Das Jagen - - - "For the Ojou-sama, we war! For the Ojou-sama, we raze and slaughter! To heal her tormented spirit and wounded soul, the Ikusahime vow to rid the world of their abominations!" - HiME war poem scratched into a piece of debris in the ruins of New York City. Similar verses are found worldwide in HiME territories. Dated to circa 2793. - - - "Get them out of here!" Minako demanded. She had been forced to lie down on a stretcher built from leftover bits and pieces of larger, scrapped equipment. The last half hour had been utter chaos. Minako had passed out and came to shortly thereafter, absent her HiME birthmark and her elite power, reduced to the status of mere mortal. She'd been examined by the base's top doctors, who all concurred that her abilities were gone. To make matters worse, a patrol came in with prisoners – one of which was a volunteer Otome from Lalande who had managed to materialize her powers without a GEM. It was then that Minako, in her confused and emotionally charged state, felt herself snap. She did not want to be in their presence, and she thought any of these new invaders from Earl were nothing less than the same kind of enemy any other Otome would be. Azumi and Medea had tried to hold her back and keep her on the stretcher, ordering people to take her out and tranquilizer her, but Minako was still powerful physically, if nothing else. Mai and her two companions watched, stunned and not sure what exactly was going on, as Minako was escorted out of the room. "They're Otome agents designed to take our powers away! Don't you trust them for a moment, Azumi! Medea's overly romantic when it comes to her visions, you know that!" Minako yelled on her way out, sitting up on her stretcher as it was carted away. She disappeared from sight not long after, and Azumi turned back to the group with a sigh, walking her tall and lanky body back over to everyone. Medea was at her side, ready to counter the argument already. It was then that Azumi was thrust into a difficult position. She was a well respected member of the Twelve, yes, but she had grown used to years of being second-in-command. Though a very capable leader in her own right, she had let herself become dependent on Minako in terms of decision making. Minako had lost her powers, and that was one thing, but she'd become mentally thrown as well. She could not very well make a logical choice in that kind of mindset. It was up to Azumi and Azumi alone, and she found herself momentarily balking at the pressure. Medea was quick to chime in, her lips curled into that amused little grin both she and her sister Leucosia shared. The Greek woman was indeed overly romantic when it came to her visions from St. Vlas, but the Child did not lie. His function was not one of combat. He was like Diana – specialized and designed for one thing. Where Diana was meant for observation, he was meant to dive into the minds and souls of his enemies, be it to lock them into a vulnerable haze or to steal information from their thoughts. "These three faces are familiar to me. They were present when I searched the soul of the Aswad leader and the president. I can already tell that they're from the same spiritual age group. It would be hasty and foolish move to simply lock them away. We can easily have them fight for us. Once they realize their destiny, they'll be willing to do so. The one in the middle... that is the Queen of Heaven," Medea said to Azumi quietly. Azumi widened her eyes a bit. "The last Mistress of Kagutsuchi? I don't belie--" "You must," Medea insisted. "If you've believed nothing else that I have ever told you, you must believe this. Do not jail them, do not treat them like second class citizens or Otome prisoners, and do not let them return to Dammerung. I think we should take pictures of each of their HiME marks, and contact Dammerung ourselves to say that their new 'reinforcements' share our legacy. Dammerung is as fickle and shallow as a handsome playboy or a beautiful diva. If they hear that, they will not let them return, and they will have no choice but to ally with us if they hope to survive in this world. Don't you see?" "All three of them have HiME marks like Midori and President Chrysant?" Azumi inquired, and seeing Medea nod, she sighed. She couldn't very well have them materialize to test if it was true or not. Then all of the current Twelve would lose their powers – some were abroad and could not be warned of such things. She looked at Mai, and then Nao, and finally at an angry and upset Mikoto. They did not remember any past lives. Even if they were the Last Ikusahime, they did not remember. Azumi reviewed history. Azumi reviewed history and then snapped her fingers to get a guard's attention. "Bring Midori and the President in here. I want them to meet up as a group." Forced into the same room, perhaps the vastly different creatures could feel some kind of spiritual bond. "Take the cuffs off of these ones." "Ma'am?" A guard blinked at her in confusion. Medea simply smiled, feeling victorious. "I want to take them to Sayer's tomb." At that, Medea and every other native in the room stopped in surprise. Azumi nearly chuckled at their response before she turned directly to her new prisoners and said, "I want to ask that you don't try materializing weapons. I think by doing so, you drain the powers of the Twelve, as you've noticed by now. There's no real way to stop you, so this is why I ask, as opposed to order. We have people overseas that we can't contact or warn about a potential loss of power... so if they're in combat and you... Well, let's just say their lives are in your hands, and I hope you're not intent on letting someone be ripped apart like that. We'll get in touch with them as soon as we can, but for now, don't attempt anything unless it's an emergency and there's no way out." Minako would hit her for letting them have that little bit of leverage. She could see green eyes of the Otome on the left light up as if she'd just been given a weapon to use to her advantage. Luckily, the other two did not seem to have such negative intentions, apart from Mikoto's ever present snarl. It was the central figure who spoke up – the one who had taken Minako's powers; the supposed legendary Queen of Heaven. "What's... Sayer's tomb?" "A holy place. Where a participant of the Last Carnival, and one of the first artificial HiME, was buried after her defeat. She's a figure of respect to our people. She was the first to really try and rebel outright and in a very aggressive manner. We call her the Ojou-sama, because we find her that important," Azumi explained briefly, but said nothing as to why they were going to this tomb. Sayers... Mai thought. That name was familiar. Her eyes widened a bit with realization. Rena Sayers? An ancestor of the most influential Otome since Instructor Graceburt, then? Or is that just too much a coincidence? She didn't have long to ponder. Azumi seemed intent on moving. She barked another order to someone while they waited for Midori and Yukino to arrive from their cushy prison. "Someone take shots of all their HiME marks. I want a message sent out to the Otome. Have one of the radio teams in the field relay it. Inform the other members of the Twelve to meet up with me outside." - - - Shizuru was Garderobe's most powerful combatant, and that was seldom if ever debated by anyone who actually knew the Otome well. The Archmeister was used to solo combat, as her rank demanded of her, and was also used to not making a scene. She slipped into an area quietly, accomplished her task with surgical precision, and then left without drawing attention to herself. These HiME, however, followed a theory of combat in direct opposition to her own. If they didn't have the entire Windbloom army and all of Garderobe on alert, they would soon. Sharvari, with that obsidian sword, hacked through anything in her path and bolted into rooms with just enough hesitance to keep her from dying upon entry. Her Heir teammates hadn't time to recover their Diadem devices and were using stolen weaponry to shoot their way out towards the city. She was unarmed and refused to take any up. If she were to actually kill a Windbloom or Garderobe soldier in order to escape, she would never be able to have her old life back – fated to live as an exile from that point on. "Another group's moving in up ahead," Leucosia idly warned, standing next to Shizuru, as another row of soldiers began to rush towards them. Sharvari was already sliding into a combat stance, ready to charge and decimate. "Otome, you better find us a way out of here!" One of the HiME Heirs screamed at her. No pressure at all. Shizuru was forced to duck behind a stone planter in the courtyard that housed a variety of flora from the region. Bullets hit the other side, and she kept low to avoid an untimely death. Her eyes scanned around for all available exits, taking care to try and spot any would-be sharpshooters from the taller parts of the castle grounds. A good exit would be to sneak outside the city via the sewer system or a subway, but those reckless HiME had taken her in the wrong direction. They'd have to head out above ground and try to find another way to go. She spotted a rear gate that led to a small and usually lovely gardened walkway that ran in between buildings. They might be able to make use of it. Guards hadn't yet flanked over to that position. She turned around just briefly to say, "Follow me if you intend to survive this little encounter." Sharvari, Leucosia, and the Heir all pivoted back around and took off after her as the Archmeister began to unlatch the gate and shove it open. The Heirs provided cover fire as the rest sprinted down the dirt path, beneath the trees that were devoid of leaves thanks to the winter months. Shizuru rounded a corner, a few piles of fresh snow on the ground. No sign of Garderobe yet. That was good. Most students were probably in the process of settling back in after winter break, anyway. "Hal-!" A soldier began to order, turning out from one of the buildings, raising his gun to try and stop the advancing women. Shizuru could not kill any loyal citizen of Windbloom. There was no rule, however, against disarming and stunning one. She snapped her wrist out, her fingers hitting a pressure point roughly and leaving the much taller man to crumble to the ground like a ragdoll. She hit him once more, rendering him unconscious thanks to years of practice. That engagement was over in approximately five seconds, and her new team continued on without hesitation. Three more soldiers approached from around the next corner, but Sharvari shot forward and with a swing of her blade, they were down, one of them entirely severed from her strike. With a quick check of the corner, Shizuru led them on further, eventually stopping at a stone wall and a single oak door that led outside. Sharvari kicked it open, and out they ran. And lo, there were already massive amount of troops waiting for them. They opened fire at once, and the women were forced to dive behind what cover they could find, Shizuru using a bench and the others using trees or other assorted mundane things. The Archmeister took a moment to determine her position in relation to where they needed to go. A long way around the castle, followed by a rush through the city. "To the west! This way." She attempted to stand, but an onslaught of fire prevented her from moving more than an inch, the wood of the bench threatening to give already. It was then that a savior came from above, the Twelve able to tap into Garderobe's Emulator. The piercing note of a flute drowned out all other noise, and a melody began, Leucosia working her magic. A black raven dove from the overcast sky and fired black projectiles out at the Windbloom unit attempting to stop their progress. As they ducked and ran for cover, the HiME got up and rushed off before they could recover, Shizuru leading the way to a nearby civilian sector. Through another courtyard. Through a garden. Finally, they were in the city proper. Civilians moved to the sides of the streets, getting out of Shizuru's way, not knowing what was going on. Most turned inside shops and establishments to avoid any fire, having heard the gunshots and sounds of combat coming from the castle. Her face was too well known. Shizuru frowned as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Well, had she lost all honor in Windbloom, then? Would she be branded a traitor for life? A small military truck came to a screeching halt about a hundred meters ahead of them, and out jumped several of Windbloom's finest regular soldiers. At the same time, two Pearl Otome descended from the skies and came to a halt in the street, staves drawn and ready to try and beat down their superior officer. One barked at her. "Archmeister Shizuru Viola, what is the meaning of this?" "Please step aside, Miss Hartmann," Shizuru attempted, hoping that she had recalled the student's name correctly. "I cannot do that, onee-sama," the girl replied. Her gaze became serious, and though there were remorse and hesitance in those eyes, that was overshadowed by a sense of duty that could only come from Garderobe. "I have orders from Meister Gallagher herself to bring you and your companions in. I suggest that you be the one to surrender, not I." "I'm afraid that is impossible." Not with Midori and Yukino depending on a successful recovering mission on her part, anyway. She saw the two Otome lower themselves slightly, not in respect, but in preparation. She could feel the HiME beside her tensing up, and in a fraction of a second, all hell broke loose. With her enhanced abilities, Sharvari flipped into the air and landed behind the Winbloom group, hacking out with her sword. She then blocked a few stray shots from a survivor with the flat of her blade, promptly shooting forward to finish him off in one fell swoop. The two Otome headed straight for Shizuru, who ducked under an attack from one of their staves and pivoted out of a second incoming strike. It was the Heirs who came to her aid, and despite not having their Diadems with them to give them additional power, they threw punches and kicks in a vain attempt to prevent any harm from falling onto their new guide. Hartmann easily blocked a hit and twisted the Heir's arm around into a lock. The second Otome used her robe to land an accelerated kick into another, tossing her back several feet. Sharvari then began to engage the closest Otome, who struggled to avoid and parry incoming attacks from the obsidian blade, Maitreya. Hartmann, however, closed in on Shizuru once again. She threw a punch. Shizuru blocked. She threw a hook. Shizuru ducked. No Pearl could hope to match her in combat, but her injuries... she could already feel the wounds starting to tear open again from underneath her bandages. She was in no condition to be dueling with a fully powered Pearl. Leucosia was hanging back, calling on Yatagarasu with her flute in hopes of getting some additional support from him. As Hartmann moved to attack Shizuru with her staff, the Archmeister was forced to retaliate. She ducked under an incoming attack and then sprang up, her fist racing skyward and uppercutting Hartmann in the jaw. The Pearl winced and fell back, stunned at Shizuru's speed while not in possession of a robe. Shizuru moved in again, getting the Pearl in a hold and tapping the GEM on her ear. At once, she powered down, Shizuru's authority canceling out her connection to the Shinso system. She looked up, and saw that Sharvari had the other Otome on the ground. She had her blade held high, as if she was preparing to deliver a finishing blow. Shizuru held a hand up. "Stop!" Sharvari did so, but looked over at Shizuru with a questioning glare. "Why?" Shizuru ran over, disengaged the girl's GEM, and then began to run back towards the truck. "We don't have time. Get in and I will drive. It will be much more efficient." Most piled into the back while Sharvari got into the passenger's seat. Shizuru slammed on the gas and headed down the street at a reasonably fast speed, clearing a great distance before trouble showed itself yet again. As she headed down a straightaway, she heard a loud pop, and her front right wheel hissed and went flat. She struggled to keep control of the vehicle, but spun out and came to a stop in the middle of an intersection. Another shot rang out, this time smashing through the windshield. The bullet missed, hitting the seat and missing the heads of both passengers up front. They immediately jumped out and crouched behind the crippled vehicle to avoid incoming fire, a sharpshooter crouched down and firing from on top a nearby building. Shizuru sighed in frustration. They were almost there. Almost! The HiME Heirs joined them behind the safety of the truck, slugs slamming into metal on the other side. The sniper then patiently waited for their move. Sharvari turned to Leucosia. "You think you can get Yatagarasu down here to draw his fire? Or better yet, return some?" The Maitreya mistress inquired. "I think he's held up back there, but I can try." Leucosia brought the flute back up to her lips and played another song. A screech was heard, and the raven did indeed begin to fly back over. A shot rang out as the sniper tried to hit the incoming Child. Sharvari wanted to bolt then and there to rush in and get him, but was forced to stay back as he returned his attention to the HiME. He started to pull the trigger another time, but found himself the subject of attack. The door was kicked open behind him, and a metal glaive connected with the back of his leg. Then again with the back of his neck once he had begun to fall. Knocked out from the shaft of the weapon, he and his gun were no longer a threat. Shizuru looked up to see a lone figure leap out from the window and land on the sidewalk with the grace of any maiden of Garderobe. Taste in exotic clothing screamed aristocratic upbringing. A glaive spoke of an extended stay with Artai's military and Nagi da Artai's personal training Dark hair dyed a characteristic green could only mean one thing. Tomoe Marguerite, exiled student of the Garderobe Otome Academy and the former leader of the Valkyrie unit during the last war. "I shouldn't stab that person, should I?" Sharvari asked, the pitch of her voice rising slightly in sarcasm. Shizuru shook her head rapidly. The Archmeister stood up, confused but not ungrateful, and spoke in a tone that indicated forced calm. "Miss Marguerite? What are you doing?" The seventeen, almost eighteen, year old woman was silent for a moment before she began to step forward in well measured strides. The glaive rested lightly in her left hand, but with the right skill it could no doubt be snapped back up in an instant to strike anyone down. Green hair was somewhat irritated by the light wind coming in from the north, and Tomoe managed an embarrassed smile that only showed when she was around a one Shizuru Viola. But with that embarrassment came lamentations, and anyone that was not afflicted with blindness could have picked up on that. "Onee-sama," Tomoe began, "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I couldn't let that go on. I don't know what trouble your in, but it wouldn't be like you to act irrationally. Let me help you out of the city." "Don't involve yourself, Tomoe. You've been in far too much trouble in your short life as it is. You don't need to add anything more to it. Please go now, before you get caught." Shizuru was obviously worried, as she felt a great deal of responsibility towards young Marguerite, despite all that had happened in the past. Too many mixed feelings, both of hate and the desire to protect and teach, and she hadn't sorted them out yet. Tomoe shook her head. "I can see just by your movements that you're injured somehow. You haven't summoned a robe to just fly away from danger." "Not really a good time for a conversation!" One of the HiME Heirs reminded with a timed shout. She hadn't understood a word of the German, of course, but it applied either way. Shizuru found herself frozen in place, battling with her inner emotions, attempting to find some way to manipulate Tomoe into going back and escaping on her own before real punishment could be brought down upon the younger girl. Upon seeing her onee-sama's hesitance, however, Tomoe grabbed her by the hand and started to run down the street, taking a turn where Shizuru would not have, leading the group towards the city's outskirts as more Windbloom patrols closed in and as Pearl Otome took to the skies above. Shizuru said nothing as Tomoe displayed her natural leadership skills, ducking into a subway tunnel and running down a walkway along the track, the HiME following behind. She did it all without a question, and this stunned Shizuru. And when Shizuru began to stumble because of the pain she felt due to her still touchy wounds, she was even more stunned when Tomoe ducked down, slung an arm over her shoulders, and quite literally began to drag Shizuru along. All without a question about what Shizuru had done. Quite like what Shizuru would have done for Natsuki. Tomoe looked down at her momentarily before returning her gaze to the route ahead, no trains running down that tunnel during that time of the day. However awkward she had made things due to her actions in the war, there was still the desire to protect her senpai from harm as best she could. She had a lot to make up for. Perhaps this was a start. - - - "Mai." The redhead looked down at her feral companion, and was met with yellow eyes full of emotion and sorrow. It stunned her. It took Mai a moment to recover from the absolute intensity of the feelings present in Mikoto's deep eyes before she could manage to respond. "What is it?" The Earl natives were in a tight line, all marching through a rocky and barren piece of land that looked absolutely devoid of natural life. It was utterly depressing. They were surrounded by members of the Twelve, some familiar and others new, having joined at Azumi's request – many of whom complained about being taken away from battle. A young Chinese woman holding a black sword. A sullen brunette of mixed origins who held a pole-axe, occasionally shooting cross looks to Midori. A third Greek, but with a more natural complexion, who held a dagger. Mikoto'd hissed at each and every one of them at the start. "I-I'm sorry," Mikoto began to say. "I'm sorry that you had to be born with HiME blood like me. It's horrible to share anything in common with them. I think it'll get us into trouble." At that, Mai finally had to break down and as the question she had been avoiding since their arrival. "You've always been so angry at the HiME. Why, Mikoto? They've treated us quite nicely. No handcuff, decent respect compared with other organizations... I don't understand. Why?" At that, she saw some fire burst back into those yellow eyes as rage built up. "You didn't hear the things Dammerung told us about them... what they do to the Otome and innocent people! It was because of the HiME blood, too, that Fumi and I had to fight during the big war. They blamed it on 'HiME nature' and said it was because of our bad blood! And... you just don't understand, Mai, but it's bad!" "Dammerung propaganda," Azumi said from behind Mai, who turned around to see a face that was graced by a light smile. "Both sides use it to breed fanatical soldiers, though used to different degrees. We focus on how the Otome were never meant to exist, which they were not. They simply say we're monsters to be slain, and that's it." "Not that you really have a right to say what should and should not exist," Mai said bluntly, causing Azumi to blink once in surprise. The redhead turned back to Mikoto and said, "The same goes for you, too. Don't treat a human opponent like a beast. That's how this world got as screwed up as it now is." Azumi chuckled, though many of her teammates did not seem pleased to hear those words. "Perhaps you're right," the temporary leader admitted. "Yes, perhaps your right. But as we've told you, diplomacy is not an option after all this. At some point, Tokiha Mai, you will need to pick a side in order to survive." "You've picked a side for me," Mai said, recalling those photos they took of the HiME marks and the light chatter that had gone on in the process. "By trying to get Dammerung to reject us, you're leaving us with one option." "This is true." "And why? Because your creepy chesshorse HiME over there said I was some kind of 'chosen one?' And you actually believe that?" Mai questioned, finding herself glaring just a bit. She tried to restrain her anger, but she was a person of passion. Of fire. It couldn't always be held back. "I'm not special and I never have been." "If you're not special, then how did you seize Minako's powers for yourself?" Azumi asked. "I don't know, but I'm certainly not some kind of hero for you to throw into a fight as you see fit. I'm not turning on my friends." "Your friends are also members of the Last Ikusahime. You won't be fighting with them at all, unless they refuse to accept who they are and deny their true purpose. You have a great power at your disposal, and while it is yours to use as you please, many people here are going to look at you like a savior, and you might very well have the ability to stop the whole war by yourself given what legends I've heard about the great Queen of Heaven." Azumi smiled again. "And if you are not special, nor a hero, then why would you have gotten a HiME mark even before you stole Minako's power?" "I..." "The Children do not forget." It was Medea who piped up this time, from the other side of Mikoto. "The Children do not forget and have thought that every mistress they've had since that Last Carnival was nothing more than a young girl keeping an exotic pet. We are not true Ikusahime. You are. They know this, and they prefer to be with you. That is why they leave us. That is why they will all leave us." "Don't say that," one of the new HiME said, spoken by the Aegean with the dagger. "I don't exactly want to lose my powers to some Otome who may or may not be a reborn Ikusahime." "No Ikusahime would be an Otome." Mei Lin, the Mistress of Miroku, was a bit more fanatical than her counterparts. She refused to hear most of what they had to say on this matter. "A HiME would rather die than associate with... them." "The best of both worlds at their disposal. They can do everything without limitations," Azumi defended, for some reason or another. She was still having a hard time believing. There was silence after that. It was loaded and tense, members of the Twelve all taking different sides on the matter, and not many particularly enjoying the lack of Minako there to break them up. After they traversed another half a kilometer, Midori spoke up. As a leader, she did not like being out of the loop, and had only been given a brief summary. "Where is it that you're taking us?" "The Tomb of Katrin Sayers, the Ojou-sama." Medea looked over to her briefly. "Who is Katrin Sayers?" Mai asked. "A hero to you for rebelling, I gathered that, but who is she?" "She fought in the Last Carnival, and was the forerunner of all the Otome," Azumi said. Mai scrunched her face up in confusion. "Then why do you worship someone who spawned the things you hate most? I don't understand. Why would she rebel against them if she was someone they were modeled after?" "She did not agree with their methods. She was dealt an awful hand in life, you see. She was raised in a ruthless environment, according to legend, and she was led to believe that she was an abomination. After the Carnival, she was reborn with the others and given a second chance. She felt that no one was meant to have HiME-like powers, and for that, she saw the Otome as being unnatural. As unnatural as herself. And she didn't want that kind of thing floating around after the world was supposed to have been saved," Medea explained for Azumi, the rest of the Twelve silent as ever by choice. "It only got worse after the Carnival." "How?" Mai asked. Mikoto was listening intently, perhaps because Mai had chastised her earlier and she wanted to look as if she was attempting to be civil. Azumi continued the tale. "The Ikusahime defeated the original Otome, but the organization that made them, Schwarz, wanted to restart the program and make it better. For that, they needed the energy of a HiME. So they had to break them and their Children down so they could use the original code made by the Obsidian Lord. They wanted the very essence of the Ikusahime in their GEMs. They couldn't very well defeat the HiME in combat. They knew that after their failure. So what they did was bait them into a trap." Most of the captured Earl natives looked at her, some intently listening while others barely took it in and cared not for their stupid legends. Mai and Midori focused. Nao watched the clouds. Yukino looked unsettled. Seeing their interest, Azumi concluded with the less than happy conclusion. "Ojou-sama had given birth to a son after the Carnival and after the Otome battles. Schwarz took him. The Ojou-sama was naturally infuriated, but her sister, one of the Ikusahime, was perhaps even more livid. Katrin Sayers knew that it was a trap. She knew that, but they tried to rescue her son anyway. All of the Ikusahime went in. None returned. She manged to win back her son eventually, thanks to her sister's sacrifice. She regained a son, but lost her sister and then her husband, thanks to the Otome Project. She managed to form a rebellion, others joining her cause, and fought back in the streets of this very city. Ojou-sama was eventually defeated, and her guardian was lost, dishonored because of her failure. The guardian was never heard from again, and though the tale is sad, it is one we hold dear – because it is the start of true resistance on our part." "And why do you want us to see this?" Yukino asked. Medea smiled that devious little smile again. "Because you were the HiME who gave their lives for Ojou-sama and her son. You will remember her spirit. Of that, I can assure you." - - - To Shizuru's surprise, the subway was clear of any pursuers. Tomoe led them up a ladder to the surface, popping the hatch and climbing onto the ground above. The tracks went all the way to Aries, but she knew that once they were outside the city, they should be clear. Shizuru was up next, helped by the former enemy. The other HiME followed, standing next to a country road about a kilometer from the city, and a good distance away from the vessel. Knowing that she should not go any further, Shizuru turned to be more firm with her younger companion. "Thank you Tomoe." She would not say she was in debt to her. If anything, Tomoe had much more to do in order for her sins to be forgiven. Shizuru shook her head. "You cannot go any further. Turn back now and try to avoid attention." The younger girl couldn't help but be formal. "Archmeister Viola, I would be irresponsible if I ignored you and went back home when you're in such a condition. You don't say when you're in pain. I know that as well as anyone, but I can see it. Please tell me what you're doing with these people. Just explain it to me." Shizuru hesitated, and though she didn't know why she felt she could trust that little brat, she felt she would be safe revealing minor information. Tomoe was conniving, but her fanatic devotion to Shizuru would bind her into obedience. "It is a prisoner exchange. Things are rougher on Earth than expected. That is all I will say." Tomoe was silent. Then, with absolute determination, she said, "Take me with you." "Don't be absurd! Go home!" "Onee-sama." Tomoe's voice was becoming just as stern. She never did take orders well. "It is no surprise that I have no home. Because of the dishonor I brought on my family, they refused to let me back onto the estate. I have been disowned. Nations will not let me live in peace because of my various actions over the last few years. Shizuru... you and I both know I owe you much more than this. If you are in trouble on Earth, you would do well to have another soldier fighting. I can't offer you much as an apology for what I've done, but let me do this. Unlike most Garderobe students, I have actual combat experience. Give me a chance to earn my redemption, onee-sama." That did it. Earn your redemption. Shizuru gritted her teeth in frustration, recalling her own younger days at Garderobe by accident – how rudely she had treated everyone, even those most important to her. She had been a haughty bitch, and it was by some miracle that she'd ever managed to find her redemption, and that was largely thanks to Natsuki's willingness to forgive. Tomoe was not all that dissimilar to Shizuru, even now. That bitterness was largely gone, at least around her, and while Tomoe would always be aggressive and perhaps a tad overly so, she had come to that point where she had nothing left. "Fine." With that surrender, Tomoe smiled with genuine happiness, her eyes wet with emotion. "We're going to Earth. A vessel is a few miles away. Follow. Once on Earth, do nothing without my consent. It's incredibly dangerous and fighting is rampant between a HiME faction and an Otome faction. I will explain more on the way. We have to move, and quickly." "Why the rush?" Sharvari asked. Leucosia managed to smile again. "Why, Otome scouts, I would imagine. They won't let something like this simply walk away and leave the planet." "She speaks the truth. Meister Gallagher is ruling Garderobe in Headmistress Kruger's stead, but she's a good tactician in her own right. She'll have scouts out to patrol the city and beyond for us. This is why we must hurry." Shizuru was already walking, almost jogging, in the proper direction. And for many miles, they were safe. It was in that final stretch that one of the HiME Heirs turned around, pointed to the sky, and shouted, "Otome!" Shizuru and Tomoe snapped their heads around again to see a small group of Pearls making their way in, this time headed by a veteran Meister that Shizuru knew to be a student from Natsuki's graduating class. The whole group began to sprint to the now visible shuttle waiting. Engines kicked on as the pilots saw them coming, gunfire from the ship's few defensive cannon emplacements causing the Otome above to break formation and dive low. Shizuru stumbled just a bit, but Tomoe forced her to keep on going, and they all leapt inside the safety of the ship. The doors sealed behind and the pilots pushed the throttle on full, soaring up to the heavens. The meister pursued, launching an energized crossbow bolt at the engines. It failed to make its mark. They were away, and the Otome were not quick enough to follow along. They all sat back in their seats and sighed happily, and it was then that Leucosia turned back to Shizuru and said, "You know... I have a feeling that the shuttle filled with Otome reinforcements knows about our little adventures. They wouldn't have made it to the gate by the time our fuss started. Your leaders would have told them to keep everyone informed." "They wouldn't have been likely to turn around at that point, either," Shizuru admitted. She shut her eyes. Then Natsuki would hear upon their arrival. And what would Natsuki make of this? She couldn't worry about that now. She had to go bail Yukino and Midori out of prison. As a meister, protection took precedence. She couldn't help but sigh. Natsuki. Too late to go back now. - - - In in the back of that very shuttle, a silver haired not-so-human woman sat patiently, her stealthy approach earlier not heard by the pilots of the mighty craft. As she had expected. She'd infiltrated more than enough fortresses and vessels in her very long 'lifetime' as practice. She'd missed going out on the first ships to Earth. She'd had to cross too vast a distance of land on foot to get there. But this time, she had managed. She was going to Earth. She was going home. And although not human, she still felt. Even if those very feelings were artificial, and she knew they were, she could not help but feel hesitant. Her home, yes, but with many... horrible memories. A bird sang its song from its place on her shoulder, and the android smiled softly at memories as they played back in her head. Ojou-sama... Alyssa-chan... I am coming home. - - - Well, then. There you go. The title is German for "The Chase" or something similar. I dare not steal paxbanana's title, so I put a spin on it for this chapter. Since... there was chasing. It made sense in my head. Next up: A showdown at Katrin Sayers' tomb. Two HiME, at least, will wake up and face their destiny. See LJ for notes, as always.
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