Chapter 5: You Are Not Alone…

"Alyssa, what is this?" Natsuki looked at the platform in front of her.

"This is the culmination of years of research. This is a gateway, designed to reach the wellspring of the HiME's powers. You are more connected to it than any of the others, thanks to the gift from Mashiro and Nagi. I'm still not sure it's safe to use that power, Natsuki."

Natsuki smiled at her, "I appreciate your worries, Alyssa. I do. So, you want me to step through into this thing and see what I can find out?"

"At this point, we really have no other choice. It's that, or leave it be. You're the only one who can, right now. But it's dangerous…The gate will function well enough, but we have no idea what's waiting on the other side. And then there's another issue."

"That is?" Natsuki looked at her.

"The origin of what they call the 'circuit stone'. They said it was forged from another version of you. But forged how? And what became of that Natsuki?"

"I don't know."

"In any case, we're going to outfit you with a series of devices to record data. Step through, see what you can, and come back. No more than five minutes. Right away, if it's dangerous."

"What does Mom say about this?" Natsuki asked.

"I say it's a damned fool idea," Saeko wheeled up, "But the information we were able to gain from Tomoe Marguerite suggests that others are about to breach this dimensional barrier in a much more forceful way. We need to know just what we're dealing with. We need to know if we can seal any holes they make."

"Alright. So, I'm going through. Wish me luck."

Natsuki had a dozen cameras and sensors strapped to her, and then she stepped onto the platform. There was a strange electrical whir, and then there was a plume of purple-black fumes, and then…

"So, this is what's on the other side," Natsuki looked around at the swirling darkness, "This…is this the world outside the worlds?"

"Natsuki?" She heard the voice, and turned. There was Shizuru, standing there, crimson eyes gleaming sadly in the darkness.

"Shizuru. You're…the Prime Shizuru, aren't you? The Shizuru who is made up of all the Shizuru's who exist."

"I am. You are not the Prime Natsuki. But you are closer to her than any of your other selves. I knew you would come. But that's what happens when I can talk to the ultimate version of you," She smiled, "You came to learn some things, yes?"

"I did. Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here and not my Prime?"

"Ikezu, Natsuki. But aren't you happy to see me?"

"Well, the you that I'm bound to seems to be troubled by visions of other hers, so while I'm always happy to see Shizuru, I'm also a bit concerned about meeting you, too."

"Fair enough. You and I are bound to each other. Or rather, our Primes are. There are other worlds out there where that isn't always the case, but they are the exception, not the rule. There are worlds where the Shizuru of that world is bound to Haruka, or even Mai, and in one or two, Nao. But mostly, it's you. Unfortunately, they're not always happy worlds. You and I, we face our trials. And sometimes, we don't surpass the trial."

"So I'm told."

Shizuru Prime sighed, "There is someone I want you to meet. There is something I need you to see, you see. This place exists outside of time, and what happens here will affect all of time. But, let me show you now."

Shizuru Prime held a soft ball of glowing white light in her hands, and she leaned down and set it on the liquid black surface they were walking on. The light grew and took form, until it became another Shizuru.

"This," Shizuru Prime said, "Is the embodiment of my worst selves. The me who always ends up hurting you. The me who your Shizuru is afraid of, afraid of becoming, afraid that she has been this thing."

"Natsuki…" this new Shizuru spoke softly, her voice tortured by longing and need. She reached out for Natsuki. Natsuki recognized the tortured expression in her eyes.

Natsuki intertwined her fingers with this Shizuru's hand, "Shizuru, I guess torturing yourself is something you do in a lot of worlds."

"You hurt me, as well, Natsuki," the new Shizuru said, "You beg me for favors, for information. You use my kindness to further your goals. But you don't notice me. You don't acknowledge my love for you. You take my kindness, and give me nothing in return."

"Shizuru," Natsuki pulled her to her, embracing her. Shizuru's eyes went wide, just as they had in the Chapel, when Natsuki had pulled her out of madness, "I was selfish. But I didn't understand that I was selfish. And when I understood that you loved me…I too fell in love with you. No, not fell in love. I realized that I had already loved you. Hang in there. Our first steps together are faltering, and a bit unsteady, but when we stick together, we learn to walk together, and the two of us become what we were meant to be. Whatever your sins, Shizuru, I have and always will forgive you."

The new Shizuru fell to her knees, crying, "Thank you, Natsuki."

She suddenly convulsed, and Shizuru Prime took her into her arms, "And this is where it happens."

"Where what happens?" Natsuki looked alarmed.

The avatar of Shizuru's darkness coughed until she spat up a ball of red and black light. It lay on the ground, taking the form of a prone human girl.

"Your forgiveness and kindness free us, the Shizuru's of the burden of our guilt and possessiveness. Unfortunately, those negative emotions had to go somewhere. But this thing that was born is not possessive for you. Our love for you and the darkness that hurt you cannot coexist once we accept your love. It is a possessiveness for Shizuru, and a mindless hatred of you, that won't ever accept or forgive you."

The light began to fade, and there she lay, a newly formed Prime.

"Tomoe!" Natsuki gasped, "Then she's…"

"She's our darkness, given new life. She lacks our love for you. She lacks our kindness. She has cunning. And she has a need for me, for Shizuru, because she was born of Shizuru. But she is not capable of love. Instead, hers is a jealous possessiveness. Not unilke the madness we suffered during the Carnival.

"And now, the truth of the circuit stone. The Natsuki who became the circuit stone was one who gave her life protecting a Shizuru from a Tomoe. She did this willingly, and knowing that it would be the end of her."

"And this troublesome creature," Nagi appeared, "Is now a part of the timestream. She's a Prime, which means she exists in all worlds, just as you two do. But she is weaker, because she was born of a Prime, rather than being formed as an original. The version in your world has already lost all of her power, due to your dear Shizuru."

"The doctors did reattach the ear," Natsuki said, "But we destroyed the gemstone earring in it."

"And your daughter showed an amazing level of power," Nagi nodded.

"Here's a question that's been bothering me," Natsuki said, "Saiyuri inherited Duran, but Naomi didn't inherit Kiyohime. She's still Shizuru's. Why is that?"

"A CHILD bonds to a HiME based on their personality," Nagi reminded her, "Duran bonded to you out of both a sense of loneliness, and a desire to protect those you love, even if you didn't acknowledge love at the time. Kiyohime bonded to Shizuru out of her madness, her conflicting desires. Her desire to love you, versus her desire to never let you know that she did. Naomi isn't like that. So Kiyohime never left Shizuru. And now, Kiyohime has taken a new form, but it is still based on Shizuru's mind.

"Plus, Naomi had to be born in Nao's body. It affected how her power flows. Naomi will come into power of her own. But she'll probably find a CHILD of her own. As will your dear Sachiko, as she grows up."

"So, I'm responsible for creating Tomoe?" Natsuki looked at the teal haired woman as she rose to her feet.

"Not entirely. Her creation was inevitable. As said, this place exists outside of time. You'd met Tomoe already, meaning that her arrival on this plane was guaranteed."

"Where's your better half, anyway?" Natsuki looked around, "I don't see her, anywhere."

"Mashiro is tending to other worlds," Nagi shrugged, "You girls and your incarnations keep us so very busy."

888888

Natsuki stepped out of the portal.

Saeko breathed a sigh of relief, and even Alyssa looked to be exhaling as tension left her body.

"You alright?" Saeko asked her daughter.

"Right as rain," Natsuki smiled, "Though I suppose you two will want me to go through a physical to prove that."

"We'll analyze the data from the sensors," Alyssa was removing the devices from Natsuki, "Anything you want to do, right now?"

"I'm going to go talk to the Marguerite girl," Natsuki said.

She made her way to the cell where Tomoe was being kept, and stood outside.

"What do you want?" Tomoe growled, "Come to rub it in my face that Shizuru chose you over me?"

Natsuki shook her head, "I came to tell you that I understand that you weren't responsible for what you became. But, even so, you threatened my family.

"I bear you no malice, Tomoe Marguerite. But I will tell you this, now. While I don't hate you, if you menace my family again, be it me, or Shizuru, or one of our daughters, or even one of these women I call my extended family, I won't have any choice but to stop you, by any means necessary."

"Shizuru is the one who can kill without regret," Tomoe smirked at her, "That's why she's so beautiful. You don't have that ability."

"You're wrong," Natsuki shook her head sadly, "Shizuru has regrets. And if you come after my family, I won't."

She walked away, feeling a swell of pity for the creature in the cell.