Sacrifice - A Mai HiME Fanfiction

Disorder

Orange hues blanketted the city as the setting sun ducked beneath the horizon. Natsuki sat crosslegged in front of her couch, the rough carpetting irritating her bare legs but she didn't move. She sat staring at her television, not really taking in what was on it. She had flicked onto the news and subsequently zoned out. She was bored. Bored stiff. She idly played with the hem of her white sleeveless top, her thoughts drifting. The past few nights after school she had been forced to go out with Mai, once to a karaoke and once to the cinema. Admittedly, it had taken her mind off of things but spending some much time with that ball of energy was draining. Just being near her was tiring.

She had to smile at her friend though. Mai had seen that she'd been slightly low in mood as of late and was trying to cheer her up. But she'd never admit to the fiery girl that she appreciated it though. No, no, that would be far to soft and emotional for the tough biker. She frowned at her thoughts. Stupid brain. She inwardly cursed herself. She stretched her arms out and then folded them behind her head, leaning back into the tattered sofa. She considered her options for the remainder of the night. She could sit here and watch television, not that she was really watching it at all right now and it could hardly keep her interest at the best of times. She could scour the kitchen for food, though she might only be able to come up with a few items, and she knew those wouldn't mix well. She shuddered at the thought. She could go for a ride.

That idea peaked her interest and she looked out the window. The sky was relatively clear but the temperatures were beginning to drop now the sun had made its descent. Plus, she'd used a lot of fuel recently and needed to cut down on the amount of night rides she'd been taking. She scowled. She hated having to sort out finances and balance the books. She was a teenager, she shouldn't have to worry about money. Sighing, she lifted herself and threw her body onto the couch, the furniture creaking beneath her in complaint. She'd probably have to buy a new one soon but there was familiarity with it she didn't want to part with. She smiled wryly. That summed her up didn't it. She hated change. She'd hold onto anything for dear life as long as it would keep her life familiar and safe.

Physically, she didn't mind taking risks. In fact, she probably went out of her way sometimes to put herself in danger. In the past she had, at any rate. But emotionally, she was a coward, pure and simple. Inside, she was still that frightened little girl, clinging to her mother, never wanting to let go. Pathetic, she thought. She shook her head. No, she wasn't doing this tonight. She wasn't going to spiral downwards into thoughts of self derision. She'd had enough of that. If she didn't keep herself busy, her brain kicked in, whispering in her ear, telling her things she didn't want to hear.

Scanning the room quickly with her eyes, she tried to find something, anything that would keep her occupied. Finally, her gaze rested upon a small desk with an uncomfortable wooden chair parked in front of it. A bag sat next to it, battered and abused from overuse. On top of the table sat several books and a pad of paper. Oh great, she thought. Homework. She lifted herself from the couch and sauntered over towards it, glaring at the offending article. After a few minutes of deliberation she finally shrugged. Better than nothing.

Soon, she had settled down into the uncomfortable chair and had flicked open one of her textbooks. Her brow furrowed in mild irritation. Maths. The bane of her existance. Her new arch nemesis. She'd take this one down just as ruthlessly, she decided. Holding her pencil as though it were the ultimate weapon, she starting scribbling on the notepad in front of her, scratching out a method in which to defeat this monster. In reality, she was hopelessly lost, writing any old equation in hope that it was the right one. After a few more minutes of this she threw her pencil down in disgust and scowled. Deafeated.

She massaged her temples with her fingertips. Maths always had a way of giving her the biggest headache in the smallest amount of time. Perhaps it was her weakness. She glanced at a few of her other textbooks. History, Geography and Biology. None of which she particularly excelled in. This was going to be a long night of boring homework, she mused. She briefly considered tossing the books out her window but dismissed the idea, she couldn't afford to pay for the replacements for every time she wanted to do that.

She picked up a sudden noise and she turned her head towards its origin. She could only describe it as a clicking, or perhaps a scratching. She looked towards the fairly large windows and glass door that led to her balcony. The blinds had been lowered so she couldn't see beyond them. She carefully stood, not making a sound and padded over to the window. Her pulse quickened as she listened and she almost lost track of the noise from the sound of blood pumping in her ears. There it was again, another click, followed by a metallic scratching. It was defintely coming from the glass door.

She wrapped her fingers around the pull chord that was dangling beside the cream blinds. She hesitated for a moment, all sorts of scenarios flashing through her mind. Her eyes narrowed in determination. Fear would not get the better of her. She swiftly yanked downwards, effectively pulling the blinds aside. They clattered against the sides of the windows as she peered through the glass. Her heart froze in her chest.

Outside, on the balcony, knelt a man covered in dark clothing, a mask hiding his face. He looked up at Natsuki in shock, dropping the tools he'd been holding. Apparantly, from the looks of the items, he'd been trying to pick the lock on her door. She gasped as he quickly stood and withdrew a long barelled pistol from his belt. It didn't look like a normal firearm, there was a chamber inside the weapon that appeared to hold a liquid of some kind. She didn't have much time to think about it though. The intruder fired a shot through the glass and she found herself leaping over that battered couch, rolling onto her knees once she had landed. Instinct was beginning to take over.

She heard the sound of breaking glass and shards scattering across her carpet. Then there was the crunch of glass under a heavy booted foot. Her mind raced as she quickly went through her options. She didn't have any weapon of her own, she wasn't able to summon her element or child any longer, she was basically defenceless against an armed intruder. If she could get in close, perhaps she'd have a chance. But getting close to a man with a gun wasn't easy. She flinched as another shot sounded and she heard something whistle past her ear.

That had been too close. She ducked and crawled around the side of the couch, peeking around the corner. Another shot. It ploughed into the wall behind her, plaster falling to the floor and leaving the surrounding air dusty. Bastard, she cursed. I'm going to have to clear that up! She heard the heavy thud of his feet against her carpet and they were getting closer. She pressed herself against the side of the couch, making herself a small a target as she possibly could. She could feel the vibrations of his footsteps now, and the menacing aura of his presence.

She gritted her teeth and tensed her muscles. She estimated he was around the back of the sofa so she made her move. She used the power in her legs to propel herself over the top of the sofa and lunged shoulder first into his chest. He hadn't been expecting that it seemed and his delayed reaction sent him sprawling across the floor, the gun clattering against the wall. Natsuki grinned viciously at him. Disarmed, he was much less of a threat to her. She threw herself onto his chest and punched him squarely in the jaw. Hard. He head swung around and met harshly with the carpet, a small grunt escaping his lips. She took hold of the black fabric and tugged it from his head, revealing a rough, thirty-something, male face. The red mark on his chin was mostly hidden by heavy stubble. He nose was crooked from perhaps other beatings he'd received and his eyes were closed. One more beating for you. She found herself thinking.

It was then she noticed that he hadn't come alone. Crap, she spat inwardly, as another gunman emerged from the balcony, gun aimed at her. She tried to dodge to the side but when she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder she knew she hadn't been fast enough. She let out a snarl as she tumbled to the ground, one hand covering the wound. She winced as she landed. It hurt. It hurt like hell. She'd never been shot before so she wasn't sure how it was meant to feel but she had a strange sensation spreading from the wound. It was like water soaking her muscle from the inside. Soon her entire arm felt cold, followed by a strange numbness. She was pretty sure this was not how she was meant to feel from a normal bullet.

She looked up at her shooter. He had closed in and still aimed his gun at her. His arm shook slightly and it appeared as though he didn't know what to expect from her. She cursed. How had she been taken down by an amateur like this? She attempted to push herself onto her knees but the pain that shot across her shoulder and chest forced her to stay down. Her limbs were starting to feel heavy now and she wondered what exactly had gotten into her system. She pulled her hand away to look at the wound. There wasn't much blood, in fact there was only a small mark where she'd been shot. She grimaced.

The first intruder had regained consciousness it seemed and was now staggering over towards her. He shot a venomous look at her and spat on the floor next to her. Natsuki glared at him. "You little bitch." He snarled, raising a fist as though to strike her.

His companion grabbed his arm. The unmasked one centred his glare on him. "Unmarked." Came the masked man's voice. He was surprisingly soft spoken. The unmasked man just grunted and pulled his arm away, stalking across to the other side of the room to retrieve his gun.

Natsuki's mind was beginning to get very cloudy and she had problems focusing on anything. The couch, the bloody spit, the men in front of her, her own fingers. They all began to blur. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again but it was only getting worse. She tried to shake her head but that just caused her to feel sick. The room was almost spinning around her now. What the heck was going on? What had she done to deserve this? She was only a school girl...

She finally slumped fully to the floor, her body completely numb, her mind whirling. She vaguely heard a cruel laugh as the darkness closed in. She tried to fight it but it consumed her, overtaking her senses and finally her mind. She gave in and then there was nothing.

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Mizushima Yoshiro paced from one side of his office to the other. It wasn't a particularly big room so it didn't take him long. No, it was a lot smaller than what he'd been used to. He glanced at his desk, frowning at the lack of elegance in it. It was a simple wooden desk, with far too much paperwork on it. He was not used to this at all. He walked around the desk and sat in the brown leather chair, ignoring the squeak it made. He flicked through a few pieces of paper, eyeing the information they contained wearily. How long had he been doing this now? He'd lost track. But things were progressing now so he couldn't really complain. His work was paying off.

Running an aging hand over one particular piece of paper, his eyes narrowed. It wasn't going as he had planned though. That annoyed him. He glared coldly at the image staring back at him. Those eyes, that face, those hands had taken so much from him. They had made him feel fear for the first time in his life. He would make them pay. He clenched his teeth together, barely able to contain the hate that reached into his mind like a claw, shredding rational thought as it went. He shoved the paper roughly back onto the desk and leaned back, looking at something other than that face.

He let out a sigh. He needed to focus on other things right now. He could wallow in his darker emotions later. He stared at the phone for a few moments, wondering why he hadn't received a report yet. He'd sent out his team hours ago. If there was one thing he didn't like, it was incompetence. He'd expected a phone call at least an hour ago. He pushed himself to his feet again. He felt restless. He turned and looked out the window that had been installed in the wall. Beyond it was a fake image but a calming one nonetheless. The fabricated view showed him the city, one he had looked down upon many times. He mind cleared a little as he took a few deep breaths.

There was a tap at his door and he turned, barking a command at it. "Enter."

The door creaked open and in stepped a young dark haired man in a grey suit. He closed the door and approached the desk with a short bow. "Sorry to disturb you, Senpai." Came the deep voice.

Yoshiro waved a hand at him dismissively. "Any news?"

The man replied with a curt nod. "The retrieval team have returned. They were successful." His gaze remained lowered to the floor.

Yoshiro smirked, relief coming to him at last. Finally, his real work could begin. He needed to forget his personal objectives for now, this was more important. If he could succeed at this plan, everything else would fall into place at his feet. He rested his hands on the desk, greying eyebrows lowering. "Status of the subject?" His low tones were commanding, precise.

"Unharmed as requested." Came the response. There was a pause and then he continued. "Do you wish to interrogate the subject?"

Yoshiro considered this. It was tempting. "No. Run the tests. Interrogation can come later."

His subordinate bowed a low bow. "Yes, senpai." And then he retreated from the room.

He let a smile reach his lips, twisting his mouth into an unfamiliar shape. Now he needed to be patient. And it was something he was good at, he'd had to be. However much he wanted to have his sweet revenge, it would have to wait. One he had the power, once he had the resources, it would come. Though that wouldn't stop him thinking about it with almost every waking thought. He could enjoy the idea of it, he could almost taste it.

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Something was gnawing at her. A small feeling at the back of her mind that kept nagging at her. She didn't know what it was but she found herself stopping occasionally to think about it. To try and put a finger on it. Doing that during a particularly long lecture was never a good idea though and she found herself losing track of what was being said on several occasions. Why was she so distracted today? Eventually the lecture had ended though and she'd gathered her belongings and walked back to her home.

Home. It didn't really feel much like a home. As she stepped inside the small room, she let out a breath. At least in here she could drop the walls she had built up. Walls that had taken years to reinforce and now they towered so high above her she couldn't see past them. It was hard to slip from that to being herself and the longer she kept them up, the harder it was to recognise her true self. Whatever that meant. She placed her bag beside the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, trying to relax her tense muscles.

She glanced at her phone and was surprised when she saw there was a few messages on it. That was strange. She hardly ever received phone calls. If Natsuki ever wanted to talk to her she'd show up, she generally didn't use the phone. But as of late, she didn't come to her door much either. And that was Shizuru's fault. She'd been pushing her away. She had to give credit to her friend though, she wasn't giving her an easy time doing that. She was fighting with her tooth and nail to hold onto their friendship. Just like the little wolf that she was.

Shizuru had to smile at that thought. She didn't want to end their friendship, far from it. But it had been harder and harder for her to be around Natsuki since... The Carnival. She supposed she was being selfish but in order for her to be there for her when she needed her, she had to be apart from her aswell. It was a situation that made little sense to her, so she'd probably never be able to explain it to Natsuki. At first, she had tried to encase her heart in a stone coffin, but one look from the other girl would crumble that. She just couldn't build up a Natsuki defence.

If I'm honest, I wouldn't want to. She mused. Still, it was torture being away from her so much. As much as it pained her, she still felt some comfort in her presence and that's why she cherised the time they did spend together. Shizuru lowered herself onto the bed, lying as comfortably as she could. She didn't want to sleep, she just needed to rest. No, she hated falling asleep.

The dreams always came. The nightmares. If she wasn't envisioning a time of violence, hate, and bloodshed, she was dreaming of something she could never have. She wasn't sure which was worse. Those nightmares left her feeling drained, listless. Most of the time she'd avoid sleeping altogether, until her body couldn't function any longer without it. She found she could hide her fatigue fairly well too. Noone had commented on it yet, at least.

The blinking of that red number on her answerphone drew her attention once more and she sat up, giving in to her curiosity. She reached across to the table and pressed a button on the machine. There came a beep and the usual automated voice. Then there was the first message. "Hi... erm... Fujino-san? Are you there? Erm... well... it's Mai. You remember me right? Well... I was wondering if you'd seen Natsuki? Look, I'll just call back later. Sorry. Bye." A beep signalled the end of the message. There was something odd about the way she spoke. Before she could think on it any longer, another beep came.

"Fujino Shizuru... this is Inspector Oshiro with the Fuuka Police Department. We were wanting to get in contact with you about a Kuga Natsuki. Could you please return my call at..." She didn't hear the number as her thoughts began to build into a raging torrent in her mind. What had happened to Natsuki? Mai had phoned looking for her, which was strange in itself and now the police were asking about her? Panic gripped at her heart as she tried to think of a reason for it.

She took a deep breath, calming herself. She couldn't let herself lose control over this. If she kept calm she'd be able to make sense of it. She should call the police inspector back and find out what was going on. But the police weren't known for giving out information freely, they were in the habit of taking it. Perhaps she should call Mai then. If she knew anything at all, she'd tell her right? She picked up the phone, her finger hovering above the numbers. She took in a deep breath and flicked through the phone's memory to find the number she was searching for. There it was.

She pressed the call button and held it to her ear, trying not to let her thoughts wander as she listened to the ring tone. Soon there was a click and a familiar voice. "Hello?"

"Tokiha-san... it's Fujino Shizuru." She announced herself, her voice as calm as it normally was.

"Fujino-san! Thank god. I couldn't reach you before and I was getting worried and-" The girl started rambling so Shizuru gently cut in.

"Please calm down. I received a call from the police aswell. Where is Natsuki?" She tried to keep her voice even though at Mai's behavious she was getting more and more worried.

There was a pause at the other end of the phone. "We don't know. I hoped she was with you." Another pause. "Fujino-san... her apartment was broken into several days ago from what the police have told me."

"What?" The panic was rising up inside her now and she wasn't sure she could keep a lid on it for much longer. "What do you mean?"

"Natsuki didn't show up at school for a few days so I went round to her place. Finding noone there and not being able to reach her anywhere, I called the police. They broke down her door and we found... we found the balcony window shot out and blood on the floor." Mai's voice was shaking now.

Blood? Shooting? What was going on? What had Natsuki gotten herself involved with? Was she still out for justice and on a personal mission? No, she had left all that behind hadn't she? She felt her throat constrict in on itself, making it hard for her to get a decent breath. What if she was badly injured? What if she was...

"Fujino-san?"

"Kanin na... I'm worried about Natsuki." She admitted, finally taking a deep breath.

"I know..." Mai sighed. "There no sign of her, that's all that they'd tell us. Who could do this?"

Shizuru tried to process all the information. "I'm not sure. Can you call me if you find out anything further?"

There was silence at the other end of the phone and she guessed Mai was considering saying something. "Fujino-san... what are you going to do?" The question was tentative, as if she feared the answer.

Keeping her tone level, she replied. "There's nothing much we can do right now. We should just let the police do their job."

Mai seemed to accept this. "Alright. I'll call you soon. Try not to worry too much."

It was an empty assurance though and she doubted Mai really believed that either of them would not worry. "Goodbye, Tokiha-san." She waited for the response and hung up. So she had lied to Mai but that didn't bother her, it was probably for her own good that she didn't know Shizuru was going to do everything in her power to find Natsuki, without the help of the authorities. She didn't trust them to find Natsuki at all.

She went over the facts in her mind. The first thing she needed to do was go to Natsuki's apartment and see the damage for herself. That might help her understand who could have done this. Then she'd try and work out what to do from there. She stood with purpose and grabbed her bag, fishing about in it for some essential items before moving to the door. She grasped the door handle.

"Natsuki... Please be alright..."

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Author's Note: This is slightly shorter than I intended it to be but I got distracted throughout the day and didn't spend as much time on it. Oopsy. I really wanted this chapter to be a little introduction to what was going on with the main plot anyway. Thanks to everyone who have left wonderful reviews. I've replied to everyone individually but I want to thank everyone as a whole here. It really makes writing rewarding.