Sorry for the delay. I've been busy.

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Informant

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There she sat, in her chair, staring out the large glass wall to the city below. There were too many lights on to see the stars, but the skyscrapers nearby and the street lights far below were view enough for the girl as she absorbed the sight in silence save for the clink of ice against glass as she swallowed her drink. Mai was already asleep, borrowing her bed for the night before she was to return to her life in Fuuka.

It wasn't that Natsuki was jealous of Mai's life, but there were times when she wondered what it would be like to have a family like that. Someone you could leave the cafe to while your gone, someone to keep you warm while you sleep in winter. Shizuru's birthday is during winter. Even a little brat that eats all your food and makes a huge commotion out of everything due to excess energy, while tiring, brings motion and events to a life that can so easily go stagnant. Shizuru always made thing interesting.

Dammit that was twice. She told herself that every time she thought about how she missed Shizuru while sitting in her chair tonight she would chug four fingers high of brandy. This way she could become too wasted to go to bed, because she refused to share her futon, even under friendly circumstances, with someone that wasn't her. Make that three.

She dutifully emptied her glass and filled it back for each time. It was getting close to a month now since Shizuru's last postcard. She could feel her nervousness at the thought of what it would mean if it didn't come. What would she do then, should she just keep opening her mail box and hope that it was just going to be late? Would it mean that Shizuru was dead? No, she shouldn't think that way. It will come. If Shizuru dies will I still die too?

"Baka!" She drank more of the liquor hoping it would ease the knot inside of her and drown out that last thought. Someone in the building across the way just turned off their lights. A few other apartments were still lit, not many. This would be the perfect place to snipe somebody from. A bit expensive for a one night stay, I guess it would depend on the value of the job. Like hunting an heiress. Could someone be after Shizuru?

"I'm an Idiot." Seven times over. She reached over to fill her glass finding that the brandy was missing. She looked over to the last place she knew it was. There was still a water mark from it on the table. Am I that drunk already?

"Yes you are." Her foggy green eyes looked up at the lady with fire on her head. "Fire lady, I need to drink three more glasses. That was the deal."

"Natsuki, you're drunk."

"Whaaaat?! You're insane fire lady. I don't drink to get drunk, I drink to pass time while I'm waiting. See?" Natsuki wasn't sure what point she was trying to make by showing that her glass was empty, but she held it out to Mai any way. Maybe she was just hoping her waitress instincts would kick in and she'd refill her glass. "I think you've had enough to drink for the night."

"What type of service is this? I want my drink. If you're not going to give it back to me then just go back to sleep fire lady, or go home."

"Natsuki." The buzz was rapidly fading and she hated the lucidity that came with that.

"Leave me alone Mai!" Her now clear green eyes glared up at the red head that brought on the lag in her drinking binge. She might have been a bit too harsh, but holding on to the anger was the only thing keeping the loneliness at bay where the alcohol was failing. "Go to sleep, or go home," she whispered dangerously, her focus now on the world just beyond her window. A silence passed between the two that only the carrot top was heavily aware of. Natsuki was already gone in another world watching the glass slowly fog from the dropping temperatures. Shizuru's birthday is in winter.

The next morning she found herself curled beneath a heavy blanket on her leather chair. Unfortunately the blanket didn't smell like Shizuru this time. There was breakfast already laid out for her though, no postcard beneath the plate. Only a note from Mai saying she already left and something about Natsuki being a stupid jerk that needs to pull herself together. At least that's what she figured it said, she didn't read it properly. As soon as she knew it wasn't from Shizuru she just glanced it over and threw it away. She was a stupid jerk after all. No sense in disappointing now.

She reluctantly got ready for a class she had at noon at Tokyo Tech where she was working on finishing her undergrad in engineering. She was tempted to just forgo the whole schooling process for the day and go out to look for a job, but Shizuru never liked her bad school habits so she decided to just get her shit together and go. She would look for a job later.

School, what did it mean to her anyway? Aside from her natural curiosity in anything that moved quickly on two wheels there wasn't much she looked forward to there. If she had been Natsuki B.S. (Before Shizuru) she would have spent her days riding it out on her motorcycle, feeling and enjoying the solitude of the wind blowing in your face as she did now. If she would have even still been alive. Back then riding fast was the only way she knew how to escape the loneliness and anger even if it was always right behind her.

Now, now she did it for a future she was never planning to live to see. A future with people that cared about her. Strange, people cared about her. The thought was almost enough for her to let up on the dangerous speed of her bike...almost. Someone cursed at her as she cut them off to take a sudden right turn. She needed to check on something before she went to class.

She made her way down the long gravel road leading to the small mansion just at its end. It had been years since she had last seen her aunt, thirteen years to be exact. From what she could remember not much had changed. Her aunt was still living in the middle of nowhere, estranged from her brother but still wealthy beyond belief.

"Shichan? Is that you?" Her aunt blinked her eyes multiple times, not used to seeing her niece as the woman that stood before her now.

"Yes obasan. It's been a long time."

"Oh drop the formalities Shichan. You sound like my stuffy little brother. What was it you used to call me again?" A faint tint of red found its way to Shizuru's cheeks almost invisible to the untrained eye...almost. "Oh yes it was..."

"Obachan, as much as I would like to reflect on past experiences there is something that I need to speak to you about. Preferably inside, yes?"

"Of course, of course Forgive an old woman her childish excitement."

"You're not that old obachan."

"I wasn't 'that old' twenty three years ago, but come along, you're probably tea dehydrated by now if you're anything like us Fujino." Her aunt winked and led her into her home.

"So what is it that you need? Is my brother giving you a hassle?"

"Yes, I do suppose it is quite the inconvenience." They sat down opposite each other in her aunt's study. "Ha, you really are a Kansai woman you know."

"Knowing you it's hard to tell whether that is a compliment or an insult."

"Indeed."

"Who's being politely ambiguous now?"

They both laughed this time. "I apologize, I only meant that you took quite well to the culture they beat into you. I'm glad you're not as uptight as my sister-in-law, but you still manage to keep, I guess, the aura of a 'proper' Kyoto woman." She frowned at the word proper, knowing that if her parents knew the truth they would say she was anything but. Would her aunt feel the same? It was better not to test that out quite yet. Right now she needed her aunt's help and her knowing could do nothing to benefit only heighten the chance that she'd create another enemy.

"So I'm assuming by your expression that they do not agree with that statement."

"Not particularly, no, it's more so that I don't, or perhaps that they won't..."

"You mean once you reveal your hand?"

"I find very little enjoyment playing poker with my parents, however, I have no choice but to at least sit at the table." Her aunt chuckled. "Now that's a sight I would love to see. So how may I be of assistance?"

"Well, while we're still using atrocious poker metaphors, I would like you to become the dealer."

"Ha ha, yes, of course. Though I warn you, I play with a loaded deck."

"That is what I was counting on."

"You know, I knew the moment that you opened your eyes that we would get along."

"Could it have something to do with us sharing eyes, perhaps?" Her aunt gave her a sad smile, "yes, perhaps." She rose her slender brow in question at her aunt's sudden melancholy.

"You seem to be a lot like me in a sense, and so I worry. Could this have something to do with perhaps a special person in your life, a...boy, that your parents find less than suitable?" She took mental note of the use of the phrase 'your parents' as opposed to 'my brother' or 'my sister-r in-law' as had been used up to this point. She didn't miss the inflection on boy either. "Your brother and sister-in-law have yet to attain knowledge of any such...boy, as you say, as of yet."

"So it's only a matter of time, I see."

"Time of which they are not happy to give." Her aunt studied her carefully with her dark, almost brown red eyes.

"What is her name?"

"I believe you know why I'm here."

"The usual I presume. Although I thought your girlfriend finished that business for you."

"Tch, she's not my girlfriend!..sigh...I just need to know somethings."

"That is usually why we meet, yes."

"Is the First District or Sears up to anything lately...regarding us hime or..."

"Or more specifically Fujino-hime? No. They've been quiet on that front. Although I must say you're not the first to make such inquiries."

"What? Who?"

Ah let's see. I can't seem to recall..."

After much grumbling she slid an envelope stuffed with yen over to her contact.

"Yes I remember, Sato Takeshi. Here's where you can find him," he slid over a piece of paper. She snatched it up and was ready to bolt out the door, "wait!" He grabbed tightly to her sleeve. "You have to be careful. This guy, he wasn't looking for Fujino. He was asking about her, but the name he was trying to fish from me, was yours."

- - -

She sat absently at her desk. Her eyes focused on nothing in particular. She made sure to have them look somewhere around where her open text book was. Not that it mattered much anyway, the sensei was too absorbed in the lecture to notice an unfocused Natsuki.

Yamada's words kept repeating in her head. What did it all mean? Why were they looking for her? She felt it had something to do with Shizuru being totally in love with her but she couldn't be sure. Still, why would some guy want to know about a friend of Shizuru's? Maybe they were hoping to black mail Shizuru. Oh my God! I'm a danger to Shizuru! She always knew Shizuru's association with her would bring about her own downfall. Dammit! She should have been more persistent in distancing herself from—no. That wouldn't have been right. Natsuki A.S. has much to be grateful for. And more than likely Shizuru wouldn't let her think along the lines that she was treading. A lot may have happened but without it they wouldn't be where they are now. Wherever that was.

"Gah! Where is she?"

"Who, Kugasan?" The sensei along with the rest of the class was now focused on her after her outburst.

"Erm...I got lost? So I didn't know where you were?"

"Pg. 350 section 5-1."

"Right, thanks."

She was more than glad once class was finally let out. She decided to tail this Takeshi guy and find out who he was working for. However, when she got to his house there was no one there. So she decided to let herself in and take a look around.

It had been a while since she was last breaking and entering a building. Luckily this house was nothing like some of the First District complex's she had been to. Forget watchdogs, those were for pansies, no, watch out for orphan's, paid off cops and state of the art security systems. Electric fences and her were mortal enemies. No, she did not miss those days. Not entirely anyway. There were still times where she missed the drive and assurance she had of a working goal. It may have been a narrow goal based on misplaced anger and vengeance but it was something to work towards. No to mention the adrenaline rush that comes with being in constant danger. Back then she could afford to put her life on the line because she had nothing. Now...now...She needed to make sure Shizuru was okay.

She picked the lock of the back door and made her way inside. There were no pictures around, basic home and décor, apparently not much of a family man. Though this might not really be his house. It could just be his base of operations.

She snagged a bottle of root beer from his fridge before continuing through the other rooms. A living room with a couch and a small TV. A bathroom, a bedroom with only a futon laying untidily in the center and another room that had the door closed. She made quick work of the lock and went inside.

It appeared to be his home office, and compared to the rest of the house, the one most inhabited by its attendant. There were food box's and wrappers all over, stacks of opened books and papers skewed all over the surface of the wooden desk. She ruffled through some of them and moved on to the filling cabinets when she found nothing of interest. She went through the manilla folders looking for keywords when she stopped at one that was labeled HiMe. She took it out and shuffled through the papers. They had a picture of Shizuru drinking...coke? Wow I'm keeping this picture. The pages were filled with information on her, her child, the people she murdered and pages on a probable list of her most important person. Shit. There was a brief page on Reito. At the bottom it read: "Kanzaki Reito, fuukukaichou of Fuuka academy, relation to subject not strong. He is not the key."

"Suzushiro Haruka, executive director of Fuuka academy, one sided rivalry with subject. Definitely not the key."

"Masashi Takeda," annoying prick, "Kendo captain, no relation to subject. Not the key."

"Yuuichi Tate, Student council yes-man, no relation to subject. Not the key." The list went on and on with a bunch of names of girls, that Natsuki may have vaguely remembered. They most likely made up her fan club. This guy is really thorough. She's just lucky that her and Shizuru kept their relationship on the down low and that Yamada was an ally. She needed to thank him later.

However well that seemed to ease her fears of being discovered it only intensified the anxiety of the danger Shizuru must be in. They may not know about her yet but it was only a matter of time before this guy or his employer found someone willing to talk. She and especially Shizuru were not on best terms with First District. Now if she could only find who was paying the guy to dig all this up... She was flipping through a stack of mail when red and blue silently flickered in through the window. Shit. She shoved the file's and stack of mail into her book bag and ran down the stairs to the back yard where she had parked her motorcycle and killed the grass.

She heard the faint murmurings of the officers as they approached the front door. She quietly pushed her bike along to the side of the house waiting for them to actually enter before she could take off. They seemed to hover by the door for a while before entering. She took advantage of the moment, fired up her Ducati and sped off. Damn, I didn't get to finish the root beer. She then realized her mistake of leaving it behind in favor of grabbing the mail. She could only pray they wouldn't do all that fancy stuff she saw on those American TV shows. Otherwise she'd be screwed.

When she got home to the apartment she was happy to note the presence of a glossy card mixed in with the rest of her mail. "So it's Hokkaido now is it," she smiled dropping her bag on the floor temporarily forgetting about the contents within.

Ara, hello Natsuki. As you can tell I'm in Hokkaido to visit my aunt. It's pretty cold up here especially without my snugly puppy to keep me warm ;P Your pillow is a sorry replacement.

At this point the blush was adorning her face, "damn you Shizuru."

But hopefully after sorting things out with her, there will be less complications and in no time I'd be able to finally settle down. Nothing is certain yet so until then stay safe. You can't get hurt or sick until I'm there to take proper care of you. I have the Negi ready and everything. Just kidding but anyway I'm rambling now.

Till next post card,

Shizuru3

Natsuki plopped down onto the floor and lay back, unaware of the smile on her face. You better hurry Shizuru. Only you can tell me what it means to have a most important person, and I am so lost.