Mai HiME
Nao's Surrender
Chapter One
In the Night
To Natsuki, there was no freedom like riding her motorbike. Feeling the buzzing of the powerful motor beneath her, feeling the wind whip against her. She could go on forever, never seeing the world around her. Just keeping her head down and watching the road beneath her racing past.
It was night time when she liked to ride the most. When the rest of the world was asleep she could be certain she wouldn't be bothered. Even Shizuru, with whom she had started a strange and uncertain relationship with could be a bother. When the sun went down and the moon was a pale ring against velvet curtains of the night, she rode down the side of the mountain, the sea and the rocky face her two only barriers.
That night was no different. She said a hasty goodbye to Shizuru who promised to be awake for her when she returned, then she headed out to collect her bike and rode down the familiar trial. The wind had a cold bite to it that night, and she could feel the odd speck of rain on her face. She was just wondering if she should have listened to Shizuru's advice and taken a thicker jacket when something made her slam on the breaks.
There, in the middle of the road, was a body.
Her bike bent down close to the asphalt, so close her arm grazed across the road. The bike slid from beneath her bent legs and she hugged her arms to herself to roll across the road. By the time she finally stopped her bike had slammed into the rocky mountain face and she was bruised and battered all over. Thankfully, though, that was the worst of her injuries and she could see that her bike had managed to escape with only a few scrapes. A new paint job would fix that, but as for the person lying in the middle of the road...
They were young and female, lying with the Fuka Academy uniform on that was torn and tattered. Red hair was splayed across the road and her arms were outstretched as though she had been trying to drag her body away from the road before losing consciousness. If they were just unconscious.
"Hey, you there," Natsuki called, getting to her feet shakily. The person didn't move or reply, so she stumbled closer to inspect and make sure she wasn't talking to a dead body.
When she reached the person she jumped back and gasped in surprise, because this wasn't just any girl. It was Nao.
"Shit," Natsuki muttered. "Of all the people..."
It was no secret that Natsuki hated Nao. During the Carnival Nao had tormented her and almost killed her, but they did have a moment of truce when Natsuki realised they had both tasted a bitter fate. After the Carnival, Nao became secluded and fell into depression. She wouldn't talk to anyone, not even to be cruel or unkind. No one knew why, but she should have been happy. Her mother's health had been restored, so why?
Natsuki realised as she bent down beside Nao that she hadn't drawn in a breath yet. A little worried that the girl had managed to kick the bucket, Natsuki tilted her head to the side and rested two fingers beneath her jaw. She felt a gentle thrumming of a pulse and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Thank god I don't have to give you mouth to mouth," she muttered. "But I do have to carry your sorry ass back to the school. Damn it, on the one night I had off."
Seeing no other choice, Natsuki dragged the limp and heavy Nao onto her back and lugged her over to the bike. It would be hard to ride with Nao hanging over her, but she would have to manage. She dragged her bike back up on the road and slipped on with Nao's arms hanging over her shoulders.
Natsuki could feel the cold of Nao's unconscious body through her jacket. "Hold on," she said quietly. "I'll get you back as fast as I can."
As though able to hear the promise in those words, Nao gave a weak cry.