Welcome, welcome! Traffic here. I'm back with more illiterate attempts to destroy your free time! When I finished my last story I promised myself it would be a while before I write something new, but here I am... I suppose I'm relieving stress with this sort of thing. And precisely because I'm using this story as a way to deal with life's hardships, I don't know how regularly I'll be updating. I'm giving you a fair warning, is all. Don't worry though, I've put down a couple of chapters already (just in case). Also, this is not beta'd, so read at your own risk. I don't promise quality, but I'm excited about this project and the readers' opinion on it.
About the story. Jump Drive takes place in the Hime-verse. That's right, very bold on my part. I'll try to stick to cannon as much as I can, but I'm making no promises. *wink wink* The story-line revolves around the HiME, with the absolute centre of the mess being my beloved Kuga Natsuki. Of course, I'm planning on making it rich on characters and character development. The plot is a bit dark, so that's why it's rated M; you know, to be on the safe side. No, I cannot write smexy scenes even if my life depended on it. Any attempt on writing romance has resulted in me harming myself with dull objects during reading said 'masterpiece'. Thus, I fear the thought of writing anything strongly sexual.
Anyway, as you read, you'll find out more about the story. It's action-heavy and doesn't have a strictly set PoV. *retarded giggle*
To be on the fair side, I need to admit that I was strongly influenced by a certain media franchise when I decided to give this project a go. If you want to throw a guess feel free to do so: if you're right you can make a request of the author (aka me, if it's not become clear yet) a scene or something you'd like to see in this story. I, of course, will protect my right to reject the request if it does not fit well with the general feel of Jump Drive, or if I deem it inappropriate.
I think that's all for now. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-HiME/Otome.
Natsuki woke up with a jolt. Her alarm clock screamed at her that it was time to get up. With a practiced swat of her hand she sent it flying at the wall opposite her bed. It hit hard and fell on top of a pile of unwashed clothes. The display flickered, freezing for a moment at 5:30 am, before the red light died. The room was dark and silent, except for Natsuki's erratic breathing. She had seen it again.
Closing her eyes, she tried to remember the dream, but as always it faded as soon as she woke up. She knew the dream didn't change – every time she woke up with the same feeling of panic and... loneliness. The hairs on her arms were standing up with fear, she noticed with annoyance. Wiping a few stray damp, dark locks out her face, she rose and went to her usual routine.
At least it was easy to navigate in her small dwelling in the dark. She immediately regretted that thought as she stabbed her little finger against something solid. Cursing as silently as her anger allowed her, she limped to the corner which was set up as a kitchen and prepared herself a cup of coffee. As she fumbled in the one and only cupboard her eyes landed on a box of green tea she had once bought by mistake. She hated the taste, but she couldn't bring herself to throw the drink away. After pulling out a box of cereal, she slammed the cupboard shut with an irritated sigh.
While sipping on her coffee she went about her room. Stopping in front of the calendar she dully noted that tomorrow was her rent's due date. Today was a Thursday. The sun rays slowly crept through the curtain-less smeared windows and shed light on what Natsuki had kicked earlier. It was her old personal computer. Old not because she had attained a new one, but because she was saving every penny for her university fees and rent. She had successfully passed the exams of The University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo and was going to enlist as a first-year from the next academic year.
She slid the windows open and cool air rushed in, making her shiver; she realized she was still sweaty from the dream. And it was the first half of March. Her eyes flickered to her cell phone, as for a second she contemplated on calling Mai. Assessing her thought as stupid almost instantly, she snorted at herself and pulled on a pair of jeans.
Mai was probably either still sleeping, or was buzzing around in a rush to get to her job.
As should you, a small voice reminded Natsuki in the back of her head.
A sallow face scoffed at her from the bathroom's mirror. Dark brows creased in scrutiny as misted by exhaustion green eyes observed the unhealthy complexion of a face, which had once been the reason for more than one broken hearts. Slim fingers brushed softly a scar going down from the corner of Natsuki's right eye to her jawline. She absentmindedly hid it with her hair and went for the door, grabbing her back-pack on the way.
While she was putting on her jacket she noted to herself that she needed to clean up her one-room apartment, or she would get kicked out after the next inspection from the land lord. She locked the door behind her and descended the stairs with big leaps. Her train was leaving in fifteen minutes and the station was a thirteen-minute run away from her place.
The busy sounds of the megalopolis preparing for another hard day greeted her with smell of a fresh fish delivery. The owner of the shop on the first floor of her apartment building was unloading crates of tuna, squid, octopus, and all other kinds of sea food. Natsuki quickened her pace and broke into a run. She didn't like the scent of the sea; it reminded her of Fuuka and the events, which had nearly driven her to insanity.
Three peaceful, but hard years had passed since Searrs's last attempt to crush the HiME once and for all. Of course, they had failed.
But the price was too high for all of us, thought Natsuki as she dodged people along the streets of Tokyo. She was living in one of the bigger towns, of which the capital consisted. Too damn high.
Three years ago, during Mai and Natsuki's third high-school semester, Searrs had launched another attack against the HiME. The organization, having poured millions in their new human-weapons, didn't show mercy in trying to tear the girls apart. Natsuki got away only with a few scars during the confrontation. The sole reason she wasn't killed was that she was too valuable a specimen, she learned later. And she had been lucky on some occasions. This had angered her more than it should have and she had made a mistakes. Those mistakes cost her more than the inconvenience of having to hide part of your face from prying eyes.
In the aftermath she had effectively pushed Shizuru away. Before the accident their brittle relationship seemed to have started healing, however Natsuki had acted out of pure fear and desperation, telling she didn't need or want Shizuru close to her ever again. She had made sure Shizuru wouldn't attempt to remedy the situation. Not a day passed without Natsuki hating herself for what she had done to the only person who had truly loved her for who she was.
The next week Shizuru transferred to a university in Kyoto, her studies and the promise of a job at her family's company waiting for her. A stable and safe future. A deserved break from the madness. Natsuki was left to deal with extreme self-loathing and a feeling of hopelessness, both of which haunted her till this day.
The next year and a half went by in a haze for all HiME. Mai, who had broken up with Tate – for reasons Natsuki suspected were similar to her own – chose to stay in Fuuka after graduation. She was working now full-time at a what had, thanks to her help, become a big and frequented restaurant. Mikoto had moved in with her brother, so Mai was also living on her own, but was most likely doing a better job of it than Natsuki.
Among the ex-HiME the ones who remained in Fuuka were Himeno Fumi (a headmistress with a number of duties), Sanada Yukariko (now happily wed with a two-year-old child), and Mikoto and Shiho who needed to finish their high-school education. All of the four were even now living in the small town of Fuuka.
Natsuki ran up the escalator in the train station, bumping in a few people along the way and receiving in return angry shouts at her back. She barely made it in time for her train. It was crowded as usual and as the other passengers mutely pushed for more space, Natsuki found herself pressed between a young man and a girl in a prim school uniform.
The announcement that the train was departing could be barely heard over the noise of the station and the jerk caught the still sleepy Natsuki by surprise. She stumbled a bit and her free hand brushed against, what the young woman with horror identified was, the school-girl's petite behind. Sinking back a little, a trace of a blush on her face, she watched how the girl yelped and turned with a glare towards the young man. The poor fellow was the obvious culprit in this situation.
"Pervert!" she accused him and a few gasps were heard. The man's eyes went wide and he lifted his hands in front of himself defensively, clearly afraid what could happen if he was labeled guilty in such a situation. Natsuki said nothing as the short-lived scandal died down. Nevertheless the man got off on the next station.
She sneaked a glance at the school-girl. Her hair was dyed fiery red – a colour Natsuki had gotten so accustomed to, she didn't notice it at first.
Nao...
To everybody's surprise Nao, fed up with high-school life, had decided and succeeded in taking two academical years in one and graduated together with Natsuki and Mai. Much to the annoyance of the former. Later Natsuki found out that Nao had cheated through her exams. But the sneaky parasite would never tell her how, of course. And how did Natsuki come to know about that in the first place? Nao had declared that she was going to Tokyo together with her. As was Yukino, together with Haruka. At that time Natsuki didn't mind the company.
The minding started when Nao butted in Natsuki's newly-found rented apartment. An apartment they were both kicked out of when the land lady discovered that for eight months two girls were living there instead of one, as per the contract. Natsuki had been so mad at Nao at the time that she drove her away too.
I could've been sued! She was a free-loader anyway, even now she mentally defended her decision. Sure, Nao had bought her food share, but ultimately it was Natsuki who had paid the bills and rent. And it had been a fact that Nao didn't stick around the apartment that much, which had caused some worry in her room-mate, but they had agreed not to meddle in each other's business. They had lived in a certain form of symbiosis – something Mai marveled at every time she spoke with Natsuki over the phone.
A year ago, while on a break at her part-time, Natsuki had received a single mail from Nao. It read 'I'm going to Hokkaido. Thanks for the roof, mutt.' Nothing more than a short, simple statement. Natsuki didn't need more than that to know not to stick her nose in the red-head's affairs. She only hoped that Nao knew what she was doing. But she was adaptable and always found a way to survive, much like Natsuki. They just used different methods. No attempt at contact had been made after that.
Natsuki was swept along by the wave of people getting off on her station and as soon as she could she hurried out of the building. Her feet carried her in the direction of the bike-shop she was helping out at. She passed by a construction site, the logo of the Suzushiro company plastered on the surrounding fences.
Haruka had come back to Tokyo to study architecture and to look after Yukino; the second reason was known to everybody else, except for two in question. Natsuki hadn't spoken to either of them for over a year. Once she met Akane and Kazuya by chance at Shibuya, only then finding out that the two of them had also moved to the big city.
As she opened the front door of the shop, loud rock music greeted her. Her colleague, who had once again come before her, was singing in broken English, his back facing her. He wailed about the ruined American dream, love, and drugs. She doubted he knew what the text of the song meant, but said nothing.
She set her bag down silently and coughed. The young man turned around with a blush and rubbed his neck sheepishly at the fact he had been caught. Natsuki suppressed a smile. After a stiff bow she went about her tasks.
As another track from the States started playing, she thought about Akira and Takumi. They were both oversees, Akira pursuing a degree in Arts at a renowned American university, while Takumi was striving to be a doctor. Both of them had won scholarships and were having the time of their lives. Which they fully deserved.
Lucky bastards. Natsuki sighed dejectedly. And you? Without your powers you're nothing special. Just a somewhat physically fit, shit-poor, brokenhearted, lost loser.
It was another fifteen minutes until the shop opened for business. The owner marched through the front door and went straight to his office, ignoring completely the greeting of the two employees. They looked at each other and the young man blushed again.
He's worse than I am.
Just as he was about to start another attempt at breaking the ice with a light joke, Natsuki's phone buzzed in her pocket. She thanked mentally whoever had saved her from the trouble of pushing the guy away and quickly excused herself.
The source of her brief salvation soon brought her spirit down however, as it turned out to be the land lord, who demanded an additional sum to this month's rent.
"For maintenance taxes," he had said.
Natsuki stared at the black screen for a bit and her hand trembled. She was tired.
What did you expect? An easy life with everything laid out in front of you on a silver platter? You were supposed to have died twice already, yet you're still kicking.
And now she was pressured for money. Was this the normality she had craved so much for?
Her phone's screen lit again and Natsuki stared at the name. What could Mai possibly want with her?
"Yes?" Natsuki rasped and cleared her voice, trying to sound more cheerful. "What's up, Mai?"
She didn't want to worry her friend. Mai had been against Natsuki leaving her home town. Her heart fell when she heard the shaky breath released on the other end of the line. She stayed silent, watching the passing cars and people while trying not to panic.
"Natsuki," her friend's voice was anything but calm and collected. "I think I saw an Orphan last night."
The world around Natsuki went silent for a moment. She clenched her teeth in an attempt to keep her cool. Lately she had felt so pathetic and lost, sometimes she wondered where all her confidence had gone. Mai needed the strong and dependable Natsuki.
"Are you sure?" was the most logical follow-up question. It gave her time to properly think through the situation if an Orphan had indeed re-emerged.
"Positive," Mai gravely said.
"Why didn't you call me im-?"
"Because I didn't want to believe it myself!" Natsuki could imagine quite vividly her friend's expression. "I... I don't want this to repeat itself, Natsuki! We're not ready! This time there's no escape!"
"Calm down! Tell me slowly what happened."
"... Alright. I'm sorry."
Mai fumbled through the bag for her wallet, as she stood in front of the vending machine. She needed to drink something refreshing after the long day at the restaurant. Her way back from work went through Fuuka's central park, full of people during the day, but an eery place during the small hours. Only the occasional keeper could be seen patrolling with a flashlight in hand, on a look-out for hoodlums and drunkards. Weak wind blew and rustled the leaves of the trees. Mai finally pulled out a few coins and paid for her cold drink. It clattered inside the machine and as she bent to take it, she heard another rustle.
This isn't wind.
She jumped at a crackle and her breath caught in her throat at the sound of a hiss. Her back pressed to the vending machine, she trembled. Her eyes searched frantically the vicinity. It was dark and it was a good distance away, but she could see.
"No," she gripped her bag. The long tale swished and struck a tree enough to snap it like a twig. The plant fell, revealing two pairs of viciously glowing yellow eyes. To Mai's relief, they weren't looking at her. Without sparing the creature a second glance, she dashed off in the opposite direction.
"We're not ready, we're not ready," she kept repeating to herself until she finally reached her apartment's door. Swaying and panting, she opened the door and slipped inside. After checking that she had indeed locked the door, she stumbled in the living room and collapsed on the sofa. Trembling and pale hands gripped the fabric of her skirt. "Why now?"
"You said you saw it clearly. Why did you hesitate calling?" Natsuki insisted after a few silent seconds. "Only the two of us know that..."
"What if I was hallucinating?" Mai almost screamed at her. "You know how it is! It was you who first had... what'd you call it-?"
"PTSD?" Natsuki grimly mumbled. Not long after the attack from Searrs, a few weeks after Shizuru had left, had she experienced the so-called 'flashbacks', caused by what was widely known as Post-traumatic stress disorder. "I'd appreciate it if you don't remind me."
Her first flashback had occurred during the first assault against her and Shizuru.
Shizuru's hands were securely wrapped around Natsuki, as they drove down the winding road towards Fuuka. Despite Natsuki's protests, Shizuru had refused to put on the younger girl's helmet, claiming with a wink that she liked the feel of the wind in her hair.
Shizuru had returned to Fuuka as soon as she had heard that Searrs had began another assault. She had been back at her home town, dealing with personal business, however she boarded the first train back when Yukino had contacted her. Natsuki was against the idea, but seeing that they really could use the help of another HiME, she held back her thoughts on the matter. That Yumemiya girl had just declared that she was in possession of a Child, much like Alyssa's but a lot more powerful. She could obliterate the island at any given moment.
They took another sharp turn and that's when it happened. The sound of a helicopter's engine could be clearly heard over the splashing waves. Gunfire resounded in the air and if Natsuki hadn't instinctively sped up, the bullets would've tore through her machine's tires, guaranteeing they would crash.
Crash.
Crash. The car was rapidly filling with water. She called out to her mother, but Saeko didn't respond. Her dog was already floating motionlessly next to her. The salty cold water had reached the little girl's chin and continued to creep up until it had covered her whole. Her small fists kept banging on the car's window until she lost consciousness.
"Natsuki!"
She was riding in the stormy night, her eyes barely seeing the road ahead. A red string flashed in front of her and in a second her world spun and burning pain surged through her body at the impact with the ground at such a high speed.
"Natsuki!"
She snapped back to. Shizuru was gripping her hands and was maintaining control of the bike with great effort. Her panicked and at the same time imperative call had brought Natsuki back to her senses. She was okay. They were both fine. For now.
The helicopter roared behind them, firing another round of bullets towards the speeding vehicle. With no time or place left to maneuver out of the line of fire, Natsuki could only hope that they would live through what she was planning. The idea came to her naturally, as something as simple as opening an umbrella when it started raining or making sure the gas stove was turned off before going out.
Her plan was set into motion the moment the heli emerged from behind the cliff's edge. It had used the advantage of the winding cliff road and was attempting to take them by surprise. For a fraction of the second Natsuki wondered if watching too many action movies had been a good idea. She knew that if they survived, Shizuru wouldn't let her hear the end of it. The bike and the helicopter were now both at the same level.
Instead of slowing down, Natsuki revved the engine with all the swiftness she could muster. Her muscles tensed before she let go of the handle and mightily pushed with her legs, effectively thrusting herself and Shizuru off the bike just as the guns blazed with fire. She could only hope Shizuru knew her well enough to have realized in time the crazy tactic and would brace for the impact.
The arms around Natsuki's waist tightened and with horror she ascertained that Shizuru wasn't planning on letting her go. But the fall didn't come so soon. The heat from the inevitable explosion threw them back even further and they landed in a heap of limbs on the ground.
Natsuki doubted that Shizuru was conscious, considering she took most of the impact in her determination to save her friend.
Stupid, stupid, stupid...
Natsuki cursed at that over-protectiveness. Shizuru was laying beside her, but Natsuki didn't dare look at her. Though she didn't want to move, she was forced to when she became aware that the lower part of her left leg was burning with more than pain. With speed even she was surprised at, she sat up and extinguished the flame with vigorous slapping and swearing.
All around them was littered with either bike or helicopter parts, the smell of burning gasoline, plastic and steel so strong it made Natsuki rasp with coughs when she pried the half-melted helmet off her head. It was so hot it burned her through her gloved hands, some of the plastic sticking to the fabric. She threw the now useless object aside and her attention focused on Shizuru.
The girl lay unconscious, a small dark puddle forming under her head. Her shoulder seemed dislocated. Gulping with anxiety, Natsuki quickly crawled to her friend's limp form. She knelt beside her and slowly lifted Shizuru's head, resting it carefully on her thigh. Sweat stung in her eyes as her brain screamed at her to get them out of there, but her body wouldn't cooperate.
Natsuki knew that there was no way that the agents on that helicopter would've survived, but she was almost sure there were more inbound for their location. If the signal went dead in such a manner, in their place she would send a whole platoon to confirm the situation.
She'll be fine.
"Did Shizuru-hime hit her head somewhere?"
She could recognize that sleazy voice anywhere.
"Don't even dare say her name," her tone was laced with promises of pain. "What are you doing here, Nagi? Didn't you set off to Wonderland?"
"Ouch. Not happy to see me?" Natsuki turned towards the voice. The boy was smiling down at her from the top of the cliff. "I came back to help you, you know."
"Even from down here I can smell the bullshit you're spouting!"
He childishly pouted. "So you won't believe me?"
"Why should I, you worm?"
"I even sent Yukino-chan a message for her to come and pick you up." He paused. "They're coming."
From his tone Natsuki guessed he wasn't talking about her friends.
"Searrs?"
"Something much more powerful."
"Why are you warning me?" Natsuki kept talking, trying to distract herself from the warm blood starting to soak into her suit. "Weren't you in cahoots with the Obsidian Prince?"
"I was released from that duty when Mai-hime blew him to oblivion," he crossed his hands. "With no real purpose, I just came back to see whether you breaking those chains was a good idea."
"What do you mean?" She glared at him, noticing the Hime star sparkling in the background.
"It's not over yet."
Even though her body was burning, she could feel the unmistakable sensation on her lower back. Her mark.
"That Arika girl is the key to everything."
Screeching of tires.
"Find out her purpose. And if you don't despair at the discovery, try to save the world again."
The car stopped two meters from them and Youko and Midori came rushing towards the two injured girls. After she made Youko tend to Shizuru first, Natsuki turned her gaze towards the place where Nagi had been standing, only to find him gone. She cursed quietly. Midori helped her to her feet.
"What exactly happened?" The young archeologist stared wide-eyed at the aftermath of Natsuki's crazy stunt.
"I'll tell you when we get back," Natsuki pushed back the nagging thought that she had almost gotten both her and Shizuru killed. "Though I think I'll need a new bike..."
Midori looked at her questioningly and she shrugged. "They keep exploding."
A sigh.
"I... I'm sorry," Mai apologized. "I don't know what's gotten into me..."
"Only you and I know what the return of the Orphans means," Natsuki heard herself say, still a bit lost in her memories. "I understand why you thought it might be a... a fragment of your imagination."
"I wish it were. Later that night I went to the park again." Sensing that Natsuki had already opened her mouth to yell at her for her thoughtlessness, Mai rushed to explain. "I couldn't be sure! I needed to see it and confirm it! I... What I saw last night was real. The tree was laying there and there were traces of the Orphan. Though it wasn't there anymore."
"And your mark-?"
"That's the problem, Natsuki. My mark isn't back and neither is the Star."
"I'm coming back," Natsuki declared without a moment's hesitation. The mere statement made Mai feel at ease. "Did you speak to anybody else about this?"
"I already called every available HiME. The ones in Fuuka are gathering at the Academy in ten minutes. Actually, I'm already here, waiting for them."
The unusually quiet school gardens were still naked, though the season of the beautiful flowers was just around the corner. Mai sat on a bench, gazing at the blue sky. There was no trace of a cloud there, but what bothered her was that there was no red star either.
"Are you going to tell them?" Natsuki quietly asked.
"I can't do that yet," Mai bit her lip. "I'll wait for you. For now I think I'll tell them to be on high alert."
"Who's going?"
"Mikoto, Fumi-san, Sister Yukariko, Shiho-chan. Yukino-san and Akane-chan also confirmed they would be coming. I cannot get a hold of the rest," Mai sighed. "I asked Yukino-san for help as well, but she also hit a wall."
"You can't reach even Takumi? Isn't he with Akira?" The surprise in Natsuki's voice made Mai smile a bit. Her brother was growing more independent and with that – more distant. She was happy for him. For them.
"No. It appears they have disappeared off to somewhere again. Probably on a vacation."
"Couldn't they pick a time when the world isn't on the brink of annihilation?"
Mai waved at the approaching headmistress. Mikoto could also be seen running energetically towards her, clad in her high-school uniform, despite the fact that she had graduated already.
"They're coming. I'll see you soon."
"Bye."
With her backpack at her feet and relaxing in her seat, Natsuki watched the scenery changing outside the train. From urbanized and grey, the view changed to forests, mountains and the occasional rice field. The headphones in her ears cracked with static and finally died after a year of proudly fulfilling their duty. This rendered her player absolutely useless.
Natsuki sighed and turned it off. She couldn't sleep. There were thousands of questions swimming in her head, clashing with her worries. Why couldn't the other HiME be contacted, even if they had an agreement to always keep in mind that there might be a need for them to gather once more? Why was there an Orphan sighting, but no Hime star? Was this a false threat or was this indeed their last stand?
Either way, we have no choice but to try and contain the situation with the number of people available.
She lifted her haggard eyes towards the screen showing the news. The images ran in front of her, meaningless and empty. A head of politics of a certain nation had accepted a new trading treaty, which wasn't in somebody's favour, hence an attempt of assassination had been carried out. Activists for animal rights were pushing for a new law. The oldest man in the world celebrated his birthday today. A new way to treat cancer was discovered. And so on.
Until the screen went black. Natsuki was a firm believer that bad things always happened in a row, so this wasn't a mere coincidence, but a sign that something, somewhere had gone terribly wrong and she was going to feel the outcome. As it turned out, she was right.
There was an emergency report from Osaka. It showed what Natsuki had come to recognize as 'one of those huge fuckers'. Apparently the creature had come out of nowhere, if the reporter and the witnesses were to be trusted. It was now wrecking havoc on one of Osaka's biggest trade streets. The police could only evacuate the civilians as what looked like a crossbreed between a centipede and a bull destroyed another shop.
Another simultaneous report from Northern Japan replaced the first, quickly pushed aside by one about the same phenomena occurring in the Americas, Europe, South Africa, a number of countries in Asia... The attacks followed the same chaotic pattern. Simple, violent, crippling destruction all over Earth. Striking big cities, the Orphans were throwing every human being on the planet in panic.
No purpose. They're just letting us know they've arrived.
Natsuki was surrounded by gasps, shouts of disbelief and fear, crying children who didn't understand what exactly was going on, but were just responding to the general atmosphere of anxiety. The young woman's expression was impassive, as she was probably one of the selected few who knew what was going on. She didn't know what to feel. It was bigger and more violent than she had expected. As the people around her screamed that this had to be some kind of joke, she looked at her watch.
If it went well, she'd arrive in Fuuka in the next hour.
In the next half-an-hour all seven of them were gathered at Fumi's office, watching the news reports on the several screens on the wall opposite of the headmistress's desk. Every single one of them had her eyes wide in shock and disbelief at the scale of the attack. There was no guarantee they were safe at their current location. And it had become apparent that their powers had no intention of returning to their fullest, either.
Mai felt her fists shake as she watched the Orphan she had spotted two nights ago razing a building in Hiroshima to the ground with several consecutive strikes of its tail.
"You couldn't have prevented that, you know."
Everyone was surprised that the first to talk had been the mousy Yukino. Obviously she had followed Mai's distressed gaze and had put two and two together.
"Even if you had tried fighting it, you would have only d-died without your powers."
"Which leads us to the question of why aren't they back?" Akane thoughtfully murmured.
She had changed, Mai noted. As had all of them more or less. Yukino still seemed shy and reserved, but a certain gleam in her eyes suggested she was more confident now. Akane, who had suffered extreme psychological traumas, was now more quiet and gloomy; much in contrast to her joyful and easy-going attitude she had four years ago. Fumi had obviously aged, but had kept her beauty and kind features. She also had a certain adamant feel about her now. Much to Mai's irritation, or relief, Shiho and Yukariko remained vastly unchanged. Except for the fact that the Sister's hair was now long, she was the same as Mai remembered her. As was Shiho's attitude towards her. The shorter girl still felt strongly obliged to glare at Mai at every given opportunity, but at least she wasn't trying to kill her. They had silently agreed on a peace treaty in such times of emergency.
"I must say that I have never heard of anything like this." Fumi was sitting on the edge of her chair, arms folded on the polished desk. "I assure you, I have read every document and book on the Orphans I have access to. There are so many that I thought there was nothing new that could surprise me."
"Clearly you were wrong."
They all turned to the newcomer. Natsuki had slipped into the room without anybody noticing and was now leaning on a bookshelf close to the door. She was clad in a long dark coat, the colour fading at the edges, and a pair of jeans. Her hair was longer compared to last time Mai had met with her friend. Usually a pair of determined vivid eyes would regard the surrounding people, but now only one dull-green orb was visible, the other hidden behind raven-black hair. If somebody had changed, that was Natsuki.
Mai greeted her with a forced smile. It was weakly returned, before Natsuki pushed off the bookshelf and strode towards the group. Her walk was brisk and stiff.
"Kuga-san," Fumi addressed her with surprising coldness. "How did you get in? I had two guards stationed outside the office."
"Had."
"... Excuse me?"
"They're dead," Natsuki calmly announced matter-of-factly.
"And what about the four guarding at the gates?"
"They're not guarding them anymore."