Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-HiME or its characters.
The Way We Are
Chapter XI: Fueling the Fire
I stood on the back edge of the currently stationary cruiser, the salty seawater smell consuming my nostrils as the wind continued to play with my dark hair. I silently watched the tremulous waves stir, their steady pulse lapping clearly in my ears. Two hours had passed since I had met Yamada and his fellow informant confidant at one of the local boat rentals. We had quickly purchased their fastest speeder, with my money, of course, and immediately we set out to sea to find the girl I had knocked off the bridge. We had been searching all this time with no luck at all. When we first arrived at the area where Mingai had plummeted and she was nowhere to be seen, I ordered that we search the surrounding area, but even after half an hour of hunting, there was still no sign of her. Yamada suggested that maybe she had fallen unconscious and drowned, but I knew better. This girl was a HiME, after all. She wasn't going to die that easily. I certainly wouldn't.
We returned to the previous spot and proceeded to wait, hoping for some sign of the girl. I took this time to mend the gash she had put in my arm right above my left elbow. I wasn't too concerned with it, I mean, it would heal in no time, but that wasn't exactly the same for my pride. I had let this puny little girl get the better of me, and for that I wasn't about to let her go so easily. That and the fact that this whole mission was to prevent her from reaching the school.
At the sound of the door opening behind me, I turned to see Yamada stepping out of the cabin, a slightly grim look upon his face, "That girl, she probably got picked up by the ferry."
"What?"
"There's a ferry that travels between here and the mainland. It passes right under this very bridge. I bet they found her before we got here."
"That so…"
Leaving my station, I slipped through the small door behind Yamada, both of us sitting down on the benches that lined either side of the interior of the dimly lit boat. The man whipped out a map, laying it across his lap before tracing a specific route with his finger, "We picked up the ferry's signal on the radio. It seems this is their path. It's currently around this area, I presume."
"Right."
"So? What's the plan?"
"Do you really have to ask?" I questioned, pulling my leather suit up and back over my shoulders.
Yamada smirked at my words before standing and making his way to the front of the boat where his partner was currently at the controls, and I could hear the muffled sound of his deep voice before the speeder jolted, taking off at full speed.
Let the hunt begin.
"I see it. It's over there. You just worry about getting on board. We'll jam their communications as long as we can."
Yamada's words broke me from my deep concentration as I sat in the back of the boat, suited up and ready to go. I turned my head in his direction, nodding to his back as I stood and proceeded to make my way back outside into the cool evening air. I had just gripped the handle when he called out to me.
"Kuga!"
I glanced back over my shoulder, remaining silent as I opened the door.
"Good luck."
"Like I really need it," I confidently replied, stepping out and hastily shutting the door behind me.
Once outside I closed my eyes, "Duran!"
The temperature around me seemed to drop as there was a burst of light followed by the cracking of forming ice before the magnificent child emerged with a howl. He immediately crouched down, allowing me to straddle his cool metal frame.
"Ready?" I questioned the wolf while giving him a hefty pat on the neck with my gloved hand.
Duran voiced his understanding with a low guttural noise.
We patiently waited until Yamada and his counterpart had maneuvered us close enough to the ferry before Duran sprung off the boat with one powerful leap, not even having to wait for my command. The two of us glided weightlessly through the air before my child expertly landed on the roof of the ferry with only a small clatter of metal against metal. I was quick to jump off his back.
"Disperse for now, I'll call you if necessary," I told the creature who instantly obeyed.
I ran over to the side of the ferry, gazing down at the dark water below, skimming over the boat's exterior for a way inside. On the way up I had noticed a row of windows and I could see their slight overhang from where I stood now. From below I could hear the low murmur of voices, two to be precise: one male, one female. Using this to my advantage, I lined myself up roughly around where I though they were coming from, and in dramatic movie fashion, I stepped over the ledge.
Free falling is a very strange feeling. It's complete, unrestrained freedom, something that I valued greatly, but it is also absolutely horrifying. Being out of control like that, utterly helpless as the wind violently whips around your body, it really gives you the perspective of how very fragile we are. Luckily for me, however, I had three very optimistic outcomes to my course of action. One: I could simply fall into the ocean below. Sure, it would sting, but I certainly wasn't going to die from it. Two: I could easily call Duran to come snatch me out of the air and land me somewhere safe. And then there was option number three…the one that I ultimately took.
Quickly twisting my body to face the side of the ferry as I fell, I stretched out my arms, barely catching the overhang of the window with my fingertips, just enough to use my downward propulsion to slingshot myself inside the vessel. Once I landed, more gracefully than I had expected to, I found the source of the voices I had heard earlier. Taking a millisecond to process the situation, I quickly sent a knee to the male's midsection before following up with a downward double fisted swing to his back. Ignoring the now unconscious body at my feet, I turned to the female he had been speaking with moments before. Her pale violet eyes looked at me with both confusion and horror, which only intensified as I took a threatening step forward. She backed up instinctively before finally collecting her wits and trying to bolt down the hall. She was no match for my speed, of course, and I quickly grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back as I pressed my free arm against her neck, stopping her dead in her tracks. Oddly enough, she didn't struggle. Or maybe I really had just become that strong. Who knows.
"You should have picked up a girl with a sword. Where is she?" I questioned in my no-nonsense tone.
The redhead tried to respond, but it only came out as a whimper, and in turn I loosened my grip slightly.
"Relief…room…" she managed to croak out on the second attempt. Releasing her, I gave the girl a shove causing her to yelp in surprise as she stumbled forward.
"Take me there," I ordered, "And you'd better not try anything funny."
The violet-eyed girl silently complied as she began to trudge down the narrow hallway.
Eventually we did make it to the room she spoke of and I gave her another violent shove, this time into the door causing her to cry out at the initial contact before sliding down to the floor onto her knees.
"What are you thinking of doing?" she dared to ask me, trying to sound brave despite the look of fear still present in her eyes.
Just get out of the way.
With my gloved hand, I pushed her fiery orange-haired head down, causing her to scream yet again. As she cowered in front of me, I summoned both of my elements, preparing for the upcoming battle with the HiME on the other side of the wall. The busty girl was at least smart enough to duck when I sent a powerful roundhouse kick to the door, knocking the thing off of his hinges and onto the floor. I quickly made my way inside, stepping over the redhead who was now curled into a ball on the ground. I whipped out both guns, pointing them straight ahead of me, but found nothing but an empty room answering me back.
"What?"
A familiar grunt from behind, followed by a gasp from the violet-eyed girl jerked me around just in time to see Minagi lunging at me from the ceiling, sword in hand. I jumped out of the way of the deadly strike, but the floor wasn't so lucky, and it immediately crumbled, all three of us falling to the car garage below in a heap of debris and dust. I noticed Minagi's differently attired form roll across the floor, and I was quick to place a foot on her blade, shoving my pistol into her forehead before she could recover.
"Seriously…" I began, giving her skull a nice push with my revolver, "What a trouble-maker you are." I kept my gun and my gaze steady even as my helmet shattered, breaking into two pieces before falling to the floor and releasing my midnight colored locks in the process. "Why don't you understand that they're just taking advantage of you? We can't allow them to gather us up anymore…HiME to that land of Fuuka."
Apparently the girl was still in no mood to talk as she lashed out at me with an attempted heel to the face. She was nearly successful, but I pulled out a backhand spring to dodge the assault.
"Quit it!" I persisted.
It was no use as the girl began to swing the large blade in a circle around her, but rather than plummet the thing into the ground like the last time, she just continued the strike, taking out the top half of a truck trailer, and nearly the violet eyed girl's head, in the process. I dropped to my stomach, sliding several feet away from her, to avoid the blow.
I was quick to my feet, "Not worth interrogating, eh? Then I'll go all out too. Duran!"
The silver wolf appeared at my command in his usual fashion.
"Go!"
Duran took off, and when the small girl attempted to swipe at him with her blade, he easily dodged, grabbed the sword in his mouth, and effortlessly flung her across the room. Before she could react, he followed up with a volley of cannon fire, disregarding the vehicles and structuring around us. Suddenly, one of the trucks exploded, an eruption of fire blazing from where it had previously stood. The sprinklers immediately set off along with an alarm, and I was quick to sprint off towards the nearest exit, Duran close behind.
Shit! No way I want to leave her, but we'd better head out before security comes. Maybe she'll follow me out.
"Duran! To the roof," I yelled, jumping onto my child's back as we ran. Once I was on board, he took off even faster than before, easily maneuvering his way to the top of the ferry. We were greeted by a blast of cool air as Duran landed. I immediately dismounted, scanning all around me for any sign of the dark haired girl.
Where could she have—!
Before I could even finish the thought, she appeared, charging straight at me, aiming to cut me in half. With all the strength I could muster in my legs, I back flipped away, Duran switching places with me to greet her head on. The two do just that, the silver wolf pouncing at the last second just for his underbelly to be met with the edge of Minagi's blade. This hardly stunned him, however, as he quickly recovered to knock the girl back to the ground before she could attack again. This also placed her perfectly and helplessly at my feet, especially considering that she had lost her grip on her sword in Duran's last hit.
I promptly placed the head of my gun into her skull once again, "This is your last chance. Depart from this land."
She silent glared up at me, hatred flaring in those large, golden orbs, before she suddenly grabbed a hunk of my hair in her fist with lightning fast agility. I let out a scream as she tossed me aside, immediately jumping back to retrieve her weapon. I quickly recovered, but somehow in the process, the girl managed to wrap a section of my own hair around my right arm, and when I went to point my pistol at her, I inevitable ripped them out in the process.
Damn it! She's bested me twice now!
"Duran!"
The beast was by my side in a second.
"Load Silver Cartridge."
The turning of gears could be heard, the sliding of metal against metal.
"Fire!"
There was a loud blast, followed by the crackling of ice crystal's being formed. They flew through the air just a quickly as a bullet.
Taking defensive action, the dark haired HiME summoned a wall of stone, effectively blocking Duran's attack, but at the same time, it also cut the ship through and through, leaving it in two separate halves. It arrived in a flash, and disappeared just as quickly and brightly. I fell to the ground, unable to keep my balance as I heard Duran shoot off another round. Minagi's shout followed as she disappeared from my view, falling to the lower level of the roof. The silver wolf quickly prowled after her, and once I was back on my feet, I followed, making it just in time to see something totally unexpected.
The girl from before, the busty redhead, miraculously summoned a shield of fire around her and Minagi's seemingly unconscious form, effectively warding off Duran's lunging strike, and I watched as my child flew backward, rolling several times before coming to a rest on his side.
"Duran?!" Turning my attention away from my child, I stared at the girl who was kneeling with her eyes closed, her arms still stretched out, "That's—!"
No way…Don't tell me that she's a HiME, too!
"Hey!" I yelled out to her, catching her attention just moments before I took a shot at her. She instinctively shielded herself again, the fiery boundary surrounding her once more proving my suspicions to be true. "So that's the deal. You see that star, too."
The girl looked at me rather perplexed, not entirely sure of what I was talking about.
Ignoring her, a previous conversation with Sakomizu came to mind only causing my blood to boil, "That liar. So it's as they planed after all…"
It's too late for that now. I don't have the time to worry about that damn afro snitch. All I can do is try to warn this girl who's obviously transferring to Fuuka as well.
"Hey, you!" I continued, "This is a warning. Don't go to Fuuka Academy. If you do, you'll die."
Walking away, Duran was right behind me a moment later, the two of us hurriedly returning to the rented speeder so we wouldn't find ourselves swimming with the fishes at the bottom of the ocean along with the doomed cruiser. Duran disappeared as I barged inside the cabin, sitting down with an agitated huff.
"So, uh, how did it go?" Yamada sheepishly questioned me.
I simply replied with an icy glare so cold that hell would have likely frozen over.
When I finally made it back to my apartment at some ungodly hour in the morning, I left the lights off, pacing back and forth in the darkness, as my thoughts streamed through my head at one hundred miles per hour.
Great. That went just great. There were two of them. Two! Sakomizu didn't say that two were coming. He didn't say a lot of things, actually, damn fat ass. And I bet both of those girls won't listen to me at all. I'm sure they'll be there at school in a few days, if not tomorrow. I guess that means I'll actually have to go…God! I can't believe that two of them slipped through my hands!
I violently ripped the glove off of my right hand and proceed to throw it into the wall as hard as I possibly could. The left one was quick to follow.
Stripping down the rest of the way, I jumped into the shower, letting the warm water rush over my exhausted body.
If they show up at the school, I'm definitely going to have to talk to them. Just another troublesome task, but it has to be done. I'm the only one who knows the truth...Or at least some of it. Maybe I should tell them as well. I wonder if they would help any…? God, I don't know what to do.
Once I finished my shower, changed into my pajamas, and brushed my teeth, I finally collapsed onto my bed. With my last ounce of energy, I turned my gaze to the clock.
A quarter 'til five…That's like…three and a half hours of sleep.
I rolled back over onto my other side as I shut my eyes, blocking out the first rays of daylight already shining through the window.
Who am I kidding? Like I haven't slept in before.
When I did manage to crawl out of bed later that day, I hastily slipped back into my biker suit, grabbed my spare helmet from the back of the closet, snatched up my school uniform that was in a heap on the floor, and trotted out the door. Once I arrived at school, parking my bike in it's usual hiding spot, I quickly changed into my uniform and took off towards the school.
The only bad thing about arriving on the school grounds around lunchtime was the fact that a majority of the students were outside eating and conversing. Of course, when I came storming though most of their attention was cast in my general direction. My tunnel vision prevented me from scaring the gazes away, actually allowing the males at the academy to ogle at me without regretting their curiosity moments later. I was on a mission, after all, and nothing was going to hinder me from arriving at my current destination. I knew he would be there now. He always spent the lunch break tending to his stupid flowers.
"It's hard to appreciate a rough job," Sakomizu began before I could even lean back against my usual tree, "Taking care of everything afterwards was such a pain, although, people in Headquarters may be pleased to have a job to work on."
"You knew all along, didn't you? That another one was coming in on that ferry," I accused him outright.
"It seems like that was the case. I was surprised when I heard it this morning," came his whimsical reply.
"What a liar," I snapped back.
Too fed up with him to talk at the moment, I stormed off back to the front of the school. I dug my phone out of my pocket on the way to check the time.
Hm. Class hasn't started yet…I guess I might as well go while I'm here.
I did, in fact, go to all of my remaining classes for the day, but I really didn't pay attention, simply staring at the window as my mind recounted the previous night's events over and over again.
Who was that other girl, I wonder? She obviously hasn't awakened yet. I mean, she looked just as shocked as I did when she formed that barrier. I wonder if the two of them made it or not? Minagi I'm not so concerned about, but the redhead…
The sound of the last bell of the day disrupted my inner ramblings as the familiar chatter of my classmates soon filled my ears. Still stuck in my daydream, I unconsciously took myself outside, and when I finally came to, I was at my usual tree out front.
Maybe I'll stick around for a bit in case either of those girls decides to show up.
I hung around for a good hour or so, the setting sun casting the sky into hues of red and orange, but apparently it was all for naught as neither Minagi nor the redhead made an appearance. At the sound of the student council being let out, I hissed. Not wanting to be caught, more like questioned, for loitering around the school after hours, particularly by a specific burgundy-eyed Kyoto native, I quickly snuck away without being seen, sprinting the rest of the way to my motorcycle once the coast was clear. Once there, I changed back into my leather suit, silently thanking the trees for the privacy they provided.
I had just finished changing and was about to put on my helmet when I heard a rustling in front of me, and when I looked up, I met familiar violet eyes. I couldn't prevent the nearly inaudible gasp from passing my lips.
"Seems you didn't drown," I remarked, regaining my nonchalant attitude. The girl didn't seem to appreciate this at all.
"What are you? Coming to the Academy like nothing happened after doing all that," she rapidly rambled off, obviously indicating the events that had taken place on the ferry. "If I speak to the police…" she continued, but I was quick to cut her off.
"The police can't do anything against the force that stirs behind this Academy."
"You'll find out soon enough, my dear princess," a light, hauntingly cheery voice piped in, and I knew immediately who it was.
"Nagi!" I proclaimed, summoning my element in my free hand.
"Again…What are you?" the redhead demanded.
She's going to find out sooner or later…
My eyes shifted to gaze at her,"I'm a HiME."
"HiME?"
"The power to materialize photons. That's what guys from the First District call it."
"First District?"
"Lectures are good," Nagi interrupted again, "but I get a feeling that something awful might happen."
My tone deepened on it's own, most likely out of my distrust for the strange boy, "Meaning?"
"A poor, lost child is here."
"Orphan?!" I exclaimed.
Not another one.
"Mai-chan," the pale haired boy sung, choosing to ignore me for the moment. I watch as he tossed the girl a white container that rattled when it hit her hands, "I think you, especially, should hurry."
Nagi disappeared in his usual devious fashion as the redhead in front of me stared down at the case in her hands, a petrified look in her eyes. Choosing not to wait around while an Orphan was rampaging around campus, I settled myself on my bike and started the engine. This snapped the girl out of her daze as she instantly jumped in front of me, arms outstretched, blocking me from advancing.
"Move."
"No."
"Move!"
"No!"
My eyes narrowed behind the tinted plastic of my visor.
Persistent, aren't we?
Coming to a quick conclusion, I motioned behind me with my head, "Get on."
Although looking rather shocked at first, the girl was quick to comply. The only other person who had ever rode on my bike with me was Shizuru, so needless to say it was a little weird having a complete stranger tag along with me, not to mention having their arms wrapped tightly around my midsection.
I revved the engine again before glancing back over my shoulder, "Hold on."
The girl simply nodded, tightening her grip around my waist before we took off through the woods.
It wasn't too long before I spotted I hole in the mountainside, my intuition screaming at me to venture in further. I followed my instincts and, low and behold, we happened upon a giant monstrous insect that's back was currently turned towards us, apparently preoccupied with the motionless body at its feet. Throwing off my helmet, I summoned my pistol once again, rapidly firing off several ice blasts at the thing to get its attention. The creature did indeed look at its new visitors, prey more like it, but my own attention was soon averted to the screaming girl behind me on the bike.
"Takumi! His heart!" she yelled, taking off towards the boy lying unconscious on the ground.
"When she's not awakened yet—!"
Dammit, she's crazy! I guess it's up to me then.
"Duran! Go!" I called upon my child once again, the silver wolf lunging for the Orphan's head without delay. When he was thrown back to the ground, easily landing on all fours, I was instantaneously at his side. Although we tried to keep the thing busy, the creature was obviously more interested in the ones not currently trying to cause it harm, and it began assaulting the girl who was desperately trying to wake the boy who continued to remain perfectly still.
"Behind you!" I called out to her, and luckily my warning gave her just enough time to pull the two of them out of the way.
Right when the monster went to make another strike, I saw the redhead defensively position herself between the thing and the boy behind her. I instantly knew what she was thinking.
"Move! You can't do it!" I warned her, but she obviously proved me wrong as a pillar of fire erupted around her, reaching up to the sky.
I stood motionless and in complete shock as I witnessed golden rings materialize around all four of her limbs, one to each wrist and one to each ankle.
"That girl…" I managed to mutter, still stunned by what I'd just seen, but I quickly regained my senses when I noticed movement from the Orphan, "Hey!"
Before I could even shoot, the girl formed a wave of flame, scorching the insect creature, along with part of the mountainside, with a clumsy, fiery blast. She stared on in awe, not entirely knowing what to think of the glowing rings and what she had just done, when Nagi's voice reached our ears once again, spouting out the same information that he told me when I first awakened.
"Nagi!" I attempted to cut him off, but it really wasn't any use as the redhead once again was forced to dodge the monster's attack. I watched on in complete amazement as the battle continued, and I was even more mesmerized when I saw Minagi Mikoto fall from the sky, assaulting the Orphan from above before inevitably cutting it in half.
I saw the two girls converse after the thing was presumably dead, but I was quick to cut their talking short, "You guys! Leave it there. I've told you two not to get involved."
I could plainly see Minagi glare at me with her golden eyes filled with hatred, but before anything became of it, Nagi began preaching again, "That's right. It's too early for that, you two."
Suddenly the Orphan sprung to life again, flying up into the air before spinning into a ball and flying directly at me and my child. Luckily, Duran and I both managed to avoid the blow. Mikoto attempted to fight back, but failed, however, her attempted assault gave me the time to recover and prepare a counterattack.
"Duran! Load Chrome Cartridge…Fire!"
The shot was dead on, two holes piercing through the monster's body, but he still didn't fall.
"A tough guy…"
I noticed that the bottom half of the Orphan resurrected as well, but I was far too preoccupied with the half that was currently trying to back me into a wall. Both Minagi and I, along with Duran, continued to strike the thing, but nothing seemed to slow it down. When Duran managed to buy us a few seconds, my keen ears picked up on Nagi's childish voice speaking to the redhead about her child.
"Don't!" I called out before sending a few shots in the pest's direction. "Don't listen to what he says!"
Before I could continue my warning, the monster from before lashed out once again, slamming his claws into the ground where I had previously just stood. I recovered just in time to hear Nagi coax the violet-eyed girl even further.
"Don't!" I persistently tried one last time, but once again found myself dodging the Orphan's attack. The next thing that I knew, the entire cave was engulfed in bright light.
"That idiot!" I declared as I watched a wall of flames appear before me, the intensity of their heat burning my skin. I couldn't even move when I saw the giant white dragon emerge from within, my mouth hanging agape.
My god…How is it so huge?!
The newborn child opened its mouth, releasing a cloud of steam, and I jerked at the realization of what was soon to follow.
"Duran!" I frantically called out, my feet taking over as I sprinted from the cave.
My child was not the only one to follow close on my heels. We were also accompanied by Minagi Mikoto, who was also far too concerned with her own self-preservation than to start a fight with me at the moment. Before we could even get far enough away, the sound of a mighty burst erupted in my ears, rendering my world soundless as flames swallowed me whole. Everything around me was engulfed in a bright light, but it was quickly replaced with utter darkness.
Am I…?
A twitch of the hand.
Heh. Not yet.
Collecting myself, I realized that I could feel a grainy substance on my face, along with a slight weight that was covering my entire body. Pushing my way to the surface, I embraced the cool air that blew on my skin as I emerged from the sand.
Sand? And…ash? That thing, that…child…it destroyed everything…
"Damn it," I cursed, pulling myself to my feet, but the sight of the redhead kneeling in the ashes with her brother, Mikoto by her side, took priority of my thoughts.
"You…" is all I could remark, totally dumbfounded. At a complete loss of words, I stood absolutely silent and helpless, not able to do anything but stare at the three forms at my feet.
After helping the girl take her brother, whom was the mysterious boy in the cave, to the school infirmary, I finally made it home, having to ride on Duran's back and then walk the rest of the way since my bike had been vaporized in the blast. When I got there, though, despite my exhaustion, I couldn't sleep. Plopping down on the black leather couch in the living room, I sat in a daze not really knowing what to do. That didn't last too long, however, and I was soon up and walking around the room, not capable of sitting still on account of leftover adrenaline and a ceaseless stream of thoughts pulsing through my brain.
How in the hell was that girl's child that big? That powerful? She had just awakened…I've been with Duran for what, five months? Why isn't he as staggering as that dragon, or whatever it was? Are they just like that? Geez, there's no way I'm going to be able to settle down tonight, not after that…And now I've got to deal with getting another bike, too…I wonder if Yamada is up at this hour?
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone that had miraculously managed to stay in one piece during the whole ordeal that had taken place just hours earlier. Punching in the man's number, it rang several times before he finally answered.
"K-Kuga…?"
"Yamada, hey. Sorry to call so late—well, early."
The man yawned into the receiver, "So what's the problem?"
"I need a new bike."
"Huh? What happened to the other one?"
"It's gone."
"Gone?"
"Yeah. So can you help me out?"
"Hmm…Yeah, I know a guy who I can probably get you a good deal with."
"And I can get one just like my old model?"
"Most likely."
"By noon?"
"You sure are pushing it, Kuga."
"Can you do it or not?"
"…Yeah, leave it to me."
"Thanks, Yamada. I'll add a little extra for this one."
"Alright. Meet me at Rorschach in half an hour. We'll go from there."
"Right. See you."
Later that day, after Yamada and I had successfully hunted down a new motorcycle for myself and I had purchased a new matching helmet and taken a long hot shower back at the apartment, I headed off to the school. There was something I needed to look up about the girl from last night, and the only way I could obtain that information was through Shizuru's computer.
When I arrived at the school, it was nearly time for the students inside to be released for the day. After changing into my uniform, I quickly headed to the second floor, but before I could reach the student council room, the bell rang. Cursing under my breath, I fought against the crowd, but at the sound and sight of a rather large group of girls, I physically and mentally shuddered.
Oh god…Fujino fan club.
My theory was that this insane group of girls had secretly formed many years before I had actually met Shizuru, and that they had merely used her Kaichou position as an alibi for finally going public about it. Since then it had only grown. Of course, like any club, some were more die-hard fans than others. In fact, Shizuru had scored herself a very dedicated group of seven girls that just about followed her every move. It was a shock to the system that they hadn't discovered the friendship between the chestnut-haired girl and myself…and inevitably taken me to the gallows because of it.
I'm sure they'd just loathe the idea of their beloved Kaichou-san spending time with me rather than one of them.
The thought, and mental image that accompanied it, brought a smirk to my face as I backtracked to the outside of the building again. Finding the tree that resided closest to the student council window, I clambered up before stopping on the largest branch, which just happened to be the closest to my objective. Peering inside, I watched as Shizuru finally managed to get into the room and close the door behind her, locking it as quickly as possible. I could see her body relax, finally getting away from all the girls who monitored her every breath.
She had just sat down and taken out her laptop when I decided to make my move. Making sure my footing was steady, I balanced myself on the branch, muscles coiling and beginning to sting from the strain. Unleashing my built up power, I sprung from my place in the tree, flying through the air momentarily before my hands gripped the windowsill, my body inevitably crashing against the side of the school's brick exterior seconds later. I pulled myself up, resting my upper body on the small ledge, before knocking lightly on the windowpane. Crimson eyes immediately shot in my direction displaying absolute puzzlement as I watched Shizuru silently mouth my name. I gave her a little wave as if everything was perfectly normal as she quickly stood and glided over to the window, opening it with all haste.
"Hey," I casually said as I hoisted myself up on the windowsill with a small grunt, "Sorry about that."
"There is a door, you know," Shizuru replied, helping me the rest of the way inside, the confusion in her voice still quite evident.
"Oh, yeah, like I was about to take my chances braving your crowd of followers."
"So instead you opted to come through the window? They would have gone away eventually."
"Yeah, eventually being the key word. You'll have to forgive me for not wanting to show up in some shady back ally as a lifeless corpse," I remarked in complete sarcasm. Well, almost complete sarcasm. I really was afraid of that cult.
"You know I wouldn't let them lay a finger on you, Natsuki."
"I'm not sure if you'd be able to control them, Miss Kaichou. I mean, they hold on to every word you say, but if they knew that you were talking with me of all people, I think they'd go ballistic."
A sly grin spread across the girl's face, "Oh my…Well, if Natsuki insists, we shall keep our little affair a secret."
"What are you calling an affair?!" I questioned, cheeks flaring bright red.
Shizuru just chuckled at me before thankfully changing the subject as she circled her desk and sat back down in her usual chair, "So, what is so important that Natsuki would risk her very well being?"
"I wanted check up on the records of one of the new transfer students. A busty redhead. I don't know her name."
The mischievous glint in Shizuru's burgundy eyes returned instantaneously. "So Natsuki does pay attention to appearances. Especially a certain area, hm?" she teased, making sure to push her own bosom together for emphasis.
"W-What?!" I practically screeched at her before calming myself, clearing my throat in the process, "Like you couldn't notice with that girl."
"It doesn't seem like I'm quite good enough for Natsuki," Shizuru pouted, looking down at her own.
"Oh, shut up! Do you know who I'm talking about or not?" I pressed again, cheeks growing redder by the minute as I leaned against the front of the desk, arms crossed as I defiantly refused to look at my friend.
More of her sweet laughter tickled my ears, "I believe so. Hold on one moment."
The girl rapidly set to her searching, the buttons on the keyboard clicking quietly as she typed. I stared down at my dirty sneakers while I waited, and just a minute or so later, Shizuru seems to have found the girl in question.
"That girl?"
"Found her?" I asked, scooting back to actually sit on the desk so I could lean back to look at the screen. I scanned over it quickly, soon finding what I was looking for. "Just as I thought. She came here with the Kazahana Scholarship."
"Why do you care about her?" Shizuru inquired.
"No reason," I replied rather plainly, distracted by still trying to piece the puzzle together.
"Something to do with the mountain?"
This grabbed my attention as I gasped at her speculation.
How did she…Can Shizuru read me this easily? Well, she is pretty sharp.
Trying to play it cool, I pushed myself off of the desk, keeping my back to her as I talked, "Sorry, I don't want to get you involved."
It was true, I really didn't want to drag Shizuru into all of this mess, even if it was just her knowing the smallest ounce of what was going on, especially if something like last night were to happen again. It was far too dangerous for even us HiME's, so any normal person would be at an even higher risk of being injured, or worse, in a situation like that. No, I couldn't expose my brown-eyed friend to this reality…my reality. Maybe one day I could tell her about it, but for now I would continue to keep her in the dark.
"That's a cute comment," the girl behind me responded, shaking me from my thoughts with a sweet joyful tone mixed in with her usual teasing.
Looking over my shoulder, I couldn't help but blush.
All I want to do is keep you safe, and all you can do is tease me...
"I did not mean to seal you up, Natsuki. What's on your mind?"
"That's just it, there's too much. I can't even think straight right now," I let slip before I could even catch myself.
"I know I have said it before, but I'll say it again. You can always talk to me…about anything."
The sincerity in her voice was so genuine and so very tempting, making it hard to turn down her offer, but I somehow managed to, "Don't worry about it. It's stupid. I shouldn't be complaining so much."
"I see," came Shizuru's simple response, and although she sounded content with my answer, I knew better. She wasn't okay with it at all, but she had agreed to leave it at that for my sake.
An awkward silence filled the room, but not too long after, voices were heard outside the door. I recognized them to be Kanzaki Reito and Tate Yuichi, and sure enough, the two boys entered shortly after.
"Kuga Natsuki," Tate dumbly stated the obvious upon entering. I stood to face them both as Reito closed the door behind him, straightening my wrinkled skirt in the process.
"Oops, did we interrupt something?" the vice president questioned in a teasing tone mirroring Shizuru's own.
"You're so mean. We were in a good mood, too," the chestnut-haired girl replied in a fake disappointed manner, or at least she made it out to sound that way.
"Shizuru…" I half questioned.
What's that supposed to mean?
Reito merely laughed, "Just joking. Take your time. Ah, right, let's make some tea. I think we had a good Mandarin."
"I'm preparing it?" Tate inquired, not looking too happy about what his superior was implying.
I wasn't too happy about where this was leading either. The last thing that I wanted right now was to be stuck here sipping tea with the student council when I could be doing something productive. And by something productive, I meant just about anything else.
"I'm leaving," I blatantly proclaimed, my agitation quite clear on my face.
"Don't say that. Relax for a while," Shizuru tried coaxing me as she stood.
I turned my head to meet her gaze, my expression still rather displeased. I knew what she was getting at. She just wanted to spend some time with me, and I wanted to spend some more time with her as well, but now wasn't the time for that, especially since the boys were now involved, too. I still couldn't help feeling bad about it though.
Shizuru…
Luckily for me, the phone rang before I had to make up an excuse, and Shizuru immediately picked it up and pressed it to her ear.
"Student Council Room."
A momentary pause.
"Yes."
Another break.
"The Board of Directors is?"
This certainly captured my attention, and I held my breath until my friend spoke again.
"Yes…Yes…I'll send her right away…Goodbye."
Placing the receiver back in its holder, the brunette turned to the two males still standing in front of the door, "If it isn't any trouble, would you two mind picking up Miss Tokiha-san from the infirmary and escorting her to the Director's residence?"
What?! That girl! I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. The Director talked to me too after I awakened, but this is so soon…Maybe I should tag along.
Although Tate appeared to be a little more than annoyed at the request, Reito answered for them both, "So that's why they were calling…Of course, Fujino-san. Yuichi and I will go there right away."
"Thank you," came Shizuru's simple reply as we watched the two leave the room once again. I was quick to follow behind.
"You too, Natsuki? Leaving me all alone?"
I paused halfway out the door to answer her, "Yeah, I really do have something to take care of."
"So much for putting off my work a little while longer," the crimson-eyed girl sighed.
"I don't want to hear that from the Seitokaichou this early in the year," I jabbed at her before slipping away.
Rather than tail this Mai, I opted to just go ahead and make my way over to the Director's residence, and it was only a few minutes before I heard her and Tate approach. They exchanged a not-so-fond farewell before Tokiha soloed her way to the entrance. The Director's pink-haired maid, Himeno Fumi, greeted her before she was nearly tackled to the ground by none other than Minagi Mikoto.
Talking to both of them. What I coincidence...
When the Director herself appeared, a few brief introductions were made before all four entered the mansion, out of my view and out of my hearing.
Tch…Oh well, I'm sure she'll just receive the same spiel about fighting the orphans and so on. I guess I can always ask her later…maybe. Either way, there's no point in hanging around for now.
Following my own advice, I began making the trek back to my bike so I could return home and hopefully, for once in the past couple of days, get some decent sleep.