A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this chapter, shoulder had me forced into taking a break. Back in action now, but this chapter is shorter than the others. It kind of had to be, given that I need to get used to typing two handed again. Got to love it! (Not!) Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Metamorphosis
Arc 1: Truth, Lies, and Assumptions
Chapter 3

Ages for main cast: Akira Okuzaki 12, Takumi Tokiha 13, Mai Tokiha 16, Yuuichi Tate 16, Natsuki Kuga 17, Shizuru Fujino 18, Nao Yuuki 14, Reito Kanzaki 17, Mikoto Minagi 14.

Even though I'm not exactly a family person, I like to think I'm not a cold person, either. More or less, I turned out alright. That's what I want to believe. Everything I did, I did for a good reason...and that those reasons were my own choices. Sometimes, it would have been easier to just give into pressure, but I didn't.

Whatever it was that drove me back then, I can't really say. It became a fact worthy of ambiguity. There just came a time when I didn't have to figure things out anymore…that, I no longer needed to…but, that was a road long traveled.

I didn't walk it alone...

…

All students were to be in their homerooms for the start of the new semester's orientation by eight in the morning. Naturally that meant the dorm rooms were a buzz before the sun could even rise. While many students chose to sleep in, or gather in the cafeteria, there was one room on the third floor that had plenty of ruckus going on. Although Akira knew Mai had gift for impromptu gatherings, she hadn't expected such a party to be in full swing so early in the morning.

"Here you go. Don't worry, there isn't any lemon in it." The carrot topped woman said, ruffling her little brother's hair as she set a cup of tea don in front of him.

"Honey?" The boy asked, receiving a nod.

"Always." With a wink and a grin, Mai was off to gather more food for the table. "What's the good of having tea if you don't make it sweet enough to drink?"

"All of that sweet stuff will rot his teeth." Akira sighed as she sat down at the table in Mai's dorm room.

"Here's yours too Akira." Mai merely replied as she gleefully set the cup onto the table in front of Akira before going back to fussing over the stove. "No honey in yours, I promise."

"Better not be." Akira said, taking a cautious sip. It was delicious, as usual, and she could already taste the caffeine dancing on her tongue. "It's good." was the only compliment she gave as she set the mug down and finally started relaxing.

Just then, the bathroom door opened, revealing a wet haired Natsuki, just out of the shower. It wasn't the first time she was thankful to already be in her uniform. "What the hell?"

"First day of the new semester." Mai shrugged as gestured to the group around her. "Come on and have a seat, breakfast should be ready soon."

"Don't sit by me, Mutt." Nao grumbled with her usual acerbic calm. "Not in the mood to deal with you today."

"Then get the fuck out of my dorm room!" Natsuki barked.

"Shut-up, before I beat you with a shoe." Nao shot back. She poured some whiskey into her mug when Mai wasn't looking, sending Natsuki a grin as she hid the flask.

"Hit me once..." It was a low, dangerous growl. "Just once Nao...make it a good one."

"Nao hush!" Mai ordered firmly as she set down a pitcher of milk. "Natsuki, sit…and both of you be civil."

Natsuki complied, albeit reluctantly, as she put her hair back up into its towel to keep it from getting her uniform wet. "You know, if this keeps up, we're going to need a bigger table."

"Speak for yourself." Nao growled from the corner of the room. "The pup and brat I get, but I don't know why you two are even here in the first place."

"Mai makes the best breakfasts." Takumi said with a grin. "You have to admit, her pancakes can't be beat."

"Never mind the pancakes." Akira muttered as she poked Takumi's shoulder. "You need more than that kind of stuff in your gut." She turned to Nao then, a soft scowl on her face. "As for why we're here, Mai is Takumi's older sister, and her meals are better for his heart than the cafeteria food."

"Speaking of, why are you here so early, Nao?" Takumi asked pleasantly. "You usually only come around for dinner."

"None of your damn business, twerp." Nao growled as she crossed her arms.

With a firm glare aimed in Nao's direction, Natsuki sent an elbow flying into her ribs. "Don't be a jerk."

"I was hungry." Nao amended, between clenched teeth. "That a good enough answer for you?"

"I'll bet that she ran out of cafeteria stamps until next week." Natsuki said oblivious to the murderous gleam sent her way by forest green eyes. "You know, mine are in my drawer. I don't use them, so you can always mooch off of those."

When a loud pounding came at the door, Mai dusted her hands off on her apron to answer it. Mikoto came charging in with a basket of warm rolls and Yuuichi followed close behind with disposable silverware. Wordlessly they set the table and waited for the serving plates to go into the center. Mai's usual spread was as tasty as ever, but silence wasn't to be had, nor was a peaceful breakfast.

Bickering ensued at every turn.

If it wasn't Mikoto and Yuuichi arguing over Mai's attentions, it was Natsuki and Nao arguing about bad habits. The only pleasant conversation to be had lingered between Mai and Takumi, who spent their morning planning a picnic for later in the week. Akira quietly observed while she occupied herself with her own meal, sending sideways glances to the combatants, and the seemingly oblivious siblings.

It went on like that for a while, until a weight fell atop Akira's head. "I don't know what you're thinking about, but maybe you should stop."

The sound melodic sound of Mai's voice brought Akira's sight into focus once more. "It's nothing." Akira muttered as she ducked away from that warm touch. "Besides, you shouldn't touch me…it's weird. It's like I'm some sort of animal or something."

"Better than actually being the group mutt." Nao grinned, only to have to dodge a sideways punch.

"If you don't cut that out, I'm going to beat the crap out of you." Natsuki finally sighed. "What is it with you and the insults, anyway?"

"If you have to ask, then you haven't been out in the streets long enough." Nao hissed back, a deep anger lingering in her eyes where it hadn't been before.

"Guys, stop." That was it. The final straw that cut the banter as two sets of equally shocking, yet vastly different colors of green found Mai's stern expression. "No more fighting. No more insulting each other, it's the breakfast table."

"What's that got to do with it?" Mikoto asked as she shoved a fork full of egg into her mouth. "Everyone always fights."

"I don't like it." Mai went on to say as she put one arm around Yuuichi and her free one atop Mikoto's head to ruffle her hair. "I don't know about all of you, but Takumi and I were raised better than that."

"I wasn't raised." Natsuki muttered lamely, a shared look at the far end of the table bringing down the mood.

Nao didn't say any words as she leaned back, crossing an arm over the other. She gave Natsuki a sideways glance and then bit her lip. "Not even worth it." She decided as she looked back over to Mai, feeling the heated gaze on her skin. "Okay, okay...we get it...stop with the damn look already."

Mai merely went back to eating, her voice cool, but her words stern. "The breakfast table is the one place you don't have to argue." She eyed everyone carefully around the room, lingering on each and every one of them. "There's been enough fighting as it is, don't you think?"

…

There's something about a warm meal on a cold winter evening, or, the taste of beer during a barbeque. It's that same something I feel when I'm around Mai and the others. I'm thankful for that feeling...I don't say it, but I am, just a little bit…

Anyway, true to form, of course, Mai's speeches never really lasted long among the group. Everyone was back to their own opinionated arguing before anyone had even left for class. I didn't mind, although, I did miss the feeling of Mai's hand on top of my head. It wasn't as if I actively searched for her approval, but, having it freely offered was strangely calming.

Maybe, it was because that warm feeling was something I had always wanted, and waited quietly for.

Maybe it was because I pushed that desire away from myself. Who knows for sure, I certainly don't…I have better things to do with myself now. Things like, having that beer and finishing the latest comic for this week's deadline. Those are the little things that become important as you get older, alongside the people who truly matter.

Everything else is moot, pointless until specified as otherwise…Mai and Takumi taught me that.

…

Working hard was her motto. Work hard enough, put forth enough effort, and eventually you'd see a return for your effort. It was a lesson instilled into her at the earliest age by her parents. Mai wholehearted kept that faith alive, even while finding herself in the middle of a stuffy kitchen with a backlog of things to do. It was better to keep busy anyway, seeing as she had to earn herself a paycheck, one she could gleefully slip into the savings account if everything went well.

"Mai, when can I have a snack?" Mikoto chirped as she perched on the older girl's back.

"When I'm on break." The redhead sighed, having lost count of the robotic number of responses that slipped past her lips. "Grab me another plate would you."

"You're a waitress." Mikoto murmured as she did as she was told. "Isn't this a cook's job?"

"Well, it should be, but one of the new short order cooks is out sick." Taking a candy from the bowl nearby, she handed it to Mikoto, who took it gratefully. "It's important to take care of your own, as they say. Besides, you know I don't mind working the kitchens."

"I don't mind when you do either, but it sure get's lonely in the dorm." Mikoto murmured, looking at the green sucker with mild fascination. "Mai, what's going to happen when you graduate?"

"I don't really know, but that's a long way off yet, Mikoto." At that, with a level of ease that came only after immense practice, she swung Mikoto around to her front, and put the girl down. "If you do the dishes that are in the sink, I'll make you a sundae after."

"Can I go sit with Chie when I eat?" Mikoto asked then.

"If she's not studying, then yes." Mai smiled as she watched the young teen, still feral by nature, as she bustled about the small workspace washing and disinfecting dishes that waited to be tended.

It was then that Aoi came around to the back, her own amusement playing on her lips. "You should take a break. I can work the prep-counter for a while. The mid-day rush is almost over anyway."

Mai shook her head. "No, we need you out waiting tables."

Aoi sighed. "Mai, go sit down before you work yourself into a fit."

"Aoi, I'm fine." Mai said quietly as she turned back to work. Dicing up all sorts of different vegetables according to the instruction sheet taped up to the wall. "Besides, you're still a waitress in training. You should be following Akane around and learning by her example."

"Well, I would…but Kazuya just got in." The admittance caused Mai to put her knife down, sneaking a peak out to the counter, where the young man in question was busy clocking in. "You know I can't keep up with both of them." As usual, the two were meant to be, a perfect duo when it came to their work, and their relationship.

"Yeah, no kidding." Mai said, sharing the perverse smirk that Aoi shot her. "Well if he's in, you're free to clock out. This was your day off anyway."

"Well, that may be true, but you still look tired." Aoi laughed as she leaned on the wall. "At least let me help keep Mikoto out of trouble."

Mai thought about it for a moment before finally nodding. "Take my school bag with you. There's cafeteria stamps in there if she gets hungry."

"What about you?" Aoi asked as she went to the back room to grab the leather case. "Want me to leave some, just in case?"

"I've got a date." Mai told her with a wink. "I'll be late, but Mikoto can fend for herself at the dorm."

There was too much work for her to linger in her thoughts for too long. As she pulled another peeled potato from basket she was using, she only briefly glanced up. It felt a little strange watching Mikoto leave the restaurant with Chie and Aoi. Of course Mai was thankful for the reprieve, but, it didn't stop the fact that Mai felt as though she was more often a burden than a true help.

It bothered her, so much in fact that even Yuuichi had started to notice.

At first he'd said nothing, but there came a time when even his own silence was forced to come to an abrupt end.

Hand in hand as they walked, he wanted to bridge the gap. Yet, in spite of his desire to do so, the effort was something far beyond his kin. Nervously, with a soft voice, he found himself at odds yet again from those violet eyes. "Look, I know I'm not the nicest guy around…but if there's something bothering you…you can tell me."

"Nothing's bothering me." Mai said radiantly, that perfect little smile set into its usual place. "Everything's right with the world."

He squeezed her hand a little, wordlessly trying to offer support. "Not everything." He said it quietly, afraid she might actually hear him. Somehow, without even realizing it, they found themselves wandering towards that little park that they both managed to frequent. "If you say you're okay, then I'll just have to believe you."

"It's easy to forget, you're not one for pep-talks." Mai laughed a little at his indignant grunt. "Thank you, for not making a big deal out of it."

The golden haired man shrugged, dropping a few coins into a hot chocolate machine, pulling the insulated can out and handing it to her. It was a strange little tradition when he thought about it. The gesture started over a rainy day, cold coffee, and shared admissions that now seemed so far out of reach. He bought a can for himself before sitting down next to her. He wasn't a man of many tender words, but, if she was thankful for that, he wasn't going to ask why.

Instead, he popped the top to his can and drank from it. As they watched the night pass them by, he found himself more tangled in his thoughts about her than ever before. "There isn't a big deal to make..." He finally said with a sigh. "If you don't want to tell me, I can't force you."

She was a strong woman, filled with her own set of hard earned ideals. He wouldn't admit it outwardly, but the first time he saw her cry, was the first time he came to realize the truth. There was a real tender spirit under all of that bluster of hers. Her heart was always on the cusp of breaking entirely. He was compelled to wonder what would happen if Mai simply gave up one day. If she decided she no longer wanted to put forth the effort into her life.

He wondered about that, because it was a thought he once considered for his own future.

Especially after an injury to his knee left him alone to his own thoughts one too many times. Again, uncomfortably, he gulped from the can in his hand before setting it on the ground beside him. "Hey Mai, did you…uh…did you want to come back to my place tonight?" He asked as he put his hand over hers.

"It's nine at night, the room checks for the dorms are probably over by now." Mai murmured quietly. She had clearance to be out late because of work, but the same didn't hold true for Yuuichi. "I'm sure that Yukino would overlook the attendance if I didn't come back at all tonight. She's really lenient when one of the HiME sneak out. I don't know how it is in the men's dorm, but you probably have a strike on your attendance record. "

At that, the man could only grin. "Kazuya's been appointed dorm leader for the guys, but with the way Akane sneaks into his room all the time, he has no room to talk."

"Akane has?" Mai beamed, finding the tidbit almost too funny. "I never realized they were…" She trailed off, a blush coming to her cheeks. "I mean, it makes sense. I just didn't think Akane would actually do something like that."

Yuuichi shrugged. "Reito overlooked a lot of things. Always said that the ambitions of men should be rewarded."

"He would say something like that, wouldn't he?" Mai sighed as she leaned into her boyfriend. As her eyes slipped closed, she took comfort in his warmth. "I know what you're asking me." She told him as she took his hand in his. "I just don't know how to answer that. I've never actually been with anyone like that before, and to be honest, I don't know if I'm ready for it."

"It's not like I've been with anyone like that either, Mai." Yuuichi said quietly as she gripped her hand more firmly, letting his thumb trace over her knuckles.

Mai finally sighed. "It's not that I don't want too…something like that is a risk I don't have the luxury to take right now. If I got caught by the school board, I'd be under dorm suspension until the end of the semester. I'd be forced to quit my job." Rolling it around in her head, Mai finally bit her lip and turned to face him. "Yuuichi, listen…I know that Takumi wants to be more independent, but until he becomes an adult, he's in my care."

"Yeah, I get that…" Yuuichi murmured.

Mai shook her head. "Don't do that…"

"Do what?" He asked, feigning a smirk.

"Act like I'm pushing you away." Mai could feel the discord, tangible in the air between them. "That's not it at all." She wondered how best to explain, coming up short. "In two more years, I won't be allotted government funding for my livelihood. That means that our income will be more than cut in half. With medical debts, I'm going to have to find another job right out of high school. I won't be able to even go to university, so the best I can hope for here is honor roll. I can't jeopardize that by sneaking into an off limits area."

"Hey, no pressure." Yuuichi said as he pulled her into a hug. "It's not like it's a big deal. I was just thinking out loud, that's all."

…

No matter how you look at it, there was a veneer of joy we were all too willingly ready to put on over our true feelings. If we could all act happy, we would eventually become happy by default. That was the hope we carried.

Strange logic, but there it was.

…

Another week of Takumi's rehab program drew to a close, and so with it came a few days of relaxation. It was something they all sorely needed, more than any of them wanted to admit. Gathering themselves in the middle of the track field was just another way to whittle away the hours of a boring Sunday afternoon. Some of the gatherers chose to make a spectacle of themselves, but even that was expected.

An unspoken rule that simply had to be met, just like a river eventually had to flow downhill no matter what.

Mikoto hit the ground hard, tumbling with both Tate and Nao on top of her. A moment later, another shout echoed through the field, and Reito picked up the ball. "That's not how you score a goal." He chided as he dusted off his sister. "Ball's in play!" He shouted, tossing the rugby ball over to Tate. "Skins have it."

"God damn it Mikoto!" Natsuki bellowed, as she flicked her long hair behind her shoulder. "Defense damn it, defense!"

"See! This is why you don't let someone who's impotent decide on the plays." Haruka ranted with her hands on her hips.

"I've been saying that about the mutt for years." Nao sighed with a shrug.

"I think she meant incompetent." Natsuki groused, giving Nao a hard shove as she passed the redhead by. "Jackass."

"Still the same thing I've been saying for years." Nao laughed, only to dodge a punch.

"Lay off, we've got a game to play." Natsuki snarled as she turned to Haruka. "And as for you, think you can do a better job, you be the damn captain!"

Those that chose to spectate the event shared a look at this revelation. It wouldn't be long before Natsuki regretted the decision. Mai and Takumi held their breath as they watched Natsuki take a full blown tackle from Takeda. The two of them went spiraling down in a heap, knocking Nao down along with them.

"How long do you think they're going to keep at it?" Takumi asked from his place by one of the large coolers that kept refreshments and snacks.

Akira lifted her eyes to the skirmish before shrugging. "They'll get tired sooner or later." She mumbled to him. "They always do."

"Yeah, but I mean before someone throws the first punch." Takumi added as he winced.

"Natsuki already took a swing at Nao." Akira returned with her usual bored droll. "Come on, you've got to be used to this by now."

"This isn't what I'd call relaxing. Maybe I should go break them up." Mai said worriedly as she watched the feral girl brush herself off after being tackled once again, though more gently by her older brother. "There are nicer games to play."

"Nice games? Get real." Akira wondered what that would could possibly have to do with the group playing contact sports.

"Well, I do have a deck of playing cards." Mai offered, but even her brother shook his head at that suggestion.

"Nao would find some way to antagonize someone." Takumi said then with a shrug. "Either that, or Natsuki would make Haruka eat those cards…"

Mai merely sighed as she considered forcing the group to wear helmets when Haruka was the next to go down, none too gently at that. "One of us should go talk sense into them before they kill each other." She gave Shizuru a sideways glance. "I hope someone brought the first aid kit."

"Leave them be." Shizuru said as she removed her sunglasses from her crimson eyes. "It's been cold recently. I can't remember when we had such a sunny day." With her usual elegance, she crossed one long leg over the other and reclined back on the chair that she insisted to have. "Besides, you know just as well as I do that trying to stop it now will only result in more fighting later." She took the time to motion to her purse, where the kit in question rested underneath it.

Mai looked up to the sky, where the clouds were happily making way for the sun to warm the air. It was still cool enough to require a jacket, but no one could dispute that the crisp air felt invigorating. "Yeah, I guess." Violet eyes drifted to where some sort of strange game of tackle football and violence mingled with a shouting match and obscene laughter. "You know, it's strange…" Mai began conversationally at best. "I'm used to Yuuichi posturing, but Natsuki usually doesn't get involved in those antics…and Haruka too, today."

Shizuru merely cleared her throat gently, uneasily taking the bait out of politeness alone. "Haruka was provoked into it by Reito, but that's no surprise." When her eyes lingered over her lover for a moment too long, she sighed. "You're right about Natsuki though, she usually avoids being the center of attention at all cost."

"Well, I wouldn't say all cost." Mai said with a smirk, laughing more to herself than everyone else around her. "I'd say she's come into her own now, at least a little bit." She paused to watch Mikoto ran away with the football, both teams chasing her down before she could get up a nearby tree. "Natsuki has a reason to do stuff like this now, and she'd never had that before."

"We haven't had a reason to either, until recently." Takumi added as put his hands behind his head. "I missed having days like this…"

"Me too, Takumi." Mai murmured to him. She let her eyes wander to the woman once again sitting quietly in the chair. It was as if Shizuru excluded herself on purpose when Natsuki wasn't at her side. The silence wasn't comfortable. Lingering pretenses came to the surface, though they went unspoken. "You should come by the dorm more often."

"I really don't see any reason to do that." Shizuru answered back. "Besides, we all have our studies to worry about, and university is not nearly as forgiving as high school used to be." It was only half an excuse, but, it was enough to put up a barrier. "I don't have nearly the free time that I used to, and, I don't foresee that to change any time soon."

Mai was used to the cold shoulder, but what Shizuru didn't expect was that Mai found such icy temperaments. "You know, you could just tell me to leave you alone. If I piss you off that much, at least I'll know."

Crimson eyes shot to violet, catching sight of a knowing smirk playing across Mai's lips. "You don't do anything of the sort." Shizuru replied, a slow confusion plucking at her. She sat up with a frown. "I believe you have the wrong impression, Mai."

"No I don't." Mai said with a small laugh.

"I'm afraid that you do." Shizuru corrected again, this time a bit more sternly before her expression softened. "It isn't that I'm angry at you, or anyone else for that matter. It merely isn't my place, that's all."

"It's okay, I get it…" With a soft, easy going sigh, she leaned forward, her eyes drifting to Yuuichi. "Natsuki's the first person you've ever really felt comfortable around, and you don't want to lose that." Her own love-life was nothing to write home about, but, she was happy all the same. "It gets complicated because of who she is…I know that, because Yuuichi is the same way."

"She is complicated." Shizuru agreed simply, finding a wall she hadn't expect to fall. Easily it came crashing from around her. "She is also unbearably loyal, and incredibly withdrawn." She suspected it was because of Natsuki, the woman was so easy to speak of. Having her relationship acknowledged by someone else in such a pleasant way was like a breath of fresh air. Shizuru smiled in spite of herself. "Even so, I often can't help but wonder what goes on in that head of hers."

Mai nodded, she was well acquainted with Natsuki's abrasive tendencies. "It's not easy…if they would just open their mouths in the first place, we wouldn't have to worry." At that, she turned to Shizuru. "But they don't say a word, so we do worry because it's in our nature…and, because we love them."

"There is nothing wrong with silence." Shizuru murmured then. She loved that side of Natsuki too.

"No, there isn't." Mai agreed as another shouting match broke out. "However, it's nice to see them get loud and boisterous too…then at least, we know what they're thinking."

"In Natsuki's case, her actions have always been clearer than her voice." Shizuru couldn't count the times the woman made herself flustered over silly little things. "However, even then, she often remains a mystery."

Mai nodded in agreement. There was no question about it. Natsuki had her reasons for many things, and those reasons were her own. She often didn't explain them if she could avoid it. "It's just as well…I guess...Yuuichi puts his foot in his mouth too, more often than not. It's endearing when he's lost for words." She noted before a long stretch of time passed, no more truths shared between the two women who were occupied watching their respective lovers.

Unusually good moods kept their spirits high, even though Nao looked less than thrilled to be joining on the games by force. As three watch alarms went off at the same time, Takumi sighed in spite of himself. "Don't even say it." He muttered with a roll of his eyes as Akira and Mai sent him a beseeching glance. Pulling out his medicine case, he searched for the right pill.

"Takumi!" Natsuki's voice called out from the field. "Take your blood thinner before your sister freaks!"

Brother and sister exchanged glances, as Takumi shook his head. "She has one too?"

Wordlessly Shizuru raised her hand to eye level. Pushing down the long white sleeve of her blouse, she found herself amazed yet again at the strange sort of unity that bound them all together. Sometimes, it truly seemed absurd. "I honestly thought that she was joking. She said everyone had them, but I assumed that was merely an excuse to have matching watches."

Mai, for her part merely pushed away the twinge of surprise she felt at that. "Well then, it's official. Welcome to the family, Shizuru."

Crimson eyes fell to the tiny numbers on the face of the watch. It was idiotic, surely, but the apparent significance wasn't entirely lost on her. "This has got to be one of the most ludicrous things I've ever heard of." It was hard to suppress the smile that it brought just thinking about it. "It's childish to say the least."

"The very least...honestly, it is kind of stupid." Akira said as she went back to her drawing. "But it makes them happy, so whatever…"

"Whatever indeed…" Shizuru said as she returned to her view to Natsuki, watching the woman who strangely enough, in spite of her yelling about just being pushed down into the mud, couldn't appear happier.

…

I should have been more thankful for those pointless little moments...

Complacency has a place in this world too, for all that we choose ignore it…then again, ignorance in general has a way of being advantageous. I found that to be the most true when adolescence struck hard.

I began binding my breasts when I was young. The moment I started to think that they were the least bit noticeable, I went out of my way to hide them. They were the first real giveaway I had to look out for. As a child, my training gave me a good bit of power over most of the guys, so acting the part was enough for them. I knew that wouldn't be the case forever though, not with a woman's chest sticking out of a male school uniform.

It would be unsightly to say the least...but binding soon became the least of my issues...I wish I would have thought of the other problems sooner.

…

Akira bit her lower lip nervously. "Physical education…" She murmured, not in the least bit amused with her class line up for the newest semester. "You've got to be kidding me." She tossed the packet of assigned classes onto the far end of her bed with a curse before going back to folding her laundry. "I'm so screwed…they're going to find out."

"It's mandatory, right?" Takumi asked, watching Akira nod reluctantly.

"I'm not going to be able to get out of it either." She muttered disdainfully. "If you wanted, you could probably get a doctor's note, but I'm not that lucky. Since you're on blood thinner, maybe you should sit out."

"I don't want to be stuck in the bleachers." Takumi said with a shake of his head. "Besides, the exercise will be good for me. There aren't any contact sports in gym, so I should be okay."

"I don't know Takumi…" She hesitated as she pulled one of her long bandages from the basket, slowly rolling it up to store it away in the drawer. "The coaches are pretty rough on the guys during the warm-ups."

"I'll be fine, I'm sure of it." He said more firmly this time.

At her worried glance, he leaned over to get a better look at Akira's schedule. "At least we're in most of the same classes."

"Core's the same, since we share the same home room." She groused with an exasperated sigh, still worrying about the locker room conduct and how she would get past the next year. "Seating assignments are also the same."

"Yeah, but it looks like you have wood shop as one of your electives." He checked his elective class list, a bit of relief flooding over him. "I've got home economics. Finally, something I won't fail spectacularly."

He was right about that at least, it would be an easy grade for an equally easy class. Akira wasn't entirely sure about the more important classes, as he always seemed to struggle through most other subjects. As he sat with his math book in hand, one of his worse subjects, she could see his efforts in studying just hadn't paid off as much as either of them would have liked. She frowned as considered what that might mean for him down the line. Her future was assured by family name, should she choose to go such a route. Takumi didn't have such luck at his disposal.

Hiding her worries was the easier thing to do. "You suck at math."

"I know, I know." In his unflappable way, he folded the new semester packet he'd been given. Stashing it away in his bag, he returned to his studies. "With any luck though, I might be able to get a hard C, or something like that."

Akira shook her head. "Not with those chicken scratches you won't." She was no math expert either, but, she was far more advanced than Takumi, at least when it came to book work. "You need to ask someone who's better at math than Mai is."

"I'd ask Natsuki, but she's busy with her own work." He shrugged, a smirk still on his face. "I least I know I'll ace health, and since we have biology this year my science grade should be okay."

Akira rolled her eyes at that, but she was thankful for the distraction. "You've spent way too much time in bed watching the educational networks…"

"Maybe I have...but it was either that or go insane." He said as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. "It'll be fine Akira." He said quietly, softly enough that she could barely hear him, even so close. "No one will find out the truth."

She wanted to believe him, but, doubt still lingered.

…

I knew, eventually, I'd have to step up my game. I decided to start packing next, something that seemed strange to me at first. I'd toyed with it once or twice before the first day of middlescholl, but gave up on the idea when Takumi became my roommate.

I knew though that if I was going to be in a sports class, I had to do something, so I swollowed my pride about it. I was going to be switching my pants for shorts around other guys, so, I needed some sort of realistic bulge down below.

Long complicated mess short, I did it with a jock strap and a tightly rolled up length of cloth. I stuck the cloth between the elastic folds, where the cup should go. I hid the whole thing beneath my underwear. It was a temporary solution, but one I planned to use as long as it would last.

It wasn't like anyone with half a brain was going to look between my legs anyway. I always went into a stall, or waited until I got back to the dorm to use the bathroom..I won't lie though, every day, i felt more and more anxiety well up within me. It all came to a head though right before my thirteenth birthday.

Regrettably, I encountered what one could only call the start of womanhood as I knew it...I started my cycle.

Suffice to say, it was torture.

…

"Takumi? Oh my God, what happened?" Mai asked frantically, sitting her brother down and tending to what looked to be a black eye. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He winced, squinting his ailing eye closed. "Akira kind of freaked out earlier and flung one of my housekeeping magazines at me."

"Beat the shit out of you, huh?" Nao laughed. "Serves you right. What did you do, see her naked?"

"Shut up, now isn't not the time." Natsuki barked at the vicious redhead. When she looked at Takumi's right eye, she had to be impressed with the mark on his face. "Even so, talk about good aim." She went back to studying. "I should get her a gun."

"Natsuki Kuga, don' you even dare!" Mai said, turning to Natsuki. "No guns Natsuki. Not in this dorm, and most certainly not around Takumi or Mikoto." With a sigh, she took her brother's chin in her hands. "Oh, Takumi look at you…"

"Sis, come on…" He said, pulling away from her and shaking his head gently. "I think I caught her off guard." He took the ice wrapped in cloth from his sister, holding it up to his face. "She apologized before locking herself into the bathroom. It's been two hours and she hasn't come out. She won't let me in, either."

"What exactly did you do to freak her out?" Mai asked with an upraised eyebrow.

"I don't know, but she shouted from the door to go get Natsuki. That's why I'm here." Takumi shrugged then as he leaned back, getting more comfortable. "Not the first time she's kicked me out of our room. Although, I've got to say she's been acting strange recently."

"She's not one to get violent without a reason." Mai said, scratching her head. She grabbed Takumi by the chin again, studying his eye more carefully. "And you say you've done nothing to provoke her into doing this?"

"No, nothing." He said with a shake of his head. "All I did was cross the line she has set up across the floor. It was like stepping on a land mine or something. She never does things like this."

"Hey, I give her credit." Nao shrugged. "If you crossed a line I told you not to touch, I'd do more than just throw a book at you."

Natsuki, who was nose deep in her history book looked up from her spot. "Mai, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Mai nodded. "She started her period." She looked over to her brother then, knowing he already was well aware of what that was. Having an early bloomer as a sister, and no mother in which to guide her, had given the siblings plenty of exposure to just such random crises. "This is probably a stupid question, considering, but she's never complained about that before, has she?"

Takumi shook his head again. "No, and there's never any of those weird paper wrappers or plastic things when I take the trash out."

"First one is usually really light anyway. As she opened up one of her bed side drawers." Mai shrugged, as she thought about that. "These won't do…I run heavy, Natsuki do you have anything for light days?"

In disbelief that Mai asked so openly in front of a guy made Natsuki blush. "Uh, I think so." She went into the bathroom, checking under the sink. "Yeah, I've got some."

"Problem solved then." Mai said with a grin as she cleaned up the study materials from the table. "Do you want me to handle it, Natsuki?"

Natsuki shook her head, almost shuttering at the thought. "Are you kidding, she'd probably throttle you." Instead Natsuki grabbed her backpack, pushing her books inside. "Not all of us want one of those 'you're a woman now' pep-talks."

"Right, because you're the image of femininity." Nao said with a roll of her eyes. "What are you going to do, tell her all about the birds and the bees?"

"Hell no." Natsuki shuttered at the mere thought. "I was going to slide the stuff under the door like a normal person."

"Has she even seen a tampon before?" Nao laughed.

"I don't know, Nao." Mai said, with her hands on her hips. "Have you?"

"Jesus...okay guys, that's it for me." Natsuki sighed as she rolled her eyes and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "I'm ditching out, I'll be around whenever."

Mai turned back to her brother. "As for you, Takumi, let's go see the school nurse. I want to make sure you're not concussed."

"Better get the kid some condoms while you're out." Nao called after the siblings. "Wouldn't want him to knock Akira up, now that she's got the red."

Natsuki ignored the horrible images that Nao evoked within her mind as she went over to the guy's dormitory. She always hated the smell of the place, finding it reeking of everything she hated about men in general. A footlocker came to mind, as she bypassed rows of shoes and slippers that sat along the wall.

She made her way past the common areas where a few of the boys hooted in her direction. completely ignoring them, she made a beeline for the room on the second floor that belonged to Akira and Takumi. She knocked, but there was no answer. Reaching up, she found the spare card key just above the door frame.

"Hey, Akira, are you decent?" She asked as she peaked her head into the room slowly, finding that the door to the bathroom on the other end was shut tight. She took that as her invitation to let herself in. Loudly enough to let her presence be known she made her way to the bathroom, unzipping her backpack. "If you want we can always hit up the store later." She said slipping both a pad and a tampon underneath the small crack in the door.

She'd let Akira decide what to use.

After a bit of rustling and the sound of a flush, Akira opened the door, her eyes empty and void of even their usual distant brilliance. "I don't feel like going anywhere." She said bitterly, running a hand through her hair. "I'm so screwed."

"Ah, don't want to blow your cover…" Natsuki rolled a thought around in her head as she stood there awkwardly. "Uh, if you tell me what you want, I can just run down to the corner store and get it for you."

"I want this fucking thing to go away." Akira murmured, hiding her eyes with the palms of her hands, her voice thick with rage and desperation. "This isn't supposed to happen, not like this."

"You're not sick, are you?" Natsuki asked then, arms crossed. A mild socked played across her face.

"That's not what I mean." Akira said as she looked down at her body. "This…all of it, there's just no way. It can't be happening to me." With a huff she shook her head, looking down at her black shirt, and feeling ill. Ker unbound chest clearly marked her as a female. "What am I going to do looking like this?"

Natsuki rubbed her forehead, at a loss. "You could move in with us. Technically the rooms are made to hold four. The beds stack."

"I can't." It was such a quiet murmur, it hardly carried even in the silence. "I don't want that."

Natsuki bit down on her lower lip, her own confidence dying in her throat. She wished Mai was here to somehow remedy the thick air around them. The off-putting sensation was enough to stifle any words of comfort. "Hey, look…we can figure this out later." Natsuki said after a few more tense moments passed her by. "Right now, I'm just going to go up to the corner store and get you a few things to last the week."

"Don't." The bed creaked when Akira stood up. "It'll be fine, I'll just deal with that later." She muttered, forcing away any insecurity she might have had. She was determined to let it linger in her mind, instead of on her face.

With her back turned, Natsuki closed her eyes and let a small smirk slip onto her lips. "There are people you can count on. I had to learn that the hard way. Don't make the same mistake."

"I've already made that mistake." Akira admitted harshly. "I won't make it again." It was a hard steel that laced her voice, an edge that was not unlike a blade. "I just freaked out, that's all." Sharp, pointed, and like that of a mirror, reflecting all that it could rend. "I don't like being reminded of what I am."

"A HiME?" Natsuki couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think any of us do." As she nodded her head towards the door. "Come on, there's an extra helmet in the bike's compartment."

…

It wasn't just my power, or the lack of it.

Truth be told, that never really bothered me in the same way that it did the others. What it represented did...but that was something that came down to the same angry struggle. Girls and boys, women and men, and all of the differences between the two.

I didn't say anything to Natsuki. I didn't know how to explain it, but our friendship was based on that. We were reliable people, joined by mutual worries that weren't easily explained. Often times, those things went unsaid. So, because of that, I followed her to the corner store...but I didn't actually go up to the counter.

She did it for me.

And all the while, I knew she had other things…other people on her mind. People she had to protect, just as I kept trying to protect Takumi.

…

Natsuki groaned as she rolled over onto her side, hissing as the bite on her shoulder stung. The pillow under her head was fluffy enough to stifle her curse, and as her fingers ran over the bruised flesh, she recalled just how she had acquired such a wound in the first place. Cracking an eye open, she saw the fawn hair of her lover cascading over the woman's bare chest. Her lips parted only slightly as even breath slipped out from them.

The image contrasted so desperately with the possessive crimson eyed stare from just a few hours before. The tangled embrace a mix of love and lies, deceit mixing so erotically with truth that it pained the both of them. Want and need so dire it had ripped from Shizuru the softness of her voice.

A heated purr left in its wake, burning any ounce of mercy from her once more. She promised never to doubt the love they shared between every heated sigh.

But, Natsuki knew the truth.

Shizuru doubted every second of it. Wondered at every kiss, even when those kisses were set aflame by passion. Dubiously, with every touch, she offered one of her own. Uncertainty clouded her quaking voice, and in the end she clung onto her prayers. Shizuru feared that she was not strong enough to put the past behind her.

She couldn't stop thinking of herself as total and complete monster. It was a nightmare that woke her often...but thankfully this morning she slept soundly, a peaceful dream perhaps. Natsuki hoped beyond hope that was the case.

She could never be sure.

She couldn't bear to see the woman wake again with tears in her eyes. She dreaded the mornings when Shizuru found herself trapped in a voiceless scream. Such moments were far worse than any physical pain. It was so different than any bullet or knife wound Natsuki could ever dream of. Such a pain wasn't something sopped away with a bandage, or numbed by pills.

Shizuru had tried, many times, and had failed every single one of them.

Try as though Natsuki might, she couldn't absolve any of what they'd done. There was no quick fix for acceptance, merely time itself. Time, and a whole lot reminders of why forgiveness had always been there.

"How long are you going to pretend to be asleep?" Natsuki asked quietly, pushing fawn hair behind the shell of her lover's ear.

"However long it takes for you to stop worrying about me." Shizuru answered, unwilling to open her eyes. She knew what she'd see in those deep pools of emerald. It was the same thing she always saw after they made love. "I'm fine, Natsuki." She said as she rolled onto her belly, hiding her face in her pillow. "You have class soon, don't you?"

"Well class is starting soon." Natsuki said weakly. She wanted to reach over, brush away those fawn bangs and see those blood red eyes. "I don't plan on going." Even so, the most she could muster was to lay her hand on a bare shoulder, praying that the brush of her thumb was enough encouragement to chase away the shadows.

"If you don't go, it'll be an unexcused absence." Shizuru retorted, lifting her face to regard Natsuki. "You promised me that you'd keep your grades up this year. That you wouldn't get distracted again."

"And you promised me that no matter what, above all else, you'd trust me." Natsuki murmured. "My grades are fine Shizuru, but you…." Natsuki sighed, pulling the covers back over both herself and Shizuru. "You aren't…" Natsuki couldn't deny it. It still felt a little strange to come to terms with her emotions. It felt weird to let herself get swept away by something that was as ambiguous as love. "I can miss class, but I can't have you doubting me like this."

With a long sigh, Shizuru shook her head, and forced a smile. "I have my own studies to attend to." She said as she brushed off the worried look Natsuki gave her. "With that being said, dinner might be a little late tonight. Since I don't have the time to dawdle, neither do you. Go to class, Natsuki."

…

It was only a year…really…

A year of change…nothing huge, but, it stirred so deeply that none of us could catch onto it.

The seasons went by, and we all clutched onto the future we thought was the best for us. In doing so, we might have gotten lost along the way. It seems so obvious now, but back then, the little things slipped right on by.

We were none the wiser.

Maybe, if Shizuru could have learned to trust herself more, she would have had more faith in Natsuki. Maybe, if Mai would have focused a little less on Takumi, she would have seen her relationship with Yuuichi dwindling. Maybe…just maybe…if I would have been honest with myself, I wouldn't have hurt everyone like I did in the time after that…

They say middle school is when you wave goodbye to your childhood and you begin to greet adulthood…but, childlike wonder was something I let go of way before that. We all had, in some way or another.

I'd like to believe that if we all had clung to our innocence…we would have been happier in the long run…

Either way, it's pointless to think like that, and…I'm happy now. I guess, in the grand scheme, that's the only thing that matters. Even so, I'll never forget the lesson that year afforded me.

Be happy for the mundane, you lose those little moments way too soon.

I guess Mai rubbed off on me after all…Natsuki too…and Takumi.