Someone was after Natsuki and that someone would pay. That was all I could think about that day, after I left Natsuki's apartment. I am not a psycho. I am not normally this blood thirsty. I do not have a history of mental instability. I was just... Just in love... In love, and overprotective, sometimes jealous... Fine, I suppose that does count for madness. I'm not trying to excuse myself though. There's no excuse for what I've done. I was simply trying to explain why I spent my days covertly following Natsuki, why I made use of all my available resources to track down her would be killer, why I spent my nights keeping a lookout from the apartment building opposite hers. Someone else was watching her, not just me. I kept getting this tingly feeling at the back of my neck but when I'd turn around, no one would be there. It was frustrating but I couldn't let my guard down. -o- I was right. Someone else was watching her. I saw a car parked in front of her building that seemed much too familiar. It was back a few days later. I followed the two men who got down from the car and entered Natsuki's building. They were up to no good. Apparently they were sent to capture the "Princess". That was my cue, or Kiyohime's rather. The earth began to rumble. The ground shook and the two men were tossed off their feet. It was relatively mild and didn't do much damage but it certainly woke everyone up. People looked out of their rooms and some even went outside. In the face of so many witnesses, the two men beat a hasty retreat. I knew I couldn't count on their being scared off so easily next time. Fortunately, their attempt gave me something to begin my investigation with. Their car was rented as I had expected. The name and phone number they'd provided were also a fake but the idiots had used a credit card. I wound up with an address that was only a couple of hours away from Fuuka. -o- I peered through the leaves. It was a large estate, surrounded by high walls. The place reminded me of my grandparent's house. My guess was that it belonged to a rich family with noble blood, a family similar to mine. I circled the area. I wore jeans and a t-shirt, casual clothes I didn't usually wear. Don't mind me, just passing through. Nothing to see here, I'm just your average student. I even smiled politely at the guard just outside the black iron gates. A bronze plate fixed to the wall beside the gate proclaimed the place belonged to the First District. Ah, so my first guess was wrong. First District sounded more like the name of a company, not a family. The place covered almost an entire block. The northern and eastern sides of the wall were right against the street. I couldn't sneak in through there, or at least it would be difficult without any cover. The other two sides of the block were lined with residential houses. It was all families on the western side but on the southern side I found one household composed of just an old man and his wife. Theirs would be easier to sneak into than one with nosy and observant children. My circuit of the place complete, I walked away to find a café I could while away the time until nightfall. -o- Plan A was to intimidate the leader into calling off his goons, the ones after Natsuki. Plan B was to destroy the said leader. At the time I felt the first plan was preferable. It was easy to slip into the yard of the house I'd selected. The advantage of choosing an old couple's house to sneak into was that they were probably hard of hearing already. I stood before the fence that divided their house from my goal. The First District. The ones who'd been after Natsuki. I called my Element. My naginata appeared in my hands. "Kiyohime." I murmured, calling for my Child. Kiyohime rose from the ground. She has impeccable positioning. One of her heads rose from directly beneath where I stood. She lifted me up and over the fence, setting me gently down on the ground. Was it just my imagination or has she grown bigger? Just a trick of the light perhaps. "Wait here." I whispered to her. She looked vaguely disappointed which amused me to no end. I would call her if I had to, but first I wanted to find out why that First District company or whatever had something against Natsuki. If I knew the why perhaps we could reach a compromise of sorts. If we couldn't reach a compromise... Well, there was always my naginata. I carried it with me as I slipped through the numerous trees that lined the walls of the compound and headed towards the main building. My family was old and quite traditional in some respects. I'd learned how to arrange flowers, how to prepare tea, but along with those lessons I also learned the traditional weapon of noblewomen in eras long past. Maybe that was why my Element took the shape of a naginata, because I was already familiar with the basics of it. To be certain, my skill with it was something I discovered only after I first materialized my Element. Maybe it granted its HiME certain abilities? Whatever the reason, I was grateful for my newfound abilities. It allowed me to slip quietly to the main house. I stood behind a tree, quietly observing guards make their rounds. It felt like I waited for hours. When I was sure that no guard was in hearing distance, I sprinted from the edge of the trees towards the house. I rattled the door knob. It was locked. I stepped back, raised my naginata, braced myself then brought it down quickly against the edge where door met doorframe. Voila. Instant key. I caught the door before it fell backwards. I entered, and after a bit of a struggle, I managed to get the sliced up door back into place. Only a close inspection would reveal it had been opened. I padded through the house's corridor. It seemed eerily empty. The shadows made me nervous, wondering what they hid. Then I rounded a corner and saw a light shining from a closed room. I walked up to it, looking around for any other signs of life. There was nothing else. I hesitated, then I knocked at the door. What? I was brought up to be polite. The door opened and I relaxed into a fighting stance, ready for whatever was beyond it. The man who opened the door simply bowed and beckoned me inside. "Welcome Fujino-sama. You are expected." I covered my surprise by nodding regally to acknowledge him as I stepped inside. The inside was well lighted, unlike the rest of the house. I removed my shoes and wore the slippers offered to me. It was unusual to say the least, to be welcomed like an honored guest into the house of one I intended to destroy. I reassure myself with the knowledge that Kiyohime was ready to come at my call so I possessed an advantage. The next room held yet another surprise in a night full of surprises. A raised platform held three shadowy figures behind a curtain. And kneeling before them were none other than Mashiro-sama, our school's director and Fumi-san. I delicately raised an eyebrow. "Mashiro-sama, I didn't expect to see you here." She looked at me impassively. "Fumi-san." I nodded to her in greeting as I stepped forward towards the platform. "Fujino-san." Fumi replied, her eyes seemed quite troubled. I made a small bow towards the three mysterious figures on the platform. I'd been trained in etiquette and courtesy since I was a child. The bow I gave them was what I would have given an opponent and an equal. I selected a pillow farther away from the platform than Mashiro-sama and Fumi-san. Regardless of how cordial this visit has proved to be so far, I did not want those two at my back. I knelt on the pillow and put my naginata down on the floor beside me. Blade outward, the handle within easy reach of my right hand. The curtain was made of filmy gauze. I disliked having my view obscured in that manner. "May I know whom am I speaking with?" I inquired politely. A loud cackle. "Well, well, well. This girl has manners." The laughter continued, it reminded me of a hyena or a jackal. "So. Girl. What did you come here for?" She continued. "I want you to call off your dogs." A different voice, an old male this time. He seemed amused. "And what do you offer in return?" His patronizing tone annoyed me. I stood and walked slowly to the platform. With an almost negligent swing of my naginata, I cut down the curtain that hung in front of them. The curtain revealed two old women and an old man. Their surprised and frightened reaction was gratifying. I took my time walking back to my seat. I knelt again and replied. "I won't kill you." The one with a hyena laugh spoke. "Fair enough." My eyes narrowed. It was unusual for them to agree so easily. "May we offer you some tea?" "No, thank you. I must be going." Prudence was the better part of valor. I knew where their house was, I could always return if they continued harassing Natsuki. "In a hurry to return to your lover? Ah, to be young again..." It was the third, the old woman who hadn't spoken yet. I bristled at that. Out loud I said, "She isn't my lover." "But you'd like her to be." "That is none of your concern." I allowed an edge of anger to creep into my voice. "Now if you'll excuse me..." "Don't be so hasty child." The old man said. "Will you at least accept a gift from us?" Without waiting for my answer one of the old women said, "Mashiro, give her the necklace." "Obaa-san, do you really think - " Mashiro protested leaning forward intently. "Shush Princess. Give it to her." The old woman cut her off. Fumi's eyes narrowed and she half rose from her seat but Mashiro laid a hand on her arm and she subsided. The director offered a necklace to me. I eyed it suspiciously. It was a simple bead with what looked like a feather suspended from it. I took it gingerly. "Tell me, what is your heart's desire?" The hyena like old woman asked. "I want to keep Natsuki safe." I spoke it automatically, almost without thinking. "Liar." "You," she shook a bony finger at me, "want a certain HiME naked and whimpering in your bed." I refused to dignify that with an answer. I wouldn't... Natsuki wouldn't want... The old fool cackled. "I thought so. You may choose to believe me or not, but if you wear that," she indicated the necklace, "you can get what it is you so desperately want." I ignored her. I stuffed the unwanted 'gift' into a pocket and stood. "Thank you for your hospitality." I left then, despite their protests. I wasn't about to stay any longer in that place. I threw the necklace into the trash. I didn't trust something those old crones had given. They looked like suspicious characters to me. I couldn't figure out what the director was doing there. I resolved to ask her once the school year began. It remained to be seen whether the First District or whoever they were would stop sending their goons after Natsuki. I decided to still keep an eye on Natsuki until I knew for sure. I returned home. I was exhausted and fell into bed at once. My dreams that night were troubling. I can't remember what exactly I dreamt about but when I woke, the necklace was clutched tightly in my hand.
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