Author here. Huh, my sense of time seems to be slipping. Thank you for your kind reviews and continued patience.

Mai-hime and related belong to Sunrise


Crossroads' End

"No… No. No."

She opened her eyes in a daze and coughed. Her helmet visor was never this dark. With a shaky hand she flipped it up and nearly went blind from the black smoke that rushed in. The smoke burned through to her lungs. Her ribs felt like they were on fire, but she did not stop. She could not stop. Her feet dragged and nearly tripped into each other as she stumbled from her toppled bike and began to make her way through the destruction. She was feeling perfectly fine. Perfectly fine. The adrenaline was making sure of that. Her head felt like it was swimming in her helmet, but she continued to run. There were calls for an ambulance, multiple ambulances. Others had been hurt as well. Fires caused from spilled fuel and sparks roared around the intersection. Someone had called for her to stop but she shook off the person's restraining hand and continued to run.

The world felt curiously dark and she nearly tripped over the fallen body that was her intended destination. Hurriedly she slammed herself down to her knees and raked her fingers through hair matted with blood.

"No, No…"

Blood. Too much blood. It seeped from her stomach, bubbled from where her hands clasped together, holding something in. With a sickening drop of her own stomach she realized that the woman in her arms was struggling to keep her organs from spilling out into the asphalt. When she lifted her head blood dribbled from her lips.

"Stay with me!" she roared over the din of shocked onlookers. "… Stay with me…"

Shizuru managed to open her eyes at the desperate shout. Despite the situation she smiled and leaned towards the shaking hands.

"… Na… tsuki," she crooned weakly.

Tears were now falling nonstop. They stained the inside of her cracked helmet with the smell of salt that mixed in with the smoke and coppery tinge of blood. Shizuru's eyes began to droop.

"No, stay with me!" she implored. "Please… Shizuru, stay with me…"

The paramedics had arrived. Two of them gently lifted Shizuru onto a stretcher and began to cart her away to where the other victims of the large-scale crash were waiting. She looked around in blind panic at the vast assortment of black body bags and began to fight against the paramedics who had stayed behind to secure a transport to the hospital as well.

"No! Don't put her over there! Not with them… Not with them…"

"We need to get her to an operating room as quickly as possible, ma'am. Please, your cooperation would be appreciated—"

"I said don't put her over there with them!" she snarled.

The fight began to leave her limbs. For the first time, she could feel no retribution from Duran as she slipped from consciousness.

Where were you, Duran?


Natsuki woke up with the unsettling nightmare of a memory that had plagued her ever since the accident. She stared at her shaking hands before clasping them into fists.

Never again.

There were only a few things left to do that were absolutely necessary to finish before Natsuki would depart from the relative security of the Suzushiro property, hopefully without Haruka tagging along. Despite the potential risk of getting found by Tomoe, she knew she could not stay long. The longer she was off of the pills, the more dangerous a threat she would pose to those around her. A good number of the pills had been lost in the fire and the only thing she had left to cover herself was another syringe. This particular dosage would be a fatal one—it was only to be used if there was no other option available.

Do or die, I guess that's how it's going to be.

She sighed and stuffed her hands in her pockets when she prowled down the length of the hallway.

Man, we really need a vacation after this.

She fingered the small medicine tin in her pocket as she walked. In this tin were the remaining pills that she had managed to salvage from the wreck. It wasn't much, but it would last in time to find another supply. There was never a shortage of medication, only a difficulty in where to find it. And with Shizuru's resources there wouldn't even be a difficulty. Natsuki paused and frowned as she thought of the older girl but quickly pushed these thoughts away when she approached her destination. The door was already slightly open so she merely slipped in to a room that was better furnished than the one she had taken her silent refuge in. This room had a bed, a desk, and even two chairs that looked very comfortable. She eyed one of the chairs and decided to take a seat. The blankets stirred and the person beneath them groaned before slowly getting up.

"… N-Natsuki?"

Natsuki gave a short salute of a wave as she lounged on the chair.

"Yo, Mai."

Uncertainty and a small drop of fear shone from those violet eyes as Mai studied a rather nonchalant Natsuki lounging on the seat beside her bed. She grimaced and cradled her head with one hand while grasping onto the bed sheets with the other. It felt like a terrible hangover had settled in her brain but that was laughably impossible. At least, she wished it was a hangover. It could have provided an easier explanation for the weathered patience in Natsuki's eyes and clipped smile. Natsuki leaned forward and poured out a glass of water from the waiting pitcher.

"Here, drink it."

Mai blindly grabbed for the cup. When it was pushed into her hand she grasped onto it and nearly chugged the water down. Almost instantly she felt better and she stared back at Natsuki curiously when the other girl shrugged.

"You always get dehydrated after a transformation," Natsuki explained. "I figured that you might be even more so, considering your element."

She frowned after she took in Mai's continued confusion. She took the glass from Mai's slack fingers and fiddled with it briefly. It felt incredibly warm to her touch.

"You… do remember, right? About several nights ago."

Mai closed her eyes. She was about to shake her head when she flinched again. Something white-hot seared through from the middle of her brain to right in front of her eyes—a splitting headache. This wasn't going to pretend to be a hangover anymore. It disappeared just as quickly as it formed, but following it were images and sounds, memories of what had happened.

Mai-hime, ruler of Hell.

The booming voice echoed across her mind, followed by an unearthly shriek that nearly made her teeth chatter in response. During this episode Natsuki had already poured out another glass of water, this time cooling the glass before handing it over. When Mai reached for it, her fingers caused immediate condensation as they contacted the glass. The water was nearly boiling by the time she raised the cup to her trembling lips.

"Calm down, Mai. Just drink the water slowly, don't think about it right now."

Somehow, Natsuki's rough command punched through the growing fog in her mind and quieted the raging beast that now resided there. Mai nodded jerkily and tried to comply. Soon the water stopped bubbling and was only lukewarm when it passed her lips. She gagged but successfully kept the water down before passing the cup back. Natsuki took it gingerly and nearly flung it back on the table.

"… You want some more?" she asked after a moment.

Mai seemingly ignored the question as she stared at her friend's palm. It was now a strange shade of glowing red and looked as if Natsuki had placed her hands near a burner. The skin had yet to blister but it was dangerously close. Natsuki absently clapped her hands together before rubbing them. Instead of a heat-producing friction, her hands seemed to be coated in a sparkling sheen that helped take away some of the jarring red. Soon the skin began to cool back to a healthier color and she let her hands rest on her lap. Mai then turned to look back at her own hands, which were still pristine. Natsuki repeated her question and Mai finally shook her head.

"I don't… think so."

"Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm…"

Mai-hime, bearer of the darkened flames, show your true desire—

Her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head before she got a hold of herself.

"No… No. I'm fine."

rain your hellfire down on this pitiful world—

Natsuki raised an eyebrow.

"He's a talkative one."

Mai looked at her warily.

"You can hear it too?"

When Natsuki nodded, Mai sighed dejectedly and rubbed her neck with shaking fingers.

"I don't know what to say, really," Mai said in a slightly rushed manner. She stared at the wall in front of her. "I wanted to say something like 'oh, now I really am going crazy,' but then I remember that you've lived with it since you could remember."

Natsuki offered a brief shrug in response.

"Duran doesn't talk much; he doesn't really need to. I tend to forget how he sounds."

Despite the nonchalant response, Mai buried her head in her hands. Natsuki's lips twitched once, twice, before she leaned forward and rested her hands on her knees.

"He'll have to listen to you, you know," Natsuki said in a low voice. "He'll rant and rage as much as he likes, but he'll listen in the end. They all do, anyway."

"They?" Mai asked.

"Gods, demons, spirits, whatever." Natsuki gave a dismissive wave. "Either way, they're bound to a human now. If your Kagutsuchi or whatever has a brain, he'll realize that if you're dead, he'll be gone as well."

Insufferable, obstinate little…

Kagutsuchi never quite finished his statement and Mai belatedly wondered about it. She frowned and directed her gaze towards Natsuki.

"So are you saying that, should anything happen to me, this..."

My name, girl, is Kagutsuchi.

"… Right. This Kagutsuchi won't just burst from my chest like an alien if I die?"

Natsuki let out a snort as she crossed her arms and leaned back into the chair. The cushions sank around her and created a warm cocoon that cradled her with supportive foam.

"I would hope not. But yeah, they can't keep a tangible form if they aren't connected to a human body." Her eyes seem to dim and she leaned back so her head could rest at the top of the chair's back. "There are worse things to consider. You could lose control over him. If that were to ever happen, you wouldn't die. That's all I can say about that."

The room grew uncomfortably silent. Even Kagutsuchi, who Mai thought would have wanted to take this opportunity to assert his opinion even further, remained quiet. This momentary respite enabled Mai to massage the bridge of her nose before pushing the covers off of her body. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and let her bare feet touch the floor. The floor felt a little warmer than she had expected.

"Is this temperature change permanent?" Mai asked as she tried to stand.

"It can be, but right now you're running a bit of a fever from standing outside in the cold for so long."

Natsuki stood as well when Mai began to stumble. As she grasped onto Mai's upper arms to help keep her up, something white-hot seared from her palms up to her head. It wasn't a physical heat but Duran let out an uncharacteristic yelp to it and attempted to scramble away from this unnerving sensation. Natsuki felt herself backpedaling in response to Duran's desperate actions. Mai found herself grasping onto air as she began to fall backwards. Soon they landed in an untidy heap with Mai sitting on Natsuki's lap. With a strangled yell Natsuki nearly kicked her friend off to scramble backwards towards the wall. Mai watched her catch her breath before she straightened and tried to walk towards her, only to be rebuffed when Natsuki threw up a hand.

"Just… give me a few seconds."

The confused girl then grew acutely aware of the snickering that echoed in the back of her brain. Natsuki threw a glare towards her and she stiffened.

"Tell that thing of yours to shut up, girl."

It was not her voice that voiced this statement. This was a deeper timbre of a voice that shook through Mai's bones and instantly brought to mind westward mountains and unforgiving winters. She blinked, and immediately a filter settled over her eyes. In Natsuki's place she saw a great beast of black fur and a lone, piercing eye that glittered like emeralds. The wolf gave her another critical glare before tossing his head and staring at something beyond her. She could feel Kagutsuchi's continued chuckles and the wolf almost raised his hackles in response.

I enjoyed touching her, wolf.

Mai clapped her hands over her mouth but the words continued to flow.

Raking my claws against her back like that… I enjoyed watching her bleed.

In response the Duran in her mind's eye bared his fangs as he emitted a strangled snarl. The teeth could easily have been the size of her fingers, she noted in quick panic as she brought her hands to her eyes. Natsuki shut her eyes and turned her head away, breaking their eye contact and returning Mai to the world of here and now. Duran seemingly melted away, leaving behind a visibly irritated Natsuki. Kagutsuchi offered a strange snort as he too began to retreat. Mai scrambled back to her feet when Natsuki gingerly stood.

"Natsuki—"

"It's fine," the older girl muttered as she patted her pockets.

She extracted a slim medicine tin and instantly Mai began to feel inexplicably nauseated when Kagutsuchi shot back up in sudden alarm. Natsuki read the mild panic that burned towards her and tapped the case open to reveal only a few white pills.

"These should hold you over until you get around to controlling him."

Mai accepted the pills and obediently popped one in her mouth. Natsuki watched her swallow the pill dry before nodding and turning to go.

"Natsuki, wait."

She stopped and turned her head slightly to acknowledge that she was listening. Mai bit her lip and sighed quietly.

"I'm sorry."

Natsuki shrugged half-heartedly as she stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"What's there to be sorry about? You didn't choose to be this way."

Mai shook her head.

"Not about that. About… About Fujino-san."

There was no response from what she could hear, but her eyes told her everything. Natsuki's back was a little too stiff, the muscles too taut. Her thumbs, which would usually hang out of her pockets loosely when she put her hands in them, were now hooked into her belt loops and gripping onto them until her knuckles turned white. Her head was slightly bowed over and dark hair slipped from behind her shoulders to fall around her face, hiding those ferocious emerald eyes from view. If she had a tail, Mai thought suddenly, it would surely be curling between her legs in defeat.

"… It was necessary. And Shizuru agreed to do it." There came a strange sigh. "Don't worry about it. It was out of our hands, anyway."

Now Mai understood the reasons behind the taciturn mannerisms of her friend—could she even call her a friend now? She supposed that logically, there was nothing done that could ever change the feelings she held for this lone wolf, but there was no denying the wall that was now driven up between the two spirits encased in their bodies. This was what Natsuki had guarded herself over, she mused. Gods and spirits did not have friends. They had rivals, enemies, lovers. There would always be a visible line separating the two factions, and the mutual grayness of friendship did not exist. They would not work in tandem for the sake of simply knowing one another, even if they harbored similar goals. A long time ago, under summer skies and before the screeching crash that brought her life down this turbulent spiral, Natsuki had spoken to her the definitive words that would describe their situation now.

There will always be things that are beyond our control, and they can't see through the shades of gray we paint out.

At the time she had mused that this would pertain to the future, the vast concept of what to do with their lives now that they had reached a comfortable impasse of an established routine. She thought that this was about silly things that no one in their late teens going on twenty thought about—taxes, politics, religion, death. They had laughed together over the strange statement and went out to purchase a watermelon to share with their loved ones. It was the last time they had done anything remotely close with one another.

Now they stood together in the same room, but there was no joy or laughter to be shared between them. Mai nearly hunched over as she hugged herself in wake of this stark realization as Natsuki took to staring at the door ahead of her.

"… You'll be leaving again," Mai mumbled in the silence.

"I have to," Natsuki replied resolutely.

Mai sighed.

"You know… When I first heard that Fujino-san was awake again, I wished that you would come back to us. Even before I used to think that, now that she was awake, you could come back and we would be back to how we were. If we were all together again, we could help each other out and make things right once more. It was just wishful thinking, but I wanted for the longest time for it to come true."

"How we were…" Natsuki repeated musingly. She paused. "How were we, back then, Mai? I can't really remember anymore."

It was a blatant lie. She could remember with distinction how they were. School was a necessary chore but it had brought to her the most happiness she could have ever asked for. She gained friends, rivals, and Shizuru. They grew together throughout the years and built their castles in the sky, wistful declarations of the future and wild wagers about where they would be in five years, ten, and beyond. The thing she had grown to cherish most, however, was the comfortable silences they endured, knowing that their company was enough.

"The world was beautiful, once," Mai replied quietly. "And so were we."

Natsuki started as Mai's voice washed over her ears. She had heard those words before, in a locked up memory that rested in her heart. She smiled. With a shake of her head, Natsuki straightened her stance.

"Then… then I guess we'll just have to start from the bottom and go up to regain what we lost. We'll just have to fight the good fight and win, this time. Maybe then we'll have this beautiful world of ours back."

"And if we fail?"

"Then we fight again." Now Natsuki turned fully to look at Mai. "You can do what you wish. I am going to put an end to this situation once and for all."

She turned around and walked out of the room… and out of Mai's sight once more.


"Natsuki, you shouldn't be moving around right now!"

"C'mon, Kuga, don't make this any more difficult than it already is…"

"Let go of me! I said, let go—"

Mai and Yuichi managed to restrain a somewhat-sedated and heavily-bandaged Natsuki from barging into the separate recovery ward. The girl could have easily taken the two of them on in a fight but her ribs told her otherwise and finally she decided to work with them. Yuichi let out a weary sigh as he sat beside her while Mai began to pace in front of them.

"Mai, have a seat," Yuichi said after a moment. "The nurses are beginning to stare at you funny."

"Yuichi! Kaichou-san is in there fighting for her life and all you can say is the nurses are going to stare at me funny?" Mai snapped, still pacing.

Yuichi crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, deciding to ignore the pointed stare from the nurse on duty. At this point the doors opened and in came a fleet of doctors and nurses dragging along a bed.

"Needs another operation—"

"Too much blood loss—"

"This isn't very good—"

"When's her father getting here—"

"If she doesn't wake up from this one—"

They stared in mute horror. Natsuki extended a hand out towards the flaxen hair but the bed containing Shizuru whisked by without slowing down. The doors at the end of the hallway swung in and out a few times after the team zoomed by, leaving the three young adults to gape. The door that had been opened first opened once more to reveal a haggard Reito. He stumbled into a chair and held his head in his hands.

"Sempai?" Yuichi called uncertainly.

"Hm?"

Reito lifted his head. Despite Yuichi's respectful mention of his title, Reito could see that he had a protective grip on Mai's shoulder. Past struggles could never be let down so easily, and while Yuichi was putting on a straight face his eyes showed nothing but a keen sense of caution towards his senior. This was to be accepted and even expected in Reito's point of view. He had never quite forgiven himself on the conclusion from trying to take Mai's feelings away from Tate. It had resulted in a loss of face for him, limited functionality in his arm for months, and the guarded looks he now received from both Mai and Yuichi. Still, he reasoned, this was not about them. This was now about Fujino Shizuru, his friend and confidante, the young woman who had seen through his struggles and helped lift him from his desolation when no one else would give him a chance. He looked over at the dark-haired girl seated beside him and immediately his heart went out to her.

"… It's bad, isn't it?" Yuichi asked, filling in the silence.

Reito paused to gather his thoughts. He turned and faced Natsuki.

"I'm sure you've heard the initial report from the doctor, but there's been a complication. She'll be in need of a blood transfusion either way, but the chances of her pulling through are growing less now that she hasn't woken up from her initial surgery."

"She has type AB," Natsuki said mechanically. She stood. "I can give her some of mine."

"Natsuki, you aren't in any position to give blood after you've lost so much of yours!" Mai argued.

Reito raised a hand to gather attention.

"Please, let's not argue now. Yukino-chan has volunteered to give blood since she has the same type as Shizuru-san. Suzushiro-san apparently ran into the ambulance convey and called up Yukino-chan for her assistance."

"Will that be enough?" Mai asked.

"I can't say for certain but there is nothing more we can do right now but wait," Reito replied simply.

He leaned his head against the wall and let out a defeated sigh before closing his eyes. Mai could sympathize—she knew that Reito had only a few hours of sleep over the past two days. No one was getting enough sleep due to this anxious wait, even when Suzushiro had holed herself up in the visiting area with a bag of curry bread and an orange juice-toting Yukino to keep her company.

Natsuki shook her head roughly and began to march towards the exit.

"Wait—"

Mai managed to grab onto her, prompting Natsuki to nearly snap her wrist when she wrenched herself free. She watched her friend prowl away as she rubbed her wrist and considered going after her, but Yuichi had settled the matter for her when he placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. His thumb ran comforting circles over her shoulder blade.

"Let her go," Yuichi murmured. "Kuga just needs to cool down is all."

"But…"

His grip on her shoulder remained. He jerked his chin towards the operating room.

"Her most important person is in there trying to fight for her life and she can't do anything but wait it out. A lesser person would have broken down by now. Let her go, Mai."

Reito opened one eye lazily to watch the two as they quietly stared at the exit. If it was his call, he would have chased her down and forced her to wait, but the two were merely content in letting their friend go to take the world on in an increasing burst of anger over the forces that did her wrong. It was a bad idea, but he failed to voice his concerns. He merely shifted and kept his eyes trained on the operating room before he clamped a hand over his eyes.


Reito was already up and about when Natsuki walked into the sitting room where she had completed the first of many experiments involving the fireplace. He was seated there with a book on his lap and one white patch adorning his forehead. He closed the book and turned to nod a greeting towards Natsuki.

"I was wondering when you would show up," he said in a cheerful tone that betrayed little of his impending concerns.

Natsuki took a seat in an unoccupied chair beside his and stared into the fire.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked quietly.

"That day, a year ago, you weren't running out of grief or cowardice, weren't you? You ran because you could not risk losing control over yourself."

Natsuki offered a half-hearted shrug.

"I couldn't subject anyone else to that, especially when Shizuru…"

"I understand… at least, now I understand." By this time Reito had set the book down to rest beside him. "Please understand that now we are all in this together, for better or for worse."

"Together?" Natsuki sighed. "That's a lofty declaration."

"It's one I attempt to keep," he replied simply. "I cannot stand and watch as my pretty underclassmen and colleagues attempt to get themselves killed over a dire situation when I am capable of helping."

"You…" Natsuki shook her head. "That's a very characteristic response out of you."

"Isn't it? I suspect that with all these fascinating changes, some of us have to remain relatively stable. I may not have the powers that you and Mai-san possess, but I will attempt to do my best in providing help when I can."

She stood and gave him a critical look.

"Kanzaki, you are probably the least involved individual aside from your sister. That's more than enough reason to run away while you can."

"I suppose, but running away from friends who need help is impolite at best." He offered another smile. "In a better, brighter future, I would hope that someday my efforts will exonerate me from my past wrongdoings. That sounds a little self-centered, but be assured that I am here to serve your best interests."

Natsuki weighed his words for a moment before she frowned.

"After all this time, you're still beating yourself up over what happened between Tate and Mai?"

"Do not deny that I had no hand in terrorizing the two in my past," Reito admonished quietly with a wave of his hand. He massaged his arm briefly. "There is still a bitterness that I know follows me due to my own actions in the past. This injury has yet to heal completely, even if it has been some time since Tate-kun has raised a weapon against me."

"They aren't together anymore, unless I'm missing something vital here," Natsuki replied. "You shouldn't hold it against yourself once the point of your struggles is now gone."

"I suppose." He fixed her with a calm gaze. "What I am trying to illustrate for your sake, Kuga-san, is that to consider that while the point may be gone, residue from the event still remains."

"… Another one of those 'it's everyone's and no one's fault' sort of thing?" Natsuki asked.

"Something like that." He picked up his book and opened it once more. "When the time comes, Kuga-san, I will be ready, so please just concentrate on what you must do."

She gave a curt nod and resumed her journey through the winding paths of the Suzushiro estate as Reito's golden eyes watched her until he could see her no more. This time, however, he merely sighed and returned to his book, feeling a strange sense of relief.

It is in your hands, Kuga-san.


Her phone went off in an array of lights, vibration and sound. She perked up at the ringtone and walked over to the living room of their apartment. After a cursory look at the caller ID she flipped the phone open.

"Yo, Shizuru."

"Good afternoon, Natsuki."

"What's up?"

"My father is coming from Kyoto to visit me soon, I told you about this right? His flight should arrive in around a few days or so."

"A few days or so?! You didn't tell me it would be that soon."

"Ara, it really shouldn't matter. I'm sure otou-han will love you just the same."

"I don't know… But wait, isn't the airport a little ways away from the University?"

"It is. I'll admit that his flight was a little sooner than I had planned on, and as such I won't be able to stop by the store today. I need to finish several projects in order to keep my weekend free."

"Oh, that's rare. I'm guessing that you'd want me to pick up the groceries for you?"

"If you have time. That would be very much appreciated."

"Alright. It's on the way to the shop, after all. Mai needed me to make a delivery for her anyway. Am I still picking you up after class?"

"Yes. I'll be waiting at the intersection by the tea shop."

"Hm… you sure I can't just swing by the campus to pick you up? I don't like how busy that intersection gets."

"Going to the campus after Mai's delivery job will take another hour on top of the trip to the store. You'd be exhausted riding back and forth all day."

"Still…"

"Ah. I have to get going, Natsuki. But remember, after your errand stop by the intersection."

"Alright, I got it. Take care."

"I love you, my Natsuki."

Natsuki smiled.

"I love you too, Shizuru."


The door to Shigeru's room opened and the man blearily looked up to see Natsuki walk in. He offered her a short nod before flopping back down on his bed, prompting a surprised noise to come out of her throat.

"This doesn't seem like you."

"It's always got to be about external image, doesn't it?" Shigeru asked to the ceiling.

Natsuki took a seat and rested her hands on her lap. Soon her pointed stare grew too much for Shigeru to ignore and he turned his head towards her.

"Haven't you been done with your job for a while now?" Shigeru asked in slight annoyance. "You've delivered me to where you were supposed to. Good job, now can't you take your paycheck and go home like the negotiator you are supposed to be?"

Natsuki shook her head.

"This is home," she replied, to which Shigeru gave a scoff to.

"You've done enough," he muttered. "This is beyond what you can do, powers or no powers."

Now Natsuki frowned.

"I'm not sure I like where you're going with this."

Shigeru sat up with a sigh and leaned against the headrest.

"Tell me, Natsuki-chan, do you know the story of Kiyohime?"

Natsuki tilted her head as she thought.

"… Shizuru told me the story once and I agreed to visit a Noh play called Dojoji when I learned she enjoyed going to things like that. She said that the name reminded her of her mother's since it was written using the same kanji. So, yes, I think I know the gist of the tale."

"She made that allusion?" When Natsuki nodded Shigeru raised an eyebrow. "How… strange."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well… First, tell me the story of Kiyohime."

Natsuki frowned.

"There's more important things to do right now," she pointed out.

"Indulge an old man here," Shigeru replied evenly as he smiled. "I promise it will be worth your while."

Natsuki shot him a suspicious glance not unlike the ones she would give Shizuru on occasion when approached with a rather dubious offer. For a moment she was struck by how familiar the expression felt and she straightened before sighing.

"Fine, whatever."

She leaned back against the chair and crossed her legs.

"There's two versions that I know of. Which one do you want me to tell you?"

"Pick either. They both end the same, I would think."

Natsuki paused to mentally dredge up the story before she cleared her throat.

"Well… Dojo-ji temple had no bell for the longest time, until a Buddhist rite for hanging a new bell would be performed. The head priest of the temple forbade women from coming to the ceremony but a female dancer manages to sneak in after persuading a servant to let her in. She approached the bell while dancing and proceeded to strike the bell before jumping up and having the bell crash down on top of her."

She paused to recall more of the story. Despite her relative indifference to the story itself and the hours of self-inflicted torture she had endured in that Noh play, the story came easily enough.

"The Abbot of the temple learned of what had happened and proceeded to chastise the monks before telling them what had happened with the previous bell. Many years beforehand, a monk would visit an inn during his yearly pilgrimages to a certain shrine. The innkeeper's daughter had a crush on him and he would bring her gifts from his travels. As a joke, the innkeeper told his daughter that she would marry the priest. After a few years or so, she confronted the monk and asked for his hand in marriage, not realizing that this was all just a joke."

Now Shigeru looked positively entranced. He rested his chin on his palm and watched Natsuki. She tapped her knee with her fingers as she stared up in a contemplative pause.

"… The monk refused, but knew she would not take no for an answer. He decided to sneak out of the inn and cross the river to Dojo-ji to ask them for sanctuary, so they hid him under their bell. When the innkeeper's daughter found out, she tried to go after him but could not cross the river. In her rage, she transformed into a giant snake and swam across the river to Dojo-ji. She wrapped herself around the bell and began to burn the monk and herself to death… After hearing this story, the monks decided to perform an exorcism for her spirit when they realized that she was still in love with the man. They succeed and the bell lifted as the serpent disappeared into the bed of the Hidaka River."

Shigeru closed his eyes and nodded his approval.

"That's an excellent rendition of the Dojo-ji tale." He sighed but retained his smile. "The funny thing about that story is that it is very apt in describing the Fujino family in general."

"… You all turn into fire-belching serpents when spurned?" Natsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, no," he replied, chuckling. "But the story holds a certain amount of significance in way of the emotions portrayed. Passion, jealousy, cowardice, and rage. Everyone has them, I know. This story also has several important clues within it."

He straightened.

"Despite not having the nature of their relationship, my sister and I fit the roles of Kiyohime and the monk. A long time ago, I betrayed her, and turned to belittling her because I couldn't look past of what she had inside her. She, in turn, held on to her belief that I would grow up and change, and when I refused to have anything to do with her, she began to systematically break me down. This has been a staple of our family, a curse, if you will. Despite our privileges and wealth, we are tied down by our betrayals, and there is no force that can stop our revenge should we choose to take it. In the end, we will have nothing."

Natsuki offered no response to his explanation. Instead she looked downright troubled as she digested the information.

"Knowing this, would you still take up this cause?" Shigeru asked finally. "Would you still lay down your life to help us?"

Natsuki stood up sharply.

"Not you," she muttered. "You dug your own grave, Fujino-san, as did most of your family. That's beyond what I can do."

Shigeru stared at her, but she wasn't done.

"I will lay down my life for one person and one person only."

For a brief blip of a second he could see a younger image of himself superimposed over the young woman. He smiled as he recalled Suzushiro Junpei's words from earlier.

"I see. Then tell me, how do you see the relationship between yourself and my daughter?"

Natsuki paused. She hadn't quite prepared for that sort of question but there was something in Shigeru's question that ordered absolute honesty. She took in a slightly nervous breath and expelled it in one sigh.

"Shizuru was the only one there for me when I wanted nothing more than to lash out at this world. I didn't want it at first but she stuck with me over the years. I'm a bit boneheaded at times, I'll admit. But I would… no." She shook her head. "I will fight for her. I'll fight anyone who threatens her or stands in her way. And this time, I'll be there for her."

Never again. I'll never let her go again.

Shigeru studied her stiff stance and finally his lips eased back into a smile.

"I always wondered what it'd be like to ask that question," Shigeru said wistfully. "It gives me a certain sense of accomplishment in knowing that I didn't shove Shizuru into an arranged marriage and she found someone she cares for."

Natsuki blinked.

"Then…"

Shigeru frowned and fixed Natsuki with a steely glare.

"That doesn't excuse you to do this and that with my daughter."

When Natsuki nodded hesitantly in agreement, he shrugged.

"I guess, all things considered, at least you won't get Shizuru accidentally pregnant."

Natsuki began to stammer something incoherent, but all Shigeru could see was the curious shade of red that had begun to glow from her entire face. He studied this new scene with rapt interest and grinned.

"Oh, that's a fun color on you, Natsuki-chan."

She huffed and managed to get her face back to a healthier color.

"I'm going, Fujino-san."

"Still so formal." Shigeru stretched his arms above his head. "You can call me Shigeru, when you're comfortable with using my name. Go then, Natsuki-chan."

She nodded and excused herself. Shigeru watched her leave with the grin still on his lips. He swung one of his shoulders around experimentally.

"Well, it's not like I need to stay in bed any longer," he muttered to himself. "I still have some fight left in me too."


"Natsuki."

Natsuki opened her eyes sleepily and nuzzled the back of Shizuru's neck. They were curled up together underneath down blankets, wearing as many clothes as they could manage in the strange cold snap that had invaded Fuuka for the week. The heat would not be turned on in another month, but they would bear it.

"Hmm?"

"Your attendance card had a few marks on it today."

Natsuki paused and lifted her head slightly. Shizuru sighed from the lack of attention, but she waited until Natsuki spoke.

"… What of it?"

"I took care of it when I stopped by to speak with the Principal, but you know I am going to ask you why."

"I had something to take care of today. I needed to do it alone."

"Today is the anniversary, isn't it?"

She paused.

"How did you—"

"Ara, I would hope I wasn't just imagining things when I saw you poke around the flower shop yesterday afternoon."

Despite the playful tone, Shizuru laced her fingers around the hands that occupied her stomach. She rubbed comforting circles that caused those hands to grab onto her even more tightly.

"I'm sorry. Perhaps I shouldn't have pried."

"No." Natsuki shook her head. Her voice grew harsh. "It's alright. I should've been over it a while ago. This world is an unforgiving place and it's not going to stop when I want it to."

Shizuru turned, then, and their eyes locked. She offered a patient, endearing smile.


Two figures were waiting for her when she approached the front doors of the mansion. One of them was a man she had seen only passing glimpses of, but she knew his name. Suzushiro Jinpei gave her a critical glance before closing his eyes and letting out a weary sigh.

"I seem to be plagued with forceful individuals who think they can use this house as a barracks," he announced. "Although, I suppose it will be futile in the long run to keep you caged in here."

Natsuki bowed slightly.

"I am grateful for your generosity," she replied quietly. "I hope we'll meet again under better circumstances."

Jinpei let out a short cough.

"At least you have some good sense, unlike that Shigeru."

He nodded almost to himself. Something other than mild displeasure swam up to his blue eyes but it quickly disintegrated in favor of a grim smile.

"Good luck, Kuga."

He walked out of the hall, leaving just Natsuki and the last visitor. Immediately her eyebrow twitched as she took in the self-satisfied smile of Homura Nagi.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Kuga-san. I'm just the messenger here. Speaking of which, I have a parcel for you."

He motioned her towards a coat closet that was placed near the entrance of the mansion. She watched him quietly as he opened the closet and gently extracted something wrapped in lavender silk and secured with a red cord. Whatever it was, it easily stood past her height as he set it on one end. She accepted the parcel when Nagi handed it over with some difficulty. It was heavy, whatever it was. She hefted the weight with both hands and tried to discern what it could be. It had the dimensions and feel of a rod but no rod could feel as heavy as this.

"What is this?" she asked finally.

"I was asked by Shizuru nee-chan to retrieve this from the family mansion in Kyoto," Nagi replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "It apparently belonged to her mother. The knotting around the parcel is a bit too intricate for me to undo without cutting them, so I let it be. I'm sure you'll know what to do with it."

Natsuki grasped onto the parcel and set one end of it down on the floor. Nagi took in the image with another nod and smile before waiting for Natsuki's response. She gave him a curt nod.

"I'm ready."


"The world is beautiful, Natsuki. After all, you are here."

"… You too, Shizuru."


AN: The last "flashback" (both the last two sentences and the little bit beforehand) is from an undisclosed time after Shizuru's graduation but before Natsuki's.

The Dojo-ji story I liked more than the other version of Kiyohime I found. They have the same basic similarities like the monk, the bell, and Kiyohime either burning or crushing the monk to death in the bell. Shigeru's interpretation of the tale is very loose and symbolic, not as literal as Shizuru's take in Mai-hime.

Please let me know what you think! :D