Legend of the HiME: First Installment, a mai hime fanfic

A/N – Okay, so this story started off as me being bored one random day and intending to work on my other stories (which yes, are very slowly in the works) and it turned into something I had a lot of fun with and enjoyed writing. Thank you Omni-Obiter for reading whatever crap I throw in your direction!

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai HiME or the characters used in this piece of fiction.

LEGEND OF THE HiME: FIRST INSTALLMENT

Odd noises echoed down the misty streets from the direction of the docks, causing the children playing in the streets to scarper home.

In winter it became dark quickly, so even though it was only supper time it seemed like midnight.

"Be careful," the strict yet quiet voice of John Smith flowed through the still, foggy air. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and brushed his tie free of the crumbs from his last cookie.

Inside, he was almost going to pee in excitement.

The loud clang of his strong workmen lifting the prize stone artefact from the ship into the back of an armoured car was music to his ears.

When the stone was finally settled he placed a hand on it, eyes mesmerized by the intricate carving of the ancient stone that resembled another – its twin – which he held at the private headquarters of the Searrs District.

His boss was going to be happy, and so was his wallet.

"Kruger, you're awfully quiet."

A pen stopped writing and eyes looked up from the schoolwork with an impassive glance.

"Don't you talk?" Shot an annoyed yet pretty red-head at the mute new girl in their class.

"Forgive Kruger-san, Zhang-san," The most popular girl interrupted the morning banter with narrowed eyes, "apparently she thinks too highly of herself."

Snickers erupted throughout the homeroom of Garderobe School of Otome's Pearl Class.

Natsuki Kruger did not give in to the rest of the girls and their petty behaviour. She remained silent and when the laughter died down she leaned back and met the challenging eyes of the 'popular' girl.

"On the contrary, Viola, I'm unfortunately shy."

At this calm remark, Kruger put her pen down and folded the paper on her desk. A few snorts were heard from girls who tried not to laugh at Shizuru Viola being quiet after Natsuki's sarcastic remark.

Natsuki put the paper away, her eyes lifting to meet a smirking Juliet Nao Zhang.

"Just ignore her," Tomoe Marguerite put a soft hand to her girlfriend's arm, knowing better than anyone just how much Kruger's little comeback got to Shizuru. There was more under the surface of the pathetic retort.

Shizuru turned to Tomoe saying within most girls' earshot, "of course. After all, it's easy to ignore shy people."

Natsuki turned her attention to the teacher who walked in, not wanting to fuel Viola's ire.

She knew of Shizuru Viola alright, and it was clear they were never going to get along.

Viola was the top of their class. She constantly changed girlfriends between Tomoe Marguerite and Anh Lu while also having every other student in Garderobe bow at her feet or at least cower before her.

The rumour was that if you went against her you were done for because somehow Viola happened to know a secret about everyone in the school that could bring them sorrow.

So the rumour said.

Natsuki on the other hand, being the new girl and having very rich parents who she hardly knew but paid for everything she did, was able to get hold of the twenty-five girl's names and backgrounds in her class to assess the competition since she admitted herself late.

Viola had been the most interesting because the girl had been adopted by the Minagi's at a young age to become their family Otome and she was to be nothing but the best. And she was the best, at everything she did.

She was a conceited little bitch who always got her way and Natsuki, though the 'rich and spoiled one,' was reserved in what she did. She knew how to deal with Viola.

She would do it the silent way, and the silent way involved simply besting Viola.

Natsuki had stayed behind in class to get on Yukariko Steinberg's good side. She was the literary history teacher. Natsuki had simply been polite and asked a few questions but soon found herself in a genuinely interesting conversation about the legendary HiME. Two errant warriors with natural abilities, a legend even she had heard, but to hear Yukariko's thoughts on these two unknown saviours of the earth and a sacrifice they had to make of their lives was the most interesting.

Her teacher went in depth, saying things Natsuki soon realised made her ahead of her studies already.

But the one thing Natsuki found the most intriguing was that the two HiME had tombs that archaeologists recently sold for 20 Billion Earl rubles to Searrs District.

Such money... her ridiculously rich parents were valued at only 200 Million and here these tombs were worth billions.

It was amazing. It made her realize how much further she could progress in life. She could move herself from millions to billions.

She wanted to continue the discussion but Yukariko had to leave since her husband arrived to pick her up then. Natsuki readily agreed to continue the private lesson another time. She found the tombs utterly fascinating.

Seeing that the rest of her Pearl class was in the cafeteria for the daily lunch, she made her way there.

It was only her second week at school and she decided the school was rather nice when the noisy girls weren't around.

She heard the constant gossip where the girls believed her parents bought her way into Garderobe – none of them knowing Natsuki had been privately tutored by her parent's Otome Maaya Blythe for even more years than the other girls here.

So, sure Natsuki had a bit of an ego, but she did not execute it the same way Viola did by walking around like she owned the fucking school. She probably had no where near as much money as Natsuki anyways.

Just when Natsuki got hold of some food she felt a shove into her shoulder that made her drop her tray.

The cafeteria went silent at the clatter and she already knew who was responsible before the taunt came.

"Ara ara, do forgive me Kruger-san, I did not see you there."

Natsuki raised her chin a bit so they were eye to eye. Viola was an inch taller but that made no difference to her.

"No need," Natsuki let out a mock sigh and squatted to collect her things before she stood up again and shrugged, "my mind's been somewhere else so my deepest apologies Viola-san."

She had wanted to give that girl a nice fist to the face but knew it would only get her into trouble. 'Silent victory' she reminded herself.

She even made a bow with her head and then walked off to a lonely table, cursing when she forgot the mayonnaise.

Shizuru just smiled a large and rather bitchy smile and walked off with her little groupies who giggled behind her. 'Fucking bitch'.

"Hey Kruger," Natsuki looked up when she was joined a by a few girls from her class.

Juliet Nao Zhang, Chie Harada, Mai Tokiha and Haruka Armitage. Natsuki knew of them and their standings. Haruka was second after Shizuru, Mai was third. Chie and Nao were always switching between tenth and ninth.

Natsuki herself was not ranked as only the top ten girls were in numbers, but she knew she would be in the ranks soon enough. Perhaps after the fight classes started in three months. Then the other girls would see just how much of a smart little rich girl she was.

They just sat down themselves, all smiles, interrupting Natsuki form her musings.

"How may I help you?" Natsuki took a generous sip of her soda and then just continued eating her food quickly since they only had a few minutes until their math class and she did not want to be late.

"Nothing," Zhang gave her a shrug. "Wondering what you were doing today after school."

Natsuki was slightly suspicious but remembered that these girls were among the ones who were ignored by Viola and ignored her in return.

Were they trying to be her friends?

"You got guts for standing up to Viola," Haruka huffed, "she's a bitch, eh?"

Natsuki chuckled at the blunt accuracy of Armitage's comment.

"Well, we were going to go out for dinner at this cute little place – we go often, you know?" Mai cut in and Natsuki couldn't help but feel comfortable around the girl's large smile. She was beautiful too. If Natsuki had to rate them, she would pick Mai and Juliet as her top two choices in the class. Haruka was pretty too, but way too gruff for Natsuki's liking. And Chie was dashing but Natsuki preferred long hair and girls with more figure.

Maybe going out tonight wasn't such a bad idea?

"You should come," Chie grinned, "Nao likes you."

At this, Juliet slapped Chie and glared and Natsuki couldn't help but blush, eyes making contact with an also slightly flushed Nao.

There was a brief awkward silence until Natsuki coughed and stood up, "Sure... uh... I'll talk to you guys after class?"

Nao grinned, all awkwardness gone, and the others smiled.

Hanging out with the four girls was a good time as Natsuki had never really had any friend her own age.

She was awkward but the others just let her be herself. It was strange since she was used to only talking with adults but even she gave in a few times to the immature laughs that her new friends had. She realised how much she had taken her own age for granted. Why was she acting thirty already? Surely it was okay to act like the young adolescent she was once in a while.

They opened a new window for her and she regretted never having such friends before.

"You know Kruger; you dress in black too much."

"Says Juliet, the proclaimed black widow?"

A light punch to her arm followed by the usual, "don't call me Juliet!"

"Aw man," Chie whined, cutting between Nao and Natsuki by throwing her arms over their shoulders. "All the sexual tension between you guys is killing me. Just go out already!"

Natsuki flushed brightly again, her eyes bulging as Nao also blushed prettily.

"Awww you're so cute!" Mai threw her arms around Natsuki's arm, prompting her to blush even more when large boobs made contact. They were larger up close.

Haruka burst out laughing, "Kruger, you wear the colour red too much!"

They all laughed, and Natsuki managed a shy smile at their friendly nature. She quite liked the bunch.

"Hey, do you guys want to stay at my house this weekend?" She asked, changing the subject completely. She wouldn't show it but she was nervous about what her new friends thought of her.

"Dude," Chie raised her hand, "what are you talking about? You live in that random state down south in a fucking mansion! Of course we'd come over!"

Natsuki waved them off, "no, I meant I have an apartment here in the city which I stayed in before being admitted to Garderobe."

"You have an apartment?" Haruka asked, bewildered.

Natsuki nodded, "yeah. So it would just be us, downtown..."

"That sounds fun," Nao smiled at Natsuki, enjoying the red sprout on the cheeks again, "we can hit a club or something!"

Natsuki rolled her eyes at the last part; her friends all started re-telling a story of the last time they went to a club, teasing Chie about the sandwich she ended up in the middle of.

Haruka could be the worst tease if you let her be.

Soon they arrived back at the school, checking in at security before slowly walking back towards their individual dorm rooms.

"See you guys tomorrow."

Natsuki waved.

"Goodnight."

She was about to head further down the hall to her own room when Nao called out to her.

"Kruger?"

She turned around.

Before either of them could say another word, the dorm room door right in front of them opened to reveal a flushing Anh Lu and a contently smirking Shizuru Viola.

That was, of course, until Viola saw Natsuki and her smirk turned smug.

"Ara, Kruger-san. Good evening. Don't mind Anh," she tucked her hair behind her ear and wrapped an arm around Anh's waist from behind, lips closing on the other girl's neck. "We were just studying," Shizuru giggled, her hand brushing up to Anh's breasts.

It was clear they were tipsy, possibly even drunk.

Goody two-shoes Viola my ass, Natsuki huffed in her brain.

Nonetheless Natsuki couldn't help but flush at the sight and avert her eyes from the scene.

"Ah, sorry," Shizuru said just before Anh moaned softly, "I forgot you're shy."

Natsuki grabbed Nao's wrist and jerked her down the hallway, glaring straight ahead as Anh and Shizuru did God-knows-what behind her back.

She stopped in front of her door and let out a breath of relief.

"You know," Nao rubbed her wrist, "My room happens to be back that way," she pointed down the hall. She was clearly amused by Natsuki's modesty.

Natsuki blushed again.

"S-sorry," she rubbed the back of her neck, "I thought... I just-"

Nao giggled and moved close to her, putting a finger to her lips.

She was shorter than Natsuki by half a foot, and Natsuki felt her heart tug as Nao blushed herself, almost the same colour as her hair.

She looked so vulnerable and Natsuki couldn't help but lean down a bit until their breaths mingled.

"Don't think I didn't see you staring at Mai's rack earlier," Nao moved even closer.

Then their lips touched, softly. It felt awkward jut standing there, so Natsuki brought her hands up to Nao's hips, the kiss deepening as Nao cupped her cheeks.

Natsuki felt like she had kissed for years, it was strange. She had never kissed before.

She knew somewhere within her exactly how to touch a body and she almost couldn't believe it herself when she lifted Nao's leg up to wrap around her waist and turned them around so Nao was pressed back into her room door – her kisses getting deeper and her tongue exploring in fascination.

She forced her thigh up and her hand drifted down and –

"Ah- Wait!" Nao broke off, her face red and breathlessly vulnerable. "Going kind of fast don't you think?"

Natsuki blushed and jumped back. "S-sorry, I don't know what came over me I-"

"It's okay Kruger," Nao giggled at her expression and pulled her back in closer by her shirt, kissing her again.

Natsuki kissed back, trying to keep her hands to herself until Nao finally broke off the kiss.

"Just how many people have you kissed?"

"Me?" Natsuki asked, "Uh, you're my first actually..."

"How the fuck could I be her first?" Nao confided in her best friends as they waited for Natsuki Kruger to join them for lunch. "I mean, she definitely has kissed before by the way she does it, but she wouldn't lie, right? She's not secretly some player, right? And looking like she does plus her rich status she should have people fawning all over her!"

"Was she that good?" Mai asked with a flush.

Haruka and Chie were totally enraptured by Nao's story while Mai felt embarrassed.

"She was amazing," Nao deadpanned.

"Hey guys," Natsuki joined them with her food tray, the usual mayonnaise sandwich on top, and collapsed on the bench, "how's it going?"

They all blushed while Nao simply leaned across the table and planted a kiss to Natsuki's lips, shocking her too much to respond.

"Ara ara, isn't Kruger-san ever the shy one."

Natsuki glared as Shizuru walked by.

However, that day, before Shizuru could spit out her next insult which would probably be something along the lines of 'I thought country bumpkins were eternal virgins?' Natsuki witnessed her first cat-fight.

"Shizuru! Is it true? You fucked Anh last night?"

Shizuru didn't even have a chance to explain herself to Tomoe before Anh confirmed it.

"So what if she did?" she crossed her arms and stepped up.

"You bitch!" Tomoe screeched and pounced on Anh, who in turn grabbed at Tomoe's hair and soon the two were rolling on the floor.

What really pissed off Natsuki was that no one seemed to be mad at Shizuru in this when Viola was clearly the one two-timing the girls.

Looking up she saw Shizuru with an uncharacteristic look of shock and surprise on her face. She seemed dumbfounded.

The fifty girls in the cafeteria watched in a variety of numb amusement, horror, and shock. No one bothered to try and stop the girls from hurting themselves. Surely a teacher would come soon and they would get in trouble?

Natsuki stood up and walked to them, grabbing both of them by the collar of their uniforms and pulling them apart with force.

They tumbled off each other and gasped at the realization of what just happened.

"Fuck," Natsuki dusted her hands off, "I was trying to eat lunch."

She sat back down and immediately started eating.

Tomoe stood up and pointed a finger at Anh. "This is far from over Lu!"

Anh hissed back at her and they both stomped out in opposite directions.

Shizuru straightened herself out and smoothed her hair, composing herself in front of her classmates.

Her eyes briefly met Natsuki's before she too left the cafeteria in the direction Tomoe left.

The other students suddenly started gossiping and Natsuki felt many eyes upon her as she ate.

"Wow, that was some pull," Mai leaned over and grabbed a grape form Chie`s plate.

Natsuki`s eyes watched her cleavage of their own accord before she shrugged.

"That was appalling," she commented simply. "I thought this academy was for well mannered students and that was perhaps one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. They fought over Viola for god sakes! It's clear she played them both and yet they don't get mad at her."

"Really? I thought neither of them were official with her, it's just them both chasing after her and she never chooses one."

Natsuki frowned, "what kind of behaviour is that?"

The others shrugged and started getting ready to head to class.

Nao walked out with Natsuki, lips reaching up to her ear. "Don't think I didn't notice you checking out Mai's rack."

"Now Kruger-san, the other girls have two Coral years of training over you so don't feel too bad about your first battle and simply raise your hand if you are too hurt."

Perhaps Miss Maria's voice was supposed to scare her but Natsuki decided to keep it a secret that she had been trained by one of the best Otome firsthand. The school let her in after she proved knowledgeable in the ways of an Otome and hand-to-hand combat. Even though she never had the ability to call forth a robe she knew how to attack from Maaya's lessons and she thought she could probably fight better than all the girls in the Academy without a robe anyway.

"So, first up we have Sarah Foresthime and Natsuki Kruger."

Sarah and Natsuki bowed, the Pearl Class watched in rapt silence – all of them excited to see the pretty little rich girl fight.

Natsuki took a calming breath and walked to up to Miss Maria with Sarah before kneeling as their teacher activated their robes with a brief peck to their Pearl training GEMs.

As she stood up, feeling the wave of a new power and saying the necessary "materialize!" she turned to find her friends staring at her with worry.

She felt annoyed but she could not bring herself to even tell them about her experience with fighting.

The fight was on, and she already knew she would win.

Sarah was waiting for Natsuki to attack her, probably so she could counter-attack and win easily. But Natsuki remembered being told about what the staff on a robe could do. She knew all the tricks of the robe even if it was her first time using one. It was just the point of testing it out herself now.

She decided she enjoyed the power coursing through her. It felt like it belonged within her and she suddenly felt the need to fight grow inside of her. She wanted to hit something.

Making her staff grow, she twirled it around in her hands like an expert and enjoyed the look of surprise on Sarah's face as she charged.

Sarah barely dodged her attack but Natsuki knew the girl was going to cut left before the girl knew it herself and easily swung the enlarged staff to hit Sarah square in the gut. Before Sarah had the chance she hit a few more times and suppressed the urge to grin in victory.

As people stopped talking about her buying her way into school, since Natsuki found herself quickly ranked seventh, more girls started trying to talk to her.

Trying to hit on her.

Natsuki hated socializing too much but one look from the jealous, angry eyes of Shizuru Viola made her want to dance with private glee.

No one knew of her real goals but Shizuru.

Shizuru knew now that there was more to Natsuki than meets-the-eye and Natsuki had won the first of their silent wars.

Now came the real war: beating Viola as the number one student. Clearly Viola was not going to underestimate her so Natsuki had to be on the top of her game.

"Hey there Kruger," a voice that made her eyes brighten accompanied the lips that touched her cheek.

"Hey Nao," Natsuki leaned back in her chair and let her eyes drift along her girlfriend's form as the red head took her usual seat in front of her.

Mai and Chie walked in soon after.

"Natsuki!" Mai beamed at her, "I can't believe it! You beat Haruka to second place and bumped us down." Haruka huffed beside Natsuki at this.

Natsuki felt her cheeks warm a bit since other girls who waited for their teacher to arrive started gasping and whispering at the news.

As soon as it was said, Shizuru sauntered into class with her usual 'graceful' walk and sat on the far right of the room opposite Natsuki and her friends.

Natsuki and Shizuru had their private morning glare and Natsuki felt her body tense.

She had yet to fight Shizuru. She would not be satisfied until she beat that girl's conceited ass into the ground and was named number one.

"Alright class, we shall be cooking today."

The class grumbled about cooking so early in the morning but nonetheless transferred their bodies to the cooking classroom. Upon arriving at their assigned stalls they looked at the recipe they had to follow.

"The Gakuenchou and Third Column have agreed to come down later and without knowing who cooked each cake and taste them. Reactions from them will be your grade."

Natsuki sighed.

She sucked at cooking.

The one thing she sucked at had to be one of the foundations of being an Otome. And damn it, Maaya never cooked for them back home. If anything she enjoyed the personal chef they had.

No one in Natsuki's family could cook.

The hour went by and soon identical cakes sat with secret numbers as the Gakuenchou and Third Column walked in.

Natsuki and all the other girls admired those two to some point for they were recognized celebrities and political influences. There was a rumour that Gakuenchou Una Shamrock and her second-in-command Lindsay Volkswhan were romantically involved.

They each took a fork of a cake one at a time since there were twenty-five to taste, and deliberated silently with the morsel in their mouth before saying their thoughts out loud.

A series of "delicious" and "tasty" came from their mouths, Yukariko silently graded based on secret numbers.

The twelfth cake they ate was spat out by Shamrock while Volkswhan practically turned green.

Yukariko patted the Gakuenchou's back and then frowned at the number on the cake.

"Number twelve?" She looked down at her sheet of the names and let out a sigh. "Natsuki Kruger... it appears your cake was made incorrectly. Did you not follow the recipe?"

Natsuki blushed and stuttered, "I-I did-"

She was cut off by a snort that came from none other than her own girlfriend and she glared at her. Soon Mai and Chie and Haruka started stifling laughter but Natsuki had heard it and glared at them. Her pride was hurt after all.

A small quiet giggle came form her right and Natsuki turned her glare to none other than a smug Shizuru Viola.

Damn cooking class.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms in annoyance.

Finally the Gakuenchou and Third Column came across the last cake and after putting it in their mouth the unthinkable happened again.

Shamrock gagged and excused herself before spitting it out while Volkswhan had a napkin to spit her own in.

"Number twenty-five..." Yukariko sighed again, not remembering a time when students managed to mess up a cake recipe. A recipe. "S-Shizuru Viola?"

Shizuru felt a small heat creep up her cheeks but she played it off gracefully.

"Ara ara, how disappointing."

Natsuki snorted and crossed her arms.

It would seem they had more in common than they cared to acknowledge.

They had finally gone all the way last night.

Natsuki awoke to find a slumbering and naked Nao in her bed at her downtown apartment. She smiled at the sight, raising a hand to gently brush along Nao's side.

Five months of dating after six long months at school and it was great.

It had been a wonderful experience for Natsuki. She recalled the way Nao's skin felt against her own, the way Nao's voice sounded in her ears, the way Nao's body trembled in her arms.

She had found a strange courage inside of her even though she had never done anything intimate before – yet she knew exactly what to do. It was... puzzling... but perhaps that was what happened to most people? She had read about the desires of flesh before. It was just as awesome as people said.

Nao had had sex before, Natsuki found out. She had done it with Chie a few times and even had a girlfriend who left Garderobe after the Coral year.

"Mmm," Nao stretched and smirked in a catty fashion at Natsuki's close face. "Good morning."

"Morning," Natsuki wanted to have sex all over again and pulled Nao in closer, not at all minding as Nao went even further and rolled on top of her.

Natsuki's hand glided down Nao's back to the firm behind, her other hand grabbing a fist of red hair as the girl above her moaned into their morning kiss.

It was amazing how she could orchestrate a body with her touch, and Natsuki loved to be amazed.

Shizuru Viola had a headache. She had drunk way too much alcohol the previous night and hardly remembered how she ended up in a love hotel with Tomoe naked on her.

She tried not to groan and instead leaned over Tomoe to grab a glass of water, her throat was very dry.

After a generous sip she immediately felt better and smiled as Tomoe wiggled on top of her and murmured gently into her neck.

They had signed out for the weekend from Garderobe and spent their first night at this cheap yet fun hotel to celebrate their four month anniversary.

A brief glance at the clock made her sigh.

No matter how late she stayed up for some reason she could never stay in bed past ten.

Freeing herself form the still slumbering green-haired girl who had screamed rather loudly last night, she started putting on her casual civilian clothes and decided to score girlfriend points with her romantic side. She had always had a way with romance and she privately enjoyed sappy things.

Sometimes she thought it would be nice to have the favour returned, but it also made her feel weak to think about it.

It was half an hour later that Tomoe awoke to the smell of fresh bakery croissants and a single red rose beside some tea.

Shizuru smiled so sweetly, so charmingly.

"Good morning."

Tomoe was so in love with her.

"A new student?" Shizuru wondered as she heard the news.

"Yeah!" Anh sidled up next to her and played with her hair innocently. Shizuru knew she was far from innocent in her advances, but she wanted to at least try and stay faithful to Tomoe for another week.

"I heard she's an ugly person that can't find a husband or something so her parents paid the school to make her an Otome, like a LOT of money, so she's off of their hands."

"Really? I heard she's really rich but also really pretty and that since she doesn't like men her parents sent her here to pick out a girl she likes!"

"Perhaps we should simply wait for the girl to arrive before we tell tales?" Shizuru rested her cheek on her hand and all the girls instantly shut up.

"It would be wise to listen to Viola-san," came the stern voice of Miss Maria. "The rumours I have heard about Kruger-san are preposterous. I assure you girls however, that she has earned her spot in this school."

Shizuru's interest piqued with this information.

But as quickly as the thought came she shrugged it off in her mind. Miss Maria had to say stuff like that so the school wouldn't appear corrupt to money.

This Kruger was probably just a rude little rich girl who thought she was above everyone else. Shizuru would show her, silently, just how beneath everyone she was.

She hated snobs after all.

"This, class, is Natsuki Kruger. She will be the twenty-fifth Pearl joining your studies. Please be kind."

Kruger was beautiful; it was futile to think otherwise. Shizuru let her eyes unconsciously travel along the girl's lean body.

Surely that girl was kidding herself? She maybe put on a tough face but Shizuru knew she could take her down.

And frankly, as hot as Natsuki Kruger was in her Pearl outfit, Shizuru also knew she was much hotter in hers.

Shizuru tried not to smirk when she acknowledged that her bust was more likely larger and her hips a bit more curvy too.

Take that rich snob. Who's the prettiest now?

Why was she feeling so competitive already? There was nothing to be competitive about, surely, because this girl was just a rich snob. She had nothing other than beauty and money going for her. Shizuru had so much more.

"Pleased to meet you Kruger-san," Shizuru gave a bow and stood up. "Welcome to our class."

Shizuru said this after Steinberg-sensei introduced Kruger to 'Shizuru Viola, class representative and Number One Pearl.'

No bow of respect came back, and Shizuru felt the urge to let the frown tugging at her lips loose and slap the snob's face.

Instead Kruger and she just stared at each other for a few tense seconds before she turned away and silently walked to her seat.

So it would seem she was everything Shizuru assumed of her to be.

Daddy's little rich girl?

In their first year as Pearls, the class of now twenty-five girls got their own dorm rooms instead of sharing in groups of three like they did as Corals.

Shizuru had roomed with Haruka Armitage and Chie Harada the previous two years and the three had a silent agreement not to bother the others in the room.

They rarely talked but sometimes it was unavoidable and Shizuru even liked them to some point.

Haruka could be amusing and Chie told good stories. But no matter if she liked their company or not she would not call them friends.

Even Tomoe and Anh or a few of the other girls she felt attracted to and had flings with were not her friends, no matter how much they would say it themselves. The corals that made her fan club were also not her friends.

Shizuru was not allowed to make friends and she would not make friends. She only pretended to be their friends. She had a duty to her adopted family after all.

So then why did it piss her off that Kruger got along with Harada, Armitage, Tokiha and Zhang?

Why did she sometimes find she actually cared for Tomoe like a girlfriend should? And why did she forget that her friends weren't supposed to be her friends?

And when Zhang and Kruger started going out Shizuru felt jealous.

Jealous that Kruger was enjoying school like a normal girl and now the second best Pearl. Jealous that everything seemed to go to the girl so fucking easily. Jealous that Kruger only needed Zhang to be satisfied and didn't need to cheat on her with other girls.

Jealous.

Shizuru Viola was above petty feelings and emotions such as jealousy and anger but Kruger evoked both from her since she came.

Last month when the fights started Shizuru had seen the girl fight with excellent skill, perhaps on par with her own.

And god, the way Kruger looked into her eyes every morning pissed Shizuru off more than she cared to admit.

It all came down to the final exams to see who would finish the first Pearl year as number one and who would just be the looser in their private game.

"Now, last year hand-to-hand combat was touched on lightly. I know you haven't fought all of each other yet in robes but we are going to jump straight to fighting without robes for the remainder of this week. You will be paired up to fight according to your rank if you are in the top ten, all other girls will be in groups of three. Understood?"

Shizuru gripped her fists. This meant she was going to be able to fight Natsuki!

Her heart pounded with excitement and her eyes swivelled promptly to greet Natsuki's own as they glared. Natsuki's stiff frown caused Shizuru to smirk mockingly at her.

Shizuru had been practicing hand-to-hand combat and she knew not to underestimate the girl after seeing her skills in a Robe. She just had to win this fight.

"The purpose of this exercise is to land a hit to the head. You must wear protective gear. First up are Zhang and Harada."

Nao and Chie sent snappy remarks to each other as they fought, both seemed even. Chie was more forward in her attacks and Nao was more evasive.

Eventually Chie managed to pin Nao down long enough to tap her playfully on the head and win.

The others were called up as well and everyone watched the brief fights. After Mai Tokiha beat Haruka Armitage it was finally Shizuru's turn to fight Natsuki Kruger.

They strapped on their padded fingerless gloves and headgear, not saying anything and standing across from each other with a mutual defiance.

Shizuru was so wrapped up in the fight as they started circling each other looking for openings that she paid no heed to how all the other girls watched so intently. Even Miss Maria could tell there was some serious rivalry between them.

They were taking this much more seriously than a simple tactic fight.

This was personal.

As predicted by Shizuru, Natsuki was more impatient than she let on and charged first. She faked a punch to Shizuru's right and instantly dropped to the ground and swept her legs to knock Shizuru off her feet.

Shizuru fell for it and felt her back hit the ground, intense green eyes making contact with her own before she rolled out of the way. Natsuki's left fist punched into the ground where her head should have been.

Natsuki was fast. Shizuru had to be faster.

She flipped up onto her feet and roundhouse kicked Natsuki in the gut, watching with a smirk as the girl grunted and hit the ground hard.

But Natsuki was up just as quickly, rolling off the floor and exchanging a combination of kicks and punches.

Shizuru recognized the martial arts form and fought back. She had studied this ever since the Minagi's adopted her to become their family Otome.

They were dead even, and time seemed to fly by quickly. It felt like they had only been fighting a few minutes though they did not know that the lunch bell had already rung marking fifteen.

The girls in their class were just as into the fight as them and stayed to watch.

Shizuru was successful in getting a hit to Natsuki's shoulder and quickly grabbed the girl's arm as the opening came. She twisted her body around and elbowed her mid-air into the ground.

Just before she could get a kick to Natsuki's head, Natsuki managed to grab her legs and pull her down below, pinning her in place.

They were fighting with anger and desperation now – the opposite of how an Otome should with grace and poise.

Shizuru struggled, eyes wide as the fist neared her temple. She brought her knee up to Natsuki's gut just in time and then rolled them over again after the girl doubled over from the hit.

She straddled the girl to the ground and their arms struggled to get a fist to the others face. They were just wrestling now, like pigs in mud.

Finally after what felt like forever in their scuffle Shizuru hit Kruger on the cheek and didn't bother hiding her smug grin from victory.

Natsuki refused the ice offered to her cheek, obviously not wanting to show weakness. And that was nothing compared to the dark bruises she knew were forming on her gut. Shizuru seemed to have hit her there a lot and Natsuki cursed herself for leaving that spot open.

To Shizuru however, the blue bruise on Natsuki's face was a beautiful thing. The rest of the bruises on their bodies did not matter because that specific one on Natsuki's cheek was evidence of Shizuru's victory.

"Now you both did an excellent job," Miss Maria sat behind her desk and tapped her fingers, "but you must remember to fight with grace! It is clear you both have animosities between each other. Now Gakuenchou has chosen you to represent Garderobe at the Royal Commission. You both need to keep such unsightly behaviour to yourself and dance like a true Otome during the ceremonial battle."

"Royal Commission?" Shizuru spoke up.

"Yes. Garderobe as always will provide the before show entertainment with the top Pearls fighting, then the King and Queen of Windbloom will give a speech to the city before the viewing of the HiME tombs that were sold to the Royal museum."

Natsuki seemed to be interested. "The HiME tombs? They were sold again?"

"Yes," Miss Maria said. "So I hope you will not disappoint me in the fight girls."

"I shall not," Shizuru said politely, "but I look forward to beating Kruger-san again."

Natsuki growled and Shizuru smiled as the girl winced from the bruise on her swollen cheek.

"As if," she countered spitefully.

"Ladies!" Miss Maria cut them off. "You may grab a late lunch now, and I expect a three page paper due in my office by nine tomorrow morning to dignify your unsightly behaviour in class."

"That bitch!" Natsuki sat down with her friends and slammed a fist to her table. "I'll show her. I'll beat her ass so hard she won't even-"

"Woah," Nao spoke up. "Clam down there."

Natsuki trembled in anger, her face red.

"The nerve!"

She seethed and chewed her food angrily, still wincing from the bruise on her cheek but not willing to stop her furious chewing because of it.

Shizuru had overheard this from her spot in line and grinned. Was it so wrong of her to be happy to have affected Kruger's ego so?

Now she would have to win again at the Royal Commission, especially since it was a large event where many of Earl's leading figures would be present. The Minagi's would be there and Shizuru had to prove to them she was the absolute best.

"So, want to go out after school Natsuki?" Nao's voice spoke to change the subject as she clearly tried to curb her girlfriend's temper.

Shizuru picked extra slow at the vegetable choices before her, wanting to see if she could overhear anymore of Kruger's bruised pride.

"Yes, but I have to make a call to my parents first," came a reply from the still terse voice.

"Oh, your parents?" Nao had a slight tease in her voice and Shizuru saw her peck Natsuki's cheek. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at it.

"Yeah," now Kruger's voice sounded exhausted and she leaned on her arms. "They probably want me to organize a place for them to stay. I assume they'll be here for the Royal Commission."

"Can't your parents organize it themselves?" Haruka was forever the brash and curious type.

A shrug from Natsuki, her temper seeming to have cooled somewhat as she chewed with more pace.

"That's just how they are."

"Ara ara," Shizuru spoke up now and turned to the table that apparently did not notice her.

At her intrusion Kruger's eyes flared with anger again and Shizuru smirked.

"I do hope Kruger-san's parents know she'll lose the Royal Commission battle."

With that she walked off, relishing her day of triumph over the conceited little rich girl and enjoying the taste of her lunch much more than usual.

"Natsuki-san, it is nice to see you again."

Natsuki bowed to her parents, having organized their stay for them in Windbloom. She was like an employee to her parents more than anything else and she had long gotten used to this fact.

"You as well, sir." She addressed her father and led them to a hired car outside.

Her father Nathaniel Hiroshi Kruger looked at her with pride, clearly approving of her appearance and manners and the car she hired.

Meanwhile her mother gave her a gentle smile and put a hand to her cheek.

"Natsuki-chan has become so beautiful. Please forgive your parents for not having much time to spend with you so far."

Natsuki flushed faintly from the compliment. After all, her mother was known for her beauty and to be acknowledged like this by her parents made her feel glorious. They were very happy with how their daughter had turned out and it made her happy.

"Thank you mother," she said, swallowing nervously when that soft hand left her cheek and opening the car door for them.

It was a silent ride after that. Natsuki only answered mundane questions her father asked whereas her mother simply stayed quiet and gazed out the window.

"And you like the apartment?" He kept his back stiff and straight.

"Yes sir," Natsuki replied. "I have used it most weekends and some weekday evenings. Thank you for it."

"Not at all," he smiled a little.

Even though she was distant with her parents, they still liked to spoil her and spoiling her was easy when they had more than enough money to do so.

"So Natsuki-chan, the Zipang princess Mai Tokiha goes to Garderobe. Have you made her acquaintance?"

Always the politics with her mother, but Natsuki felt surprise. Mai? Her friend Mai was a princess?

"She's a princess?" Natsuki asked, showing her surprise. "She has become a friend of mine... and the file I got on her before admittance said she was a Duke's daughter..."

Saeko Kruger smoothed the hem of her silk dress, "Yes. Her parents kept her identity secret."

"Ah," Natsuki shrugged it off. When she thought about it, Mai definitely was more dignified and graceful than she let on. "She certainly does carry herself as one."

Her parents seemed amused by her response and soon the car stopped. Natsuki stepped out first and the driver listened to her instructions that he was to take her parents wherever they liked, so he shrugged and drove off to the side. He was being paid handsomely for this week after all.

"I know this hotel," her father spoke up as they walked up the red carpet on the marble steps. "Nice choice Natsuki-san."

Natsuki nodded, she had to have the best prepared for them. She had to impress them.

She talked to the receptionist and had her parent's luggage already in the best room when they made it there, her parents once again pleased with the arrangement.

"Would you like to go to dinner with us Natsuki-chan?" Saeko started removing her jewellery and Natsuki stood awkwardly to the side.

"Tonight?"

"Yes, tonight." Saeko answered, her husband already removing his shirt before lying on a side of the bed.

"What time suits you? I'll make arrangements."

She would have to cancel her date with Nao tonight but surely Nao will understand?

Shizuru joked with the Minagi siblings, they were the closest thing she had to family and she got along great with them.

Still, they were not her friends.

"So you and this Kruger girl had to write a paper?"

"Ara yes, but perhaps we should keep that a secret?"

Reito and Mikoto laughed, they all sipped some expensive wine as they awaited their parents to arrive at the acclaimed best restaurant in the city.

"So," Reito changed the conversation, "You're back together with Tomoe-san?"

Shizuru let out a small sigh, "yes."

Before the conversation could continue, two well-dressed and aristocratic individuals approached.

Mr. and Mrs. Minagi De Gustovan Kanzaki, but simply Mr. and Mrs. Minagi. They preferred their Artaiian address with the title of mister and missus compared to the standard honorifics used throughout Earl.

Shizuru, Reito, and Mikoto stood up for them politely and the two smiled at them, thanking Reito as he poured them some wine.

The meal started off quiet before Shizuru started answering questions that her sponsors asked her. How's school? How are you friends?

Shizuru answered as vaguely as possible while maintaining a polite aura about her.

Halfway through the meal, three people entered the establishment, catching the attention of all other affluent people indulging in their meals as well as the workers.

Shizuru was the only one who stared without admiration or envy. She stared with spite.

Natsuki Kruger just had to walk into this restaurant, didn't she?

Her parents were seated at the better tables with more privacy, thus unfortunately near the Minagi's own reserved one.

"Those are the Kruger's, eh?" Mr. Minagi chuckled. "He is such a serious man, but very brilliant. You're fighting their daughter tomorrow, aren't you Shizuru?"

"Yes Mr. Minagi," Shizuru responded.

As Natsuki sat down with her parents, her eyes lifted to meet Shizuru's. There was surprise at first but then it changed into an equivalent glare of malevolence.

They sent the same message to each other.

Tomorrow, you're going down.

The whole day was a blur. All the two girls could think about was how they were going to make the other cry in front of the most important people on Earl and be awarded the title of victor.

Natsuki did not even remember all of the people she had to be introduced to by her parents. The only thing she remembered was introducing them to Nao and both of them immediately liking the girl.

Perhaps that had to do with the fact that her father always liked red-heads or the fact that her mother knew Nao's mother very well and thought Nao to be very respectable.

Sure, Natsuki was glad her parents liked Nao – even if it was obvious they wanted her to go for Mai because of her Princess status – but she just couldn't give a fuck right now as Nao talked in excitement to her about the invitation to visit her family home during the school break.

No. She was much too excited for her fight.

"Look Nao, I've got to go get ready for my-"

"And your mom has really good – what?"

"I have to get ready for my fight."

"Oh yeah," Nao deflated but shrugged it off, acting like she didn't care. However Natsuki knew her enough now to know she did.

Natsuki grabbed her hand with the intention of giving it a kiss, considering there were too many respected patrons for more PDA. Of course Nao tugged her hand away and instead gave Natsuki a hug, sighing into her shoulder.

"Kick Viola's ass Kruger, maybe I'll give you a treat."

Natsuki flushed, coughing awkwardly but suddenly feeling more driven.

"You'll be fine," Tomoe backed out of the kiss.

She gave Shizuru a smile and Shizuru grinned at her, enjoying the attention.

There was no way she would admit to anyone – not even Tomoe – how much this fight meant to her.

She wanted to kick Kruger's ass so fucking badly that she even wondered if it was pathetic that Kruger got to her so much.

Then again it was nice, in a twisted way, to feel the rivalry and intensity of their clashing eyes.

No one had ever made her feel so alive.

"Presenting the two top Pearls – both of Junior Pearl rank but Garderobe's best fighters – Natsuki Kruger and Shizuru Viola!"

It was deafening to hear the cheers, and both girls felt slight stage fright as they realised just how many people were watching.

The large stone stadium was completely full – the people a huge mass of colour. Outside the stadium there were crowds and crowds of people watching on the large live television screens and waving green flags to celebrate the day.

The intimidating voice of the unidentifiable announcer spoke out again.

"In honour of this battle before the King celebrating the Royal Commission, the HiME tombs that were recently purchased by the Royal Museum will be revealed for the fight."

The excitement got louder if it was possible. These legendary tombs attracted more audience than the King himself.

Natsuki had always enjoyed history and was immediately enraptured by the tombs she had read and learned so much of.

She couldn't wait to get a closer look at the stones in person.

She and Shizuru were told they would get to see the tombs later however, so this sudden preview of them was a surprise.

A large cloth was removed to reveal two identical stones standing about ten feet high in perfect three-dimensional rectangles.

A closer inspection proved that the only difference was the engraving carved on the stone. The stones were shiny, and gasps emitted as soon as the sun hit them.

Cool was Natsuki's last thought before she heard an ear-splitting scream of agony from Shizuru, not realising she too was screaming.

It felt like her insides were being crushed and squeezed. She couldn't breath and everywhere she could only see green.

Suddenly the pain stopped and her vision cleared.

She found herself in a field of sunflowers, a warm sun gracing her skin. She looked down at herself to realise she was wearing her favourite outfit. It felt nice to have the black leather tight against her skin again.

"Natsuki?"

Her head snapped up and the sight of her soul-mate, her lover, her universe, her princess, her one and only made her return the smile that was given to her.

"Yes, Shizuru?" She felt Shizuru's hands cup her cheeks and closed her eyes while sighing at the comforting touch.

"You forgot me."

A pout.

Natsuki opened her eyes and frowned.

"You forgot me," she retorted to Shizuru who pouted her usual cute pout and then giggled.

She was in her purple Kimono, her hair up in an elegant bun and her shining red eyes making Natsuki feel like she had found what she was looking for.

Their eyes softened and soon they were embracing.

The green light returned and the pain returned.

The sunflowers disappeared.

Shizuru opened her eyes to see a mouldy white.

"suki?" she mumbled before realising she was not where she last remembered.

"Shizuru!"

Shizuru choked, finally focusing on her surroundings.

Where was her Natsuki? Where was their private getaway in the Fuuka Castle Gardens? Had they been caught?

She tried to yell Natsuki's name but her throat was so dry that she ended up coughing.

"Here, have some water," A glass was handed to her and Shizuru felt herself calm down a bit.

After drinking it she gave a weak smile to the kind boy who had given it to her and her eyes scanned the strange room to see two people in long white coats and four kindly smiling strangers looking at her.

How did they know her?

"Where am I?" She asked, hiding her anxiety.

"You are in Windbloom Hospital," A woman with eye glasses of a strange fashion and one of those bleach white coats gave her a smile.

"A hospital?" Shizuru frowned slightly, "Windbloom? Is this a country far from Fuuka, I have not heard of it."

"Fuu...ka?" The inquiry came from the same boy who handed her the water.

Shizuru felt something was wrong.

"Don't you remember us, Shizuru?"

Who was this man to be speaking to her, Fujino Shizuru: Princess and HiME of Fuuka, so intimately? Only Natsuki called her Shizuru.

"It's me, Reito. And this is Mikoto? Our parents? Don't you... remember?"

"I'm afraid I do not know you," Shizuru said, starting to feel fidgety. This was strange. "How did I end up here?"

"You and Kruger fainted during your battle at the Royal Commission," the one called 'Mikoto' said to her.

What were they talking about?

"What Royal Commission?" Shizuru asked, "I know of no such thing before, and I am of Royalty."

They all gaped.

"Perhaps the HiME tombs which both you and Kruger-san were beamed by have made you hallucinate-"

"HiME tombs?" Shizuru asked, "You know of the HiME tombs?"

"Ung," Natsuki groaned, her eyes were fuzzy.

"She is awake!" came a yell that caused her brain to stimulate more.

There was white all around her and she pushed her body up.

Where was Shizuru? This was not their garden.

"Shizuru?" She questioned, her head was hurting. "Where is Shizuru..?"

"Natsuki-chan?" A strange voice alerted her to the presence of other people and she lifted her head to see seven unfamiliar faces stare at her with relief and... what was that? Fondness?

She did not know these people. Who were they to be standing here?

"Where am I?" She sat up straight and looked down at herself.

Where was her black leather? Why was she in this scant white material?

She then glared – no one touched her – at the people and gripped her fists.

"Who are you?" She hissed.

The shock on those faces was genuine, and Natsuki almost felt her next accusation crumble but she spat it out anyway.

"What the hell have you done to Shizuru!"

"Natsuki-chan," her voice was cut off. Who was this woman calling her so casually? She was Kuga Natsuki, a HiME of Fuuka and bred nobility! A general of the cavalry!

Then her words halted as she realised she was looking at an older woman who looked much like herself.

"It is I, your mother. This is your father and these are your friends."

It couldn't be – her parents had died when she was four! She had no friends, she only had... Shizuru.

"You have been through something rather dreadful and are not thinking right. Stay calm."

Natsuki felt her jaw drop.

"But you... you're dead." Natsuki mumbled before the shock hit her hard and she blacked out.

"So I am to believe," Shizuru held her head high, treating the flimsy mattress of this 'hospital' like she would her own throne and the ones claiming to know her as her usual subjects. "That you suggest the HiME tombs attacked me?"

"Yes. A direct green light was produced when we revealed them and immediately hit both you and Kruger-san. It must have been painful for you were both... well, screaming in pain."

Shizuru's jaw tightened.

"I do not understand. Who is this Kruger?"

Suddenly the door burst open and another in the long white coats who called themselves 'doctors' seemed exhausted with something akin to... confusion?

"Uh, excuse me," this one was female and looked delicate in her frustration, "But Kruger-san is adamant that she meets with Viola-san."

Before either could say anything, a yell caught everyone's attention and Shizuru's heart.

"Don't you dare touch me you filth! Where is Shizuru! What have you done to the Princess?"

Shizuru jumped from the bed in a manner her parents would have said unbefitting of her status and rushed to the door.

"Natsuki!" she saw Natsuki wearing the same thin gown she was herself and all of her worries flew out the window when those emeralds turned to meet her.

"My Natsuki." She whispered it, her eyes starting to feel moist when Natsuki took rushed steps to stand before her, not seeming to care that she broke the doctor's arm when he tried to restrain her.

"Shizuru," Natsuki exhaled softly.

Her last memories with Natsuki filtered through her and her passionate emotions got the best of her. There stood Natsuki, still just a little bit shorter in height and still just as beautiful as ever. Her hair was the same straight silk of the night that would have often flown with the wind when astride her horse.

They had just been in their secret garden and now were stranded in a strange land known as 'Windbloom.'

But something was missing.

"Natsuki-chan!" The voice broke them from their private daze and Shizuru watched as Natsuki frowned, grabbing her hand with what would appear as annoyance but Shizuru knew it was a nervous fear.

"We have to leave Shizuru, this mad woman declares to be my mother!"

Shizuru shot her eyes as the figures approached and her eyes went large. Why, that woman looked very much like Natsuki indeed. And if that wasn't hurt in the Natsuki-like woman's eyes then Shizuru would denounce her title.

"Wait Natsuki," she felt her initial panic of these surroundings start to crumble.

The pieces started to fall together. She was told that she and a Kruger were hit by the HiME tombs, her name was still 'Shizuru' and her lover's was still 'Natsuki.' They knew better than anyone just how powerful the HiME tombs were for those tombs contained... their own powers. Why, they were the HiME – brought together by fate. And then considering the female doctor had said that the Kruger who was hit had been 'adamant' to see Shizuru then... it was clearly Natsuki who was this 'Kruger.'

Shizuru gasped.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki gave her a worried glance, "What is wrong, Shizuru?"

"Natsuki," Shizuru gave her love a calm but beseeching look as she informed her, "that is your mother."

"These clothes are strange," Natsuki looked at the black pile she was informed as her own clothing. "At least I still like black," she added.

Shizuru giggled, "At least, for my sake, your clothes are still tight."

Natsuki flushed, "Shizuru!"

Shizuru's laughter filled the small room they had been told to wait in. She liked the fabric of the clothes she herself had been given and told were her own. The colour of the fabric was an off-white combined with a pale pink, the footwear very comfortable even with the strange heels on the end.

"The heels of these shoes make me even taller," Shizuru mused.

Natsuki chuckled and then leaned in closer to her, that smooth voice dropping to a whisper.

"Shizuru, I trust you... but you see... it is them I do not trust. How can you be sure-"

"Natsuki," Shizuru cut her off. "You know why."

Natsuki's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"I do?"

"They tell us that the HiME tombs attacked us with green light. My love, do you not remember the last time we had been to the tombs?"

Natsuki huffed, feeling a bit calmer when Shizuru took a hold of her hand, "of course I do. After the war with Artemis, we went to do our usual ritual and pray."

"Yes, but remember what happens when we pray?"

"We heal," Natsuki shrugged. "You and I are HiME, Shizuru. So we heal."

Shizuru smiled grimly at Natsuki.

"We are HiME, Natsuki. So we heal. We never truly die, do we?"

"What are you saying?"

"I believe that if we go to the HiME tombs again we will find out. We will find out because we will heal again."

They were led to the tombs as per Shizuru's request and before anyone watching could say anything the large stones lit upon their entrance.

"My god!" A man in red silk with a gold crown upon his head declared, his face warped in awe. "You both..."

Shizuru took the man as the King and moved forward, deciding she should take advantage of his fascination with the HiME tombs.

"My Name is Fujino Shizuru, Princess of Fuuka. I represent the Fuuka Castle. This is Kuga Natsuki, one of my trusted generals. These tombs belong to us and I advise you step back."

He nodded dumbly, stepping back when the glow on the tombs turned brighter.

Shizuru gazed around the many people who had been with them in the hospital, about to warn them of the same until Natsuki beat her to it.

"Stand back unless you want to die," she casually addressed them before flicking her hair with her wrist and taking a step forward.

The people scrambled back, and Natsuki rolled her eyes at them before putting her hand out for Shizuru to take a hold of.

"Ara, ara," Shizuru took the hand and stepped forward with Natsuki so they stood directly in front of the glowing tombs. "I do not have my usual footwear Natsuki so I do not need your courtly help."

Natsuki flushed, giving her a glare, "oh don't start with me Fujino-o-hime-sama because I know you like it when I hold your hand."

Shizuru giggled, glad that her attempt to ease Natsuki's tension worked.

"Are you ready?" She asked Natsuki quietly.

Natsuki stared, searching for a kind of emotion in Shizuru's red eyes that would betray her confidence. But Shizuru was perhaps the strongest person Natsuki knew and therefore all those eyes showed was a familiar passion to conquer.

Natsuki looked back over her shoulder, seeing the two patrons who claimed to be her parents looking scared as if she would die. Even the girls who claimed to be her friends looked worried. For some reason it hurt her to see them like that.

She swivelled around and faced the front of her tomb.

"I am. Are you?"

Shizuru squeezed Natsuki's hand, "I am."

Natsuki lifted her hand and kissed the knuckles of that delicate but deadly hand before feeling Shizuru's other hand lift her face up for a kiss.

With that kiss sparks burst into life around them, turning their world green.

Shizuru felt like she was submerged on a cloud. Every part of her body felt so light she wondered if she even had one. So she opened her eyes to look down and confirm her sexy limbs were still intact, only to find something that made her brain cells shut down.

Kruger was in front of her.

Their lips were touching.

They were kissing.

Each other!

She backed out of the kiss, noting with annoyance that Kruger seemed as disgusted as her that they were lip-locked.

"What the hell Viola!" Natsuki rubbed at her lips, those emerald eyes ablaze with anger. "We're supposed to be fighting not ... no– not kissing you slut!"

"I'm the slut?" Shizuru pointed a finger at her, "you were the one throwing yourself all over me!"

"What!" Natsuki stepped forward and put her hands on Shizuru's shoulders, giving her a good shove. "You whore! Like I would fall for your sickening charms! You liar!"

Shizuru gasped in insult at the shove she got, stumbling back with a frown before taking a step forward and pushing Natsuki back.

"You're just scared to admit you enjoyed it!" Shizuru yelled back.

Natsuki growled after falling down from Shizuru's push and stood up, dusting herself off. She lunged at Shizuru and tackled her to the ground where they threw punches at each other, ignoring the cries for them to stop it.

Finally, something seemed to hit them both at the same time and they paused, Shizuru straddling Natsuki with her fist ready to collide with her cheek and Natsuki's mouth open with her cheeks flushed.

"Wh-why are you in a dress?"

Shizuru dropped her hand, looking down at her expensive dress.

"Why are you in that?"

Natsuki looked down at her own clothes.

They looked back at each other and flushed when they realised their position before darting away from each other in embarrassment.

They looked around the room, seeing their friends, family, guardians, teachers and the King as well as a few doctors all staring at them like they were weird.

Natsuki flushed brightly in embarrassment when she saw the jaw-drops of her stiff parents whereas Shizuru stood up and dusted her dress off, pretending that she had not been scuffling so distastefully with her opponent.

Getting her wits a bit more together, Natsuki got up with a stumble and tried to say something apologetic before just stuttering out, "W-we aren't in the arena..?"

Shizuru rolled her eyes at the obvious comment, but then noticed something tickled the back of her mind.

"Who won?"

Shizuru Viola could not believe it.

The one time she cheated on Tomoe and got away with it just had to be with someone she hated.

"You swear we only kissed?" Natsuki had grabbed the lab coat of one of the doctors that had been relaying the last six hours of events to them. Her face was red with anger and embarrassment.

"Kruger-san," Shizuru said icily, "the doctor has no fault, take your anger elsewhere."

Natsuki paused and let go of him, her eyes darting off to the left where her two parents stood, staring at her strangely. Even Shizuru could not figure out what they were thinking. They had been whispering with the King and Shizuru's foster family for half an hour, casting off Shizuru and Natsuki to the side, before Natsuki demanded they be told why they were not fighting. Why they couldn't remember anything and, most importantly, why were they kissing?

Now everyone watched the two as if waiting for them to explode. It was annoying and frightening.

Shizuru turned her eyes to the left and noticed Natsuki's girlfriend with a frown, toying with her uniform threads in discomfort.

The little slut.

She gasped. Since when had she ever spited Nao?

"What?" that gruff voice had finished apologising to the doctor and glared at Shizuru, probably wondering why she even cared if Shizuru gasped.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow. How that glaring face was even remotely adorable was lost on her, but it was. And the black clothes Kruger wore really brought out the darkest green of her eyes, it was disturbingly attractive.

"As I said," the doctor cleared his throat and stood straighter, trying to look unaffected at the young girl who had threatened him and doing fairly well until his voice cracked, "there was a moment of forty minutes where you, Kruger-san, and you, Viola-san, wanted to be left alone and we gave you both one of the King's rooms-"

Shizuru flushed, turning her body away from Natsuki who groaned and covered her face with her hands.

"This is so embarrassing" she muttered while Shizuru turned her face away to hide her mortification.

Her mother's soft voice lilted, "it is nothing to be embarrassed about, Natsuki-chan, you were not yourself."

Shizuru had to get a little angry at that, but she quelled it down, feeling Saeko Kruger's gaze burn on her back. She had been staring an awful lot, and Shizuru had felt it. Something about Natsuki's parent's felt off.

"You're right," Natsuki said before adding lowly, "I would never want to kiss you, Viola."

She had to get very angry at that.

"And I would never want to kiss you," she straightened her back and tilted her chin, looking down upon Natsuki like she was filth to be avoided.

Who gave a shit if 'wealthy and respected people' were in front them? There was no place for manners with the strange emotions being evoked and she would not hold herself back from this rich girl with parents who did nothing but whisper and stare as if they were animals.

Natsuki growled and stood up, "don't even start with me!"

"You are the one who started it."

"Please, please," The King of Windbloom looked to be in his fifties, his crown removed now to reveal his greying hair. "Ladies, I believe the best interest for everyone would be to discuss and investigate this amazing phenomenon."

Shizuru folded her hands before her and sat down in the chair Natsuki had bolted from in anger, crossing her ankles and looking the King in the eye.

"Excuse me, your Majesty, but I-" Her voice cut off as one of the tombs on the left of everyone started to glow and suddenly her body shook with a tremor.

"What the fu-" Natsuki's eyes widened as she witnessed Shizuru Viola shake in an epileptic state, a weird ringing noise coming from the tombs made the swear die in her throat. "Ah!" She put her hands to her ears, feeling something wet on her hands. It was painful.

Soon it was over, and Natsuki sat collapsed to her knees gasping, taking her hands off her ears to see blood.

"Natsuki-san!" Her father was at her side, holding her shoulder in worry and her mother next to him, their eyes holding this very foreign emotion.

Natsuki let out another gasp, her hearing muffled with an echo of the ringing, but her eyes soon finding something even more shocking than her parents fear.

"Vi...ola?"

Shizuru was holding a long red pole, and her eyes were bright red like the demon from a TV show Natsuki once adored. There was an invisible wind blowing and she turned to look at Natsuki.

Natsuki hated to admit it, but Viola did look very cool, and something about that weapon made her feel safe, her ears no longer a problem. And something in the back of her mind echoed in pride saying 'this woman loves me and no other.'

Suddenly Viola's eyes dimmed back to their normal eerie red and widened upon seeing the blood dripping from Natsuki's ears.

"Natsuki!" She gasped and kneeled down before her, her red pole making Natsuki flinch before it disappeared in thin air. "What happened?"

Natsuki was taken off-guard. Was this what the doctors had been telling them about? She blushed, Shizuru's fingers now caressing her cheeks gently and the worry in her voice incredibly disarming.

So unlike Shizuru Viola: the assuming bitch.

"I – the ringing, it – I mean the tombs... Viola, what?"

Shizuru's fingers stopped caressing and frowned softly, "Viola?"

Then she turned to see the others in the room and she felt a headache build in her temples. She gasped, putting her hands to her head, desperately trying to prevent the pain but not knowing how.

"Sh-Shizuru?" Natsuki's angelic voice called to her, but she couldn't respond. It was starting to get dark. "Shizuru!"

Shizuru fainted, and Natsuki reached out to catch her head before her it would hit the ground. "OI!" She lightly slapped Shizuru's cheek, "wake up!"

The eyes fluttered open and a hand came up hold onto Natsuki's. Natsuki felt her cheeks burn when Shizuru smiled at her and nuzzled her hand.

"My Natsuki," she breathed out softly, smiling.

And then it happened so fast Natsuki couldn't have helped it. Shizuru's other hand came up and grabbed her neck, pulling Natsuki down so their lips touched.

Natsuki was shocked, trying to move her head away but struggling since Shizuru was now holding her head in place and giggling at her fluster while making sure their lips moved in a dance.

Suddenly she felt a slap across her cheek and stumbled out of the death grip Shizuru had had her in, bracing her hands on the cold tiled floor.

"What were you doing?" Shizuru Viola sat across from her with confused and serious eyes, a hand covering her mouth.

"Wh-what was I doing?" Natsuki asked, out of breath, "you're the one who kissed me!"

"I would never, I..." and then her eyes stung with tears and she put her hands to her head.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki asked softly, understanding her pain.

"I'm so confused Natsuki," Shizuru murmured weakly.

Natsuki sighed, leaning back on her hands.

She knew exactly what Viola was talking about. She looked around the room, seeing her parents, Nao, Shizuru's foster family, the doctors, and the King just stare at them.

"I think we're just going to go to home," Natsuki said, pulling her knees to her chest and turning back to see Shizuru's shoulders relax at her words.

Everything was so confusing and exhausting.

LEGEND OF THE HiME: SECOND INSTALLMENT – a preview

"Natsuki," Shizuru's cheeks flushed brightly and she let herself – for once – be placed onto her back.

The beauty above her was not Natsuki Kruger the annoying bitch, but rather Kuga Natsuki. Someone so very different and somehow so very familiar.

She felt a pair of lips slowly touch her neck.

"Shiz...uru..." Natsuki whispered softly, "you're so beautiful..."

"Natsuki you're not yourself," Shizuru turned her head away just before a pair of hypnotising lips could steal away her thoughts.

Natsuki chuckled, a strand of her dark hair falling and caressing Shizuru's skin that was revealed by her night gown. "Are you saying you're not in the mood? Shizuru, you're always in the mood."

Shizuru gasped when Natsuki shifted her weight to one arm and pressed more firmly down on her, a leg going between her thighs.

"It's confusing," Shizuru said softly to Natsuki, "I know. In fact, as much as I hate to admit it, we are the only ones who can understand each other.

Natsuki snorted, turning to scrutinize Shizuru.

"Is it true? Tomoe broke up with you?"

A/N - I hope you guys enjoyed this, the second part is coming together! Once again I really got to thank my beta Omni-Obiter for being so awesome.