Chapter One

She still couldn't remember. Somehow…Somehow she'd managed to win. Both she and Mikoto were alive, along with the rest of the Carnival's victims, and Kokyou no Kimi was dead.

She still couldn't remember what had happened. There was no way she could have blocked that last hit, yet she had.

There were so many blank spaces. She remembered a dream, almost like a memory. She remembered something hot and something cold. She remembered the name Seran.

Things didn't add up. Mashiro was a HiME as well? But that meant that there weren't twelve of them, but thirteen, thirteen real HiME.

If she could just remember….

There was definitely a change between them. It had been comfortable before, now…now there was a sort of tension between them. They didn't talk about it, didn't acknowledge it, but they both knew that it was there. They'd sit just a little farther apart. She'd be a little more nervous showing her 'collection', and the teasing was strained, trying not to remind them of what had happened.

Part of her wanted to talk about it, but it never felt like the right time to bring it up. She wanted to get rid of the awkwardness, the nervousness, but she knew that if they let those words out into the open, even if things changed, it could never be the same between them.

She couldn't ever let herself hear those words again, couldn't risk it. She could feel it there, bubbling at the surface, waiting to get out.

It was a cruel thing to do. She'd lied. She'd lied because, she could feel the potential.

She didn't want things to change. But they would, no matter what happened, because whether or not she wanted it, Shizuru was in love with her.

"How is Natsuki doing today?" Shizuru's smile greeted her once again, but was she really happy to see her? She couldn't ever read the older girl and that…hurt.

"I'm fine." She jumped up onto the desk, realizing only afterwards that once again she sat farther from her than she used to. "What about you? You seem a bit pale."

"Ah, Natsuki was worrying about me. I'm so happy."

"Shizuru!"

"I'm doing well." Shizuru smiled at her. Lied to her.

"That's good."

Silence.

"Was there something Natsuki wanted?"

"No." Yes.

Silence.

"Shizuru?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you been having any dreams lately?" Only after she's said it did she realize all the jokes Shizuru could make.

"Dreams?"

Natsuki could already see she had some teasing in mind. "About HiME's."

"Have I had any dreams about HiME's?" Natsuki nodded. "No. Why?"

The blue haired girl sighed, "No reason."

Shizuru eyed her. "You asked, so there must be a reason."

"It's not important." Yes it was. She wanted to speak, wanted to say she was sorry, that she didn't want Shizuru to be sad.

But she couldn't.

"Is Mai mad?"

Mai looked questioningly at the younger girl. "No. Why?"

"Because I tried to kill Mai."

The redhead quickly left her spot by the stove and moved to Mikoto's side. "I've already told you, I'm not angry."

"It's hard for Mai to cook." She gestured to Mai's arm which had been broken in the fight and now rested in a cast. It had, thankfully, been the worst of her injuries.

Mai let out a small chuckle. "I'm managing, don't worry." She gently gave the smaller girl a hug. "Don't worry."

She dreamed once again. She could never remember her dream though. It was important. She knew it was.

She still couldn't remember the fight. Whatever had happened, it had…she'd felt almost different afterwards.

Sighing, Mai closed her eyes and began to dream.