A/N: HI! this is a long waited update. I'm sorry LIFE, happened. I want to finish this story and be done with it. It just haunts me.

I will be deleting teh story A Day at A Time. I never had any responses on the poll. Dont forget to comment. Hateful commentary is also welcomed. As always please remember that i do not employe the use of a beta because i am impatient and lazy.

Disclaimer: Sunrise owns all MyHime characters. But the story is mine!

Living Forever In You by the and only Kara Papas

Chapter 41 The Fiery Escape

It was the beginning of the end. The night's wind howled like a crazy coyote and nothing more could be seen of the rundown theme park called the carnival. The earthen remains were blacken smug upon the soil. The scar given to this area of Japan by an enraged princess at the fallen knight who dared to believe in the righteousness of valiant chivalry. What more could be said of the maidens who fled from the wraith of this fallen princess's cries for blood? They ran. The sudden realization that their maddening dance had not end completely made their blood run thick and ice over.

"We've got to get back to Fuuka, Natsuki." Shizuru said as she looked at the raven haired beauty place her hair in a high ponytail exposing her neck. "Natsuki. Don't ignore me Natsuki. You're being so mean to me." Shizuru playfully whimpered making the raven haired girl freeze in her tracks.

"Mou, Shizuru! We can't be playing around like this. Mai just lost her shit again. I'm sorry I'm being mean. We just got back to the loft. We need to gather what we can and leave the rest. We have to be fast. We can't just idle around. Mai will be hot on our heels." Natsuki said with deep concern while her back was still turned to Shizuru. Suddenly arms snaked around Natsuki's waist making her jump a little.

"Ara, jumpy are we not?" Shizuru voice purred. Natsuki's hands went to Shizuru arms. She did not fight to break free. She just held on as if it was the last time. Natsuki leaned into Shizuru knowing that the older woman would support her. Shizuru nestled her nose against the nape of Natsuki neck. Natsuki sighed and closed her eyes as she felt Shizuru's warm breath against her neck. She wondered how they'd explain everything to their friends in Fuuka, but she was certain they already knew. They knew death was coming and it was on the back of monstrous child deformed by mad love. Natsuki's thoughts were then jolted off as Shizuru brushed her lips ever so light against her neck, just the lightest and softest of kisses.

"I love you, Kuga Natsuki. I love you more than you'll ever know." Shizuru whispered as she rested her forehead on the back Natsuki's right shoulder. Natsuki feeling Shizuru's embrace slacken she pulled free from Shizuru's arms. Natsuki turned to see Shizuru staring at her with a sensual gaze and a slight blush on her face.

"I'm pretty sure I know that you love me more than anything. I love you more than life itself, Shizuru." Natsuki said in husky tone walking towards Shizuru causing the chestnut hair woman back up until her back was against one the support beams in the loft. Shizuru breathed deep and looked away. Natsuki put her hand on Shizuru's cheek making the red eyed woman look at her. "I love you, Shizuru."

The two woman found themselves in a breath taking kiss. As they got lost in their making out session a strange flower was peering closely. A slight meek voice came from the flower.

"Um...excuse me...Shizuru...Natsuki...". The meek voice trailed off. "Haruka, don't...they're busy..."

"I'll do this Yukino..." Haruka's voice echoed from the flower making Natsuki and Shizuru quickly look around. "Yeah, you stupid biker girl and you damn bubuzuke woman! Stop making out like a bunch of teenagers!"

"Haruka! That doesn't help the situation." Yukino's voice trailed in the background of Haruka's booming voice. "Natsuki. Shizuru. I have one of Diana's spores tracking Mai. She headed to where you are now! You need to get out of there..." Yukino was suddenly cut by someone else other than Haruka.

"Listen you stupid lesbians! Get the fuck out now! She's lost her shit and she blames you guys. The stupid bitch burnt down that old theme park. She burned the earth underneath it! Run you idiots!" The voice sounded annoy with the two women.

Natsuki and Shizuru were just dumbfounded at this point with the voices of all their friends from Fuuka pouring in. They suddenly heard a vehicle blowing its horn outside of the loft. It sounded like some armored tanker or a growling APC at standby in a nearby war zone.

"Bubuzuke! Go! NOW! It's one of my cars!" Haruka shouted. Shizuru pushed Natsuki towards the duffel bags, and she grabbed the one by her. They made it out of the loft and down the strange stairs to the loft. The woman both shook their heads as it was plainly obvious which vehicle Haruka had sent over. It was the big matte black INKAS armored Sentry Civilian limo. The vehicle was basically an SUV on steroids but still had all luxuries on high end limo. The armored beast's door was opened up for them from the inside. Midori smiled warmly at them for a split second.

"Don't gawk! You need to get in before Ms Fiery Orange Top Gonna Kill You gets here!" Shizuru and Natsuki quickly jumped in to the vehicle. As soon as that door slammed the vehicle drove off. The inside of the armored SUV was a posh paradise. The chairs were recliners with their own tables. The end tables for the two lovers' chairs had one litre of bottled water. Meanwhile Midori, who was very rosy in the face, appeared to be drinking saki from a large bottle.

Before Natsuki could say anything to Midori about her drunken behavior and appearance the TV set in the armored vehicle flipped on. The scene held no other than Nao Yuuki. The lime green girl's red hair was bit longer. It was down and messy. The was something amiss though. Nao's face had a semi frantic look on it. The soft white cream color of her skin was now being marred by a trail of dirt a blood. The chances of it being hers were very high since it appeared to coming from her hairline. The speakers in the SUV crackled and came to life as if to jar everyone back to reality for a brief moment. Midori spat and started choking on her saki. There was far too much going on for anyone to know what exactly was going on. The fundamentals of insanity were at play. The action of repeating the same thing over and over knowing that the result will never change. It was beyond madness. The whole situation reeked of the First District, and sure enough that name exited the lips of Nao Yuuki.

"Hey!" Nao huffed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I am so happy to see you stupid lesbians."

"What in the hell happened?" Natsuki shouted.

"Well, the ditz will love this, we are gonna be fighting a war on two fronts." Nao grumbled. "I just left my place which is more or less completely trashed. Plus Julia kind of ripped someone to shreds and then ate the remains." Nao paused and put her hand to her mouth as her color whitened even more. "And why didn't anyone mention the whole Child changes their skin and shape match what they truly are. Julia was creepy to beginning. She is officially the thing of nightmares. She regurgitate part of the First District goon and offered it to me to eat on!"

"Ara, she was at least being polite by trying to help clean up her mess and offer you some of tasty meal." Shizuru jabbed at Nao's plight. Nao narrowed her eyes and her head fell.

"Maybe I spoke too soon. Shizuru should be dead. You are insufferable." Nao looked back and she had tears in her eyes.

"Liar." Shizuru chided back. "Now we need to figure out how to deal with these war on two fronts. It bad enough that they knew where you lived. Is your mother okay?"

"Yes, that was my apartment. I got my mom setup in a place of her own." Nao said wipes her tears away. Nao was about to continue, but Haruka literally knock the young woman out of the way.

"Listen, I love the reunion, but the wharf...". Haruka barked.

"War..." Yukino interjected.

"Yukino, you are suppose to be resting." Haruka turned her head and spoke uncommonly soft in some direction off camera. Haruka made a pouty face and turned back to the camera with sudden change in expression. "Okay WAR, on two fronts. We are gonna have to put that on a back burner. First off not all the original HiMEs got their powers and children back. For instance, look at this." The blonde woman took a few steps back to where you clearly see her from the knee up. She held her hands out and with a flash of light an elaborate battle mace of a sizable nature landed in her hands. Haruka raised her eyebrows at it and then back to the camera.

"OH!" Midori shouted in a drunk voice. "You must have been a HiME in a past life!"

"This is an information overload. Let's address the burning question everyone is wanting to know. Where is Mai and how time do we have?" Natsuki grumble. Haruka sighed and the mace dematerialized.

"Last Yukino was able to check, she was slowly heading over to the loft. The last view we had of Mai was her turning around and obliterating the spore thingie Yukino had following her." Haruka looked at her feet and again glanced over to the area off the camera where Yukino must have been. "I don't understand why the damage to her child hurts only her and not me. I'm her most important person right? Ugh, I don't know what to do with all this. You're right, Natsuki, this way too much to absorb. Mai definitely is on the crazy train. We can only assume that she is at the flat you guys shared. I cannot stress enough how grateful that you guys are really alive! You are a few hours out from my place. I have plenty of space to house everyone so its not a problem." Haruka put her hands on her hips. Nao quickly came into screen scowling at Haruka, she glanced at the camera, flicked it off with a mischievous grin. The camera feed fizzled out and the screen went black.

Shizuru and Natsuki looked at each other and loud snoring emanated from behind them. Midori was reclined in her seat, saki bottle empty on the ground, and clutched in hand was a research journal she kept on the lore and mythos of the HiMEs. What more could these women, no these HiME endure before an all out Carnival dared to start again?

Meanwhile, somewhere in Fuuka in the private sector stood a man in a three piece business suit. One hand held a report of some kind and the other a simple tea cup full of green tea with passion flowers. He slowly drank the tea as he looked over the report.

HiME Intelligence Report 586

Current whereabouts of HiMEs with actives powers and usage of Child as follows:

Fujino, Shizuru:

- Presumed dead (update: Alive)

Child usage is present along with usage of maximum power. Information regarding true power max is still relatively unknown. Documentation on this events occurrence only appears in folklore estimated to be somewhere during the Sengoku Period. Child is in it ancient form.

Kuga, Natsuki:

Presumed dead (update: Alive) Child usage is present. This HiME can materialize their element. Data suggests the possibility of maximum power ability but no concrete evidence has been found. Target is cohabitation with another HiME. They have an unnatural bond. Child is in its ancient form.

Yuuki, Nao:

Alive Power usage is very active, and target has resumed old activities in stalking pedophiles, perverts, male (and sometimes female) deviants, delinquents, and any sexual predator exploiting what she presumes to be and innocent. Last report on Child usage has not been confirmed, but field agent sent to capture HiME has not reported back in. HiME seen leaving premise on what we assume was the Child. It no longer resembles its form documented from the Searrs database. It now has its ancient form.

Kikukawa, Yukino:

Alive Powers are active. Child is being used. Child has shifted forms. It has turned into its more power variant title Mirror Wall according to the Searrs documentation. Whether the HiME has learned to master all skills has yet to be determined.

Tokiha, Mai:

Alive Powers are not in use. HiME does not have a Key. (Update: Has powers. Active and dangerous. HiME is on a rampage.) Child is active. Child is in a form not described by any documentation or ancient folklore. Child presents to be much more powerful than any recorded iteration from previous Carnivals.

Director Hiroshi did not bother to continue reading the information provided. The director of the evil corporation tossed the report on his desk as waltzed over to the windows. He smugly grinned as he lit a cigar with a wooden match in a dimly lit office. The First District had managed to seize control over the Searrs foundation. Director Hiroshi was beyond please with himself. He didn't care that one of his agents was very possible dead due to Nao Yuuki fighting back. He had a feeling that it was a shot in the dark to try and capture the red haired HiME. He was even delighted enough that the idiot Goshi was dead. Goshi put everything into motion. A even more warped a twisted version of the Carnival was about to begin, and he was the one directing this grand event. An event made to reign in the power of a dark god.

I feel like maybe no one will read this, but rest assured i will try my damnest to get this story done. I feel like i set myself up for another BIG arch.

Until next time people!