Epilogue
Back to Earl

"I still don't understand why Mashiro insisted that you had to accompany me here."

"She was probably hoping that someone would shoot down our helicopter."

Natsuki turned hastily towards Nagi. "You must be joking. Last night the East and the West coalition agreed on a truce."

He shrugged, visibly pleased. "I know, but it's always fun to tease you, Natsuki."

She flushed. "You are being too familiar, Colonel, considering we only met two days ago."

'If there is one thing that I appreciate of Earl, is that there I could still spank you.'

Then, muttering a silent epithet, Natsuki looked away, preferring to admire the enormous cave. The first time she had been there it was pitch black, but now lamps were everywhere, and they cast their bright light on a platform covered with inscriptions and circled by twelve tall pillars.

Natsuki shivered, while an eerie aura of recognition shook her. She was sure to have already seen a place like this, but she could not remember where or when. She looked at her escort, but neither Nagi, or Nina, or any of the other soldiers seemed to share her feelings. "What is it?" she softly asked.

"No one knows. And no one knows who built it though there are other places like this, scattered all around our planet. But now that the war is over, we'll probably have time and resources to investigate further" Nina replied her.

Natsuki smiled. Nina finally seemed happy now, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I hope that the people of your world will live peace and cooperation in the future" Natsuki said.

"So do I and... I wish you a safe trip back home, Natsuki of Earl."

The Headmistress nodded, walking slowly towards the centre of the platform. She had eagerly waited for that moment, though she couldn't help but feel slightly sad at the thought that she was parting from Terra forever. 'I didn't even have time to attend their funeral.'

Biting down on her lower lip, she stared at Nagi.

"I… I suppose I have to thank you" she reluctantly admitted. "I know that you did it only to save your position, but if you didn't show me those documents I would have made the biggest mistake of my entire life."

He smiled. "I would have never thought to hear those words from you, Headmistress."

"You should have a talk with your counterpart on Earl, you are as annoying as the Archduke, but at least you have an ounce of common sense."

At those words Nagi's sly smile intensified. "He's still too young; you keep forgetting he's only fifteen."

Then he slipped an arm around Nina's shoulders, who visibly blushed. "But be sure that Nagi De Artai has learnt the lesson the hard way, and he won't do the same mistake again."

"What?" Natsuki shouted, eyes wide with surprise at the air of exultant trickery appeared on Nagi's face. But she had no time to say anything else, because a white flash of light blinded her, as the gate opened to carry the Headmistress away from Terra.

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An instant later Natsuki found herself crouched on the floor, the marble cold against her cheek. She tried to hold her head up, pressing a hand over her mouth to fight back the nausea.

"Headmistress!" someone screamed.

Recognizing the voice, Natsuki smiled despite the sickness. 'They did not lie to me. I'm at home.'

"Yohko… what has happened?"

The Medical Officer helped her to get to her feet, shooting Natsuki a curious glance. "Honestly I have no idea. We were talking when a flash of light engulfed the room and, although it lasted only a nanosecond, I could swear that you disappeared into it."

"When?"

"Just a few moments ago."

Natsuki licked her lips, considering for a moment to say the truth, but immediately after she decided against it. 'We have no time now to study these gates.'

"It's odd, but it could be part of the same mysterious chain of events that are happening all around Earl" she lied, feeling guilty. Then she shook her head to clear her mind while the dizziness was gradually receding.

"Would you take me to the laboratory, Yohko? Better to make sure that everything is fine there."

"You should visit the infirmary before."

"No" Natsuki almost cried, rubbing her eyes. "I'm all right. Our Otome are more important."

Then, leaning slightly against Yohko, she marched resolutely towards the laboratory.

It was only when Natsuki saw the intact shape of the frozen Shizuru that she allowed herself to relax. She sighed, gripping the back of a chair and collapsing into it.

The Headmistress looked down at her hands that were no longer clenched into balls, but open in her lap, palms up. 'It's over.'

Suddenly the phone of the laboratory rang, startling her. It was so close to her hand that Natsuki picked it up mechanically, mumbling her name on the speaker. She listened carefully what the voice on the other side was saying, while her lips twisted in a grim sneer.

"Request some ground units from Aries and Windbloom to scout the surroundings, and report to me in one hour" Natsuki ordered, although unconvinced.

Then she ended the call, passing thoughtfully her hand in her hair.

"What's the problem?" Yohko asked her, her eyebrows frown.

Natsuki seemed finally to acknowledge Yohko's presence. She set her eyes on the Medical Officer. "It was the Director of the Prison Desperate. Nagi has disappeared from his cell."

Natsuki looked away from the shocked look on Yohko's face to stare blankly at Shizuru. "Everything makes sense now" she whispered.

'His blunt last remark, the fact that they knew so much about my world, the Otome system, and the situation on Earl at the moment. Also, Shizuru told me that between Terra and Earl there were ten years of difference and, rightly, he was fifteen here and he looked around twenty-five there. It's all because Archduke De Artai and Colonel De Artai is the same person.'

"Are you thinking to send one of the Pillars there?"

Natsuki's attention returned on Yohko. "No, we can't afford to scatter around our best warriors now. We already have too many problems to afford."

"But Nagi is for sure a big trouble, or he will become soon" Yohko insisted.

Leaving the chair Natsuki shook her head. "Not any more" she declared, in a definitive tone.

'Fine. Go play somewhere else, Nagi. For sure Terra fits you better.'

Natsuki felt relieved, almost happy. In a few steps she found herself in front of Shizuru. Whatever had struck the woman had solidified her features in a perpetual air of surprise.

The Headmistress raised a hand to caress her friend's cold cheek. 'Even something so innocent like this it was denied them. I'll never ever take it for granted again.'

She pulled out something from her pocket. The proof that she had really travelled to another universe. Softly she asked Yohko to leave, and only when she heard the door closing Natsuki flipped open the cell phone.

"I have something to read you. Listen to me, my Shizuru."

Natsuki looked at her and, for a moment, the light on the Graceful Amethyst's face seemed to mimic her trademark seraphic smile.

Natsuki smiled back.

The end

AN: first of all, cookies go to my beta Jamie-chan! Without her massive help this fanfic would have been the cemetery of the English language (as you can see in these notes ;-)).

Cookies go also to all the people who read and reviewed this. I'm really impressed and I thank so much everyone

And now, a bit of "why" I wrote this and that.

Shizuru's position: as she explained in chapter 7, everything she did it was for her Natsuki, to the point to destroy her world. Is love worth killing for? I don't know, but Shizuru Hime seems to think that way; it's the dark side of her nature, the one I love the most I have to admit. Saying that, I still do not think she's irremediably evil, she's only has her own motivation to live and to take lives, and it's Natsuki.

Natsuki's vulnerability: I agree that she seems a bit helpless, but I didn't want her to be some kind of Mary Sue, who arrives and solves everything. She's a cunning politician, who is thrown in a world she doesn't know, and where her possibilities of survival and to come back home are really minimum. I thought she had to move cautiously in the beginning, but I'm satisfied that in the end she decided to act. 

Sergay/Nina/Nagi triangle: I love the relationship these three have in Mai Otome. It's so… insane! Nina. Her stubbornness to follow the orders of her Master, just because she was grown to act that way, and in the name of the love for her "father". While Sergay is torn between the affection for her, the duty towards his country and the attraction for Nagi's resoluteness. Finally there's Nagi, who just uses both of them. I needed to replicate their relationship in this story, and I found nothing better than to make her the lover of both. They are so cute together, don't you think? ;-)

Who is the Big Bad?: none really. Everyone had his/her own reasons to act the way he/she did. One could say that Shizuru's motivations were nobler than Mashiro and Nagi's ones, but on the other hand she would have caused a disaster. So… I have no answer for this :-P

Next update, the last one, will be a funny omake, because I'm sick of tragedy and now I need fluff! ;-)