Disclaimer: anyone who thinks I own Mai HiME is out of their mind.

You who have shed darkness for light

Let your now cleansed soul meet with torn flesh

Fly! Open your now repaired wings.

Shrug what is gray from you

Clear your mind.

And now, witness the glory of rebirth.

Untitled. 7/20/06 9:01P.M. (originally written in Chinese but I like this one better)

Part Two:

Rebuilding

Fujino Shizuru sat at her desk which was situated in the far right area of the newly rebuilt classroom with a cup of warm tea in her hand. A light violet thermos also stood on her desk in arms reach. She was looking out window as she often did. The soon to be graduated senior seemed to do this frequently. That is, after all that had transpired in Fuuka Gauken, she found herself looking more and more to the past, lost in reverie with red eyes which mirrored her soul that was seemingly trapped in forlorn memories whenever she gazed out the outside world.

Outside, this side of the world had barely awoken. A pale, perfectly circular, and almost transparent moon shared the sky with the rising red sun. It was still somewhat dark yet the spring sky was getting brighter and brighter. White cumulous clouds could be seen and if she opened the window, the smell of fresh morning dew hitting cold green grass would meet her senses.

She had been stricken by the sudden urge to spend the early morning sitting here in the classroom instead of behind her desk in the Student Council Room. For once, the kaichou wished to feel like an ordinary student, something that she had never been. In front of the classroom, the clock's thin black hands barely hit the 6 o'clock mark.

"In a week, they will be in full blossom," she thought out loud, her voice that barely was above a whisper.

Indeed, in a week the sakura blossoms would reach their full grandeur blossom and the gakuen would be bathed in the light pink foliage. The last few weeks the Gakuen had underwent a startling change.

A mere two days after the conclusion of the carnival the school had opened its doors to its students and other faculty members. Despite being in the condition it was, everyone had agreed that it was probably the best thing to do. The attendance of students that flooded back was astounding though many of them still had not returned and would not for weeks later. Some had not returned at all.

Due to destruction of many of the dormitories, many found themselves living in apartments in the city. Others took resident in the grounds of the school. While many parts of the school were unable to be used, many times classes were taught outside. On their free time, students had been found also helping with the reconstruction as much as they could.

Those weeks the atmosphere that surrounded the school was one of utter hopefulness and cheery air; much like one found the day after the end of a war.

Those weeks had been had been tiring as well as trying of all of her skill. She, herself, had been one of the reasons the school had been at its state and almost as if trying to repent—worked as hard as she could leaving nothing to chance to fix the school.

With her connections and ties she had forged on the day of the School Anniversary Celebration, she had been able to summon many funds and needed supplies for the school from existing sponsors as well form new trust from others. The First District has also been most helpful and supportive to the school as well as "Iwaska Pharmaceutical".

The very thought of them caused a frown to settle on her countenance, especially when thinking of the First District. Shizuru could not control how her muscles had tensed and the grip on her cup had tightened. If she had not been in her current position with the members of the district—her situation would have been found almost hysterically amusing.

After the appalling festival, the extremely able third year had gained the ability to tell almost every single member of the supposedly secretive, ancient organization.

It was not hard to do either. All she had to do was look one of them in the eye or be in the visible vicinity of a member for them to edge as far away from her, their eyes dilating in a mixture fear and anxiety, face frozen with the look of a deer caught in the headlights as if waiting for her to suddenly materialize her crimson naginata and slice them into pieces to their death once again.

Especially those old ladies. Apparently they did not realize the Fujino Shizuru they were told to meet with to discuss the future of the Academy was THE Fujino Shizuru that only a few weeks earlier had slowly followed them with a calm disarming smile, weapon in hand, and killed them one by one quickly and oh-so-very efficiently.

A single tear fell onto her still clenched hand. Shizuru was far from simple minded, she knew the wrongs that she committed. Only she knew how deep the hole she had dug for her grave. The eighteen year-old finally willed herself to relax her muscles and clear her head of what she thought of. Reverie was good, reverie was great, but too much would kill her as it had before.

Taking another sip of her tea, another small frown was now on her face. The tea had gotten cold. Setting the cup down, she turned to face the front of the room where the clock now pointed to seven. The usual council meeting would be starting soon. A deep sigh escaped her smooth lips as she stood up. If her parents saw her in this state they would be very displeased. Then again, if they had seen her during those days…

Shizuru shook her head. She had to get out of that state. It would not do her any good. Looking around, as if to confirm that no one was there, the eighteen year old kaichou decided to be mischievously bold. With a single hand she grabbed her cold and finished the remaining now cold tea in a single swallow before daintily wiping her mouth with the opposite sleeve. If anyone was to see her do such a brash action—especially Natsuki—they probably would have died of shock, the pristine elegant image of the beautiful kaichou had been tarnished before their eyes.

As expected the single action had lifted up her spirit temporarily. Setting the cup down on her desk, she set off to the Student Council Room with her usual placid, trademark smile set upon her lips.

The day after the end of the Festival, Mashiro had once again gathered the twelve maidens that had been most affected by what had transpired as well as the many of the most important people who had also been apart of it all to explain what had happened. Then, when everyone had time to shrug off the initial happiness of the defeat of the Kokuyou no Kimi had things become awkward for everyone. After all, it is not everyday when a high school girl could point to someone and say "I killed your most precious person".

The previous winner of the carnival was the first to speak when the silence was deafening. She apologized profusely for not telling them the entire truth. She explained what had happened and what exactly had come to pass. Omoi had been their powerful weapons that they controlled and were controlled by…

Yukino and Nao still looked at her strangely. And when Haruka came face to face to her before the meeting, the loud mouth blonde was more than ready to hit her again. But in a way, it the situation was comical. No one could say anything about the other without being seen as a hypocrite. It was more or less the pot calling the kettle black or however the saying went. You tried to kill me and I tried to kill you before…so it is all good, let's all be friends again and forget the past!

When she entered the room, Minagi (Kanzaki) Reito looked up at her. At the time, during that meeting after silence had once again been painful after Mashiro's apology, he too had given his. He supposedly had felt himself become controlled, possessed, he explained, yet it was his memories that aided the so-called puppeteer of it all. Once again another cynically humorous scene took place as the vice president had gotten down on his hands and knees and begged for forgiveness in front of most relativity angry former HiMEs.

In present time, Reito looked surprisingly embarrassed. He pointed to her desk and the reason for the light blush on his face had become apparent. There was Natsuki, in her chair, sleeping and looking as she did whenever she was asleep: far too cute and vulnerable. After pointing it out, he shrugged carelessly before exiting the room. Before he passed he had whispered close to her.

"She was like that before I came in. I didn't want to wake her."

Shizuru merely nodded. Everyone at that time had unanimously decided without speaking to attempt to pretend as if nothing had happened. The human psyche probably thought like that. If you can't understand it, if you don't wish to face it—don't. Shizuru did not mind, it was probably better off this way. It might not be the correct thing to do, but it was for sure the easiest.

On the opposite side of the table, Shizuru knelt down to be face to face with Natsuki. As usual, the bitter pang rose to her stomach as it did whenever she saw her. She would be a fool to believe that anything had changed between them: all the good things and the bad.

The third year hand reached out to caress Natsuki's cheek though midway she hesitated. The caress turned to a playful poke on the nose.

"Natsuki."

She poked again and then again, repeating her friends name before groggily did Kuga Natsuki open her green eyes to meet the gentle smile on her crimson eyed friend.

"Natsuki really should be more careful where she chooses to sleep," she said teasingly, tapping her friend's nose once again, before she stood up. "Did you have a nice dream?"

"Shizuru…"

The moment was interrupted by the screeching loud entrance of Haruka followed by her add-along Yukino. Reito and Tate were behind them. They all stopped when they saw who was inside, the light blush on Natsuki face was noted immediately. The eccentric blonde stared at the two and Shizuru could tell that the other was ready to launch into a huge rant while Yukino sported her own worried glance.

Walking to where Natsuki still sat, Shizuru laid her hand on the blue haired girls shoulder.

"I think it is best that Natsuki leaves now," she said, before bending slightly down to whisper, "meet me later after school?" Natsuki merely nodded and quickly left the room. Sitting down on the once occupied seat, the kaichou continued to smile her airheaded smile.

"So where should we begin?"

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Natsuki stood in the ocean of red and pink flowers, engulfed by their beauty. In the morning, the day had been promised to be beautiful, and it its promise had been fulfilled. The air was neither cold nor hot, but just perfect while a cool breeze swept through the land and the sun shined brightly, tranquilly in the afternoon air.

It was like nothing had ever happened. Nothing had ever happened…it was a lie but she embraced the choice though her feelings contradicted with herself. She was happy that she had been able to grow in the situation and understand love and friendship a little better.

"Shizuru…" She whispered, tapping her foot impatiently. Where was she?

To answer her own question, she knew where she was. Natsuki understood how busy the golden brown haired girl was these days. The first year cared deeply for her friend and started to cherish—or realized that she cherished—all the time that she spent with Shizuru which after the festival she had been doing more and more.

Her apartment was still being rebuilt and the damage had been painful. Shizuru had offered that she would live with her until her "home" was finished. They lived in that house together, whose garden had been the scene of the death of Haruka and the setting where Shizuru's despair had been brought to the supposed impenetrable surface. It had been awkward, they slept in different rooms, but these past weeks she felt closer to her friend.

"Ara…has you been waiting for me?"

"What took you so long?" the younger girl asked gruffly to the voice behind her.

"Judging by that tone has Natsuki missed me? I feel so honored."

"Shizuru!"

The elegant Kyoto-born smiled at her friend that had, with surprising speed, turned around to face her. Her smiled widened, "what?"

Natsuki started to pout. She shot a glare at her friend.

The mischievous fox-like grin only widened at in response to the first year's burst of outward emotion.

"You wanted to see me this morning no? That is, unless my chair has become Natsuki's favorite place to sleep."

"Shizuru," knowing from years of experience that the conversation would go around in circles, Natsuki decided to cut to the chase. "I just wanted to see you. I wanted to talk to you."

"I see."

There was a break, silence took the conversation. The cool afternoon wind blew through the garden eliciting a song from the trees that surrounded them and the chorus of flowers behind them.

Shizuru was the one to speak first.

"The weather is nice isn't it? This year spring is more beautiful than usual."

"…"

"Let's go somewhere to eat. It's a bit early but if we get hungry later we can always have a snack."

"Okay."

"I leave it up to you where to go."

…owari

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Thank you so much for the kind reviews and everyone who took their time to read this. Sorry it took so long, I broke my left hand last week and the last part was typed with a single hand.

It looks like I'm going to have to make another chapter before the omake since this one was too long and I feel if I tack anymore into this chapter the entire thing would drag more than it already did which is why I didn't add the last few pages to this chapter (originally it was 11 pages long). ;;

On a side note, does anyone have the translated version of Katakoi Enka? I've translated most of it myself but there are a whole lot of holes in it, mostly when Kaichou-sama speaks. My Japanese is merely adequate and despite it being as awesomely sexy— Shizuru's Kyoto-ben confuses me to no end and the fact that the speaking parts are so elegant and full of soliloquy that I can't understand it at all and barely grasp the concept. I downloaded all the Mai HiME OSTs and Character Voice Albums so I don't have the little lyric sheets which would probably make it a whole lot easier…

Before I forget:

bubct222- "omoi's" kanji "omo(u)" has the general characterization of "to think" or "consider". However when you add "i" to it, "omoi" takes on the sentiment of "thoughts on an emotional basis", "feelings" and even something like "love". Though in the context that "omoi" had been used in Mai HiME it generally meant "feelings" or "emotions". It really depends on the situation. I chose to use this word instead of something like "kanjo" or "kimochi" since the fact that I felt that the word "omoi" was hit over the head so many times in Mai HiME and I really think that "omoi" is like a huge theme if not the main one in this anime. I probably should have had my translation a bit more clear, but I chose to generalize the statement so someone that didn't know Japanese that well could understand. This brings me to my other statement. You probably do know more Japanese than I do, but the thing is that this fanfiction piece is written in English not in Japanese. I wanted to use a little bit to add to the setting but not enough for a non-speaker to be overwhelmed. All in all thank you for your comment and I do hope you that continue reading.

. please review and leave a few comments especially corrections.