Disclaimer
I, Shirogami, would like to state here, that I don't own any character of Mai-HiME Animation I used in this latest fan-fiction of mine. However, I do own this storyline and the OCs.
Please enjoy this story and R&R. NO FLAME IS WELCOMED HERE. In the mean time, I am not a good English writer, so please be tolerate if there are (?) many grammar mistakes. Thank you very much.
P.R.I.N.C.E
By Shirogami
If time never dies, I will protect you with the rest of mine.
Wednesday
There is a hill with forest located not far from Fuuka Academy. There is a rumor says that there was a war occurred between human and demon on that ground many years ago and many souls still wandering around the forest. Now the rumor leaves nothing but a reason to warn the others to not go into the 'haunted' hill.
But, by another means, it can be a great battleground without involving the outsider.
It is 1 o'clock past the midnight.
Sparks are scattered among the trees, as Keiji is repelling another bullet with his katana.
He keeps moving like a sprinting panther and looks around him cautiously. From the moment Kurohime released the first shot with her magnum, he dodged it on instinct and started running to lure Kurohime until they ran into this rumored forest.
Keiji stops when he reached a cliff. The sand he kicked shatters and falls.
"Not good."
When Keiji is turning around, another bullet flashes by his face and pierces through the end of his waving ponytail. Keiji starts sweating, as he is observing the quiet forest, even the wound on his cheek starts bleeding and hurts.
"She has become far stronger than the last time we fought. What did she do?"
Keiji grabs the hilt of his katana with his both hands and ready in defensive pose.
"What is it, my little puppy? Start to getting worry?"
The attracting but yet piercing voice echoes around the forest. Its lifeless tone hits Keiji's nerve and brings the chill down to his spine.
"If I just can get close to her…"
Just when Keiji is planning, another shot is released and he immediately repels it with his katana. But unfortunately, it was followed with another shot aimed at his right tight.
"Argh…" Keiji looks at his bleeding wound and tries his best to hold the pain, but the shot had made him kneels on the ground.
"Excuse me, did I just shoot you?"
Slowly, Kurohime, with her gun reloaded, walks out from the forest. Her devilish smile even scares Keiji once she is standing right in front of him now.
"Oh, looks like I just did it. I am so sorry."
Kurohime's sight is locking onto Keiji's suffering face and takes her time to enjoy it. As for Keiji, her apology sounds more like exasperation to him. His eyebrows are tightened when Kurohime starts raising her gun and taking her aim again.
"Here, Keiji, have another one." Another shot is fired on Keiji's left upper arm.
"ARGH!" Keiji roars out loud. But even Keiji bites his lower lips to stand against the pain, his sight is still glaring and never leaves Kurohime.
"Hahaha… pain is good, isn't it, Keiji? Hahaha…"
Kurohime starts to laugh in joy of self-satisfaction. Deep within her laughing, Keiji senses nothing but only chill and horror, not to mention the dark mist he sees around her makes she looks evil.
But, her over-confidence had granted Keiji a chance! Without any doubt, Keiji wields his katana with another hand and uses all of his remaining strength to thrust it towards his opponent. All of this is happening too fast and out of Kurohime's expecting. The lethal strike pierces through Kurohime's abdomen. At the same time, the jewel on the hilt's end starts to glow in bright red light and channels the katana with twirling red aura, then finally set the whole blade into fire and burns its prey. As the flame start burning, Kurohime kicks Keiji away impulsively, before his katana causes more damage. Keiji, with his limp body and the katana he is still holding, falls off the cliff like a broken doll, while Kurohime generates her energy around her wound and tries to neutralize the flame.
Far below the forest, Keiji is lying on the ground. His arm and leg are bleeding badly and the broken bones around his body tortures his senses when he tries to move. Right before he is out of consciousness, someone is running to him, with a wolf by her side.
Moments later, Kurohime successfully draws the flame out from her body and throw it away. She walks slowly by the cliff and looks at below. Although she does not sense Keiji's presence anymore, but she knows he still lives, it takes more than two shots and a fall like this to end his life.
"Curse you, Keiji. You are going to pay for this." then Kurohime disappears in darkness.
"Hmm… looks like the show is getting more interesting, isn't it?"
Resting on the branch like he always does, Nagi Homura closes his book and thinks. He just witnessed the battle between Keiji and Kurohime secretly.
"That Keiji sure proves his ability as a fighter, but that woman…" Nagi rests his head by leaning by the trunk and looks upon the sky, straight to the red star located beside the moon.
"I don't remember she is one of the HiME, but she seems able to possess the power like, no, more than a HiME."
Then Nagi grins to push away his worries and leaps on the ground. "But, as long as the show is getting more exciting, who cares?"
"Keiji, take this with you." A woman, in her white doctor robe, passes a device to Keiji.
"What is this? A cog wheel?" Keiji looks and checks it out.
It is an 8 ways cogwheel-shaped device in crimson color with 4 centimeters in thickness and 12 centimeters in diameter. There is an azure orb planted in the middle, with tiny dark green trails are linked to it and the every edge of the wheel like computer hardware's circuit.
"A device purposely made for you, Keiji. It mainly power ups your self-ability when activated, but only for a certain period of time. After that it needs to be recharged with solar energy." The woman explains.
"Really? That will help a lot." Keiji happily puts the device in his bag. "But it is a waste for only able to use it for a short while."
"That is because its real function only can be activated under some condition." The woman smirks, as she had expected Keiji's question.
"Real function? I thought you just said that it boosts up my ability?" Keiji seems confused.
"And do you forget who you 'really' are, Keiji?"
The woman crossed her arms and asks. Keiji finally gets her meaning and seems understands what does the device really for.
"I see." Keiji's smiling face is thanking her for preparing the device, which is really meaningful for him.
"So, what is the condition then?" The woman starts mumbling words to Keiji.
"Ur… urgh…" Trying to open his tiring eyes, Keiji starts to gain back his consciousness. He notices himself is looking at the ceiling instead of the starry night.
"I'm… home?"
Using his right elbow to support himself, Keiji crunches up himself and looks around. It is not the room he expected earlier, this is far more feminine for him. The bright and clear environment also tells him that it is daytime now. Keiji looks at his wounds and finds out that they were given treatment and bandaged.
"Who did this?"
"You finally awake." Someone speaks without his notice.
"Kuga-san? But how?"
Kuga Natsuki is sitting near her reading table and drinking coffee now, she is wearing a shirt and short jeans, with her hair band in a ponytail.
"I followed you all the way until I saw you fall from the cliff." Natsuki puts her coffee away and explains.
"I see, thank you very much." Keiji bows lightly.
"Don't get it wrong. I just wanna know what is actually happening. Those wounds were deadly and almost killed you."
"I was… chased by some monsters." Keiji tries to hide the truth because it is too soon to tell her about it.
"Don't lie to me, Akitoh Keiji." Natsuki stare at him seriously.
"First of all, why are you using a true katana with true steel blade? And you can run with the speed that almost surpassed my DURAN? And most of all, able to know I am a HiME that supposed to be a secret to anyone? You have to do better than that."
Natsuki then holds her chin, "And didn't I mention that the injuries were fatal? That WAS when I found you on the way back then, your bleeding stops and your broken bones are healed slowly while DURAN is taking you back here, all by yourself, without any treatment. Those bandage are only meant to cover them."
As soon as Keiji realized, his katana is lying on his side right now. From Natsuki's conversation, he knows that his secret is revealing slowly.
"Okay, I will tell what you suppose to know, Kuga-san, and nothing more than that, even you put a bullet through my head."
Keiji answers her seriously; even Natsuki is shocked by his sudden changes of behavior.
"Chie-san, have you seen Keiji around?" Mai asks when she knows Keiji absented from school.
"Huh? No, what is it?" Chie says when she is munching some biscuits.
"I just wonder why does he absent today?" Mai is disappointed to hear the answer.
"Just a minute, Mai." After Chie drinks some water to clear her throat, she looks at Mai really curiously, "I always want to ask you about this. Why are you so concern about Keiji? I thought Tate-san is your boyfriend."
"Ha… Haiiii!" Mai surprised to the question and shouts out along with her blushing cheek. "Tate? What… what are you talking about, Chie-san?"
"Well, both of you never stop quarrel each other. I just had been thinking that…" When Chie almost finishes, both Aoi and Chie get themselves closer and grin at Mai.
"Enough Chie-san. First of all, Tate Yuichi is not my boyfriend, and I concern for Keiji because he is new and will be our classmate for a week." Mai explains immediately, but her face is still blushing lightly.
"Yes, yes, you're always right. But you cannot deny that you care for Keiji-kun, right?" Chie grins again.
"I… I…" Mai's cheek starts to blush more reddish. Finally, Chie poses a V-sign to Mai.
Meanwhile, Keiji sheathes back his katana before he continues his conversation with Natsuki Kuga.
"… Now, Kuga-san…"
"Natsuki is fine." Natsuki finally tries to be friendlier with Keiji by letting him address her by name.
"Now, Natsuki. I had told you everything you need to know. Believe it or not, that's all I can tell."
Actually, Keiji finally decided to tell her about Kurohime and her purpose for being here, he also tells Natsuki that he was sent here to catch her by any means and help the HiME.
"No wonder you know so much about us, I thought you are from the 'First District'." Natsuki says.
"No, I am definitely not. In fact, the one sent me here is concerning the HiME more than anyone of them." Keiji replies.
"I see. And you just said that the enemy we are facing here can fuse with ORPHAN and use their ability? And we are better not summoning our CHILD to fight her at all?" Natsuki pours some coffee and serves it to Keiji.
"You got it. Kurohime's ability not only enables her to fuse with any ORPHAN, but also the CHILD, so as their ability, to empower herself." Keiji holds the cup of coffee with both of his hands and continues.
"That's the reason you warned me from fighting with her by summoning my DURAN as well?" Natsuki finally understands Keiji's warning before he went to look for Kurohime last night.
Keiji nods his head, "If I am right enough, her next target might be Mai's CHILD."
"Mai's CHILD? She has it now?"
As far as Natsuki concerns, Mai is still in the state of avoiding the responsibility for being the HiME.
"Not yet. Natsuki, but she will gain it soon enough, she is a HiME after all?" Keiji answers with confidence.
"But, Keiji, why are you so sure about Kurohime's next target? If her target is the ORPHAN and CHILD, then it will be a wild goose chase." Natsuki speaks.
"As far as I know, Natsuki, everyone of you, the HiMEs had already gained their own CHILD, except Mai." Keiji stops for a while to sip his coffee, "And you should know it when you got your DURAN by the first time, was it easy for you to control it?"
Although Natsuki is surprised by his knowledge, but she agrees no more about the fact he just told.
"That's the reason I am so sure about Kurohime's target. Since a new born CHILD is not easy to be controlled by HiME, she will get lots of chances to fuse with it." Keiji states the reason for his conclusion.
"From now, we need to stay close to Mai, I bet Kurohime already took her step and is waiting for chances now. Natsuki, it might be good if you can help me."
"What? Me?" Natsuki seems confused, since she was warned to fight with Kurohime not long ago.
"You got me right. I might need your CHILD when it comes to the worst."
Natsuki immediately materializes her pistol and aims at his head, "YOU WANT TO SACRIFICE MY CHILD TO SAVE YOUR ASS?"
Keiji stares at Natsuki steadily and says, "Don't get me wrong, Natsuki! I never abandon my friend behind and run away like a coward! I need your CHILD to help us to escape just in case. I knew it very well, Natsuki, your CHILD is the fastest one among the others." Keiji explains, while he takes out his cog wheel device from the bag Natsuki picked up for him.
"I never thought I am going to use this so soon, but it seems like I have no other choice." Keiji looks at the orb in the middle of the device.
"What is this thing?" Natsuki pulls back her aim and asks.
"I will tell you when it is time. Now, we got a HiME to meet." Keiji tries to stand up and gets himself ready.
"But, Keiji, you are not fully recovered yet!" Natsuki warns him. Keiji takes off the bandage and notices the wounds are still healing. Although the bleeding is stopped and broken bones are healed like she said earlier, it still hurts when he tries to move.
"If we don't move fast, then we might be regret for the rest of our life." But Keiji just tries his best to ignore the pain and keeps moving with Natsuki behind him.
And I won't forgive myself if I can't make it in time.
"Welcome."
Like every waiter and waitress does, they will greet the customer whenever they enter the shop. Mai, in her part-time uniform for the restaurant she is working now, gladly greets and ready to serve.
"How many person… Keiji-kun?" Mai is surprised when she finds out Keiji enters the restaurant.
But after she saw his company, she starts to look unhappy.
"Two will do, Mai-san." Keiiji says, as Natsuki is at his back.
"Mai-san, is there something wrong?" Keiji asks when he notices Mai is staring at them.
"Two… two persons, right? This way please."
Even though Mai does not know the reason for her emotion, but she is working right now. Therefore she leaves it behind now before she gets time for that.
After they took their seat and order some drinks, Keiji scans the restaurant area for any suspicious appearance, while Natsuki observes the outer area through the window.
"Everything seems normal." Natsuki whispers.
"I hope so, but Kurohime is like a stalker, you never notice her presence until you see her." Keiji crosses his fingers and speaks, while his eyes are looking at Mai who is serving another customer now.
"Keiji!" Natsuki presses her tone harder as she failed to warn Keiji.
"What is it?" Keiji suddenly awakes and answers.
"That woman, at the entrance!"
Looking towards where Natsuki points. Keiji notices a single woman is coming to the scene. She is wearing a black dress in Gothic Lolitha style, with light gray and white flourish pattern sewed around lower dress and collar. The middle cloth before her is silky-white and lots of roses pattern is sewed at its side. She smiles when she notices Keiji and Natsuki.
"Kurohime…" Acknowledge from her merciless and arrogant smirk upon him, Keiji tightens his eyebrows and tries his best not to start a fight, not in this place with lots of people, not with Mai.
"Natsuki, try to get Mai out of here at once!" Keiji stands up and decides to take the first move before Kurohime.
"But, how about you?" Natsuki asks with concern, because Keiji is not recovered yet and on top of that, he lost to her once.
"I will try to hold her somehow. In the mean time, Natsuki, try to get Mai away from here as far as possible. I am counting on you." Keiji leaves the table and Natsuki rushes to the waitress counter quickly.
"Well, well, isn't it my lucky day? Both HiME and you appear to me willingly when I want most. You really save my time."
Kurohime just does not care for him, even Keiji had reached her within a very close range. She holds his chin with her right hand, while her left instantly morphs out her magnum. But because of their range, Keiji manages to hold her gun's barrel quickly before she can raise them.
"Wait a minute, Kurohime. You are not trying to fight here, aren't you?"
Gaining his chance to stop Kurohime, Keiji questions her desperate hunger for hunting the HiME. Now is after office hour, which is also another peak hour for the restaurant to serve lots of people for taking dinner.
"With two HiMEs and you within my sight? You bet I am, Keiji."
Kurohime looks at Keiji wickedly and starts morphing out another gun. But Keiji holds it as well.
"Not so fast, Kurohime. You may defeated me, you should know you can't win me within this range."
Keiji holds both of her weapons and pushes them behind her butt, and hugs Kurohime closer to him, just like a pair of lovers attends to kiss each other.
Kurohime looks at Keiji's steady face and smiles with blushing cheek. "You sure know how to use your chances, Keiji. But how long do you think you can hold me, I can just burst out my energy and destroy everything here."
"Not too long…" Just when Keiji hears the roaring of Natsuki's bike engine and its sound starts descending, so as he saw she gunned it away from the restaurant with another person on her back.
"Just after they escape and stay far away from you."
Kurohime also feels it, the presence of the HiME is disappearing and she finally understands Keiji's idea.
"Hmph! What a stupid trick. You think they can get away from me like this forever." Knowing her plan of getting the HiME failed, Kurohime feels pissed off and starts to generate her energy.
"Not good!" Keiji can sense it.
"Kurohime is gonna blows this place apart!" Without wasting another second to think anymore, Keiji grabs Kurohime hardly, sprints out of the restaurant quickly and go away as far as possible.
"You sure surprise me every time, Keiji."
After Keiji dragged her out of the restaurant without her expected and now she comes back to her senses, she swings away his hand and complies. "And what can you do after you get me here, loser?"
Keiji looks at Kurohime and poses his fighting stance.
"I will do this." Keiji takes out his cogwheel device and puts it on his chest.
"IGNITION!"
Keiji roars a command. All of the sudden, the orb of the device shines to life in azure color and the trails starts generates energy in light green color from the center and channel to the edges of the wheel. Keiji feels the energy within it as it floats him in the mid air. He reacts by spreading all his arms and legs to each side like the Virtuvian Man, as the trails beams out lines from the edges and cover him like a coat.
When all of Keiji's body is shining in green and the device is planted into the chest, the coating shatters and morphs out an armor that formed by tight-fitting guards on his legs, lower arms, chest, waist, and a helmet as well, the other parts are morphed into azure spandex suit; His hands, however, are wearing azure gloves. The armor is generally in white color; decorated with green circuit trails as energy channeling device to every part of the body; the crimson cogwheel is planted in the chest and the azure orb is shinning bright. As for his helmet that only reveals his eyes, the ear part is set along with an antenna to track invisible enemies by sound.
"I see, that 'woman' finally made up this gadget on time, huh?" Kurohime can feel Keiji new outfit and is looking forward to it. She already had her gun prepared for this battle.
"Ready for Round 2, Kurohime?" Keiji raises and holds his fists, he poses his fighting stance and starts tripping like a fighter.
"I am waiting." Kurohime teases him by dragging her gun to lure Keiji.
Keiji smiles, then dashes towards Kurohime at his great speed and emerges the fight.
"Natsuki! Just what the hell are you trying to do? I am working, remember?" Mai shouts at Natsuki after they stop at the hostel.
"Don't be mad at me, complaint it to Keiji." Natsuki says.
"Keiji? How does he get involve in this?"
"He is the one who asked me to escort you from there." Natsuki takes off her helmet before she continues, "He worries about you."
"What… what are you talking about, I just don't get you." Mai is totally confused.
"Like I said, if you got a question, ask Keiji. By the way, Mai, do you have your CHILD yet?" Natsuki asks to confirm.
"I told you! I am not gonna involve in any of the HiME business, and I don't have a CHILD!" Mai becomes angry suddenly.
In her mind, she never meant to get involve in her destiny as a HiME, even she knows she is one, she just want to live a normal life with her brother like a normal girl, that's it.
"Is it so? Then I will advise you one more time, don't ever obtain a CHILD, or ever use your ELEMENT." Natsuki wears her helmet back and guns her bike to somewhere else.
"Keiji? Just why does Natsuki say that I should ask Keiji for everything?" Mai keeps questioning before Mikoto welcomes her at the hostel's entrance.
"Thank you for everything, Natsuki. Good night, then." Keiji ends the phone conversation with Natsuki.
After his fight with Kurohime and barely results in a draw match, Kurohime angrily left the area as she knew it is a meaningless battle; while Keiji is relieved because his armor had reached its time limit and tuned back to the device just right after Kurohime left him.
Now, he goes to the town again and rests on a bench after an exhausting walk with his tiring body with new wounds.
"Man, I should wait until I recovered." Keiji stretches his hands to his side and twists his head to ease his muscle.
"Keiji? Is that you, Keiji-kun?" As Keiji is trying to rest, a girl is calling him.
"Akane-san? Good to see you here."
"By the way, Keiji, are you feeling well? You look terrible." Akane concerns and asks.
"Noting much, just some accident, I will be fine after a short break. By the way, who is this gentleman?" Keiji notices a boy by Akane's side and asks.
"Oh, he is my… friend." Akane's face blushes and she introduces her boyfriend to Keiji.
"I am Kazuya Kurauchi, please to meet you, Akitoh-san."
"Call me Keiji. Please to meet you, Kazuya-san." When Keiji is greeting back to his new friend, he suddenly feels something strange upon Akane.
"Wait a minute, why can't I sense her presence as HiME?"
"Kazuya-san, would you mind me to have a word with Akane, it is quite personal." Keiji asks seriously.
"But, Keiji, I don't remember…"
"Please, Akane-san. It is really important, and only you can know this!" Just when Akane is confused, Keiji keeps demanding it. "Please, I beg you."
While Akane is considering, Kazuya somehow knows the importance and leaves them for a short while. Keiji thanks him for the understanding.
"Akane-san, can I ask you something?"
"Y…Yes." Akane is frightened by Keiji's serious expression.
"Did anyone else visit you before you were discharged?" Akane finally relieves for the simple question.
"Let me see… Mai, Mikoto, Chie, Aoi, you… ah, there is another person, a girl!"
"How does she look like?" Keiji becomes nervous and keeps asking.
"Around sixteen-year-old, from the way she look, she got red, curly hair. We chat a lot too."
"What is her name? Do you remember it?" Akane's description shocks Keiji even more.
"Let me think. If I am not mistaken… yes, Kurohime."
For a moment, Keiji hears the name clearly and he cannot ignore that the thing he most afraid had became true.
"Did you tell her about your HiME's ability?" Keiji asks to clear his doubt.
"What, how could you possibly…"
"Just answer me, Akane-san!" Akane is shocked when she looks at Keiji serious sight.
After a long silent, Akane finally nods her head; and it is a worst news Keiji would never want to know.
"Akane-san, you may wonder how do I know about your identity, but please don't be afraid, I am not your enemy, in fact I am here to help you, the HiMEs. Please believe me."
"Keiji-kun. Who are you anyway? How could you possibly know about me as the HiME?" Akane asks.
"We have no time for that anymore, Akane-san. And now I am gonna tell you something that you should know. I believe that girl, Kurohime, had stolen you HiME's ability and your CHILD too." Keiji holds her shivering shoulder to calm her down.
"But, Kurohime won't able to get your ability easily, unless…" Keiji looks at Akane seriously, "…you wish to abandon the burden of being a HiME."
Akane's surprising expression had cleared his doubt. "Why, Akane-san? Why do you pass your ability to her?"
"She said that she can leave the curse of the HiME from me. I am too tired of being a HiME and hiding secrets from Kazuya. I just can't stand it!" Akane finally cries and confesses the truth.
But, Keiji holds her shoulder to stop her, because he is going to tell her something even scares her more, "Akane-san, neither you want it or not, the bond between you and your CHILD is not broken yet. You are still a HiME, only without the power of summoning the ELEMENT or CHILD."
"What! But she said that…" Akane cannot believe what she just heard.
"It's a fraud, Akane-san, just to obtain your power and your CHILD. What ever happens to them is still influences you, the one who actually owns them." Keiji explains, as he starts releasing his hand.
But Akane instantly catches his hand and asks, "What should I do now, how can I get them back?"
"Akane-san, since you had lost the power of a HiME, you better stay away from any danger. I will try my best to make things right in the meantime, just be patient." Keiji can't help himself from getting more nervous.
He must try everything to get things back to normal, before it is too late.
Author's word:
Hello, everyone, especially the fans of Mai-HiME, I hope you all enjoy the Anime like I did.
Keiji finally have to tell Natsuki his objective for being here, but he cannot just tell everything to her yet, something has to be kept in private matter.
This is only the beginning for the real intention of this fiction, so please stayed tuned and I am looking forward for any R&R from you.
See you tomorrow.