A/N: Hi everyone! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, especially Nat, Entropy Empathy (for all your poetic words), and all the guest reviewers. It means a lot to know people are enjoying the story. I know this story is taking a little while to get moving, but there's a lot of things in play now that should start to come tumbling down soon. Thanks for sticking with it!

Chapter 10: Heavy Hearts

The rain was pouring over the Fuuka Academy grounds, and the Himes were gathered in one of the high school classrooms, though school had long since ended for the day. The sun had set, and Mai could tell that everyone was on edge, both because of the strange occurrences and because of the eerie and foreboding weather.

Mai cleared her throat, directing the Hime's attention back to the front of the classroom, where Midori was avidly drawing charts and figures to explain the situation. Shiho, who had been looking away in stubbornness gave Mai a dirty look, but glanced over to see what was being written. Shizuru, whose eyes were focused out the windows and onto the paths around the campus, spared Mai a glance before turning back to her vigil.

Mai and Midori had succeeded in rounding up all the Hime except for Natsuki. Mai had even managed to drag Nao out of some karaoke bar and back to the school., leaving behind a kindly-looking boy.

"I thought she had changed," said Midori. "She still ditched class, but seemed to be cooperating before." Mai had just shrugged. She, too, thought that it was odd that Natsuki was missing, but the girl always took care of herself.

Shizuru did not feel the same. She wanted to go out to look for her friend, but Midori and Fumi convinced her to wait until the meeting was over. "Besides," reasoned Midori, "You have no element, and a bum arm." Shizuru, whose shoulder was still wrapped in bandages, gave Midori a scathing look, but complied.

So, with one notable exception, the Fuuka Hime had all been gathered, though they were not all fond of one another. Midori explained all they had found out, including the boundaries of the Fuuka Field, as she had termed it, the 'pocket dimension' of the disappearances, and the nanoparticles providing substrate for the Hime's elements and Childs to manifest.

Mai instinctively glanced at Mikoto, who was sitting beside Yukino. Although some of the unfamiliar concepts would be hard for Mikoto to grasp, Yukino was doing her best to quietly explain what was going on in terms Mikoto could understand. Mai caught Shiho listening in as well.

Mai realized that Midori was not going to mention the Fujino Corp.'s strange connection to the SOAR plans, and felt a squirming in he gut about hiding this information from the others. Midori's ponytail bobbed as she drew an enlarged picture of one of the nanoparticles. "Basically, these rearrange themselved into our elements and-"

Midori's explanation was interrupted by the classroom door opening to reveal Natsuki, splattered with blood and soaked from the rain. "Got your text," she said to Mai. "Sorry I'm late."

Shizuru's eyes widened as she watched Natsuki walk under the classroom lights. As she came out of shadow, Shizuru noticed that she appeared to be uninjured, but quite shaken. Instinctively, she wanted to walk over to her friend, ensure she was truly unharmed, and find out who did this to her, but she remained seated. Shizuru was hyper aware of the tension between the Hime, as well as how some of the girls still saw her as 'deranged' or 'violent'. She did not wish to involve Natsuki in this, and so she remained where she was.

Shizuru watched as Mai and Midori looked over Natsuki, and noticed Natsuki deflecting their prodding.

Surprisingly, Shiho stood up then. "Well then, what happened to you?" she asked. She looked nervous to be speaking to the girl who was probably her most intimidating senpai, but her fear over what was happening seemed to have overshadowed her apprehension.

Natsuki looked abrasively in her direction, but Shiho stood her ground. "Did- did it have to do with this?" she asked, her voice breaking.

Natsuki bit her lip, thinking. Despite her rain-soaked appearance, or maybe because of it, Shizuru thought Natsuki looked cute. "I don't know," said Natsuki, her voice husky. She turned so she was addressing all of the Hime. "Two men tried to apprehend me. They didn't say why. I shot first and got away."

Fumi handed Natsuki her sweater, which she slipped on, looking entirely out of character in the pink wool. She moved from the front of the room to take a seat. Surprisingly, she sat right beside Shizuru. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her hands together to warm them.

"What did I miss?" she asked Shizuru.

Shizuru got Natsuki up to speed, and Natsuki turned to pay attention to Midori. Shizuru glanced out the window again. The rain had finally stopped, but the clouds remained, blocking out the light from the sky. At that moment, it was incredibly believable that they were trapped in a Fuuka island-shaped dome.

She turned her head to Natsuki. It was safe to stare now that Natsuki's attention was on Mai and Midori. Natsuki had new guns, that was clear. She also had something strapped to her calf - Shizuru could see the outline under her rain-soaked pants. Natsuki's face was serious with focus, the dried blood standing out in stark contrast to her skin, in the same way her green eyes did.

Natsuk relaxed back in her seat until she was mere inches from Shizuru, her long hair dangling onto Shizuru's shoulder. "Are you feeling better?" she whispered. As she turned, her hair tickled the exposed skin it was dragged across. Shizuru couldn't help but smile.

"Ara, nearly all better," she said.

"Excuse me, Midori," said someone from the back, and Shizuru recognized the voice as Yukariko's. Sister had been quiet the whole evening, and Shizuru had not been able to gauge her feelings on the situation. "I was just wondering if you had any ideas about whether there was someone behind this, acting intentionally. It seems like this is not a bizarre phenomenon that is naturally occurring."

"You mean it isn't the hand of God?" asked Nao with a sneer. Natsuki laughed a little. Yukariko ignored them.

"Well…" said Midori, trailing off. Shizuru watched as Mai shot daggers at her with her eyes.

"Now you've done it," Nao mumbled toward Mai, her voice low enough that only Shizuru and Natsuki could hear her. "With a glare like that we know you're hiding something."

Midori seemed to feel the same pressure. "Well, I haven't been able to confirm anything yet. However, there was some indications that Iwasaka Pharmaceuticals and Fujino Corporation are involved, or at least they were at some point.

Shizuru was startled as seemingly all of the eyes in the room were on her at once. Only Natsuki remained partially turned away, and Shizuru could see her seething with anger at the mention of Iwasaka, the company synonymous with the First District.

"Shizuru, do you know anything about this?" asked Fumi, concern spreading across her brow.

"I have never heard of any of this. And Fujino is not a company that deals in anything like this. While it is a broad firm, it mostly focuses on newspapers, broadcasting, and lately, some energy industries. There is nothing experimental like that at all."

"Shizuru," said Yukino, her voice quiet, "There was a seal from the director on one of the documents we found…"

Shizuru was silent. She did not know enough about the corporation to refute this claim, though she was shocked that her family name would even emerge in a discussion of this nature. She tried to think of the best way to respond, or what her father would do in a press conference facing similar insinuations.

"Shizuru doesn't know anything about this," said Natsuki, standing. She seemed to block Shizuru from the rest of the room with her words and her positioning, and her gruff voice convinced the others not to press the issue further. Whether they believed her or not was still to be seen.

"Well, what we know about Iwasaka is…" continued Mai, and the discussion turned away from Shizuru.

Shizuru gently grabbed the back of Natsuki's arm, relieved when Natsuki did not flinch under her touch. Natsuki turned to look at her. Shizuru gave her an intentional look as if to say do not put yourself in this position. Stay on their side, it is safer.

Natsuki gave Shizuru and understanding look, but her mouth turned up in a cute smirk. "I've got your back," was all she said.