13.
"Why do you disturb my meditation?" Saori Tatsunoko did not open her eyes, and the servant had yet to announce his presence.
"Your daughter has informed me that your granddaughter, Shizuru, is returning to the family home. She kindly asks that you join the family in welcoming her home."
Saori opened her violet eyes, and turned to the servant, who was careful not to shiver in her presence, "A welcome, is it? Tell my daughter and her husband to expect me shortly. We shall soon see whose house this is."
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Hiroyoshi Fujino and his wife, Kagami, were waiting in the foyer when Shizuru entered the house with Natsuki at her side.
"Forgive the intrusion," Shizuru and Natsuki said in unison.
"Shizuru, there is no need for you or your guest to stand on formality," Hiroyoshi said cordially, "Save the things like that for public displays. If you cannot be welcome in your family home, where can you be welcome?"
Natsuki's smile was ear to ear, "This is your father? I like him, already."
"And this must be your school friend, Natsuki Kuga, of whom we've heard so much," Kagami Fujino said with a faint smile.
"Should I be worried?" Natsuki half-whispered to Shizuru.
Shizuru smiled that enigmatic smile of hers, "I wonder."
Hiroyoshi chuckled lightly, and Natsuki could immediately see traces of Shizuru in the gesture, "Our daughter has told us that you were a bright and hard working young woman, a bit standoffish with people whom you don't know, but warm and kind once given a chance to open up."
"She also called you a worrisome girl who likes motorcycles and who had a strong affinity for mayonnaise," Kagami Fujino added.
Natsuki blushed, "You were thorough, Shizuru."
"Ara, were I not, my parents might have had you investigated on their own. As the only child of the Fujino family, they are quite cautious to keep social climbers away from me."
"And since I was a rude, standoffish girl, they didn't worry that I was deliberately trying to get close to you?" Natsuki blinked.
"Exactly," Hiroyoshi grinned, "She had to pursue a friendship with you, unlike the other students who were trying hard to ingratiate themselves to her. We knew that your interests in her were, therefore, sincere."
"Ara, Natsuki is certainly not a social climber. She comes from a wealthy family. You have done business with her father, Genichiro, of course. And her mother, Saeko, had two doctorates and was widely respected in her field before her untimely death.
"What is more, Natsuki is not content to be the idle rich. She is quite athletic, and is also a published author with a considerable following."
"It's good to see someone your age so enterprising," Hiroyoshi nodded approvingly, "And of course, I know your father. Tell me, how is he, these days?"
"His health is much improved," Natsuki said, "Though he had to sell his company due to family issues."
"But of course, this is well in the school year," Kagami replied, "So this visit is not a casual one. Or am I mistaken?"
"You are not, mother. I have a matter of some importance that I must discuss with you."
"Let us go to the main sitting room," Hiroyoshi said, gesturing.
They were surprised to find an elderly woman waiting for them there, already. She had dark violet eyes, deeper that Haruka Suzushiro's, and far more intense and disquieting. Natsuki saw a severe, hostile face.
"Grandmother…" Shizuru's voice was quiet and her eyes were troubled.
"Shizuru, you have brought a strange young woman into our house," Saori Tatsunoko's face was cold and bitter, and her voice was like the creaking of unoiled hinges.
"This is my friend, Natsuki Kuga," Shizuru sounded strangely uneasy.
"Friend? Indeed? Very friendly indeed, as according to the private investigator that I hired, you live in her apartment and share her bed."
"Mother!" Kagami looked alarmed.
"Be silent, foolish woman," Saori didn't take her gaze off of Shizuru, "It is your self-same sickness that your daughter carries."
Shizuru, startled, looked at her mother.
"Oh, yes," Saori continued, "I caught your mother and a girl from her finishing school carrying on with such abandon. Well, I took care of that, didn't I, Kagami? And I saw it in this girl from the day she was born. Oh, I watched her, and I corrected her. Time and again I corrected her. But you let this willful creature out of my sight, and look at what she's done. Foolish, impulsive child. Couldn't behave yourself for even an instant when you were out of my sight, could you?"
Everyone was silent.
Then there was a laugh. It was a humorless laugh, and it grew louder and louder, until everyone realized it was coming from Natsuki. The dark-haired girl flipped her hair over her shoulder, her emerald eyes a verdant fire boring into Saori's own violet ones.
"Oh, bravo. I couldn't have written a better self-righteous, old fashioned villain for one of my novels if I'd tried."
"This is a Fujino family matter, you ill-mannered slatternly girl. An ill-bred trollop like you has no place speaking here."
"I write novels, so my vocabulary is pretty good. I'm fairly sure you just called me a 'whore' twice over. But me, I don't much stand on tradition or customs. Especially not when someone is attacking a person I love.
"So let me be perfectly clear about this. I honestly don't give a damn what you think about me, and I couldn't care any less about what you say about me. But if you insult Shizuru one more time, I will go over there and slap those dentures right out of your mouth."
Saori cackled, "Oh, at least you have fire, brat. You're braver than the girl you claim to love, at least. She couldn't even be open about how she felt, even now. Look at her, cowering there at the revelation of what she is."
Natsuki saw Shizuru, hugging her own shoulders, shaking in place, and she turned the full fury of the Kuga Death Glare on Saori, who visibly flinched.
"You're the one to blame," Natsuki said calmly. "Her doubts. Her fears. Her self-loathing and self-doubt. Old woman, if you knew the damage you've done…Shizuru, I don't think we should stay. Come on, we're going back home."
"You may go, of course," Saori said dryly, "But Shizuru will remain here, to be retrained."
Saori clapped her hands, and four large men in dark suits entered the room.
"See that the stranger is escorted off the grounds. And kept off. And detain my granddaughter."
Natsuki sighed, "Big mistake."
Shizuru also stood, "Natsuki?"
"I'll be okay," Natsuki smiled reassuringly.
Natsuki leapt into a handstand, spinning her legs and catching two of the suited men sharply in the head. She flipped to her feet in time to bring her foot up and catch the third man in the chin. She spun around, and with a flex of her hand, pointed her Element at the fourth man, blasting a tanto out of his hand with a quick squeeze of the trigger. She then dissipated her Element, and hit him in the throat with a well placed elbow.
"I broke your toys," Natsuki grinned at Saori.
"You're…a HiME?" Saori gasped.
Natsuki's eyes narrowed, "How do you know that term?"
"Get out of my home, you spiteful bitch. Get out now!"
"Fine. Shizuru?"
Shizuru took Natsuki's arm and they started walking out.
"Shizuru Fujino! If you leave this house, don't you dare come back. You'll be done with this family once and for all if you walk out the door with that woman!"
Shizuru rounded on her, getting right up in her face, her crimson eyes glaring, "Fine, Grandmother. And that cuts both ways. If I'm done with this family, then this family is done with me. If anything happens in my own or Natsuki's lives that I believe was caused by your actions, directly or indirectly, I will return to settle matters with you myself. Do I make myself clear?"
Saori couldn't meet her gaze, "Get out! Go! If that unbred bitch is more important to you than your family, then you're too broken for our uses, anyway."
"That would rather depend," Hiroyoshi Fujino said, "on who is in charge of the family. This is my home, and you live here under my good graces, Saori Tatsunoko. And only because of the love of your daughter."
Saori glared, "You would support this…indecency?"
"You have hardly comported yourself with a decorum of grace or dignity, today," the elder Fujino replied, "Shizuru, are you alright?"
Shizuru drew a shaky breath, "In all honesty, Father, no. I do not believe that I am. I'm angry. And tired. And I've witnessed several unfair and unprovoked attacks on Natsuki under the roof I once called home. So…"
"Know that I am deeply shamed by the way she has been treated under my roof. I have given your Grandmother too much leave. I will understand if you do not wish to spend the night. However, please allow us to put you up in a hotel. We'll cover the cost. Your mother and I have much to talk about with you, and would do so tomorrow. And it need not be here, if you prefer."
Shizuru felt herself calming considerably, "Then we will speak, tomorrow, Father."
"Sorry I beat up your guards," Natsuki muttered.
"I'm sorry you had to. If I hadn't been so shocked about my mother-in-law's rudeness, I would have called them off myself. As it is, I'll have to make sure they understand in the future that all orders come from me or my wife, and no one else."
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Shizuru sat in her bed at the hotel, Natsuki holding her quietly from behind. She didn't ask the obvious and stupid question, because the answer was plain to see; Shizuru was not alright.
"I hope I didn't overstep my bounds, Shizuru," Natsuki said solemnly, "I shouldn't have let that old bat goad me…"
"No, I'm glad you spoke back to her. It gave me the nerve to do the same. She was so…hateful."
Shizuru started sobbing. She felt Natsuki's arms wrap around her, and she let her raw emotions pour out of her for the next fifteen minutes, before she came back to herself.
"Shhh. I'm here. It's okay," Natsuki said, turning out the light. She spooned Shizuru, and stroked her hair until they both drifted off to sleep.