A Dream of Flight

By John Biles

Series:  Mai Hime (future)

*****************

	When I sleep, I dream of flight.  I soar across the 
landscape, looking down on everyone, sometimes slowly, 
sometimes at incredible speed.  I can fly to the moon if I 
desire or even to other worlds, where strange civilizations 
dwell.  Some love me, some fear me, but everyone knows 
who I am, for I am the Dragon-Rider, the Princess of Fire.  

	Sometimes I wish my normal life was like that.  But 
most of the time I know better.  Adventure has its vicious, 
dirty side.  Friends against friends...I never want to have to 
fight someone I like again.  I couldn't bear to see them die 
again.  Adventures mean fighting and fighting means 
killing.  I've seen too much death.  We got off easy.  Too 
easy, probably.  Though I think we all became better people 
for it.

	I feel guilty, sometimes.  Every time I know Midori 
and Nao's team has gone into danger, every time I know 
Reito has gone with them even though he has no powers at 
all...I try not to know, or I think I'd go crazy.  I just...I can't.  
I shouldn't.  I want a normal life.  And I can't just jump 
back and forth between a normal life and fighting monsters.

	The power is just too tempting for that. I have a 
husband, a wife, a child, a career...I can't just throw them 
away and I don't want to make them take second place to 
blowing things up.  Even though Mikoto would like to 
blow things up...

	It's just so intoxicating, to ride Kagatsuchi into battle, 
to unleash my fire.  Too intoxicating.  I can't trust it.  The 
next morning, after I last helped them out, I had a morning 
meeting and it was a disaster and part of me just wanted to 
burn everything and leave.  A small part, but still...it's 
better I can't just use my powers all the time.

	Isn't it?

	I wish I knew.  Maybe I have a duty to fight these 
things.  Part of me wants to.  And part of me is terrified of 
another...of what happened before.

	Enough angst.  I pulled into the parking lot at 
Rosewood Academy and finally found a visitor's spot after 
what seemed like days of effort.  I really shouldn't check up 
on Crystal like this; the last thing a girl her age wants is her 
mother hovering over her.  I'm just feeling paranoid after 
seeing those things...

	As I consulted my map, Shun startled me.  "Hi, Aunt 
Mai," he said.  

	"Hi, Shun," I said, smiling, then notice what he's 
wearing.  "Umm, Shun, why are you wearing a Catholic 
school girl's uniform?"

	"Infiltration," he informs me, grinning.  "I had to 
sneak into Saint Mary's and find out their plans for the One 
Act Play competition."

	"..."

	Shun twirls, skirts fluttering.  You'd think he was a 
woman...some days I wonder if he can turn into a woman, 
really.  He certainly knows how to exploit his skills for his 
own amusement.  

	"When's the contest?"  I'll have to come watch.  Shun's 
a good actor.  Crystal tries but she's not good at learning 
her lines.  

	"In about a month," Shun said, rocking back and forth 
on his feet; he can be a little hyper sometimes.  "What 
brings you here, Auntie?"

	"Oh, I just came to visit Crystal," I lied.

	"You're kind of early; class is still in session," he said, 
studying me curiously.

	"Oh, I just thought I'd enjoy the campus a while; I 
wanted to beat rush hour traffic."  I steeled myself to try 
and suppress any tics which might give away the truth.  
"And shouldn't you be in class?" I asked him.

	He smiled that gentle smile he got from my brother, 
his father.  "Don't tell me you never skipped class, Auntie 
Mai.  Or broke a curfew."

	"I only did it when I had to f...," I caught myself just 
in time.  For a moment, his eyes flicker and they are more 
his mother's in triumph than his father's gentle ones.  And I 
wonder which of them he really got more from.

	"Hmmm?" he said with a rising inflection.

	"I worked hard to take care of myself and my brother.  
You have it easy," I told him, switching topics.

	"Oh, I work as a waitress, part time."  Shun curtseyed.  
"You wouldn't believe some of the odd things I have to 
dress up in."  It's clear he enjoys it.

	"As...wait...."

	Shun just smiled at me, then took my arm.  "I will 
escort you around so they'll know you aren't a student 
snuck out of class."

	"I don't look that young," I told him.  But it was kind 
of flattering.

	I let him lead me around campus, trying to see if I 
could sense anything, if my tattoo would manifest, if I 
could feel my Element.  But I couldn't.  It all seemed 
utterly normal.  Which was what I wanted for Crystal, a 
nice normal school where you don't have to kill your 
friends and no one gets attacked by monsters.

	The school logo was everywhere, a huge green and 
brown tree with a white circle at its base in which sits the 
blue rose of Rosewood Academy.  There was a huge 
garden at the center with an arboretum in the middle 
surrounded by swirling rows of roses of every color.  All of 
the departments have a rose logo of various colors.  I guess 
someone just really liked roses.

	The arborium contained many other kinds of flowers, 
but other plants as well, including, to my surprise, oddly 
colored melons.  "The biology teacher conducts 
experiments here," Shun told me as I studied them.  "I got 
to eat one of her melons once; it was very tasty, though it 
reminded me of strawberries."

	That sounded pretty tasty--.  

	Okay, now I sound like Mikoto-chan.

	I felt my nerves untangle.  There was nothing to worry 
about, really.

	The door opened and a dark haired teenage girl with 
glasses and long black hair, clad in a Rosewood uniform 
(blue dress with gold trim), stepped in, holding a watering 
can.  "Shun, did you sneak out of class to come here and 
make out with a girlfriend AGAIN?" she demanded, hands 
on her hips.

	"This is my classmate Mitsu Kagami," Shun said to 
me.  "Mitsu-san, this is Tate Mai."

	Mitsu Kagami stared at my chest; she was rather 
modest of figure but everyone seems modest compared to 
me.  She frowned more.  "And you're BOTH out of 
uniform!"

	"And you're skipping class," he observed, smiling.

	"I am not his girlfriend, I am his Aunt," I said firmly.

	"Auntie, you ruin the joke when you say that," he said 
to me.  

	"Aunt?  But you..."  Kagami-san stared at me.  "You 
look too young."

	"Thank you," I said.  I don't really look THAT young, 
though, do I?

	"And Dr. Koyabishi asked me to water them right 
now!," Kagami-san said a little frantically.

	"The biology teacher?" I asked.

	Kagami adjusted her glasses.  "Yes."

	"Don't let us hold you up," I told her.  "Let's go see the 
library.  Nice to meet you, Mitsu-san."

	We headed towards her and she looked progressively 
more nervous; as we passed her, Shun kissed her cheek, 
then ran, dragging me along.  "You're cute when you're 
flustered," he yelled back to her.

	"Shun-san, don't kiss and run!  I mean..."  She then 
chased us angrily in the manner of someone who chases 
people like this a lot.

	I laugh a little, then get more serious.  "Shun, flirting 
with a woman like that can hurt her if you don't take it 
seriously," I told him as we keep running.

	"I can't help it; she's so cute when she drops her 
shields and shows her true face," he said.  "Here we can cut 
through this dorm..."

	We raced past the maidstaff, who stare at us; it now 
hits me we're running through a men's dorm, but I'm clearly 
a woman and Shun looks like one and a third woman is 
chasing us.

	"Oh wow, she actually followed me in!  That's new," 
Shun said.

	"This happens often?"

	"Somewhat.  Helps keep me in shape."

	I can say he definitely didn't get this from EITHER of 
his parents.

************

	We ran and ran and ran until finally, as we came 
around a corner, the two of us crash headlong into a pair of 
teachers, two big, strong men who don't look very pleased.

	"Hi, coaches!," Shun chirped as one of them picked 
him up.  

	"Back to class with you, freak," he said, carrying Shun 
off.

	The other studied me.  "Who..."

	"I'm his aunt," I told him.  "I came to visit my 
daughter Crystal and he was showing me around."

	I heard Mitsu-san coming and waved her off; she 
retreated in time to avoid being noticed by the coach.

	"Parents are supposed to wait until class is over.  
Come with me."

	I ended up in the faculty lounge a while, feeling like 
I'm in detention.

	Then Crystal came in.  "Mom?" she asked in surprise.

	"The one and the same," I said, rising and hugging 
her.  
	
	She looked half-embarrassed and half-pleased.  
"Mom..."

	"I thought we could have dinner and just hang out a 
little," I told her.  As the campus seemed clean to me.  
Which Nao had told me.  But I had to be sure.

	"Man, first Aunt Nao and then the whole nun Aunt 
brigade, then you.  Busy week for me."

	"She told me she'd visited, but didn't talk much about 
what happened."

	Crystal mumbled something incoherent, then looked 
embarrassed.  

	I raised an eyebrow at her.

	"She didn't tell you?" Crystal asked, wobbling a little.

	"No," I told her.  Now I'm curious.  Though I guess 
she just wanted to check on things.  Make triple sure it's 
safe here.

	"We had a good time," Crystal said neutrally.  Clearly 
hiding something.  But I won't pry. 

	Much.

	"Oh mom, I have good news for you."  She paused.  "I 
think."

	"Hmm?" I asked her curiously.

	"Come with me," she said, smiling in the way I know 
means she has winkled out a secret.  Surely she can't...

	We end up outside the nurse's office; Crystal opened 
the door, revealing a brown-haired woman in a nurse outfit 
busy kissing some dark haired guy rather passionately.

	A few seconds later, I realized I was, in fact, looking 
at Chie busy passionately kissing Aoi; Chie was wearing 
black slacks, a black vest and a white buttoned shirt with a 
tie, while Aoi was wearing a pink and blue nurse outfit.  
For a moment, I remembered the first time I saw them kiss, 
way back in High School and all the years fell away and I 
remembered them as they were.

	They're older now.  I'm thirty nine, but I still look the 
same as I did when I gave birth to Crystal sixteen years 
ago.  Magic, I guess.  Aoi and Chie were spared our 
miseries...but also didn't get the benefits.  They're both in 
good health and take care of themselves, so they only look 
in their mid-thirties.  But it is noticable.  Though I think 
that one middle lock of grey hair on Chie's head HAS to be 
an affectation.  

	I haven't seen them in a year, not since our twentieth 
high school reunion, and really, I haven't seen a lot of them 
since college.  You know how it is, once you go out into 
the world, it's easy to drift away and lose contact. I didn't 
even know Aoi worked at Rosewood, though it makes me 
feel better about the place.

	And it's hard for those of us in the family to 
really...people know when you're hiding something.  When 
you have to keep a secret...though really, they're both pretty 
trustworthy.

	I'm not sure how much they know...they might know 
everything or almost nothing; you couldn't attend our high 
school without knowing of some of the weird things which 
happened.

	I got out my cellphone and took a picture, just to tease 
them.

	They both jumped, not having noticed us opening the 
door.

	"Reporter caught kissing school nurse, film at 11," I 
said to tease them some more.

	"Journalism teacher now," Chie said.  "I'm teaching 
here at Rosewood.  Mai!"

	And then they're both on me in a tight hug.  There's a 
hint of flirtation in Chie's embrace, though I know she is 
just teasing.  I don't fall apart in the face of that any more, 
though, and I just hugged them back firmly.

	"We were about to go get dinner," I told them.  "Want 
to join us?"

	"Yes," Chie said.  "I will drive, though, as I have the 
cool car."

	Chie has published several books; I kind of envy her 
that, and it means she has enough money to do what she 
wants.  Though the last I knew, she was a journalist, not a 
journalism teacher.

	We roar off in her GENOM 2800, which even I, who 
know little of cars, have to say is a very, very nice car.  
Crystal is laughing the whole way as we roar down the road 
going far too fast.  To my surprise, the police don't stop us 
at all.

	Then again, knowing Chie, she probably has 
blackmail on them.

	"So why are you teaching now?" I asked Chie as we 
race along.

	"I had a clash with my editor and I decided to spend a 
while teaching and working on another book," Chie said.

	"What happened?" I ask, worried, as I lean on the 
front seats.  Crystal and I were seated in the back.

	"I have to admit I am not 100 percent sure what 
happened," Chie said.

	"..."

	"Ever heard of the Tallin Institute?" Chie asked.

	"No."

	"They were trying to find ways to view other 
dimensions," Chie said.  "So far as I can tell, what actually 
happened was a lot of people ended up brain-damaged by 
electromagnetic fields frying their brains and basically 
went mad in various ways."  She grimaced. 

	"Oh, I heard about that, I thought they all got 
electrocuted," Crystal said.

	"He killed the story because he didn't think my 
evidence and reconstruction of events was solid enough; I 
think he got leaned on by the corporate sponsors," Chie 
said.  "So I'm going to make a book."

	"Good luck," I tell her.  Chie's exposed all sorts of 
corruption and problems over the years; I guess I've seen 
more of her work than I've seen of her.  Which makes me 
feel guilty.

	"It's going to be a very good book," Aoi says, patting 
Chie's left hand, which is on the gear shift.  "And I 
switched jobs so we could move closer to Rosewood and 
save some money on commuting."

	"Your anniversary is in two months, right?"

	"We'll have been married eighteen years soon, yes," 
Chie said.

	Their wedding rings are gold circles with a ruby set 
into them; I now noticed each of them also wore a silver 
ring with a gemstone rose set into it; Chie's was amber and 
Aoi's was yellow topaz.  

	Aoi noticed me looking.  "We each got issued a ring 
by our department," she told me.  "I think mine is really 
pretty."

	"I wish I had a garnet one," Chie confessed.

	"I wish I could wear a school ring," Crystal said a little 
enviously.

	"You have to be in Ring Club or on the student 
council or a senior," Chie said.

	"Ring Club?" I asked.

	"The Rose Ring Club is a service club," Chie said.  
"Their charitable work means even freshmen members can 
wear the blue rose rings."

	I looked over at Crystal, who mumbled, "It's full of 
boring people."

	"Now, now, you didn't join the service club at our 
school," Aoi said, waggling a finger at me.

	I laughed nervously, while Chie and Crystal both 
laugh loudly.  

	"I know you had to take care of Uncle Takumi," 
Crystal told me, patting my hand.  

	"Does everyone still think they're a gay couple?" Aoi 
asked.

	"What?" Crystal asked, confused.

	"Haven't you ever seen the pictures?" Aoi asked.

	"Pictures?  What?" she asked.

	"I could have...well, I suppose it never came up," I 
told Crystal.  "Akira-chan was posing as a boy when she 
came to Fuka Academy."

	"She roomed with Takumi," Aoi said, fanning herself.  
"I still get hot thinking about what I thought was going on 
with them."  She was teasing.  

 	I hope.  

	Crystal's eyes crossed.  "Wait, they were 
ROOMMATES?  At school???"

	"The school thought they were guys, everyone their 
age wanted Akira's manly love," Chie said, grinning 
brightly as she passed a motorcyclist.

	"..."  Crystal's mouth flapped wordlessly.

	"I really thought everyone knew by now, including 
you," I told Crystal.  Surely it must have come up at some 
point, right?

	"Did they...I mean..."  Crystal's eyes were crossed, so I 
snapped a picture.  So did Aoi; this left her rubbing her 
eyes.

	"I don't want to know," I told Crystal.

	"The odds are pretty good they were already doing it 
by the time they came back from Takumi's surgery, but I 
can't prove anything until they were juniors," Chie said.  
"However, once Akira's cover got blown, she had to move 
into the girls' dorm," Chie continued.  

	"Why was she crossdressing?" Crystal asked.

	"Ninja thing," I told Crystal.  That would have to do 
for now.

	"So she IS a ninja!  Scoop!," Chie crowed.

	Aoi laughed softly, then began fiddling with the radio.

	We eventually got to the restaurant; Tiger Claw is a 
pretty good Chinese restaurant; I have to say that one thing 
I appreciate about being an adult is being able to afford 
good-quality food.  Even if I would use more ginger and 
less sugar in the orange sauce.

	We settled down to eat and for quite a while, the three 
of us gossipped about old times and people we knew, while 
Crystal listened very quietly.  But intently.  Which 
surprised me a little; gossip is usually only interesting if 
you know the subjects of the gossip.  

	 "So I stop running and WHAM, Arika runs right into 
me and stumbles back as I topple over, knocking Aoi 
down," Chie said.  "Aoi smacks into Nina, who crashes 
back into poor Erstin, who gets buried under both of them. 
And then Irina took a picture of us all, of course."  She 
shook her head, waving a piece of chicken in the air with 
her chopsticks for emphasis.  "I'd show you, Crystal, but it's 
stuffed in a photo album somewhere."

	"I'm surprised Nina and Mikoto never killed each 
other," Aoi said.  "Well, figuratively."

	That's because I made sure she didn't, I thought but 
didn't say.  "I wonder whatever happened to them."

	"Oh, you didn't know?" Aoi asked.  "I thought you 
saw Haruka a lot."

	"I'm not sure if Haruka ever actually met them in 
school; she was a senior by then and they were in middle 
school with Mikoto," Chie said.  "Irina works for one of 
Haruka's companies now.  I ended up talking to her for 
technical advice on the story about that company.  I'm 
surprised you didn't know about Arika, though."

	I'm about to look stupid, which I hate.  But no 
escaping now.  "What?"

	"You know, she won ten medals for Japan in three sets 
of Olympic games....?" Chie said.

	"Wait, that was HER?" I asked, stunned.  I don't pay 
much attention to sports.

	"Wait...Arika as in Yumemiya Arika?" Crystal asked, 
sounding a little awed.

	"Everyone does grow up eventually," Chie said, 
amused.  "Anyway, she's got a big pile of money and 
coaches, Nina's a major in the Self-Defense Force, and 
Erstin teaches elementary school and last I heard had 
finally shacked up with Nina.  And Irina is doing 'secret 
things' for Haruka."  

	"So is Natsuki on boyfriend 2,000 or 3,000?" Aoi 
asked, looking up from her barbeque pork.

	"I lost count long ago," I confessed.

	"He's a lot higher class," Crystal said.  "His name is 
Roger Smith and he's a negotiator."

	"Wait, she's dating Roger Smith?" Chie asked, 
surprised.

	"You know him?" I asked curiously, then began 
working on another eggroll.

	"He's so handsome," Aoi said, putting a hand to her 
cheek.  

	"He is handsome," Chie said, sounding slightly rueful.

	"I thought he had a thing with his creepy secretary, 
though," Aoi said.

	"That's because you are very skilled at inventing 
fantasies, dear," Chie said, then patted Aoi's left hand.

	"He does seem different than her usual," Aoi said 
thoughtfully, tapping her cheek with her chopsticks; this 
was a mistake as she now smeared barbeque sauce across 
her right cheek.

	"Senoh-sensei, you're smearing barbeque sauce on 
your cheek," Crystal said to her right as I held out a napkin 
to her.

	We both smiled as Aoi took it and embarrassedly 
cleaned her cheek.

	"Are you all planning any more kids?" Aoi asked me.

	"Not right now," I told her.  "We're both too busy with 
work."

	"Well, remember, you'll get too old soon for kids," 
Aoi said, then looked at me a second time.  "Even if you 
don't look it."

	"We had to adopt," Chie said.  "The technology at the 
time wasn't ready and now we're both old enough it's not 
safe to be pregnant."    

	"How is Erica doing?" I asked her.

	"She's at Rosewood this year, same grade as Crystal," 
Chie said.  

	Crystal cocked her head.  "Wait...Harada Erica is your 
daughter?"  She poked the side of her head.  "Of course.  I 
should have realized."

	"Shouldn't we have brought her?" I asked them.

	There was a deep and terrible silence.

	"We're totally going to die," Aoi said, burying her face 
in her hands and looking stricken.

	"Maybe we'd better go stay with Mai a few days.  
Mikoto-chan and Yuuichi-kun can protect us with their 
swords," Chie said, teasingly.

	"Is she waiting for a dinner that is never going to be 
made?" I ask, half-teasing and half-aggravated at them.  
They're both grownups, this sort of thing shouldn't happen.

	"No, she lives on campus and cooks her own dinner 
for her and her roomate," Chie said.  "But she loves 
Chinese and is going to kill us for not taking her."

	"Well, I'm sure she'll be understanding," I lied.  I have 
a teenage daughter, I know better.  They're going to be in 
hell for days.  But they brought it on themselves.  "But if 
you want to stay overnight at our place tonight, that would 
be fine.  I'm sure Yuuichi-kun and Mikoto-chan would be 
happy to see you."

	"Sure," Chie said.  "I'd like to tease them."

	"That would be nice," Aoi said, sounding grateful.

	"Aww, now I'm going to miss out," Crystal said.  

	"We would just bore you talking about old times," I 
tell her.

	"It's always interesting," Crystal said.  I expect she 
hoped for more hints of the things we can't tell her.

	"Did Mai-chan ever tell you about the time she 
confessed her love to me?" Chie asked Crystal.

	"..."  Crystal stared, mouth wide open.

	"I...Chie!"  Okay, THIS flustered me some.

	Aoi giggled.

	"Well, sort of.  Mai told me that if I was a boy, she 
would have fallen in love with me," Chie said.  She 
sounded very proud.  

	"I was very jealous," Aoi said, smiling.  "I didn't get a 
confession."

	"Though it seems like you broadened your tastes after 
that," Chie said, grinning.

	"I'm just glad you came out of all that okay.  I was 
very worried about you," Aoi said, shivering a little.

	I noticed Crystal was now watching us very, very 
intently, the way Mikoto watches something she's stalking 
and is about to pounce on.

	This is getting into dangerous territory.  "I wasn't as 
crazy as Haruka, standing in front of those tanks."  I gave 
them a look, hoping they'd understand.

	"Now Haruka has her own tanks to stand in front of," 
Aoi said, smiling.

	"And attack helicopters," Chie said.

	I suddenly wonder if she knows...but how would she?  
"They're remarkably comfortable to ride in," I said, then 
cursed myself for being a blabbermouth.

	"You got to ride in one of her attack helicopters?" 
Crystal asked, in surprise.

	"Yes."  No point in lying.  "I was pretty stunned when 
it landed in our backyard."  Actually, I wasn't THAT 
stunned, as I'd called her about it.

	Crystal stared, mouth open.

	"Anyway, she took all three of us for a ride.  Pretty 
amazing," I said.  

	"Man, I wish I could have gone," Crystal grumbled.

	I managed to redirect conversation to safe ground, 
then we took Crystal home and the three of us headed to 
my house.

	"I'm home!" I announced.  "And I brought guests!"

	Of course, the day I impulsively invite old friends 
home is the day that Takumi is hiding under the couch 
while Yuuichi (shirtless for no clear reason), Akira, and 
Mikoto are sword fighting across the NEW FURNITURE.

	"Hi, sis!" Takumi said.

	Aoi said, "Shirtless Yuuichi-san!!"  She wolf-whistled 
appreciatively.

	"Chie-chan, Aoi-chan!"  Mikoto tried to jump to hug 
both of them at once and instead crashed into Aoi, and they 
stumbled against the wall.

	Aoi hugged her tightly, while I said, "MY NEW 
FURNITURE!"

	Akira and Yuuichi both turned to dust and blew away 
in the wind.

	Chie snapped a picture of them and laughed.  "Some 
things never change."

	"What exactly happened?" I asked Mikoto, who is 
now hugging Chie.

	"We had to decide who would do the dishes," Mikoto 
said.

	I slapped my forehead as Takumi got out from under 
the couch and came over to shake hands with Aoi and Chie, 
though they both hugged him instead.

	Yuuichi said, "I'm sorry I'm not wearing a shirt, but..."

	"We're not sorry at all," Aoi said, smiling and he 
turned a little red.

	"I'm very sorry, sister," Akira said to me, bowing.  
"We got carried away."

	"It's okay.  It still looks pretty good."

	"We should all take our shirts off, just to be fair," 
Mikoto said.  

	I take no responsibility for how she gets these ideas.  
None.

	"Let's not embarrass our guests," I told Mikoto.

	A series of very short bursts of music came from 
Chie's cellphone and we all turned and looked as she 
punched buttons frantically.

	"I've got a bump and grind on here somewhere," Chie 
said distractedly and everyone laughed.  

	"I will get everyone some ice cream.  Mikoto-chan, 
will you help me?"

	By the time I got back out, everyone had settled down 
into chairs and the couches in the living room; Takumi was 
sitting next to Akira, who had an arm around him, holding 
him very tightly, which surprised me as Akira's never been 
great at that kind of display of affection.

	We settled down for a nice long chat.

***************
	
	Later, I went upstairs to take a bath, while my lovers 
and my sister were in the backyard trying to beat each other 
up, while Chie egged them on and Takumi fiddled about 
with my garden; he's better at it than I am, so I'm glad he 
helps me out with that.

	I found Aoi came to the bathroom at the same time as 
me.  "You can go first," I told her.  "You're the guest."

	"Is there room for both of us?" she asked hesitantly.

	"It's not well designed, though you can have more than 
one person," I told her.  For a microsecond, I wondered if 
she was...but no.  She and Chie were very happily married 
so far as I could tell.  Chie still flirted with everything 
under the sun and Aoi liked to tease, but...  I shook my 
head at myself for even thinking about it.  But she seemed 
suddenly very worried.  "Are you okay?" I asked.

	"I need to talk to you in private," she said softly.  

	Without Chie...what was wrong?

	"Okay."  

	The basic problem is that the bath is long enough that 
3, maybe even 4 people can stand in it, but the one closest 
to the showerhead is going to cut off the water mostly.

	So I let her get in close and worked on her hair while 
she showered.  "I'm worried about this story Chie's working 
on," she said to me finally as she scrubbed her stomach.

	"Go on?" I said, slowly working through her long hair; 
I keep my hair short because washing long hair is a huge 
pain.

	"The Tallin Instititute was engaged in really dangerous 
experiments, but it had really big money behind it," Aoi 
said.  "I'm just afraid Chie's going to get herself in over her 
head."  She sighed.  "I hate to burden you with this, but I 
just need to talk about it to someone who cares.  Without 
having another fight with Chie about it."  She sighed 
deeply.

	I know the feeling.  Luckily, I can usually talk to 
Akira about things if I have trouble with Yuuichi or 
Mikoto.  I patted her shoulder.  "You're afraid they may try 
and...'deal' with her?"

	"Yes.  Also, she plans to sneak into the Tallin Institute 
ruins and poke around.  Which is completely crazy.  It's 
totally dangerous and an invitation to get shot by security," 
Aoi said.  She sighed.  "But Chie won't back down. You 
know how she is."

	"Yes," I said softly.  "I don't know if she'd listen to 
me."

	"I doubt it," Aoi said, sighing and looking older than 
usual.  "I love her courage but I'm scared."

	"When is she going?"

	"Saturday night, when she doesn't have to work," Aoi 
said.

	I had a sudden idea.  "I think perhaps I can talk Akira 
into watching over her," I told Aoi.  "That should keep her 
safer."

	"Thank you," Aoi said.  "So is she really a ninja?"

	"Yes."

	"Wow," Aoi said, scrubbing her arms.  "What's it like 
having a ninja-in-law?"

	"Remember the big swordfight we walked in on?" I 
asked as I finished her hair.

	"Yes?"

	"Happens ALL THE TIME."

**************
	
	To my relief, Akira was happy to help.  I just hoped I 
wasn't sending her into danger, but unless our powers 
worked there, I would have just been deadweight, whereas, 
Akira can take care of herself in dangerous but normal 
places.

	I couldn't help but try driving past the place on my 
way to work the next morning, though.  It gave me a very 
uncomfortable, unsettled feeling and at time, the lights 
inside the ruins seemed wrong.  The shadows seemed 
twisted.  But probably this was my imagination.  I couldn't 
feel my powers coming on but then...

	I made myself forget it, but at lunchtime, I called 
Haruka and asked what she knew about it.

	"Yukino can tell you more than I remember; our spies 
indicated, though, that the whole process might have 
actually briefly touched other dimensions but was 
completely unstable and dangerous.  I'm not surprised it 
went to hell."

	"Is it safe for Chie now?"

	"There's no power flowing in, so I can't see how the 
equipment could fry her.  Security guards, on the other 
hand, might be a threat," Haruka said.  "Yukino found no 
evidence of any menaces from another dimension when she 
did a sweep."

	I felt somewhat better.  "So it's not a power zone?" I 
asked hopefully.

	"Not now, anyway," Haruka said.

	This made me feel much better.  But...  "Wait, not 
'now'?"

	"There were traces that might have indicated it was 
briefly a power zone before everything went to hell," 
Haruka said.  "But I don't think it is right now."  She 
paused a moment and said, "Not that I can tell personally."

	I felt reassured I wasn't sending Akira into something 
terrible.  Probably it wouldn't be dangerous at all.  But 
better safe than sorry.

****************

	That night, I tried to work on a project to make sure it 
would get done in time, but instead, I kept checking my 
phone every three minutes to make sure I hadn't gotten any 
calls from Akira or Chie.  Or a panicking Aoi.  
	
	The phone rang and I grabbed it before it could ring 
twice.  "Hello?" I asked nervously.

	"You need to come arrest our children and their 
friend," Akira said to me.

	"What?" I ask in confusion.  Wait...did the kids follow 
Chie from the school or something?

	"Crystal, Shun, and a classmate of theirs are here, 
having gotten it into their heads to sneak around the place 
and investigate.  Can you bring Yuiichi-san or Mikoto-chan 
and haul them off?"

	"Yes," I said.  "We'll be there as fast as I can."

	I got my lovers and we piled into my car and headed 
off to where Akira told us to meet them, a parking lot near 
the ruins.

	"We should help them search!," Mikoto said.  
"Yuuichi-kun can give the kids their beating."

	Part of me wanted to; even if Yukino had said it was 
clean, it might not be.  But the other part knew that unless I 
could use my powers, I wouldn't be much use here.  But 
Mikoto would.  I hate to see her in danger, but...  

	I glanced over at Yuuichi, who said, "I can handle the 
yelling if you two think you need to help."

	Mikoto smiled brightly and I caved in.  She wants to 
help but I usually hold her back. And really, this shouldn't 
be that dangerous, unless it is a power zone, in which case 
they may need me.  
	
	"Okay," I said.  "We'd best hurry; we all have to work 
tomorrow."

***************** 
	
	It turned out Mitsu Kagami was the one they'd 
shanghaied, as she had access to a car.  The last thing I 
need is a teenage driver with no license risking my 
daughter's life.  Though she'd seemed a responsible girl.  
But I now suspect she likes Shun but can't admit it.  And I 
think he knows it.  And exploits it.

	Which rather annoys me, but I'm not his mother, so I 
can only do so much.

	Akira was tugging him around by the ear when we 
pulled into the parking lot.  I let her work on him and came 
over to Crystal.  "Crystal, I thought I taught you not to be 
crazy."

	"Aunt Akira came here with Harada-san to 
investigate!," Crystal protested.  

	"My sister could take out half a dozen security guards 
if she had to without getting hurt.  And Chie-san is old 
enough to take care of herself."  Though I now realized I 
couldn't see Chie anywhere.

	"I just want to know what's going on," Crystal 
mumbled, staring at the ground.

	"Ideally, nothing," I told her, then sighed.  "We're just 
trying to make sure Chie doesn't get in over her head," I 
said very softly.  

	"Does this have something to do with...," Crystal 
began, then glanced at Mitsu.

	She's far too determined to stick her nose in a light 
socket, but at least she has a little discretion.  I love my 
daughter, but sometimes she makes me crazy.  

	Mitsu shifted back and forth on her feet, glanced at 
Shun, then shuffled some more.

	"Sister, where is Chie?" I asked Akira.

	"Business," Akira said.

	I wondered what exactly that meant.

	Mikoto now stepped up to Crystal, taking her hands.  
"I know it's hard to let other people go on adventures 
without you, but you're going to have to be patient until 
you're an adult, and then no one can stop you doing 
whatever you want."  

	Crystal sighed, staring at the ground.  I had the feeling 
we might need to station someone to make sure she didn't 
just sneak back here tomorrow or something.

	Yuuichi now went over to Mitsu-san.  "I'm going to 
drive you all back in your folks' car, then Mai will come 
pick me up.  Which one is yours?"

	She took him off to it.

	Crystal mumbled, "Dan gets to go on adventures with 
his mom, sometimes."

	I rubbed my forehead.  "I'm not Midori and I don't 
take my children near hails of bullets."

	A distant roar interrupted our...discussion.  We all 
turned and saw Natsuki roaring up into the parking lot.  
"I'm here, Akira," she said.  "What's the...Mai, what are you 
doing here?"

	Crystal glanced and got a look I know too well, the 
suspicious look.  Well, as long as she doesn't sneak out of 
school again...

	I pointed to Crystal.  "Some of the kids decided to 
'borrow a car' and come 'help'," I told Natsuki.

	"Hey, I can fight pretty well, Shun too," Crystal said.

	"You exploited the affections of a schoolmate to get 
her to help you break school rules and come here to risk 
your life," I said sharply to her and she now looked 
mortified.  "Unless Mitsu-san is hiding secret combat 
abilities, you were putting her in danger to satisfy your own 
curiosity.  And there's nothing worse than playing with 
someone's feelings!  NOTHING."  I had to force myself to 
calm down as I was about to start screaming at the top of 
my lungs.  And it had been Shun's idea, I was sure of it.  
Dammit.

	Crystal spluttered, but I could tell I'd scored a solid 
hit.

	"You're going to go with your father and turn yourself 
in to the school authorities and accept whatever punishment 
they see fit, though I'm sure your father will ask for 
clemency for you."  Yuuichi's a softie.  I love him for it, but 
I always ended up having to do the disciplining.  "And 
apologize to Mitsu-san."

	Crystal sighed in the way teenagers do to express 
adults are idiots and grumbled at the ground.

	I soon got her herded off and Chie returned from 
nowhere as Yuuichi left with the kids; Crystal still looked 
petulant as she got driven off, but what did she expect?  
This could be dangerous.

	Chie stared at me wide eyed for a moment, then her 
eyes focused again and she looked rather assessingly at me.  
"Hey, I didn't expect to see you stay, Mai," Chie said.

	"Aoi asked me to watch over you," I told her.  "She 
was worried, so of course I worried."

	"And I will watch over Mai!," Mikoto said excitedly.  
She looked very happy.  

	"It's been a while," Natsuki said softly.  

	"I expect we won't find anything," I said.  "But just in 
case..."

	"I know.  There probably won't be anything," Chie 
said.  "But I need to make sure there isn't anything 
important here."   She glanced at me again and I wondered 
how much she knows.  She must suspect something.  Given 
she isn't protesting me coming without a weapon or 
anything.
	
	"Are we sure the kids can't give Yuuichi the slip 
somehow and come back?" Natsuki asked.

	"No," I said.  "But he will call us if there's any 
trouble," I continued.  I rubbed my fingers together 
nervously.  "Let's do this."

	"You don't have to come," Chie said to me softly.  "I 
mean...I don't mind, but don't feel you have to.  I know this 
isn't your kind of thing."

	If I knew for sure this place wasn't another powers 
zone, I wouldn't come.  But I want to be sure Chie is going 
to be safe.  That's all.  

	"It's okay," I told her.  "We need to see each other 
more often, anyway, not just kind of drift in and out of each 
other's lives every few years.  We're friends, right?"

	"Of course," Chie said, though she was giving me a 
little bit of an odd look.  I couldn't tell if she was worried or 
curious or maybe both.  

	"Don't worry, Chie-san!  I will protect both of you!" 
Mikoto said firmly.  "Are we ready, Mai-chan?"

	I suddenly realized everyone was looking at me 
expectantly.  When had I suddenly gotten in charge of this 
expedition?

	But if they wanted me to lead, well, part of what I do 
for a living is tell people what to do.  I studied the road just 
for a minute.  "Did you already find us a way in?" I asked 
Akira.

	"Yes," she said.  "We'll need to circle to the northwest 
corner where the fences don't come together well; with a 
little effort, we can get in there."
	
	I suddenly wondered if I should have called Yukariko 
and Nao and Midori and Miyu and Alyssa and Reito.  But 
no, I couldn't always lay the burden on them.  Especially as 
nothing might be happening.

	Though I don't know what to tell Chie if I do end up 
having to use my abilities.  But I would figure out 
something, I was sure.

	"Cellphones set to vibrate," I said.  "Last thing we 
need is one of the kids calling to yell at us and alerting 
some security guard."

	There was a flurry of clickings.

	"Is there somewhere to park closer to the entry point?"

	"Not unless we break into a closed parking lot," Akira 
said.

	"Natsuki, scout our entry point; text me once you 
think it's safe and we'll approach," I said.

	Natsuki nodded, mounted up and roared off.

	Mikoto bounced back and forth excitedly.

	It seemed like a million years, but I soon got the heads 
up from Natsuki.  "Okay, let's go." I said softly.

***************
	
	We got into the wreckage of the facility; we all had to 
move carefully as there was still bits of glass and twisted 
metal everywhere.  Whatever had happened here had been 
an utter disaster.  I could see body shaped splatters of 
blood, but the police had moved all the bodies by now, 
thankfully.  Just seeing the mess made me feel a little sick.

	"Ne, ne, no one is using a computer, are they?" 
Mikoto asked.

	Chie blinked as she took a cell phone picture of one of 
the splatters.  "Do you hear something, Mikoto-chan?"

	"It's the computer sound," Mikoto said, looking 
around.  "But it doesn't look to me like there's any 
electricity running; all the lights are out."

	Akira had vanished into the shadows, while Natsuki 
stood near me, pistol in one hand, flashlight in the other.  
"The power into this place is supposed to have been cut 
off," Natsuki said.

	"Hmm, which way is it?" Chie asked.

	Mikoto spun, then pointed and we headed that way 
through the ruins.  I wondered how many people had been 
hurt or killed and I felt very sad for them.

	As we walked, we all looked around warily and I tried 
to listen to my...I'm not sure what to call it.  My sense of 
magic, I suppose.  I can tell I'm somewhere my powers 
work if I focus.  I'm not too good at it, though, as I don't get 
into such situations too often.

	The first sign of trouble was when Natsuki pushed a 
door open and got a little static zap.  My hair felt strange, I 
realized and pretty soon we could all feel the charge in the 
air.

	I raised a hand.  "I can't say I know much about 
electricity, but something has to be making this, right?  
This much static doesn't happen naturally this time of 
year."  I think.

	Chie frowned.  "Yeah.  Also, I feel something in my 
feet."

	We paused and listened.  It felt like almost a heartbeat 
in the ground, some sort of steady rhythmic rattle.  Or 
maybe...  "It's a generator," I said.

	"What, one of those portable ones that run on 
gasoline?" Chie asked.

	I nodded.

	Nervously, I licked my lips.  "Well, static is more 
annoying than dangerous...did the experiments here 
produce static?" I asked Chie.

	"Not like this, I don't think," Chie said, looking around 
and frowning.  "We may have to..."

	There was a noise like a sharp stab to the head with an 
ice pick.  We all staggered and then suddenly the static was 
gone.  This did not actually relieve my worries.

	My phone vibrated; it was Akira with a text message.  
'There are two men downstairs with a generator hooked up 
to some of the equipment.  Come quickly.'

	We hurried, though she had to send us directions.  
Mikoto looked very excited, Natsuki looked worried and 
alert, and Chie was grinning.

	As we came down the stairs, there was an odd feeling 
in the air, a feeling like dropping into the sea, pressure all 
around me, though gentle.  Then I felt the pressure slowly 
increasing but something else as well.

	Magic....or whatever it is that gives us our powers.  
Mikoto's eyes widened and I could see Natsuki looking at 
me and nodding seriously, while Chie seemed oblivious but 
generally excited.

	I got another message from Akira.  'Summoned my 
Element.'

	Part of me was now extremely nervous.  The other 
part was extremely excited and almost eager.  And a third 
part quietly noted there was no way any of the Childs 
except Dhuran could fit into this basement.  Maybe if 
Diana flattened herself out a lot, but certainly not 
Kagatsuchi.

	I could feel my mark.  And the more I felt the power, 
the stronger the pressure.

	Chie paused, took off her glasses and began to wipe 
them; she was sweating a little.  "What the hell is this?  Is 
the air getting denser?  I feel like I'm underwater."

	"Mai, should I..." Mikoto began.

	"Not yet," I said softly, glancing at Chie.  Louder, I 
said, "I feel it too," to Chie.

	"And I," Natsuki said, frowning.  "What is this?"

	"Even when the equipment was functional, this didn't 
happen," Chie said.  "Unless it was normally contained 
somehow."  She got out a microcomp and began paging 
swiftly through notes.  

	I wanted to call up my Element but having to explain 
things to Chie would be complicated.  Once again I told 
myself I should have thought that through before 
committing to this.

	Natsuki looked thoughtful, then said, "We'd better go 
forward."

	I nodded nervously; I could feel my heart beating 
faster from the stress.

	Slowly, we advanced, flashlights showing us the way.  
And then the pressure suddenly burst, as if we'd stepped 
through a bubble's skin.  Or something.

	Chie said, "I think normally, the pressure shift was 
contained in an experimental chamber, according to these 
files I borrowed."

	"Borrowed," Natsuki said, a little amused.

	Chie sent a text message, got a reply, then pulled a 
pistol.  "I would have brought you one, Mai, if I'd known 
you were coming."  She studied me assessingly.  She's got 
to be wondering why I didn't bother to get a weapon.  

	I stared at it, then licked my lips.  This was serious.  
"Don't shoot unless I say to fire," I told her.  I prayed for a 
moment, then hoped very strongly I hadn't been an idiot to 
come here.  Maybe I should have just sat on Chie until she 
gave up.  

	But she wouldn't give up without the truth.

	Mikoto moved to protect me, sword in hand; Natsuki 
took the lead in front of Chie and then we cracked open a 
nearby door.

	There were two slightly shimmering men in labcoats 
operating strange looking equipment now being powered 
by a very noisy generator which had conveniently hidden 
all evidence of our advance.  In places in the equipment 
room and beyond the broken glass pane which connected it 
to another room full of huge crystalline rods and strange 
electronics, there were shimmering curtains of light, like 
tiny ground-level aurora borealis.  

	"Doctor Wang and Doctor Homer," Chie whispered.  
"They don't normally...that isn't radiation is it???"  She 
pulled a box and waved it around but it made no noise, 
which relieved her a little.

	"Any chance they'll talk to us?" I whispered to Chie.

	I had to repeat myself before she could hear me over 
the generator noises.  

	"Maybe," Chie said.  "Crazy bastards, what do they 
think they're doing?" she asked angrily.

	One of the curtains tore suddenly, revealing a swirling 
mist, out of which emerged something like a tiger if you 
flayed it alive and made its muscles maroon and green.  It 
was intensely creepy.  It floated in the air, but began to drift 
towards the ground.  The scientists looked very excited and 
jabbered in some language I didn't know.

	"Mai," Mikoto said urgently.

	"Chie," Natsuki said softly.  "There wasn't anyone 
involved with this project named Nagi, by any chance?"

	"Nope," Chie said.  "Doesn't ring a bell."   She looked 
at me again.  "Should I know this name?" she asked.
	
	"We have to try and talk to them."

	Chie looked hesitant to my surprise.  "I want to 
know," she said softly.  "But this does look really 
dangerous.  Maybe I should just snap some photos and we 
should call the police."

	That was the sensible thing to do, but whatever that 
was, I had a feeling the police couldn't handle it.  
Chie...We'd have to use our powers if it came to a fight.  I 
trusted Chie, but she was a journalist and...

	"Chie, go call the police, we'll keep watch," I said 
softly.

	"I can call them from here; those guys will never hear 
me over that generator.  And you think I'm going to run off 
and leave YOU here, Mai?" she asked.  "You're not even 
armed."  Then she looked at me very intently, as if she 
knew I was armed.  

	I felt the ground shake gently, just for a moment.  We 
all looked around but the micro-quake passed, thankfully.

	"Can't we call Haruka and her attack copters?" Mikoto 
asked.

	"Not here in the middle of a city," I told her.  
"But...Chie, call Yukino.  Keep her linked in; she can call 
the police if we tell her to."

	Chie nodded and did so.  

	I'm being crazy, I thought.  But...

	Another tiger creature emerged from another rift to 
more scientist self-congratulation.  And the ground shook 
very gently again, worrying me more.

	No more delaying.  I got us into this, I thought.  And I 
will get us out.

	Once Yukino was listening in, I breathed in and out, 
then stepped into the room with Natsuki and Mikoto 
covering Chie and I.  "Stop," I said.  "You're releasing 
monsters from other dimensions into this one!"

	"We are conducting an experiment," one of the men, 
Wang, said.  He stared at me hollowly with a perfectly 
calm expression.  "And you are trespassing."  His voice 
echoed like something else, something staticky and 
electrified, was speaking in unison with him.

	"They must perish," Doctor Homer said with the same 
kind of eerie effect.  "Do you not recognize them, brother?"

	Given he was white and Wang looked Chinese, it was 
hard for me to see them as brothers.  

	Wang stared at me, lights flickering in his eyes.

	"The last time this was tried, the whole place 
exploded!" Chie said.  "Shut this down immediately!"

	"That was due to one of the others realizing in time 
and trying to stop us."

	Another tiger thing appeared; they were prowling our 
direction.

	"Battle Princesses!", Wang suddenly hissed.  "The 
daughters of the Crystal Princess!"

	For a moment, Chie stared at them, then stared at me.  
Her mouth moved silently, and then she breathed in and 
breathed out.  "And what if we are?" she said defiantly.   
She half-raised her gun, then lowered it to a quarter of the 
way up and hesitated.  I was pretty sure she's never killed 
anyone.  And I hoped she wouldn't have to start now, but if 
they knew that....

	This was about to go to hell.

	Only one hope left.  I stepped forward, next to Mikoto.  
"If you know that, then you know who I am and who serves 
me."  

	"Your Children cannot save you here.  This space is 
too small for them," Wang said hollowly.  He pushed a 
lever up all the way and the generator began to whine 
loudly as now more and more rifts ripped and tiger 
creatures began to pour through.  

	"That's what you think," Chie said confidently, but I 
knew her well enough to know she was actually pretty 
scared.  But she was doing her best to support me, even not 
knowing for sure what I was doing.  

	I was going to have to tell her everything now.  Her 
and Aoi.  They deserved to know, anyway, after everything 
they...oh God, Aoi...it had been so long that I'd almost 
forgotten about the time she got attacked.  I had to tell 
them.

	"Don't pretend you know the limits of our powers!" I 
shouted at them.  I'll tell her everything once this is over.  

	Natsuki summoned her pistols; I hoped they couldn't 
see her doing so.  

	"Who are you, really?" I asked them.

	They said something totally incomprehensible with a 
bunch of growls and klicks and car crash noises I can't even 
reproduce.  

	"I am the victor of the Festival, I am the Dragon-
Princess, who commands Kagatsuchi, mightiest of the 
Children.  And I am going to stop you before more people 
are hurt!  Natsuki, summon Dhuran and take out the 
generator!  Mikoto, start killing the...mutant tigers!  Chie, 
stay close by me!"  I summoned my Element in a great gout 
of flame rising around me; Chie jumped back, then nodded 
at the dying flames as if she'd just learned something.

	"DHURAN!" Natsuki shouted triumphantly, even as I 
fried the first tiger-thing to come at me and Mikoto now 
called her black blade and began dancing tiger to tiger, 
laying waste to them.

	Chie stared at Dhuran as he appeared,  then began 
blazing away with her pistols.  

	More tiger-things were pouring in while Wang and 
Homer scampered about, tending their devices.  Until I set 
the machines on fire.

	"Dhuran, BURNING ALUMINUM ROUND," 
Natsuki shouted.  He fired off a huge bullet into the 
generator, which now exploded in a ball of flame.  The 
shockwave knocked all of us down and I landed on Chie, 
who now began blazing away with her pistol at the tiger-
things.  To my surprise, the bullets actually hurt them, 
though it took several shots to kill any of them.  

	"Are these things really from another dimension?" 
Chie asked.

	"Yes," I told her, then blasted away another tiger-thing 
which was trying to come for Chie, then helped her up and 
got up myself.  Part of the room was on fire, which was not 
very fun, given the smoke.

	Unfortunately, though the rate stopped speeding up, 
more tiger-things were still coming.  Dhuran tried a silver 
round, but this didn't do any good to shut the portals, 
though it tore through several of the tiger-things. 

	And now something bigger strained at the rifts, as if 
trying to come through three of them at once.  

	I could see several tiger-things coming towards 
Natsuki at once; I could sort of hear Yukino saying 
something to Chie, and Chie said, "Yukino says she's got 
satellite footage of something above us, a giant humanoid 
of metal, like a military combat mech.  No clear ownership 
markings, though!"

	I burned one of the tiger-things but was too busy 
keeping them off Chie to help her.  

	There was a sudden flash and now Wang and Homer 
collapsed, spectral figures oozing up out of them as Akira 
stood over their bodies, blade in hand.  She began attacking 
the figures and I prayed the two men weren't dead.  They 
must have been possessed.  

	Natsuki blazed away while Dhuran hammered at the 
portals and some of the tiger-things, but there were just too 
many.

	And then the roof ripped off and a huge metal hand 
scooped Natsuki up out of harm's way.  Another fist came 
down, crushing the burning machines and some of the 
tiger-things.  I pulled back with Chie, frying tiger-things 
right and left, while she cursed the fact that she had to 
shoot a lot of bullets to actually kill one and now she was 
running low on ammunition.  I was surprised she had a gun 
at all, given Japan's laws.  Let alone ammo for it.  She 
looked rather panicky; I couldn't blame her.

	"Natsuki-chan!" Mikoto shouted, jumping up to the 
hand and standing defensively in front of Natsuki as the 
hand lifted her up to ground level.  Dhuran fired a shot into 
the portals beyond which something bigger, nastier was 
trying to come through.  I could see the edges of the bubble 
now; they were starting to shrink with the generator dead, 
so we just had to hold any more from coming through.  I 
hoped that was all.

	"You can't have Natsuki!" Mikoto shouted at the 
giant...well, it looked like a huge mostly blue mechanical 
robot that looked vaguely like a giant pharoah.  Wearing a 
big red bib under his chin.  Okay, he's hard to describe.

	Several tiger-things jumped up and got hosed down 
with huge bullets by the giant robot; the tiger-things caught 
fire and burned to death; Chie looked rather frustrated by 
this and grumbled about guns.

	It was pretty clear to me it was on our side and trying 
to protect Natsuki.  "It's okay, Mikoto, it's on our side!"

	Something huge and strangely two-dimensional lashed 
out of the rifts with some kind of tendril at Natsuki, but the 
robot interposed itself, blocking the attack and shooting 
into that rift.

	Akira now took the head off one of the spectral, 
twisted figures which had been controlling the two 
scientists and began chasing the other.  I blasted the other 
one with flame and it evaporated, leaving only an after-
image.  I could see the bubble shrinking and now the giant 
robot rippled.

	Rippled?

	Hastily, it set down Natsuki and Dhuran, who began to 
ripple himself, while Mikoto leaped down next to them.  

	The Robot turned and fled, flickering more as it left 
the shrinking bubble.

	It wasn't hard for us to hold off the creatures now as 
the rifts collapsed; soon they were all dust and then our 
powers faded entirely; the robot had vanished and Yukino 
reported it had moved out of her satellite's visual range, 
though it had headed off east.  

	"Time to get out of here," I said and we took off as 
fast as we could before the inevitable tide of police, 
firemen, etc.

************

	Aoi stared at us in shock as we sat on her couch with 
her in Chie's lap on a facing recliner.  "Chie..." she began.

	"I know it's hard to believe, but it's real," Chie said.  "I 
even got pictures, though I can't show anyone."  She began 
flicking through them to show Aoi.  "Everything that 
happened back at Fuuka makes much more sense now."

	I sat on the couch with Mikoto half-asleep next to me 
while I drank my tea.  Akira and Natsuki were in recliners 
as well, also drinking tea.  

	"Whoever was piloting that mech knows too," I said.  

	"I think it was a Child," Akira said.

	"But we already know all the Childs, don't we?" I 
asked her.

	"It faded away once it left the magic zone; I don't 
think it was a real combat mech, but a Child that looked 
like one," Akira said.  "And it definitely was trying to 
protect Natsuki."

	"Maybe her love for Mr. Smith created a new Child!" 
Mikoto said, suddenly perking up.

	Natsuki turned red.

	"Or maybe it's Chie's Child," Mikoto said.  "She ought 
to have one too."

	"It doesn't just work like that," I told her.  Does it?  
We still don't know why WE are the Battle Princesses and 
not someone else, after all.  Surely it can't just be stress in a 
magical zone.  Right?  I had my mark from birth, but then it 
vanished, but it comes back when I'm around magic.... 
aargh.

	"Wouldn't it have been trying to save my ass?" Chie 
asked.

	"Mai had your ass covered," Mikoto said.  "So maybe 
it then tried to protect your friends and Natsuki was in the 
most danger."

	But why now, I wondered.  And not back then?  Or 
had we undone some limit on the number of battle 
princesses when we ended the Festival?  Chie had been at 
the school, so maybe...but it didn't seem quite right to me.

	"So now what?" Aoi asked nervously.

	"Yukino's going to investigate some," Natsuki said.  "I 
think the site is useless to them now, but we need to be 
watchful.  Too many unanswered questions."

	There was a knock and Aoi got up and let Yuuichi in.  
He looked tired.  "Hey, dear," he said to Mikoto and I, 
kissing each of us, then falling down on the couch.  "Kids 
aren't supposed to be this exhausting once they're teens."

	"Honey, do you know much about combat mecha?" I 
asked him.

	"We're in robots more than mecha," Yuuichi said.  
"But maybe.  There's a lot of overlap in parts and things for 
some purposes."

	Chie showed him the pictures.

	"Not a model I'm aware of and no ownership 
insignia," he said.

	We told him the whole story as he listened and stared 
up at the ceiling, frowning.  "Unless it had some kind of 
weird stealth tech, that sounds more like a Child which 
looks like a robot.  Not that I'm exactly an expert, though."
  
	"But if it's a Child, the only person it could be would 
be Chie, right?" I asked him. 

	Aoi and Chie both looked like they weren't sure if they 
wanted this to be true or not.

	"Or one of the children," Natsuki said softly.  "We 
have no real idea if being a Hime is hereditary or not.  They 
weren't born with marks, but our marks don't normally 
show now either."

	"But I kept the kids away," Tate said, frowning.

	"You kept Shun and Crystal away," Natsuki said.  
"But there is still Natasha and Kasumi and Dan."

	"Kasumi would never try to sneak into a place like 
that," I said.  "And Dan...unless he's a better cross-dresser 
even than Shun, it's only women, right?"  But we couldn't 
be sure of that either.  

	"But Natasha would sneak in," Natsuki said.

	"And possibly use the others to distract us," Tate said, 
now face-palming.

	"Want me to put out some feelers to see if anyone saw 
her sneaking off campus?" Chie asked.  "I know a few... 
people."  She grinned a little, clearly more comfortable to 
be on familiar ground.

	"It seemed protective of Natsuki," Akira said.  
"Perhaps it is possible for us to somehow bond to multiple 
Children.  And yes, I think that is wise."

	Chie got on the phone.

	Aoi rose.  "I'll get everyone more tea."  And then she 
vanished into the kitchen.

	"Well, there's an easy way to tell if it's Chie's Child," 
Akira said.  "We'll have to ask Sister Yukariko, but I know 
her order tracks those places where magic works.  Check 
for the Hime mark.  Or possibly something else.  Certainly 
we know there are other things and people who sometimes 
wield power besides us."

	"What about those things that possessed the 
scientists?" Mikoto asked.

	"They must have escaped during the earlier 
experiment and jumped into the scientists," Akira said.

	I nodded.  "That makes sense."

	"But they glowed," Mikoto said.  "Wouldn't people 
notice?"

	"They probably could hide it," I said, hoping there 
weren't a bunch of other evil possessing spirits around.

	Chie closed her phone.  "Natasha's not in her dorm 
room."

	"We'd better call Shiho," I said.  "Natasha is her 
daughter."

	"Let's make sure there's reason to accuse," Natsuki 
said.  "Once Shiho gets worked up, she's so hard to calm 
down.  And she's still mad at Mikoto over Natasha skipping 
out of school for the tournament."

	I frowned a little but I couldn't argue with that. It's 
just...well, I'd want to know if the others found Crystal up 
to something.

	Mikoto looked embarrased and mumbled at the floor.  

	Then my phone rang; it was Crystal, so I answered it.  
"Hi, honey.  Is something wrong?"

	"Are you okay?" she asked urgently.

	Why would she...oh.  It must be on the news at least 
somewhat, now.  This was going to complicate things.  "I 
am perfectly fine."

	"The TV says that place is on fire and people are 
claiming they saw a giant robot!," Crystal said.  "Or a 
combat mech or something!"  She sounded frantic.

	"I am just fine," I told her.  

	"What happened?  Why is it burning?" she asked 
urgently.

	"What's wrong?" Yuiichi asked.

	"Looks like we sort of made the news," I mumbled, 
embarrassed, to them.

	Chie slapped her forehead, and the others looked 
worried or aggravated or both.

	To Crystal, I said, "Some of the scientists who ran the 
initial experiments didn't take 'laboratory destruction' for an 
answer and decided it was a good idea to plug a gas-
powered generator into damaged equipment," I told her.  It 
was more or less the truth.  "None of us know why a giant 
robot or mech or whatever it was showed up."  Again, more 
or less the truth.  We weren't sure of anything.  "None of us 
got hurt," I told her.

	"Mom, you're not off being a spy instead of a 
consultant when you're at work, are you?" Crystal asked, 
sounding slightly hysterical.  

	"That's more of Natsuki's job," I told her.  "I really am 
a consultant, honey.  I just got into this to help Chie."

	Chie looked rather embarrassed and now turned on the 
TV, which was busy showing the burning facility.  Mikoto 
stared at the fire, half-hypnotized.  Aoi returned with the 
tea and stared at the fire.  Natsuki sighed.

	"Is she some kind of secret super-spy?" Crystal asked, 
still sounding hysterical.

	"Not normally, but being a journalist does mean 
risks," I told Crystal.  "Honey, do you want us to come 
over?  You don't sound so good."  I paused.  "Also, have 
you seen Natasha?  She's not answering her phone."

	There was a brief silence.  "Wait, does that mean 
Natasha has the mech???  How did Natasha get a mech?  
Where is she keeping it????"

	"I can't imagine how Natasha could get one," I told 
her.  Unless it's her Child and...no, surely this is 
coincidence.  She didn't even know we were going, right?

	"But you think she's somehow responsible," Crystal 
said urgently.

	"She didn't talk to you about your trying to follow us, 
did she?"

	"We didn't have time to round up everyone," Crystal 
said.  "So no."

	"Well, we just want to make sure she hasn't done 
something crazy.  We'll be on campus soon, so just calm 
down, okay?  I'm fine.  Maybe...well, why not call Kasumi?  
She can help you calm down."

	"She'll probably lecture me about my taste in boys 
even though she likes that tramp, Hayao," Crystal muttered.

	"What?" I asked.

	"Ummm...nothing.  See you soon, Mom."

	"See you soon, dear."

****************

	"Kasumi isn't answering her phone," Crystal said.  She 
had Shun and Dan with her when we showed up.  

	"Maybe she's asleep," Akira said.

	"Her roomate says she's not home," Crystal said.  "If 
she's sleeping with Hayao, I'm going to KILL her."

	"Oh come on, Crystal.  There's no way in hell Kasumi 
would be off having sex with some guy.  Not without 
months of buildup and her drowning us all in syrupy 
speeches about how wonderful he is," Dan said, shaking his 
head.  "And she'd bug you and Natasha for advice."

	"Maybe Natasha dragged her off into something," 
Shun said.  

	"Maybe it's secret sword practice," Dan said.

	"This late?" Shun asked dubiously.

	"Why would she need Kasumi for sword practice?" I 
asked.

	"Umm...Aunt Miyu was kind of hinting Kasumi needs 
some self-defense training like the rest of us," Crystal said, 
looking evasive.  She's a terrible liar.

	"She announced Kasumi would surely die if she didn't 
toughen up," Shun said flatly.

	"I have to agree; she needs to know enough to take 
care of herself," Akira said.  "But she's not my daughter, so 
I will not interfere in her raising."

	Mikoto nodded.  "This is where...hey, we do know a 
mad hacker!"  She got out her phone and made a call.

	"Aunt Mikoto, are you about to get Aunt Yukino to 
find Kasumi's cellphone?," Crystal asked.

	Mikoto nodded.

	"I'm sure it's just one of Natasha's stupid plans," Shun 
said.  "Unless that was her mech the people saw at the 
burning research facility I note you carefully haven't 
mentioned."

	The phone rang and I answered it.  "Hello?"

	It was Sister Yukariko.  "Yukino said a new Child 
appeared?"
	
	"I'm here visiting Crystal," I said, hoping she'd get the 
hint.  "Natasha and Kasumi have run off somewhere for 
some reason, possibly together."

	"Wait, do you think..." Yukariko said, now sounding 
worried.

	"Maybe.  Probably not, but...we have to find them, just 
to be sure."  

	"Call me later when the children aren't present," 
Yukariko said.

	"I will.  Thanks for calling."

	We said our goodbyes and now we got a fix from 
Yukino and went to investigate.

****************
	
	Akira and Natsuki snuck back to us.  "For some 
reason, she's just inside the forest between the schools, 
doing Tai Chi," Akira said.

	"She's what?" Crystal asked in confusion.

	"Wait...what???  She snuck out in the night to do 
secret Tai Chi???" I asked.

	Yuuichi laughed a little; I don't know why, but Mikoto 
laughed a little too and hugged Crystal and I.  

	"Maybe she's secretly been a martial artist assassin all 
this time," Dan said, then laughed.

	"Let's make contact," I said.

	Kasumi was indeed doing something which I think is 
Tai Chi.  Or something like it, anyway.  But why out here 
in the night?  She looked groggy but her movements 
seemed quite fluid to me.

	"Hello, Kasumi, why are you here in the middle of the 
night and do I have to call your mother?" I asked her.

	She froze up in mid-motion, mouth moving 
wordlessly.

	"Good balance," Akira said.  "I didn't know you 
practiced that."

	"Mom learned a long time ago and taught me," 
Kasumi said.  "I do it to keep in shape.  Along with my 
running."  Kasumi does track; Akane says she's very good 
at it.  She looked at all of us.  "Ummm..."

	It hit me.  "Kasumi, did Natasha drag you out here to 
stand sentry for her?"

	"No, of course not," Kasumi said, staring at my feet.  
Bingo.  She's an even worse liar than Crystal.

	Akira vanished into the woods.

	"Well, at least we know neither of them has a giant 
mech," Dan said.

	"Unless it's hidden here in the woods," Shun pointed 
out.

	I hear the sound of a boy and Natasha both yelling 
loudly and then running.

	Soon a half-naked teenage boy with short blue hair ran 
towards us like the wind, followed by Akira, who was 
carrying Natasha over her shoulder.  We could see Natasha 
was wearing a bra, a skirt, and a bunch of Japanese 
characters painted onto her back. Though I couldn't read it 
at this distance.

	Crystal stared, eyes wide open.

	"Mom, want me to catch Gin here?" Shun asked 
Akira.

	"We weren't doing anything wrong, just having a little 
romantic tryst like you all did in high school!  Don't 
oppress me with your hypocrisy!," Natasha said.  "I know 
all about it!!!!  Put me down, Auntie!"

	"Your mom's a madwoman!," shirtless Gin shouted as 
he ran to try to evade us.

	"Kneecap him, honey," Akira said firmly.

	Gin went down in about two seconds.  "C'mon man, 
bros before hos!"

	I could hear the wind move and distantly crickets 
chirped.

	Natsuki moved between the boy and Akira.  "He's 
young and stupid, please don't kill him, Akira."

	Akira, however, just rolled her eyes.

	Shun, on the other hand, to my surprise, now had Gin 
by the throat.  "You just called my mom a 'ho'!" he shouted; 
I could see Gin's hair shake.

	"No, I meant...urg...can't breathe..."  Gin flailed 
impotently and I started to step forward.

	Yuuichi pre-empted me as he took Gin from Shun.  
"We're going to have a little talk," he said, dragging Gin  
off.

	I studied the writing; it looked like a love poem to me, 
though a little oddly worded.  Kind of sweet and romantic, 
really.  Though kids that age shouldn't be getting half-
naked in the woods.

	Natasha sighed.  "Kasumi, you were supposed to warn 
me."

	"How was I supposed to stop Aunt Akira?  No one can 
stop her," Kasumi said.  "And I should be in bed asleep."  
She sounded frustrated.

	"You want my advice or not?" Natasha asked.

	Crystal said, "Natasha, this had better not be about 
Hayao."

	"Someone's bitter," Natasha said in a sing-song voice.  
"'Cause her would-be boyfriend is now after someone else."

	Crystal ground her teeth.

	"Well, we'll see who is bitter when I tell your mother 
about this," Akira said.

	"Please, no, I'll do anything!" Natasha pleaded, 
suddenly deflating.

	"What is going on?" Akira demanded.

	"Gin and I were going to write love poems on each 
other with this temporary tattoo paint, to show our love for 
each other," Natasha mumbled.  "It sounded totally cool.  
And Kasumi agreed to stand watch in return for me giving 
her some help with self-defense stuff.  Since Aunt Miyu 
apparently thinks the mafia will come for us soon or 
something."

	"Not the mafia," I said.

	The kids all looked at me.

	Aaargh!  Me and my mouth.

	"Mom," Crystal said, seriously.  "Did you blow that 
place up the first time somehow and come back to finish it 
off?"

	"..."

	"I would have made sure it blew up all the way the 
first time," Mikoto said.  "You know I'd never let Mai-chan 
go into danger without me."

	Chie sighed.  "Your mother got dragged into this.  
She's safe and you don't have to worry about it, Crystal."

	Aoi rubbed her forehead intensely, looking frustrated.

	"So if the giant robot doesn't belong to Natasha...," 
Shun began.

	"Wait, you came looking for me because you thought I 
had a combat mech???" Natasha asked in confusion.

	"What???" Kasumi asked.

	I suddenly worried whether security was going to find 
us here and what they would think.

	Crystal suddenly looked thoughtful, which worried me 
a little, as she was studying the writing on Natasha's back.

	And who was this Hayao boy, anyway?

	"You totally missed Mom and Aunt Natsuki and Aunt 
Mikoto and Harada-sensei blowing up a research facility," 
Shun said.

	Kasumi stared.

	"I...really?" Natasha asked weakly.

	"We didn't...I mean...we didn't go there to blow it up, 
just to collect evidence for Chie's book," I mumbled.

	"The kicking ass was just a bonus!  Mai-chan....," 
Mikoto began excitedly, then paused and walked over and 
hugged Crystal.  "It's okay," she said softly.  "I will always 
protect Mai-chan.  Always."  Her voice was very firm.  

	"We're not going to get strip-searched again, are we?" 
Kasumi mumbled.  

	"I'm already half-stripped," Natasha said.  "Please, 
promise me you won't tell Mom about this, Aunt Akira. 
PLEASE.  She will either totally kill me or else tell me 
stories which make me regret being born."  She shivered.

	"She doesn't tell you about...," I began a little 
nervously.

	"Mom likes to embarrass me when she's mad with 
me," Natasha mumbled.

	"Let's get you all home before the school yells at me 
again," I mumbled.  "Everyone's safe so we should 
probably go get some sleep."

	"So what's this about a giant mech I allegedly own?" 
Natasha asked.

	"I will tell you on the way back," Akira said.  "And 
Kasumi, if you wish to train, I can help you."

	"I don't want to, but I'd rather not die by 18 either," 
Kasumi said, sighing.

	"Mom, is something going to happen when we turn 
18?" Crystal asked.  "Did something happen to you?"

	I rubbed my forehead.  If I tell them, they'll do crazy 
things like they tried doing this time.  But if I don't, they'll 
do crazy things too.  And it may not even be hereditary.

	But I couldn't tell them. They'd rush off into this 
matter of a possible new Child or something and...  No, I 
couldn't risk it.  "When you're 18, you'll be of age and we'll 
tell you everything," I said.  At that point, I can't hold them 
back unless they let me.

	"That's not for two years," Crystal said, frowning.

	"Mai-chan," Mikoto said softly.

	"If you have any unusual trouble, you can go to Chie-
san for help," I told them, then paused.

	Chie nodded firmly.  "Aoi-chan and I will do our best 
to help you with anything.  We always talk about having 
more kids, anyway."  She smiled warmly at them and they 
smiled back, which made me feel a little better.

	"You can call me Aunt Aoi-chan," Aoi said smiling 
now, and I felt a little better.  I'd kept Chie safe, but I knew 
she had to be worrying about the future.

	For a moment all the kids, and especially Crystal, gave 
Aoi a weird look. Then Shun said, "And you too, Harada-
san?"

	"I'm your Aunt Chie now," Chie said softly.

	Crystal's eyes narrowed a moment, she glanced at me, 
and then she sighed and relaxed.  "Okay, Aunt Chie-san."

	"Welcome to my spy network," Chie said, grinning.  
"This should be fun."

	Natasha laughed and Shun smiled and Crystal smiled 
just a touch, while Dan looked curious and Kasumi fretted.

	"Okay," I said.  "Let's get back to campus."

***********

	I arranged to take the next day off due to alleged 
'sickness' and stayed over at Chie's place.  She and Aoi 
called in sick so we could meet with Sister Yukariko and 
her crew and see about checking out Aoi and Chie, just to 
be sure.  Tate had gone to work, and I was busy cleaning up 
dishes when the phone rang.

	"Hello?"

	"Did you really blow up a factory last night?" Shiho 
asked me over the phone.

	I tried to wash while keeping the phone propped 
between shoulder and ear.  "Not intentionally," I told her.  
Sort of not intentionally.  "News getting around?"

	"Yukariko called me," Shiho said.

	"Look, I have to tell you something," I told her.  She 
needed to know what was up with Natasha and the boy.  
She was Natasha's mother.

	"Is this about you all busting my daughter?"  She 
sounded irritated, but that's pretty common with her, 
unfortunately.

	"Yes," I mumbled, almost losing the phone but 
managing to hold onto it.

	"Did the boy have protection or not?" Shiho 
demanded.  "Natsuki didn't give me a straight answer when 
she called me."

	"..."

	"Well????"

	"They weren't having sex, just painting each other," I 
mumbled, now scrubbing a plate vigorously and wondering 
what exactly Chie had done to it that made the food stick so 
much.

	"Yes, but that sort of thing usually leads to sex, 
speaking from experience, not that you'd know since you've 
only ever had one boyfriend," Shiho said.  I don't think 
we've ever had a conversation that didn't involve her 
bragging about how many lovers she's had.  Admittedly, 
she did end up fairly good looking once she grew up and 
ditched the squid hair.

	Some days we have stupid fights about this, but not 
today.  "We didn't ask since they weren't actually having 
sex.  Can't you just ask Natasha?" I told her, switching 
from a cloth to a brush to attack the caked on...is this jam?  
How had it dried so much?

	"Natasha will give me a 20 minute rant on how she 
never interferes in MY love life and why can't I extend her 
the same courtesy and how many boyfriends I had by her 
age, blah, blah, blah," Shiho said.  

	"Too much like listening to yourself?" I asked, just a 
touch cattily.  Finally some of the caked on jam started to 
come off.  Surely someone in this house normally does 
dishes more often than this usually, right?

	"Exactly."

	Beat.

	"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT AT ALL," Shiho 
shouted and I nearly lost the phone again.

	"Yuuichi talked to the boy; he might know but I 
don't," I told her.

	She muttered something in French; I have to admit I 
do envy her the facility she has with languages. I can speak 
reasonably well in English but that's it and my English is 
much weaker than my Japanese.  Shiho speaks English, 
Japanese, French, German and a little Chinese and Korean.  
Which is why she works as a translator and meets and dates 
a lot of foreigners.  

	"So Harada-san knows the family secret now?" Shiho 
asked more calmly.

	"Chie and Aoi both know," I told her.  "They've 
agreed to watch over the children at school."

	"Good.  That's very nice of them," Shiho said, calm 
now.  She burns like a wildfire, but then she gets calm so 
quickly.  "No one got hurt, right?" she asked softly.

	"We're all fine," I told her.  "The place blew up after 
we got out.  But we may have found another Child." I 
explained about the robot.

	She grumbled in French again.  "Maybe someone has 
duplicated the Sears Foundation's research," she said 
hesitantly.  "After all, science is something where you can 
repeat the results, right?"

	"Yes," I told her.  "So you think this may be another 
artifical Hime?  Why would it protect Natsuki?"

	"I don't know."  I could hear her tapping her 
fingernails on something.  "But if it was a Child, wouldn't 
you have seen the Child's Hime somewhere?  Unless she's 
as good at hiding as Akira."
	
	I frowned at that.  "Given it was a combat mech-like 
one, maybe she rode inside it."

	"True," Shiho said, then sighed.  "I've gotten used to 
normality."

	"Me too," I confessed.  Though the trip to the factory 
ruins had been pretty exciting...but no.  I wanted a normal 
life.  A nice, simple, normal life.  

	"Call me if you need me, of course," Shiho said.  
"Whatever else may happen, I will help if you need me, 
Mai."

	"Thank you," I told her.  "I know I can count on you, 
Shiho."

	There was silence, and then she said softly, "Thank 
you too.  I'd better get to work."

	"We're taking Aoi and Chie for a test once the others 
get here," I told her.  "We'll call you if we need you."

	"Okay," she said.  "Good luck and goodbye, Mai."

	"Goodbye, Shiho."  I finally finished the dish, and 
eventually the dishes.

	I was surprised to see Roger Smith in the living room; 
he was talking quietly to Natsuki on the couch.  "Hello, Mr. 
Smith."

	"Sorry to intrude on your reunion," he said.  "I just 
came by to say hello to Natsuki.  I don't have any work 
until lunch time when I have to meet with some men from 
the Tallin Institute and Megas Bank."  He shook his head.  
"I fear the giant explosion may well finally scuttle them, 
though."	

	I blinked.  "You're working for them?"

	"I was called in to assist Tallin in trying to negotiate 
with Megas Bank for loans, but I suspect Megas will turn 
them down, using the explosion as an excuse to avoid the 
wrath of Tallin's owners."  He shook his head.  "I wasn't 
too optimistic before but this definitely puts a knife in it."

	"I don't think it would be very good if it did succeed," 
Natsuki said.

	"I don't know enough about physics to pass judgement 
on what they were doing or how safe it was," he said.  "Or 
have you heard something from the grapevine, Natsuki?"

	"I heard they were trying to covertly restart the 
experiments and it set off the equipment," Natsuki said.  
"But that's just a rumor of course."  She sounded a touch 
nervous; not surprising as it's never fun to have to decieve 
your boyfriend, even just a little for his own good.

	"I was afraid of that," he said, shaking his head.  
"What a mess."

	"So Tallin is trying to get enough money to restart?" I 
asked Mr. Smith.

	He nodded solemnly.  "I can't pretend I understand the 
physics of it, but I do know finance.  With two disasters in 
a row, I fear they don't have a prayer, though of course, I'll 
do my best to help as that is what I am being paid to do."

	I had to hope he wouldn't succeed, which made me a 
little uncomfortable, as he seems like a good guy for 
Natsuki.  But whatever they thought they were doing, it 
was clear the Tallin Institute had gotten in over its head.

***************
	
	Later, Nao arrived with her gang and we headed out to 
what passes for wilderness in Japan, up in the mountains, to 
a place where we could check Aoi and Chie, just in case.  I 
wasn't sure if I wanted to find something or not, and I could 
tell, glancing at Aoi and Chie in the back seat of my car, 
that Aoi wasn't sure either.  Chie, on the other hand, looked 
somewhat eager.  It rather reminded me of Crystal, who I 
suspect, if she does turn out to have inherited our status, 
will probably treat it like Midori did.

	They talked quietly in the back seat while Mikoto 
bounced around in the front passenger seat.  We were 
caravaning, following Nao and Sister Yukariko and Alyssa 
and Miyu in their blue sedan, while Natsuki followed us on 
her cycle.

	I spotted a green sedan behind us, and for a few 
seconds, I felt paranoid that the kids might somehow be 
following us; but instead, it passed us and zoomed off at 
stupidly high speed.  "Mai, you can't let him pass us!" 
Mikoto said excitedly.

	"Why?" I asked.

	"Because...umm...it would be cool!," she said.

	"Seeing our Children will have to be cool enough," I 
told her.  

	Another car passed us, this time a black compact 
driven by some crazy looking teenager with black spikey 
hair, apparently out cruising with his skinny girlfriend.  
Shouldn't he be in school?

	Okay, now I feel so old.  But all these people in the 
middle of nowhere was making me paranoid. And why 
were they in such a hurry?  Sister Yukariko was driving 
just five kilometers an hour under the speed limit and I 
matched her, so we weren't crawling, right?

	Then I saw an attack helicopter fly overhead towards 
our destination point.  Aoi and Chie fell silent, staring, and 
Mikoto said, "Was that Yukino-chan?"

	"Maybe."  Were they coming?  I didn't mind but I 
didn't remember telling them about it.

	A third car passed me, this time full of men in black 
suits.  What is going on???

	"Is it just me...," Chie began.

	"Maybe you should speed up a little," Aoi told me.

	"A LOT," Mikoto said.

	"I can't speed up; we're following someone."  I tried 
not to sound too frustrated.

	I could see Nao gesticulating at Sister Yukariko, 
probably trying to get her to speed up and I smiled a little.

	My phone rang; I gestured and Mikoto got it.

	"Hi, Crystal!" she said.

	A few seconds of silence ensued.  "No, we're both 
fine; they just decided they needed a little rest."

	"Crystal worried about us?" Aoi asked, sounding a 
little surprised.  "She got your mother-hen tendencies, I see, 
Mai."  She smiled at me.

	"Not a bad thing to inherit, I think," I told them.  That 
was nice of her to check, I thought.  "Tell her I'm glad she 
called but shouldn't she be in class?"

	"Mai says she loves you lots but you should be in 
class," Mikoto said.

	Silence.

	"She says she overslept and decided to just stay in her 
dorm room and work on homework," Mikoto told me.  She 
said to Crystal, "Your mom and I did that sometimes.  
Study hard!  You're going to need good grades to get into 
college.  I only just barely made it, so don't be like me."  
Her voice had turned more serious than usual.  I could see 
Aoi looking surprised in the rear view mirror.

	This time, a pink car driven by a middle aged woman 
in a suit passed me.  That wasn't a pink cadillac, was it?  
"Chie, can you call Sister Yukariko or someone and see if 
they know what's going on?"

	She nodded and got on the phone.

	"Talk to you later!  Love you, Crystal, bye!" Mikoto 
said and hung up.  "She was just worried because Aoi and 
Chie didn't show up for work."

	"Very sweet of her," Aoi said.

	"Yukariko says she has no clue if this stream of cars 
means anything but I think I heard Nao shouting something 
about how this happens every time Yukariko drives 
because she's TOO SLOW."   Chie laughed softly.

	It's just traffic, I told myself.  Just traffic.

************

	When we got there, Haruka and Yukino and their 
chopper were there, but I couldn't see the pilot anywhere.  
There was a little lake here and a nice house and lots of 
grassy fields.  I suddenly wondered who owned this, 
though the house had a large cross in front of it, so maybe 
the order did.

	Yukino had already summoned Diana; Aoi freaked out 
when she saw Diana and tried to hide behind the car before 
Chie chivvied her out.  I can't blame her; Diana is pretty 
scary looking.

	I wanted to summon Kagatsuchi very much but I was 
afraid now that would scare Aoi further.  

	"So now what?" Chie asked as everyone approached.

	"You both get naked and dance for our amusement," 
Nao said, but her smile belied that.

	"I suggest moving to a living room of the house so I 
can see through the window with Diana and then you will 
both need to strip to check for a mark.  And I will see what 
Diana can figure out," Yukino said.

	Aoi looked very nervous now, and I could tell 
everyone was a little nervous.  Except for Haruka, who 
stood there silently, looking confident by Yukino's side.  
Did she...no, I'm just being paranoid after all those cars.

	Chie said, "C'mon, honey, it's strip-tease time."

	Aoi buried her face in her hands, but she laughed a 
little.

	We went inside after Yukariko unlocked the door; 
Alyssa wandered off inside while the rest of us went to the 
living room.  "We come here to train," Yukariko told us.  
"Alyssa is going to turn the heat up just a touch, as it feels 
cold."

	I could feel my mark tingling softly.  "You may feel 
some kind of tingling," I told them.

	"I'm so nervous I'm tingling all over," Aoi said, then 
began unbuttoning her blouse.

	Chie began stripping silently as Alyssa now returned 
from whatever she'd been doing.  I could hear the AC 
running now, so she must have adjusted the thermostat.  I 
could feel myself getting more nervous.  I had the feeling 
that something was going to happen, and I could tell the 
others had it too.  I glanced out the window; Yukino was 
studying a set of Diana mirrors/windows, while Haruka 
stood there, arms across her chest, looking confident.

	I sat on the couch, fretting, while Miyu, Nao, and 
Natsuki stood by Aoi and Chie, studying them.  Aoi was 
getting more and more nervous, while Chie seemed to 
somehow not even notice being stared at.  Though surely 
she did.

	I rose and came over to Aoi.  "It's going to be okay 
either way," I told her.

	She mumbled something incoherent and I felt rather 
guilty about her being dragged into all this, but we had to 
be sure.

	I felt...something.  "Mikoto," I said softly.  "Go 
outside and make sure nothing or no one is coming."

	Mikoto nodded and headed out.

	"Is something wrong?" Aoi asked in the middle of 
taking her skirt off.

	"I'm just being cautious," I said.

	"I think it a wise precaution.  Alyssa, we should assist 
her," Miyu said.

	Alyssa nodded and they headed out.

	"I...," Aoi began.

	"It's okay," Sister Yukariko said to Aoi.  "I don't think 
we're going to find anything, but it's best we know."

	"Aoi," Nao said firmly.

	Aoi turned to look at her.

	"Look, if you don't want to know, you can stop.  None 
of us were given a choice, but we won't force you into 
anything," Nao said.

	Chie nodded.  "It's okay, honey."
	
	Aoi hesitated, closed her eyes, then said,  "I just..."

	"I know," I said to her softly.  "I'd be happier if we 
were all just old high school and college friends."  I felt my 
arms tingle all over and glanced at them; they looked 
normal, but the hairs on my arms were starting to stand up, 
which didn't bode well.

	I glanced at the others and they were all shifting about 
and staring at their arms as well, except for Chie and Aoi, 
who either didn't feel it or maybe were too distracted to 
notice.

	Then I heard Yukino shout, "BREACH!  BREACH!"

	The sky outside began to shimmer; I knew that glow.  
"They somehow found us here!  Yukino, see if you can find 
a way to close the breaches!  Natsuki, Nao, call your Child 
and attack!  Sister Yukariko, see how many of them you 
can trap in a fantasy.  I'll cover Aoi and Chie!"

	The house came apart around us as our Childs erupted 
from the ground; I winced, hoping it wouldn't cost too 
much to fix it, though I knew it would.  Soon, Aoi, Chie, 
and I were in the air, riding on Kagatsuchi.

	It was only when Aoi mumbled, "So cold..." that I 
realized they were still in their underwear.

	"Aoi, Chie, I'm so sorry!" I said, stripping off my own 
shirt and tossing it to Aoi, only to have it whip away in the 
wind.  "..."

	Chie began laughing so hard she nearly fell off 
Kagatsuchi and Aoi had to grab her.  I turned red, feeling 
like an idiot as Kagatsuchi made a run on the twisted 
inhuman beasts now erupting from the rifts.  Had these 
things somehow followed us, waiting for us to go 
somewhere they could break through?

	His fire fried half a dozen, but the creatures were 
pouring out and there was no easy way to kill this zone.  I 
could see Haruka blazing away at the creatures with twin 
pistols; to my surprise, her weapons were setting the 
creatures on fire.  Had she...

	"What, now they're vulnerable to bullets?" Chie asked, 
sounding frustrated.  If she'd brought her gun, she clearly 
didn't have it up here, though I could see she held her cell 
phone in one hand.  This made me smile just a little.

	I could see Mikoto hacking her way through the 
enemy forces, laughing happily as Alyssa blazed away with 
pistols; the creatures she shot burned horribly around the 
wounds and began slowly dissolving.  Miyu's arms had 
become blades and together the three of them were making 
their way towards one of the rifts...could our Weapons 
destroy them?  It was worth trying.

	"Dammit, her gun kills them too!" Chie howled into 
the wind.

	"Your gun's down in the ruins of the house, dear," Aoi 
said, clinging to Kagatsuchi with one hand and Chie with 
the other.

	I shivered a little, wishing I had a shirt.  Kagatsuchi 
helped; he felt so warm.  But the wind was whipping at me.  
But surely this shouldn't chill me, given I survived the cold 
of space before.  Or I could...

	I wove fire around myself, shielding myself from the 
winds, then wove shields around Chie and Aoi as well to 
keep them warm.  I could see Mikoto and Miyu ripping one 
of the gateways shut and Dhuran blowing a hole in another 
one at Natsuki's command.  Many of our foes wandered 
around in confusion as Sister Yukariko directed her Child.  
It was going well.  Julia was webbing up creatures and 
devouring them as Nao danced about, slashing creatures 
open.  I blinked, noticing Julia looked a lot larger than I 
remembered from the last time I saw her.  

	"Mai!  INCOMING!" Chie shouted.

	It was only then that I saw the aerial rifts and the giant 
bird monsters coming through them.

	The bird-creatures were everywhere, attacking Haruka 
and Diana and Yukino too.  Haruka blazed away like 
Alyssa, setting more of them on fire; what was she shooting 
them with?  I set a course for them; Diana was one of the 
weakest in combat of the Childs; her power was 
information and scouting, not combat.  I blasted apart a 
giant humming bird and Kagatsuchi ate a giant parrot with 
no skin and rainbow colored muscles and bones and 
piercing black eyes.

	Only to see a giant falcon had snuck in and was now 
bombdiving at Chie and Aoi, while its fellow now moved 
in to attack me.  I couldn't save them and defend myself at 
once, so I fireblasted the one diving at them, only to lose 
my perch and get clawed on the arm and begin plummeting 
towards the ground.  

	"Kagatsuchi, protect them!" I shouted; I could see the 
horror on their faces as I fell, but at least they would be safe 
and I was pretty sure I'd survive this; I can fly, after all, I 
just have to remember the trick for it....

*********************

Chie Speaks:

	Seeing Mai take the fall for us, letting herself get hit to 
save us, made me feel intensely guilty.  It also made me 
intensely stupid.  I had to save her.  HAD to.  I couldn't let 
everyone else fight but me again.  

	So I dived after her; I could see from her face this 
wasn't too smart at all and I honestly can't say I have any 
clue what I was thinking other than guilt.  Lots of it.  This 
was all happening because I was determined to stick my 
nose into this and dragged everyone along with me.  These 
things wouldn't have been hunting them if I'd left them out 
of it.  Left Aoi out of it.  I had to save Mai.  Somehow.  
Even though I could now see her jetting flame and it looked 
like I'd jumped for nothing, given she was righting herself 
and probably about to fly back up to us.  But I could see 
she was about to be attacked from behind by the same 
creature which had knocked her down and now had circled 
behind her.  

	Please, if there's anything listening, I thought, give me 
the power to save her and protect Aoi.  I'll do anything, 
anything at all.  PLEASE.  Please let me protect those I 
care about.

	I felt a sudden burning over my left breast and 
instinctively, I held out my camera phone and triggered the 
flash at the creature.  Something was lighting up my face 
and shining on Mai as well as we drew closer to each other 
and the light seemed to grow even brighter as my flash 
went off and the creature flew into the light.  It howled and 
the light washed over it and now it was blinded and I 
started laughing even as Mai caught me.

	She touched my left breast, just for a second.  "Chie, 
you have the mark," she said softly, and I looked down at 
myself and saw it, the double circle with flechette they'd 
shown us a drawing of, and I could see Mai's mark, nestled 
in her bosom, glowing like mine, and I felt a surge of 
triumph and terror at once, triumph to be one of them and 
terror I'd have to pay as high a cost as they had.  I hadn't 
even really thought about that part up to now.  Aoi...

	I looked up and saw her staring down at me; she was 
making herself smile, but I could see she was scared too.  
I'd dragged her into trouble again; I seem to have a knack 
for this.  I will protect you, I swear, I told myself as I 
looked at her and gave her a firm smile back.  "Yeah," I 
said softly to Mai.  My cell phone felt strange in my hands; 
it had changed color and now it had the Hime symbol on 
the back of it.  And...I had a message?  

	Instinctively, I knew who it was from and what it 
meant, just looking at the header 'Call My Name'.  

	"ERICA!"  The name of our daughter, our precious 
adopted daughter, who I love very much.  And now the 
name of...

	The ground erupted below us and a great calico cat 
emerged from it, batting aside an elephant like it was 
playing with a mouse, knocking it into the air towards 
Sister Yukariko, who shot it in the head with her bow.  And 
then it leaped skywards, and I could see its fur was made of 
metal, soft and supple and strong all at once, and I laughed 
for joy.  

	Mai landed me by Aoi and I kissed her, twining my 
arms around her.  I could see Erica trying to fly, but clearly 
not used to this, though Mai had told us every Child could 
fly; she landed on several twisted wolves, squashing them 
flat.

	"That is our Child, Erica," I told Aoi.

	"..."

	"Thank you, Mai," I told her.

	"I'll always protect you, my friends," Mai said firmly.  
She looked down at Erica.  "You named your Child after 
your daughter?"

	I laughed a little nervously and Aoi mumbled, "I was 
thinking Helen would be a good name."

	"Well, you can name yours Helen," I told her, 
brandishing my cell phone.  A twisted hawk zoomed our 
way and I pointed and willed it to...do whatever exactly it 
did, which I still didn't know.  A stream of lights blinded it 
and now I could see it start to come apart like unravelling 
yarn.  It dissolved away into bits by the time it reached us 
and then even the sparkling bits faded.

	My phone was vibrating; I had another message, I 
realized.  But I'd have to read it later.  There was fighting to 
be done!

***************

Aoi said:

	I have only seen Chie happier than this once, and that 
was our wedding day.  She wanted this so much; she's got 
the heroic instinct; that's why she became a journalist, to 
fight for justice in that way.

	Well, also I think she likes sticking her nose into 
everyone else's business, but so do I.  

	But I wasn't sure what I wanted.  Knowing what had 
happened to them...I couldn't help imagining Chie 
dissolving away into sparkling lights.  Or our daughter.  
Or...  I shivered and only some of it was cold from flying 
around on a giant dragon while half-naked.  

	Couldn't they have waited for us to get our clothing 
back on???

	Though having Mai lose her shirt had actually made 
me feel a little better.  I suppose it must be true that one 
person's disaster is another's comedy.  

	But I couldn't let Chie do this alone either.  

	Erica jumped up towards us again; I felt bad for her 
and wondered how we could best teach her to fly.  Given 
neither of us could fly, we couldn't model it the way a 
mother bird does for her chicks.  I think that's how it works.  
This kept me busy for a little while while Kagatsuchi wove 
about, taking on aerial foes; Dhuran took to the air with 
Natsuki riding him and supported us, which helped.

	Diana suddenly banked to avoid a diving pair of giant 
warped Hawks with green glowing beaks and fire for eyes.  
Unfortunately, this tipped a surprised Haruka over the edge 
and she plummeted towards the ground.  "Haruka!" I 
shouted, though this was utterly futile.

	"HARUKA!" Mai shouted and now Kagatsuchi dived, 
but Diana's tentacles lashed out, seizing the birds and 
ripping them into bits.  Yukino looked furious, a look I 
don't think I've ever actually seen on her before.

	Mikoto ran to try and catch her by jumping into the 
air, but ended up taking Haruka's head to her face; she 
landed holding Haruka, then fell over.  

	"Take us down to her!  I'm a nurse, I can help her if 
she's hurt!" I said urgently.  I can't stand to see my friends 
getting hurt.  I might not be much of a fighter, but I can aid 
the injured.  This is what I trained for; this is something I 
could do without guilt or hesitation or concern.  To heal the 
sick and the injured is my duty and my pleasure as well; all 
my worries faded away, replaced by a sense of 
determination and confidence.  I'd have them right as rain 
soon.

	Chie looked mortified and worried and I hugged her a 
little tighter.  "It'll be okay.  This is what I do."

	Mai brought us down and Chie and Mai and 
Kagatsuchi fought to give me a clear space to tend to their 
needs.

	Both Haruka and Mikoto had bruises on their 
forehead; I applied bandages, and was treating Haruka's 
injuries when I suddenly realized that I was still half-naked 
and somehow had a doctor's bag with me that I hadn't even 
brought to the farm!

	Also, my chest was glowing and I could see the mark 
on my left breast, exactly where Chie had hers, except my 
breasts are a lot bigger than hers.  

	Also, I could now see the injuries fading as quickly as 
I treated them, and my mouth opened wide.  A shadow fell 
over me and now I could see Erica standing over my 
patients and I, her giant metal furry body shielding us as 
she batted a twisted toucan into her mouth and ate it.  She 
looked even more gigantic than before.

	Haruka opened her eyes wide and stared at me, then 
for a moment looked intensely frustrated.  But then she 
smiled at me softly.  "You're lucky," she whispered, then 
sat up, saying, "Thank you."  She propped up Mikoto, who 
now rubbed her forehead.

	"You have a hard head," she said to Haruka ruefully.

	"Hmmph, you shouldn't try to catch me with your 
skull," Haruka said irritably, but helped her up even as 
Yukino rushed over to her.  "It's okay," Haruka said, but 
she didn't stop Yukino from embracing her.  "Aoi-san 
healed me."

	Yukino stared at me, then hugged me in turn.  "Thank 
you," she said.

	"We can flirt in front of Haruka and Chie later," I told 
her, smiling a little.  "You'd better win this fight before 
anyone else gets hurt."

	Chie laughed, then zapped an onrushing bear; I 
shivered a little, seeing it unravel.

	Yukino nodded firmly, then took Haruka by the hand.  
"Come on."

	Chie grabbed me and we vaulted onto the back of 
Erica; I don't think she even realized she'd just made an 
impossible jump. Or maybe that's why she was smiling so 
brightly.

	I could see Julia webbing up a rift in the air which 
collapsed and I suddenly wondered if I could use my 
abilities to 'heal' the rifts.  I dug through my mysterious 
doctor's bag, pulling out one of those reflective mirror 
headband things no one uses any more, though I put it on, 
just in case.  There were all sorts of things, but none of 
them seemed to relate well to closing rifts, which we really 
hadn't covered in nursing school.  I did, however, get to 
sedate a giant monkey which jumped up on Erica's back 
and tried to attack us.

	"Steer us over by Yukino.  I'm going to ask her 
something," I told Chie.

	Erica flew us over to match her flight path and I 
shouted to Yukino, "Do we have any idea what is causing 
these rifts?"

	"They were caused by the machine at the factory, but 
these were ripped open from the other side this time, Diana 
thinks," Yukino shouted back.  

	"I'm wondering if there is some way to 'heal' the rifts," 
I shouted to her.

	"Good idea," Yukino said.  "But I'm not sure how."

	"Do you have equipment for doing stitches in there?" 
Haruka shouted to me.  "Or a surgical knife to 'cut' the 
wounds out?"

	Indeed I did.  I was starting to think I could pull just 
about anything medical out of my bag.  Which was pretty 
cool.  This could be very helpful at work.  It was probably 
going to have to be the knife, though, as I don't think I 
could effectively manuever enough to 'sew' the rifts shut.  

	Cutting the rifts was harder than it looked; every time 
I sliced one, it was harder than the one before it.  Or 
possibly I was just getting tired.  

	There were still several open when I finally just 
collapsed of tiredness, falling over onto Chie and falling 
asleep.

****************

Mai's Tale Continues:

	We took care of the rest of the rifts with the help of 
our Childs, but now we had to figure out why this had 
happened.  Had these things learned a way to break 
through?  Was this a revenge attack?  And could it happen 
again?

	We'd landed and now Aoi (still mostly asleep) and 
myself were wearing habits borrowed from Sister Yukariko 
and Miyu (who had been wearing clothing under their 
habits, which must get pretty hot sometimes, I'd think).  
Our Childs huddled around us protectively.

	"Are you okay?" I asked Haruka, realizing too late 
everyone else had already asked her this.

	"I'm fine," she said curtly.  "Aoi put me back together 
well."  She seemed resentful of this, oddly enough.  Don't 
ask me why.

	"She has a nice power," I said.  I was a little jealous 
myself; it's a very positive ability and I certainly could have 
used it in times past.  Though not having medical training, I 
suppose I wouldn't be able to do all that much beyond the 
first aid I know even with the tools.

	"Someone wanted their powers to awaken," Haruka 
said.

	Nao raised an eyebrow.  "What makes you think that?"

	"Why didn't Chie's ability manifest before in the 
factory?"  Haruka asked.  "And remember the purpose of 
the Orphan attacks at Fuuka was to push all of you to 
awaken to your abilities and strengthen your ability to use 
them."

	"But why waken her now?" Nao asked, thoughtfully.

	"Whoever is behind this may not have been aware of 
Chie or ready at the factory," Haruka said.  "But saw her 
with Himes there and thus staged this attack to push her to 
the brink; the intervention of the other Child, the mecha-
Child, may have prevented this by relieving the pressure on 
her."

	"I asked for it this time," Chie said.

	We all turned to look at her.

	"I prayed, desperately...I'm not sure to what.  God, 
Buddha, something...  And I think my prayer was 
answered."  Chie said.

	Haruka frowned deeply at that.  "You can't just pray 
and get magical powers."  I could hear a definite tone of 'I 
tried' in that.  And if it was quite that easy, I have a feeling 
Crystal would have powers by now.  Didn't there have to be 
more to it than...

	Our powers were fueled by our love for someone; the 
stronger it got, the stronger our Child and our Element.  But 
Haruka...I knew Yukino loved Haruka.  But they 
weren't...Chie and Aoi loved each other and while I knew 
Aoi had her moments of doubt and frustration, their love 
was open and honest and not so conflicted as whatever 
exactly is going on with Yukino and Haruka.

	But I couldn't slap her in the face with that.

	"Maybe it's because they were in very deep danger," 
Mikoto said.

	"Chie was only in danger because she flung herself 
possibly to her doom trying to save Mai when Mai didn't 
need saving!," Haruka protested.  "I was certainly in danger 
and nothing happened!"

 	"You don't have a daughter," I mused.  Though I 
wasn't sure that was relevant.

	"Most of us don't have children!," Haruka said.  "And 
Erica is adopted!"
 
	Alyssa was about to say something, but Sister 
Yukariko made a 'silence' gesture at her, and I wondered if 
she was thinking what I was thinking.  

	Though that couldn't be all of it; surely we were not 
the only girls at Fuuka who had been in love.  Right?  
Though the festival had been designed for a certain 
number, so the process was cut short once enough of us 
awakened, but now the festival was gone and perhaps the 
rules were not being enforced, making it easier.

	I suddenly wished there was some way to talk to 
Mashiro.  She would know.

	Chie said, "Hmm, Fumi...Fumi...I know that name 
from somewhere."  She was looking at her phone.

	"Fumi? She's one of us," I told her.  "She runs Fuuka 
Gakuen now."

	"She must have called me in the middle of the fight."  
Chie listened to her phone.  "Wants me to call her back."

	Everyone stared at Chie, who shrank just a bit.  "Is 
that bad?" Chie asked.

	"Maybe," I said.  Why was Fumi calling now?  Or had 
there been trouble at Fuuka Gakuen?

	I pulled out my phone, just in case she'd called me too; 
I could see the others doing likewise, except Aoi, who 
continued to drowse, leaning on Chie.

	Haruka paced, agitated.  "This has something to do 
with Nagi invading my kitchen. I can smell it."

	"Haruka-chan, I'm pretty sure you dreamed that," 
Yukino said, taking off her glasses and cleaning them.

	"Yes, I'm Harada Chie; I attended Fuuka with Mai and 
Natsuki and the others," Chie said into her phone.

	We all fell silent and listened.  

	"Mashiro? Who is...wait, was that..." Chie asked.

	We all froze up; Haruka vibrated as if she wished to 
grab the phone and start shouting.

	"I know.  Everything has a price," Chie said a little 
sadly.

	The price is to risk that which you value most, I 
thought, remembering Nagi's words to me so long ago.  
Which was among the reasons I didn't like to fight.  I didn't 
want to put those I love on the line.  Neither directly nor 
indirectly.  But it seemed like we might have no choice for 
a while.  

	"Do you know anything about this mecha-Child?"

	We all tensed a bit more at that.     

	"I see," Chie said.  "Mai, she wants to talk to you."

	Nervously, I took the phone.  "Hello, Fumi-san," I 
said.

	"Hello, Mai-san," Fumi said softly.  "I have recieved a 
message. I think it is from Mashiro, but I can't be sure, as a 
raven brought it to me."

	A raven?  Like a carrier pigeon?  "What did she say?  
Has she sent you messages like this before?"  There was no 
way to be sure from just a message on a bird.  This could 
be some kind of trick.  "Are you sure it isn't a trick by 
whatever is controlling these animal monsters?"

	There was a sudden silence which made me feel both 
smart and worried.  

	"I had not considered that," Fumi said.  "It had her 
seal, however.  But yes, we had best be careful; it could be 
a trick."  Fumi's voice was very hesitant.

	"So what was the message?"

	"The Crimson Huntsman, red in tooth and claw, is not 
very happy with the Hime and has declared vendetta on 
you."

	Delightful, I thought.  More insane beings from other 
dimensions.  Wasn't their home dimension enough for 
them???

	"You have the ability to recruit new Hime, but by 
doing so, they must make the same bargain and take the 
same risk as you."  She paused, then said, "I told Chie this."

	I nodded, then remembered she couldn't see me.  
"Why can't Haruka....," I whispered, hand over my mouth 
and the phone.  I didn't want to further embarrass her.

	"I don't know," Fumi said.  "The original Hime were 
destined, but by breaking the festival, you have changed the 
rules.  And I don't know what the new ones are."

	She hesitated again, then continued.  "I just know that 
every form of magic has its price.  It may be that you all 
have paid that price in full.  Aoi and Chie haven't.  But they 
will.  That, even more than destiny, is inescapable."

	I felt a sick feeling in my gut.  I didn't want them to go 
through what we had.  But she was right.  My life had 
taught me that everything had its price and some prices 
could be very high.

	I needed answers, but there was no one who could 
give me any.  "Thank you for calling.  Any other news?"

	"No," Fumi said.  "Crystal hasn't tried breaking into 
the records room since the last time I caught her."  

	I laughed a little, helping me to shove my worries 
aside for the moment.  "That's good."  Now it was my turn 
to hesitate.  "Does this mean the children..."

	"I don't know," Fumi confessed.  "Mashiro's message 
was short and the rest of what I know about Hime may not 
be true any more.  Especially not if new ones are 
appearing."

	"This Crimson Huntsman, do you know anything of 
him?" I asked.

	"No, but there may be records here; I will search.  I 
just wanted to let you all know," Fumi said.

	"Thank you," I told her.  

	"You're welcome," she said.  "As always, call me if 
you need me."

	"Of course," I said.  "See you later."  And then I hung 
up and told the others what I knew.  Which wasn't much.

	Miyu listened quietly, looking thoughtful.  "The 
Crimson Huntsman was defeated by SEARS many years 
ago.  They assumed he was dead."

	"It was one of the field tests which led to me," Alyssa 
said flatly.  "They believed he had been destroyed.  He 
controlled orphans who resembled various kind of animals 
and was very much a Social Darwinist."

	"A what?" I asked.

	"Take the idea of 'competition of species' and apply it 
to races, nations, your neighborhood, your gang, or 
whatever level you think at.  Encouraging people to 
compete viciously so the strong would survive and the 
weak would die," Alyssa said.  "Not a surprising 
philosophy for a lord of animals.  It is entirely possible, 
though, that this is all some sort of trick to make us go 
chasing evil rainbows while something else moves on us."  
Her voice made it clear she thought that likely.

	"Do you know anything else, Miyu?"

	"Given that even during the festival, artificial Himes 
could be created, it's not surprising that it's possible for 
others to be made now.  However, my knowledge of the 
theoretical material is more limited than my practical 
knowledge," Miyu said.  "My readings indicate that Aoi 
and Chie are now linked to the same power as the rest of 
you, but I was unable to observe the process as I had hoped, 
so I am not sure how that link was achieved.  I can tell you 
that I did not percieve such a link upon our arrival here.  
But I did not study any of you before the awakening of 
your powers, so I am not sure if this is different."  As 
always, her voice was cool and collected and mostly 
impassive.   "I did not percieve anything unusual when we 
visited the children.  But I don't know if I should, in a null-
zone."

	"The only way to be sure is to take them to a place like 
this," Nao said.

	"But that means having to explain everything," I said.

	"We can't wait forever," Nao said.

	"Not yet," I said.  "I'm sure we can handle this without 
dragging them into it."

	Nao grumbled, but said, "Alright.  Well, no point in 
staying here and freezing; best we head back to town and 
get clothing for our naked people.  Or at least take some 
pictures we can sell on the internet."

	"..."

	Chie began laughing, while Aoi looked embarrassed.  
"Let's go," I said.  

***********************

	Back at Aoi and Chie's home, I had to borrow one of 
Aoi's shirts, which meant it was too long for me and a bit 
tight in the chest.  But that would do me well enough to get 
home and put on something more comfortable.  And better 
too long than too short.  

	I came out of the bathroom into the hallway to find 
Haruka waiting for me.  She looked impatient and irritable.  
"I'm sorry," I said.  "I would have just changed in Chie's 
bedroom if I knew you needed to use the bathroom."

	To my surprise, she grabbed me by the shoulder and 
dragged me back into the bathroom and closed the door.  I 
stared at her blankly in total confusion.  "Haruka?"

	Haruka closed her eyes, somehow staring at me, even 
though her eyes were closed.  "Mai."  She was shaking.  
Was it anger?  Or was she trying to resist the urge to cry?  

	I put my hands on her shoulders, hesitantly.  
"Haruka?"

	Instead of speaking, she just stood there vibrating, 
shaking like she was in high winds instead of a peaceful 
bathroom.  For a moment, I was afraid she was starting to 
have an epileptic fit, but this seemed more like intense 
distress.  

 	"Do I need to call Aoi-chan?" I asked hesitantly.

	"Why not me?" Haruka asked, agonized.  Her eyes 
snapped open and she looked...it was completely not like 
her.

	For a few seconds, I stared at her in total confusion.  
Was she saying...no, that made no sense.  Then it hit me.  
"Haruka, you're better off without this responsiblity."

	"Don't make my decisions for me!" Haruka said 
angrily, shaking even more.  "I'm part of this!  And I have 
been for a long time!  How am I supposed to protect 
Yukino without this?"

	"You were fighting pretty well with those guns," I told 
her.  "Did you develop special ammunition?"

	"My scientists have worked out special weaponry 
that's much more effective against orphans and the like.  It 
needs more refinement.  Still, I am going to have to give 
Dr. Irina a raise."  Her voice had calmed, so now it was not 
so much berserk as just intense.  "Mai, my life is on the 
line, whether I fight or not.  So I have to fight and I have to 
fight as strongly as possible.  It's this or resort to 
experimental technology with who knows what kind of 
side-effects. I'll take any chance for Yukino's sake."

	I stared at the ground for a moment.  "Alright."

	"What...why was it so easy for them and not for me?" 
Haruka asked softly.

	I didn't know what to say.  For one thing, there was 
some evidence that there was a genetic component to the 
possibility of being Hime, which is why I worry so much 
about Crystal and the others.  I know Alyssa's powers were 
tied to genetics, anyway.  I think.  But that might have 
changed now.  And none of us were actually related, so 
surely the trait would have been wider spread than just us, 
right?  Of course, what I know about genetics, I could 
probably write on my hand.

	And the other thing...what was I supposed to do?  Ask 
'why aren't you dating Yukino?'  'Do you love Yukino?'  'Is 
something wrong with your heart?'  I have no right to pass 
judgement on their love.  And I...I hadn't understood my 
own feelings when I made my bargain.  I certainly was 
conflicted, in denial. So that couldn't be it.  Could it?  But 
what else could be holding Haruka back?  

	"I..."  A thought struck me.  Haruka had been absorbed 
by the pillars and they had not.  They were far away during 
the reign of the Hime Star.  And Haruka was right there.  
Could it?  But what exactly...  "Haruka, do you remember 
anything at all from when you were imprisoned in the 
pillars?"  Yuuichi didn't.  I knew that.

	"No," she said softly.  "Wait, do you think..."

	"Haruka, you know better than any of us the price we 
have to pay.  Maybe it did something to you or maybe just 
knowing it... experiencing it... is somehow holding you 
back.  Remember, if you are one of us, unless things have 
changed..."  That had to be it.  Somehow.  It couldn't just...  
But no, wait, Shizuru and Natsuki had both experienced 
that too.  And they still had their powers.  Though I think 
Shizuru is afraid to ever use hers again.

	I felt my gut twist and I sighed.  But then, Haruka 
hadn't...dammit, I needed answers and had no way to get 
them.  For all his lying ways, for all that Mashiro often 
wouldn't tell us anything, at least we had someone who had 
some answers for us, even if they were tricks sometimes.

	Okay, most of the time.

	"If I don't, Yukino may well die anyway.  And if she 
dies, I die," Haruka said softly.  "We'll both live longer if I 
can fight by her side.  Please."  I had never heard Haruka 
actually beg.  It was a little scary.

	"Alright.  I don't know how.  But we'll find out what to 
do to enable you to join our ranks."  I couldn't tell if I was 
making a mistake or not.  But she was right.  She's helped 
us all over the years; she is one of us in fact, if not in 
power.  And she's certainly earned a place with us.  

	Even if I don't know how to give it to her.  

	Haruka pounced on me like a cat and I toppled against 
the wall as she hugged me tightly.  "Thank you," she 
whispered.

	"It's okay.  We'll find a way somehow," I told her.  

	Please let this be a good decision, I begged the 
universe.

	It didn't give me a reply.

****************
	
Aoi's Tale:

	I think it's been years since we made love as much as 
we did that night.  We both work a lot which tends to leave 
us too tired for a lot of the hanky panky newlyweds get up 
to.  But I was so full of energy, I could hardly believe it.  
And Chie...she was so hyper, I was surprised she didn't 
propose we go run a naked marathon.

	I don't know what to think.  I'm not really a fighter by 
nature, but I can't let Chie go into this alone without me, 
either.  I wish they at least had some kind of work 
procedure manual for this so I'd know the rules.

	Not that I like the rules I know.  Or like knowing 
they're not sure which if any of those rules actually still 
apply.  I have a definite feeling it was too easy for Chie and 
I, that the other shoe is going to drop.

	I don't want any dropping shoes.  

	Well, this isn't the first time she's gotten us in over our 
head.  And won't be the first time I've had to go along in 
order to get her out.

	I just think the stakes are higher this time.

	I just wish I knew what the stakes ARE.