I don't own Mai HiME…I'm just borrowing…*sniff*
P.S Listen to Shizuru's character song while reading this for increased atmosphere. (or any song with a deep sound but that's what I listened to while writing this so…)
Chapter 1: To Those Whom Love has Abandoned
A young university student weaved through the trees of the forest using the light from the moon overhead to partially light her way, her long light brown hair flaring out behind her, caught in the wind. Her pursuers trudged behind, keeping the woman within their sights, all while maintaining the distance that had been set by their masters. Their orders had been simple; observe the target until the time for extraction came. They never expected her to run, let alone notice them. Though, in hindsight, perhaps they had underestimated the former HiME, a Highly advanced Materializing Equipment. They had treated her as a normal target, instead of the dangerous weapon she was, and would become once more.
The woman panted lightly, her ruby eyes darting to the left and right, searching for a route to escape. The ones following her were beginning to close in, having been issued new orders. More were also joining their ranks, leaving no room for the girl to escape. Instinct took over as the woman darted forward, slipping through their ranks before they had a chance to fully organize themselves. How long had she been running? When would the light of morning finally come to relieve her? The woman's limbs ached, her stamina was running thin, but there was no end to this play of cat and mouse in sight, she had to keep going.
Seeing a small overhang, the woman dove toward it and pressed herself against the rocks, trying desperately to still her ragged breath and remain silent and still. Her diligent pursuers hovered close by, having lost sight of their target, and quickly began to spread out to search for their elusive target. The woman took this moment to study who had been chasing her. They were dressed in normal street clothes, varying from adolescence to adulthood. Their faces weren't that of monsters either, but their expressions were all the same and reflected a cold stillness that chilled the woman to the bone. Yes, despite their seemingly ordinary countenance, it was clear to the woman that her stalkers weren't completely human. They also showed no sign that they had been chasing her; their skin was unmarked while the woman's was riddled with scratches, and their breath was even despite the long chase. The woman remembered a similar, though warmer, expression on the android girl who had been involved in the Carnival, Greer Miyu.
The woman was shaken from her thoughts when a young man with straight dark hair, perhaps nearing seventeen years of age, walked toward her hiding place. This man's expression was unlike the others, showing his great irritation in losing the target. He stood near the overhang, hands on hips, scanning the area before shouting into the night, "Come out, Fujino! It doesn't matter how far or for how long you run, we will still find you! You will never escape us!"
Fujino Shizuru let out a silent sigh; this man must be acting as a leader of sorts for the mission of capturing her. 'Ara, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, Shizuru-san?' Shizuru thought, ruefully. Although, this could hardly be considered her fault; after all, they were the ones who had been following Shizuru for the past few weeks.
A thought struck Shizuru, causing fear to flood through her. Yuuki Nao, a fellow HiME, had disappeared about half a year ago. The first to notice her absence was her roommate, Senoh Aoi. Aoi had waited a few days before revealing her worry for the young troublemaker, for it was common even now, after the HiME Carnival, for her to roam the streets at night and skip classes. Shizuru had been contacted later that week by a distressed Tokiha Mai, who asked her if she had heard from Nao or had seen her. When questioned about the case further, Mai revealed that Harada Chie had also gone missing while searching for Nao. Chie was well known as the local gossip, her skill for obtaining information was renowned among the Fuuka students, but Mai suspected that perhaps Chie had discovered something that should've remained hidden. 'Ara, Mai-san, I think I have discovered what happened to Yuuki-san and Harada-san,' Shizuru thought to herself with a shiver.
Soulless eyes turned toward her as Shizuru froze on the spot. 'They could detect that little movement?' Shizuru thought with dread, this situation she was in was rapidly deteriorating before her eyes. The almost lifeless figures were moving closer, in seconds they would find her and she would be trapped. Shizuru tensed, preparing to make a break for it, hoping to surprise them enough to get away, praying that she would live through this night. Shizuru bit her bottom lip, she was scared. Not of death itself, for she felt, deep in her heart, that she deserved to die, perhaps an even worse death than this; no, not death, but what lay beyond. How the gods will make her suffer for her sins, she pondered. But, for now, while death is still far from her, Shizuru will fight for her life so one day, perhaps, a chance to cleanse her of sin will present itself.
"Ah, there you are, Fujino-san. Have you given up yet?" Shizuru jumped when the angry young man spoke softly into her ear. He chuckled ruefully, his black eyes scanning the woman before him, whose fierce scarlet eyes glared back at him from her otherwise calm expression. "Are you scared, Fujino-san? Would you perhaps like a chance to fight back?" He grinned as Shizuru's eyes widened. What was this man thinking?
The man gestured for Shizuru to begin walking in front of him, back toward civilization, "I would be more than happy to give you that chance, Fujino-san; that is if you would just allow me to escort you to a more suitable arena, of course." The young man's smile held an edge of cruelty to it; making Shizuru imagine the worst if she chose to follow him.
Shizuru stood her ground, however, and carefully scanned her surroundings before returning her gaze to the young man. "May I ask exactly who is escorting me? And, perhaps, why such a person would be interested in me?" Shizuru was treading on thin ice now, she would need to play her cards carefully if she was to escape unscathed.
"Oh?" the man looked mildly surprised, "You would like to know who I am? Haha, very well Fujino-san, allow me to introduce myself. I am subject Ra71k, more commonly known as Ravik among my…clients; I guess you could call them."
Shizuru noticed Ravik's choice of words with interest, "Is this a job from a client then, Ravik-san?" If this man was a simple mercenary, then he could probably be persuaded to abandon a previous contract with the right encouragement. 'Though, this man's title troubles me. Subject Ra71k? Whatever could that mean?' Shizuru worried, keeping eye contact with the man.
"Tch, nah, this is something I was ordered to do. Would you like to hear about my burden in this task, Fujino-san?" The man looked toward her with a wounded expression, as if he was expecting her to comfort him. Shizuru let a small amount of disgust slip through her mask; the nerve of this man, acting so familiar with her! Ravik let out a booming laugh at her expression, "Ah, Fujino-san! If only I could properly express my hatred for you and your companions! They would have you and yours replace my companions and me! My own creators are unsatisfied with my work, choosing instead to create a new breed out of you abominations! Worse yet, they took someone completely unrelated to replace us! Just because the bitch managed to find us!" Ravik's laugh obtained a crazed edged to it and Shizuru edged away silently.
Ravik wiped his eyes as the laughter subsided, "Haa…Fujino-san, you have no idea how I wish to ravage your flesh with a blade. So I will give you that chance to fight back. I will provide your weapon, do worry. You should be very pleased with the one I had brought along with me."
"Ara, how thoughtful of you," Shizuru murmured softly, "However, I must decline this invitation. I had promised someone very important to me that I would never take up arms again while I am within my right mind. As this is so, perhaps you could simply set me free and we could resume our game of cat and mouse?"
Ravik's face twisted with contempt, "Don't try to talk your way out of this, bitch! Either way, you're going to die a painful death! You will feel agony unlike that of any pain you have ever-" Ravik's words were interrupted as a long black blade ran through his torso. Shizuru's eyes widened as dark blood splashed forward hitting her face and coat, the blade only centimeters from her own heart.
"Idiot," a new voice spoke from behind the now dead man's body, "You just couldn't follow orders, could you?" The speaker tossed the body to the side, flicking excess blood off her sword. The newcomer was around the same age as Ravik, abate, female. Her short, though longer than Minagi Mikoto's, spiky hair ruffled in the wind as her glowing red eyes scanned the area before settling on Shizuru. The expression this one wore showed irritation similar to Ravik's, but Shizuru could see concern also in her eyes.
"Oi, are you all right?" asked the girl hesitantly, she seemed reluctant to speak with Shizuru, almost seeming self-conscious of herself, "I won't introduce myself. This'll be the first and last time you'll see me. Don't bother thanking me either. I'm only here to deliver you to my masters since that fool couldn't." The girl looked away and signaled a few of the others who had been blocking Shizuru's escape routes forward. The girl returned her gaze to Shizuru and stared for a moment before stepping toward her.
"I'm really sorry for this," the raven haired girl lunged forward, seizing Shizuru by the throat and lifted her into the air. She pressed Shizuru against the cliff, effectively cutting her breath, "I wish they would've been happy with us. It's bad enough that they ruined our lives but now they wish for your soul as well. That other girl reminded me of my lover…though a lot wilder. I'm so sorry, really. I-…" Shizuru's vision faded as she watched a painful sad expression cross her assaulter's face, her struggles doing nothing.
"I'm so sorry."