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A/N: @ Asirpa; What will Nao think, indeed? And more importantly, what will Shizuru think? @ Hookedonreading: I'm flattered, but I fear you're giving me more credit than I deserve. I don't actually have it written out. I have vague notions that the characters are pulling me to as we go. You'll see so many authors say that they plan out their works, and other authors tell you that the characters are the ones in charge. I'm definitely being pushed around by my characters. I try and steer them from time to time, but I'd have more luck herding cats.

Alyssa looked considerably nervous when told that there was an actual ghost in the room with them. She looked absolutely horrified when that ghost appeared before her with a smile and a deep bow.

"Shizuru Fujino, at your service," Shizuru had introduced herself.

The others quickly learned that Miyu Greer, Alyssa's maternal Aunt, was clairvoyant, able to see spirits clearly, even when they tried to hide from everyone else.

"It was useful in developing the technology that saved you, Miss Kuga," Miyu gave a faint smile, "I was able to give the scientists insight into things that affected a human soul which they could not otherwise see for themselves. It's how we invented the Magnetic Bottles that held your spirit after your original body died."

"But…You could actually do it? Recreate Shizuru's body?" Natsuki asked.

"Provided we had an intact sample of her DNA," Alyssa said, "But…It isn't any cheap thing to do. In your case, Father justified the expense because you were a child who deserved a chance to live, and you were the daughter of the scientist who created the techniques being used. He called your new body 'Proof of concept'. What justification could we offer to resurrect a woman that's been dead ten years?"

Natsuki clenched her fist, but Mai shook her head, "She has a point, Natsuki. I mean, what, should they just spend the money to bring back everyone who ever died?"

Natsuki sighed, then asked, "How much would it cost? If you had the DNA, what would it cost?"

Alyssa looked at her for a moment, then sighed, closing her eyes, "If we had her DNA, a fully developed clone, properly accelerated to the correct age, and without any of First District's super-human enhancements, would cost approximately five million U.S dollars. To ensure that her spirit is properly situated in that body, another one point five million."

"I'll pay for it out of my own pocket," Natsuki said.

"I do not believe that will be necessary, Miss Kuga," Miyu said after everyone else picked their chins up off the floor.

"But you just said…"

"It was a test," Alyssa said, "To see if you would be willing to make the sacrifice. You could have tried appealing to me as your sister, begging me to do this favor for you. But I know fully well that you have access to the money that Genichiro Kuga left you, and you were willing to use it. That's how much this means to you. How much she means to you. In truth, Miyu has already contacted the board and suggested a suitable explanation as to why this experiment would be worth our time and money."

"Yes," Miyu said, "If we can recreate a body destroyed over ten years ago, and transmigrate a soul back into that body, it will be the final proof of concept for Project Idunn."

"Idunn? As in the keeper of the apples of immortality?" Natsuki blinked.

"The same," Miyu confirmed, "The Chairman is an aficionado of Norse Mythology. He's also working on a counter to the First District's super-soldier program, Battle Princess, with his own program, Project Valkyrie."

"This isn't one of those, 'I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you' situations, is it?" Mai asked sourly.

Miyu smiled, "Of course not. Feel free to talk about anything you've heard here. If you aren't committed to an asylum by the end of the week, then maybe you can go as long as two."

"I see your point," Mai sighed.

"It will take about a month to create the body," Alyssa said, "Provided, of course, that we get a pristine DNA sample."

"The attic," Shizuru said, "There is a small box in the corner of the attic. Inside, you will find a velvet pouch filled with my baby teeth."

~~*~~

"Would Natsuki really have spent over six million dollars to bring me back to life?" Shizuru smiled at her.

"Yeah."

Shizuru paused at Natsuki's frank reply, "But why? Natsuki, it makes me happy, but if I'm honest, you've only known me for about a month. Why would you be willing to do that?"

"Because," Natsuki turned, giving her a wistful smile, "as short as our time together has been, I think of you as my friend, Shizuru. And because my Father was involved in what happened to you, and the money I would have spent would have been his money. Seems kinda poetic, using Dad's cash to fix Dad's messes. He left a long wake of people he hurt in his path, and it can't be an accident that we met."

Shizuru blinked, then smiled, "Ikezu. Natsuki is supposed to say 'It's because I love you with all my heart and soul, that's why.'"

Natsuki chuckled, "I'm not really sure what love is, yet, Shizuru. But…I wonder if maybe I'm not just as bad as my Dad, sometimes."

"Natsuki?"

"I mean, thinking about having you and Nao together as my lovers? Isn't that just me trying to avoid commitment, the same way he did?"

Shizuru had no answer.

"I want to hate him, Shizuru, I really do. But…maybe that's just me trying to deny that any of his bad behavior might be reflected in my own actions."

"He's your father. For all his flaws, Natsuki, my cousin did one good thing. He helped to bring you into the world. For that…I will forgive him his other failings."

Natsuki closed her eyes and gave a short laugh, "Yeah, it'd be pretty weird for me to complain about that, when I've got so many people who are my friends. Although, I guess my body isn't entirely human anymore. Or rather, it hasn't been for awhile, now."

"You gettin' maudlin out here, Pup?" Nao asked, coming out into the garden.

Natsuki smirked, "I was just telling Shizuru that I feel responsible for this particular stray that's been following me around since I was ten."

"Natsuki, ikezu," Shizuru chided her, "I think after the first year of keeping her around, you've lost the right to call her a stray."

"Thank you!" Nao said to Shizuru, "I mean, if she didn't want me hanging around, she should have told me to shoo ages ago, right? Face it, Pup, come hell or high water, you're stuck with me."

Natsuki looked up at the stars, "Well, ladies, our lives are strange enough, you think that we'll meet aliens, next?"

"What?" Nao asked her, blinking.

"Like, all the stuff that could go on. I mean, the real world isn't single genre, you know. It's a historical drama comedy romance tragedy with ever advancing sci-fi tech. So, we've got ghosts, and genetic engineering, and cloning, and there's a big multinational conglomerate and a secret government agency. So…are aliens next? You think that they'll reveal that, like, Mikoto is the vanguard of some sort of alien god and that's why she's always hungry? Or that there are strange creatures that came to earth a long time ago on an asteroid, and that people like us will have to fight them to keep the world safe?"

"You're thinking too small, Pup," Nao smirked, picking up a wandering Duran and stroking his fur behind his ears, "You could be a magical girl with one of those striking silhouetted transformation sequences, and this little guy would be like your magical companion, who would, on command, transform into a giant battle wolf."

Duran looked up at her, licked his chops, and then yawned.

"Eewww. Dog breath. Here, you hold him," Nao passed Duran to Natsuki.

"Don't listen to her, cutie," Natsuki cooed to Duran. For his own part, Duran simply curled up in Natsuki's lap and closed his eyes.

"Ara," Shizuru sighed, "So jealous."

"Listen, I love both of you, in your own unique ways," Natsuki stood up, cradling Duran in her arms, "But…I just had a whole lot dumped on me, and I've got to sort out this whole mess, plus, like I said, I wonder if I'm not acting a bit like my old man. So, I'm not ready for a relationship at this point. Okay?"

"That," Shizuru looked down, "Is Natsuki's decision, not ours."

"What she said," Nao sighed.

"I'll see you both in the morning," Natsuki said, returning to the house.

Shizuru turned to look at Nao, "I think we may have been far too intense for her."

"Well, her kid sister dropping all of that news on her at once didn't help," Nao grumbled, "She died. I mean, really died. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

"And your suggestion that they attempt to resurrect me?" Shizuru met Nao's eyes.

"I decided that I'm not very good at sharing," Nao smirked, "But I want a level playing field, so that when the Pup chooses me, you can't complain that I had an unfair advantage."

Shizuru smirked at her, "I see. Most generous of you. Be sure that you do not come to regret your decision, though."

Nao rose, dusting off her skirt, "For what it's worth, I at least believe that you'd want her to be happy."

"I will acknowledge as much about you, as well," Shizuru smiled.

~~*~~

Natsuki was about to turn in, when her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but at this hour is wasn't likely to be a solicitor or sales pitch. She answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Yes," a woman's voice was on the other end of the line, "I'm trying to reach Natsuki Kuga."

"That's me."

"Miss Kuga, you don't know me, but I was an associate of your late father, and…also…I knew the woman who owned your newly acquired house. My name is Ahn Lu."

"I've heard of you," Natsuki said, not bothering to go further into detail.

"Listen…I've been trying to get access to the house for a long time, now. I've heard rumors that it was haunted, and I needed to learn for myself."

"Look, it's very late, and I'm very tired, and…"

"Miss Kuga, please bear with me. I need a chance to talk to you about what happened to Shizuru Fujino. I need to talk to you about what happened. And I need to apologize to Shizuru for what happened."

Natsuki scratched her head in irritation, not noticing that Duran was scratching right behind her, as well.

"Could you maybe be a bit more specific."

"Miss Kuga, I don't expect you to understand this, but…I was in a relationship with Shizuru Fujino. And…I am to blame for her suicide."

The silence that followed was heavy.

"Miss Kuga, are you still there?"

"Y-yeah. What do you mean, suicide? The groundskeeper told me that Shi…that Fujino died of a broken heart."

"The Fujinos were a high class family," Ahn Lu said, "Mr. Sakomizu wouldn't have told you the full details, I'm sure. Shizuru was found with a thick rope around her neck, hanging from the rafters of her room."