A/N: The 12th was a Thursday, so it was a raid day, thankfully for me, I had that to give my brain a break before I came up with this chapter.


December 12th

It was a bad habit of hers, she knew, but even so she was drawn to such difficult things, and impossible people. No, it wasn't just Natsuki that had taken her interest a time or two. Though, it was true Shizuru hadn't fallen so deeply for anyone as she had Natsuki, she had to admit, there was a very distinct reason she had so many fans back in high school, and why she seemed to be inviting more of the same treatment on the university campus.

Part of it was a calculated move, considering she was going to be taking on her father's company upon graduation. It was a move made easier with more popularity. The other part of it though, the part that she let seep into her the most, was a true and heartfelt concern for others. She would never admit it, but she took a joy in it, if only to get her mind well away from her own trials and tribulations...of which, she had to admit, were quite dark indeed.

Her current fixation was not on any of her fellow classmates, nor was it the banter found on the campus during the daytime hours. It was, ironically enough, aimed at Nao. In truth, it was a fixation made easier by Natsuki's personal endeavors in the matter, but even that aside, Shizuru couldn't deny it. Nao had always been an interest of hers, and one she had been sure to keep an eye on.

Before the battle, Shizuru merely merely took an interest in the troubled student, one who wanted nothing to do with the school, the staff, or even the simple rules of the academy. The amount of detention slips alone nearly forced Shizuru into keeping an eye on her, especially back in those days. Nao had a flagrant disregard for school policy, just as Natsuki did. The only difference was, Nao seemed to cause more of a ruckus. Natsuki was quiet about her rule breaking, and always had been.

It was during the battle that Shizuru's interest in Nao changed drastically, bordering to seem degree on murderous, something she still felt guilty about. They had all let their emotions take over, and Shizuru was an emotional creature, very much so. It wasn't any wonder why her child grew so big, or so powerful. She should have had more control, she knew that...but even so, her transgressions were best left in a place unreachable, and that was why she tried her best to ignore Nao when she could.

Or, at least, she used to avoid Nao.

Now, that interest had come back. It waned into a very careful deliberation that she was sure not to utter to Natsuki. This was, after all, a very difficult subject. Natsuki was protective of Nao, for entirely selfish and personal reasons, of course. Shizuru knew that, and that in Natsuki's heart of hearts, that nothing beyond protection, and perhaps sisterly affection would ever come from it.

It was Nao she was worried about. Shizuru had noticed how the barbed insults had blunted over time, and how Natsuki's own sharp wit had been reduced to a fraction of what it had been. Shizuru was unsure of what that meant, since she herself was finding herself less bothered by Nao's existence. She was even surprised to note that her fixation was once again turning into an interest of Nao's own well being, and not just Natsuki's own safety...though, that still topped Shizuru's list.

How she ended up at Nao's front door remained a mystery to her. How Nao's mother looked when she opened the door was even more of a shock. "I hope you'll pardon the intrusion." Yet, even as Shizuru prepared and served tea, now sitting across from this woman, it had only just dawned on her. It isn't any wonder why it pains Natsuki to see this. Shizuru had to admit, it pained her as well. "I was a bit worried, you see, Natsuki speaks very little about what goes on around here."

"I should be worried, shouldn't I?" The woman spoke, her voice tired and yet full of air. "I knew Nao was hiding something."

"She hides a great deal." Shizuru said then, carefully choosing her words. "I don't blame her for that, if anything, I expect it."

"I'm learning to." The pale woman nodded, her chestnut tresses falling down her back and shoulders in a scraggly fashion. "Nao's changed, and I know it isn't for the better." It had been so long since it had last been cut, that Shizuru was sure it had to be full of split ends. "I also doubt her friends can be trusted, but, I have no choice."

"You mean Natsuki." The question cut deeply, and received an odd answer.

"She is an earnest woman." Nao's mother replied after some thought, her smile gentle enough to ward away any ill feeling she might have towards the woman in question. "Nao trusts her a great deal, and I can tell they are good friends. She is not my problem." Then with a shrug, the woman sighed. "She's also not a figment of my daughter's words, either."

"Ah, I see." Shizuru took a sip of tea and offered a gentle nod. "Nao has many acquaintances, myself included in that." She wondered if that would be enough. "Yet to say she has many friends, well that is something that would be an outright lie." She tried to clear the fog her mind was drenched in. "Nao is vicious at best, and thus, difficult to get along with."

"You are not a friend of hers?" The question seemed rushed, a worry in lime green eyes that were so much like Nao's own. It was clear who the teen inherited her looks from.

"Our relationship is a questionable one at best." Shizuru forced herself to say. "I doubt Nao will ever see me as a friend, but, I am not worthy of that either." She looked away, her eyes finding the tattered carpet on the floor. "I've done some awful things to her, just as she has done them to others, and to Natsuki." It was such a truth that had brought Shizuru here in the first place, at least, that's what she told herself. Now she knew that she had lied to her own heart. "I suppose you could say, our loyalty to others is what keeps us civil." She knew it was bad, that Nao's struggle had been a difficult one, just as Natsuki's own had been. "We're on agreeable terms, at the very least."

"Is that enough?" The frail woman asked, her words slow at best.

"It is what it is." Shizuru nodded. "Nao has several people to fawn and worry over her. Within that, you should take comfort." With a soft sigh, Shizuru convinced herself of that little matter as well. "My only regret, perhaps, is not taking noticeable action sooner. It could have saved the both of us so much grief." Shizuru was sure now, she knew why Natsuki endeavored to guide Nao down a better path. "Regardless, this is an amendable situation, and I'll be sure to do that."