CHAPTER 1

Present Day

The shrill sound of an insistent alarm woke Natsuki Kuga from her sleep. Like most people in the morning, she hit the snooze button.

Overall, things had been quiet for Natsuki since the end of the carnival. The only dark cloud on her days was that she had to attend summer classes, the result of her poor attendance record the previous year. Now as a second year she was finding the calm aftermath of the carnival oddly disconcerting. Natsuki had spent virtually her entire young life tracking down and trying to stop First District. With the departure of Fuuka's Headmistress Mashiro Kazahana and her ubiquitous counterpart Nagi Homura, it seemed that First District had disappeared. So, Natsuki continued with her days and tried to put together the normal life that she'd never really had.

Due to the "generosity" of the recently departed Headmistress Natsuki's scholarship at Fuuka remained intact. Indeed, virtually all of the other former Hime had maintained their scholarships and were still completing their studies at Fuuka. Only the one Hime that had graduated remained a mystery.

While Natsuki and Shizuru had kept in contact, relations were strained. Shizuru had kept her distance after Graduation and Natsuki had allowed it. They went from seeing each other every day to only meeting for a once a month catch-up. It seemed Natsuki had lost her first and only friend. In exchange she had apparently gained a multitude of other friends. This was mainly the fault of one Mai Tokiha, who was insistent that Natsuki adapt to a normal and quiet life.

Natsuki was uncertain why normal encompassed having to deal with the people that had become her friends. While they were all well intentioned, they also all seemed a little off. However the worst part of this new "friendship" thing for Natsuki was having to participate in the weekly karaoke sessions Mai would hold and the ensuing outfits she would be forced into wearing. Sometimes Natsuki just missed her purposeful former life and the quiet friendship she had with the former kaichou.

After the second snooze expired Natsuki got up and started preparing for her day. She went through her usual routine of eating a breakfast loaded with mayo, showering, and then watching the morning news reports. An insistent knocking on her door was the only thing keeping her morning from being perfect.

"Natsuki! Are you there?" the intruder yelled from the other end of the door.

"Who is it?" Natsuki responded. She was well aware that it was Mai, probably accompanied by Mikoto, but she felt like hassling Mai anyways for disturbing her morning ritual.

"We've got to get to school!"

Natsuki rolled her eyes in response. The effect was obviously lost on Mai as she was located on the other side of the door. Natsuki nevertheless felt justified. Mai hadn't left her alone after finding out she had to take summer classes, telling Natsuki that it was her duty as a friend to ensure that Natsuki graduated on time. That apparently involved coming to her apartment every morning and insisting that Natsuki walk to class with her and Mikoto. Initially Natsuki was touched by her concern but after about one week she was just plain annoyed.

"Is Natsuki Coming?" Mikoto piped up.

"I'm coming, calm down." Natsuki proceeded to grab her bag and open her door to find Mai waiting with an anxious Mikoto at her side.

They proceeded on their morning walk to campus. Natsuki had been leaving her Ducati behind these days due to an incident in which Mikoto had decided that driving a motorcycle would be fun. She was still reeling from the cost of the repairs. Eventually Takumi and Akira joined them. The walk was quiet, the content nature of those around her made Natsuki uncomfortable. It always seemed as if there was something missing in these calm moments. She was supposed to feel happy and content, but a part of her was restless. At the end of the carnival Natsuki had started to open herself up to friendship and those that seemed to care about her. Considering her previous "loner" nature she had been making great strides in this area. Yet, something was unsettling Natsuki.

The closer they got to school, the more people joined in their group. After Takumi and Arika the group was joined by Shiho who was latched onto an awkward looking Tate. Next they were joined by Aoi and Chie who proceeded to inform them of the latest gossip on the First Year students. Apparently two of the new first years had already developed quite the reputation at Fuuka as promising new students. Natsuki wasn't paying enough attention to get their full names, but did remember that one was named Nina. She had met a Nina a few weeks ago when she was visiting Yukino in the student council room. Natsuki was remembering more about this new girl until her thoughts were interrupted.

"Mai, what's a vaccination?" Mikoto chirped.

"What? Oh, it's a shot to prevent you from getting sick" Mai casually responded.

"A shot. Like a gun shot?"

"Not exactly Mikoto."

It became suddenly apparent to Natsuki that there were signs strewn across the campus promising vaccinations for the upcoming cold and flu season. What truly struck Natsuki was the large "MANDATORY" part written at the top of the flyers. Apparently surviving the hime festival wasn't enough for this school. She needed a cold and flu shot to save herself. Natsuki sighed as she realized it was going to be a long day.

The rest of the day flew by quickly and Natsuki was grateful for it. The only slump in her day was the loud speaker for the school intercom system announcing that all second year students were required to proceed to the auditorium at 2:00 p.m. to receive their cold and flu vaccination. The school was dividing the students by class as to their priority for the mandatory vaccinations. The first years had gone at 1:00 p.m. and the third years were scheduled to go at 3:00 p.m. Natsuki wasn't exceptionally excited, but the thought of getting out of her English class for an extra half an hour was appealing enough to earn her compliance. On her way out of her classroom Natsuki ran into Nao.

"Oi Kuga."

"What is it Nao?"

"Just giving a friendly hello. What's your problem?"

"Nothing." Natsuki wasn't about to share her unknown discomfort at her quiet life with Nao Yuuki. While Natsuki had slightly mellowed after the carnival, Nao remained her usual smartass self. However this was just Natsuki's opinion.

To the unattuned person it would appear that Nao had not changed at all since the end of the carnival. Yet this couldn't have been further from the truth. After the end of the carnival Nao was reunited with her mother who had awoken from her coma. The calm and reassuring presence of her mother's return to her life had changed Nao. While she still engaged in certain extracurricular activities in town, namely robbing men that she met online and tricked into meeting her, she had lost the bitterness that had consumed her during the carnival. Overall she was a happier person. Still, Natsuki remained somewhat oblivious to this change. It might have had something to do with Nao's constant wisecracks at Natsuki's expense during the weekly karaoke nights.

Nao noticed the raven haired girls discomfort and decided that a good quip was in order. She saw the vaccination flyer and decided on her tactic. "What, you just sulking because you're scared of getting your shot? Do you have a secret fear of needles Kuga?"

"I DO NOT." Natsuki rebuffed. If one was solely judging by Natsuki's overreaction to Nao's taunt, they would have realized that Natsuki's lie was blatant. However, the subject matter of fear of needles didn't cover the true reason for Natsuki's discomfort. Natsuki's hatred of the medical field and all things related, including vaccinations, stemmed from her last hospital stay. On top of that, the memory of her mother's death, time in the hospital, and the recent discovery that it resulted from her mother's betrayal was not something she wished to revisit. Natsuki wasn't going to admit to her feelings on said matter. Best to just get this over with.

With that in mind she immediately proceeded into the auditorium and marched to the front of the line. After a slight altercation at the check-in station, Natsuki was sent to the closest vaccination station.

"Name" the nurse said. She didn't ever glance up at Natsuki.

"Kuga, Natsuki." Natsuki was completely pissed at the nurse for not even looking at her. Such disrespect.Yet, she had Nao looking over she should so she couldn't start a fight. If she was to have an altercation with the nurse she knew that Nao would say it was because she was afraid of a little needle.

"Ah. Hold on one moment." Without so much as a glance at Natsuki the nurse turned around and grabbed something from her makeshift desk. Natsuki quickly glanced over her shoulder and saw Nao getting her own shot and simultaneously making faces at her, daring her to chicken out. The next thing Natsuki knew, she was stuck with a needle in her arm.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, it's just procedure. I told you I was about to vaccinate you but you apparently weren't listening. Do you often just ignore those around you?"

The obvious insolence of the nurse infuriated Natsuki. Who is she to just prick me with a needle and then reprimand me. Also, who just gives someone a vaccination when their back is turned? Natsuki figured these nurses must be outsourced from the local hospital as Youko would never treat her this way.

After mentally working herself into a highly displeased state, Natsuki stood and marched out of the auditorium. When she had just made it outside of the room she stopped due to a sharp pain in her arm, in the same place she had just received her vaccination. This was followed by a growing dizziness in the back of her head. Then everything went black.

Natsuki slowly opened her eyes to a white ceiling above her and someone shaking her left arm. She turned her head to the left and was confronted with a smirking Nao.

"You really do have a fear of needles Kuga!" Nao said as she started laughing. Natsuki immediately glared and tried to sit up.

"Please stay down Natsuki and rest. You collapsed outside of the auditorium after receiving your flu shot," Youko said as she placed a hand on Natsuki's shoulder and pushed her back down onto the bed. "Did you wait a few minutes after your shot to recuperate like the nurse said?"

"Uh…" Natsuki's inarticulate reply was suddenly interrupted by a loud thud as Mai Tohika burst through the door to the student infirmary. Mikoto followed closely behind.

"Natsuki! Are you alright? I heard you collapsed!" Mai quickly moved to Nastuki's right side and scanned Natsuki's current state to determine if she was injured in any way.

"Oh she did alright. Apparently Kuga has a fear of needles. She toppled over like a tree!" Nao responded for Natsuki as she simultaneously mimicked said toppling with hand movements. This only served to made her laugh harder. Now that Nao knew Natsuki was alright she was able to fully enjoy the image of the raven haired girl toppling over in the auditorium.

"Hey! I did not topple over! I just had a bad reaction to the shot. It happens all the time," Natsuki said the last part sheepishly. Clearly Nao wasn't going to let her live this down. Before she could deliver a further retort she was interrupted by the sudden cry of a new presence in the room.

"Nina! Are you alright? I heard you fainted in class earlier this afternoon." First year student Erstin Ho exclaimed as she burst into the room in a similar fashion as Mai had previously. Natsuki suddenly noticed on her left that another girl was lying in the next bed over.

"Erstin? Yeah I'm alright. I just got so tired in class that I fell asleep." Nina was embarrassed that she was showing obvious weakness in front of upperclassmen. Erstin quickly looked around, noticed that they were not alone, and gave an apologetic look for interrupting. Nao however could not resist this turn of events.

"You too Wang? I didn't know so many people were as scared as Kuga about a simple shot."

"I was not scared!" Natsuki and Nina shouted back at Nao simultaneously. The conversation carried on between the three like that for a while until Nao finally relented. Then Mai began chatting with Nina and Erstin about her first year at Fuuka, leaving out the parts regarding Himes and the carnival. Mikoto voiced her opinion once in a while and Nao continued to insert her little jibes into the conversation. For Natsuki it felt good to have her friends around despite their teasing. Yet, she still felt the same uneasiness and slight emptiness that she had been feeling since graduation and the end of the carnival.

Eventually Natsuki was released and allowed to head home. Mai and Mikoto accompanied her on the walk and wouldn't leave her alone until they were sure that she was okay. After multiple attempts to reassure Mai that she was indeed fine and just tired, Natsuki was able to send the girl away.

John Smith sat quietly in his office as he awaited the results of today's project launch. He had been reviewing the files of the twelve candidates and eagerly anticipated the outcome of his carefully chosen subjects. According to his sources, all of the girls had received the Searrs dosage today under the pretense of a mandatory cold and flu shot.

The incubation period for each candidate was uncertain. Preliminary tests had revealed that individuals reacted and developed differently to the drug. There didn't appear to be any consistency in the time period. The only thing that was certain was that, when presented with a life-threatening challenge, the subject's abilities would manifest. Therefore, it seemed that Smith was going to have to initiate some challenges for his new Hime.

She was surrounded, that much was certain. Searrs agents were coming out of the woodwork and attacking. Despite having already shot many down, she wasn't able to fight them all off and was coming under constant fire. To complicate matters, Duran was in the midst of a battle with a rather large scorpion like child.

After letting off another round of shots from her ice pistols, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side and noticed that a bullet from one of the Searrs agents to her left had nicked her right arm. Quickly dashing behind a large metallic canister, she checked out the severity of her wound. Luckily it didn't appear deep or fatal.

This incident appeared to divert Duran's attention from his battle with the giant scorpion child. He fired one shot at the scorpion and then looked to his master to determine her state. She waved him off and yelled that she was fine. After determining that she was safe, he returned to his battle with the scorpion. However he was a little too late.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the scorpion attacked Duran by shooting out its large stinger. Just as the stinger was about to make contact with Duran, multiple large snake heads appeared and slammed into the stinger, diverting its trajectory into the building's left wall. Several other snake heads then appeared protectively in front of Duran, making a hissing like sound at the scorpion.

She had seen the entire scene and immediately recognized Kiyohime when the child had appeared to protect Duran. Quickly scanning the area, she attempted to determine the location of Kiyohime's master. After a few seconds of looking she noticed said master up on a platform near the factory's rafters.

"Shizuru!" she called out. One of Kiyohime's heads then raised itself to its master. Shizuru stepped on the head and was gently brought down to the ground and placed beside Natsuki. Shizuru gave the head a quick pet and then allowed it to rejoin the other heads in their protection of Duran.

"Did Natsuki miss me?" Shizuru teased.

"This is not the time for teasing Shizuru!" Yet, Shizuru's comment had brought a smile to her face.

"How unfair Natsuki is." Shizuru then appeared to wait a moment and contemplate her next words. "What do you wish to do?"

Natsuki observed their situation, trying to determine the best way to defeat the scorpion, stop the Searrs agents, and escape alive. Meanwhile Kiyohime was engaged in a battle with the scorpion and Duran was shooting at the Searrs agents, giving her time to contemplate their next move. Moments later Natsuki came to her decision and whispered it to Shizuru. Shizuru nodded in agreement.

"Duran! Load Silver Cartridge!" Duran then loaded the cartridge and turned to aim it at the monstrous scorpion that was trapped in a battle with Kiyohime's multiple heads. Noticing that Duran was now prepared, Kiyohime quickly darted out of the way as Duran's attack shot forward and impacted with the large scorpion.

As the scorpion collapsed to the ground Natsuki heard a resounding thump to her right. What she saw when she turned to look left her stunned. There was Shizuru, on her knees and hunched forward, clutching her chest and obviously in immense pain. Natsuki immediately shook off her stunned state and got to her feet, scrambling towards the brunette. When she reached her the brunette's eyes were dazed and full of pain.

"Shizuru! What? How? I don't understand…" the raven haired girl cried out. She looked from Shizuru to the defeated scorpion and back as she noticed that Shizuru was slowly fading into green light at the same rate as the dying child. Natsuki grabbed hold of Shizuru, trying to stop her from disappearing into nothingness.

"Don't! You can't Shizuru! No!" Natsuki was desperate as she tried to prevent Shizuru from disappearing by clinging onto her vanishing form.

Shizuru slowly raised her hand to Natsuki's face and wiped away the tears that had started to fall down the raven haired girls face. "Forgive me Natsuki" Shizuru whispered as she faded away.

"NO! SHIZURU!" Natsuki yelled as she shot up in bed. Opening her eyes, Natsuki shifted her body erratically, trying to orient herself. After a few moments Natsuki understood that she had just been dreaming and that the carnival had not restarted.

With a sigh of reassurance, she took in her surroundings. That was when the raven haired girl noticed small bits of debris were lying on top of her. Wondering why they looked oddly similar to the texture and color of her ceiling, she looked up. Upon doing so the raven haired girl was immediately presented with the night sky above her, visible through two newly made holes in her ceiling. That's when she realized that her hands were holding onto two familiar metal objects.

Oh shit. Natsuki realized that she had materialized her ice pistols during her dream and had blown a hole through her ceiling. I'm not supposed to be able to materialize anything! The carnival is over. Isn't it…

Natsuki quickly scrambled for her phone. She needed to talk to someone. She had to figure out what was going on. Retrieving her phone, she quickly scrolled through the address book and found the number she was looking for. She sent a quick message stating simply "I need to see you. Meet me at the usual place." Natsuki then got out of bed and got ready for her meeting.

AN:

This is a forewarning that I liked certain personalities in Mai Otome more than their Hime counterparts. As a result, some of these characters will act more like their Otome personalities than their Hime ones. So be prepared because some people might be OOC. I also liked certain Mai Otome characters that weren't in Hime. So I'm going to bring them in as well.

I don't have a beta read my stories before updating, but I will re-read my chapters a few times before updating them so that I can get out a few more of the kinks.

Reviews welcome!