies Nao, coldly. "In any case, we need to go there right now."
[18:36] "We have to help Oneechan and Akira-kun," Takumi adds.
[18:36] It seems to be enough, and the ninja nods. "I'll make the arrangements. We'll leave in twenty minutes."
[18:36] "I'll check with Ishigami to see if he knows anything about Miyu's location," adds Nao, storming towards his improptu cell. "Thanks."
[18:36] Haruka follows along, wanting to get a look at the traitor herself. If only to glare righteously at him!
[18:37] Ishigami is sleeping, although he can't be too comfortable.
[18:37] Nao wakes him up.
[18:37] "This is cruel and unusual punishment," he mutters, looking blearily at her.
[18:37] Courtesy of another bucket of water, of which she keeps several. "Ishigami. Times change quickly. Do you know anything about Miyu?"
[18:38] "This punishment is *totally* aggregate for a traitor to Fuka. Now spill it!"
[18:39] He looks alarmed at seeing Haruka there. Certainly more awake, now, Ishigami looks strangely at Nao.
[18:39] "It's a yes-no question, Ishigami."
[18:40] "Miyu Greer, a Searrs agent. Caretaker and bodyguard of Alyssa Searrs herself."
[18:40] "Do you have any idea where she is?"
[18:40] "With the young miss, presumably."
[18:41] "Who is..."
[18:41] "Where?"
[18:41] Ishigami frowns. "I don't have that kind of information. My superiors might, though."
[18:42] Haruka leans forward with her hands on her hips. "What's the problem, you surprised that we're smart enough to work together on this?"
[18:42] "Who's your immediate superior, and how can I contact them? It is very, very urgent and they will want to hear this."
[18:43] "You would know him quite well," Ishigami tells Nao, choosing to respond to her rather than Haruka. "He is your homeroom teacher."
[18:44] Haruka rolls her eyes. "We don't have time to waste. Tell us how to find the closest one of them."
[18:44] "We're going to Fuka anyway. If he wasn't at ground zero of the blast, he may still be there," replies Nao, shaking her head. "If you know of anyone else..."
[18:44] "Since I don't know where we are, that would be somewhat difficult," he deadpans.
[18:47] "Well, we won't have time to look anywhere but the island. Let's get going," mutters Nao, stalking out of the cell.
[18:47] Haruka takes just a moment to send a withering glare Ishigami's way and then marches out with her own distinctive stalk! She goes to collect Yukino in preparation for leaving.
[18:54] <--->
[18:54] The boat is utilized again. Takumi joins the passengers, as does Ishigami, who is being closely watched by two armed men.
[18:54] "We've just received word from our scouts," one of the ninja says quietly, approaching the Hime. "It seems that we can't get there all the way by boat."
[18:55] "We'll have to swim."
[18:55] "How far?" Haruka asks, skeptically.
[18:55] "It's not that simple," he says, shaking his head. "Someone has naval vessels deployed around the island. We'll need a distraction."
[18:56] "You mean.. battleships?"
[18:56] "Someone called in the NAVY? What are supposed to--wait...Yukino, can you scramble their radio?"
[18:58] The man nods grimly. "It's an entire fleet. We don't have information on any further First District mobilization, and regular armed forces wouldn't be able to keep it quiet for this long. It must be Searrs."
[18:58] Yukino looks pensive. "If it is Searrs, they have technology that shuts me down, Haruka-chan," she says quietly. "It's a really large risk for us."
[18:59] "I have a phone from Searrs. It survived everything the regular ones haven't," replies Nao, pulling out Smith's gadget. "If it's about their communications stuff, can you make use of this?"
[19:00] "Do they know you have it?" the ninja asks levelly. "If it has been compromised, they might track us down through it."
[19:01] "I don't think they do," replies Nao, doubtfully. "The man who gave it to me hasn't been working towards the company's overall interests."
[19:01] "In fact, he's the one who told me about Apollo. I think I can trust him for now."
[19:02] Haruka looks to her bespectacled friend hopefully. "Can you do anything with this, Yukino?"
[19:02] "They certainly would when we make use of it that way," he muses. "This will be a one-way mission, then. We won't be able to retreat this time around."
[19:03] "I might," Yukino says, though she still looks worried.
[19:03] "If we can neutralize Arika? The ships won't matter to us."
[19:04] He nods tersely. "So how are we doing this?"
[19:04] "I want you to try, Yukino. This might be our safest way of getting back into Fuka."
[19:05] The ninja takes that as his dismissal, melting away into the darkness.
[19:06] "Are you really sure, Haruka-chan?" Yukino asks again. "I won't be able to focus on anything else at the same time." She looks like she wants to say more, but then gives Nao a nasty glare.
[19:07] "I'll protect you, Yukino. Don't worry. I said we were going to work together on this, didn't I?"
[19:08] She sighs in defeat. "Alright, Haruka-chan." Yukino stretches her hand out for the phone.
[19:10] Nao hands it over. "If we jam their communications, we should be able to get past the blockade, right? Should I sink a ship along the way?"
[19:10] Haruka blinks at Nao. "You could do that?"
[19:10] Nao looks surprised. "You couldn't?"
[19:12] "Well..." Haruka considers this. "We'll find out if I have to."
[19:13] "I'm... ready when you are, Haruka-chan," Yukino says, clutching her hand around the phone.

<--->

<--->

[15:09] Haruka glances at Nao, requesting the phone in order to call her father.
[15:10] "I don't mind," replies Nao, glancing at Yukino in turn.
[15:10] Yukino stops examining it. "Is this really the time, Haruka-chan?" she asks diplomatically.
[15:11] "Hey, this is work-related," Haruka says, dialing the office.
[15:12] The line connects, Hiro's voice on the other side. "Yes?"
[15:14] "We're moving on to Fuka," she says. "There are ships waiting around the island. We can jam their radar, but if there's anything you can set up as a division, now's the time."
[15:14] "What."
[15:16] "I just thought I'd ask! We have information suggesting there's a weapon there that we can use. It's important that we get there to actually use it."
[15:18] He sighs. "Any other time I'd ask if this were a prank call. Haruka, you already have a weapon, from what you've shown me. What is so important that you're going back to Fuka for it? I thought we agreed that you would wait and regroup with your friends, first."
[15:18] "Let me tell him!" Nao seems almost giddy at the prospect.
[15:19] "I am with them. We're going together."
[15:19] "Oh, wonderful."
[15:21] "Two weapons," corrects Nao. "There's also a third option, now that I think about it."
[15:21] "It is!" Haruka grees, missing the sarcasm.
[15:26] "Haruka," Hiro speaks, sighing. She hears the telltale sounds of him leaning back in his leather chair. "Whatever possessed you to go into enemy territory and risk losing the only hope our world has, from all that you've told me?"
[15:28] "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Also, there are ninjas with me."
[15:28] She hears coughing from the other end of the line.
[15:29] Nao blanches, and snatches the phone away from Haruka at that comment. "Could you be any more imprecise?" she grouses, before holding it up. "Hello? Is this the Suzushiro bigshot?"
[15:29] "Who is this?" a male voice asks. "One of the ninja, I presume?"
[15:31] "No, just an innocent little schoolgirl. Yuuki Nao, at your service. We're going to Fuka to stop it getting blown up. To do this, we need to first actually get there, and then find one of two weapons that are capable of stopping the aforementioned destruction. It's dangerous and risky and there is only one other option, one which we are not poised to exploit."
[15:33] "Why do you believe Fuka will be attacked again?"
[15:38] "A Searrs informant told me so." Nao frowns. "I believe he can be trusted on this, if little else. The means of destruction is a Hime's Child, which has taken the form of a satellite in orbit. It's capable of firing blasts that cause ridiculous damage. We don't have a day before it's ready to fire again."
[15:38] "Since it's a Hime's weapon, though, there's more than one way to stop it. We can either outright destroy it, or we can simply kill the most important person to that Hime."
[15:39] "And the reason behind the attack? Do you know it as well?"
[15:41] "Retaliation against the First District for storming the island, and the tidying up of loose ends. I believe Searrs wishes to eliminate any Hime it can't control, but they don't care who else dies in their efforts."
[15:44] "By going there, you'll be placing everyone around you at even greater risk," Hiro cautions. "Still. The ships around the island, the ones you need to distract, do they also belong to First District?"
[15:45] "It's because everyone is at risk that I'm going in the first place," replies Nao. "I... assumed they were tied with Searrs. I suppose that raises the question of why they would use a satellite instead of shelling the island from the coast."
[15:46] "It does," Hiro agrees, and Nao hears him sigh. "It is not a situation I would rush into headfirst, but I suppose if Kikukawa is along-- she is, isn't she? Perhaps it's not as foolish as it sounds."
[15:48] "Have you tried to contact First District forces you said were stationed on the island?" Hiro asks. "They might provide just the distraction you want, whether they do so knowingly or not."
[15:50] "It doesn't seem that we have time. The president of Searrs is in America, I think, which is well out of my reach, so I can't get at him to stop any attack. I don't know what other options we've got apart from going in," admits Nao. "I haven't tried to contact them, but I'll give it a shot."
[15:53] "There's nothing I could do on such a short notice," Hiro admits. "Nothing that wouldn't get a lot of good men and women killed with little to say for it, at least. Maybe, if there were more time, we could crash a sattelite into theirs. But as things stand... it's not something we can handle with only hours to spare."
[15:57] "I'm not sure that would do anything more than knock it off course," admits Nao. "In any case, see if you can find the Searrs headquarters. If we succeed here, getting at them will be just one more thing we'll still have to do."
[15:58] "I'll do what I can. And tell Haruka that if it comes to that, leaving to fight another day is better than the alternative."
[16:00] "A few days on and I'm not sure what will be left to fight for," replies Nao. "Later." Hanging up, she glances at Ishigami. "Can you get us in contact with any men still on the ground out there?"
[16:00] "I can try," he says, stretching his hand out for the phone.
[16:01] Nao begrudgingly hands it over. "We want a distraction to get in. Anything will do. Phrase it as... reinforcements, or the like. I think it's best for all concerned that they don't know you're working with us."
[16:03] He nods, dialing a number. Half a minute passes, and he hangs up, frowning, and tries again. Several attempts later, Ishigami shakes his head. "I can't get through to anyone I know was at Fuka, but I could try contacting the headquarters, or one of the local cells."
[16:04] "Can you get them to assassinate the President of Searrs?" asks Nao, hopefully.
[16:05] "I can certainly try."
[16:06] "It's best for us if both groups are at each other's throats." Nao pauses. "Call one of the local cells, maybe, and get them to try and break the blockade at some point. Then call the HQ and try and get them to kill the guy. Think that'll work?"
[16:09] "I'll tell them we captured a Searrs agent and got him to talk," Ishigami muses. "That just might do the trick. We lack any naval forces in the area, though, so any distraction would have to come from the direction of the bridge. It is the closest point to Fuka from the mainland, and in turn, to any blockading ships."
[16:12] "Make it happen, then."
[16:15] "I will require silence," Ishigami says, casting a glance towards Haruka, "for obvious reasons." He dials a number, and the call is answered this time around. The story he gives fits with what he suggested to Nao and Haruka; a Searrs agent had revealed that the defenses would be weak near the bridge section,
[16:15] and striking at them would allow the First District to breach the blockade and escape with the captured Hime. A second call later, to what he claims is the First District headquarters, relays the information that striking down the president of Searrs would defang them in more ways than one.
[16:16] Captured Hime, huh? Interesting.
[16:16] "How long do you think it'll take them to act?" asks Nao, once he's finished.
[16:18] "An hour for our distraction. Impossible to tell in the other case, since I don't make decisions for my superiors," Ishigami says, obediently returning the phone. "I suppose we are to wait, now?"
[16:21] "We'll have to," replies Nao, tossing the phone at Yukino. "In an hour, we'll jam their communications. We can take the boat part of the way in, and swim the rest of it, if necessary." She glances at Yukino and Haruka, shrugging. "At least, that's what I plan to do. I think you guys should do the same, but I'm not the one fucking with their equipment."
[16:23] Yukino seems to consider it. "It really does sound like a good plan," she says. "Haruka-chan, let's keep to the boat, alright?"
[16:24] Haruka nods. "Sure thing."
[16:24] Yukino gives Nao a triumphant smirk, before quickly schooling her expression and going back to examine the phone.
[16:26] "Sure. Just be careful," adds Nao, heading off to get changed into a wetsuit. "If they spot the boat despite all that, they'll probably blow it apart."
[16:29] Orders are dispatched, and the ship carefully maneuvers into position to exploit the First District attack. Forty minutes is more than enough to finish with the preparations. Aside from Nao and a several of the ninja, Takumi is likewise in a wetsuit of his own.
[16:29] Yukino likewise seems prepared, three of her mirrors out in the open and floating around the John Smith's phone. Static suddenly comes out of it, as the device seems to activate on its own.
[16:32] "Are you sure you're up for this, Takumi?" asks Nao, pensively. "More to the point, you'd better keep up."
[16:36] "I can't let Oneechan and Akira-kun face everything on their own," Takumi responds. He is about to say more, when-- "Nao? It's Nao, isn't it?" Arika's voice emanates from the phone, sounding slightly tinny.
[16:40] "That bitch, I should've guessed!" shrieks Nao, her cool evaporating on the spot.
[16:41] "Nao, hey Nao, don't you like me anymore? I thought we were friends," Arika says, sounding genuinely confused.
[16:41] Haruka leaps to attention. "Huh? Who is it?"
[16:41] Yukino's face is white, and the mirrors have stopped spinning in midair, trembling in tune with her instead.
[16:43] Haruka glances at her friend. "Yukino? Hey, Yukino! Stay with us, here! This is important."
[16:43] "Arika," growls Nao, clenching her fists. "Yukino, cut the damn connection! We can't let her find us!"
[16:45] "I can't, short of destroying it!" Yukino hisses, panicked, as she gestures at the phone.
[16:45] "Tell me, Nao," Arika says in the meantime. "When you don't see someone for a few days, do they stop being your friend? That would make me sad."
[16:46] "Do it, Yukino!" Haruka agrees, taking her stunned friend by the shoulders. "We can jam the ships without the phone, right?"
[16:47] "You aren't my friend! You were never my friend! You killed Shizuru, you filthy bitch, and you killed Sugiura, too! I'd never be friends with a murderer like you, never! Sad? You don't know what that means! You know, I was glad when I found out you couldn't die. It means I can rip out your heart and show it to you!"
[16:47] Yukino shakes her head wildly at Haruka's question, otherwise locked in indecision.
[16:48] Haruka grimaces. "Is there a real chance that they could track us through Arika's call?"
[16:48] "Oh, you silly girl." Arika laughs brightly. "You're finally ready to play with me! It's alright, you don't have to be shy. Daddy says no one likes a shy girl. I'll be coming to befriend you all over again!"
[16:50] Yukino whimpers at Haruka's question.
[16:50] Nao's eyes bulge out, and she lunges for the phone, intent on shattering it within her palm.
[16:52] "I'm so happy, Nao-chi--" Nao smashes the phone, then, her hand destroying it unopposed by Yukino's floating mirrors.
[16:53] Haruka sighs. "Right. Now we move on to plan B. Did we have a plan B?"
[16:53] "There's something fucking wrong with her!" declares Nao, putting a hand on the railing and shivering. "Plan B. Yes. Haruka, go out with Orihime and sink any boats between us and the shore. We'll swim in. You can probably slice their hull up from underneath."
[16:54] "I think you forgot the part where I learn to breathe underwater."
[16:54] "You could wear... a wetsuit?"
[16:54] "There are oxygen tanks, as well!"
[16:56] "Um, sure, I'll get right on that." She turns to Yukino. "Yukino, are you okay? Can you tell me how things look between us and the shore?"
[16:57] "Of course I'll help you with your wetsuit, Haruka-chan!" Yukino exclaims, before blinking. "What?"
[16:57] "Can your, uh, mirrors see anything? Knowing where the ships are would be better than just blindly looking."
[16:59] "It's not the mirrors," Yukino says, and she concentrates. Bell-shaped flowers come into being around her. "I'll do what I can, Haruka-chan, but if Searrs uses their weapon again near them, it would neutralize Diana. Please understand this. I won't be able to protect you, then."
[17:01] "Diana?" asks Nao, narrowing her eyes.
[17:01] Haruka frowns. "It's okay, don't risk it for now. I'm sure I'll be able to spot them easily enough once I get close. I mean, they're boats. They're big."
[17:03] Yukino gains a matching frown. "I'll come along with you, then. You can't see too well at range, can you?"
[17:04] "Seeing? At distance, remotely?" mutters Nao, darkly. "That's a nice trick you have there."
[17:05] "I don't know if Orihime can carry two of us and wreck the ships at the same time. But I guess we'll find out. Orihime?" Haruka calls out. Then, to Yukino: "This might be a little surprising."
[17:07] Yukino takes a moment to glare at Nao just as darkly. "I can swim, real--"
[17:07] She never gets to finish her sentence, because Shizuru appears before her in striking likeness, and at the same time distinctinctly unnatural. Her form flows at the edges. Yukino gives off a piercing shriek.
[17:09] Haruka grabs Yukino to calm her down. This usually works! "Yukino, it's alright. It just *looks* like her. Um, I don't really get why it looks like Shizuru either. None of us choose our Child, right? It's probably chromic payback or something."
[17:11] Haruka sees a glint of something in Yukino's eyes she can't quite put her finger on. And terror, a whole lot of terror. She continues screaming at the top of the her lungs, too, not giving any indication that she heard Haruka.
[17:12] "I am this close to punching you out, Kikukawa!"
[17:14] Haruka pulls Yukino close to her, so that the other girl can't see anything else, and practically shouts. "Yukino, snap out of it! I need your help now, do you understand? I can't go anywhere if you're all hystemical."
[17:15] Yukino is indeed hysterical, as demonstrated by her laughter.
[17:17] "Uh...oh...Orihime, I think you should go away for a minute." She rears back and slaps Yukino across the face, out of other options at this point. "Yukino! Get ahold of yourself! What have I always told you? You need to be strong!"
[17:18] Orihime abides by Haruka's orders soundlessly, as always.
[17:18] "You're consorting with the dead president's spirit!" Yukino exclaims incredulously after the slap brings her to her senses. "How can I possibly be strong in the face of that?!"
[17:20] "How do you think I felt when my dead rival came back as some kind of mechanical zombie and started killing people? It scares the hell out of me too, but it's not going to stop me."
[17:23] "You make a contract, it's the other part of your soul," Yukino rants, shaking her head in denial. "How can it be Fujino-san? How?"
[17:25] "I DON'T KNOW," Haruka yells. "Why is yours a some crazy plant thing? Why is Nao's a giant spider? Yukino, if this Festival thing started making sense now, it would be for the first time ever!"
[17:25] "...I might know."
[17:26] That, more than anything, startles Yukino enough to regain a semblence of composure. She looks at Nao with a mix of distrust and expectation.
[17:26] Haruka whips her head round to face Nao. "I didn't ask--wait, what?"
[17:28] "When Shizuru died, she hadn't made that contract," explains Nao, leaning heavily on the railing. "Nagi did say Haruka was a fake Hime. It might be that... she's borrowing whatever spark Shizuru had."
[17:29] Haruka considers this. "Nagi did say something like that...and I thought it was just him being a jerk."
[17:30] Yukino considers that as well, an expression of extreme distaste on her face. "Alright. Alright. Just... just keep it away from me, Haruka-chan," she says. "I'll help you swim. You don't need a thing like that for it."
[17:30] Haruka sighs. "Alright. But we'll need it to cut the ships' hulls."
[17:34] "And we need to move fast," continues Nao, far more comfortable with action than screaming. "They may be onto us any second." There should be some binoculars around, and Nao will use them to survey the sea ahead.
[17:34] Haruka nods. "Let's change and get going, then."
[17:35] There are no ships that Nao can spot with her borrowed binoculars, as the reverse would surely be true. Yukino allows herself to be led below deck by Haruka, and only then does Takumi hesitantly approach Nao. "That girl," he says. "Did she really kill Sugiura-sensei and Fujino-san?"
[17:37] "She definately killed Fujino," replies Nao, quietly. "I saw it happen. She tried to kill me, and... I believe she killed Sugiura."
[17:38] "Then, she's trying to kill everyone? Oneechan, too?" Takumi insists, his voice catching as he talks about Mai.
[17:40] "Her targets are the Hime. Mai has fought her, as well. Arika.. doesn't die when she is killed."
[17:44] Takumi nods curtly, and moves over to watch the dark waters below. As Haruka and Yukino emerge, both dressed in wetsuits, the latter stops in her tracks suddenly. Mere moments later, Nao and Haruka realize that it's getting brighter.
[17:45] Haruka peers up at the sky and squints. "We didn't order an airstrike, did we?"
[17:46] There is an unusually bright spec of light up in the skies.
[17:47] Haruka can only hope that it's Mai and not a beam of plasma aimed at them.
[17:47] Nao's eyes widen. "It's her! Get the hell out of here!" shrieks Nao, diving off the boat herself and plunging into the depths below.
[17:48] Yukino tackles Haruka off the boat a split-second later!
[17:49] "Oh, hell," Haruka blurts out, just before being tackled. And she was just about to turn and make sure Yukino and Takumi got off the boat first!
[17:50] Takumi is also in the water when Nao and Haruka's eyes readjust, moving awkwardly. One of the ninja is with him, aiding the boy. There is no sign of Ishigami.
[17:50] Haruka wastes no time in setting out for the shore, keeping an eye out for any ships along the way (at least, as much as she can do so).
[17:52] Nao swims underwater a short distance before starting a routine of popping up near the waterline to check for any boats, leading the way, as befits her speed.
[17:54] Nao swims ahead. Haruka flails ineffectually in the water before Yukino grabs hold of her, guiding the blonde below. There are bright flashes of light from above, and Yukino seizes before proceeding to aid Haruka swim away.
[17:55] Haruka was totally just about to go the right direction, really!
[17:59] As she comes up for a brief look some distance away, Nao glimpses their fishing vessel in pieces, what's left of it a burning wreck. The flames don't seem right to her. A few of the objects littering what used to be their ship are just the right size for a human, unmoving.
[18:01] Akira is going to kill her, thinks Nao, as she dives back under the water and continues on her path.
[18:02] Haruka the master swimmer keeps pace with Yukino as best she can, hoping to avoid any attention from the enemy at this point.
[18:04] Yukino does more than stay at Haruka's side, helping her friend put distance between them and their erstwhile boat.

<--->

<--->

Nao makes it to shore. Far in the distance, she can barely make out the light being given but what must be her erstwhile boat. It still burns, despite the time it took Nao to swim over to Fuka.

No one emerges from the water behind her, and Nao is alone. Or is she? Something moves within the trees ahead.

"Who's there?" growls Nao, running low to the ground and zigzagging towards the trees at breakneck pace!

Someone scrambles back -- definitely human. The startled gasp allows Nao to pinpoint their location.

There are flashes ahead, just barely visible beyond the horizon. The First District diversion must have started.

Whoever they are will surely be just a hop, skip and a jump away, allowing Nao to close in and get a good look. If they're not a student or someone Nao already knows, they'll find themselves on the ground and a hand on their neck in short order.

Nao leaps, ending right next to one startled Yuki Karas. She looks different from the last time Nao had seen her -- is that a beret?

"What--"

"Don't even think of screaming," growls Nao, grabbing the girl by the back of the neck. "I never thought you'd be first district, Karas. But I guess we all get to be surprised tonight."

"Wait, what?" Yuki exclaims. "First Distr-- Nao?!"

"In the flesh. But that's enough about me. Let's talk about you."

"You're alright!" Yuki sounds relieved. "But what were you doing in the water?"

Nao surveys the rest of Yuki's outfit, in particular checking it for armaments or communicators. "Swimming. What are you doing watching the water?"

Yuki is dressed in the same paramilitary uniform Nao had seen on First District soldiers. It doesn't look like a particularly good fit on her.

"We saw the explosion and wanted to see what happened," she responds, at last showing signs of discomfort at Nao's treatment of her.

"Did you steal this uniform?" Nao questions, not ready to release her just yet. "Tell me that, and what's happened over the past day."

"Duh," Yuki responds. "And what's with the manhandling? I thought you were a loyal student of Fuka and all that Suzushiro spiel."

"I thought you were one of them," admits Nao. "I still sort of do. Who's 'we'?"

"The Committee. What's left of it." Bitterness seeps into Yuki's voice. "After what those bastards did to us? Some of us had to escape at all cost."

Nao is silent for a couple of seconds, and then she lets Yuki go.

"Sorry," she mutters, glancing over her shoulder. "Tell me the situation. I really am here to help, but I can't take chances right now."

Yuki brushes her hand over the collar of her shirt, trying to make it fit. She doesn't quite succeed in that.

"We managed to piece together what's happened. Most of it, anyway. Soldiers invaded the dorm you were staying at, but then it dissolved into a firefight. All hell broke loose, then. There were all those--" She looks likes she can't believe what she's saying, although Yuki doesn't let it stop her. "--orbital strikes or something, like right out of a computer game, you know? And one hit the southern dormitory, while another took out a-- a temple or shrine or something, we all saw the plume of smoke. And there were riots in the city but then soldiers were all over it as well."

The dormitory in question does not ring a bell to Nao. She believes it might have been used by junior high students.

"A firefight? Between two military groups, or couldn't you tell who their opponents were?" Nao frowns. "Don't presume on this count. It's important."

"We don't have any first-hand reports from your dorm," Yuki says, the bitterness far more pronounced, now. She gestures further inland. "We should get back, unless you didn't go swimming alone. And maybe even then."

"I.." Nao glances back at the water, but Suzushiro should've gotten here by now.

"Right. I'll stay close to you. You've got a safe place, right? We need to move fast and quiet."

"Just one thing, Yuki. If you've seen Arika Searrs around, at all, tell me now."

"Nowhere is safe, but we have a place we can defend," Yuki says, leading Nao into the forest. "After they secured the school, as they called it, we were just kept in the auditorium under armed guard while the goons kept on going around with pictures and looking at us. I snuck a peek at one; it was the the Kazahana schollarship students." She frowns. "Most of them, anyway. And Searrs? No, can't say that I have. Why?"

"There isn't just one group interested in Fuka," explains Nao. "The soldiers who invaded the school and those who fired the beam from orbit are opposed to one another. Arika is part of the latter. She's a psychotic freak who thinks mass-destruction is a good idea. But don't take my word for it! Ask Shizuru- oh, wait, you can't, Arika killed her."

Yuki's expression grows angry. "Bastards," she spits out. "We thought it was some kind of bizarre hostage-taking situation and it would get resolved in time, but something must have happened. We don't know what or why, but they-- they took away our clothing, and--" She takes a deep breath.

"We escaped, some of us. Some chemistry students had some sort of colored smoke and we used the diversion to jump our guards. Right now, we're using the private residence of one of our members as base. It's so conspicious we don't think they'll look there any time soon."

Nao snorts. At least that didn't go to waste. Yuki seems quite capable of believing this on the spot, but... it's not like Nao had much trouble believing Shizuru, before. When you're in a situation like this, even an outlandish explanation can ring true. She knows that well.

"You got a look at the scholarship students, you say?" asks Nao, suddenly. "Well, who are they? I thought you didn't have access to that listing."

"I didn't," Yuki agrees. "But these soldiers, whoever they were, didn't have the same problem. Shizuru Fujino, Yukino Kikukawa, Mai Tokiha, Mikoto Minagi, Natsuki Kuga, Nao Yuuki, Akira Okuzaki. These are all the recipients."

"I'm guessing you can't tell me where any of them are," replies Nao. "'side from me, of course. Did you see anyone who might be the CO of this outfit?"

And why haven't the ships fired on the island, Nao asks herself. What is Searrs waiting for?

"Among the second-hand reports is one that Minagi and Tokiha were seen escaping the dorm. They had help, but we're unclear on whose." She considers. "No one like a CO, no. There are uncomfirmed reports -- rumors, really -- that he was at that unfortunate dorm when it was struck."

"Ah. Then the soldiers at the moment would be... disorganized. We can hope," decides Nao. "Yuki, I'm going to need to find a way to get in contact with Tokiha. I'm not joking when I say that all our lives could rest in her hands."

Yuki does not answer immediately. Nao thinks she can see their destination up ahead; the first signs of dawn make it easier to make out, while still not being sharp enough to hurt her eyes, although that is likely to change soon. It is a Japanese-style estate, located rather prominently in a large forest clearing.

"That might be possible," she admits. "The school's PA system was still working even when all our electronics went dead with the attacks. Not many would know this outside the Committee, but its range can be extended to cover most of the island." A smirk makes its way onto her face. "If you don't mind it being a one-time thing, of course. The system won't hold out for long in that state."

Nao winces. "Mai would probably hear it. But so would people I'd rather not. And Arika would be able to determine where I'm sending the signal from. There are warships stationed around the island, so I'd have something like ten seconds to say what I need to say and then run away before missiles or whatever hit me."

Yuki snorts. "Not a good idea, no. Normally, I would suggest doing it remotely; I have the authority, naturally. But with everything pretty much, you know, not working and all? Don't think that'd be a winning suggestion."

"The PA system is in the school, right? Where, exactly?"

"The main controls are at the student council chambers," Yuki tells her. "But we know there's an override in the library, for some reason. It was never really made clear. There was also a secondary control we temporarily installed at the church; we never got around to dismantling it, with all that's been going on."

"Even if they blow up the church, I don't think there'll be anyone around," admits Nao. "It should do. The other thing is that.. well. What I'm trying to do is find a way to stop that orbital laser from firing again. Next time it shoots.. they'll try to wipe out the entire island.

"I don't think the soldiers here would be too thrilled about that. They might cooperate with me."

"Well, why didn't it just do that from the start?" Yuki asks in confusion, before she scowls as Nao talks about her options. "They're all scum, to the last."

"I don't know," admits Nao. "I've thought about it, and... well. Either they couldn't the first time, for some reason, or they're waiting for something. My knowledge of their intentions is second-hand, I admit. Even so, if that thing is taken out, I can start acting freely. Then the soldiers- even the boats- shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Nao cautiously heads towards the villa as she talks, intent on securing whatever help or equipment she can from here as quickly as she can.

"What does acting freely really mean?" Yuki asks her. "And Tokiha, is her father the prime minister? The chief of general staff? How is she crucial, exactly?"

"Well... Tokiha has a pet dragon, which can hopefully fly into space and destroy the offending deathray. I have my own destructive talents, too. Yuki, you really don't want to know the details."

"So what, because you happened to escape the psychos in time and happen to know something about what's going on you can go on belittling me?" she asks, giving Nao a look of scorn. "Spacefaring dragons. Whatever. If that's how it's going to be, I don't know why I bothered taking you here."

Nao sighs. "It's true. All the soldiers are interested in the power those scholarship students have. I could demonstrate- I'd rather not show you the really harsh stuff since I think there's a chance of detection-, but I could crush a girder or jump six times my own height, if you want."

Yuki is mollified by the suggestion. It seems she was expecting an apology instead, and the offer took her off guard. "Alright. Once we're indoors."

They enter the mansion shortly afterwards. About a dozen students are there, all from the high school section, judging by Nao's estimates, and all dressed in ill-fitting fatigues. There is a couple of boys, their heads shaved, while the rest are girls. All heads turn to Yuki as she enters, and it is a credit to the pair of males that their eyes don't linger on Nao's wetsuit-clad, dripping form.

"Since we're all still here, I take it we weren't discovered," Yuki comments sardonically. "Any luck, Michi?"

The girl she addresses shakes her head, her beret coming dangerously close to being dislodged before she reigns it in. "Even this far out from those attacks, everything remotely technological simply gave out. It's not even an EMP like we first thought, but-- hell, I don't know what it is, Yuki."

"Arika," replies Nao, succinctly. "I can explain a little. I need some clothes, first. And shoes."

"We're a bit low on our selection of clothing, but we'll see what we can do." Yuki gestures, and the boys leave the room. "While we wait on that, how about your demonstration? Whatever story you have would be more than a bit hard to swallow without proof, I think."

Nao shrugs. "Got something sturdy?"

Yuki seems pensive, before she walks over to the traditional table set near the inner wall of the room. It looks like it had been moved recently. She raises her foot and then stomps on it with what appears to be all her strength. The table barely groans.

"Break that and make it look easy," she says. "Then I'll buy the super-strength. And maybe the rest, too."

Once Yuki moves out the way, Nao mirrors her movement, backing her stomp with the unnatural strength gifted to the Hime.

Nao's foot goes through the table, continuing to bury itself deep into the floor. She can acutely feel the splinters, even as her point had been made rather eloquently.

Nao pulls her foot free, absently picking it up from the ground and picking bits of wood out of it.

"So, about those shoes."

"We're working on it." Yuki seems the only one who hasn't been made speechless by Nao's actions. "And I don't think you need shoes to tell us what the hell's been going on."

"There's too much to explain, I'm not sure about the details, I don't have much time, and frankly I don't want you to know all of it," replies Nao, firmly.

"What you need to understand is that there are two groups; First District, and Searrs. Both are competing over the power I and others hold, and they're willing to go to any lengths to exploit it- or at least be the only ones who possess it. First District is responsible for the soldiers. Searrs is responsible for both Arika- who has abilities similar to my own- and the orbital laser. It was the attack by First District that prompted them to use it."

"Searrs? Like Alyssa and Arika?" Yuki asks to confirm.

"Yes. They're not just a family, actually, but part of an international corporation. Arika and Alyssa.. I'm not sure they're even real sisters. I don't really know about Alyssa, but... Arika is evil to the core."

"Superstrength is pretty damn neat, but using orbital lasers to gain it? Just doesn't jive," Yuki mentions. "Or is this the part where space dragons come in?"

"Something like that," replies Nao. "Look, superstrength isn't all I've got, alright? I've got other powers. So do the others like me. All these powers stem from a single source, and they want control over that source. We're good to those groups in two states; dead, or as slaves or test subjects. Alive and free? That's undesirable for them. It's that simple.

"I don't want to talk about how our powers came to be or the limitations they have."

"Unless there's a way to give us any to even out the stakes, that doesn't really matter," Yuki agrees. "There isn't, is there?"

"Don't even joke about that!"

Nao stares at Yuki, aghast.

"So there's a catch, I'm thinking," Yuki mutters. "Alright. We've made it this far on our own merit, anyhow. So, what's the plan now? We can't let Fuka fall to either of those groups."

"Our biggest obstacle is the satellite. I can take care of the soldiers. It'd be a trick, but I could probably do something about the boats, too. But it's all for naught if they can shoot us from orbit at will. There are two ways to deal with the satellite. Tokiha is one of them. Miyu is another."

"Something about this doesn't sound right," the girl Yuki had addressed when they made it to the mansion says. "You're telling us they have an sattelite in orbit that can kill everything on the island, and there's also a fleet surrounding it, which you're implying belongs to the same side. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's my belief. Why haven't they destroyed the island in a conventional manner, or even earlier today? I don't know. I believe there's something here they want, or may be waiting for. But I couldn't tell you what."

"Waiting for," the girl repeats. "Yes. Perhaps. Where were you during this hostile takeover, if I might ask?" She looks pointedly at the wetsuit.

"Michiko, if there's any reason--"

"Yes," she interrupts Yuki. "Just trust me on this one." Looking back at Nao, Michiko waits for an answer.

"I wasn't on the island," admits Nao. "You're saying they were waiting for me to come back?"

"You said they wanted you lot captured or dead, with no real preference?" Michiko asks. "And yet, you weren't on the island when they struck and cut it off from the world rather visibly, for those who would be in the know. The smoking remains of the bridge alone would be a pretty good clue of the apparent intentions of-- Searrs, you called them?" Upon getting the confirmation, she frowns. "So they're waiting before they use the sattelite, according to you. If it were in geosynchronous or even semisynchronous orbit, that would make sense. It couldn't have remained within range, if it were also responsible for the earlier attack that day. But would anyone design an orbital weapon that way?"

"I'm not sure they had a choice in how the weapon was designed," admits Nao. "Let's say you're right, though, and they can fire at any time. They can't keep the island cut off forever, probably not more than a couple of days at best before someone wakes up and does something about it. So the question remains.. what do they want?

"I know they wanted at least one thing- to disrupt the operations of the First District, which I think they've managed."

"In the immortal words of the great Admiral Ackbar, 'It's a trap!'," Michiko deadpans. Yuki snorts, but the technically-inclined girl continues, "The only question is when it is supposed to be sprung. As we're still alive--" She makes a show of looking outside through the window, "--it couldn't have been intended solely for you. Unless... they don't know you've returned? Do your powers include stealth?"

"They know I've returned," replies Nao, shaking her head. "Suzushiro and Kikukawa returned at the same time I did, but we got seperated. I think they know about them, too. And yes, they're both like me."

"They don't know exactly where I am, though," she clarifies.

The boys return with some fatigues and military-style boots, leaving them by Nao's side before leaving the room once more.

"Figures," Yuki mutters. "Anyone else like you that's supposed to be coming and is merely late for the party?"

"I can't say. There may be others I don't know about, and even the ones I do know could be anywhere," replies Nao, stripping out the wetsuit and starting to get changed. "Small comfort that Searrs clearly doesn't know where we all are, either."

One of the girls tosses a towel over to Nao as she strips.

"Small comfort," Yuki echoes. The door opens, three new girls entering. "Ah, it's about time," she tells them as they make their way inside, closing the door behind them. "How does the town look?"

"The hospital and shrine are in ruins, from what we could see. It's pretty dead; no one's out on the streets but the armored vehicles with more of those bastards in them. Someone's shelling that outpost they've set up near the bridge, though. With luck, whoever they may be are here to rescue us!"

"How many soldiers are occupying the island, if you don't mind hazarding a guess?" asks Nao, drying herself off quickly.

Nao's presence only warrants a raised eyebrow on the part of the new arrivals. After catching Yuki nod, their leader responds, "Thousands, but no more than four, we believe. The forces in town are those they originally had at the school."

"Scum," Yuki says angrily. "If they didn't come at us in such strength--"

"We would've flashed them to death?" the other girl responds with a roll of her eyes. "Naked teens won't be able to do much against trained, armed soldiers even if the numbers are in their favor."

The others look worriedly at the arguing girls, Yuki getting most of the discreet glances.

"Have the left the school mostly unguarded, then?"

Nao's question breaks the deadlock. "An estimated ten percent of their total force is there," the new girl speaks, while Yuki simmers quietly.

"Yuki, if the students at school were able to escape the soldiers, do you know of anywhere where they could subsequently hide en-masse? Caves or something?"

"There is a network of caves below campus," Yuki answers, pulling herself together. Her eyes still show her anger, however. "We've carefully warded off any collapsed sections to prevent harm from coming to the students, so we know of ways to get there."

"The shelling you spoke of before comes from a fleet stationed around the island," states Nao, glancing at the new entries. "They're hostile to the soldiers. That doesn't mean they're friendly to us. As far as I'm concerned, nobody in uniform has our best interests at heart."

"Present company excluded, of course," Yuki deadpans. She signals to one of the girls, who leaves, only to return shortly after with the exiled boys.

"Of course. Anyway, we have two big problems in the form of the army and the fleet. Now... the army itself may not actually know all about the fleet. It may be possible to let them know, and then, just maybe, have our problems solve each other."

"By having them swim over?" Yuki asks.

"Logistics might be a problem," admits Nao. "I don't know, I figured they might have weapons and stuff that could target the ships."

Yuki glances at the others. "We only saw armored vehicles. Nothing obviously long ranged," is the answer from the scouting party.

"There were five blasts," states Nao, frowning. "The bridge, the shrine, and the school were three of them. One of the others hit a construction site, if I remember right. Where was the last?"

"Somewhere in the mountains," one of the girls says, but Yuki shakes her head. "No, can't be. The forest fire would spread and consume half the island, then. It had to have been somewhere in the open, probably near the coastline."

"And the hospital? Do we know how it got destroyed?"

"There was some kind of fight. These First District goons were definitely involved."

Takumi, Akira... and possibly Yukariko.

"Alright. If the First District people can't help us, then I'll have to get the others together. I'll go to the PA system and use it to contact the other Hime- that's what we're called, if you care - as well as the soldiers. They should realise they're as trapped as we are, and their only real option is to stay out our way.

"If all the Hime can coordinate, then we should certainly be able to defeat the ships. If I can get the First District people out the school, then the students will be able to take cover in the caves, where they'll be safe from any fighting that does occur.

"It's risky; Searrs could retaliate at any time if they catch wind of this. But the same could be said for any action we take. They pretty much have us at their mercy."

<--->

<--->

"You mean destroy the ships," Yuki states. She doesn't sound particularly objected to said plan. "Could you do this while protecting the residents, though? What's to stop them from seeing they've lost and shelling the town?"

"There are a few ways, but I don't have a surefire plan for this," admits Nao. "If Kikukawa Yukino gets on board one ship, she can disable the rest. If we destroy one or two ships, we may be able to threaten the rest into submission. There are First District forces on the mainland engaging the ships, and- this PA system, do you have any idea why it still works?"

Nao pauses. "The other thing is that if Arika Searrs is defeated, let us say, oh, that the Searrs leadership will undergo a rapid shakeup, and they may not proceed with their original plans."

"Until everything shut down, we had no idea it was any different," Michiko responds.

Yuki frowns. "It makes sense. So she leads from the front lines?" With a roll of her eyes, she adds, "I won't question how someone that young could do that if her classmate is the superheroine fighting her."

"She's not a leader herself, I think, but she's the source of their leader's influence. If she goes down, well, he won't last very long."

"That makes even more sense," Yuki agrees, an expression of distaste crossing her face. "In any case, we can move out now, or wait for our scouts to the Academy to return. Meeting up with them along the way would be nigh-impossible."

"How soon do you think they'll arrive? I'm interested to know the situation there," replies Nao. "This'll require some negotiation, and probably some bluffing, so..."

"Half an hour, perhaps more if they need to avoid patrols on the way back," Yuki tells her. "Less, if something extraordinary happened."

"And about the same on foot to the academy from here?"

"Longer, actually, unless we don't care about stealth," Yuki elaborates. "That's the other reason we can't just regroup with the others near campus; they already should've left."

Nao frowns for a long moment. "They're driving around in armoured vehicles, right?" she asks, suddenly. "Do you know if any of their routes are near here?"

"Most of those, we've spotted in or near the town. The campus has two. They're parked in the courtyard."

"I don't have time to wait. Suzushiro and Kikukawa are probably already on their way to the school, and if I can meet up with them, that'll be good." replies Nao. "The scouts can't have seen anything the soldiers haven't, so I'll just have to interrogate someone when I get there. You guys... you guys should probably wait for them, though."

"We couldn't coordinate, then," Yuki points out, "and you need us to get the students to safety within a short timeframe for your plan to work. You could try announcing the specifics to that as well using code we'll decide on now, but it would be pretty inflexible in case the situation on the ground is different than what we expect."

"Have you got a flaregun or something like that?"

"We've managed to get away with a few, yes."

"We'll have someone stay here, then. If the scouts have dire news of some kind to import, then have them sneak back out and fire a flare. We should see it just before we reach the campus," decides Nao. "They'll have to abandon this position afterwards, but if all goes well, we won't need it. And if all doesn't go well, chances are we won't care."

"We won't get the news, but at least we'll know something unusual is happening. And that'll tip me off to make sure I find out."

"It's a good plan," Yuki agrees. "Alright, let's go with that. Everyone, grab what gear you can take. Akane, Sachiko, stay here and wait for the news. We'll regroup at the site of the first attack at 10am."

She walks up to the door leading outside, sliding it open. "We'll be ready in just a few minutes."

"I need.. some sunglasses. And one last thing- did any of you see Sakomizu-sensei before you left the school?"

Heads shake at Nao's question.

"He's your homeroom teacher, right?" Yuki asks, seeming to remember something. "Sorry. The teachers were segregated early on." As if remembering Nao's other question, she adds, "No sunglasses, sorry."

"He's a First District agent. I only found that out recently, though," replies Nao, sticking her hands in her pockets. "Without sunglasses.. well, I'll move better while it's still dark. Since I'm here, we can go through patrols instead of around, if we need to, so... I'll just keep an eye out until you guys are ready."

Sticking her hands in her pockets, Nao heads outside the house, intent on watching for anyone coming around who shouldn't.

Nao catches movement out of the corner of her eye.

Nao sees movement; Nao thus leaps in a high arc towards the movement. "Freeze!" she shouts, telling her target what it must do if it wishes to avoid rough treatment.

Nao's jump clears her all the way to the mansion's corner. As she looks for her target, she spots someone rounding the next corner. There's something familiar about that figure, but Nao had only managed to caught the barest of glimpses, and the sunlight is still dim enough to not hurt her eyes.

Nao approachs quickly, peering around the corner for a brief instant to detect danger before rounding it and catching up.

Natsuki, clad in a white kimono, is seated on the veranda, looking out at the back yard. Her hair is gathered into a braid, which goes over her right shoulder. A small dog approaches her, and she reaches out to pet its head. As the puppy leans into her touch, Natsuki's eyes catch Nao's, and she smiles lightly at the redhead.

"Natsuki?!"

Nao skids to a halt. Natsuki? Here? No, it must be another delusion, another- was it real? Or just her mind? Or is it the mind of another?

"Nao," the bluette responds, patting the space next to her invitingly. The puppy barks, and runs off into the shruberry. "Don't go too far, Duran!" Natsuki calls after it. Returning her eyes to Nao, she asks, "It's alright if I call you by your first name, isn't it? I think we can dispense with the formalities by this point."

"What- what are you talking about? We... know each other, Natsuki." At least, we did, thinks Nao, unable to do anything but sit next to the girl. Natsuki? Formal? To her? That.. that's just stupid. "We're really past formality."

"That's what I said," Natsuki agrees. She pats the wooden floor by her side once more, before leaning back to gaze at the brightening sky. "She told me once -- I asked, because it bothered me, why would she want to assosiate with someone like me -- that it was simple. That she loved me. I just stalked off at the time, but deep down, I was happy. That someone out there existed that could-- you know."

And Nao does, she remembers the conversation with Shizuru vividly, as if she had been the one to have it. The student council president looked younger in her memories, and somehow more carefree.

"N.. Natsuki, is this really you? Here and now? Or is this another dream? Of the past, or another present, or..." asks Nao, unable to mirror her partner's calmness. Her hands are shaking.

"I'm no more here than you were there," Natsuki responds calmly. She gestures at herself. "And yet, here I am." Her eyes lower, scanning the surrounding bushes. "I wonder if Duran is alright."

"And.. there I was? Why? Why can I remember your past, and not- not mine? I can't even say who I am for certain anymore."

Nao buries her face in her palms. "With this on top of the festival, I'm really lost."

"I'm sorry about your family," Natsuki says, sounding regretful. "For me, it was my mother and Duran."

But her mother loved her, while Natsuki's tried to sell her off to Searrs, a thought comes to Nao's mind. It carries many conflicting emotions with it, gloating and sympathy at chief amongst them.

Her hands move up, squeezing her temples. They're alien! They're more natural than how she's used to thinking...

"That- my family... and your loss.. what sort of people did we become?" asks Nao, pulling up her knees. "Angry, bitter, jealous, spiteful..."

"I think she wanted to change that," Natsuki muses, returning her gaze to the skies. "It's... it's just a feeling I get, at least. But some things are beyond a person's control, beyond their ability to affect."

She sighs, exhaling. "I really wish I had seen Shizuru's letter to me earlier. But I don't know how to respond. What is love, really?"

To this, Nao has no response, no answer, no idea apart from half-forgotten glimpses and a depserate, fruitless search to fill a void. But is Natsuki hearing what Nao is saying? Or is she speaking with someone else entirely?

An images pushes to the fore, brushing others aside. Of Shizuru's horrified face, as she shrinks away from her.

"Is that also love?" Natsuki muses sadly. "I never wanted her to kill for me. Would anyone? With every life she took, something grew inside me. Something heavy, something empty. It doesn't make much sense, I suppose."

What would Nao think if someone killed for her, and her alone? Like Arach? A pet monster, to be kept away until necessary? That's right, Nao would treat such a person as a tool. A favoured pet, perhaps. She knows that much about herself.

She wouldn't want to think a monster could truly get close to her, after all. What this says about Nao herself, though- it's not something she can address. She's killed, too. Relief, followed by numbness, every time.

"Who did she have to kill?" Nao asks, already knowing at least part of the answer.

"The command structure of the First District." Natsuki scowls. "They didn't go quietly, so everything that stood in her way. Kikukawa. Suzushiro, those two are a pair. Almost, very nearly, you." She pauses. "I think that's where the connection was made. Being so much around you, even if I were tied up at the time. Seeing the differences, but also the similarities. We're a lot alike, and the difference traces down to a single factor."

She sighs quietly. "A single irreplacable person."

"She was sorry. For everything," replies Nao, sadly. "I wondered for a long time. What it was she did. Why she did it. That.. a single person. For all of us, it's the same thing."

"Do you think that family has to be bound by blood?" Natsuki asks suddenly, looking at Nao intently.

"People.. marry, don't they? Because they love one another, there's trust. A group of people, really caring for one another, willing to do whatever it takes to help... that's as much a family as anything."

Nao laughs, suddenly. "Oh, Natsuki, what am I saying? These things are too difficult for me, called up only by memories I'm never sure of. Why do people find each other important? People are.. weak. Ideals, relationships, promises- to keep one, sometimes another must be broken. Some of them.. some of them must be lies."

"To keep one, another must be broken," Natsuki repeats melancholically. "Yes, I suppose this is true. But I'm afraid." She stands up, walking towards Nao. "It's terrifying. I never felt like this before, and you're the only thing I have to keep me grounded."

Natsuki stops an arm's length from Nao, her posture awkward. If it weren't such a ridiculous idea, Nao would think that Natsuki wants to hug her but isn't sure how to ask.

Nao's laugh rises to hysterical proportions. "Natsuki, where are you? And where am I?" she chokes, raising her arms halfway. "I can't be a rock for you. I'm a wreck!"

"Somewhere Duran can't reach, even if I call for him," Natsuki says sadly. She shifts, and the decisive Natsuki is back. A hand is thrust forward, firmly grasping Nao's. "If we could do it all over again, I think I would've wanted a little sister like you. But even now, you don't have to shoulder everything by yourself. No matter what happens, you're not alone."

Nao's hand feels very warm, almost uncomfortably so.

Nao can't do anything but grab it back, but then she reaches forward and hugs Natsuki, surprising herself.

"You're with me, all the way?" she croaks, trying to find the words. "I'll find you. I promise I'll find you. Wait for me, okay?"

"Always."

A warm golden light envelops Nao. She can't see Natsuki's face, buried as it is in her shoulder, but the older girl trembles.

"Nao?!" Yuki calls, and Nao hears approaching footsteps as her hands go through Natsuki, who dissolves into motes of light.

<--->

<--->

Nao stumbles. Who is she, she had been asking mere moments previously.

She is Nao Yuuki, fifteen years old. Her family was slaughtered one day by robbers, the lowliest of scum, who decided to brutalize her mother after looting what they could from Nao's home. Her mind broke, and a week later, her body followed suit, Nao's only remaining family falling into a coma.

Orphanage. Foster care. Neither were a picnic. And throughout it all, Nao's rage grew.

Nao's powers activated at fourteen, while she was cornered in a dark alley she was cutting through to get to her job at AM-PM. Working the night shift was the only way for her to earn enough to pay for her mother's long-term care; no one else cared about the woman.

The men who so hurt her mother, those scum. They had to pay. Nao turned her newfound powers on them, seeking them out. They had to feel what her mother had.

All such men had, and Nao would use them, and they were never left the same way again. It was a dark existence, but Mikoto brightened it. So did Mai, whose presence Nao reluctantly tolerated, and Natsuki, with whom she had constantly argued. They made her feel like she belonged.

"Are you alright?" Yuki asks, running up to her. "You yelled something-- was there an intruder?"

She's crying, Nao realises too late as she turns to look at Yuki. She jerks her head away feebly, and drags her fist across her bloodshot eyes.

"No," she manages, swallowing. "It was nothing." It wasn't nothing. There was an intrusion, of a sort. But her face begs Yuki not to ask.

Yuki's face tightens in return, and she manages a curt, almost robotic nod. "I'll be by the entrance," she says, walking away stiffly.

The memories proceed, as Nao remembers Mai asking her help, pleading for her to help rescue Natsuki, but she can't be bothered. In truth, her powers exist only to punish the wicked, those who would prey on innocent women like her mother. Or is that just a lie she tells herself to feel better about what she does? A reason for her to keep on pushing everyone away?

There is an attack. A bridge is destroyed. It's Searrs, and she refused to get involved before, but can she resist it now? A sudden pain overtakes her mind, and the memories pause abruptly at that point.

Nao leans against one of the support pillars for the veranda's overhanging roof.

Punishment. Vengeance. An eye for an eye. Even without these memories, it was these ideas that stuck in her head, ever since she gained her powers for the second time. "I'll kill anyone who attacks me", or something like that; she'd told Mai, Haruka, Yukino, Mikoto, and herself, over and over again. It was extended to those who attacked her friends, those who attacked her home, and even those who merely might attack...

Revenge lies in her heart, but she has to fight past that and remind herself what's she taking it for in the first place. For someone she cares about, like Natsuki said; she clings to that. It might've been that losing her memory was a good thing. If she hadn't met Shizuru- if she hadn't decided to try and save others in the first place, what would she be like now? Absorbed in her hate and losing sight of what really matters?

As she starts heading back around to the front, Nao tries to discard her tumbling emotions. What matters now is saving the island-

-it's both revenge against Searrs, and a chance to preserve the bright spots in her life.

"I'm ready," she announces, once she reaches Yuki, having resumed her former demeanour.

"So are we," Yuki responds, and it seems that they are. The pair Yuki had singled out remain off to the side; they look like they can take care of themselves, which could be why they were chosen to separate from the main group.

A puppy emerges from the trees, barking once. It makes its way towards Nao, giving the others a wide berth.

Nao kneels in front of the puppy, raising a hand to pat it gently.

"Are you coming, Duran?" she whispers.

The puppy licks Nao's hand.

Yuki takes point, and the group proceeds towards the academy grounds. It appears that luck is with them; no First District patrols cross their way. The speed they're moving at allows Nao and the free Executive Committee members to reach their destination in just thirty minutes.

"Straight to the church, right?" Yuki asks.

"I want to scout out the school itself a bit myself, but the church is out destination," agrees Nao. "Where are all the students being held?"

"Should still be the auditorium," Yuki responds. "You know the one I mean. It's practically all-purpose, isn't it?" She sounds quite abrasive.

A bell-shaped flower is hovering just behind her ear.

Nao seems briefly shocked, but narrows her eyes. "Yukino. You can see and hear me, right? Can you reply?" She holds up a warding hand at the scout party members, hoping they'll remain silent.

"If you're near the school, meet us at the church. If you're not, I'm going to try and force the soldiers here out of the grounds, get the students to safety, and use an island-wide PA system to get in contact with the others. I should be able to get Mai to help us deal with our orbital problem."

"How?" Yukino's voice asks. "How will you ask Mai-san?"

The Executive Committee students jump, looking around. They don't seem to see where Yukino's voice is coming from.

"I'll get her to meet me somewhere. I've got an idea, the soldiers or Searrs or anyone won't know what I mean when I say it, but Mai will. Then I'll tell her the situation. She should help, if she's here. If she's not here, well... there's still Miyu. Have you had any luck finding either of them?"

Nao pauses. "Of course, if you could find her, you could do it without even needing to meet."

There is a pregnant silence. Yukino laughs, then. "Luck? No, I don't believe we've had much of that." Another pause follows, before she asks, "You want me to find Mai-san? I thought you were going to page for her."

"I am, but that was only because I didn't know where you were! I don't know, how much ground can you cover at once? What's happened on your end, anyway?"

Another silence bordering on the uncomfortable. "I want to talk to you. In private."

"In private, or in person?" asks Nao, sounding unusually uncomfortable herself; something strange for when she's addressing Yukino.

"The former," Yukino responds, swiftly this time. Nao's companions shift uncomfortably.

Nao pauses. "You guys go on ahead," she says. "I'll catch up. If I don't for some reason... Yuki, it's in your hands."

Yuki looks betrayed, though whether by Nao or her erstwhile superior is hard to tell. "Let's go," she tells the Committee remnants, and they move off through the forest, flanking Fuka's campus to the left of Nao.

"I would like to hear your intentions," Yukino says as soon as they're gone, "and I want you to know of mine."

"Believe it or not, Yukino," replies Nao, through gritted teeth, "My intentions are exactly what I've said. I'll free this island of these groups and find a way to kill Arika or die trying."

"That's not what I meant," Yukino says calmly. "I'm asking what you're going to do after that. We only have eight days... no, it's seven now, isn't it?"

"You mean the festival," replies Nao, with a sudden, sinking feeling. "I know these groups have the technology to create a way out of that bullshit, and they're just too damn selfish to use it. I'll get an answer out of them. Somehow."

"Or we could partner up," Yukino offers. "We wouldn't be the first to, you know." She sounds casual as she speaks.

"Partners?" asks Nao, sounding almost incredulous. "Partners. Yukino, do you even realise what you're saying? You can't fight in the festival. If you do, you and Suzushiro are fucked sideways."

"I know exactly what you're implying, crass as it is," Yukino responds, not rising up to the bait. "I am telling you that I believe I have found a way around that. And I somehow doubt you would care if I were proven wrong and left you as the sole winner in the end, so why don't we cut to the chase where you answer me?"

"For just you two? Or for the rest of us?" asks Nao, dangerously.

"People would have to die," Yukino states bluntly. "However, they won't have to remain that way."

"I'll need to hear the details," replies Nao, folding her arms across her chest. "But I want to ask you something, Yukino. Have you had any memories that you can't explain?"

A snort is heard. "It's because I can explain them that I've found a way out. I am extending it to you as well despite my better judgement." She pauses. "You'll get the details, if you're in, really and truly in, but I need an intermediary answer now. There's little time and we have to kill the Searrs Hime. Do we have a deal?"

"I was doing that anyway. Then I guess we're partners for now. Where's Suzushiro?"

"Dying." Yukino's voice is tight. "I know where Mai-san was a few hours ago. I'll start the search from there. Give me a place to reach you in case we have to regroup, somewhere only you and I would know of."

"Go to the forest across from Mashiro's garden if we must meet up. I know it well," replies Nao. "Where are you right now?"

"No, that's a bad idea. It's swarming with First District forces," Yukino says. "Nagi himself is there. It's the last place I'd want to meet."

"Should we avoid the school entirely?"

Yukino mulls this over. "No. This might work in our favor." She still ignores Nao's question about her present location.

"You're too cryptic."

"I'm sorry. Let me get some tea and biscuits so we could discuss the situation at length, calmly and rationally."

"That's two sentences you could've used to tell me what you mean. The school is swarming with soldiers, too. If there's a free spot, we could try the executive office. Or the place where I killed Arika the first time."

"A return to the scene of the crime?" Yukino asks, sounding melancholic. "Why not. Two hours from now, or as soon as possible if something go wrong and I can't keep up with you."

The flower fades away.

What crime, is all Nao can think, before she shakes her head and decides to proceed into the school.

<--->