Disclaimer: Mai HiME and Mai Otome are property of Sunrise Entertainment and I make no claim to them. I'm simply borrowing these characters to tell silly tales.

Just to let you know, this story contains adult women in adult relationships so be warned. These people also swear and do all sorts of things that proper young people shouldn't. Don't follow their example.

Contains multiple pairings at various stages of relationships, and perhaps a story somewhere, too.

Please enjoy and drop me a line if you do.

Gorms

WBC Daily News

"And now our political correspondent, Francis Marcus, reports live on the developments that have taken place on day three of this historic summit."

"Thank you, Nanako. Day three of the Third Parliamentary Reorganisation Summit has seen some steady developments. We're unlikely to see the fireworks of the First Summit with the cool, level-headed assistance of President Chrysant. Her guidance is proving a great asset during this highly technical phase of negotiations. Her Royal Majesty Mashiro has predicted that the final decision about the division of constituencies will come about in the next few days."

"Francis, we've heard reports that it has been decided that a system of proportional representation will be implemented. Can you confirm these?"

"It seems likely that this will be the electoral system chosen, but no formal statement has been issued. It has, however, been confirmed that despite public preference, there will be no change in the Special Status afforded Garderobe. This is partly due to the upcoming Technological Dissemination Project in which the academy and Wind City University will play joint hosts to an international panel of experts and scientists."

"Thank you, Francis."

"Thank you and good evening."

The attractive anchor woman shuffled the papers in her hands gracefully and looked back to the central camera.

"Our report there from Francis Marcus, reporting live from outside the Third Parliamentary Reorganisation Summit. More on that tonight during Questions and Answers, with Minami Kuriba. In other news..."

Her Royal Majesty Mashiro Blan De Windbloom, monarch of Windbloom and all dependent territories, stood in an enormous cavern beneath her palace with her hands on her hips, looking at a pile of rubble once called the Harmonium; an ancient device that had come quite close to leveling the planet two years previous. Her faithful Otome Yumemiya Arika beside her and a few attentive senior court officials behind her all watched as Mashiro turned to the small group of visiting dignitaries.

"The surveying of the old palace is progressing slowly, but within schedule," she declared, quoting her senior engineer. "We hope to have a preliminary appraisal completed within three weeks, in plenty of time for the start of the Technological Dissemination Project."

Here, she paused and frowned. "Except they're running into trouble around the damn Harmonium. The workers are having nightmares and stress-related illnesses are rampant."

"We obviously didn't blow the damn thing up enough," Haruka Armitage insisted, glaring at the heap of rubble. Yukino Chrysant adjusted her spectacles on the bridge of her nose and blinked at the ruin. The President of Aries and her Otome enjoyed a close relationship with Mashiro and Windbloom both as the leading representatives of a friendly nation and as friends on a more personal level.

"If we'd blown the thing up any more, there'd be a crater the size of the Moon in the palace," Natsuki Kruger muttered, Garderobe's Gakuenchou not appearing best pleased. "Are these occurrences the residual effects of its powers, or are the workers just agitating themselves because they're working underground?" she asked, turning to Youko Helene, Garderobe's scientific director and school physician.

"Damned if I know," the graceful scientist muttered, "there's nothing unusual down here apart from the mega-abundance of several algae species that might be considered rare in other parts of Windbloom."

"That's it?" Mashiro demanded. Older, and doing her damnedest to appear wiser, she had unfortunately retained the ability to be absolutely unimpressed by her subordinates the majority of the time. "Are they some sort of hallucinogenic, magic algae?"

"Um, no," Youko confirmed, glancing around at the others present. Her assistant Irina Woods had the good grace to blush slightly. Yukino stifled the urge to roll her eyes.

"Shall we continue with the tour then, everyone?" Shizuru Viola suggested, attempting to get the little group on the move again. There was still a great deal of ground to cover and it had been a long, tiring day. She thanked whatever powers available that the Columns had only been asked to attend a single day of the Summit. Nao Zhang, Maya Blythe and Sarah Gallagher all looked as if they shared the sentiment.

Natsuki nodded in approval, still regarding the massive pile of rubbish with distrust. She shook her head as the others moved on to more promising parts of the Subterranean Reclamation Project and was possessed with an urge to spit on the remains. Haruka, feeling much the same herself, walked over to her kouhai and gripped her shoulder.

"Come on, Kruger, let's pray they seal this whole place with concede."

Natsuki smiled and snorted. "Concrete, you mean," she muttered, reaching for a lump of rubble.

In a blinding, scorching flash of white light, the pair vanished.

"I had a moment a few days ago, when you were away with the Corals. I realised that I'm the same age my mother was when she gave birth to me. It made me feel old and young at the same time, suspended in time.

"I'd love to be young again, to do it all again but do it right. Fix the things I regret, you know?"

Kuga Natsuki frowned and opened her eyes with great difficulty. They'd definitely not been glued shut before bed, had they? A plain white ceiling swam into view and she blinked. The last thing she'd remembered, she'd been lounging on a picnic blanket with a dozen other teenagers enjoying a sunny afternoon and relaxing in the sun.

She sat up and gripped the sheets in tightly balled hands as waves of dizziness rolled through her. She tried to remember what she'd eaten for breakfast and failed. Coffee, possibly. She wondered if she'd fainted and found her stomach clenching with irritation. If that had actually happened, she'd never hear the end of it. Knowing Harada, some photographic evidence was probably flitting around, too.

She frowned at the i.v. drip nestled in the crook of her left elbow and was considering pulling it out when quick footsteps sounded nearby. The curtain beside her bed swished open to reveal a concerned looking Shizuru and a baffled Youko. The three stared at each other for several moments before Youko and Shizuru turned to each other.

"She's not Natsuki," they said in unison.

Natsuki's eyes narrowed and she sat up more fully in bed, clutching the bed sheet to her chest.

"I am Natsuki! What the hell is wrong with you guys?" she paused for a moment to glower at Shizuru, intending to move her glare to Youko, but was unable to tear her eyes away.

"Shizuru, damn it, what's wrong? You look ten years older than this morning!"

Shizuru sighed and tilted her head to one side. "And you look about ten years younger than you did at breakfast, Natsuki."

Youko stepped up and wrapped a cuff to her upper arm, pumping it up. "Who exactly are you anyway?"

"You know who I am; Kuga Natsuki."

Shizuru frowned, still keeping her distance. Somehow, this unnerved Natsuki. She'd spent hours praying for her own personal space to be respected by Shizuru but had never imagined that the other woman would intentionally keep so far away.

"Kruger?"

"Kuga," Natsuki repeated, enunciating more clearly. "Shizuru, you know that." Her voice was hoarse from the brief period of disuse and she was desperately thirsty. "Shizuru, what's going on? What's happened?"

"You've been affected by a machine called a Harmonium," Youko began, noting Shizuru's apparent distress. "It has the power to directly effect matter in space and time. This morning, our good friend Natsuki Kruger, who looks pretty similar to you, and Haruka Armitage vanished only to be replaced by you and another young lady, who is still unconscious. My name is Youko Helene and you already seem to know Shizuru."

"Pleased to meet you, Kuga Natsuki," Shizuru said as politely as she could. "Welcome to Windbloom."

"Where?"

Youko rolled her eyes and launched into an explanation of where exactly they all were. She soon abandoned her course of action when too many questions and not enough answers made her patient quite impatient. She surreptitiously twisted the valve on a small glass vial hanging discretely beside the i.v. drip chamber and watched in satisfaction as Natsuki drifted off to sleep after a few moments.

Shizuru frowned in disapproval and adjusted Kuga's blankets without a word.

"Is it brain damage?" Mashiro asked, clearly baffled at the idea that Natsuki had forgotten what Windbloom was. She was taking it as a personal affront and had crossed her arms huffily. They were gathered in the Royal Physician's office, gazing at a wall filled with X-Ray plates. Youko shrugged.

"She isn't the same Natsuki Kruger we had coffee with this morning, and neither is that girl who looks like Haruka. Both of them display retention of the growth plate at the medial end of both clavicles and a range of other small osteological blips. They're younger than they were three hours ago, perhaps between sixteen and nineteen years of age." Youko sighed and slid into her chair.

Irina shrugged and sat herself down on a high stool. "They also look younger than they were, and neither show any evidence for the nanomachines or their decay products."

Arika frowned and gave her queen an inquisitive glance before turning to her old classmate. "So the Harmonium is a fountain of youth now, then?"

"No, Arika-chan, I'm afraid not. From this X-Ray, taken three weeks ago after an incident with a loose paving slab, we can see that the Haruka who escorted President Chrysant down here has a well-healed fracture to the left fibula, as we can see here," she said, slapping a cane onto an X-Ray plate in blatant disregard of best practice. "The Haruka that appeared this morning had a perfectly healthy lower leg, with no fractures anywhere. There's no way that a fracture like that could have healed so completely that it wouldn't leave a scar in the bone without help from nanomachines."

Youko nodded proudly at her protégée before turning her attention back to the rest of the group. "We also noticed this on Kuga-san's lower back," she asked, showing a rough sketch of a hook-like mark. "It's pretty badly faded, but it reminds me of a burn scar." She slid her eyes to Shizuru and raised an eyebrow. Maya and Mashiro had the good grace to blush as Shizuru shook her head, but Arika gawked at the page.

"That's just like the one that the Mikoto-chan has! Except hers is on her shoulder." She turned to Nao for confirmation and she agreed.

"It's much clearer on Mikoto, though. It looks more like a birth mark than a scar."

Youko frowned and turned to Arika. "That natural Materialiser?" Arika nodded vigourously. "Maybe we should ask her to come visit for a while."

Shizuru took a moment to consider logistics. "Sarah-san, would you mind delivering the message? You mentioned that you wanted to see the Nekogami Mountain. Perhaps you could hold down the fort there for a while."

"No problem. I'll head there in the morning."

There was a moment of silence and Yukino took advantage of it. "Has Haruka-chan regained consciousness yet?"

Irina looked vaguely embarrassed. "Well, she did, but we had to sedate her. She's pretty strong and was as angry as anything."

Youko nodded. "I don't want you near her before we can establish if she's a danger or not yet, Madame President."

Yukino smiled in understanding and took her glasses off to polish them. "Haruka-chan's only ever been a danger to herself, no matter where she goes."

"I'll wipe that smile off your face, you damn smug bubuzuke woman!" Haruka yelled, practically gnawing at the straps restraining her to the bed.

"Just what right to you have to tie me up here anyway? You're probably going to do something perverted, aren't you? Well, you can try and weaken my moral roughage but you'll never succeed!"

"Moral fibre, I think," Shizuru smiled, "it's good to know you're feeling better, Armitage-san."

"Armitage?" Haruka paused for a moment, frowning at Shizuru. "Stop trying to throw me off-balance! I've never been involved in the porcelain industry!"

Shizuru continued to sit sipping tea and wondering what to do with their guest. She wondered if this Haruka knew Kuga Natsuki at all and enquired in a cheerful voice. The change that came over Haruka was sudden. She stopped struggling and fixed Shizuru with a wary stare.

"Look, I don't want to be involved in anything between you two, you hear? Whatever you two do in the privacy of someone else's house is between yourselves and the hired help." She fell silent for a moment and considered her situation, strapped to a bed and dressed in a flimsy gown. She tried to keep the panic out of her eyes, but Viola did not miss it. Silence fell in the little room, broken only by the tick of a bed side alarm clock. Shizuru waited expectantly and watched her charge. Haruka turned her head away.

"She's a fool, you know. To ever let you near her again. All those other idiots pretend they've forgotten but I'll not. I'll never forgive you for what you did to Yukino, either." This was delivered with quiet venom and desperate defiance and Shizuru realised that Haruka was afraid of her. She stood and moved towards the door, perturbed.

"I can fetch Yukino-san, if you'd prefer," she offered mildly and once again a sudden change gripped Haruka.

"Yukino's here? Get her in here right now! I swear she needs to be more assertive-"

Shizuru closed the door behind her and nodded to Yukino. The president had been waiting anxiously for a prognosis in the corridor with Youko and both stood up.

"She's confused, and quite hostile, but she mentioned Madame President by name, and I don't believe she's a threat," she said, smiling at the relief that flooded Yukino's expression. She rushed into the room without a further thought and Youko rolled her eyes, earning a smile from Shizuru.

"You'd better bring some valium, sensei, she's even worse than usual."

"Do those clothes fit, Kuga-san?" Arika called through the bathroom door. She stepped back as it swung open and grinned at Natsuki. The dark haired teenager nodded and smoothed down the front of her shirt.

"It's fine, thank you."

"No problem," Arika chirped, "your other clothes were filthy, so Youko-sensei sent them off to be washed."

Natsuki nodded and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She moved to the window and gazed out over the spires and rooftops of Windbloom. She noted the empty, barren desert stretching as far as she could see beyond the busy city and frowned. She briefly wondered if she was trapped in one of Sister Yukariko's illusions and shuddered. She tried to will her elements into her hands but failed.

"Are you the same as Mikoto-chan?" Arika asked, and Natsuki realised she hadn't been quite as discrete as she'd hoped. She glared at the girl and Arika laughed nervously. "Wow, that's the same look you used to give me in Garderobe! Scary."

Natsuki was about to demand more answers when there was a light tapping at the door. Shizuru entered, greeted them both politely and informed Arika that Mashiro was asking for her. She closed the door after the long tails of the younger woman's skirts and watched Natsuki glare out of the window.

"Haruka-san is feeling much better, I'm pleased to say. Are you well?"

Natsuki fiddled with the cuff of her shirt and frowned. "I don't understand it at all. That I'm not meant to be here; that I'm not the real Natsuki."

"You're the real Natsuki somewhere, though. And I wonder if my Natsuki hasn't gone there, too."

Her shoulders tensed under the clean linen at that sentiment. Although the Shizuru beside her shared little similarity with the dead-eyed berserker she'd fought, the possessive phrase made her uneasy. She shrugged and crossed her arms. "Am I a prisoner here?"

"Of course not. Although I would advise you stay close to us until we can establish exactly what the situation is. Arika-chan and Mashiro-sama will of course remain here in the palace, as will Madame President and Haruka. Myself and Youko-san are returning to Garderobe and you're welcome to come with us," she said, lifting a long brown coat.

"You've been released from medical care, though, so you're free to come and go as you please."

Natsuki shrugged and pulled on the coat that Shizuru offered. "I don't think I want to spend more time than necessary around Suzushiro when she's so excited. What's this Garderobe place like?"

Natsuki looked around the massive quarters in awe. The view, and the sheer grandeur of the space, left her stunned. She found it quite hard to believe that she, in any incarnation, occupied a high enough station in life to be allowed within fifty yards of such a place.

Shizuru called to her from the far end of the room and she hurried along. She was shown to a large walk-in wardrobe and guided towards one side. She started when she realised that some of the items of clothing on the opposite side looked very much like things that Shizuru might wear.

"It's a pity Natsuki vanished with her blue coat, she looks so handsome in it," Shizuru commented. She began lifting items of clothing off the shelves and passing them to Natsuki, who seemed struck dumb. She stared at the clothes in her arms. It seemed that Kruger shared her hobby, however, and she felt slightly better.

"Some of these might be a little big on you, you're quite skinny and a bit shorter than my Natsuki, but they'll be better than what you have on right now. The palace will be sending your other clothes over in the morning when they've been laundered."

"Thank you," Natsuki muttered. At least she'd found herself transported to a hospitable alternative reality. She wondered if her counterpart was faring as well and decided that there was little chance of her own Shizuru or Mai letting her go hungry and naked.

Well, there was a slight chance that Shizuru would let her go naked, to be fair.

Arms loaded, she was led out of the main room and into a small en suite guest room. Twilight necessitated the use of soft upturned lights on the wall and Shizuru busied herself with closing the curtains.

"I'm going to cook some dinner in about an hour, if you'd like to join me," she offered calmly, "you look like you could do with a decent feed."

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "You're worse than Mai; you're both such mother hens."

Shizuru paused at the door, genuinely surprised. She laughed into her hand and shook her head.

"Ara, that's one thing my Natsuki has never called me."

Natsuki smoothed the blue blouse she was wearing and made her way towards the kitchen, following the enticing smell. A quick bath had worked wonders and she was feeling quite hungry. She made her way to the kitchen door and knocked, letting herself in.

"Ah, there you are. Are you feeling better?" Shizuru asked cheerfully, stirring a large pot of something fragrant. "Are the clothes a good fit?"

"They're a bit big, but I don't think anyone would notice," she said a touch wryly. It appeared as well as being about ten centimetres taller, that the Natsuki in this universe was slightly better endowed than she was.

"They look well on you. Will you take this to the table, please?" she asked, handing Natsuki a bowl of salad. Natsuki tried not to shiver at the chopped scallions in the bowl. She was beginning to wonder if Kruger wasn't her evil counterpart.

"Is there anything else I can do?"

"You can open that bottle of wine, if you'd like," Shizuru said, absorbed in the large pot. "The corkscrew's in the drawer."

Natsuki blinked and nodded. She opened the bottle of red wine and placed it on the table, wondering if one of the perks of holding academic office was having access to a well-stocked wine cellar.

They sat at a modest dining table off the kitchen and began their meal.

"It's weird that you can cook. The Shizuru I know wouldn't be able to boil water." Mostly because she'd usually let one of her groupies do it, she added mentally.

"I'm not much of a cook, I'm afraid. Natsuki isn't either so we tend to go out to eat quite often."

Natsuki nodded politely. Any tiny little doubt that had lingered in her mind over the pair's domestic arrangements was quashed and she swallowed thickly. This Shizuru shared a bed with Kruger, the room she'd been escorted to clearly didn't have a full time occupant and she hadn't seen a second bed in the master suite. She wondered how much longer she was expected to maintain this stream of chit chat and what, exactly, was expected of her.

"So, um, Shizuru, are all those things that Youko-sensei told me, about the Robes and the Otome, all true?" searching for something as impersonal as she could manage.

"Of course. Does it sound that far-fetched?"

Natsuki shrugged, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Not after the things I've seen."

Shizuru knew it would be terribly rude to start interrogating her guest but her curiosity (and a nagging worry that Natsuki Kruger might be getting herself into trouble) won out.

"In your world, you're able to Materialise without a GEM, am I right?" she guessed, watching the young woman before her flinch.

"Yeah, well, kinda. I used to be. There were only thirteen of us, though. Not enough to fill an entire academy. We were called HiME."

"Would I know any of the other HiME, Natsuki?" Shizuru asked pleasantly. Natsuki froze, her face pale and guarded. She carefully placed her fork down beside her plate and made an effort not to look Shizuru in the eye.

"Um, yeah. Fujino Shizuru was one. She looks just like you do, talks the same too." She paused and frowned, clenching her back teeth together convulsively. "It's all over now, we all lost that ability."

Shizuru laid her own cutlery down, taking a deep breath as she did. They lost their power? Did a HiME lose their power in the same manner that an Otome did? She let silence settle between them for a while, not wanting to disturb Natsuki. The young woman eventually shook her head and smiled an unconvincing smile.

"It's all in the past; it's over, thank God."

"I'm glad," Shizuru said, smiling a supportive smile. She remembered this Natsuki; she'd known her years ago. It was difficult to remember how she was supposed to act, it was difficult to remember the person she herself had been back then. This Natsuki looked like she wanted nothing more than to flee. She sighed to herself and stood, lifting her empty plate. She offered Natsuki tea and served it in tiny cups balanced on a silver tray, all the while wishing for her lover.

Very Early The Next Morning

Natsuki stood blinking at the ruins of the Harmonium, wondering how a pile of rubble had managed to whisk her through space and time. Apparently Haruka shared her sentiments and was not at all shy about sharing her opinion at volume.

"Anything yet, Youko-sensei?" Yukino asked, keeping half an eye on Haruka. The blonde had been unable to fully grasp the idea that Yukino was President and she wasn't. The fact that she couldn't name the country she presumed herself to be ruler of was immaterial to her mind. Needless to say, it had not been a restful night.

"Nothing concrete, Madame President. The only thing the Harmonium's doing is making noise."

"I can't hear anything," Yukino said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Is it within human hearing range?"

"No, it's pitched quite high above the maximum range, We're monitoring it, though. It might turn out to be resonance from the rest of the castle, but given this thing's history, we'd rather be sure. How did our visitors fare?"

"Well enough, given the circumstances," Yukino said. One did not achieve the position of President without learning a good deal of tact and diplomacy.

Shizuru nodded in agreement and looked over to where Natsuki was idly poking bits of the rubble. "Yesterday, all they had to do was come into contact with the ruins and they triggered that reaction. Why's it so different today?"

"We're working on it. Irina's over at Garderobe, running the data from here through the cluster. Hopefully it'll pick up on any patterns in the information we're getting here."

"The area is sealed off?" Shizuru asked, eyeing the guards on the gantry.

"No unauthorised personnel to set foot in here on pain of Mashiro's most imaginative punishments," she said wryly, folding her arms. "I'd advise you to take them out of here, keep them entertained. It isn't every day that we get visitors from another world."

"It isn't," Yukino murmured, "Shizuru-san, did Kuga-san mention her home to you?"

"She mentioned their HiME system, some kind of Materialising system, and that she and a girl named Fujino Shizuru used to be part of it."

Yukino nodded. "Suzushiro-san knew a version of me named Kikukawa Yukino, but she didn't mention HiME. I don't want to press her for details, she's been through enough." She was also slightly nervous around the young woman, acknowledging that her bluster and petty moralising were possibly covering some of the nastier parts of her personality.

Youko frowned and shrugged. "Maybe we're better off not knowing. But I'll say this; the sooner we send them home, get our women back and completely destroy this machine the better."

Shizuru smiled a lop sided smile, shaking her head. "So much for scientific curiosity."

Youko barked a laugh, running her hand through her hair. "Curiosity has a really good way of decimating scientists, you know. Especially curiosity into travel between universes."

Yukino left them with an apology to join the Parliamentary Reorganisation Summit soon after and Youko headed back to Garderobe, ostensibly to check up on Irina's progress.

"What now, bubuzuke woman? What plans have you got?"

Shizuru tried not to sigh. She'd been well equipped to deal with Haruka's acerbic teenage personality when she herself had been a teenager. Kuga Natsuki had her arms folded sulkily over her chest, glaring at the walls. Kids she thought, wearily.

"Well, we could wander the city for a while. There's not much point in travelling to a new world without seeing some of it, is there?" Shizuru mused. "The monthly craft market is open today too."

Haruka perked up at that. "Shopping? If you're sure I won't be needed at that Partially Reorganised Something then I'll take a leaf from your shirking book!" she said, more cheerful than she had been since arriving. Natsuki rolled her eyes but nodded.

"Are you sure that you aren't needed in Garderobe, we could probably take care of ourselves."

Shizuru paused for a moment and thought about that. Garderobe could survive without her for a few days, it was well-used to her absence, and a chance to get away from the two was very tempting. She imagined the trouble the pair of them could get into alone and stifled a grimace.

"There are a few matters that need my attention back at the Academy, I must admit. I'll arrange for a guide for you two."

Haruka nodded. Another person meant another pair of arms to carry her bags. Since she had no intention of carrying her own bags, more arms would be essential.

Natsuki shrugged and went back to looking out over the Palace courtyard, looking beautiful and lonesome to Shizuru's eyes. She smiled a wry, nostalgic smile and shook her head.

"I'll just make a quick call."

Two hours later, Shizuru sat in the principal's office, sipping tea and reading over some papers that had been sent for official perusal. The office was quiet, the silence broken by a clock ticking on the wall. It wasn't a particularly peaceful or soothing quiet and eventually she abandoned the pretence of reading the forms at all.

She wondered how her own Natsuki was faring in a strange world. She wondered what she herself was like in that world, considering how uncomfortable she made both Suzushiro and Kuga. Shizuru sighed and and turned the chair, staring out the expansive window.

The last time she'd seen Natsuki looking so nervous and stand offish had been her first few weeks as a Coral, before a friendship with a certain incognito Zipang royal had brought her out of her shell. She and Haruka, as two of the Trias, had delighted in torturing the younger students in a variety of imaginative ways, her own admittedly more creative than Haruka's.

She remember how the short, grumpy Coral had leapt out of her skin the first few times she'd approached her (it had been a common reaction to her presence, all things told). The youngster had been one of many fangirls she'd teased but she'd been much more persistent than most and had ended up acting as her room attendant. It had been an eye opener for both of the and looking back, Shizuru recognised the birth of the woman who would become Gakeunchou Kruger. Eventually, familiarity and a burden of emotion had calmed their disillusionment and they'd become firm friends. By the end of Shizuru's second year, it hadn't been unusual for the pair of them to curl up in her room and talk for hours on end.

Truth be told, she'd rather forget what they had spoken about.

She shook her head and banished the ephemeral wraiths of the past, turning back to her cooling tea and stack of paper work. A small smile spread across her face. At least she wasn't bringing them around the town.

"Here you go; market," Nao Zhang said grumpily, hands balled into fists on her hips. This was the last time she ever agreed to do Shizuru a favour. The first year student had been pulled out of the weekly Reading Afternoon (or rather, Sleeping Afternoon) at the university and assigned baby sitting duty.

Haruka glared at her ('damn delinquent like her getting into university') and stomped off to the nearest stall. She was not at all happy to have been forced into a wig, dark glasses and a hat but Shizuru had insisted. Natsuki rolled her eyes at her antics and sat down on the edge of a fountain, enjoying the sunshine. Nao threw her hands up in despair and made her way over, sitting beside her.

"So, Lady Kruger, second cousin of the great and worldly Natsuki Kruger and also, in honour of your illustrious relative, called Natsuki, what do you think of our city?" Nao asked sardonically. It was common knowledge to most in Windbloom that the Kruger clan were all largely identical and the appearance of a teenaged version of Gakuenchou Kruger was unlikely to raise as many eyebrows as the appearance of the massively popular Armitage.

Natsuki shrugged and trailed her hand in the fountain. "It's strange. It's old fashioned but it's nice." She slid her eyes sideways and stared at the young woman beside her. She noticed the Roman four embroidered on her Mandarin style shirt (above a golden spider, she was none too pleased to note) and cleared her throat.

"Are you an Otome like Shizuru?" she asked quietly, keeping a discrete eye on Haruka as she bullied some vendors.

"Yup, Column Four," she said, investigating her finger nails. "It's a bit of a pain, really, but it has its perks. I get to Certify myself and my college fees are paid by Garderobe, which is sweet."

Natsuki frowned, sifting through the large amount of information that Youko and Shizuru had thrown at the her previous morning. "Shizuru's a Column too, isn't she? Number three."

"She is. And Kruger is number two," she said, curious at the frown on Natsuki's face.

"I still don't understand it, the Robes and Otome. It's like the HiME, but not exactly the same."

Nao leaned forward slightly and studied Natsuki, struck again at how young the woman was. She couldn't be older than herself, she mused. "The HiME system was activated briefly a while ago, it let us Materialise without Certification. It seems that here at least, the HiME system was the ancient basis for the Otome GEMs," she speculated. "It was great, I've got to say. It'd be fantastic to have it on all the time."

Natsuki scowled. "Anything based on that damn power can't be good. It puts too much on the line."

Nao shrugged. "People enter into the contract knowing what to expect, though. They know there's a balance between being protected and the risks of fighting."

Natsuki laughed a bitter laugh. "How could they, when even we didn't know to begin with? It's not worth having that power, if you have to put the person you love in danger."

Nao was silent for a few moments, digesting that. Obviously, the relationship between the HiME and Otome was not straight forward. She hopped up and turned back to Kuga, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Enough business talk, let's go find that mad woman before she collapses the economy, eh? I know a really good bar along the river, too. It does great food."

"Request granted, Major Hallard, enjoy your evening. Please don't forget about the breakfast meeting tomorrow."

"Yes, Madame President. Thank you." She paused and tilted her head to one side. "Are you sure that you wouldn't prefer me to stay, given the circumstances?" Chie asked, her mind wandering directly to the youthful Haruka wandering the streets in the care of Nao Zhang.

Yukino shook her head and smiled. "Nonsense. You requested this evening weeks ago. Suzushiro-san and I will be fine, go and enjoy your night out."

Chie nodded solemnly and headed out of the President's suite, hurrying through the palace. Guards nodded crisply at her and porters scurried away. She was slightly bemused at how much more respect her plain, grey uniform with its stripes at the cuff commanded than her Pearl uniform ever had.

It probably had something to do with the trousers; people respected trousers with a crease ironed into the front of them.

Waiting at the appointed place, she glanced at her watch and cleaned her glasses on a pocket handkerchief.

"No flowers for me, this time?"

Chie managed not to jump at the voice and turned to grin at Aoi. "I managed to beg the evening off, as hoped."

"I hope you don't owe any favours on my account," Aoi admonished. She stepped forward and tucked her hand in the crook of Chie's elbow, kissing her lightly on the cheek. Chie blushed slightly and they made their way out of the palace.

They wandered the fragrant streets of Windbloom, talking softly in the busy night air. The town seemed to be in a festive mood and a good deal of its younger population were enjoying the early warmth. Many nodded at Chie in greeting; her Aries Army uniform being a welcome sight. Aries had provided a good deal of assistance in the initial rebuilding of their city and, much more importantly to the majority of people, was advising the Queen in her revival of the old parliament.

They found a restaurant still serving despite the late hour and were seated beside a pair of French doors on the first floor. The proprietor of the establishment had certainly made an effort to introduce a certain ambience and a dumpy candle flickered between them.

They ordered and ate, catching up on minutiae from their lives that hadn't been covered, or covered in sufficient detail, in the letters they sent each other. Their chairs edged closer and closer together as the night wore on and Chie removed her heavy woollen jacket.

Their table was cleared and, before they could request tea, the owner set small glasses before them and winked.

"Damn them, we'll be drunk!" Chie declared in a tone of voice implying that she was delighted with the prospect. They each sipped their digestif and Aoi shuddered at the strong flavour.

"I don't mind being drunk, Chie, but I'd rather not have a hangover."

Chie swallowed and gave a little cough, one side of her mouth twitching. She smiled a small smile and nodded at the jug of water on the table. "A few more glasses of that will flush it out of us."

Aoi shook her head. "Going away to the army certainly has had a terrible effect on you."

Chie shrugged. "Everyone says that strong liquor is the only way to make the Brigadier General bearable. I'd tend to agree."

Aoi laughed and shook her head. They sat in comfortable quiet as the waiters and chefs closed the kitchen, the former tossing their aprons to newcomers who took up their posts behind the small bar. A few couples drifted in and sat at tables, sipping wine and enjoying the evening.

"It's nice to be able to have this evening out, isn't it?" Aoi mused, sounding slightly lonesome. Chie nodded and moved her chair even closer, draping a casual arm around her shoulders. Aoi had taken her other hand and held it between her own. She smiled at the cufflinks decorated with the crossed swords of her rank insignia and leaned against her, resting her head on her shoulder.

"I'll be up for promotion soon, you know," the Major said quietly. "There's a position opening at the Diplomatic Corps for someone to assist in the donkey work for the TDP. It sounds interesting and it'd get me another stripe on my arm when it's over."

Aoi chuckled and threaded her fingers with Chie's. "I'll never understand why you weren't promoted years ago. You got that medal, after all."

Chie raised a dubious eyebrow. "Aoi, seventeen years olds are not eligible-"

"I know, I know," she said, amusement evident in her tone, they'd had this discussion before. "Are you going to go for it?"

"It'd mean a lot of travel, which could be good and bad. It's a two year long project, and they think that there might be two six month long visits to Windbloom," she said, mischief in her eyes. "What do you think?"

Aoi looked quite surprised, to say the least. She turned to face Chie properly, to make sure she wasn't joking, and stared at her for a moment or two.

"Are you really serious? You'd be living here?"

"In the Aries consulate, probably. Since the project is based here, I'd spend most of my time here, co-ordinating the Otome records for it. But the down side is I could be spending time as far away as Zipang." She paused, and reconsidered. "Well, not too much time in Zipang, they're pretty open and shut when it comes to Otome technology. At the end of the two years, Windbloom's Civil Service would take the project over and curate the information."

Aoi paused to consider Chie's words, noting the worried look she was trying her best to hide. She shook her head and kissed her lover on the cheek. "It sounds wonderful. You'll have to write me letters, of course, and bring back presents when you're away. Who knows; maybe I'll join the Civil Service and take over from you."

Chie's face brightened in relief. Aoi smiled fondly and crossed her arms. "I'm serious, let me tell you. I'm getting too old to be a maid. I've been running around after Mashiro-sama for more than half my life, you know."

"Ah, you're so old! Cradle snatching a young thing like me."

Aoi looked out the window and did her best to ignore the hand on her lower back, tickling lightly. "I'll ask to be given a nice position with an office and a secretary, where no one will bother me."

Chie smiled and shook her messy head, leaning her chin on Aoi's shoulder, looking out over the busy street along with her. Several other couples were doing the same, and one of the bar staff were humming along with the radio as they polished glasses.

At the end of all the bother with the Harmonium, she'd been desperately worried about Aoi. She had worried herself sick about the mild-mannered woman in the run up to the reclamation of the palace. She had worried about her injuries and how the emergency evacuation might have affected her. She had worried about leaving her but was left with no choice. She had been absolutely terrified that she'd never have another chance to hold her.

She'd been most worried, however, that Nagi would find out she'd been feeding Aries with sensitive information and decide upon a creative punishment.

Her worries, and she had many more besides, never failed to melt away when she was around Aoi. That evening was no exception, as she laid her palm flat on Aoi's back, feeling the little bumps of her spine and the long planes of her back. She was warm through the fabric of her blouse; warmer again as she rested her head beside Chie's, nuzzling her discretely.

So she would do her best to get transferred to the Diplomatic Corps for the project, despite the fact that many would call her mad for giving up her position as leader of the Delta Squad. The squad was all well and good, she'd mused, but it didn't have an Aoi on it.

Separation had, in their case, not only prompted stacks of letters, but also proved itself impotent in swaying their devotion. It seemed that on occasion, absence did make the heart grow fonder. The soft cheek of her lover against her own, her hair burnished in the low light drew a small sigh from her lips.

"Let's go back, Aoi," she said in a very low voice, squeezing Aoi's hand and drawing back slightly.

They made their way back through much quieter streets, leaning against each other much more fully than they had done on their way down. Chie had kept her eyes peeled for handy flowers to pluck but saw none. An enterprising person could make a fortune selling single flowers to amorous couples at night, she mused.

The palace guard saluted them as they made their way through the gates, still not speaking. As they reached the stairs, and Chie made to slow down, Aoi tugged her along a corridor and into her own rooms.

"Is this ok?" Chie asked, smiling ruefully even as she took her jacket off.

"It's fantastic," Aoi said, stepping up to Chie and wrapping an arm around her neck, deftly lifting her glasses off with the other. "Just remind me to set the alarm. We've both got early days tomorrow."

She wrapped her arms tightly around Chie and felt arms wrap securely around her own waist, pulling her onto her tiptoes. She was always surprised at how strong Chie was, and how oblivious she was to the fact. They kissed slowly and gently, reacquainting themselves with one another. They broke apart in the dark room and Chie rested her forehead against Aoi's.

"I'll take you away some day, you know that? I'll steal you from Windbloom and we'll fly somewhere where it's only you and me, and we won't need to set an alarm."

"We will," Aoi said, with quiet confidence and kissed her lover again. "We will, sometime soon. But we do need to be awake in the morning." The effectiveness of her statement was lessened, somehow, by her punctuating each word with a small kiss.

"We'd best get to bed them," Chie said, eyes dark and completely focused on the woman before her. "Grab a glass of water and set the alarm first though, I have plans for you."

"Plans?" Aoi said, a small grin on her face. "But you never even got me a flower."

Unknown to Chie and Aoi, several hours previous they had passed by a bar containing three young ladies sat on a wooden balcony over looking the river. Dusk was falling and as lights were lit their reflections danced over the dark water below. Sounds of merriment and hundreds of different scents drifted from the opposite bank.

"It's nice along the river," Haruka said, mellowed after a couple of glasses of Summer Cup. She speared a couple of lumps of fruit on a toothpick and chewed them thoughtfully. "It isn't so bad here, you know."

Nao sipped her beer and nodded. "It was redeveloped a couple of years ago, it's really brought the place on. It's similar to a few of the cities in Florence. What do you think, Kuga?"

"It's pretty pleasant," she said mildly, lounging against the railing and inspecting the roof tops. "You live in the university, right? Over there."

"Just behind it. That's the library tower you can see. My room's not as high up as that."

Haruka shook her head ruefully. "You're certainly different here, you know. Back where we are, you're a total delinquent."

Nao laughed and grinned a toothy grin. "I'm an absolute angel, don't you know."

Natsuki looked dubious but said nothing. The Nao sitting beside her, who'd kept her glass filled throughout the evening and kept them entertained, would probably have been the first to give Yuuki Nao a good smack. She tried not to compare Nao, Shizuru and the rest to the people she knew back home and was finding it increasingly difficult not to. Maybe the Mai here was a vicious sociopath; that would put the balance right.

Haruka yawned into her drink and Nao lifted an eyebrow. "As much as I'd love to sit here drinking with you girls all night, we'd better head back. Maybe they've figured a way to get grumpy old Kruger back."

The walk back to the palace was short and pleasant, with much of the city swinging into life after dark. Restaurants and bars lined the streets, music and laughter spilling onto the street. Nao hummed as she walked slightly in front of the other two, earning a good amount of tipped hats and smiles.

"They really respect you," Natsuki said, impressed despite herself.

"Nah, it's not me. It's the Column they respect. This place would be rubble under Nagi if it hadn't been for Garderobe."

"You have a Nagi too?"

"Yeah, he's in prison at the minute. Tried to conquer Windbloom as a starting point for taking over the world."

"Hmph, we had one too."

"Had?" Nao asked, wondering briefly why Natsuki didn't sound too distraught at having lost him.

They reached the palace and managed to sneak Haruka in without much ado. They paused briefly to ask if Youko had made any breakthroughs and were told she hadn't, but was hopeful. Nao and Natsuki left and made their way through quieter streets, heading for Garderobe.

"So tell me more about your world, Kuga," Nao said, stretching her arms above her head.

"There's not much to tell," Natsuki said, "I'm almost failing school and I spend most of my time being tutored by Shizuru. It's pretty dull."

"Is Shizuru quite different, then?" she asked, wondering if she'd be able to extract a bit of gossip from her reticent companion. When herself and Kruger had been journeying, Shizuru had rarely been mentioned. Nao was, by nature, a curious person and was not willing to pass up the chance for inside information.

"I don't think so. She's a lot more mature here but I guess that's to be expected."

Nao was slightly surprised. Given Shizuru Viola's reputation for teasing attractive young students, what must her un-mellowed counterpart be like? Nao shuddered, deciding that some information wasn't worth having.

"Am I there?" she asked, suspecting that she was. Natsuki nodded slowly but wouldn't look her in the eye. "Ah, we're not on the best terms, then."

"Where I come from is normal, you know? I'm not a count's daughter and I don't hang around with world leaders. It's boring. But it seems that everyone's more complicated there."

"More messed up?"

Natsuki paused for a moment. "Yeah, much more messed up."

They continued to walk in silence for a few moments, some indefinable tension between them. Nao cleared her throat and looked at the sullen girl.

"You know, it might help to talk about it all, you know," she said, mostly trying to break the uncomfortable, stilted silence between them.

Natsuki frowned and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. "I doubt that, somehow. It's enough to say that we all hurt each other pretty badly and now everyone's acting like nothing happened. Sometimes it feels like I'm not even awake, that I'm just drifting through it all without touching it. I don't know if it's going to get better, either."

Nao had slowed during the short speech and they found themselves at the summit of a small bridge. They stopped altogether and Natsuki leaned on the railing, tired eyes drifting over the surface of the water. Nao perched beside her and looked down at the dark head.

"Well, it sounds like to need to talk to all those guys, get it all out in the open. Nothing you did can be that bad, can it?"

Natsuki said nothing but her shoulders tensed beneath the fabric of her blouse. "We all did some pretty horrible things, Nao. We knew what we were getting ourselves into and we couldn't stop it from happening."

Nao was quiet for a moment or two, wondering what exactly had gone on. She personally believed that there were always ways around things that seemed inevitable. Wisely, she said nothing. After what seemed like an appropriate length of time, she hopped off the railing and patted Natsuki on the back in a consolatory manner.

"Come on, it's bed time. I don't know about you, but I have early morning class tomorrow."

Natsuki thanked Nao, watching her leave before she rang the doorbell to Shizuru's home, fidgeting on the doorstep.

"Ah, good evening, Kuga-san. Did you enjoy your day?"

"Yes," Natsuki said, stepping into the house, "it was pretty nice."

"You've eaten, haven't you?" the tall woman asked, leading Natsuki into the living room. "Nao said you were stopping along the river for a while."

"Um, yeah, you got the message then," she said. She took a seat when Shizuru indicated that she should and tried her best not to slump back into the soft cushions. It had been a long, tiring day and she was feeling sleepy from the beer she'd drank.

"Did Nao take you to any of the city's museums or galleries?"

"Nah, she said she didn't want to go anywhere where Haruka was around delicate objects. And she really is some sort of celebrity, isn't she?"

Shizuru shrugged. "She is, I have to say. An enterprising young television executive spotted her while filming a documentary about the Aries army, before President Chrysant was elected. Once she was, he approached them with the idea of making a weekly segment. It's very popular."

Natsuki nodded slowly, looking all around the room. She stood and wandered to a group of framed photographs on the wall, some of them featuring Kruger and others with Shizuru. The majority, however, showed them together.

"Lots of pictures," she said, turning to Shizuru.

"Ara, they're good to have."

"She looks just like me," Natsuki said softly. "I can't believe it. And that's my mother! My god, is she still alive?"

Shizuru nodded. "She lives in Kruger County with the rest of your family. That picture was taken two years ago at the Kruger Manor, the last time we visited."

"Who are the rest of these people, then?" she asked, half dreading the answer.

"Your father and sisters, of course, and your eldest niece."

Natsuki paled. "They're not mine, dammit," she said, perturbed. Shizuru smiled at her, not looking at all contrite. Natsuki turned from the picture wall and stalked back to the couch.

"The sooner I get home, the better. God only knows what my Shizuru is doing to Kruger," she muttered.

"Your Shizuru?"

Natsuki blushed. "The Shizuru in my world. She's an upperclassman of mine. Well, she was. She graduated." The phrase nothing more was implicit in the statement and Shizuru felt a pang of untoward nostalgia.

"Strange," Shizuru said, regarding the young woman with a great deal of fondness, "that's just what happened here, too."

Touch was of paramount importance between them. The memory of when Mashiro had wrapped her arms around Arika's neck and flown above the confines of earth and into the lower reaches of space was still strong. Arika had occasionally wrapped a casual arm around her waist to secure her, but there had never been any evidence that it had taken much effort on her part. Mashiro had been buoyed aloft by the unacknowledged strength that her Otome possessed.

A kiss on the hand was nothing special; she received dozens on a busy day. But the memory of Arika kneeling to kiss her hand all those years ago to confirm their contract was still vivid in her mind. The heavy warmth of those lips bumping against her hand came to mind without much effort.

They made their way back to the silence of Mashiro's chambers, nodding to servants as they went. Many looked as if they were trying to keep delight from showing. Once inside, Mashiro had shed her upper layers and kicked off her shoes, watching as Arika dimmed the overhead lights and closed the curtains. She was glad that Aoi had asked for the evening off.

"Mashiro-chan," Arika said softly, coming up behind here. "Are you OK?"

It was surprising how much someone could grow in a year, Mashiro mused. Arika was much taller than she had been and showed no signs of slowing her growth. As she buried her face in her Otome's chest, it was comforting to be enclosed in the circle of her arms.

"Are you OK, Mashiro-chan?"

Mashiro sighed into the soft fabric of Arika's dress, idly tracing the design embroidered onto the front. After a few moments of silence, Arika tugged her towards her large bed. She sat and gathered the petite queen in a strong hug, kissing the crown of her head.

"Are you worried about the new parliament?"

Mashiro nodded and Arika smoothed the hair spilling over her bare back. The young queen let her eyes close and buried her face in the hollow of Arika's shoulder, holding on to a fleeting memory of soaring above clouds with the wind chilling her cheeks. She remembered the sun rising over their entire planet, light shining through the indigo atmosphere and exploding around them. She remembered the stars above them, shining steadily in the darkness of space. She remembered Arika's face, brighter and more radiant than all of these things combined.

She sighed and took Arika's hand, playing with the shapely fingers. Her rings glinted in the dim light and she wondered if she'd be remembered for the good she'd done or for the bad that had taken place due to her ignorance.

"I think you're doing the right thing, Mashiro-chan. I understand it now, you know. I sat down and had Irina-chan explain it all. I think it makes really good sense. You're keeping your promise." The irony of the situation being that the only way to make the people happy was to give them the power to decide their own fates, a parliament elected by the people, all the while shedding her own power as absolute monarch.

Mashiro sighed again and Arika shifted, moving herself against the headboard, kicking her shoes off as she did. "Don't worry. You know I'll be looking after you no matter what, right?"

Mashiro was silent for a while before looking up at Arika. "This is what the people want, right? To be able to decide for themselves and not be subject to the whims of a queen like me."

"I think you're a great queen. You're working really hard to make everyone happy and this is what they want. I know it's hard, but it's a noble thing." She stroked her friend's cheek gently, sadness in her eyes. "They need to be able to choose their own paths."

Mashiro closed her eyes and nestled into Arika, suddenly very tired. "It's really happening, though."

Arika nodded but said nothing, letting silence fall around them. In the dim light the furthest edges of the room faded from view, inky deep darkness solid past diffuse halos of light. The Otome closed her eyes and listened to her master breathing, finding herself timing her breaths to match.

"I'm so tired," Mashiro said softly. Arika nodded and gently lifted her up, helping her out of the last of her clothes and into a night-gown left neatly on the bed. The queen crawled in under the covers and blinked sleepily at Arika.

"Stay with me, please."

It wasn't an uncommon request and Arika stripped down to her slip before sliding under the duvet and curling around Mashiro, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Sleep well, Mashiro-chan."

"Sleep well, Arika."

The last thoughts that skimmed through Mashiro's head that night, her loyal friend breathing slowly and deeply beside her, were of clouds higher than mountains flying and a gentle arm around her waist before they burst into the airless light of heaven.

Natsuki woke to the smell of fresh tea that morning and made her way down to the kitchen, hiding a yawn behind her hand. Shizuru was standing rattling dishes with her back to her and Natsuki paused for a moment, unsure and awkward again.

"Ara," Shizuru said after a few minutes when she caught sight of Natsuki, "I didn't see you there, Kuga-san. Good morning."

"Morning," Natsuki confirmed, wondering what exactly was good about it.

"You don't mind accompanying me to the palace this morning, do you? According to a message we received late last night, Youko-sensei has news."

"Oh, right. Good news?"

"We'll see. Would you like some breakfast?"

The morning had dawned overcast and slightly humid, precisely Mashiro's least favourite kind of weather. She sighed and pulled a brush through her hair, watching Arika and Aoi bustle around her quarters through her mirror. She stifled a small, fond smile and instead adjusted her robes.

Aoi, walking over with her freshly polished shoes, smiled cheerfully and handed them to Mashiro.

"Are you nearly ready, your Majesty?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied. "Do you want to take the rest of the day off, at all? Maybe find Major Hallard?" she asked, slightly cheekily.

"Not at all, there's plenty to be done here today," she said, amused. "And I'm sure Major Hallard is busy herself."

Arika nodded, trying to fix her bow. "Everyone's busy with the Summit and with the Harmonium." Aoi nodded and gently turned Arika around, adjusting her bow. The pair of young women had filled Aoi in on the Harmonium business, knowing that Chie would be obliged not to tell her and that it would go no further than the loyal woman.

Mashiro frowned. "It's not a good time to loose a Column. Or Garderobe's Gakuenchou. These whole talks could be for nothing if everyone thinks we're lying about supporting the Technological Dissemination Project."

"We'll get Gakuenchou-san back, don't worry. And, if not, can't we just ask Kuga-san to act in her place? I did kinda the same thing before and it was pretty good fun."

Aoi felt her right eye twitch slightly and she rubbed it gently. "I don't think it would be fair to ask Kuga-san. Besides, isn't she too old to become an Otome? And we don't have Kruger-san's GEM."

Arika tipped her head to one side in consideration as they made their way to the door of Mashiro's quarters. "I suppose you're right, Aoi-san."

Aoi let them through the door, smiling as Arika took Mashiro's elbow. The monarch made her way down the corridor in muted reginal self-assurance, her presence more impressive every day.

After sneaking past the press gathered for the Summit, Shizuru and Natsuki found themselves in Youko's makeshift laboratory. The scientist seemed quite tired as she sipped a large mug of strong coffee. Irina was kneeling on the floor beside a large heap of technology, tugging wires. Haruka was perched on a stool, glaring at Shizuru.

"Suzushiro-san, it's a good thing Madame President was able to convince the assembly that Meister Armitage's presence wasn't necessary for a second day in a row."

Haruka sniffed. "Apparently, they're so intimidated by my politzerizing skills that they agreed to back down on a ton of issues if I left," she looked far too smug, Youko thought, for one so dim.

"What do you know, sensei?" Natsuki asked, wrapping her arms around her in an effort to fight off the pervasive chill. It wasn't very warm in the caverns at all.

"We discovered the the sound we reported yesterday is exhibiting a very complicated pattern. It does seem to contain various small cycles that are highly regular within themselves, but their place in the overall scheme is unclear. If we had more time to study it, we might be able to say something more sensible."

"But don't despair!" Irina said, hopping up. "What we do know is that the sound is definitely being caused by the Harmonium and that it's resonating with the palace stone."

Youko nodded. "Which means that it might be detectable in other parts of the palace, using other instruments. There are about three or four antique seismometers in the treasury, they had a king about sixty years ago who fancied himself a scientist. If any of those are still around, there might be a record spanning a greater length of time."

"So we go to the treasury, then," Shizuru said. "Why did you call us over, if you only had preliminary results?"

Youko looked slightly chargrined and stood up. "Because those old-fashioned things need to be looked over manually and because the overall energy being emitted by the Harmonium is increasing. It could be building towards an explosion or God knows what."

Haruka nodded nervously. "Right, then. Treasury it is."

Later that day, the small group of women finally managed to track down someone with both the keys of the Treasury and permission to enter it. Sakomizu showed them down a long corridor, past portraits of past rulers and heroic scenes, before letting them through into the dim room. The door was so heavy that it required more muscle power than they had to move and so, Shizuru had summoned her Robe and yanked it open.

"It's a good thing it wasn't looted in the riots or the invasion. I think Nagi was just too preoccupied with the Harmonium," Sakomizu mused. "What do you need in here, anyway?" He was extremely curious about what was going on. Ever since Kruger and Armitage had collapsed in front of the Harmonium, they hadn't been acting the same. They were being suspiciously quiet and they looked subtly different. Were they in new clothes? Did they have new hairstyles? Had they lost weight? He considered asking them their secret, if the latter was the case.

"Some of the old machines that King Ole was so fond of making, Cardinal," Shizuru said. "They might help us with our research."

"Oh, right. Well, Ingstand the Dubber and his nephew take quite good care of everything in here. They usually come in once a month. They're off applying a French Polish to the benches in the old Parliament buildings. I can have them summoned, if you need."

"Thank you Cardinal, hopefully we won't need to disturb them as they're needed there. We'll be fine."

"I found them," Youko called from the rear of the cavernous chamber. They found her hunched over a low table, peering at lacquered wooden boxes. "There's four of them."

"Are they OK?" Natsuki asked, grimacing at a mounted skeleton in a cabinet.+

"These two look like they're still going, though they're not in sync with one another."

"Not in sync?"

"They're the two older ones. I suppose they were sturdier, but not as good at keeping the time. Come on, I'm sure we can calibrate them." She reached in and flicked the machine off, stabilising the needles before closing their inlaid lids and latching them shut. "Come on and grab one. We're taking the lot. Cardinal, we'll bring them back as soon as we're finished.

Sakomizu looked quite worried when he heard that, but said nothing. How on earth would he explain this to Ingstand and little Eorl?

+The skeleton belonged to an ex king of Central Cardair and, the ancient legends of the Twelve Kingdom War recount, would only be returned for proper burial when the head of the Queen of Artai was returned to Windbloom, her maiden home. Unfortunately for Cardair, the Queen had been sentenced to death by a large mob and tied to five fast horses, which rent her asunder. In retrospect, doing this without appropriate restraints on the five horses showed a serious lack of foresight. When the horse that had been attached to her neck returned to his stable three days later, there was no sign of the head. Since that day, it has been the practice in Artai to use much more sensible executioners. Sergei Wang notwithstanding.

The five women had gone to the War Room and spread the long rolls of paper out on the huge table. Whatever could be said about the folly of kings, the decision to use rolls of paper large enough to last a month was redeemed from their varied ranks.

"Look," Natsuki said, marvelling at the small spikes. "They seem so random."

"We need the entire record," Youko muttered. "Shizuru-san, do you think you could head over to the parliament building after all and ask Ingstand if he knows where the rest is?"

"Of course. I'll be back soon."

Irina frowned and adjusted her glasses. "We've got the last few days, anyway. But the arms were different lengths."

"And out of sync. We can't compare them directly." She lifted a spare roll of paper from the backup caddy and frowned at it. "Irina, head to the Bursar's office and ask if they have those accounting rolls with squared paper, please. and some pencils and a few rulers."

"Is there anything we can do?" Natsuki asked, watching as Youko opened her laptop.

"No, nothing yet." Her finger flew over the keys, the clicking echoing softly in the giant room. "You seem to know me, from your own world."

"You're the school nurse. You're good friends with my teacher, Sugiura Midori."

Youko shook her head. "I haven't been good friends with her in years. Although, we've been making an effort to catch up recently."

Natsuki nodded. "That's good."

Haruka had busied herself by inspecting the huge maps all over the walls.

"Woah, we're in Windbloom, right? It's tiny! It's one of the smallest countries here."

"It's dense," Youko said a touch flippantly. "It has a lot of people."

"And Garderobe," Natsuki muttered. "Is it the only school for Otome?"

"Up until a year ago, it was the only place with the technology to make the GEMs. It was very highly guarded knowledge."

"And now?"

"And now we're all trying to see what the best future is for the GEM system and Otome."

Natsuki stared at a picture of a pair of monarchs standing beside two women in fantastic outfits. "You're better off without it, you know. There's too much on the line."

Youko paused and looked up at her. "I believe you. Thousands wouldn't. Which is precisely our problem at the minute."

Natsuki barked a humourless laugh and sat beside Youko, slumping in the chair and gazing out the window. She was slightly hungry and she frowned. Getting regular meals was really going to screw up her eating like a ravenous wolverine twice a day between periods of coffee and study.

Irina arrived back with a large box, filled with materials and sporting a frown.

"They made me sign a requisition form! If I don't bring everything back, or pay for it, they say they'll send the Royal Tax Collectors after me."

Youko sighed. "Don't worry, I'll take care of those bloody accountants. And besides, you're a student; you don't even pay tax."

"Exactly. Let's keep it that way."

When Shizuru arrived back, Ingstand the Dubber and a crate of paper rolls in tow, she saw the accounting rolls stretched out beside the two most recent records, all taped securely to the desk.

"Youko, let me introduce Ingstand, the Master Dubber. He has a keen interest in these and all the other machines in the vault and it's thanks to him that those machines are kept loaded with paper. We have the last year and a half's records here from all the machines and the rest are easily accessible."

Youko thanked the pair of them and Ingstand, toast-rack chest puffed out in pride, tottled back to his polishing. Wait until he told the rest of them about this, he mused. Finally, it was Ingstand's moment to shine.

"Right, spread those new rolls out on the floor over there and grab a few rulers."

In a short time, using data collected during the Harmonium Conflict by several digital machines throughout the kingdom, they had managed to calibrate the records. They began running through the long sheets from the previous few days, especially around the time of the incident which had swapped their Otome, marking off peaks on the blank paper. After a few hours of scribbling, they had produced a accurate record of seismic vibrations from the previous few days.

"My god, look at this," Youko said, frowning, "it's a wonder the plates weren't rattling in the kitchen. We'll need to upload this data and run the same pattern finding algorithms, but there it is in black and white."

Irina nodded and pointed to the record previous to the spike. "These levels here are much higher than what we're recording now. Is it really cyclical on such a grand scale?"

"We'll have to look further into the record, to be sure."

Haruka shook her hand out and frowned. "Isn't there a quicker way of doing this? I'm going cross eyed from looking at it."

Youko shrugged. "We'll get some of the Corals in to help. That might speed things up. Irina?"

"Sure, I'll round up some from my class."

Natsuki tucked some hair behind her ear and blew out an exasperated breath. "But what does it all mean? Are we any closer to getting home?"

"Not right now," Youko said kindly, "but we're working on it.

Hours later, Youko summoned everyone back to the War Room. Mashiro and Arika sat at the top of the table and the others had spaced themselves out around the room, taking care not to upset any of Youko's machines.

"I think that there's a chance there's going to be another spike in the Harmonium's energy levels tomorrow at around eleven o-clock in the morning. I'm fairly certain that if Kuga-san and Suzushiro-san are in direct contact with the Harmonium, they'll be sent back to their own world and we'll get our women back."

Yukino, her hands clasped in front of her and a worried frown on her face, glanced at Haruka. "Are you sure? What if they get injured or if it fails? How can you be so sure?"

"We can't be one hundred percent sure it'll work, but it's our best chance. The Harmonium was designed to affect the stability of matter at its basic level. One of its original functions could have been to transport matter. It does make sense."

Mashiro was about to contest that when there was a knock at the door. One of the palace porters opened it and announced the arrival of Tokiha Mai and Nekogami Mikoto. Natsuki sat up straighter in her chair, leaning forward slightly.

"We came as soon as Sarah-chan arrived, what's the matter?" the redhead asked, closing the door behind her. Mikoto nodded to Mashiro and Arika but frowned when she caught site of Natsuki. As quick as lightning, she leapt over the table, levelling her staff at Natsuki's throat. The brunette had managed to scramble to her feet, knocking her chair over as she went and was considering using it to fend Mikoto off.

"Ladies!" Mashiro shouted, hopping up, "you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

Both Mai and Shizuru had leapt into the fray, the Column Materialising quickly. "Mikoto!" Mai hissed, "are you mad! That's Natsuki!"

"It sure as hell is not!" Mikoto retorted, growling at the girl. "This isn't Kruger."

"Mikoto-san, you're right. This isn't Natsuki Kruger, but she isn't an enemy," Shizuru said, laying a hand on Natsuki's shoulder. "If you please take a seat, we'll explain all this."

Mikoto looked back to Mai, whose eyes were riveted to Natsuki. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. She felt the weight of Mikoto's expectant eyes and looked down, nodding dumbly. Mikoto scowled at Natsuki one last time and took an empty chair, golden eyes flicking around the table.

"Um, before you do anything, Mikoto-san, this isn't quite the same Haruka either," Yukino said nervously. She tugged the blonde woman back into her seat and eventually everyone settled into a tense silence.

"It's good to know some things never change," Natsuki muttered under her breath, glaring at Mikoto. Shizuru shot her an irritated glance before turning to Yukino. Between them and Youko, they outlined the situation and their ideas for the following morning.

Mikoto, who had listened carefully throughout, tipped her head to one side. "Youko's right. It can be used to transport things. I think Miyu would know more, but Jyubei hasn't been able to find her for a few weeks."

Arika glanced anxiously at Mashiro. "Is Miyu-san ok?"

"Oh, she'll appear in a week or two. She does this a lot," Mikoto answered. "I think your plan might work, though."

"You think?" Haruka asked, not at all pleased with the conditional nature of the statement.

Mikoto shrugged. "It didn't kill you last time, did it? If it fails, you'll still be here and they'll be where ever. Go for it."

Mai, who had been sneaking glances at mini-Natsuki and Haruka during the discussions, snapped her attention back to the present. "Mikoto's usually right about things like this. There's still a few bits and pieces of technology in Nekogami Mountain and they haven't blown us up yet."

"Yet."

"I think that before we go any further, we need to ask Kuga-san and Suzushiro-san what they think about all this," Yukino said, easily drawing the room's attention. "What's your opinion? Do you think the risks are too great?"

Natsuki was quiet for a few minutes and Haruka turned to look out the window. "I don't know," the brunette said. "Are you sure that the worst thing that could happen is that we'll just be left standing around like idiots?"

"And what about when we get back home? What if your general's been wreaking havoc in my apartment?"

"Is that the last place you were?" Mashiro asked, curiosity piqued.

"I was getting ready to make dinner," Haruka said, not seeing how it mattered.

"Haruka-chan might seem flighty and hasty and prone to rushing into things without thinking," Yukino said, earning an annoyed look, "but if she found herself alone in your apartment, I think she'd spend a while evaluating the situation. It's what she's been trained to do."

Chie nodded encouragingly. "She taught me basic espionage. She's very adept at it." Surprisingly adept, all things considered, she added to herself.

"I'll go back tomorrow," Haruka said. "There's no telling how far the reconstruction of Fuuka will have fallen behind if I'm not there to supervise." She glared at Shizuru. "Certain people might be undoing all my good work."

Natsuki shrugged. "I'll go, if you don't think it's dangerous." She frowned and bit her lip. "Um, also, I was sitting in the middle of a picnic with about a dozen other people my age. I reckon that there's a good chance that the sooner I get there and explain everything, the better."

Worried looks flitted about the table. What trouble, exactly, would Natsuki Kruger get herself into if left to her own devices?

Mashiro nodded. "Right, well, how about if we all meet before the summit tomorrow? We can wish you a safe journey back. Everyone meet here tomorrow at half past eight.

Mikoto scratched the back of her head as she walked over to Natsuki. She had a small, contrite grin on her face.

"Ah, sorry about that. I was worried you might be a spy or something. Ever since Junior came back, I haven't had up to the minute updates from here."

Mai smiled a small smile, one Natsuki knew to be about as flimsy as tissue paper and extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Tokiha Mai."

"Kuga Natsuki. You're the only one here with the same name, you know. And in the right order." Mai was examining her closely and with an intensity that made her slightly uncomfortable.

"You're an Otome too, then?" she asked spying the GEM, more for something to talk about than anything else.

"The Fire Stirring Ruby, that's me," she said. "So, you're like Mikoto, then? You can Materialise without a GEM?"

"Something like that," Natsuki muttered. Shizuru approached the small group and nodded politely at Mai and Mikoto in greeting. "Mai-san, Mikoto-san. It's good to see you again. I'd invite you to stay, but I'm afraid that Kuga-san has colonised the guest room. I'll have one of the Academy guest rooms made up, if you don't mind."

Mai nodded in thanks. "That'll be great. I haven't been in Garderobe in a long time. I can show you all the places I've told you about, Mikoto."

"Hmm, sounds good," Mikoto grinned. Silence fell on the small group and Natsuki noticed some kind of tension between Shizuru and Mai. She was trying to come up with inventive ways to alleviate it when Nao approached them.

"Mashiro-sama's offered to treat us all to a meal in her private dining room, a bit of a farewell party. She says it won't be anything too fancy, on account of the Summit in the morning and everything else."

"Sounds great!" Mikoto chirped. She offered her elbow to Mai and headed out after the small group. As they neared the door, Mikoto paused and stood up on her toes, whispering something in Mai's ear and kissing her quickly on the cheek. Mai brightened considerably and smiled brilliantly at her shorter companion.

Natsuki stood staring after the pair of them. Shizuru regarded her with quizzical and gently amused eyes. "Ara, Kuga-san, surely there can't be a world where Mikoto doesn't love her Mai, and vice versa, not even yours."

Natsuki opened and closed her mouth a few times, blushing. "I wouldn't call it love. They're just good friends."

"Good friends," Shizuru echoed, placing her hand in the small of Natsuki's back and causing the young woman to jump at the contact. "Ara, don't tell me you're jealous?"

"Jealous?! Jealous of what, exactly?" she asked in genuine bafflement. Shizuru smiled a very familiar (and infuriating) smile down at her and she found herself caught in gentle eyes. She was still for a moment before she smiled a fond smile, the blush still tingeing her cheeks.

"You really don't ever change, not really, do you?"

Shizuru allowed herself a moment to enjoy the warmth of Natsuki's smile and rubbed her back lightly. She was so terribly similar to her own Kruger, really. Memories of nervous moments like this, exhilarating moments from when after Natsuki had graduated Garderobe and taken up her studies to succeed the previous Gakuenchou in earnest. Natsuki, lost in the honest affection laid bare in Shizuru's expression, could not tear her eyes away. By now, she was certain that Kruger and Shizuru were not just room mates but lovers as well. She briefly wondered if Viola was going to kiss her and if so, what she'd do.

Probably kiss her back, some small part of her whispered.

"Oi, you two lovebirds, hurry it up!" Nao called, sticking her grinning red head around the door frame. Natsuki hopped back and coughed into her fist, blushing furiously. Nao shook her head in amusement and waited for her to leave before lifting an eyebrow at Shizuru.

"Wouldn't Kruger be annoyed if you traded her in for a younger model?"

Shizuru brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and breezed past Nao. "I'm sure she'd be able to find someone to keep her occupied, Juliet."

"Suzushiro-san, did you get enough to eat?" Yukino asked as they made their way back to their room, escorted by Major Hallard.

"Plenty, thanks. It was pretty good too, for foreign food."

Yukino turned and smiled at Chie, who winked back. As they reached the president's quarters, Chie wished them good night and stayed to supervise the changing of the guard and to debrief the two sergeants.

Once inside, Yukino sighed in exhaustion and took her jacket off, hanging it on a coat hanger and leaving it hear the door. Haruka wandered over to the window and tugged the curtain aside, looking out over Wind City and apparently lost in thought.

"It's weird, you know. If anyone said to me that one of us, me and Yukino, was going to be president of anywhere, I definitely would have said it was going to be me, you know." Yukino paused and looked over at the young woman, waiting for her to continue.

"Not because she's not smart or not because she wouldn't make a good leader, though. I reckon sometimes if it hadn't been for her, I would have messed up so many times..."

Haruka turned and smiled at Yukino. "It's weird, you know. You're so old here, but you're so similar to her."

"I'm not that old. I'm not even forty yet," the president replied with a small smile, settling into one of the comfortable arm chairs beside the fire and indicating to Haruka that she should find herself a seat too.

"Well, that's still twice as old as me, more even," Haruka said, flopping into the chair and sitting with her legs crossed. "How old is this General Archimage, then?"

"Thirty one."

"That's ancient! My God, I'll get that old someday?"

Yukino smiled fondly. "I do hope so, Suzushiro-san."

"Eh, call me Haruka. It's weird to hear you call me that."

The fire crackled and popped in the grate, warming them gently. Haruka lost herself in the flames for a moment before glancing over at Yukino.

"How did we meet, then? Was I just appointed to be your Otome? Back home, we've known each other since we were babies. And I'm older than you."

Yukino took her glasses off and reached for a lens cloth to polish them, smiling fondly.

"The university in Wind City is famous all through the world. People flock to it in the same way they flock to Garderobe. Back when I attended was a considerably turbulent time. There had been an attack on the Palace here in Windbloom at the beginning of my first year and there was a great deal of civil unrest in Aries, our home country."

"I was reading history and I joined a number of political groups. It looked like there might be war for a while, but we protested and the governments actually listened. I took a group of about six hundred students and academics to Aries and it really swayed public opinion. Haruka-chan enrolled in Garderobe at the start of my third year and she made a point of seeking me out. She said that if more people took matters into their own houses that it'd mean a better world," she said, clearly enjoying the memory.

Haruka leaned back into the chair, also enjoying the story. "So, she decided to become your Otome, then?"

Yukino laughed. "She did! She even sneaked out of school to come with me on demonstrations in case I'd get hurt. This was despite the fact that she couldn't Materialise her Robe without permission, of course. I stayed on for a fourth year and we graduated at around the same time. She went to continue her military training and I went around and somehow became a politician."

Haruka laughed. "Somehow?"

"It was never my intention. It was just clear that so many mistakes had been made in the past and the whole world was in danger of repeating them. Eight years ago, there was a scandal in the government and the party I was a member of managed to gain a near majority in parliament. There was a presidential election almost five years ago and I was elected."

"That's a long term," Haruka said, mulling it in her head and comparing it to Japan.

"It's a six year term. To be honest, when you're surrounded by Empires and Monarchies then it doesn't seem very long at all. There was a King of Zipang who ruled for seventy two years."

Haruka nodded and turned back to the fire. "And all that 'This Week's Armitage' stuff is for real? I'm really on TV every week?"

Yukino shook her head and looked quite bemused. "It's one of the most popular shows on ANS. It's turned out to be a big success for national morale. You're a beloved public figure."

Haruka nodded, completely unashamed. "You know, if it wasn't for all the myriad responsibilities back home, I think I'd like it here. It's the right way around."

"The right way?"

Haruka sighed and studied the woman opposite her. It was like she was staring at a Yukino who'd taken every piece of advice she'd ever given to heart. It was a Yukino who'd proven to the world all the things she herself had known about her mousy friend.

"Back home, you were the one with the weird power. I don't know what the hell it was all about, or how it all ended. I don't think I want to." She fiddled with the hem of her skirt and stared at her hands. "I wasn't able to keep you safe. You were the one who had to protect me. You were the one in the shadows too, doing all the work and getting none of the credit. This world's the right way around."

Haruka looked up at Yukino with clear eyes. "I always believed in you. And you always believed in me. It's good to be vindictive," she said and Yukino smiled widely.

"Vindicated, Haruka-san. You're still young, both you and the Yukino there. There's plenty of time to bloom."

Haruka smiled and blushed slightly, letting out a small sigh. "Bedtime, President Yukino."

"Goodnight, Haruka-san."

Natsuki, Shizuru, Mai and Mikoto waved to Nao as she wandered down a side street at the university and continued down the familiar path to Garderobe, quiet in the warm night air. The dinner had been a restrained through cheerful affair. Mai and Mikoto strolled beside them maintaining a constant stream of chatter. Mikoto's staff (which seemed as ubiquitous as Miroku, Natsuki noted) clattered softly on the cobbles, jingling in the night air.

"Mai-san," Shizuru said, slowing as they passed a tall building, "do you remember when you and Natsuki sneaked out of the dorms to jump across the gap between the Central Library and the Frasier Building?"

Mai laughed and shook her short hair. "Yeah, I do. We'd overheard Haruka-san telling you about it and how shocked and disgusted she was that students from the university would risk life and limb just to look big and clever in front of their friends."

"The University was a pretty bad influence, all told," Shizuru mused. "But both of us were worried that we'd be blamed for such silly antics amongst the Corals and set out to stop you alone. Miss Maria wouldn't have been too pleased, if she'd found out about it."

"I'm still amazed we got away with it."

"We didn't, not really. Gakuenchou Donnell knew all about it."

Mai blinked owlishly. "Oh. Right."

Shizuru chuckled and shrugged. "It was one of the things she used to tease Natsuki about when she was training to take over the position."

Kuga Natsuki had been listening intently and staring at the pair. She was slightly relieved that Mai was here, if she were honest with herself. She wasn't the kind of girl to concern herself with other people's problems, but she honestly wanted to see Mai happy. She didn't want to see her forcing a smile or denying her well deserved moments of selfishness.

Eventually, they arrived back at Garderobe. Mai and Mikoto wandered in the general direction of the guest quarters. What would the student Otome do if they knew there was a living legend (and her girlfriend) sharing their roof?

Shizuru let them into the dark house, flicking on a lamp as she went. She lifted a small note off the back of the door and nodded. "The palace laundry delivered your uniform, let me go fetch it."

Natsuki nodded and headed into the guest room, taking her coat off and laying it over the back of the chair. She petted it somewhat regretfully. She'd have to work for the rest of her natural life to afford something so nice. Shizuru knocked and entered with a package, handing it to Natsuki.

"They usually do a good job. Sleep well, Kuga-san. I'll wake you in the morning."

"Thank you, Shizuru." Natsuki placed the package on her bed and shut her eyes, taking a breath. "Shizuru?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for everything. You've treated me really well since I got here. It's been kinda nice." She paused and turned to face the older woman, her hand on the door knob. "It's good to know that the HiME aren't some complete freak show, you know. It's also good to know that there's not much chance of us having to deal with anything like the Otome system. Mai saw to that," she said softly, almost to herself.

Shizuru smiled a familiar smile and there was an abundance of gentle affection in her eyes. Natsuki smiled back, almost despite herself and opened her mouth to wish her good night. Perhaps it was just Shizuru's effect on her that her plan went awry.

"I hope you get your Natsuki back, safe and sound."

Shizuru's smile faded into a melancholic, wistful expression. "I certainly hope so too."

"Here, you're close, right?" the brunette asked in a quiet voice. The journey home in the morning weighed heavily on her mind. She was not enthusiastic about returning to her own train wreck of a life, but she honestly wanted this Shizuru, who was so kind and wise, to have her own Natsuki back.

"We're close? We'll have been living together for ten years this winter," Shizuru said quietly, pausing on her way to the door. "Are you close to Shizuru in your world?"

Natsuki chuckled. "She's the most important person in my life. But close? I barely know anything about her."

Shizuru sighed. "You're afraid of her?" and she knew by the tension in Natsuki's expression that she was. "I won't ask why. It's none of my business. But if she feels for you like I feel for-"

"That's exactly the problem!" Natsuki bit out in frustration. "She feels so strongly for me and I just don't know if I want her to. I know I can't stop her, but sometimes I wish she didn't love me."

"Love can be terrifying."

"It's just that it seems like I'm leading her on. And that isn't fair. I do love her," she said, somewhat petulantly.

Shizuru took a seat on the mattress beside Natsuki and took her hand, ignoring the stab of pain she felt at Natsuki's flinch. "It's not everyday that two people love each other in exactly the same way, you know. Especially not when you're so young. It took me many years before I was convinced that Natsuki wasn't waiting for her first love to reappear. I looked over my shoulder for so long, expecting to see her arrive back and sweep Natsuki off her feet."

Kuga's eyes widened at the implications. Not just Shizuru but another woman as well?

The Column cleared her throat. "But I loved Natsuki, and I knew that she loved me, and we made each other happy. We still do; with all our hearts. And you're so much like her when she was young. If you can make each other happy, you should."

"It's hard," Natsuki said, rubbing the back of Shizuru's hand with her thumb. "Things happened in the past and even though it all seems like a bad dream right now those memories are so strong."

"What happened?" Shizuru asked, almost dreading the answer. If Haruka's reaction days earlier was anything to go by, it hadn't been anything good.

"I killed her. We killed each other," she said quietly. "In that damn Carnival."

Shizuru took a deep breath and turned to face Natsuki, shocked and feeling slightly queasy. The young woman looked up and her and Shizuru was surprised to see tears pooling in her eyes.

"It's not fair. I can see it in your face but I can't see it in hers. I never know what she's thinking."

Shizuru stared down at the younger woman, hit by a wave of unwanted memory. She closed her eyes and squeezed Natsuki's hand.

"Natsuki said that to me once before, you know. 'I don't know what she's thinking'. And I told her to not hold back, to tell the truth about what she felt, because life is short."

"Did she?"

"She did. And she got her heart broken, I'm sorry to say."

Natsuki shook her head, slightly embarrassed to be hearing about her counter part's love life. Shizuru wrapped an arm around the young woman's shoulders and pulled her into a one-armed embrace. Natsuki rested her head against Shizuru and sighed. The urgency and desperation that she often felt when her own Fujino did such a thing was absent. It felt comfortable and familiar, as if they'd done it a million times before.

Which, she supposed, was partly true.

"If it helps, Kuga-san, the Shizuru you know is probably terrified too. If she loves you then she won't want to loose you. Do you both want the same thing?"

"I have no idea," Natsuki said quietly. "What do people in love want from each other?"

"Ara, it changes from person to person, doesn't it? It's up to you to decide. Anyone else's opinion can't be taken too seriously, not even mine. Especially not mine."

Natsuki sighed and stared blankly at the far wall. "I suppose not."

"And give it some time, Kuga-san. You're both still so young."

She nodded her dark head and seemed to remember where she was. A slight shift in her shoulders was all it took for Shizuru to lift her arm and she blinked in wonder. These Otome weren't telepathic, were they?

Shizuru bid her good night and left her alone in he quiet room. She changed into her pyjamas and made her way through the curtains and out onto the balcony. The night wind was nippy, but not unpleasant, and while the guest suite did not command the same stunning view as the rest of the Principal's quarters, it was still beautiful.

Her shoulders tingled where Shizuru's am had been and she laid her hand where Shizuru had, amazed that the ghost of warmth remained. If she took a chance with her own Shizuru, would they find themselves in this kind of a future? Would they be so settled and content together?

Would they last ten days, never mind ten years? Would every nuance be transparent? Would the easy intimacy she'd been freely offered moments ago be commonplace? Would the desire that had driven Shizuru inwards and twisted her mind with guilt stand blocking simple affection and trust?

She puffed her cheeks out in frustration and stalked back inside. Her mind was still reeling from the events of the day and the memories she'd had to dredge up. As dreamlike and ephemeral as they seemed, as much as she wanted them not to be real, she couldn't deny them.

Damn them here; them and this world. Damn them for giving her a glimpse of life without the pain of the Carnival hanging between them. She sighed and made for bed, curling up under the unfamiliar sheets in misery.

Mashiro and Arika, along with President Chrysant and Chie, had met the travellers bright and early for coffee and farewells.

"I hope everything goes well later," Mashiro said. "You two are lovely and all, but I seriously just want to get Kruger and Armitage back and stop this Harmonium. It's just too dangerous having it around."

"I agree," Haruka sniffed, apparently well rested and not at all worried about the journey back. "Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here."

Yukino smiled indulgently and shook her head. "It was an interesting experience to meet you, Haruka-san. I'll remember it for a long time to come."

Haruka nodded. "Well, keep that Mister Armitage in line, you hear? I'm still not sure that you're being strict enough." Haruka folded her arms over her chest and looked around at the others. "Good luck with all this. It's a mess."

Mashiro glowered but bid a civil good-bye. As the leaders left, Haruka's eyes met Yukino's and she was surprised when Yukino winked at her. The president paused and extended her hand. Haruka then surprised them both by embracing the other woman gently. She drew back and looked her in the eye, not noticing the small lines around the woman's eyes and mouth or her perpetually messy hair (which annoyed the bejeesus out of her, all told). Her friend's soft eyes were slightly teary and she choked back a lump in her own throat.

"Seriously, look after Mars, President Chrysant."

With that, the delegation left. Nao leaned over to Natsuki and bumped her with her shoulder. "Almost perfect, eh?"

Natsuki rolled her eyes and sighed. "So what do we do for the next two hours, then?"

"Get down to the Harmonium and wait, that's what," Youko said. "Grab the rest of the coffee, it's freezing down there."

"The peak's coming. Four minutes," Irina said, the light from her console reflected on her glasses.

Mikoto frowned and growled. "I can hear it. It's still there. It's just beyond where we can see."

Mai draped her arms around the front of Mikoto's shoulders and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. Haruka regarded the interaction with narrowed eyes and turned to Shizuru.

"You're not contagious, are you?"

"Ara, me?" Shizuru asked with a laugh. "It's a good thing you didn't meet Sarah Gallagher, Suzushiro-san."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"She's a really pretty blonde," Nao said, a wide grin on her face, "and she's been trying to tear Armitage away from Chrysant for years."

"Two minutes!" Youko shouted. "Get onto those steps you two!"

Natsuki started forward, receiving a pat on the back from Nao on the way. She drew level with Shizuru and tried to think of something to say. Shizuru stepped forward and embraced her tightly, burying her face in her neck and kissing her once, quickly, fleetingly. "She loves you, Natsuki. If she's me, she loves you."

She lifted her face, mind swimming with her first and last kiss. Shizuru's scent and taste filled her mind and all she could think about were the gentle eyes above her. A rough hand grabbed her elbow, shouting something about a bubuzuke pervert and she stumbled backwards, her ears roaring with blood and her eyes fixed and teary.

Heat surrounded her and she tried to throw her arms in front of her face, failing. She wondered briefly if she'd been blinded; if the entire thing had been a failure and she was dead.

She blinked once, and again. The bright sunlight around her seemed too glaring and too intrusive after the gloom of the crypt beneath the palace. Blobs quickly resolved themselves into the shapes of her friends and she sighed in shock. Had she left at all? Had Windbloom just been a dream?

She turned to one side and noticed Shizuru shooting her a quizzical look. It was her Shizuru! The Shizuru that she'd known for years; the one who wasn't an Otome or thirty! She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and sighed a long, rattling sigh. It had worked. She was home. Shizuru noticed this strange activity and raised an eyebrow in question.

She never missed a beat, did she? Natsuki smile fondly and wistfully, seeing for the first time the hint of grief and guilt behind the slight smile. It had always been there for her to see and she felt ashamed to have been so wilfully ignorant. When had she actually last looked at properly at Shizuru?

"Are you all right, Natsuki?" she asked in a cheerful voice. She tried to fight a smile at that. No one said her name quite like Shizuru did. No one paid more attention to her, she realised, because there was no one in the entire world who wanted her own attention as much as Shizuru did. She smiled and shook her head, blushing slightly. The memory of Windbloom was fading fast and she tried briefly to juxtapose the image of the woman in front of her with that of Shizuru Viola. There were many more similarities than differences.

"Natsuki, you don't have sun stroke, do you?" Shizuru asked, placing a cool hand on her forehead. If pressed, the Kyoto woman would have admitted a desire to use her own forehead, but thought it better not to push her luck in public. She smiled in delight at the blush that spread over Natsuki's cheeks and couldn't resist wrapping her arms around her neck, earning some rolled eyes and tolerant chuckles from their friends in the process.

Natsuki closed her eyes against the memory of being held tightly by Shizuru Viola moments before Haruka had grabbed her and dragged her to the remains of the harmonium. As clingy as this Shizuru was wont to be, there was none of the comfort that had been present with her older counterpart.

She's waiting for me to push her away, isn't she?

Ten years and counting?

She snorted and pulled Shizuru's elbow sharply, tugging the usually elegant woman off balance but closer to Natsuki's side. She wrapped an arm around the back of her waist and turned to face her, enjoying the surprised expression Shizuru wore. Her other hand stayed on her elbow and for a split second, she felt Shizuru relax against her, all tension gone.

They smiled brilliantly (Chie would later call if goofily) at each other for a moment until Shizuru laughed.

"Ara, Natsuki's finally getting the idea!"

Epilogue or Imagine The Seiyuus Doing This

"And she was me, only much younger?"

"Yes. Much younger."

"Hmm. How much younger?

"Young enough to be your daughter."

"Shizuru!"

"Ara, Natsuki, don't be annoyed. She was young enough to be my secret, adulterous lover."

"Oh hah hah, Shizuru."

...

"Seriously?"

...

"Shizuru!?"

"Ah, she was even more energetic than that, Natsuki!"

"Shizuru, God damn it! I can't believe it."

"You would have done the same thing, Natsuki."

"No I wouldn't have."

...

"If she's anything like you, I wouldn't have had a choice in the matter, would I? She'd just turn those big eyes on me and bam!"

"Bam?"

"Bam! Bed."

"Ah, I see."

"Seriously though. Did you?"

"Of course. I've got the hickeys to prove it."

"That's not a hickey!"

"Ara? What is that, then?"

...

"Natsuki?"

"It's your chest, Shizuru."

"That's it proved then."

"You can't use your chest to prove something!"

...

"Shizuru?"

"Do you want to bet on that?"