Note: Mai-Hime is an anime that was done by the studio Sunrise.

Natsuki Kuga and Shizuru Fujino were going on a walk, while holding hands. Natsuki said, "I had a really good time with you."

Shizuru smiled and replied, "That sentence is a treat to my ears, because there's nothing that I love more than being with you."

Natsuki blushed and said, "I'm glad to hear that. I'm sorry that I didn't get to see during the past few days. There's been a lot of crazy crimes that I had to stop."

Shizuru replied, "I'm always proud of you, sweetheart. You're the city's hero and my hero, too."

Natsuki said, "You're my hero."

Shizuru was flattered, but she felt like she didn't deserve to be called that. She shook her head and said, "I haven't done anything that heroic."

Natsuki said, "You've made my life shine brighter than it ever has before, and my heart appreciates that a lot. Being a hero isn't always about beating up eccentric criminals while wearing stylish costumes. It's about saving people from sadness and giving those people optimistic love. I assure you that you do that for me all the time and I'm incredibly grateful for it."

Shizuru kissed Natsuki and replied, "Thank you, honey. You're the best. Let's go out." Natsuki nodded and finished walking Shizuru home. She hugged Shizuru and started heading to her own house.

The next morning, Natsuki woke up. She used to be in a grumpier mood when waking up, but that was before she started dating Shizuru. She had recently been waking up in a decent mood.

Natsuki walked to the living room and started eating some cereal. Her dad asked, "Can't you eat the cereal that expired last year?"

Natsuki stuck out her tongue and said, "No way. That stuff is super gross."

Natsuki's dad replied, "It's only been expired for one year so it's not a big deal."

Natsuki asked, "Are you that obsessed with money that you want me to eat expired cereal, so you feel like the two dollars you used to purchase the box was well spent?"

The dad said, "More or less."

Natsuki lightly smiled and asked, "Then why don't you eat it?"

The dad answered, "Because it tastes like crap."

Natsuki stared at her dad and asked, "You're okay with me eating garbage food?"

The dad said, "More or less."

Natsuki had dealt with these nonsensical talks with her dad in the past. They used to tick her off, but Shizuru's love positively affected Natsuki. Shizuru didn't even have to be there for Natsuki to feel good. Instead of being mad at her dad, she just had an amused smile on her face.

Natsuki's mom walked by and saw the happy look on her daughter's face. She said, "Someone looks cheerful today?"

Natsuki hadn't even realized that she was smiling. Shizuru made her smile so much that she often smiled without knowing it. She smiled about as often as she took deep breaths. She said, "I guess I'm in a good mood."

The mom replied, "I'm glad to hear that."

Natsuki said, "I don't even know why I'm in a good mood."

The mom replied, "I bet that it has something to do with Shizuru."

The thought of a bet made the dad feel excited. He said, "Let's do a one-hundred-dollar bet."

The mom replied, "I don't want to do an actual bet." The dad frowned.

Natsuki was embarrassed to admit what a big impact Shizuru had on her life, so she said, "I'm afraid you're wrong. I love Shizuru, but she doesn't automatically make me the super happy and cheerful." Her cellphone started ringing. Shizuru was calling her, so her smile became way bigger. She blushed with embarrassment, because her parents saw her overly excited reaction. She grabbed her cellphone and ran to her bedroom.

Natsuki answered her phone and said, "Hi, Shizuru."

Shizuru replied, "Hi, sweetheart."

Natsuki asked, "What's going on?"

Shizuru said, "I'm afraid that I have a work project to take care of today so I won't be able to see you. I was hoping that I would get to spend the day with you, but it seems like that can't happen. Are you mad at me?"

Natsuki shook her head and said, "Of course not. You're the most precious thing in my life. I'll miss you."

Shizuru replied, "I'll have a truckload's worth of missing for you."

Natsuki paused and asked, "Does that make sense?"

Shizuru shrugged her shoulders and said, "Making sense is something that I only do in moderation."

Natsuki said, "I hope that you have a great work day."

Shizuru replied, "No offense honey, but work days aren't exactly carnivals of magical entertainment."

Natsuki lightly giggled and said, "I know. I was just trying to be nice."

Shizuru replied, "You don't have to put any effort. You're naturally kind hearted and heroic."

Natsuki said, "Thank you."

Shizuru replied, "It's too bad that we're on the phone. I want to give you a kiss."

Natsuki said, "I'm sorry, but it's not really possible to make that happen."

Shizuru kissed her own cellphone and replied, "Close enough."

Natsuki got off of the phone. She had been trying to hold in the disappointment she had over not being able to spend the day with Shizuru. Her smile started fading away.

Natsuki was bored, so she started cleaning the living room. She was using a broom that her family had been using for ten years. She spent a half hour cleaning the kitchen floor. After she finished the floor cleaning, she faced her dad and asked, "Can't we get newer cleaning materials?"

The dad answered, "We sure can't. That broom costs fifteen dollars."

Natsuki asked, "Do you plan on keeping it for fifteen years?"

The dad said, "I sure do."

Natsuki said, "I'm going to clean the living room."

The dad replied, "Okay, but the vacuum cleaner's been broken for a few months."

Natsuki asked, "Do you plan on buying a new one?"

The dad said, "I sure don't."

The next day, Natsuki Kuga was going for a walk around the city. She enjoyed the relaxing breeze and the calm atmosphere. However, that pleasantness didn't last long. She heard klutzy sounding footsteps and could tell that Yuuichi Tate was walking up to her. She sighed.

Yuuichi walked up to Natsuki and said, "Hi, Natsuki. You look moderately good today."

Natsuki had a confused look on her face, while asking, "What does that even mean?"

Yuuichi explained, "Well, you get mad when I flirt with you and you also get mad when I make fun of you, so I'm trying to give you compliments that are in the middle."

Natsuki replied, "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm not comprehending what you're saying."

Yuuichi pointed to the newspaper and asked, "Did you hear the big news?"

Natsuki said, "No."

Yuuichi replied, "The city's going to be honoring their biggest hero tomorrow. It might be you."

Natsuki had a surprised look on her face, while saying, "Me? I'm actually flattered that you would think that, but I'm not worthy of that honor."

Yuuichi replied, "But you've saved the city more than anybody else. Plus, you're super attractive."

Natsuki said, "I doubt that looks are a deciding factor."

Yuuichi replied, "My good looks are how I became a used car salesman."

Natsuki walked home and went to her room. She relaxed on her bed and called Shizuru Fujino. Shizuru said, "Hi honey. How are you?"

Natsuki replied, "Not bad. Yuuichi told me about some hero of the city event."

Shizuru said, "I've heard a lot about that. I hope I'm not setting the bar too high, but I think that you're going to win."

Natsuki replied, "Come on. Once again, I'm flattered, but I'm not going to win that. I know I'm not a bad hero or anything like that, but I don't have the qualifications to be the best hero."

Shizuru responded, "I'm afraid that I must agree with that. You aren't just the most wonderful and beautiful person in my life. You have a heroic heart and a never ending determination to save the city."

Natsuki said, "Thank you. I still have doubts about me winning, but your words are always flattering gifts."

Shizuru replied, "You'll be my greatest hero. You saved my heart from a lonely life."

Natsuki blushed and said, "You did the same for me."

Shizuru smiled and said, "I love you."

Natsuki replied, "I love you, too." She got off the phone and went to bed.

The next day, Natsuki and Shizuru met up outside the mayor's office, because that's where the Hero of the City event was taking place. Shizuru looked over at Natsuki and asked, "Are you excited about this?"

Natsuki said, "Not particularly."

Shizuru replied, "But you have a good chance of winning."

Natsuki said, "I don't think so."

Natsuki and Shizuru sat down. Natsuki looked around and saw Yuuichi napping on his seat.

The mayor walked up to the crowd. He was wearing a fancy suit and a tie that he got from a garbage can. He said, "Greetings, citizens of the city. I'm the mayor. My real name is so unimportant that I can barely remember it. Thankfully, this event isn't about me. It's about honoring the hardest working and most heroic person that we currently have in our city." One of the Mayor's staff members handed him an envelope that had the hero's name on it. He looked at it and said, "Oh, I'm the hero of the city." The crowd clapped.

Shizuru looked at Natsuki and asked, "How could they give the award to him? You've saved the city over twenty times, and he's taken over fifty naps during work hours."

Natsuki replied, "It's okay. It's nothing to be mad about it."

Shizuru said, "But you deserve that award more than anybody."

Natsuki replied, "You're in love with me, so your opinion would probably be biased."

Shizuru responded, "If being in love with you means I'll be biased, then I'll give out the most biased answers possible."

Natsuki said, "Weird sentiment, but thank you."

Suddenly, the city's most wanted criminal, Gonna Getcha, jumped on stage. He said, "Greetings, silly people. I heard that you're giving an award to the hero of the city, but where's the award for the villain?"

Natsuki folded her arms and said, "Villains don't get rewards."

Gonna Getcha replied, "That's a dishonor." He looked around and asked, "So, where's the supposed hero of the city?"

The mayor said, "I'm the hero of the city."

Gonna Getcha twirled his mustache, while saying, "Then it's your responsibility to fight me."

The mayor replied, "Come on. I'm the mayor, not a superhero."

Gonna Getcha said, "If you're going to be the hero of the city, you have to live up to that title. If you don't stop me from harming your own city's citizens, you're going to be a failure of a hero."

The mayor replied, "Then bring it on." The mayor got his fists ready.

Gonna Getcha had a menacing look on his face, while saying, "I'm gonna getcha." The mayor punched him, but he punched and kicked the mayor several times. The mayor put up a brief fight, but he didn't have good fighting skills, so he lost the fight.

Natsuki got onstage and said, "You better surrender."

Gonna Getcha asked, "Why?"

Natsuki started cornering the villain, while saying, "Villains aren't supposed to win."

Gonna Getcha replied, "That's repetitive and boring. Having the good guys always defeat the bad guys. Nothing different ever happens."

Natsuki responded, "I disagree with that. Sometimes the good girls defeat the bad guys."

Gonna Getcha asked, "Do you think that you have what it takes to defeat me?"

Natsuki said, "Yes I do."

Gonna Getcha had a look of smug confidence, while saying, "I highly disagree with that. I'm gonna getcha."

Natsuki punched Gonna Getcha in the face. He kicked her, but she kicked him several times. The crook fell to the ground, but he kept trying to hit Natsuki. He looked around the stage and saw the microphone. He grabbed it and threw it at Natsuki. She fell to the ground. Gonna Getcha did an evil laugh.

Natsuki got up and punched and kicked Gonna Getcha. Gonna Getcha was getting tired, so he thought that he could lie on the ground and take a quick nap. He was hoping that would give him the energy he needed to win the fight. However, he passed out. Natsuki said, "I got you." She put a pair of handcuffs on him.

Natsuki walked up to Shizuru. Shizuru said, "You did a wonderful job."

Natsuki replied, "Thank you."

Shizuru nudged Natsuki and asked, "Don't you see how heroic you are? How could you not feel that you're the hero of the city?"

Natsuki replied, "I don't feel that I need to win a fancy awards show or anything like that. I know that you consider me your hero and that's the only title I need to feel important. After all, you were my hero first and you'll always keep being my hero."

Shizuru responded, "You never fail to bring my heart the brightest feelings of happiness." She grabbed Natsuki and kissed her.

A few minutes later, the mayor returned to the stage and said, "Natsuki, please come here."

Natsuki replied, "Um, okay." She got on the stage.

The mayor looked at her and said, "Gonna Getcha was right about the hero of the city needing to be someone who protects the citizens. That's not me. You're that hero." The mayor put the hero necklace around Natsuki's neck.

Natsuki replied, "Thank you. This is quite the honor. However, I wouldn't have the strength to be a hero without someone that's very important to me." Shizuru blew a kiss to Natsuki. Natsuki blew a kiss back and felt proud to be the true hero of the city.