I've put you through a lot of setup but a little something will now happen.

Mai

My first random thought when I found an envelope taped to Natsuki's door that somebody had been kidnapped. For a split second I might have even had the panicked thought that my little Yuto had been taken, even though I had just seen him safe and sound with his father on Skype.
Only two days into this whole affair and I was already scared as a mouse I scolded myself. Yuto was fine, Yuuichi would make sure of that.
I pushed my unfounded fears aside and called Natsuki over, holding the letter our to her. For all I know she could have been expecting this strange sort of mail. However she looked at me puzzled.

"It was taped to your door," was all I could offer in terms of an explanation.
Natsuki almost ripped the paper out of my hand, her lips immediately pressing together in a white line. She looked scared and angry at the same time, making me realize who the sender would have to be.
"Is it from Shizuru?" I asked.
"Maybe," she answered, but the way she wouldn't look me in the eye when saying it was telling enough.
As usual in situations like this, my first impulse was to hug the person in distress, but I I knew Natsuki was not the type to appreciate it, much less so when it was Shizuru who was troubling her.

That didn't mean I was not curious about the note however. I tried again to gleam a hint of the writing, but she folded it and put it away.

"What did she write?" I wanted to know, although it was unlikely Natsuki would share immediately. Today, Natsuki was even more touchy than ever, when Shizuru was concerned. "I don't know, I didn't read it yet!" she barked at me so harsh I flinched back and I knew I had overstepped my boundaries.
Gently I touched her arm. "If you want to talk later, I'll be in my room."

It was unlikely she would take me up on my offer, but after years of friendship I knew it was important that she had people in her life who cared.
And in turn Natsuki was as a loyal a friend as one could wish for, maybe I also needed people in my life who cared, besides Yuuichi.
In recent years Takumi and I had become sadly distant. He had decided to study in the states together with Akira and although he called me on a semi-regular basis it was not the same anymore as when we had both been children and the only person each of us had.

I shook my head as I searched in my pocket for the room key. It was no use to dwell on the past. I had a happy family, a good present and my future was also looking bright. As soon as we could get back out of Fuuka. Inside I gracelessly flopped down onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. It was too early to go to sleep just yet, but there was nothing to do.

I missed housework, as much as it tired me out sometimes, suddenly I missed the sense of purpose that came with keeping things tidy.
Back home there was always some dirty laundry, a window to clean, dishes to wash or simply picking up Yuto's toys. Here in this dorm, with a room to myself there was nothing to do. My clothes were mostly still clean and in my suitcase, the few dishes were already done and with no Mikoto around there was nothing else untidy. I sighed deeply, feeling a little lost. What was I supposed to do, if there was nobody I could take care of?

If only there was a way to hasten things along so I could go back to my daily life. Even though I had just gone back to my room I contemplated leaving it again in search of Midori. There must be something I could do to help instead of just waiting to be put on patrol. Natsuki would not come over anyway, I was sure about that and in the event I might be wrong she still had my number, should she really need me.

Yes, I had to be more productive around here, I decided I would go to Midori and Fumi-san, after all three pairs of eyes were seeing more than two. I pushed myself up from the mattress feeling suddenly light-headed. Gingerly I set first one foot, then the other on the floor while I tried to take deep steady breaths. I didn't know where the sudden dizziness had come from. Slowly I rose from my sitting position but as soon as I was standing, the dizzy feeling increased. I tried to take a step forward, but even as I did so, I could feel gravity pulling me backwards. My eyes rolled up, behind the lids and I could feel my back hitting the bed again before I blanked out. My last cognitive thought was, how it was good, Yuto was being taken care of by his father and not me in this state.

I awoke to somebody shaking my shoulder. When I opened my eyes my whole field of vision was covered by a blurry face.
"Maiii! Wake up Mai! I'm hungry!" The voice sounded familiar, but it couldn't be true.

But now that my eyes had adjusted to the light, there it was, right in front of me and clear, Mikoto's face.
"Mikoto!" I flung my arms around her, pulling her down onto me. How long had it been until we had spoken to each other, until I had held her in my arms?
Mikoto also put her arms around me, happily rubbing her face in my boobs as she had used to do in high school. It had made me uncomfortable but this time I was too glad to care. I didn't care why she was suddenly here, dimly I was aware that it did not make sense but I pushed these thoughts away. Mikoto seemed equally happy, until her stomach made its needs known with a loud growl.
"I'm hungry..." she wailed from my chest and I laughed.

"Then let's get you something to eat," I said and Mikoto immediately jumped off of me to let me stand up. Briefly I wondered what I could make for her, seeing as I had not bought much food, however when I opened the cabinets they were fully stocked.
"Can you make me your delicious ramen again?" Mikoto asked. I nodded "Of course." I would not have expected her to ask for anything else. Taking out the vegetables and the cutting board I set to preparing it, asking Mikoto to boil water and heat the pan.
"How are you Mikoto?" I asked while chopping a carrot. She just smiled at me and said "Hungry!"
Again I heard myself laughing, rich and deep, coming straight from my belly. "I know that, but we haven't seen each other for years. I want to know how you have been all this time."
Mikoto cocked her head. "Years?"
"We kind of lost contact after you moved away and I finished school," I tried to explain, but she kept looking at me quizzically. "What are you talking about Mai? I live here, with you and you have class tomorrow."
Slowly I stopped cutting, putting the knife down. I took a long look at Mikoto, her hair was still black with her trademark little braids, she was wearing the same yellow and green oversized t-shirt I so often remembered her in. And then her face. Her face showed no lines, no signs of maturity, in fact Mikoto looked exactly the same as she had when we had been in school together.

"Mikoto?" I whispered. My hand had started to shake and I gripped the counter hard to steady them and myself. All the elation I had previously felt was rapidly draining out of me.
"You're not really here Mikoto, are you?" I asked.
She shook her head, coming closer. "What are you talking about Mai. Hurry up and continue cooking so we can eat together."
"Oh Mikoto." She was right in front of me in all her fifteen year old glory and I tried to hug her again but this time I felt nothing between my fingers and when I opened my eyes again she was gone. There was no pot on the stove and the cutting board was clean, no signs of carrots and sprung to my eyes. Why could my best friend not suddenly come back, why was I tortured like that? A strangled sob left my mouth and just when I felt like I would break down crying the door to the apartment swung open.

Nobody entered. Pulling myself together I went over, peering outside. The corridor was dark, only emergency lighting basking it in a greenish hue and more importantly it was empty. I looked left and right again, searching in vain for whoever had opened it. As soon as I turned my head to the other side I thought I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. It should be impossible, I had just stared down this corridor, but I could've sworn I saw a wisp of light hair vanish round the corner. Without thinking I rushed after it, not bothering with putting on shoes or even closing the door behind me.

When I rounded the corner I, again, nobody was there. Frantically I looked around, I was sure I had seen something. And it happened again, as soon as my eyes were turned away there was movement in my periphery. Blindly I ran after it, corridor after corridor each time just seeing a shadow or a lock of white hair disappearing out of my sight. No matter how much I hurried, I never seemed to catch up yet whenever I looked they were just around the corner.
Slowly but surely I was led to the glass dome without realizing it. Only when I stood in front of a side entrance to the dorm, one that was ajar and facing the dome I realised where I had been led. I hesitated to exit, what was awaiting me? Had I been tricked and baited by an Orphan to come here or had it been something else. White hair. A thought was close to the the surface of my mind, but still swimming in murky water. What was it that I couldn't remember.

"Mai."

The sound was faint, echoing from the darkness below the arch of the entrance doors to the dome. Was it just my imagination, or was it real? I waited, but I clearly heard my name being called again. This time I slowly stepped through the door, crossing the open space between the two buildings. I all but expected another open gate to greet me but the doors were closed and also locked as I found when I attempted to pull them open.

At loss of how to continue I looked around. Where was this mysterious voice, where had it been coming from?
I could've sworn it had been coming from inside the building, luring me towards the glass dome. It made no sense to now stand in front of locked door. I could be cosy in my room, eating ramen with Mikoto. The thought flashed through my mind before I could remember she hadn't really been here with me, that she had been a dream, a vision, something other than real. Tears sprung to my eyes again and I had to clench my jaw fiercely to stop a sob from erupting. Natsuki had done this a hundred times when she didn't want me to see how much some things really got to her. I never had know how painful it was to suppress your reactions.

"Mai."

It was right behind me, so close I half expected to crash into them as I spun around but the impact didn't happen. Right in front of me stood another face I hadn't seen in ages, a boy no older than when I last saw him, even though the white hair was contradicting his young age.
"Nagi," I whispered, disbelieving. This couldn't be any more real than Mikoto earlier.
"Hey Mai, it's been a while," he said easily, holding up a hand in greeting for good measure. Now that he was close to me, even his voice had the same teasing lilt to it as before.
"Was all of this your doing?" The anger came over me so suddenly I didn't even realize I was shouting and almost crying again. "Did you enjoy playing with my emotions?!"

Nagi grinned at my outburst, making me feel foolish. I should know better than to bare myself in front of him.
"My dear Mai, I didn't do anything but guide you here. Which has been a fun chase, you have to admit."
Ignoring his last comment I focused on the important part. "Why did you lure me out here?"
He cocked his head. "Can't I seek company for old times sake?" He kept riling me up with his sing-song voice.

What I did next might be explained by spending so much time with Natsuki in the recent years, however, when I tried to grab his shoulders, my hands flew straight through him even though he looked so solid and Nagi's perpetual smile dropped. Immediately I pulled my hands back, surprised and frightened.
"The gate is still closed Mai and we can't leave but something has been stirring on your side and I've come to warn you about it."
"We already know Orphans have been reappearing, but where do they come from? We destroyed the HiME star."

My last sentence came out almost as a question, grasping at straws Nagi might throw me to reassure what we had believed true.
"The star has been destroyed," he confirmed. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief as he went on. "But something is happening, the power is only a fraction but I can feel it stirring and if Orphans have shown themselves it has been going on longer than I thought."

"Then tell us how to defeat it." I urged him but Nagi shook his head.
"I may no longer have a lord to serve but I also can't fully cross the gate. Be wary Mai, old powers are rearing their heads. That is all I can tell you."

I wanted to ask him more questions, press him for answers I wasn't sure he was withholding or not but as he spoke his last words, Nagi already started to fade.
Vanishing as Mikoto had, leaving me alone in the dark before the closed glass dome.