Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime or Mai Otome.

This was beta'd by: Beaustiful! Thank you! :D

This is my first attempt at an angsty-drama fic with the two most unlikely of people. Neither of them get attention so I thought I would give it to them. -cheeky grin- (They're both female.) Well, that and I'm trying something new: planning out my stories! (If anyone is willing to help here, that'd be wonderful!) I've only made it to chapter six so far, even after a couple weeks of deciding to do this fic.

About the OOC-ness, you might recognize the mystery character when she's drunk, otherwise you won't find out who she is until chapter four. Just try to guess! :D The reason she's OOC is because she's 'broken' at this point in time (among other things like alcohol abuse, etc.) and over the course of the fic, she'll slowly turn into the woman we recognize. If Yukariko herself is out of character, please tell me why and I'll try to fix it right away. (A friend of mine told me I needed to fix her up and I tried to- I hope this version of Yukariko is better.)

Note: The fic involves views on religion; alcohol abuse/addiction; and all around blunt, dark, pessimistic views on the world.

About the religion part of this story, it will be an unspecified sub-religion under 'Christianity'. (I'm pretty sure that's what Yukariko practices in the anime.)

Seven revisions on this first chapter alone and I still don't feel happy with it... Well, I had to post it some time and sooner is better than later. This chapter is just a little introduction and it's suppose to be slightly confusing. (So if you don't understand that well, that's fine. Things get explain in the next chapter.) Enjoy. :)

It wasn't the right weather to be having a wedding.

The forecast was cloudy and it was almost certain to rain. Still, Yukariko Ishigami had heard that there was a wedding planned to take place at the garden back toward the school's main hallway today. Not that it concerned her of course, she wasn't invited and it wasn't her place to pry into people's affairs, especially on such a magical day as a wedding. She continued to sweep the empty halls of the campus' church, tucked away between the large trees.

Barely anyone came by these days and some people questioned why she continued to work there when she didn't have any professional affiliation with the church. Yukariko just told them that now that her husband, the previous pastor, was gone she'd take care of the church until they replaced him.

If they replaced him. They haven't done so since pastor Ishigami died three years ago. Yukariko had been trying to accept the feeling that they'd never hire another.

Out of Japan's total population, only about one percent of the Japanese were Christians. It was hard enough finding devout followers, let alone a pastor willing to move to the small island-city of Fuuka.

The storm clouds overhead blocked out the light that usually shown through the mosaic, stain-glass windows. The stone floor and walls, along with the lack of lighting, gave the church a rather cold feel where one would otherwise feel welcome. The pews, placed in rows on either side of the worn and red rug, were made of dark wood. The holy water was placed in a bowl to the side of the wooden double-doors and a single candle was lit in the stand where others lay, waiting to be used. An organ was placed in the top left corner of the church right next to the magnificent alter, both clearly well taken care of. There were two small wooden doors on either side of the church, the right one leading to the bell tower and the other leading outside.

Her blue eyes drifted up from her handiwork and scanned the large expanse of the holy house, "… There's something sad about the image of an empty church." She couldn't help but think aloud.

"Yes, it is rather miserable, isn't it?"

Yukariko gasped, her grip around her broom tightening in her shock. She swiftly turned around to look at the intruder, her blue eyes taking in the new person's image.

The person was undoubtedly female; she wore loose clothing around her torso but the white capris revealed the shapely lower portion of her body. She wore a light blue hoodie, a size or two too large for her body, which had a large pocket in the front where her hands were tucked away. The hood was pulled over her head so the top of her face was concealed by a shadow, only showing her grinning mouth.

"Are you finished checking me out?" The grin only grew. "I finished a while ago."

"I beg your pardon?" Yukariko blinked, her bewilderment showing clearly across her features as she heard the newcomer's words. I didn't even hear her come in. She was about to ask the new-comer who she was, but she stopped herself when she remembered that this was a public church. Anyone is allowed to enter if they wish.

"You shouldn't beg for things. I would have given you pardon if you'd asked for it." The woman started to walk away from the church's side door and toward the pews, her white flip-flops clapping with every step she took on the stone floor. "I came in through the side door," The figure took her right hand from her front pocket and thumbed over her shoulder, toward the small wooden door, tucked away and hidden from view. "Hope you don't mind."

"Hm? Oh, no I don't," Yukariko smiled warmly, shaking her head and feeling more at ease. "Welcome to the Fuuka Academy Church."

The intruder lifted her gaze to the mosaic windows after coming to a stop in the middle of the red, carpeted walkway between the pews, "A Christian church, hm? It's probably the only one on this island."

Yukariko visibly brightened at this. Another devout? "Have you come to pray?" She hastily asked, sounding a little more enthusiastic than she originally planned to be. She inwardly scowled, Are you honestly that lonely, Yukariko?

The figure turned her head to look over her shoulder, "What? Oh, no. I am neither here to pray nor am I Christian. The place just kind of looked small and pathetic and I stumbled in here without really thinking about it."

Mrs. Ishigami's face shifted into a light frown, "Excuse me?" 'Small and pathetic'? I know it's not much but—

The concealed woman continued, "I haven't gone into a church or shine in years. Actually, I'm surprised I didn't burn up the second I placed my foot through the so called 'holy doors'." The figure turned to the building's large, twin front doors, "They don't looked so 'hole-y' to me… In fact, they seem pretty damn sealed. 'Could keep out an army with those," She mused. The woman suddenly made a noise of discomfort and brought her hand to her forehead, "Speaking of burning, damn!" She exclaimed, falling onto one knee.

Yukariko, startled by the sight of the woman falling, started to run over, concern etched into her features, "Are you okay—"

She was stopped by a hand that lifted and made the international 'stop' motion, "I'm fine. It's probably just my hangover finally kicking in." The woman hissed under her breath, "Feels like my head's on fire." She slowly stood up.

The brunette frowned in disapproval, "'Hangover'? As in previously drunk?" Where exactly did this person come from?

The hooded figure brought down her hands, turning her body to finally face Yukariko, "Yes, as in previously drunk." She enunciated the last word. "I've been intoxicated for the past…" The figure brought her gaze toward her counting fingers before giving up after a few seconds, "(Too hung over to think…) For the past some-odd long number of hours," She finally finished her earlier thought. The figure then gasped, just realizing something, "I haven't thrown up yet! New record, go me!" She cheered in mock enthusiasm.

Yukariko was starting to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and her intuition was almost never wrong. Who comes into a church after being intoxicated? Her blue eyes shifted around uneasily, before settling back on the other person, "Perhaps going home would be bes—"

Once again, the newcomer interrupted Mrs. Ishigami, "I can't very well leave in the middle of my sister's wedding, now can I? That would be considered 'impolite'." The person then paused before correcting herself, "Half-sister."

This only confused the late-pastor's wife even more, "Then why are you here if you're attending your sister's wedding? Shouldn't you stay for the whole thing?"

"I should, shouldn't I?" An ironic, mirthless smile made its way onto the stranger's face, "And normally I would but the Bitch drove me away so have to hang low for a while." She waved it over her shoulder before putting her hands back into her jacket's front pocket and slouching into a comfortable position.

Yukariko gapped at the mere thought of calling one's relative a bitch. She grew up with a family that treasured family bonds so anything besides that came as a shock to her. She scowled as she reprimanded the woman, "You shouldn't call your sister a bitch. Surely you and your sister can work out any problems that might arise." Of course, growing up as a Sanada, she was a tad sheltered from the reality that some families aren't as close as others. She knew of it, but she herself had never seen it happen to anyone around her; ignorance is bliss.

"'Why would I call my'… Oh!" The person took out their hands and waved them in front of herself, "No, no! Not my sister." She put her hands back, "My sister is many things: business savvy, devilishly clever, charming, and likable, if a bit lazy. Yes, many things, but not a bitch." She started up again, her tone suggesting that she wasn't fond of the subject they were on, "No, the Bitch I'm talking about is her mother, the mastermind behind the Fujino name."

The brunette blinked, trying to think of why she found that name familiar. Oh! "Fujino? You mean 'Fujino Touch' the lingerie company?"

"That's the one!" The other woman's mood seemed to lighten up. "Shi-chan's looking to take over very soon now that she's married. You can go meet them at the wedding if you want," The smile turned into an amused one, "Although I doubt you'd make it past security."

The shorthaired woman's gaze shifted down to the flat, red strip of carpet laying on the otherwise barren stone floor, So the famed Fujino family's heir is marrying here at this school? I heard rumors that it was someone famous, but I didn't think they were true.

"Shi-chan and her high-school sweetheart are marrying where they first met up. Romantic, isn't it?" The church's newcomer smiled genuinely, "Yep, her and her wife will definitely be happy together."

Yukariko could hear a record scratch, her mind screeching to a halt. She cleared her throat and glanced back toward the intruder, "I'm sorry, did you just say 'her and her… wife'?"

"I did." The woman answered bluntly.

"As in a lesbian?"

"Yes."

"As in… a woman…" She hesitated, looking downward. "… loving another woman?" Yukariko honestly didn't know how she felt at the moment. No, She wasn't disgusted. Rather, she was uncertain about how to handle the information she was receiving. While she wasn't against it (even a couple of her best friends had same-sex partners), she wasn't completely 'cool' with it and the topic often made her uneasy.

Then there was her religion's views to consider.

She knew that there were others in her religion that were okay with homosexuals. She knew this, however, she also knew that the people against it greatly outweighed the people okay with it. Mrs. Ishigami was also well aware of the number of Christian people that looked down upon gays and lesbians; she easily overhead gossip because church was well-known for being gossip central.

Now, once again that uneasy feeling was welding up inside her and she didn't know how to act, making her anxious.

Yukariko's blue eyes looked back to the woman and she almost flinched; she couldn't see it, but she could feel the dull stare the intruder was giving her, "No. I meant my half-sister's new wife is from Lesbos, Greece. It's an island off the cost of Turkey and a really nice summer get-away— Of course I'm talking about women loving other women!"

Yukariko could feel her cheeks burn in her red-hot shame; she knew she'd pay for that. I guess I was trying to avoid the truth, She thought, her guilt building. She coughed into a fist, trying to shake the feeling away, "Please don't make remarks like that."

"But you asked a stupid question," The other person responded, matter-of-factly.

"Y-you can't blame me for asking!" Yukariko countered lamely, all her efforts to remain calm going down the drain as she tried to say anything in her defense. Her embarrassment and humiliation were displayed clearly on her brightly flushed face, her grip on her broom tightening subconsciously.

"Actually, I—" The concealed woman cut herself off and her jaw slowly opened, as if in awe. "Damn…" She trailed off.

"W-what?" Mrs. Ishigami gazed at the other woman, perplexed by the sudden mood swing.

The hooded woman paused, snapping out of her stupor before shoving her hands back into her front pocket. A smile was on her face, but it quickly turned into a small smirk, "Do you realize how incredibly cute you look while blushing? Honestly, I've never seen someone blush as brilliantly as you." She remarked casually, as if creating small talk.

One of Yukariko's eyebrows raised, showing her confusion caused by the eccentric woman. Was she honestly just called cute? Her blushing had calmed down a little after she breathed deeply. She placed a smile back onto her face and tried to make up for her earlier rude outburst. She was taught to be polite to others and she was ashamed she let herself get carried away. "Thank you?" However, her reply came out in the form of a question as she tried to discern if she was indeed complimented.

The stranger's smirk turned into a Cheshire grin, "It reminds me of a kitty cat."

Yukariko's eyes shot open in disbelief. Was I just called a cat?! She glared at the intruder, her blue eyes hardening, "I will not stand here and be insulted!" She would not tolerate someone insulting her, especially when she herself had said nothing to earn it.

The hooded person tilted her head to the side, still slouched comfortably, "Insulted? On the contrary, it's a compliment. I like cats."

Yukariko's glare softened, but never left her face, still unconvinced.

The other person in the church giggled a little before continuing, "Your face is so expressive! I could read you like an open book!" She cleared her throat, "The title would read: The Story of a Cat – Lone Mistress of the Church." The figure chuckled at Mrs. Ishigami's incredulous face. She started to walk down the walkway casually, her flip-flops clapping against her feet with each step, "Chapter One: Of Mice and Gods." She stopped before she reached the large, twin doors only to put a couple one-hundred yen coins into the donation box before continuing on.

Yukariko, before being spiteful, was a naturally curious person so she couldn't hold herself back from asking, "H-how does this story start?" The brunette called out abruptly to the stranger on the other side of the church. Why 'Lone Mistress of the Church'? She waited on baited breath as the hooded woman stood half-way out of the door, her head turned back to Yukariko. What am I expecting to hear? She wondered, conscious of her grip tightening around her broom.

The woman's lips, formally neutral, turned into a mirthless smile, "It starts out with an owl flying into the church through an old, opened window. It perches on a beam overhead and watches the cat work vigorously to keep the church in order. The owl asks after a while, 'Why does one tirelessly sweep a church that has no visitors?'" The concealed figure walked out the door, closing it behind her, not even looking back once.

Yukariko just looked on, stunned to her spot, as the words echoed in her mind.

A loud, thundering boom echoed overhead.

It started to rain.

Can you guess who the mystery person is? (I left subtle clues and this isn't suspense so I won't keep it from you people for long.)

If anyone would like to give me suggestions in the following, I'd be more than happy to listen: improving writing skills, planning out stories, fixing characters to make them 'in character', any religious advice/information/suggestions! (That last one would really help to have some help with!) (I'm asking for a lot, sorry about that.)

Omake:

Intruder: Chapter twenty-seven... -continues to type furiously before coming to an abrupt stop- Crap.

Demon: What's wrong? You've been at that story for a couple hours straight and then you abruptly stopped.

Intruder: I should have made myself another type of cat to go along with Yukariko's animal.

Yukariko: Oh? Why?

Intruder: How the heck am I suppose to write a sex scene between a cat and an owl?!

Demon & Yukariko: -disturbed-