Author here. I appreciate your continued reviews :)

My goodness, I really wasn't expecting a break. The internet died, then some interesting things came up that warranted a look-see, but rest assured, there's no hiatus in effect. It's not right to drop babies, you know.

Mai-hime and related belong to Sunrise


Everything Amounts to Nothing

When Natsuki returned to the world of consciousness, she first heard gentle vibrations of sound that funneled through her ears. She felt a soft lumpiness of cloth and foam underneath her and the relative warmth of a heavy down blanket when compared to her cold body. Pinpricks of white light invaded the space between her eyelids as she eased them open. Instantly she regretted going so fast. Her eyes strained to register something other than blinding white. After a few minutes the right side of her visual field began to register colors and the fan-like pattern of the ceiling above her. She drew in a deep breath and regretted that too when her lungs burned from the added intake of oxygen.

Am I on a couch?

She then frowned.

My back is killing me.

Natsuki felt something shift to her side and she turned her head slightly. Calm crimson eyes underneath a curtain of light brown hair stared back at her.

"Hey," she croaked out.

A hand reached out and warm fingers tucked a stray lock of black hair behind her ear. Fingertips grazed against her jaw line before resting on her cheek.

"Hey."

The hand felt impossibly warm against her cold cheek. Natsuki sighed and leaned into the touch despite her body's protests at moving so soon.

"I forgot how cold you felt even after recovering," Shizuru murmured. "They thought you were dead because you were so stiff and cold, you know."

"A nasty shock, I'd bet," Natsuki replied with a faint grin.

A soft sigh blew a puff of air down onto her forehead and she blinked.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm… I'm alright." Natsuki frowned. "… I think. I should be, anyway. A little cold… but that should go away soon."

She took another deep breath and found that this didn't hurt as much as the first. Shizuru laced an arm underneath her and helped her up to a sitting position as she scooted back against the arm rest. Natsuki now had a full view of the room she was in. She took in the clean furnishings in the darkness and gave a questioning glance over towards Shizuru who offered her a small smile.

"We are in a spare room above the Edelweiss café in downtown Fuuka."

Mai's place?

Natsuki looked around.

"Mai-han is downstairs working at the moment. She should be done in a few hours. Mikoto-chan stopped by a half-hour ago to see how you were but was called away to kendo practice."

Natsuki leaned back with a soft sigh.

Fuuka. I'm home.

"Do you need anything, Natsuki?"

"… Water. I'm a little thirsty."

That was an understatement—she could barely even speak without her throat burning. Shizuru turned and poured out a glass of water from the pitcher on the coffee table. The rim of the glass was pressed against Natsuki's lips and she opened her mouth to take a few sips of the cool liquid. After a moment Shizuru withdrew the glass and watched as Natsuki smacked her lips and cleared her throat experimentally.

"… What happened?" Natsuki asked in a fraction of her normal volume.

Shizuru placed the cup next to the pitcher and sat on the edge of the couch when Natsuki scooted to make room. She found Natsuki's hand with her own and their fingers laced together with a firm grip to confirm that indeed, they were both here and this wasn't some sort of dream.

"You nearly died," Shizuru began softly. She found herself smiling at Natsuki's incredulous frown. "Honestly, you almost did. It was fortunate that the bullets didn't dig so deep, so when Duran retreated they fell out and left only a few grazes on your arms. They healed up quickly enough, but for a moment there you scared quite a few people."

Natsuki closed her eyes and moved her neck from side to side to work out some of the kinks. Deep within the recesses of her mind, the beast laid in wait. Instead of growling and gnashing at its mental restraints, the wolf was lounging around in its prison and studying the outside world quietly. Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief and opened her eyes as she felt slim fingers stroke her hair.

"We decided it would be best to split up. Otou-han is recovering in the Suzushiro mansion. It was fortunate that he stayed awake when Suzushiro-han and Reito-han arrived at the scene."

"So that's how we managed to get out of there." Natsuki paused. "What happened to that green-haired maniac with the gun?"

"Tomoe-han? We don't know. You almost killed her." Red eyes dimmed in a rare shift towards regret. "To be honest… I'm not sure that saving her was such a good idea after all."

"Damn straight. She tried to kill us. I would've taken her out in two seconds!"

To emphasize this claim Natsuki held up two fingers and waved them in Shizuru's direction. Shizuru shook her head at this declaration and tapped her cheek with her hand—a classic thinking pose.

"Ikezu, Natsuki. She is my cousin you know."

Emerald eyes shot open wide in confusion before narrowing in another disbelieving gaze.

"No way. Seriously?" When Shizuru nodded, Natsuki leaned back with an explosive sigh. "It seems like your family is equal parts playboy and psycho after all."

Shizuru offered a somewhat apologetic shrug in response.

"You look tired," Natsuki said, taking in the weary red eyes.

Shizuru more or less nodded before getting up. Natsuki shielded an audible yawn with her hand.

"Well, that's just as well. I'm kinda exhausted myself."

Despite the statement her eyes were wide open and her grip on Shizuru's hand was still firm. Shizuru turned back and gave her a confused look that faded when Natsuki pulled her into a loose embrace. The older girl smiled and rubbed her thumb against Natsuki's forehead as she rested her face against her stomach.

"Stay with me."

Shizuru nodded and eased herself down on top of Natsuki before being covered by the down blanket. They laid there in silence for a few minutes with only the palms of Natsuki's hands on her upper back making noise as they rubbed against the cotton fabric of her shirt. She was content simply to hold and reaffirm that they really were together after all this time. Shizuru noticed this silent intent and nuzzled her cheek against Natsuki's collarbone to try and coax some of the warmth back into the cold skin.

"This past year must have been difficult," Shizuru noted. "You almost lost yourself completely that night."

"… I was never that out of control before," Natsuki muttered in response. "I don't know what's happened to me, lately."

She felt Shizuru sigh against her neck.

"I'm sorry, Shizuru."

Shizuru looked up into exhausted emerald eyes.

"For what?"

"I caused this to happen." Natsuki swallowed thickly. "If I hadn't run out on you a year ago after the accident… maybe things wouldn't have gone so badly. Hell, maybe if I wasn't even on the road that day—"

She was interrupted when soft lips brushed up against her own. She leaned in and opened her mouth to an intake of air and mutual warmth. They stayed like that for a quiet moment while the world withdrew from this dark and sparsely-furnished room during a dull winter's day. There were no concerns over tragic pasts, gun-toting maniacs, frozen laboratories or even the pressing question of what now. Natsuki felt her mind slowly grow blank. Shizuru withdrew and placed another kiss on her forehead before settling back down onto the crook of her neck.

"It wasn't your fault," she said simply.

Natsuki managed to blink out of the haze in order to form a semi-coherent response. The scent of jasmines and taste of honeyed lips was enough to make her go speechless for the better part of the day if she wasn't careful.

"How would you explain it, then…"

"Have you ever heard the statement, 'it is no one's fault, yet it is everyone's fault'?"

"I have now. What does that have to do with any of this?"

Shizuru appeared to be contemplative for a moment before the response formed in her mind. She relaxed and felt Natsuki sink a hand through her hair in order to massage her scalp.

"If you think about it… The events that we have gone through were not the products of one particular individual. Rather, we all may have had a hand in what has transpired, but we can't decide how far the outcomes of our actions will stretch."

Shizuru felt the soothing rumble of Natsuki's throat as she made a noncommittal noise. Already her eyelids were beginning to droop in this comfortable weariness.

"That sounds somewhat pessimistic, Shizuru. Saying that it's everyone's fault and no one's at the same time. Honest, but pessimistic."

"Maybe… but it's better than pinning everything on just one person and calling it a day without knowing why you would."

They drifted off into a comfortable silence. There was no need for a flowery declaration of love and devotion between the two as they slept off the snowy afternoon back in Fuuka. All Natsuki knew was that, for the first time, the cold feeling that had sunk into her limbs for the better part of a year was finally beginning to melt.

It was well into evening when someone knocked on the door before opening it. Whispers filled a corner of the room, followed closely by the smell of food. Natsuki was the first to open her eyes, eliciting a startled response from Mai as her right eye reflected the light from outside the room and gave out a hazy green glow in response. She nearly emptied the pot in her hands on top of them but Mikoto made a panicked noise from the back of her throat and grabbed the pot before setting it on top of a gas burner already set on the table. Mai's expression of shock turned into a soft glare as she rested her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, Natsuki—"

Natsuki, now with red cheeks, snorted in indignation and gestured towards a snoozing Shizuru. Her eyebrows raised as she silently asked Mai what she meant by that exclamation. Mai quickly waved her hands to dispel the insinuation before taking off her oven mitts and undoing the string of her apron. Behind her Mikoto was busy bringing in things from the kitchen. Already there were several bowls laid out beside the pot.

"No, what I meant was the thing with your eyes… eye glowing like that," she whispered while waving towards her own eyes. She placed a hand above her prodigious chest and heaved a sigh. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

"Ah… sorry," Natsuki murmured.

A distant thunk resounded as Mikoto lugged in a filled rice cooker. Mai looked over and shook her head at the younger girl's antics albeit with a smile.

"Well… It is dinner time after all."

Natsuki looked down as Shizuru breathed in deeply. She opened her eyes and stifled a yawn before raising herself up to a sitting position. Natsuki stretched and shrugged her shoulders before neatly hopping off of the couch. Already her injuries were nothing more than minor annoyances; her stomach was the more pressing issue now. They sat together at the round table and Mikoto wordlessly doled out the rice while Mai lit the burner and waited on the pot. Shizuru accepted her bowl with a smile while Natsuki studied the unusually quiet Mikoto.

"Are you sick?" she asked before they began their meal.

"Hm?" Mai looked over at Mikoto and smiled. "No, nothing like that. You know how Mikoto is with dogs, Natsuki."

"Mai, I am not a—"

"I don't think Natsuki is a bad one though," Mikoto interjected a little too quickly for her own good.

"Ara… I did not know Mikoto-chan was not fond of dogs."

Mikoto nodded quite seriously. "Dogs scare away my friends all the time. But Natsuki is okay. She can stay."

"… You make it sound as if you're just letting me stay out of habit," Natsuki muttered into her bowl.

"I'll say. Back then all you did was leave dirty laundry around the dorm and stuff half the refrigerator with mayonnaise and junk food," Mai replied before opening the pot.

Whatever arguments Natsuki had ready were extinguished as Mikoto hooted over the cheerfully bubbling ingredients for the night's hotpot. As the four began to eat the door to the apartment was knocked on and Mai opened it to reveal a snow-covered Reito carrying a small box in his gloved hands.

"Ah, Reito-san!"

"Good evening Mai-san." With a charming smile he nodded and pushed the box towards Mai's open hands. "Here's a small gift from Sapporo."

"Oh, you didn't have to…"

Reito found himself being shoved into the apartment. He nearly tripped over a pair of shoes but caught himself before he could fall on top of Mai. She looked over his shoulder and was visually assaulted by a flurry of blonde hair followed by slightly-unruly brown hair. Reito turned and fixed the two behind him with a meek frown.

"Suzushiro-san—"

"Yeah, yeah. We get it Kanzaki, but some of us are breezing to death here in this cold!"

"Freezing, Haruka-chan!"

"Ah." By this time Natsuki had lumbered out of the room and poked her head around the hall to register the guests. "I guess we need more bowls?"

"KUGA!" Haruka bellowed next to Reito's ear. He shrank away and cupped his ear, allowing Haruka to march over towards an unnerved Natsuki who was beginning to back away. "You have some explaining to do, Kuga!"

Natsuki bumped into Shizuru's front in her haste to get away from the raging bull. In response Shizuru threaded her arms around Natsuki's middle and pulled her closer before resting her chin on Natsuki's shoulder.

"Ara… good evening, Suzushiro-han. I trust that you are doing well?"

"Fujino!" Again came another war shout from Haruka, this time causing Yukino to wince. "We aren't going to be spurned by that 'Ara' attitude of yours!"

"Please, everyone!" Mai called out finally. "Can't we at least shut the door?"

Haruka hurriedly closed the door and the entryway was above freezing once more. The former schoolmates stared at each other silently before bursting into similar smiles despite the near-war that threatened to break out only a moment before. A string of chuckles and light laughter followed them from the entryway and towards the spare room where the hotpot was waiting. Now that there were seven of them the hotpot was gone within thirty minutes. That may have been through the seconds that Natsuki and Haruka tucked away along with the thirds that Mikoto polished off but soon the table was cleared to make way for coffee, tea, and sweets. Mikoto happily munched away at a cracker while the rest stared at each other over steaming cups of beverage.

"So, Kuga-san." Reito bit down on a cracker and neatly wiped his fingers free of crumbs with a napkin. "When we made our way to that club it looked like a bomb exploded in there."

"You wouldn't be too far off the mark," Natsuki replied. "In fact, there were several hand grenades that went off that night."

"What was that black beast, Kuga?" Haruka asked.

Natsuki and Shizuru exchanged a glance and Mai hurriedly stood to retrieve the coffee pot. Shizuru took a sip of tea and set her cup down while Natsuki fiddled with the plastic wrapper left on the table.

"How long do you have to listen?" Natsuki asked tersely.

"All night, pretty much," Reito replied. "We spent most of the afternoon resting."

Natsuki fumbled with the wrapper for a few seconds before setting it down. Shizuru caught her eye and nodded her on with a reassuring smile.

"See… I have this… thing, inside me." Natsuki rubbed the back of her neck. She was never good at putting this phenomenon to words—it always just came out on its own so to speak. "It's been there for as long as I can remember, really. A spirit of something from long ago. And it manifests itself through me if my emotions aren't in check. That beast… is its physical form. It seems to respond positively to 'Duran,' so that's what Shizuru and I have been calling him for some time."

"You're a werewolf?" Yukino asked in slight confusion.

"Somewhat. I guess if you scratch out the 'turns on the full moon and can only be killed by silver' part, then it fits. There are others out there, with other forms, not just animals. They could be likened to gods, but there was a price. The more I shift to that form, the more likely I am to lose myself to it if something happens. If that happens, I won't be able to return."

Natsuki rested her hand on her palm as she took in the bemused faces of the three sitting across from her. Yukino coughed and adjusted her glasses in an attempt to hide the budding questions that threatened to burst out from her. Reito merely looked pleasantly involved with the matter as he rested his hands around his coffee cup and offered a small smile. Haruka was the complete opposite by staring at her with her frown slightly twisted in a mixture of fascination and confusion.

It'd be better to start from the beginning, I guess.

"A while ago a pharmaceutical company named First District got really interested in people like me. It was a sort of win-win bargain—people who didn't know what was going on or just wanted to be normal again went to the laboratory, given some pills, and were treated while First District was allowed to study their progress. My mother worked there and created a working pill that would suppress the urge to lose control, so it eliminated the continuous treatments and replaced it with these pills."

Natsuki walked over to a wrinkled coat that had been tossed on top of the couch. She straightened it and extracted an orange prescription bottle that she set on the table before sitting back down. After popping the cap open she revealed a pile of small white pills. Reito raised an eyebrow. Yukino adjusted her glasses as she picked up a pill but did not comment on them.

"They aren't much, just a sedative and another ingredient to keep my mind clear. When my mother found out that I had this condition she packed our bags and went back to her home in Fuuka. Here I am today."

To emphasize she gave a small wave to her captive audience.

"What a fascinating set of events," Reito said.

"You don't seem very surprised, Mai-san," Yukino noted.

"All I can say is, wolves tend to shed badly," Mai remarked with a shrug before picking up the stray plastic wrappers. She tossed them into the trash bin before returning to the table. "That plus Mikoto doesn't like dogs. But we had to keep it a secret, just in case something silly came out of it."

Haruka frowned and took another cracker from the bowl. "That's good and well, but I don't get it. How does this connect with everything that's been going on lately, then?"

"I may be able to answer that."

They turned and faced Shizuru who set down an empty cup. She accepted a refill with a quiet nod before clearing her throat.

"Before I begin, I'm sure that some of you may have found out what the connection with my family and Sapporo was."

"Records indicated that the Fujino family held a majority share in First District Pharmaceutical," Yukino said quietly as she looked down. "I garnered that from our previous meeting."

"It is true that my family funded First District when it was first coming to life."

Her gaze traveled from Yukino and Haruka over to Reito, Mikoto and Mai.

"We had an inexplicable history of illness that culminated ultimately into madness. First District was the only company that agreed to look into this anomaly. They discovered that there might have been a genetic factor to this condition… a modern way of saying that it was a bloodline trait, I suppose."

"Are you and Natsuki-san alike?" Yukino asked.

Shizuru shook her head.

"First District discovered that there were three ways this condition could manifest. The first was a direct transmutation of a spirit. That is Natsuki's case. The second is that no condition would be present. The potential is there but it never quite makes it because the proper conditions are not met. This is not to say that one will stay permanently in the second condition but that seems to be the case sometimes. The third, seemingly the rarest manifestation, is what I have."

"She's my mediator," Natsuki explained as she folded her hands together on the table.

"A mediator?" Haruka repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Simply put, I don't have to take medication around her in order to remain balanced. I could probably transform right now and be able to talk to you in that state, as long as she's within two meters of me."

Mai shot her a warning look and Natsuki frowned.

"… Then again, maybe not."

"Does this work with everyone or is it a specific match-up?" Reito asked.

"At first it's with anyone really, almost like an umbrella effect," Shizuru replied. "I feel their emotions in exchange for allowing them to achieve control. After a while when a bond is established, the connection grows stronger and is settled over one individual. Right now we're in a sense of equilibrium, but if we're away from each other for too long then the connection can deteriorate."

At this point Yukino held up a white pill.

"You did say that this contained a dampening agent, correct?"

Natsuki nodded. Yukino set the pill down on the table with the rest of the pile.

"… What would happen if someone other than you were to take one of these?"

"Well… the dampening agent in the pill is like an added sedative to those who don't carry my particular strain of the condition." When Yukino merely frowned in response she elaborated. "The agent suppresses the emotional center of the brain, since rage or excitability is usually what triggers an attack. So I'm assuming that the worst that could happen is the person will grow lethargic and generally emotionless."

Now it was Natsuki's turn to frown.

"Why do you ask?"

Reito tapped at the space next to the pills.

"I was given a tin containing a pill similar if not the same as these," he explained.

"… Where did you get it?" Natsuki asked as she took in the quiet expressions from everyone.

"From me," Shizuru replied before anyone could say otherwise.

Natsuki turned and studied Shizuru for a long, hard moment. To her credit Shizuru failed to even blink under this scrutiny.

"How long have you been taking these?" Natsuki asked finally.

"… I don't know the exact time period, but long enough." Red eyes dimmed. "Perhaps a little less than a year. I wasn't fully aware of it until a day or so before Reito-han stopped by."

Mai took in the birth of a growing sense of anger that started to creep through Natsuki's control.

"But it's okay, isn't it?" Mai asked in an attempt to soothe her friend. She quickly backtracked when she realized what her statement could be construed as. "I mean, no, it's not okay, but you said so yourself that the pills aren't that harmful, just a double sedative."

Natsuki barely contained a growl.

"Maybe so, but drugging is still drugging." She turned back towards Shizuru. "Who gave them to you? It wasn't that green-haired maniac was it?"

Haruka snorted. "I wouldn't put it past that trollop to try anything to keep her sad ambitions afloat. I still say we should go knock her around the block a few more times for good measure."

"For once I'll agree with you," Natsuki said.

It was one thing to advocate violence as the answer for everything. Yukino figured that, while convenient and the best way to obtain immediate satisfaction for their situation, violence could land them into spending time getting to know their way around the Spartan delights of a jail cell. However, the consequences of using gratuitous violence paled in comparison to the bizarre spectacle of Suzushiro Haruka and Kuga Natsuki nearly high-fiving in their mutual desire to inflict massive damage on one Tomoe Marguerite.

"Does Marguerite-san know what is in these pills?" Yukino asked quickly in an attempt to derail this train of action.

"I honestly cannot answer that," Shizuru murmured. She appeared more amused then alarmed at the budding camaraderie developing. "However, I have reason to believe that she might. Otou-han once mentioned pills similar to these that his sister would take in the past in order to sleep through the night. He never elaborated on the topic and I chose not to ask."

"Knowing what's in these things or not doesn't excuse the moral breeches in behavior!" Haruka exclaimed with a fist to the table.

"Breach, Haruka-chan," Yukino corrected as Mai stared at the table warily.

"Someone's coming towards the restaurant!" Mikoto announced over the din.

Reito stood up and joined his sister by the window while the others grew quiet. Two pairs of golden eyes peered through the opening in the curtains and picked out several bulky figures tramping around in the snow-covered streets.

"Can you make something out?" Mai asked quietly.

"Not sure…" Reito turned towards Haruka. "I thought only the three of us were going to stop by."

Haruka and Yukino stood at once and joined Reito.

"Do you think someone followed us?" Yukino asked in a hushed whisper.

"I specifically ordered no one from the house to follow us," Haruka murmured. "No, that can't be it."

"Looks like four, maybe five people out there," Mikoto noted. "… Are they bad, Aniue?"

"I'm not sure yet, Mikoto."

"Well, I think we can take them." Mikoto began to count on her fingers. "There's you, me, Kaichou, Natsuki, and Suzushiro." She nodded in curt satisfaction. "We could definitely take them."

"Let's not get too hasty here," Reito replied as he heard the definitive smack of Haruka punching her hand into her palm. "We have yet to know if they are even coming by the café."

A flicker of movement attracted his attention and he peered out the window.

"… Oh dear," he murmured in a hushed voice.

He whirled around.

"Get back, NOW!"

Just as he got his warning out the window shattered as something small and black bounced onto the floor. They all stared at it for a very quiet second before Natsuki grabbed Shizuru and wordlessly began bolting towards the door. Reito was right behind her with Mai and Mikoto neatly tucked under his arms with Haruka bringing up the rear as Yukino merely wrapped her arms around her friend's waist and allowed herself to be dragged out.

They made it down the stairs in mutual silence that soon erupted as noise and fire engulfed the entire upper floor of the Edelweiss café. Haruka vaulted over the stairs to avoid getting hit by the explosion and landed on top of a table on both feet. Reito did not fare as well as he nearly rammed through the door with the momentum he picked up from running down the stairs as quickly as possible. Natsuki threw Shizuru onto the floor before covering her with her own body. Flames washed over them, but all Shizuru could feel was an overwhelming cold as great spikes of ice erupted from the ground floor. They stabbed through the flames and encased the two in a protective ring that fought down the fire as they melted.

"Are you alright?!" Natsuki asked over the chaos.

Shizuru nodded and Natsuki smiled before propping herself up. The two could see that the café was through. Fires were still spreading into the kitchen and even if the fire department came to douse them there would be little left. Shizuru stood and helped Natsuki up. They were still alive, though, and roughly unharmed.

A bestial scream came from the entryway to the café. Natsuki felt the beast within respond with a snarl of its own but she managed to stop herself short. They turned and blinked through the ashes. Natsuki only saw Reito sprawled out on the floor. Blood was quickly pooling from a nasty gash on his head. Mikoto was propped up against the door with her arm bent at an awkward angle. But what Shizuru saw was likened to a light switch being turned on for the first time. Mai let out another strangled scream that echoed into the night before it grew into an angry shriek that couldn't come from a human being. Shizuru let out a surprised cry and grasped onto her head with both hands before falling down to her knees. Natsuki stared at her in a rare moment of blind panic before slowly turning towards Mai.

The flames circled around her wrists and ankles slowly, making wide rings that soon contracted into smaller ones. At their distance it seemed as if they would char her but instead they continued their lazy dance around and around as she stood there and screamed into the café. Even as she sagged forwards she was still upright due to the dancing flames holding her aloft until she nearly floated in front of them. Mai let out a ragged gasp and her eyes opened, revealing an eerie glow beneath those amethyst orbs. Natsuki felt as if she was staring into a bitter, cruel mirror as Mai slowly landed on her feet. She looked down at Shizuru who seemed to be dealing as best as she could with an overload of two spirits invading her head.

"She's going to lose it," Shizuru muttered. "She's going to lose control over it."

Another bestial roar tore through their eardrums, this time accompanied by a spout of blue fire that neatly burned away the remains of the cash register. Haruka and Yukino made their way towards the melting ring of ice which still afforded some protection against the new fires.

"What is that?!" Haruka demanded while jabbing her finger towards the spectacle of blue fire.

Kagutsuchi.

Natsuki looked down at Shizuru before kneeling and grasping her hands.

"Can you try calming her down?" Natsuki asked.

Shizuru shook her head. "Only you. No one else. She's too far gone now."

"And the medicine?" Natsuki mused.

"You wanna try stuffing bills down her throat when she's like that?" Haruka asked incredulously.

"Pills!" Yukino corrected over another roar of fire.

"Well, shit!" Natsuki turned and began to march towards Mai. "I'll just have to—"

"Oh, this is interesting."

She stopped. The child standing in front of her looked to be no more than eleven or twelve with a head of gravity-defying white hair that flicked upwards. His smile was too curved to be innocent and his eyes too observant to be naïve. He was dressed more like an adult than a child with his dark trousers and long coat over a white button-up shirt, further pointing towards his inherent status as being abnormal. However, she heard the shout come from Haruka and the more unnerving sound of Shizuru letting drawing in a surprised gasp. He was strange, but he was recognized and it was through that fact alone that caused Natsuki to become tense.

"I did not expect to find you here, Shizuru nee-chan," the boy said in a calm tone, as if the flames around him were a normal occurrence under his presence.

"What are you doing here, Nagi?" Shizuru asked as she stood with her hand remaining near her forehead.

"I was about to ask you the same question!" Nagi exclaimed with a happy hum. He turned back towards Mai. "She's beautiful, isn't she? Mai-hime, dancing in the flames of grief and loss. There is something wonderful about utter desolation." He clapped his hands and sighed. "But, now that you are here, I am presented with an interesting problem."

Mai sank to her knees and struggled through another wave of anger that lashed through her body. This time the scream that came from her was one of intense pain. Nagi failed to react to it, however, as he turned and faced Shizuru and Natsuki.

"Now, I'm sure you know how this goes. The sooner she is put under control, the better."

"Then you go do it!" Haruka ordered. "You seem to know what you're doing, Homura!"

Nagi held up his hands in a way that strongly reminded Natsuki of Reito.

"Now, now. It's not that easy. Nee-chan and her little wolf will know what I'm talking about. It will be a simple trade, that's all." He nodded towards Shizuru. "Right? After all, with the stunt you all pulled up in Sapporo, Tomoe has been running around foaming at the mouth and plotting to blow everyone up. Life has become rather stressful for Mashiro-chan and myself. Just be thankful, Suzushiro-san, that I haven't divulged the current location of my favorite uncle to her. It would have made my life much easier, you know."

His smile darkened into a smirk as he took in the betrayed expressions of those around him.

"Think of it as a blessing that you ran into me instead of her."

"No!" Natsuki nearly grabbed onto Nagi's collar to shake him but was restrained by a wary Shizuru. "There has to be another way. You aren't going back there, Shizuru!"

"I'm afraid then that I can't guarantee your friend's safety, or sanity for that matter," Nagi replied as he studied his older cousin.

Truth be told, he was a little disappointed that Shizuru wasn't the one completely losing her marbles in this wonderful wasteland. She would have been absolutely breathtaking, he mused.

Shizuru watched Mai's gradual losing of control with quiet crimson eyes. Mai looked up at her as she shook. Her violet eyes, so used to exhibiting joy, contained only pure fear. She could hear the voices tickle her mind and could see the flashes of memories not belonging to her. She shook her head. This was bad. If she stretched herself too thin there was no telling what could happen, especially if her link with Natsuki was broken in the process. Natsuki's control over Duran was remarkable but even she had her limits. That point she saw in play back at Sapporo. If they were all going to get out of this intact, she reasoned, she would have to accept her cousin's conditions. She frowned as she stared into those glassy eyes that carried only a hint of color. Right now the flames flicked a red hue over them that paled considerably in comparison to her own blood-red eyes. He was a liar and a trickster, but there was really only one choice now.

"Decide," Nagi said quietly. "You only have so much time."


AN: I have the feeling this could turn into one of those super-duper long sprawling epics where it turns into the adventure of the month, or a neatly-wrapped up piece within a few chapters. The former I enjoy reading a lot, the latter my fingers will enjoy typing a lot more, lol. Then again, the story tends to write itself after a while.