The Summer of Her Discontent:  
	It Was A Beautiful Dream

By John Biles

Series:  Mai Hime (future)

Home Page: 
http://www.thekeep.org/~wombat/Stories/MaiHime/index.h
tml

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

Kasumi's Tale:

	Breakfast on Tuesday came, unfortunately, with a side 
order of uncomfortable.  I had come out to the Commons 
with Erica and Crystal as I didn't feel up to making my own 
breakfast.  Natasha and Houseki-san then joined us.  Which 
was fine.  But then Dan and Koyabishi-san joined us and 
Dan and Natasha both wouldn't look at each other and then 
Hayao wanted to sit with me and he and Crystal were about 
two seconds from killing each other and then I noticed 
Erica was trying to not look at Dan and Koyabishi-san and 
then Ota-san wanted to join us and the table was too small 
and we had to pull up another one and then I could see 
Iwao-san glaring at us from a distance, probably because 
his friends were all sitting with people he doesn't like.  

	Ugh.

	I tried to think of some topic of conversation which 
wouldn't lead to any stabbing.  "How is the play going?" I 
asked.

	"It's fun," Hayao said.  "I'll be surprised if we win 
anything, but I'm enjoying myself."

	"Me too," Dan said.  "I'm glad I joined it."

	Natasha started to say something, then gloomed at her 
bowl of cereal instead.

	"We have an assembly today," Aunt Chie said.

	As usual, we all jumped; I don't know how she sneaks 
up on us like that.

	Shun and Kagami approached; Kagami now had a 
pony-tail, which I thought looked good on her.  She's a 
really good girlfriend for Shun.  He needs someone to keep 
him in line and she's good at that.

	"Hi, Aunt Chie.  What's this assembly?"

	"Your Uncle Reito has come to give the school lots of 
money, so they have to make us all kiss his ass in public," 
Aunt Chie said.  

	She paused as if expecting someone to say something 
but no one did.

	"Anyway, he has a very nice ass for those who are into 
such things.  So don't stare at it, Mitsu-san.  You have a 
boyfriend."  Her voice was teasing, but Mitsu-san turned 
bright red.   

	"I only have eyes for Shun!," Kagami said indignantly.  

	"It's nicer in a swimsuit, of course," Aunt Chie said.  
"If you weren't all under age, I'd have to show you.  But 
he's only for us grownups to lust for."  She struck a pose 
and I laughed.  "Anyway, it will likely be totally boring, 
but I expect he'll want to see you all, so be ready."

	I'm not sure what we'd have to do to get ready for 
Uncle Reito, but forearmed is forewarned and all that.

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

	It was an entirely boring speech about the importance 
of studying and charity and something about the school's 
honor and a long list of things I already knew about Uncle 
Reito like his charities and the money he raises to help the 
sick.  He's a really great guy but this was like reading your 
own biography where nothing is exciting because you 
already know it.

	Afterwards, we all got called up. To my surprise, so 
did Gin.  He looked extremely nervous and I wondered 
what he had done this time.

	"So you are Houseki Gin," Uncle Reito said.  Aunt 
Alyssa was with him, wearing a business suit.  I wondered 
why she was following him around like a personal 
assistant.  And what everyone thought of a woman as tall as 
her.  Tall for Japan, that is.  She's still a lot shorter than 
Uncle Reito, but she's taller even than Aunt Shizuru.  

	"I...yes, sir, I am," he said weakly.  

	Everyone was gone except for the six of us and 
Kagami and Gin.  

	"So how long have you and Natasha been going out?" 
Uncle Reito asked.

	"Four weeks, six days, five hours, three minutes and 
twenty-two seconds," Aunt Alyssa said, making a note on 
her notepad.

	We all stared and Gin and Natasha's jaws both 
dropped.

	"That was a joke," Aunt Alyssa said.

	Crystal and I both laughed, then Natasha laughed 
really loudly.

	"Since just after our last break," Natasha said.  "We 
got really serious just a few weeks ago, though."

	"When you two got caught painting each other," Uncle 
Reito said cheerfully.

	"It was really sweet and romantic," Gin mumbled, 
staring at the floor.

	"It was super-cool.  It was Gin's idea and I loved it," 
Natasha said, taking his hand firmly.  "You should try it 
with one of your girlfriends, Uncle Reito."

	"Reito-san and I are too busy for silly games like 
that," Aunt Alyssa said firmly.  "We have a holy mission to 
carry out."

	Natasha gave Aunt Alyssa the look.  Aunt Alyssa 
paled slightly, but stood firm.  Then Natasha gave her the 
grin.  

	Oh dear.

	"I think it is sweet and romantic," Uncle Reito said.  
"Houseki-san, would you like to be my guide around 
campus?  The Principal was going to select me one, but I 
think it would be more interesting with someone I'd like to 
know better if you're going to be dating my dear little 
niece."

	"You're not secretly her father who is going to kill me 
now, right?" Gin asked a little warily.

	That's kind of paranoid, isn't it?  Also, I don't think 
Uncle Reito would let a child of his go unacknowledged.  I 
suppose Houseki-san probably hasn't ever heard about 
Natasha's father, other than knowing he's not around.

	"I do not have the honor of being Natasha's father," 
Uncle Reito said.  "Though I would be pleased to have such 
a strong and energetic daughter."

	To my surprise, Natasha actually looked embarrassed, 
which is very rare.  "You flatter me, Uncle."

	"You shouldn't make random accusations like that," 
Aunt Alyssa said sharply to Gin.

	"Now, now, he's young and excitable.  I seem to 
remember a few people who made mistakes with the 
passion of youth," Uncle Reito said sadly to Aunt Alyssa.  I 
wonder what mistakes he made.

	"So what brings you here, Aunt Alyssa?" Crystal 
asked her.

	"I have come to pass holy judgement on Natasha's 
boyfriend, since he didn't come to Fuuka," she said, looking 
a little embarrassed, though her tone was judgemental.

	Gin looked ready to pass holy judgement on himself 
by simply catching fire and dying.

	"Show the boy some divine mercy," Uncle Reito said 
with his usual warm, playful voice.  

	"Can I come too?" Natasha asked.

	"We want to talk to Gin in private," Uncle Reito said.  

	Despite his warm tone, I had a feeling that didn't bode 
well.

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

Akane's Tale:

	It was a bright and cheerful morning and I was in a 
very good mood.  So was Kazuya.  Kasumi had a new 
boyfriend and if he was Sayuri's daughter, I expect he must 
be a nice boy.  And she'd passed her drug test.

	Not that I thought there was any chance of her being 
on drugs, of course.  

	Akira now came out of the back.  She was not in as 
good a mood as us, but she seemed to be cheering up as the 
morning progressed.  I guess we're infectious.

	My phone rang.  "Hello?"

	It was Aoi.  "You heard about the drug test, right?"

	"Yes," I said.  "Kasumi passed, thankfully."

	"Apparently, she's been showing a huge amount of 
improvement at track and someone got paranoid and called 
for a drug test," Aoi said.  "This could be a sign she's a 
Hime, but I don't know enough about running to judge for 
myself.  But her coach doesn't know how she improved so 
much and so quickly."

	"Surely she'd tell me," I told her.  

	"We're holding secrets from them, you know," Aoi 
said.

	I frowned.  Kasumi is really terrible at hiding things, 
though.  Wouldn't she tell me?

	And what could have prompted her to begin to 
manifest Hime powers?  She hasn't mentioned being near 
any real fighting, or in any danger.

	"Thank you," I said.  "I'll have to think about this."

	"Just wanted to let you know.  Any of the other kids 
showing signs of it?"

	"Not yet," I said.  She likely wants to know if Erica 
will.  I have a feeling they will, but maybe I'm being 
overconfident.  

	"Okay.  Talk to you later, then, I'm on duty," Aoi said.

	"Thanks for calling.  Bye!"

	We had to serve some customers; I would talk to 
Akira later.
	
*************
	
Gin's Tale:

	I keep wondering if this is some kind of test by 
Natasha's family to see when exactly they can break me or 
if it's just a coincidence that every time I meet one of her 
family members they want to kill me.

	It was pretty clear Alyssa was looking for any excuse 
to set me on fire.  I didn't even mention she was hot, which 
she is, or anything.  She just looked at me and knew I was 
thinking that, somehow.  Shouldn't people feel 
complimented by that?

	Natasha's always happy when I tell her she's hot, 
anyway.  

	"Okay, here's the gardens where your niece Crystal 
and your nephew Shun and Shun's woman, Kagami, work 
every day.  Well some of the gardens," I said to them.  
"They work all over the place.  Kaiji-sensei works them 
pretty hard."

	Alyssa took out glasses, cleaned them with a 
handkerchief, then put them on to look at me.  I wonder if 
those are Intellivisors like Dad uses at work.  Those things 
are sweet for getting info quickly.  It's like having the 
internet in your head.  But they cost too much for me to get 
some and you're not allowed to use them in class anyway.

	Dammit.

	"He lets you call him Kaiji?" Alyssa asked me as if 
accusing me of stabbing sensei in the heart and leaving him 
in the desert to die.

	"Yes," I said.  Mainly 'cause he gave up trying to stop 
me after the fiftieth or so time.  

	Reito studied the gardens.  "They seem to be doing a 
great job."

	"Shun and Crystal can both be kind of lazy about 
things, but Kagami's the sort of person who doesn't stop 
until everything's been done right, so I'm not surprised.  
Also, Kagami's in Ring Club, and I think they normally 
help take care of the gardens and the greenhouse," I told 
him.  "We have a really nice greenhouse.  Let me show 
you."

	We headed over to the greenhouse / gazebo which sits 
in the center of the gardens.  This is where the stuff which 
is really nice but picky about environment grows.  Even 
Alyssa softened at the sight of all the pretty plants.

	While she flittered around making happy noises, Reito 
said to me, "So what do you plan to do for a living?"

	"Art," I told him.  "Well, once we get too old for 
rocking out, anyway.  I'm going to major in art and minor 
in music and Natasha's going to do the reverse, though she's 
also thinking about picking up an English major or minor 
since she's good with languages like her Mom."

	He blinked, looking surprised.  "So you've talked 
about college plans."

	"Some.  We aren't going to think about specific 
colleges until senior year and that's not for two years," I 
told him.

	Alyssa stared mouth wide open at some kind of 
orchid, I think.  I decided not to ask why, as I've decided 
it's best to never draw this woman's attention if I can help 
it.  

	"But we definitely plan to do some rock banding in 
college, and go tour for a while once we get our degrees," I 
told him.  "Of course, we'll need to recruit more people in 
college, see what the music scene is like in six years and all 
that."

	He looked at me in a way I couldn't read at all but 
which my nerves told me was probably not good.  But that 
was hopefully just my paranoia talking.  

	"Do you sing well?" Reito asked me curiously.

	"Yeah," I told him.  "Mom made sure I got voice 
training like she did.  Even if she doesn't really use it much 
these days except on the weekends."

	Alyssa now stood over several vines and studied them 
warily as if they were dangerous.  I'm pretty sure 
honeysuckle can't kill anyone, though.

	"What does she do?" he asked.

	"Mom runs a gardening supplies place and Dad is an 
aeronautics engineer.  They met in the science program in a 
biology course," I told him.  "They go rock out with their 
old college buddies on the weekends.  It's kinda old 
fashioned but they're good."

	"I'm surprised your father gets enough weekends off to 
go rock out," Reito said curiously.

	Alyssa was still staring at the honeysuckle.  My 
curiosity was trying to force me to ask her why, but I 
rigidly shut my mouth.  Don't draw enemy fire, I told 
myself.  

	I had to open it to answer Reito, though.  "Yeah, well, 
that's why he hasn't had a promotion in forever," I told him.  
"Dad isn't willing to be a total slave to his job.  Which is 
why he and Mom are still married and his co-workers are 
all on wife three and pay half their salary in alimony.  You 
ever been married?" 

	He looked at me with a very carefully blank look.  "I 
have never been married."

	New topic, I told myself.  I finally couldn't help 
myself.  "I promise it doesn't bite, Alyssa."

	"These things are poisonous.  Why are you growing 
something poisonous?" she asked, as if I was personally 
plotting to poison everyone.

	"They're only poisonous if you eat the berries or have 
a rare allergy.  Also, Lonicera caerulea, which is the one 
you're looking at, actually produces edible berries.  And 
even the ones with poisonous berries produce really tasty 
flowers you can use to flavor up wine.  Mom makes some 
very nice honeysuckle wine."  I licked my lips at the 
thought of it.  

	She stared at me with narrowed eyes.  Geez, what did 
I ever do to this woman?  

	Reito hummed a few bars of a tune; it sounded sort of 
familiar, but I couldn't place it.  "You know a lot about 
flowers?"

	"Mom runs a gardening place, so I grew up helping 
out," I told him.  "It all burrows into your brain.  What did 
your parents do for a living?"

	"They had money," Reito said a little ruefully.

	"The same for me," Alyssa said, though she said it 
sharply.

	Maybe Natasha accidentally punched her in the face or 
something one time.  "Have you ever been married, 
Alyssa?" I asked.

	She stared at me and I stepped back.  "I'm just 
asking!" I said frantically.

	"Hasn't Natasha told us about you at all?" Alyssa 
asked.

	"What?" I said in confusion.

	"Alyssa, I don't think that's what you meant to say," 
Reito said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

	"Wh..."  Her eyes suddenly widened and she looked 
very embarrassed, mouth open.

	My brain finally figured out what she meant.  "Yeah, 
but there's so many of you I lost track.  You're the youngest 
of four sisters, right?  Yukariko's the oldest and then there's 
Miyu and then Nao and then you."  I looked at Reito.   
"And you're Mikoto's older brother, right?"

	"Yes," he said.  

	Alyssa had a weirdly sentimental look which seemed 
rather unnatural on her to me. Then she became more 
serious looking.  "I am a nun.  I am married to God.  Or at 
least, that's how it would be seen in Japan."

	"Which god?" I asked.

	She thrust a cross in my face which was hanging from 
a silver chain around her throat.  "THE God," she said 
firmly.

	"This is a god?  I thought this was a European monk's 
staff," I told her.  I'm kind of vague on religion in general 
but especially Western ones.  And I'm pretty sure she's 
from Europe or maybe America.  

	And very hot when she's angry.

	DO NOT MENTION THAT.

	For a moment, I thought literal lasers were going to 
come out of her eye sockets. I jumped way back.  "What?  
What?"

	Reito stepped between us.  "Most people in Japan do 
not understand your faith like I do, Alyssa."  He put his 
hands on her shoulders and she suddenly softened, looking 
embarrassed.

	Wait, does she have a thing for him?  Or is it more of 
a little sister / big brother kind of thing?

	Or maybe I should just stop thinking.  Before I 
mention...aaargh.  Stupid hormones.  I shouldn't be thinking 
of any woman but Natasha, but I can't help thinking.  

	It would help if her family wasn't gorgeous.  I feel like 
I wandered out of another universe sometimes, hanging out 
with them.  I don't think they even realize it most of the 
time.  

	"This boy is such a hopeless idiot!  I knew Natasha's 
standards were low but I didn't realize how low," Alyssa 
said.

	I half-leaned around Reito.  "You take that back!  I 
won't just stand here while you insult my girlfriend!"

	"Rock bands and art?  You can't support a family with 
that!  Your entire future is based on stupid teenage 
illusions!" Alyssa shouted at me angrily.  "You think that is 
a FUTURE?"

	"Hey, I didn't go off and marry a god because no 
human wanted me, unlike you!" I shouted, getting angrier.  
The tiny 'self-preservation' part of my brain informed me it 
only gave me even odds for surviving this, but as usual, I 
ignored it.  "You're just afraid to fall in love with a real 
person and have real dreams!  We love each other and 
we're going to make our dreams come true!"

	"You ignorant child!  You want to talk about real 
love?  You can't even begin to imagine the cost of real love 
or how much it can hurt!" she shouted at me.  Reito was 
pretty much holding her back or I think she would have just 
beaten me to death.

	Or at least been in my face yelling.  

	Dammit, I totally fucked this up.

	"Have you ever thought you loved someone and you 
were just a tool to them?  Nothing but a pawn?  Have you 
ever watched someone you love die?  You think you know 
love?  You don't know ANYTHING!" she thundered at me.

	"That's enough, Alyssa.  He's just a boy," Reito said 
firmly, embracing her as he held her back.  "You keep 
acting like he has seen as much as us, but he's just sixteen."

	"I was twenty times more mature than him by 
sixteen!" Alyssa protested.

	"I am mature!" I protested.

	"Please stop pulling the lion's jaws tighter on yourself, 
Houseki-san," Reito said to me firmly but not angrily, and I 
shut up.

	"He hasn't gone through what we did," Reito said to 
her.  "No one could understand who hasn't."  His voice was 
very gentle, but firm.

	I wondered what had happened to them.  I know 
Natasha's family has some big secret the kids are trying to 
figure out which they think I don't know there is a secret or 
that they're after it.  Which they discuss in their not as 
secret as they think meetings.  Which I'm pretty sure 
involved some pretty tragic shit going down at their 
parents' old school.  Given all the crazy shit Mandi and 
Sanae say happened when their moms were there.  

	 Alyssa buried her face in his chest and whatever she 
said came out as muffled wurfle, as Dad says whenever 
Mom does that to him.

	I backed up a bit and considered my options in case I 
had to run for my life.  

	"Even Natasha can do better than this," Alyssa finally 
said.

	"What gives you the delusion you get to judge me?" I 
snapped at her.

	"I..." she began.

	"Shut up!  I have had enough of this shit!  You don't 
like me, fine.  But YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE IF I 
DATE NATASHA OR NOT," I yelled at her.  "You want 
to hate me, fine.  But this is between me and Natasha and 
maybe her Mom and that's it.  Unless you give me some 
reason to give a flying fuck what you think, then stop 
taking a shit on me because I don't CARE what you think.  
My own aunts don't tell me what to do!  That's Mom and 
Dad's job!  So shut up and let us make our own decisions!"

	Alyssa stared at me, clearly surprised.

	"Now, now, let's not have a screaming match," Reito 
said smoothly.  "Alyssa, we're not Natasha's parents.  
Houseki-san, I'm sorry, this wasn't supposed to involve 
yelling.  Please don't yell at us."

	I tried to make myself calm down.  "It's okay.  I get 
this all the time."

	He looked at Alyssa, who stared at the ground, then 
closed her eyes and clutched her cross on the chain for a 
few seconds.  "My apologies," she said, though I could tell 
she wasn't sorry and was only apologizing so Reito would 
lay off her.  

	A pink haired woman stuck her head in.  "Is there a 
problem?"  It took me a few seconds, but then I recognized 
her.  The vice-principal.  

	"It's okay," Reito said.  "Sorry to bother you, vice 
principal."

	"Koyabishi-sensei called me and said he heard 
shouting from here, Kanzaki-san," the vice-principal said.  
She then gave me the 'ahh, it's the troublemaker' look.  I 
have come to know that look instinctively.  

	I did my best to look innocuous.  "I'm just showing 
Reito-san around," I said.  "As he asked me to do."

	"Everything is fine," Alyssa said, now looking fairly 
calm.  

	"Okay.  Just making sure there's no trouble.  Enjoy 
your tour!," the VP said, then headed out.

	"Where to next?" Reito asked.

	"I'm thinking maybe the science labs.  We can 
reassure Dr. Satoru that we weren't killing his flowers," I 
told them.

	"How often do you kill his flowers?" Alyssa asked.

	Maybe I can get Dr. Satoru to kill ME, I thought.

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

Alyssa's Story:

	The biology lab looked very well equipped; I noted a 
Suzushiro Biotech Gene Sequencer in one corner, and a 
Genom Embrywomb next to it.  When I was in high school 
biology, we dissected frogs, and I think most Japanese high 
school students still do, but apparently here they've moved 
on to cloning tadpoles.  I'm not sure I completely approve; 
we learned valuable lessons about how reality and 
textbooks illustrations differ, and about getting our hands 
dirty, when I was that age, which these children miss.

	Houseki-san, being a rude brat, simply opened the 
door and walked up to Dr. Koyabishi.  Dr. Koyabishi was 
tall and skinny and had bright red hair, cut short.  "Yo, 
Satoru-sensei, this is Natasha's Aunt Alyssa and her uncle 
Reito, who is giving the school a bunch of money."  He 
paused a moment.  "I guess you know that from the 
Assembly.  Anyway, they asked me to show them around."

	"Asked you," he said, sounding surprised.

	"I wanted to get to know my niece's boyfriend better," 
Reito said graciously.  Far more graciously than the human 
fungus deserves.

	"Yeah, he asked me," Houseki-san said.  "Anyway, 
this is one of our two sweet biology labs."  He wrinkled his 
nose at the smell.  "And that's the nasty smell of 
Formaldehyde."

	"Were you all just over in the greenhouse?" Dr. 
Koyabishi asked.

	"Yes," Houseki-san said.  "That was us yelling.  
Nothing got damaged.  You know I wouldn't hurt the 
plants."

	"I know," he said.  "You could be a great botanist like 
your mother if you were willing to work at it."

	"I know more than most people," he said.  "That's 
enough for me."

	"Also, it would help your grade point average if you 
studied more, which will be important later," Dr. 
Koyabishi-san said.

	"No it won't, Satoru-sensei," Houseki-san said.  "All 
they care about are those stupid entrance exams.  I could 
sleep for the next few years, then ace the exams and get 
into whatever university I want.  No one is going to care in 
3 years how well I did here, just whether I graduated and 
how I did on their stupid exams."

	I had the feeling they'd had this discussion before.  
"Yes, but if you do poorly, you won't do well on those 
exams," I told Houseki-san.  "Not that I expect you'd do 
well even if you did study."

	Dr. Koyabishi blinked at me and Reito now said, "I 
don't think either of us even knows what Houseki-san's 
grades are like, Alyssa."

	"Yeah, biology is one of my best subjects, so bite me," 
Houseki-san said to me.

	"Houseki-san usually gets Bs in my class.  It could be 
even better if you'd try harder," Dr. Koyabishi said, 
probably from force of habit.  I can't believe he really 
thinks this brat could do well in anything.  "Anyway, 
Kanzaki-san, let me show you everything."

	He showed us everything, doing a very good job of 
presenting the equipment.  Really, I am pleased with this 
school so far, though I can't comprehend for the life of me 
why Reito decided to choose this moron as our tour guide.

	Finally, Dr. Koyabishi said to me, "You're Alyssa 
Sears, right?"

	I blinked in surprise.  "Yes, I am."

	"My wife, Miya, went to school with you.  You were a 
lot younger than her, but you were kind of famous, and I've 
seen pictures of you from then," he said.  "She teaches 
Chemistry over at Saint Mary's."

	"Good for her," I said.  I could dimly remember 
someone named Miya who hung out with Mai's crew, but 
really, she meant nothing to me.  But Dr. Koyabishi seemed 
like an intelligent, respectable man and it sounded like his 
wife had done well too, so good for them.  "I hope she's 
doing well."

	"Yes," he said.  "Our daughter Sanae attends here," he 
said.  

	"She's a mega-brain," Houseki-san said.  "And very 
tall like her parents.  Too skinny for my tastes, though."

	Dr. Koyabishi said, "Some people like their women 
slender, Houseki-san."  His voice was somewhat chiding.

	"A pity she isn't here, then, as I knew her mother," 
Reito said.  "I am glad to see she found a good husband like 
you, Dr. Koyabishi."

	Dr. Koyabishi looked a little embarrassed, but pleased.  
"Thank you, Kanzaki-san.  I do my best."

	We moved on to the other labs, and then to other 
classes.  Most of the teachers either didn't know Houseki-
san, or looked at him rather dubiously.  Which doesn't 
surprise me, as I'm frankly surprised he hasn't already 
flunked out of here.  

	Reito, however, was cheerful and amiable to all as 
usual, and I did my best to be cheerful also, though I'm not 
sure I was as successful as I would have liked. 

	Saitou Kurou, the music teacher, was rather more 
favorable to Houseki-san than the others.  He was a short, 
stout man who wore a baseball cap while teaching, which I 
have to disapprove of on general principles.  He had a 
bunch of students trying to play the recorder as we came in.  
"Gin-san!  Good to see you.  Are these your parents?"

	My mouth moved in total outrage, but I couldn't 
speak.  I couldn't think.  The mere idea that I could be 
mistaken for his mother horrified me beyond all rational 
thought.

	"I am Kanzaki Reito," Reito said.  "And this is my 
dear friend Sears Alyssa," he said to Saitou-sensei.  "She is 
a magnificent singer.  Houseki-san has graciously agreed to 
show us around the school, which I am making a donation 
to in the name of my parents, to set up some scholarships."

	"Oh, yes, the assembly," Saitou-sensei said.  "I'm 
afraid I fell asleep.  I was up late last night trying to get my 
lecture for History of Music II ready.  Sound file issues."  
He sighed.  "Anyway, would you do us the honor of 
singing, Ms. Sears?  Gin and I can accompany you."

	I felt on the spot.  But I'm used to the spotlight.  "I 
would be glad to."  It was kind of flattering, really.

	"Students," he said.  "You can sit down and watch us 
perform for a little while."

	"If you have a guitar, I can play as well," Reito said.

	"Most certainly," Saitou-sensei said.

	We ended up spending the rest of the class period with 
me singing, Saitou-san on the piano, Reito on the guitar and 
Houseki-san on the saxaphone.  I must admit that he plays 
very well.  He has talent.  But he's the sort of person to 
waste his talent.

	"I hate to ask, but if you're still around, do you think 
you could come to the Singing class in last period?  They'd 
benefit from hearing as good a voice as yours.  Though I do 
have a few very good students in it," Saitou-sensei said to 
me.

	I looked at Reito.

	"I have no other serious plans," he said.  "So we will 
do that if we can."

	"Thank you," Saitou-sensei said warmly.  "Students?"

	They all applauded, which was nice of them.  Though 
we deserved it, even Houseki-san.

	We made our way through the rest of campus, getting 
lost briefly in the library, which I think was poorly 
designed, though well equipped and well stocked.  The 
athletics facilities were quite good as well.

	Coach Kumasaki Akemi, a short, muscular blonde 
woman, was in charge of the PE class we ended up 
watching.  There were two pools; the boys were in one and 
the girls in the other, all wearing the usual bland blue 
school swimsuits.  They weren't too impressive; I certainly 
look better in a swimsuit than any of them.  Of course, they 
are awkward youth and I am a mature adult, so it's hardly a 
fair comparison.  This didn't stop Houseki-san ogling the 
women, mind you, though at least he kept his filthy mouth 
shut.

	I did notice one of the girls was substantially faster 
than the others, even though she was rather tiny.  "Who is 
that?" I asked the coach.

	"Ota Mandi," Gin said.  "Her mom went to Fuuka, I 
think."

	They were doing laps, and despite her size, Ota-san 
was definitely way ahead of the others.  Good for her.  I 
love swimming, but no one can accuse me of being fast.  

	"Hmm.  Yayoi's daughter?" Reito asked.

	"Sounds plausible to me," Gin said.

	"She's very good.  I think she's planning to go into 
literature and editing, rather than athletics, but she's very 
good," Coach Kumasaki said.  "I keep trying to talk her 
into joining the swim team, but her parents want her to 
focus on her academics."

	"Can you call her over?" Reito asked.

	The Coach blew her whistle and summoned Ota-san, 
who got out of the water and came over.  "Hey, Gin, how's 
it going?"  Then she looked at us.  "You're the donors from 
the assembly, right?"

	Reito nodded.  "Are you Ota Yayoi's daughter?"
	
	"Yes, sir," Ota-san said, now shifting posture from 
sloppy casual to formal.  Her vocal tone changed too.  "You 
would be Kanzaki Reito, who was vice-president of the 
student council Mom's freshman year, correct?"

	"It's nice to be known," he said, smiling.  "I see you 
are as pretty as your mother."

	"Prettier," she said proudly.  "I can make men dance a 
jig."  

	Delightful, it's a female version of Houseki-san.  

	"Anyway, I hope to eventually be a magazine or book 
editor," Ota-san said.  "So I take literature and writing 
classes, some journalism, and I write stories for fun."

	"It is commendable to see you know what you want 
and where you're going," Reito said kindly.  He is kind to 
everyone, though most people don't deserve it.  "Most 
people your age don't."

	"I'm not sure Mom knows where she's going NOW," 
Ota-san confessed.  "She's so loaded she can just do 
whatever she feels like, though.  The three of us all know 
where we're going."

	"Three?" Reito asked curiously.

	"Sanae, Hayao, and myself. Our mothers all went to 
Fuuka and we pretty much grew up together.  Between us, 
one of us is good at almost everything," she continued.  
"I'm the brawn, he's the charm and Sanae is the brains of 
our outfit."

	"I wish you good luck, then," Reito said.  "You will 
make friendships in high school, some of which will last 
you a very long time.  And others which, unfortunately, 
will be forgotten."

	"Yeah, I know your family is huge and you all met in 
high school," Ota-san said, looking at me.

	I suddenly wondered how much she actually knew; 
something in that gaze made me nervous.  

	"Yes.  I was very fortunate to have good friends who 
could get me out of the troubles I sometimes got into, and I 
am glad to see you have friends to back you up when things 
turn dark, Ota-san," Reito said very seriously.

	"Do you know what Kiyohime was after at Fuuka? 
Really?" Ota-san asked, now very serious.  

	Kiyohime is the name everyone at Fuuka uses for the 
terrorists that all the events of the Summer of Fire got 
blamed on.  The bridge, the school takeover, the destruction 
of Primus Research and First District and so on.  I'm not 
sure how it got started, but it spread quickly, and within a 
few months after it all, everyone 'knew' they were to blame.  
Humanity needs scapegoats.

	"Is there some reason I should know?" Reito asked, 
now very calm in a way I knew meant he was putting on a 
mask.  More of a mask.  He almost always tries to appear 
very friendly to reassure everyone.  But when he goes from 
that to very calm, I know he's tense.  I can read him like a 
book after all these years.

	"You vanished when the school needed you most, and 
didn't resurface until it was over," Ota-san said.  "You were 
student council vice-president.  But then, so far as I can tell, 
the whole council basically abandoned the campus to die, 
vanishing one by one."

	I suddenly wondered how much she knew.  People at 
Fuuka saw things, and these days they usually act like none 
of it happened, but her mother was there.  How many 
people saw the final battle and the destruction of the Hime 
star?  What did they think of it?

	For a moment, Reito was very silent.  I tried to figure 
out what to say.  

	Houseki-san, to my suprise said, "Oh come on, Mandi.  
The campus caught fire, there was a plague, things were 
exploding, and you expect unpaid student volunteers to 
tough it out?  Lay off."

	"The student council got special scholarships!  They 
weren't just normal students and they abandoned the 
campus to die," Ota-san said, sounding a little angry.  
"When people like MY MOTHER were in danger."

	"Ota-san, please don't harrass our guest," Coach 
Kumasaki said.  "I'm very sorry, Kanzaki-san."

	"It's okay," Reito-san said very calmly.  "It's a fair 
question.  And the answer is pretty simple.  We failed.  
When the school most needed us to hold together, we all 
turned on each other and scattered.  I failed.  I was the 
Student Council Vice-president and I failed miserably to 
lead or to deal with the growing crisis at Fuuka.  I'm very 
sorry, Ota-san.  Your mother deserved better of me and I 
failed her."

	"You did your best," I said instinctively, though I 
knew otherwise.  But I couldn't let some teenage brat harass 
him.

	"It was not even close," Reito-san said, "to my best.  It 
was my worst.  Which is why I stayed out of student 
government in college.  I am very sorry, Ota-san."

	Ota-san looked rather embarrassed.  "I'm sorry," she 
mumbled.  "I just...When I was little, Mom once woke us 
all up in the middle of the night, convinced the house was 
on fire.  We all ended up out front before Dad woke up 
enough to realize nothing was wrong.  She'd just been 
dreaming about her dorm getting burned."  She looked up 
at me.  "Are you two married?"

	Why do people keep asking us this?  Mind you, if I 
ever married, I'd want to marry a serious, intelligent man 
like Reito, but I am a nun.  Just because he...I am a nun.  "I 
am a nun, a Bride of Christ.  We are just old friends."

	"A nun?  Good.  There was this fake nun running 
around here a while back, luring men into the woods with 
the promise of nookie and sicing bees on them and then 
claiming it was the 'wrath of God'.  I asked around Saint 
Mary's, but none of them knew anyone named 'Juliet'," Ota-
san said.  "Do you know who this person is?"

	"No, but I will make sure it's looked into," I said.  That 
really was a bit over the top, Nao, even for a manwhore like 
the one you were dealing with.

	I keep wondering how she got the bees to obey her, 
though.

	"Wait, you talking about Crystal's aunt Nao?" 
Houseki-san said.  "I think she is the one who sent the bees 
after Hayao."

	"YES," Ota-san said.  "I want to give that woman a 
piece of my mind."  She then looked at me and frowned.

	It would have to be a very small piece or you won't 
have much left to function with, I thought.  

	Houseki-san started to say something, looked at me, 
then said, "Anyway, I think we need to move on so we can 
hit everything before it's time to entertain the Choir."

	"It was nice to meet you," Reito said very calmly to 
Ota-san, shaking her hand.  "Give my best wishes to your 
mother."

	"I really am sorry I yelled at you," Ota-san said 
apologetically.  "I mean, it was decades ago and everything 
and yeah, most people would run under the circumstances.  
I can be a little self-righteous if I'm not careful."

	"Kasumi has you beat there, though she mostly just 
judges with her eyes and face," Houseki-san said.  

	"Anyway, nice to meet you," Ota-san said and bowed.

	We said our goodbyes and moved on.  "Sorry about 
that," Houseki-san said to us.  "I didn't realize she was 
going to jump down your throat, Reito."

	"It's okay," he said.  "Nothing I don't deserve."

	"Me, I would have crapped my pants and run for the 
hills," Houseki-san said.  "Probably when the bridge blew 
up."

	"So you'd just abandon Natasha if there was any 
trouble," I said hotly.

	"No!" he said fiercely, stepping towards me. I stepped 
back.  To my surprise, he now pulled off his jacket and his 
shirt, revealing his chest was bandaged over some kind of 
lump.  "I didn't get this bruise falling off my HIGH 
HORSE," he said hotly.  "I got punched out trying to 
defend Natasha's honor."

	"Trying," I said.  "And failing, I expect."

	"That is ENOUGH, Alyssa," Reito said hotly, startling 
me.  

	Houseki-san jumped backwards.

	"You don't like him, we get it," Reito said.  "Please do 
not insult him for getting hurt trying to defend his 
girlfriend."  His voice was calmer now.

	I felt extremely frustrated.  Why is he on this idiot's 
side?

	"What happened?" Reito asked, sounding concerned.  
"I hadn't heard of any kind of fight."

	"Well, you gotta take care of these things yourself; 
parents are never any use when it comes to fights," 
Houseki-san said, putting his shirt back on and donning his 
jacket.  I'm kind of surprised they make them wear the 
jacket in the summer, given the heat.  "Either they lecture 
you for fighting or they give you stupid advice that is 
useless, and then the staff punishes everyone involved 
because they can't tell who is to blame and they're afraid 
the parents will yell at them or pull their kids."  He 
shrugged.  "Every school on Earth is like that, I think."

	I frowned.  "Students who start fights don't get 
disciplined?"

	"Most of the time, they can't tell who is to blame and 
when they do actually just punish one person, it's whoever 
has a bad reputation.  It's not like they know us personally 
or can watch us all the time and everyone usually lies to 
make their friends look good."  He shrugged.  "Our national 
justice system is even shittier than that, and if you 
complain, you just end up a 'bad kid' who gets blamed for 
everything."  He sounded rather bitter.

	That didn't sound good at all.  But then, that was pretty 
much how it was when I was a kid.

	"So what happened?" Reito asked.

	"Crystal's ex-boyfriend Taiki called Natasha a bitch, a 
whore, and a prostitute.  I tried to ignore him, but I couldn't 
take any more of his shit," Houseki-san said bitterly.  "Then 
he one-punched me down and his gang all moved in and 
kept Natasha from killing him like he deserved."

	She wouldn't get called a whore if she didn't slut 
around with boys like this.  That being said, she is family, 
and outsiders don't get to judge us.  "So nothing happened 
to him?"

	"I hit him first," Houseki-san mumbled.  "I would 
have been the one to get in trouble."

	"You shouldn't let people provoke you into a fight you 
can't win," Reito said.  "Violence is generally best 
avoided."

	"I couldn't just stand there and let him crap on my 
girlfriend!," Houseki-san said.  "Don't tell me you wouldn't 
have done anything."

	"I wouldn't have hit him.  There are many better ways 
to destroy someone, especially when you are the student 
council vice-president," Reito said.  "So you got hurt and 
she didn't?"

	"Yeah.  Mandi just grappled her.  She's tiny, but she's 
tough," Houseki-san said.  "Did you date anyone I know in 
high school?"

	"Have you met Natasha's Aunt Mai?" Reito asked.

	"You two?  HOT," Houseki-san said, then poked  
himself. "Dammit."

	Saying they dated...is a bit of an exaggeration.  I think.  
I was still young enough I really didn't follow that whole 
mess.

	"I loved her, but she loved someone else," Reito said.  
"Then I graduated, as I was two years ahead," he continued.

	I can't believe he just told an idiot like this that.  

	Houseki-san's eyes suddenly widened.  "Wait...isn't 
Mikoto your sister?"

	"Yes," Reito said.

	Houseki-san winced, then stared at the ground.  
"Okay, new subject."

	"It's okay, I moved on long ago," Reito said, patting 
his shoulder.  "So you would fight for Natasha, even if 
you're not a fighter at heart."

	"Yes," Houseki-san said.  "I love seeing Natasha 
fence.  She's really good at it and so graceful and strong."  
He sounded rapt with imagination.  "And totally hot."

	Can he go three minutes without calling someone hot?  
I don't think so.  I can't see why Natasha hasn't killed him 
yet.  I suppose you could use him as a three-minute timer, 
though.  

	"I hope it won't have to happen again," Reito said.

	We toured around more of the campus, had lunch, saw 
the dorms and generally fiddled around until it was time to 
go sing.

	I had a very good time, and again, I have to confess 
Houseki-san played very well.  One of the students was 
Mitsu Kagami, the new Hime; she had an exceptionally 
good voice, better even than Natasha's, which is pretty 
good.  Afterwards, I pulled her aside.

	"You sing very well, Mitsu-san."

	"Thank you, Sister Alyssa," she said.  "Or should I call 
you Sears-san?"

	"Sister Alyssa is fine," I said.  She's a nice, polite, 
well-mannered girl.  Something every school needs more 
of.  

	"I would offer to show you around, but I have to go do 
my gardening punishment detail next," Mitsu-san said.

	"That's okay," I said.

	I could see the music teacher, Houseki-san, and Reito 
were busy talking.  "Does he get in fights often?" I said.

	"Shun never gets in fights," Mitsu-san assured me.

	"I'm sorry, I mean Houseki-san."

	"No, he's very peaceful and tries to avoid violence.  
It's one of his better qualities," Mitsu-san said.  "The fight 
with Iwao-san was an aberration."

	"He seems to lust for every woman in sight," I said to 
her.

	"I think Natasha lusts for every man in sight, so I 
guess they agreed not to be bothered by it," Mitsu-san said 
a little nervously.  "But my Shun only has eyes for me."

	I doubt that, but he certainly doesn't comment on 
every woman in sight the way Houseki-san does.  "Is Shun 
treating you well?"

	"He loves me very much," she whispered.  "But our 
relationship has to be a secret, so we shouldn't talk about it 
where people can hear."

	Oh yes, I had forgotten that.  "He's strange, but a good 
boy at heart," I whispered to her.  Out loud, I said, "You 
have a lot of musical talent."

	"I'm very good at singing and decent with 
instruments," Mitsu-san said.  "But I really have to go, I'm 
sorry."

	"It's okay.  It was nice to meet you."  We bowed to 
each other and she ran off.  A pity more of my nieces aren't 
like her.

	I went over to the others.  "Houseki-san and I are 
going to have a little private conversation," Reito said.  "If 
you don't mind, Alyssa."

	"It's fine," I said.  "I'll go visit my nieces and 
nephews."

	I headed out to do so, leaving them to their man talk.

**************
	
Reito's Story:

	We went to a place in the gardens to talk; I could see 
Shun, Mitsu-san, and Crystal off in the distance, hard at 
work under Sakomizu-sensei's supervision.  It felt odd to 
see him again here.  

	"I'm sorry Alyssa was so hard on you.  She is a nun 
and has to live by a very high moral standard.  And I fear 
nuns tend to be judgemental, Alyssa doubly so."

	"Where does that..."  Houseki-san strained.

	"She is so harsh because when she was young, she 
made terrible mistakes and did terrible things and now she 
fears others will do what she did," I told him seriously.  "I 
know she is hard to deal with sometimes, but she is also 
deeply loyal and very smart and hard-working.  You have 
to learn to just let the flames roll off you when she gets 
worked up."

	"She never yells at you," Houseki-san said a little 
dubiously.  "Aren't nuns supposed to be gentle and kind?"

	"The Magdalenes deal with pushers, pimps, gangs, 
and worse, to try to protect women on the streets.  They 
can't afford gentleness and kindness to everyone," I told 
him.  And they hunt monsters, but he will have to stick 
around a lot longer to find that out.  "They have to be 
strong."

	Houseki-san frowned and stared at the ground.  "But 
does she have to be so mean about everything?"

	I sighed.  "I'm sorry about that.  I would have asked 
Mikoto to come with me if I had realized she was going to 
chew on you all day."  Which I should have, but I was 
foolish and wanted to spend some time with her, as I 
generally enjoy her company.  Some time in which nothing 
was trying to kill us.  "My apologies."

	"It's okay.  You seem like a nice guy, and I'm sorry 
Mandi decided to bite your face off."

	"So what do you two do for fun?" I asked.

	"We go dancing on the weekends, she models for me, 
we go to the movies when we can.  Right now, we're in a 
play together."

	"Tell me about that."

	"Sad Dracula in Snow.  She's one of Dracula's brides 
and I'm on tech," he said.  "It's cheesy, but fun.  Your 
nephew Dan and your niece Erica are in it too." He looked 
at me curiously.  "So how exactly did Erica suddenly 
become part of your family with her parents?"

	"Renewal of an old friendship," I told him.  "We'd 
known them a long time but drifted apart.  You 
know...well, you wouldn't know yet.  You're not old 
enough to have had a lot of people drift away."

	He laughed.  "I really like Rosewood, but I guess 
you've been out of high school since before I was born."

	"Yes," I told him.

	"You don't look so old, though."

	"Clean living," I told him.

	He looked over at the others.  "So is this where I get 
initiated into your family's big secret?"

	"Not yet," I told him.  "None of Natasha's other 
boyfriends were."

	"Well, I intend to last much longer than them," he 
said.

	I nodded.  "You two seem to have big plans."

	"We do," he said.  "She's the best woman I've ever 
been with.  Probably the best I ever will.  I hope this lasts."

	"I wish you luck," I told him.  "But most relationships 
at your age don't.  Though my own case was messier than 
most."

	"Yeah, from what little I know, I'd have to say so," he 
said.  "So...what was Natasha's father like?  He wasn't like 
me, was he?" Houseki-san asked nervously.

	"No.  He was rather more like me, actually," I said.  
"Except he abandoned her when she needed him most."  I 
sighed.  What a mess that was.

	"Bastard," Houseki-san said angrily.  "I'd never do that 
to Natasha.  Mind you, we use protection."

	I still don't know if there was an accident or if he had 
refused to use protection or she had forgotten to take her 
pills or what.  But it left her a scar that never healed right.  I 
always feel bad for Shiho; her childhood was destroyed and 
she never really fully recovered.

	"You should be careful.  Such things don't always 
work," I told him.

	"They have some pretty good stuff these days," 
Houseki-san said.  "We'll be better off when we can just 
turn off our reproductive organs until we need them, but we 
still haven't gotten there yet, unless you want to shell out 
huge amounts of money."  He studied me.  "You're not 
celibate, are you?"

	"No," I told him.  "But I could afford to support a 
thousand children if I had to."

	That stunned him into silence.

	"Would you and Natasha like to go out to dinner with 
us tonight?"

	He looked torn.  "She's probably on her way to her 
Aunt Haruka's place to practice stabbing, and then...it 
would have to be something like fast food so we could 
make it to practice.  You could eat with us at the cafeteria, 
but really, that would be kind of cruel to you."

	"We could order a pizza or two," I told him.

	"Really?  Yeah, that would be great," he said.  "If you 
want to take us out some other time, though, that would be 
cool."  

	Alyssa now came running up.  "I'm afraid we're 
needed, Reito."

	I frowned.  "Alright.  I'm afraid I'll have to give you a 
rain check on this."

	"Okay," Houseki-san said.  I expect he wasn't too 
disappointed to avoid spending more time with Alyssa, 
unfortunately.

	We headed for my car.  "What's wrong?"

	"One of the smaller southern islands," she said.  
"Something has been mutilating cattle.  Could be just a 
local feud, but there is a tagged site on the island."

 	Tagged sites are places where magic functions well 
enough for something to potentially break through.  
Fortunately, such breakthroughs are rare, though growing 
more common.  Most people still will never encounter a 
monster, unless they are foolish enough, like myself, to go 
looking for them.

	I do what I can.  I am quite wealthy and happy to help 
out.  I will likely spend the rest of my life atoning for being 
weak enough to fall prey to the Obsidian Lord.  He didn't 
have to force his way in; I succumbed to the promises he 
offered me.  I was young and foolish and Mai shone so 
brightly...

	She still does, but I am not the sort of person to bang 
his head on a wall forever.  I have moved on, though my 
love life has always been hampered by the need to keep 
secrets.  I can always find a woman if I need one, but 
holding onto them is another story.

	But I have my nakama, my companions.  I never 
would have seen myself in the arrogance of my youth as 
having two academics and a pack of nuns as my closest 
friends, but they are.  We have fought...a lot of things.  And 
I trust them with my life.  And they trust me.  The 
others...they like me, but they don't trust me.  Other than 
Mikoto, who loves me as much as I love her.

	I can't blame them.  No one trusts Shizuru but me, I 
think.  She and I understand each other.  It is a pity she has 
no interest in men.  But as I said, I don't bang my head on 
the same wall for decades, unlike, say, Yukino.

	But I digress.

	I don't...okay, I don't look down much on the men in 
our ranks who stay home.  Kazuya wouldn't be any use in 
the field and neither would Wateru, except perhaps to fetch 
and carry.  He seems good at that. I'm not sure if Takumi 
would be useful or not, though he is at least intelligent.  I 
understand why Yuuichi doesn't go into the field and most 
of the time I accept that.  He has responsibilities I do not.

	And likely, so will his daughter.  We have no proof 
that the children will inherit their mothers' powers, but it 
seems logical.  Though the only known one is outside the 
family's ranks.

	"Helicopter time, I take it?" I asked.

	"Yes," she said.  

	We hopped in my car and roared off.

**************
	
Akane's Story:

	Jumping back in time to lunchtime...

	After lunch, Akira and I went to her dojo to train.  I 
told her about what Aoi had told me.

	"There's a good chance she's right," Akira said, 
sighing.  "It's not proof, but if Kasumi is suddenly a lot 
faster, she's either a Hime or something else has happened.  
The fact that she can keep up with you inclines to me 
suspect that too."

	I wasn't sure what to do if that's the case.  "Why 
wouldn't she tell me?"

	"I don't know," Akira said, frowning.  "I'd kind of 
think Crystal would be using this to argue for us telling 
them everything.  Which I think needs to be done."

	"I would like to tell Kasumi everything even if she is 
not a Hime," I told her.  "If I'm going to be risking my life, 
I don't want her to suddenly find out the hard way."  I 
sighed.  "But I think if we tell one we're going to have to 
tell everyone."

	Akira nodded.  "Well, we have to work on bringing 
the rest of the family around.  I want my son to know.  
Especially...I want to believe he'll get powers."

	"I'm sure he will," I said.  

	"How can you be so sure?  Even if men can become 
Hime, there are five slots and six children.  Seven if we 
count Shinichiro."

	"I don't think he will be involved," I told her.

	"Can we be sure?" Akira countered.  "Our generation 
ranged in age from whatever the hell Midori's real age was 
to 13.  Nine if you count Alyssa."

	"Eight," I said.  "I think."

	"I think the Crimson Huntsman declaring war on us 
triggered...something," Akira said, now pacing back and 
forth on the mat as I began doing stretching exercises.  
"First we got two new Hime.  Then we discovered Kagami 
and you gained the ability to use your powers anywhere.  
And our powers are linked to Draco now," she said.  
"Which I guess you are now fully linked to one of the stars 
of Draco.  But if there are fifteen stars in Draco and six new 
Hime..."

	"Some of the stars in Draco are binaries and there is 
even a trinary," I told her.  "I can't remember which is 
which, but I did a little reading after I made an idiot of 
myself over Betelgeuse.  Which is the third largest star in 
the sky, after the Sun and one I'd never heard of before so I 
forgot its name."  

	Akira smiled for a moment, then said, "A trinary, 
huh?"  She laughed.

	I blinked, then it hit me and I laughed.  "I don't know 
how they can live like that, but it seems like real love to 
me."

	"It is," Akira said.  "I frankly can't imagine sharing 
Takumi with another person, though I think it's crucial that 
it's Mikoto as the third person."  She started pacing again.

	I did a hand stand and did some leg stretches.  "I 
agree.  And I suspect it's probably destiny."

	"I think our powers were destined, but not our loves," 
Akira said.  "Or if our loves were destined...they were 
intended to trap and destroy us and pit us against each 
other.  I don't think some of us would have destined loves 
and others not."

	I continued my stretches; Akira now copied me.  
"Kazuya and I always felt like destiny to me," I told her.  "I 
hoped Kasumi would be as lucky as I am."  I sighed.  "But I 
guess not."

	"Well, I have to admit that my only regret about Shun 
and Kagami dating is that I wish her parents had trained her 
to fight from the cradle," Akira said, working her legs.  
"This is a good idea, by the way.  Builds balance.  You 
should make the kids do it."

	"Thank you," I told her.  "We can't change the past."

	"Oh, some of the blame is mine.  I should have been 
riding everyone hard to get their kids trained."  She sighed.  
"But I wanted to believe it was over.  Most of us did.  We 
should have listened to Midori.  But what's done is done."

	I sprang back to my feet.  "I just wanted to say, Akira, 
thank you for training me and helping me train them.  I'm 
not used to this.  But I can see why you do it for a living.  
It's a huge amount of fun.  It's like...It's like playing with 
them.  Like you do with little kids.  Except now you can do 
much cooler things because everyone is older and smarter 
and won't suddenly poop their pants from excitement."

	"Oh god, did your boys do that?  Shun did a few times 
when we were trying to potty train him," Akira said, 
rubbing her forehead.  "Then he was so proud when he 
stopped, he wanted to show everyone who visited the 
house.  So he would haul out the kid-potty into the dining 
room."  She made a face.

	"Yes," I said.  "Kasumi was very easy to potty-train, 
but we went through a long period of trying to get her to eat 
her food instead of covering herself with it and flinging it 
around the room and trying to wear food bowls as a hat."

	"I think all kids do that," Akira said.  She smiled 
nostalgically, then turned serious.  "I'm glad you enjoy it, 
but you need to turn up the pressure.  Push them as hard as 
you can.  Harder, as I know you'll moderate yourself."

	"I have to be careful not to seriously hurt them," I told 
her.

	She frowned.  "True.  Just do your best."

	"I will," I told her.

	She stared at the mat.  "I should be there.  Every day.  
Dammit."

	"Language," I said instinctively.  "Sorry, Akira.  But I 
swear, I am doing the very best I can."

	"I know," she said.  "They need someone to ambush 
them."

	I smiled a little.  "I've got Aoi and Chie to help out in 
staging some ambushes."

	"It will have to do," she said, and sighed.  "Let us 
begin."

	I bowed to her and we went to work.  

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

Dan's Story:

	"Do you mind if Koyabishi-san watches us practice?" 
I asked Mr. K.  

	She stood next to me with a large handbag, looking a 
little nervous.  No reason for HER to be nervous, though.

	"Hmm, actually, Koyabishi-san, do you mind sitting 
way up in the back?  I need someone to make sure 
everyone can be heard and all important business seen from 
the back too," Mr. K said.  "So I would be very grateful."

	She bowed to him.  "Of course, Takeshi-sensei."

	"You can call me Mr. K, Koyabishi-san."  Puff, puff.

	"Okay, Mr. K-sensei," she said.

	I laughed a little, and she headed up to the back.  I 
went to study my lines.  I think I've gotten them down 
pretty well.  

	Erica came in.  "Hey."

	"Hi, you okay?"  She's seemed mopey all day and I 
don't know why.  

	"I'm fine," she said.  

	While I am not adept at psychology, even I know 
better than to believe that.  But she seemed disinclined to 
say more, so I didn't press her.  

	I felt my arms itch again; something in this place must 
be giving me a mild allergic reaction.  

	We ran through the play as usual, now working with 
the tech people to get all the lighting and set changes done.  
Tomorrow, we'd do it with costumes.

	Koyabishi-san sat in the back, doing homework and 
watching at the same time and making encouraging 
gestures to me.     

	The first part of the seduction scene went pretty 
smoothly; we'd done it enough times I was getting used to 
it, and though I couldn't actually see Koyabishi-san most of 
the time, I kept imagining the three of them as the dolls, 
which helped keep me from overheating.  

	As I turned to try to back away from Koyatsu-san, 
who was stroking my arm, I had a flashback to our 
'practice' with the dolls last night and I couldn't help but 
laugh.

	"Cut!" Mr. K said wearily.

	"Dammit, Suguira-san, can't you take this seriously?  
The contest is in just a few days and you STILL don't have 
it together!"  Fukuda-san has been getting more and more 
annoyed with me as we go along because I'm still 
struggling to act well.  Whereas, he's very good, but is 
stuck in a basically secondary role.  

	"I'm really sorry," I said.  "Let's start over."

	"You were doing well to that point," Mr. K said.  "As 
you were disintegrating too much the previous times, but 
this was good.  You do need to be falling apart and losing 
your defenses, but not to the point where you totally lose it 
like the first time we tried this."

	The rest of the night went pretty smoothly, though 
Fukuda-san was cranky all night.  Instead of walking back 
with Koyabishi-san and I as I expected, though, Erica went 
off on her own to 'run errands'.  What kind of errands do 
you run at this hour?

	But it's her life, so she can do what she wants, so I 
headed back with Koyabishi-san.  "Thanks for the help," I 
told her.

	"You're welcome," she said, smiling.  

	She really was a big help.  And good company too.

****************
 
Alyssa's Tale:

	I had switched to a thin but dark blouse that wouldn't 
overheat me but would hide my bra, and durable denim 
shorts.  I'd also armed myself with two pistols, several 
bottles of holy water, my combat rosary and two crosses.

	I had hoped to dine elegantly tonight; instead, I'd eaten 
a sandwich and now I was rounding off my evening by 
lurking in trees waiting for cattle to be mutilated.  
Hopefully it would not turn out to just be a prankster or 
some kind of feud, though in that case, we'd call the 
prefecture police.

	Waiting for cattle to be mutilated is intensely boring, 
especially if you've done it as many times as I have.  Thus, 
I was busy with another project, namely preparing a 
conclusive proof to present to Natasha that her boyfriend 
was utter garbage and she should dump him as soon as 
possible.  

	Unfortunately, I had hit upon a major snag I was 
struggling with, namely that Natasha does not operate by 
anything resembling logic.  I am not very good at arguing 
with irrationality.

	Further, Natasha is the sort of person that if I try to 
argue from my position of divinely-sanctioned authority, 
she'd date him more just to spite me.

	Thus, I found myself starting to wander off inside my 
mind into friendlier territory, namely my ongoing attempt 
to figure out whether or not Bishop Berkeley's theory of 
metaphysics could actually be tested.  How could you know 
if you were actually living inside God's mind instead of a 
material reality?  He largely argued from issues of 
perception, but I wasn't convinced you could tell the 
difference between a material reality and a set of God's 
thought constructs with you yourself only a thought in 
God's mind.  In which case, what good does it do to 
propose the idea?

	"Come on, cattle, hurry up and get mutilated," Nao 
said, sounding bored out of her skull.

	Perceptions are the only way we can know reality, yet 
that idiot boy clearly doesn't percieve reality as we do.  
He'd probably be trying to see my bra if he was here.  
Dammit, my bra isn't showing through my shirt, is it?

	I checked, but it wasn't.  Not that most of those here 
would care.  Other than...

	Reito was busy watching the cattle, looking bored too.  
"A watched cow never gets mutilated," he said.

	We all laughed more than that really deserved.

	"When we go back, you need to show me how to sic 
bees on people, Nao," I said.  Perhaps I need to go to direct 
action.

	"Don't," Reito said firmly.  

	We were all perched up in a large tree, wearing dark 
clothing to try to blend into the night darkness.  There's no 
light pollution out here and the moon is declining towards 
new, so except for the stars, it was pretty dark and we were 
all wearing nightvision goggles.

	"What happened?" Nao asked curiously.

	"Did Natasha's boyfriend hit on you?" Midori asked.

	"The boy hits on anything with breasts," I said.  "He is 
totally disgusting and needs to learn some self-control."

	"He hasn't hit on me yet," Midori said, sounding 
disappointed.

	"Saying 'he hits on anything with breasts' isn't precise 
enough," Professor Sasaki said.  "I have breasts."

	"Don't remind me," Nao said, but she laughed.  

	"You know what I mean," I said, frowning.  

	"I think we are likely to scare off any would-be 
mutilators if we continue to discuss Natasha's boyfriend," 
Mother said.  "Natasha seems quite taken with him.  But 
ultimately, it is her problem and Shiho's.  Now, let us keep 
watch."

	The cattle mutilation formed a pattern, though we 
couldn't be sure exactly why.  Three out of four corners of a 
theoretical square around one of the tagged sites had seen 
mutilations the last three nights.  We were staking out 
corner number four.  I hoped my theory was correct.

	The cattle mutilators, however, were taking their own 
sweet time about this.  I began praying the rosary, so I 
would not end up falling asleep or getting distracted like 
the time I was so busy running a debate between Descartes 
and Voltaire in my head, I nearly got eaten.

	Please Lord, let something happen or else let us be 
sure nothing is happening soon.

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

Erica's Tale:

	I went off to go pout, pretty much.  I'm not normally a 
moper.  At least I hope not.  But love tends to lead to me 
moping a lot.

	Much as kissing Hayao is more pleasant than it ought 
to be, he's Kasumi's boyfriend and really, she ought to be in 
my role.  I'd rather be seducing Dan.

	Not that I have the courage to try.

	I sat on a bench by the science building and stared up 
at the night sky.  Half-moon was fading to crescent moon, 
and the stars glittered high above.  I stared at Orion and 
Draco and the Big and Little Dipper, which are the main 
constellations I can consistently find.  

	I need to be bolder, I told myself.  But I'm not good at 
bold.  I tend to be more a watcher than a doer, wanting to 
know what's going on, but not getting directly involved as a 
mover and shaker.  Except in my dreams, but those are just 
fantasies; it's easy to act when you control every variable.   

	Someone tapped my shoulder.  I turned and didn't see 
anyone, but I saw something else.  A great serpent made of 
silvery flames.  It was coming my direction.  I leaped to my 
feet and pulled my can of mace, not knowing what else to 
do.  I couldn't see who had tapped my shoulder, but I could 
see the serpent coming closer, moving faster than I walk 
but slower than I run.

	I grabbed my phone.  Please answer please answer 
please answer, I thought as I punched in Kasumi's number.

	I backed up as it got closer, ambling towards me as I 
backed into one of the many campus flowerbeds.  Flowers 
died at my hands, unfortunately, or more precisely, under 
my feet.

	And then it turned and headed off towards the dorms.  
I guess I wasn't tasty enough or something.  This actually 
offended me.  

	My phone was still ringing, but then it went dead.

	Dammit!

	No way to get help, Kasumi wouldn't know to come, 
there was no one to stop this thing but me.

	With no powers, no gun, nothing but a can of mace.  
Well, mace might actually work on it; it does have eyes.

	If it didn't speed up, I could probably outrun it to the 
dorms.  But who knows what it might do by the time I got 
back with Kasumi?

	Either I was going to have to stop it or no one would.

	I felt a moment of utter, total fear.  How could I stop 
this thing all by myself?  Though maybe if it was 
vulnerable to blunt objects, I could follow it to the 
commons, grab a chair and attack it.

	If nothing else, it might make enough noise to attract 
someone who could run for help or something.

	I followed it to the commons, and then it suddenly 
turned, rose up to where its head was at my head's level and 
hissed at me.  

	Threat display.  Maybe it had been afraid of me 
before?  So it avoided my 'turf' but now it felt threatened 
and was trying to scare me off.

	Science classes do have their uses.

	I drew myself up and spread my arms and legs to look 
'big' and I hissed at it loudly.

	It retreated for a moment, then lunged at me; I jumped 
back, then realized it couldn't have hit me.  But it now 
advanced just a touch.  

	A thought then hit me.  WATER.  DUH.  I felt like an 
idiot.  Lure this thing into water somehow...there is a pool.  
But will it be stupid enough to follow me into the water?  
Surely not, but it would lead it away from the dorms and 
maybe I could scoop up water with something.

	But could I actually outrun it?  This thing may be very 
fast.  I could at least lure it that direction.  I grabbed a chair 
and made another threat display.  

	It lashed out at the chair, which caught fire and began 
to burn with silver flames.

	The METAL chair is burning.

	Fire extinguisher!  All these buildings have them, if I 
can just make it inside and they're not locked.  

	I ran for the nearest building, which happened to be 
the cafeteria.  It pursued me now, chasing me just slower 
than I could run full tilt; I couldn't get in the cafeteria, and 
it nearly got me when I had to dive to one side.  

	I couldn't quite figure out if I was just a touch faster or 
if it was trying to wear me out so I couldn't fight back when 
it lunged at me; I turned and sprayed mace in its face; it all 
caught fire, but it did get in the creature's eyes, causing it to 
flail about.  However, I dropped the can and it burned up, 
while I ran off at full speed.

	That gained me enough ground to make a break for the 
gymnasium, beyond which is the pool.  Unfortunately, it 
now shed its skin, becoming a lion made of silver flame.  

	Dammit, lions are sprinters!  KASUMI, THIS IS 
YOUR JOB!  

	But there was no Kasumi, only me.  So I ran full tilt 
for the gym and prayed they had forgotten to lock the gate 
to the pool.  As I ran, it now was coming for me, covering 
great distances with its speed.  However, I also noticed it 
was significantly smaller than it had been as a serpent, 
maybe even a little smaller than it had been when it first 
shed its skin.  Maybe it was consuming its fuel, whatever 
that was.

	Unfortunately, unless I got some help, I wasn't going 
to make it to the gate to the pool. Which, as often happens, 
was slightly ajar... only now I could hear why it was open. 
People had snuck in there for a swim.

	I couldn't lead it in there; too risky.  I had to turn, but 
it cut the angle and was closing with me fast.  Also, the 
back of my neck was starting to itch under my hair, which I 
found deeply annoying.

	I had done all I could, but I was out of ideas and 
options.  But one.  Kasumi's option.  Trying to invoke the 
power of the Crystal Princess and become one of the battle 
princesses.  I am just a foundling; everyone has been very 
kind to me, but I'm not...could I really do this?  Or was I 
about to whistle into the wind?

 	And further, power has its price, and taking the oath 
meant buying the product without knowing what it will 
cost.  I wasn't sure if this was wise, but I had no choice.  I 
could have walked away from this thing, but for once, I had 
stuck my nose in and now I was about to get it bitten off.

	The words came to me as I thought to ask for help and 
I spoke them.  "As Chaos rises, the old rules fade; those 
with the will may forge their own Namcub and make their 
own destiny, may seize power with their own two hands," I 
said, quoting the Namcub of the Crystal Princess.  "Then I 
claim that power for myself!  This is the Namcub of Harada 
Erica!" I said loudly.  "As it is spoken, so it shall be.  By 
the speaking of these words, the contract is sealed and the 
prophecy made. I will pay the price and take the risk of 
power, power to fight the coming of the Age of Chaos!  I 
will leave the shadows and step into the light!  I will act, 
and risk the consequences which may ensue when I stand 
against the tide instead of letting it drive me where it will!  
I choose this freely and of my own will!"  Water suddenly 
exploded up around me in a pillar of expanding mist, 
shrouding everything around me.

	Distantly, I heard someone in the pool area say, "Hey, 
is someone out there?"

	The silver flame lion roared in agony as the mist hit 
him, but the mist muffled the sounds, preventing them from 
carrying.  

	"I will take what I see and use it to act, not just to 
observe or to dream of action!  I will make my dreams 
real!" I shouted and the mist spread further and grew more 
intense.  The lion stumbled about, lost in the fog and 
howling as it shrank as its fires began to be doused.

	"Naah, there's nothing out there but some fog," I heard 
someone say.

	I held my arms up like lightning rods.  The lion turned 
to try to flee my power and I said, "This I do swear!  Let 
this contract be sealed!"

	And then I felt a sudden burning sensation on the back 
of my neck, under my hair.  It was the mark of my 
Namcub, I sensed instinctively, of the contract I had made 
with the Crystal Princess.  I would be one of her battle 
princesses.  And her power would flow through me, answer 
my call.

	A sapphire rod appeared in my hands; it was a tube in 
the middle, then at each end blossomed out into five long 
leaves which then arced around to join, forming a hollow 
sphere tipped with a blue crystal opal.  It was a vajra, the 
weapon of Indra.  

	The mist now collapsed in on me and I was 
wearing...our school uniform.  Or more precisely, a 
variation on it; the blue was deeper and it had little 
lightning bolts all over it and I was wearing a blue domino 
mask with lenses instead of my glasses.  It was still 
basically the uniform. 

	The silver fire lion now tried to pounce on me with 
what was left of himself.  I blasted him at point blank with 
a miniature storm of howling rain and lightning, knocking 
him back on his ass.  He shrank even more.

	I felt a presence and then I felt his name inside my 
head and I called out to him, remembering it from my 
dream of a week ago.  "HANNIBAL!"  Rain and lightning 
and wind erupted out of my wand in a surging chaos, and 
then within, I could see lightning strikes forming a great 
bulky four legged skeleton.  Water rolled around the 
lightning, boiling from the heat and surging away from the 
lightning frame at the joints.  Then the water's surface froze 
and turned a deep blue and a great elephant stood before 
me, over three meters tall with tusks made of lightning.  
Whenever he moved, steam vented from his joints and you 
could glimpse the electrified water within him. Pretty soon, 
a cloud of steam engulfed us and I leaped onto his back and 
chased the fire lion, venting steam in a great cloudy trail. 
I've always loved elephants and he was a magnificent 
specimen, towering over the lion like the ocean closing in 
on a fool trying to give it orders.

	It fled and we pursued.  He jumped over one of the 
flower beds and I nailed him in the air, peeling off a few 
more layers of flame, then rounded a corner, blasting him 
again.

	He ran in a zig-zag, but he was no match for Hannibal, 
dwindling rapidly as the fog ate at him and my storms 
pelted him.  He came apart like an unravelling shirt in the 
end and faded away into more steam.

	Distantly, I heard, "Man, look at all this fog."

	"That's really weird for this time of year."

	I have never felt this excited in my entire life.  I had 
defeated it!  All by myself!  Even if no one would know.  
Well, my cousins would know once I told them.  

	But how had the monster gotten onto campus?  The 
parents had been pretty sure this place was monster-free.  
On the other hand, it had been shrinking even before I 
attacked it, so maybe it had come from another place and 
basically had been withering away from lack of whatever 
energies support it.  And why was it silver instead of black?

	I hugged Hannibal clumsily and then jumped down to 
the ground and sent him...wherever he comes from and 
turned everything back to normal, then ambled through the 
lingering mists as they began to dissipate.

	Unfortunately, this left me rather wet by the time I got 
out of my own fog and headed for the dorms.  On the way, 
I encountered Kagami, Sanae, and some other girls and 
guys, all Ring Club members.  

	"What's going on?" I asked, smiling.

	"Looks like you got caught in it.  Someone called in a 
report that the sprinkler systems have gone berserk to the 
point of fog everywhere," Kagami said.

	I shivered a little; it is very hot here in the day but 
cools down at night.  "Yeah, I kind of got caught in it."

	"Why don't you take her back and get her dry, 
Kagami?" Sanae said to her.  

	"Okay," Kagami said, and she went back with me to 
my room.

	On the way there, she said, "You look very happy for 
someone who got drenched."

	"Oh, I am just excited about the play contest," I told 
her.  "We're not actually very great, but it's a lot of fun."

	We chatted about the play and she came up to my 
room and helped me get dry.  "Everything going well with 
you and Shun?" I asked.

	She smiled brightly.  "I hate having to hide it, but 
yes."

	"Well, your parents don't come around much, so it 
shouldn't be too hard to hide," I said.  "Good luck."

	"And good luck to you.  What's the custom...it's not 
wishing for an actor to drop dead..."

	"Break a leg, I think," I told her.  "And never mention 
the name of the play Macbeth."

	Even as I said this, there was a distant sound as if rain 
had broken out across campus.  We went to my bedroom 
window and it looked like every sprinkler on the classroom 
side of things had now kicked on.  

	"Oh dear," Kagami said.  "I'd better go help."

	"Okay," I told her.  "Good luck!"

	She headed out and I went to the bathroom and got a 
hand mirror and angled around to check my neck.  I had the 
Battle Princess sign in sapphire blue now.  I smiled 
brightly.  I was definitely part of this family now.

	I emailed the others to come over and soon had my 
own miniature flash mob.

	I showed off my sign.  "Ta da!" I said with a flourish.

	"I see that by 'errands', you meant 'get magical 
powers'," Natasha said, sounding envious.

	"Well, congratulations," Crystal said, sounding 
envious too.  

	Dan said, "Does this have something to do with the 
whole mess with out of control sprinklers?"

	I told them everything.

	"I would have come if I'd realized, but you hung up 
before I could pick up and I assumed if it was important, 
you'd call me again," Kasumi said, embarrassed.

	Dan frowned.  "It can't be a good sign if monsters 
show up here.  From what you said, it sounds like we were 
still walking back to the dorm when the thing showed up, 
so it would have ended up attacking Natasha, Koyabishi-
san and I, or maybe Kasumi and Masakuri-san."
	
	"I think it was running out of power for some reason," 
I told them.  "It seemed to get smaller as time went by.  
And not just from me hitting it.  Also, I think it was 
originally wary of me."

	"It may have had a specific target.  And who tapped 
your shoulder?" Crystal asked, frowning.  "Unless maybe 
this was a test."

	"That makes sense, but who?" I asked.

	"Kei, maybe," Kasumi said, frowning.  "He can appear 
and vanish.  And it's not really clear what he wants, besides 
wanting me to 'get serious'."  She sighed.  "If we're going to 
start having monster trouble, I am definitely going to have 
to quit track."  Kasumi sagged.  "And track's not very fun 
when I have to hide my full skill, anyway."

	"Kasumi..."  I went over and put a hand on her 
shoulder.  "With two of us, it should be easier to keep 
watch, right?"

	"Yes, but I need to be available; what if something 
happens when I'm off at another school for a meet?  Like I 
will be on Friday.  And I need some extra free time to be 
able to spend time with Hayao."  She perked up slightly.  
"And no more having to deal with Ayumi."

	"Yeah, things stop being fun when no one else can 
really compete with you," Natasha said.  "I'd go mad trying 
to hide my skills from people.  What are you going to tell 
your coach?"

	"That I'm overcommitted," Kasumi said.  She sighed.  
"I hate to do this, but it's really not fair to the other people."

	"I'm really sorry, Kasumi," Crystal said.

	"It's not your fault," Kasumi said.  "However, if we're 
going to start having monsters show up, we need to figure 
out if we can handle this without levelling our school."

	"Well, I only lost a chair and got things wet this time," 
I said.  "We don't know for sure there will be any more 
monsters.  I don't think this place was healthy for it."

	"Let's go investigate, Erica," Kasumi said.  "Maybe we 
can track it back to its point of origin."

	"I..." Crystal began.

	"You all stay here.  This could be dangerous and 
there's no guarantee who may or may not gain powers from 
facing these things," Kasumi said, arms folded across her 
chest.  "As the first time, it was just me, even though 
everyone was in danger."

	We headed out, though I could tell Crystal, Natasha, 
and Shun didn't seem too pleased to have to stay behind; 
Dan, on the other hand, seemed to agree with us.

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

Reito's Tale:

	 "Maybe this time it will be aliens.  In a universe this 
big, there has to be intelligent life on other planets," 
Professor Sasaki said.

	"Except we have plenty of reasons to believe that this 
universe was completely reshaped by the Obsidian Lord 
less than 50,000 years ago," Alyssa pointed out.  "Which 
means the stars are just a giant cosmic power generating 
device, not a home for alien races."

	"We can't be sure it was the whole universe," 
Professor Sasaki said.

	"The Bible would say something about other sentient 
races if they existed," Alyssa said.

	"It doesn't say anything about Orphans or the Obsidian 
Lord or..."

	"Oh Lord, please smite these fools before I have to 
listen to this argument AGAIN," Nao said.

	One of the many signs we've been waiting too long is 
that Alyssa and Professor Sasaki start debating whether life 
exists on other planets.  Mind you, I vastly prefer this 
argument to the times that the nuns start arguing over 
feminine hygiene products or the times Nao starts going 
crazy over Jan Huss, Spiderman, or the Merovingian 
conspiracy theories or Alyssa and Miyu decide to debate 
the grammar of what one of us is saying.

	"We should have brought Akane, so we could have 
someone watching from above," Midori said.  

	They could summon their Childs if they got close 
enough to the tagged site, but the last thing we need is a 
Child suddenly evaporating under them.  The one 
advantage to not having any powers is that I can't get in 
trouble if they suddenly shut off on me.

	"I don't think we'll need Akane, though air support 
would be useful," Sister Yukariko said. 

	I studied the crescent moon in the sky.  "Let's hope the 
Crimson Huntsman isn't connected to this."

	Miyu and Yukariko's studies have shown some reason 
to believe the Crimson Huntsman's servants will be more 
powerful when the moon is up and much weaker when not.  
How much so, we aren't sure.  They also will get stronger 
closer to the Four Great Hunts--the Solstices and 
Equinoxes.  Which means right now, they're on the 
downswing.  We think.

	 "Incoming, two people," Miyu said.  "Teenagers, 
male and female."

	Cultists?  I hate cultists, both because they are usually 
insane, but also because I really don't like having to fight 
other human beings.  Even evil ones.  

	"Nao, switch to blessed knuckles, Reito, Sasaki-san, 
switch to tranq guns.  Everyone else remain ready for any 
support monsters," Sister Yukariko said.

	We did so.  

	We could make them out, though not very well.  They 
both were armed with machetes, which fit the cattle 
mutilation reports.  They looked fairly normal, wearing 
slightly dirty work clothing, probably from working on 
their parents' farms when not in school.  The cattle started 
to become restless, however, which was unusual, as cattle 
usually ignore humans unless we harass them or make loud 
dangerous noises.

	"Too small for a cult," I said.  "I think it's possession."

	"Miyu?" Sister Yukariko asked.

	"Scanning," she said.

	They drew closer and now began leading a cow over 
to a distance.  Smart.  But how would they keep it from 
making noise and causing a panic?

	"Possessor Orphans, matching Crimson Profile," Miyu 
announced.

	That's not good, there could be more.  We may be 
stuck here for days, checking people.  Delightful.

	On the other hand, it means no one has to die.

	"Tranq them," Sister Yukariko said.  "Be ready for 
when the things abandon the body.  Miyu, Nao, move to cut 
off retreat.  On my signal."  She and the other nuns quickly 
did a prayer, while I made sure I knew where my holy 
water was.  It won't stop a Possessor for long, but it'll keep 
it out of your body long enough for us to do something 
about it.

	Miyu and Nao circled, while we all got ready.  The 
girl touched the cow and it stiffened, then they began 
drawing a square in the dirt around it.  Interesting; I would 
expect circles of someone imprisoned in the Moon.  It did 
match the larger pattern, though.

	"Miyu is in position," Alyssa said.

	Professor Sasaki and I each took a shot and hit them.  
They staggered, turning our direction, then began to run 
towards us, machetes in hand, slowing down as the 
tranquilizer did its work.  We didn't have to shoot a second 
time, as Miyu and Nao were then on them, beating them 
unconscious.

	Two Orphans rose out of them, one of them remiscent 
of a bear and the other of an Iriomote mountain cat.  Nao 
pulled the Sword of Saint James and went to town on one 
of them and Miyu switched to Blue Sword mode on the 
other, while the rest of us began taking careful shots with 
our holy bullet supply.  Silenced weapons are a must this 
close to civilization and it's best to conserve ammo.  (The 
Order's armory is indispensible to us, and my own 
donations help to ensure it remains well stocked.  But holy 
weapons and the like are not so easily replenished as 
mundane ones, though I'm also packing some of Haruka's 
staff's inventions.)  

	Fortunately, here outside a magic zone, these things 
were weak, though they lasted longer than we would have 
expected.  But we were ready, and they were not.

	We've gotten pretty good at this, and it was over 
quickly.  I'd already bribed the police to avoid trouble with 
them.  Time to first go reseal the tagged site, then the 
tedious part--trying to meet everyone on this island or at 
least getting Miyu close enough to scan them.

	And praying nothing escaped before our arrival.

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

Kasumi's Tale:

	We headed off to where the fighting happened.  There 
were a lot less signs of passage than I would expect of a 
snake on fire.   Or a lion on fire.  Knocked over furniture, 
some bent grass, char marks in a few places.  

	Erica frowned.  "I remember it making more of a 
mess."

	Surely the damage couldn't somehow fix itself.  

	However, when we went back to where Erica first 
spotted it, there were more signs and they grew stronger yet 
as we headed towards the woods.  By the time we reached 
the woods, there was a clear scorch mark trail burned in the 
ground.

	"It must have been losing strength as it pushed into the 
school," I said.  "Somehow."

	"Maybe the parents did something to this place to kill 
monsters," Erica said.  "We have no real idea how much 
power they have now.  Given how strong we are and we 
just started."

	I nodded.  Mother may actually STILL be holding 
back.

	Warily, we followed the scorch trail, which led to 
something that looked like some kind of burrowing 
mammal's lair, a hole slanting down into the ground.  It was 
charred inside, but it wasn't big enough for that snake thing 
to fit through, far as I could tell.

	We looked a bit and couldn't find the other end of the 
tunnel or warren or whatever, so we blocked it up with dirt 
and rocks.

	"I wonder how you tell if something is a weakpoint," 
Erica said.

	"I don't know," I said, frowning.  I poked the ground a 
bit with my tonfas.  "We could try digging, but..."

	"I think we've done all we can for now," Erica said, 
snapping pictures of the area and the trail.  

	"I guess so," I said.  Which didn't feel like enough.

	But for lieu of a better idea, it would have to do.  
Given this hadn't happened before, it didn't seem likely to 
happen again.  If monster attacks were common, they'd be 
public knowledge, after all.  

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

Miyu's Story:
 
	It took us 11 minutes 17 seconds to determine what 
had happened.  The seal had been eroded due to too much 
strong human emotion, specifically teenage lust, being 
expressed within a 500 yard radius of the seal.  In other 
words, too many people came here seeking a makeout spot 
and too much stray spiritual energy built up.  If you have 
ever wondered about entertainment in which the bad 
teenagers get eaten first, it is because the bad teenagers are 
more likely to release spiritual energy through loss of self-
control, whereas those who are self-controlled, the 'good' 
teenagers, do not.  Emotional release is like dousing 
yourself in monster catnip.  Many monsters like to stalk 
their prey because prey driven into an emotional frenzy 
tastes better and releases more spiritual energy.

	Most of the time, it does not matter, of course.  Even 
very intense emotional release, such as a rock concert or a  
really good play will not release enough spiritual energy to 
allow things to break through.  Only in weak points does it 
matter.  And even then, it's only if some monster happens 
to be hanging around at the right time on the other side.

	This is why the power of Hime fluctuates with their 
emotions.  The stronger your feelings, the more spiritual 
power you can tap.  Unfortunately, this also means the 
more danger you will lose control and do foolish or even 
terrible things.  

	Fortunately, among our Magdalene training is the 
ability to create new seals.  Which would have to do for 
now.

	It is fortunate that the Obsidian Lord fell in an age 
with a much reduced belief in monsters; this general 
disbelief tends to reinforce the barriers.  Which is among 
the reasons we keep our monster hunting secret.  

	The other stood guard while the four of us performed 
the rite, which left the other three nuns exhausted.  Even I 
suffered a temporary diminishment of energy.  But the deed 
was done and the place would stay locked for a good while.  

	Fortunately, we would have plenty of time to rest 
while poking around to make sure there was no more 
trouble.  Professor Sasaki and Midori had to go back; they 
had work, but the rest of us would stay.  

 	Unfortunately, there are a limited number of people 
with the power to do this, and too many weakpoints. There 
are more weakpoints and they are spreading. 

 	I fear with the Crimson Huntsman trying to find a way 
through to get at us, it will only get worse. 

  	At least for now, the children are safe. I think it is time 
to tell them everything. But for now, too many are reluctant 
to confess. 

	So I will abide.

**************
	
Shun's Tale:

	I stared out the window.  "I hope Kagami is okay out 
in that mess."

	"You know, maybe Kagami has powers and hasn't told 
us," Natasha said.  "The parents seem to have taken her in; 
none of our boyfriends or girlfriends have ever been treated 
that way, that I can remember."

	"She does seem remarkably strong for someone who 
used to basically get only moderate exercise at best," 
Crystal said.

	"Given the strength she's displayed, I'm almost certain 
she is one," I said.  "After all, they're not training, say, Gin, 
but they are training her, and they didn't do that with my 
earlier girlfriends."  And she'd do anything Aunt Akane 
told her to do, like hide it.  

	"Did they...now I wonder how much they told her," 
Crystal said, frowning.

	"Well, she isn't Aunt Kagami now, so probably not 
everything," Natasha said.

	My eyes crossed.

	Dan went and looked out the window, but couldn't see 
anything.  "I hope they're okay."

	"Kagami probably found them and put them to work 
helping to clean up the mess," I said.

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

Kagami's Tale:

	We finally got all the sprinklers turned off, after 
accidentally turning them on.  We couldn't figure out what 
happened, so we all got to work cleaning up the mess, since 
the facilities people wouldn't be in until the morning.  A lot 
of places we could just let soak.

	The half-melted metal chair, however, made me very 
nervous.  What could do this?  It looked like someone had 
attacked it with a blow torch.  Plus there were scorch marks 
in places and some charred plants.

	The people in the pool had heard someone running 
and then the fog had rolled in.  Or the sprinklers went 
crazy.  Or something.  Something that dumped a large 
amount of water all over the place.

	Clearly some idiot had somehow melted the chair, 
then ended up triggering the sprinklers to try to put out the 
fire.  Great, insane vandals.  Probably pranksters from 
another one of the schools; we get raids like this every so 
often and some of our students are stupid enough to do 
pranks on them, like the time the Saint Mary statue at Saint 
Mary's ended up with underwear on her head and holding a 
beer.
	
	Unfortunately, there were no footprints, so I couldn't 
figure out who had made the mess.  Just a general 
trampling of the thick grass.  

	The Principal arrived, wrapped in a green bathrobe 
over pink pajamas, sandals on her feet, her glasses perched 
on the edge of falling off her nose.  Instead of her usual 
bun, her auburn hair spilled down freely.  "What 
happened?"

	"A vandal somehow set off the sprinkler system, 
Principal," I said.  "He or she melted this chair, and 
probably triggered the sprinklers to put out the fire," I 
continued.

	She looked around frowning and pushed her glasses 
up her nose.  "Strange," she said.  "Did anyone hear 
anything?"

	"The kids at the pool heard someone running around 
and then the sprinklers kicked in," I told her.

	She pushed her glasses again, though they were now 
already in the right place.  She frowned, then said, "Very 
good, Mitsu-san.  I'm glad to see the Ring Club doing its 
job well."  She clapped her hands and gathered us all 
around.  "Thank you very much for coming out.  I'll have 
the ground crew work on the remaining damage tomorrow. 
You all need to get your sleep.  A commendation point for 
everyone."

	"Thank you, Principal," Sanae said.

	Our Principal is a very kind woman; the vice-principal 
usually plays the bad cop to her good cop.  I'm surprised 
she isn't out here too.  Though she may be sneaking around, 
trying to find out who is behind all this.

**************
	
Kasumi's Tale:  
 
	I hid up in a tree; Erica took cover behind some 
bushes; the vice-principal had shown up and was poking 
around, looking extremely unhappy.  She wore a blue 
bathrobe over blue and pink pajamas, but she was carrying 
a fencing foil in her right hand and looked ready to give 
someone a beating.  Not one of those safety weapons they 
use in competition but a real, old-style sword for stabbing 
people.  Can you legally run around with one of those in 
public?  I wasn't sure.  But then, she is the law here.

	She poked around but our efforts had destroyed the 
evidence.  "Is someone there?" she said angrily.  "If I find 
someone hiding out there, there is going to be some deep, 
deep trouble."

	I held my breath desperately.

	After a bit, she sighed and got her phone out.  "There's 
more scorch marks out here, but it's clear someone tried 
clumsily to cover it up.  I lost the trail.  Damned if I know 
what happened."

	Don't breathe, I told myself.

	"It's probably just someone's stupid prank," she said.  
"There is going to be some beatings if I catch those 
responsible."

	The vice-principal listened to someone on the other 
end of the line, then paused.  "I heard something.  
Movement."

	I tried to listen.  Maybe a footstep or two.  Maybe not.

	Distantly, some woman in the woods shouted, "Saint 
Mary's rules!  Rosewood sucks!"

	"Dammit!" the vice-principal said, charging off into 
the woods.  "You're going to regret this, young lady!"

	She vanished into the depths of the forest.  

	We both got down and prepared to slip back onto 
campus.  "But who was that?" I asked Erica.

	"Sounded vaguely familiar, but a lot of Saint Mary's 
students would sound vaguely familiar to me," Erica said, 
frowning.  "But let's get back before we get caught."

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

Crystal's Tale:

	We had moved up to my room, since Erica had left 
and we didn't think we should stay in her room.  I spent the 
whole time trying to do homework instead of freaking out.

	Kasumi and Erica returned and we flocked around 
them; they both looked rather disheveled.

	"Looks like it came out of a hole in the ground," 
Kasumi said.  "Like a rabbit warren."

	"A flaming snake monster came out of a rabbit 
warren?" I asked in disbelief.

	"We plugged it up," Erica mumbled.  "Then the Vice-
Principal found the place while we hid, but some Saint 
Mary's student taunted her and she ran off in the woods."

	"That seems weird," Shun said, frowning.

	"Well, couldn't you have a dimensional weakpoint that 
lets things break through underground?  And only creatures 
that could dig or fit through narrow tunnels could break 
through," Erica speculated.

	"It just seems weird for a flame thing to come out of 
the ground," I said.

	"Magma," Dan said.  "Go down deep and there's 
molten rock and so on everywhere."

	"Well, if that could happen...it could happen again," 
Kasumi said.  "So what do we do?"

	"Keep watch," I said.  "For all we know, this has 
happened before and Erica's parents usually show up and 
kill it."

	"But if they just became Battle Princesses..." Erica 
began.

	"IF," I said.  "They may have been undercover 
before."

	Erica looked dubious.  "They hid it remarkably well.  
And unlike you all, I never got searched."

	"Or it could be that by reading the Namcub, we've 
kicked off a war," Dan said, frowning deeply.  "Though 
another thought comes to mind as to why the parents kept 
us in the dark before."

	"Go on?" I asked.

	"What if knowing monsters exist makes you more 
vulnerable to them?" Dan asked.  "Or even attracts them to 
you?  Those monsters who came after us may have 
somehow sensed I had read the Namcub.  A lot of cultures 
think eating something powerful gives you that power.  
Monsters may think that too.  For that matter, it might be 
true."

	"Shouldn't our houses have gotten swarmed by 
monsters all the time, then?" I asked.  "Though the Namcub 
may be a special case."

	"I just have this feeling we may find out ignorance 
actually did make us safer somehow," Dan said gloomily.

	"I can't believe ignorance ever makes you safer, other 
than maybe keeping you from thinking to do something 
really stupid you didn't even know could be done," Erica 
said, frowning.

	"I think we should wait until, say, 1 AM, then go back 
and dig as deep as we can, see if we can find some reason 
the thing came out of the hole," Shun said.  "Just to be sure 
there won't be more."

	"What if we end up unleashing some big horde of 
them which are underground but stuck?" Dan asked.

	Shun frowned.  

	"There has to be some way to be sure," I said.

	"But we don't know what it is," Erica said, frowning.

	This is where the refusal of the parents to tell us 
anything is especially frustrating.  We ought to have been 
told by now what to do in this kind of situation.  Though 
given this probably hasn't happened before, this is probably 
a fluke.  

	Ugh.  If we tell the parents, they will become so 
paranoid we'll likely end up being moved into my folks' 
backyard to be privately tutored or something.  Or at least 
move us from Rosewood, which I don't think any of us 
want to leave, even if my grades kind of need some work in 
some of my classes.

	We handled it, but they don't even think we can handle 
just knowing the truth.

	Only, we need to be sure we handled it.  

	"We could send an anonymous tip to the Magdalenes," 
Erica suggested.  "They'd know what to do to make sure 
there isn't another one if something else needs doing.  
Without giving away anything."

	"The parents will go apeshit if they find out there was 
an attack here.  We might end up at school in the US or 
something," I said gloomily.

	"Or moved to Fuuka so Aunt Fumi can ride herd on 
us," Dan said.

	"I don't think they'd send us far away; they'd worry too 
much for our safety," Natasha said.  

	"I think we can be pretty sure this has never happened 
before, as I've never heard a single rumor of monster 
attacks.  So this is likely a fluke," Erica said.  "Whereas, I 
think reading the Namcub likely somehow caused the snake 
attack.  My suggestion is we leave it for now, and if there is 
another attack on campus, we tell the parents, whatever the 
consequences.  Once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern."

	We discussed matters and decided that made sense.  If 
this sort of thing happened very often, the parents couldn't 
possibly be crazy enough to keep us in the dark.  Whatever 
reason they had for hiding IMPORTANT information from 
us.

	For now, we'd go to sleep, and see if events proved us 
right or wrong.

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

	Wednesday morning, we were having breakfast down 
at the commons.  I was busy stuffing waffles in my mouth 
when a groggy Ibuki Hotaru stumbled up to us; this is what 
happens when you stupidly stay up all night.  She said to 
Kasumi, "Are you busy Friday?" she asked hopefully.

	"I have a track meet, maybe," Kasumi said to Ibuki-
san, frowning.

	"Maybe?" Ibuki-san asked in confusion.

 	"I...I don't know if I'm going to be able to stay on the 
track team," Kasumi said.  "I have too much on my plate."

	Ibuki-san studied Kasumi in a way that made me 
confused as to what she was thinking.  And I felt guilty.  I 
mean, I haven't done anything to make her need to quit, but 
somehow...I'm not sure why I feel guilty.  Maybe it's just 
that I feel terrible for her because she loves it so much.

	"I was thinking of going dancing on Friday, was going 
to see if you'd like to come with me.  Maybe even..." Ibuki-
san seemed to wilt.  "Anyway, if you get free, let me know.  
You could bring your boyfriend, of course; he goes to the 
dances all the time."

	Now Kasumi looked extremely torn.

	I tried to decide if I would regret this.  Ibuki-san is 
kind of weird, but...I'm not exactly normal myself.  And I 
know Junko likes to dance.  Given that's where I met her.   
"Ibuki-san, if Kasumi isn't free, Junko and I might go and 
you could go with us.  I need to talk to her, but we had sort 
of said we'd do something, but since I can't really leave 
campus, dancing would be fun."

	"Gin and I might go too," Natasha said.  "If I can 
convince him it's safe."  She grimaced.

	"No, you won't," Erica said.  "Final dress rehearsal."

	"Dammit, you're right, no dancing for me until post-
contest," Natasha said.  

	"Hmm, I might try talking Kagami into going dancing; 
we can do that without having to leave campus," Shun said.

	"Everyone on Earth will know you are dating," I 
pointed out.

	He frowned.  

	"Well, I can come," I told her.

	"Thanks," Ibuki-san said, perking up.  "Just give me a 
call, Kasumi," she said.

	"Thanks for asking," Kasumi said warmly to her.  

	Ibuki-san headed off.

	"She's very lonely, I think," Kasumi said softly.  "So it 
would be very, very nice of you if you took her if I can't, 
Crystal."

	"It's no problem," I told her.  "She'd probably be less 
lonely if she was actually awake when everyone else is, 
though."

	"That's no guarantee, either," Erica said, sighing.

	"You have to see this," Aunt Chie said, holding up her 
smartphone.  Everyone started as once again, we had failed 
to notice her approach.  Everyone tried to look, but it was 
hard to see on such a little screen.  But it looked like half a 
cargo ship washed up on the beach.  "Freaky, isn't it?  I 
haven't seen something like this in decades."

	We all stared at it; it looked like someone had cut a 
cargo ship in half with one smooth stroke.  Damn.  

	"When that ferry sank at Fuuka?" Erica asked.

	"Yeah, and then there was a huge circle of fire in the 
lawn the next morning with Mikoto and Mai asleep in the 
middle of it and I thought Haruka was going to just beat 
Mai to death for that.  That's how I first saw your mother, 
Crystal, sitting in the mi..."  Aunt Chie looked like a kid 
caught with her hands in the cookie jar.  "Dammit."

	We all started laughing which made her even more 
aggravated.  She rubbed her forehead.  "This is totally 
unnatural for me," she mumbled.

	"You could just break down and confess," I suggested, 
half-serious and half-teasing.  "We can tell them we beat it 
out of you."  That was all teasing.

	Aunt Chie stared at us, and for a moment, I thought 
she might well break down and confess.  "So is it true 
you're seeing Sayuri's son, Hayao, Kasumi?" she asked 
softly.

	"Yes," Kasumi said proudly.

	I grumbled, but kept my mouth shut.  I guess 
sometimes you just have to let someone crash their own 
ship.  Car.  Whatever.

	"But he's kissing you every night, daughter?" Aunt 
Chie said, recovering more of her usual good cheer.

	Erica turned a little red and I suddenly wondered if she 
had a thing for him too.  She sure looked like it.  "It's just in 
the play, Mother," she mumbled.

	I blinked.  That was a bit more formal then usual.

	Aunt Chie clearly could smell blood in the water.  
"Mmm."

	"It is!  He's Kasumi's boyfriend!" Erica flailed.  "I like 
someone else."

	"Oh hoh," Aunt Chie said.  "And that is?"

	Erica shrank in on herself.  "Nothing.  No one.  You 
imagined I said that."

	Shun laughed.  "Come on, tell us."

	Dan looked at her curiously.  "Not that pompous ass 
Fukuda, I hope."

	"NO," she said.

	Koyabishi-san now approached us.  "What's going 
on?"

	"We're trying to break my daughter enough so she'll 
confess who she has a crush on," Aunt Chie said.

	Erica stared at her food and started stuffing her face.

	"That's enough," Kasumi said.  "You'll hurt her 
feelings, Aunt Chie."  Her voice was unusually firm.

	Aunt Chie stared at her in surprise, then said, "Well."  
She fell silent, then seemed to suddenly think of something.  
She moved over to Erica and whispered to her, which 
seemed to perk Erica up a bit, but only a bit.

	"So, Dan, I hear you have your own harem now," 
Aunt Chie teased.

	Dan's eyes crossed.  "It's just the play."

	"It's not a harem!," Koyabishi-san said.

	"He can't even handle me pretending to kiss him, let 
alone three women," Natasha said.  "Mind you, that would 
make him a typical harem anime lead."

	"I am not a typical harem anime lead!," Dan protested.

	"He's much smarter than they usually are," Erica 
protested.

	Natasha was about to say something, then she 
quivered oddly.  Everyone stared at her as she tried to say 
something, but it didn't actually happen.  Finally she said, 
"Dan, the other night, I shouldn't have done that.  I was just 
trying to help."

	"I know," he said.  "I'm not mad."  He sighed.  "I just 
unravel.  Though I think I'm doing better now."

	"Yes," Natasha said.  "If you keep being exposed to 
something, you get used to it.  Plus, we're all pretending, 
though Mandi would probably ride you all night long if you 
asked.  I don't think she's seeing anyone and I know she 
likes tall guys."

	"..."

	"Natasha!  That's a terrible solution," Kasumi said 
chidingly.

	"Natasha!" Koyabishi-san said, utterly shocked.

	Erica mumbled into her food and finished it.

	"That's probably not the best solution," I said.  "But 
maybe just something like having her sit in your lap for a 
while, until you get used to women being close to you."  
Having sex just to help someone get over being nervous 
around women sounds...well, it's a Natasha idea.

	"That's a terrible solution," Aunt Chie said to Natasha.  
"Doing some cuddling probably would help."  She came 
over closer to Dan and put a hand on his shoulder.  "Does 
this bother you?"

	"I don't find you sexy, so it's not any different to me 
than if Shun did it," Dan said, then looked a little 
embarrassed.  "I mean..."

	"It's okay," Aunt Chie said.  "I'm not into men, so it's 
mutual."  She laughed a little, then got serious again.  "But 
really, it's just something that contact with women you do 
like will get you over, probably pretty fast.  You just have 
to be brave."

	"Easy for the married person to say," Dan mumbled.

	Kagami now walked up, started to reach for Shun, 
pulled her arms back looking frustrated, then said, "Hello, 
everyone.  Did you hear about the chair fire?"

	"I heard there was some sort of vandalism with fire," 
Aunt Chie said, then paused, looking like a hammer had hit 
her.  "Chair fire?"

	"It was half burned away.  Some other scorchmarks 
too," Kagami said.  "And someone set off the sprinklers."  
She looked embarrassed.  "Then we sort of set them off 
again."

	"But no one saw it?" Aunt Chie asked, frowning.

	"No one saw it," Kagami said, then blinked.  "Is 
something wrong?"

	"I heard some Saint Mary's student taunted the Vice-
Principal when she was trying to investigate," Erica said.

	Aunt Chie looked relieved.  "Ahh.  Someone's stupid 
prank got out of hand."

	I had to wonder about that.  Had the student somehow 
called up the monster?  Or was it a coincidence?  Or what?  
Maybe Junko would know something.

****************
		
	"The Vice-President of your school came and bitched 
at ours," Junko said to me on the phone later.  "I had freaky 
nightmares about people being buried alive and being 
chased by people's shadows, but other than that, everything 
is normal here."

	"I hope they don't try and stop people visiting the 
other schools," I told her.

	"Me too," she said.

	"Hey, you want to go dance Friday?  Then we can 
come back to my place and hang out, maybe watch a movie 
or whatever," I told her.  

	"I need to bring my brother if we go dancing," she 
said.

	"That's okay, I have another friend who wants to go 
too," I told her.  "Why do you have to bring your brother?"

	"He needs to learn to dance and do things like being 
social instead of just doing journalism and stabbing things," 
she said.

	I knew he did martial arts.  I always forget about the 
journalism, though, as he usually focuses on how MANLY 
he is.  But I can put up with that for Junko's sake.

	"Okay, cool.  Gotta run."

	"See ya," she said, and then we hung up and headed to 
class.

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

	At lunch, it was myself, Erica, Koyabishi-san, Dan, 
Natasha, Gin, Shun, and Kagami.  Kasumi was off lunching 
with Mandi and Hayao and Yaten and that fucker Taiki, 
who kept glaring at our table.  Kasumi seemed torn 
between being happy to sit with Hayao and not happy to be 
sitting with Mr. Cranky Bastard.  I warned you, Kasumi.

	Erica was tense for some reason and seemed to be 
basically focusing on her food.

	Dan and Koyabishi-san, on the other hand, kept 
whispering to each other and laughing at something they 
would not explain.  

	Shun and Kagami kept almost touching each other; 
they really, really suck at trying to hide their desire to make 
out.  It's kind of cute.

	Natasha said to Gin, "Are you sure you can finish it by 
Friday?"

	"I think the due date is Saturday.  I need...dammit," 
Gin said.  "Ahah!  Koyabishi-san, can I kidnap you this 
afternoon once classes end?"

	She blinked, stared at him, and said, "What?"

	"You're the closest thing I have to someone with 
Akira-sensei's body type," he said.  "If I use Natasha, she'll 
end up unrecognizable."

	"I...you want me to model?" she asked, flattered.

	"You're doing a painting of Aunt Akira?" I asked in 
surprise.

	"By special request from Akira-sensei after seeing my 
work," Gin said proudly.  "Anyway, I normally don't paint 
skinny women, so I need a model to get the proportions 
right."

	"She's a lot taller than Mom, though," Shun said.

	"That's fine," Gin said.  

	"Sure," Koyabishi-san said.  "I'd be happy to."

	"Sweet," Gin said.

**************
	 
	There really wasn't very much fire damage; somehow, 
I'd expected more from the stories going around.  But it fell 
to US to fix it.  

	"Did my Mother really arrive at Fuuka in a ring of 
fire?" I asked Sakomizu-sensei, expecting him to deny it.

	"Yes, she and Mikoto made quite a mess," he said.  
"She never did tell anyone what happened to cause it all," 
he continued, then studied me curiously.

	I did a v-sign, then went back to digging up a burnt 
bush.  Kagami now hefted the new one and put it in place 
as I pulled out the old.  Sakomizu-sensei glanced at her as 
she did this, silently, looking contemplative.

	Kagami blinked at Sakomizu-sensei.  "Is something 
wrong, sensei?"

	"No, it's fine," he said.  

	I frowned.  What was he thinking?

	She paused and something hit her.  "You were at 
Fuuka when Shun's parents were there, right?" Kagami 
asked.

	"Yes," Sakomizu-sensei said.  

	"Did you know my mother and her first husband?" she 
asked softly.

	"Were they connected to Fuuka Academy?" he asked.  
"I don't remember anyone named Mitsu."

	"Takahashi Yugo was her husband, so she was 
Takahashi Mari at the time.  Her husband had just finished 
his degree and he got his first job at Primus Research," 
Mitsu said.  "And then he got killed by terrorists when they 
levelled the place during all the disasters."

	Sakomizu-sensei studied Kagami again, and seemed to 
be thinking about something.  "Yes, I knew them, though 
not very well.  It was a great tragedy.  I didn't know your 
mother actually survived it, as I never saw her again after 
everyone there died," he continued, sounding distant.

	"What was he like?," Kagami asked, then said, "I'm 
sorry, I shouldn't make you relive bad memories."  She 
stared at the ground.

	Shun looked around; no one was paying any attention 
to us, so he quickly patted her shoulder.

	Sakomizu-sensei stared off into nowhere.  "He was a 
hard-working man who loved your mother very much and 
was very dedicated to his work and his hope of making a 
better humanity."  His voice sounded somewhat hollow as 
he spoke.  "I'm sure your mother must remember him 
fondly."

	"Yes," Kagami said softly.

	I kept my mouth shut.  I was extremely curious, but I 
could tell this was touchy enough I shouldn't throw myself 
on any mines and I could definitely sense something wasn't 
being said by Sakomizu-sensei.

	He looked at Kagami again, studying her.  "You must 
take after your father."

	"Yes, I look more like him than mother," Kagami said.  
"Mother is blonde, though she dyes her hair brown most of 
the time these days, and I have black hair like Father and 
I'm built like Grandmother Mitsu.  But I got Mother's 
intellect."

	"I can tell," he said.  "Shun, stop lollygagging and set 
up some plant food.  Crystal, turn over that soil."

	He seemed a little disturbed the rest of the time, but I 
didn't say anything even though curiosity was eating at me 
like acid.  I had a feeling I'd get bitten, one way or another.

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

Roger's Rules:

	I sat down opposite the old man, Yamada.  I've been 
using him for a while; Natsuki originally recommended 
him to me as a contact.  He's proven quite useful. I needed 
to know more about the wreck of the Shiraishi; late last 
night, the cargo ship had washed up on shore, cut in half.  
Its owners wanted me to negotiate with the insurance 
company, which was trying to assert they didn't owe 
anything.  Disgusting.  While Shirayami Shipping is, like 
most big companies, not always the most honest of 
businesses, I tended to find myself on their side in this case.  
Their insurance was intended to cover the possibility of 
human attacks, which this had to be, even if I wasn't sure 
what could have cut a huge ship like that in half.  Certainly 
it couldn't be natural.

	"I have one big lead, though I don't know what it 
means, and one possible theory floating around," he said.  
"The theory first.  There is an area in the ocean southwest 
of Osaka where sometimes radio communications and other 
kinds of communications are disrupted.  It's supposed to be 
marked, but sometimes the buoys sink in storms and so on 
or drift.  When it happens, this causes huge trouble for 
ships.  From what I've found out, all radio contact was lost 
with the ship when it was close to that area.  So someone 
may have deliberately lured it in by, say, moving the 
buoys," he said.

	That made good sense.  If you're going to engage in 
piracy these days, you'd better have some way to prevent 
calls for help.  

	"Mind you, there hasn't been a cutting-in-half ship 
incident in 23 years and no one ever explained that one 
either," Yamada said. 

	"The Fuuka incident," I said.

	He blinked in surprise, then nodded.

	"Now, from what I understand, the thing was 
supposed to be hauling furniture.  But certain of my 
contacts insist it was carrying parts for something called 
'Project Janus'.  If it was, they are gone now."

	"Whose project?" I asked.

	"Someone has been hiring up former mech company 
engineers, who then 'vanish'.  But there are conflicting 
reports from US Robots to Shinohara Enterprises to Genom 
to Suzushiro Enterprises," he said.  "US Robots is engaged 
in a huge alliance with Shell Solar, Kurauchi Electronics, 
Morisato Motors, and some other companies, but it seems 
to be entirely on the up and up.  Unless they're going to 
power something covert with all those solar panels."

	Suzushiro and Shinohara have some sort of alliance 
going on, I think.  And Natsuki's clan controls Suzushiro 
and they have Tate Yuuichi in a strong position inside 
Shinohara.  No Genom connection, though, I think.  

	Kurauchi Electronics.  Which is run by relatives of 
some of Natsuki's clan.  Which may or may not mean 
anything here.

	Except that I'm pretty sure the last boat-in-half 
incident was somehow connected to said clan.  Perhaps 
those relatives are not as alienated from Kurauchi Kazuya 
as it would casually appear.  Rogue elements have their 
uses.

	"If Janus is connected to creating combat mechs, it's 
unlikely there is a direct connection, as I don't think they 
would want to jeopardize the amount of money they stand 
to make from this," I said.  "If anything, they'd want to 
discourage people fiddling about with mech construction 
here."

	"Perhaps they sank it," he said.  "If I find out more, I 
will of course, inform you."  He passed me a small drive.  
"This has all the data I was able to gather, enough you can 
likely check out the site where I think it sank yourself.  
Though I would expect the coast guard is going crazy all 
over the area.  I find it hard to think they didn't figure out 
the likely target point too."

	It won't hurt to go look around the area; I can come 
back later if I have to.  And make inquiries, bribes if 
necessary, with the Coast Guard if they are all over the 
likely location.  If I am lucky, Captain Wang will be in the 
area and will know something.  Her girlfriend lives in 
Osaka, I think.  

	"Thank you," I said to him.

	And perhaps see about doing something with the 
Kurauchis so I can get a better feel for them.  Time to call 
Natsuki.

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

Gin's Tale:

	Sanae-san came out in the dress, which was the closest 
thing we could find in her closet to what Akira-sensei was 
wearing in the picture.  It was the wrong color, but the style 
was close enough it would do.  

	I studied my table, then piled some books on the end.  
"Here, lean on these," I said.

	She leaned over and I adjusted her around some, then 
got the easel and started painting.  "What am I supposed to 
be leaning on?" she asked.

	"A grand piano," I said.  "Hold on..."

	I got a wine glass, half filled it with Coke, then handed 
it to her.  "Hold this as if you just finished swishing it 
around."

	She looked confused, then swished it a little and 
posed.

	"And smile.  Smile like Dan's sitting there," I told her.

	She turned red.  "What?"

	"Oh come on, we're too old to play blushing maiden," 
I told her.  "Smile like someone you like who we both 
know is Dan is sitting there."

	She tried to smile and I consulted my photo so I could 
ignore her skin tone and just get the shadows right.  "Sexy 
smile.  Like you're going to climb over the piano and 
TAKE him."

	"..."

	"Oh come on, you can do it," I told her.

	I finally got her posed right and then started painting, 
letting her break every so often.  Fortunately, she's very 
patient when not freaking out.

	"How can you tell?" she finally asked.

	"Everyone on Earth can tell.  There's people in the 
Gobi wondering when you will ask him out," I told her.  
"Hmm, dammit, I'm going to need a model for Takumi-san 
too."  I consulted the other picture which Natasha had 
gotten me.  "Oh wait, I can get Shun, I bet."

	I kept working until half the picture was done.  I could 
do the rest after the play, maybe.  "Here," I said.

	The picture showed Akira-sensei leaning over the top 
of a grand piano, swirling a wine glass idly and smiling 
down at...blank space where eventually her husband would 
be.

	"Wow, that's really good," Sanae said, amazed.  "It 
doesn't look like me at all."

	"Well, I needed you to get all the shadows and things 
right and make sure everything was the right proportions," I 
told her.  "So, when are you asking Dan out?"

	"We have a date, Sunday.  At least...I think he knows 
it is a date," she said nervously.  

	"Is he freaking out and rolling around on the floor?" I 
asked.

	"He isn't that bad," she said.

	"True.  His lack of freaking probably means he thinks 
of it as 'friend zone', though."

	"Well, maybe I need to make it clear," she said 
nervously.

	I shook my head.  "You have to go stealth.  Sneak it 
up on him.  Get him to where he's been dating you for 
weeks and then realizes he's been kissing you for five 
minutes."

	"Do you think I have a chance?" she asked.

	"I know jack and shit about what Dan wants in a 
woman.  Other than knowing Mandi, Natasha and Joan 
apparently have enough of it to cause him to melt to slag."  
I had a suspicion he wanted someone with substantially 
more curves than Sanae, but I wasn't sure and I didn't want 
to crush her out when I could be wrong.  "But I'm pretty 
sure he likes smart women, so you're in good shape there."

	"Thanks, Houseki-san," she said.

	"You're welcome," I said.  "Thanks for helping me 
out."

	"You're welcome," she said, smiling.  

	And now to work on project two.

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

Erica's Tale:

	"Very good, Erica.  Your score is up 90 points," Aunt 
Natsuki said.

	Dan and I were at Aunt Haruka's, doing shooting 
practice again.  My hand-eye coordination seemed 
somewhat better, but not at superhuman levels.  Or at least 
not with a gun.

	I could feel I was faster and stronger now, but since 
we mainly focused on shooting and riding, I had a feeling it 
would be easier for me to hide my new abilities than for 
melee combat Kasumi training with super-mother.

	I could hear them from here; how our Aunts couldn't 
tell Kasumi had gotten powers, I don't know.  Maybe it's 
just because it's Kasumi and none of us would have 
expected her to be the first.  But I don't know if we can 
keep this up much longer.	

	Or if we should.

	I guess I don't have the grudge over a life of not being 
told the others have, though.  But I'll go along with the 
family tide for now.

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

Shun's Tale:

	Another day, another beating.  Aunt Akane was about 
to roundly kick our asses again when Junko came out of the 
woods in blue shorts and a red and black t-shirt that 
proudly proclaimed 'Choir Club 2028:  Singing With the 
Angels'.  She had a belt on for no clear reason (unneeded 
with the shorts) and two short swords made of wood thrust 
through it.  

	"Hi!," Crystal said, coming over to her.

	They clasped hands with each other and kissed 
quickly.  Then Junko glanced very nervously at Aunt 
Akane.  

	Aunt Akane was smiling brightly.  "How sweet."

	Junko looked relieved, then bowed to her.  "Please, let 
me train with you all today."

	"Please come over here with me, Junko," Aunt Akane 
said to Junko and took her to one side.  "All of you drill 
while I talk to Junko."

	For just a moment, I suddenly wondered if Junko was 
a covert agent for the parents or something.  But I 
dismissed the thought.  It was stupidly paranoid.

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

Akane's Tale:

	There is probably nothing I like more than promoting 
young love.  Unfortunately, as Shun pointed out to me last 
time Junko trained with us, I need to make sure people 
don't start talking about the things I can do.  We don't know 
how much our enemies know and it's best not to help them.

	However, I think the children are going to get powers 
and that means Junko is going to be caught up in this if she 
and Crystal stay together.  She might even be one of the 
new Hime.  In which case, it's best she be ready for it.  The 
better she can fight, the easier it will be to keep her safe 
when things really heat up.

	And this is good, healthy exercise which kids these 
days usually don't get enough of.  

	"Junko-san, I would like to accept you as a student if 
that is what you desire," I said.  "However, I must require 
that you tell no one of what you see and do here.  I do not 
want my techniques getting out to the general public."

	She nodded.  "Of course, sensei," she said.  "I 
understand entirely.  I promise I will not tell anyone of 
what we do here."

	I blinked.  That was easy.  "I have a second question.  
Why did you stop training?"

	She now looked very embarrassed.  "It is not a very 
womanly thing to do."

	IE, her parents made her stop.  Mother was never 
happy with me when I went running around, falling into 
mud puddles and climbing up trees and getting stuck on the 
roof.  It wasn't 'feminine'.  I frowned.  "Why did your 
parents tell you to stop?"

	"I didn't..."  She was staring at the ground.

	I reached over and lifted her chin up to look into her 
eyes.  To look up into her eyes, as she's actually taller than 
I am.  "Junko-san, I need to know."

	"The women of our family recieve basic combat 
training in order to defend themselves when necessary, but 
beyond a certain point, only the men continue their 
studies," Junko said, looking very nervous.  "Which is why 
the parents sent me to a school as pacifist as Saint Mary's."

	"So your brother was sent to Tokugawa which has a 
ton of fighting clubs but you were sent to Saint Mary's, 
which does not," I said.

	She nodded.  "He is the Heir of our family arts.  My 
parents run a brewery, but we are an old fighting family."

	My own family passed down the study of the tonfa, 
but I didn't take it seriously as I wasn't planning to become 
a real martial artist, I just wanted some self defense.  My 
brother really got into it; the last I knew, he ran a dojo, in 
fact.  But I haven't seen him in forever.  Over a decade, I 
think.  I wish I'd studied more.  And I wish I'd thought to 
pass it on to Kasumi earlier, but I was hiding from myself.  
I wanted peace so badly...I still want peace, but I'm not 
going to hide any more.

	"But you want more training anyway."

	"I like it," she said softly.  "Even though I'm not 
supposed to any more.  I'm not...I'm not a child any more."

	"You're a young woman.  And you will find the world 
no longer functions as your family does," I said.  "Our 
family is different, with different customs.  I'm sure yours 
has secrets, so does ours.  I am willing to let you train with 
us, so long as you keep all this a secret.  Though I see you 
have plenty of reason to do so."

	"Yes, sensei," she said, sounding grateful.  "I swear I 
will keep all this a secret."

	"It will not be easy.  I promised Akira I would train 
everyone as hard as I can and I will."

	"Of course, sensei.  I would not want it any other 
way."  She paused.  "Do you have any children, sensei?"

	"A daughter, Kasumi, and two sons, Katsuhito and 
Keiichi.  They're ten and she is your age and attends 
Rosewood."

	"Why does she not train with us?" Junko asked.  

	"She recieves special training from me earlier in the 
day, along with Natasha," I told her.  

	Junko looked intensely envious for a moment, then 
seemed to visibly force herself to stop showing it.  "So she 
is your Heir," she said, putting an emphasis on 'Heir'.

	"Yes," I said.  "The boys have started training with 
their Aunt Mikoto, who runs a swordsmanship dojo.  They 
really love her a lot, and I think they're having a great 
time."  And they seem better disciplined, thank all the gods.  
I guess they just needed something to bleed off all that 
energy.  

	"And you train under Shun's mother," Junko said a 
little hesitantly.

	"She's much better than me," I told her.

	Junko stared in shock, but then nodded.  "She 
provided Shun's original training?  I can tell he uses a 
different style."

	I nodded to her.  "Yes.  So how long did you have 
your eyes on Crystal before you two started dating?"

	Her eyes widened.  "How...how did you know?"

	"She told me you are dating and you two did kiss in 
front of me," I said, a little amused.  Was it supposed to be 
a secret?

	"No, I mean, how did you tell...We just met once 
before."  She seemed very confused.  "I mean, you and I.  
I've known Crystal for months, but I'd never heard of her 
going out with any women, so I didn't start anything.  She 
seemed only interested in boys."

	"You two were blatantly checking each other out at 
that one other time we met," I said.  "And I am a mother 
who knows about love.  And I know it's often hard to be 
sure how a woman would respond to another woman 
coming on to her," I said kindly.  "Lots of people still don't 
accept it."

	"My family wouldn't accept it," she mumbled.  
"Though I'm not sure how they thought I would meet a nice 
boy attending an all-girls' school."

	"I accept it," I said very seriously to Junko.  "You will 
not have to hide your relationship from anyone with us."

	"Thank you," she said softly, looking very grateful.  
"Why do Tokiha-san and Mitsu-san seek to hide their 
relationship?"

	"You should call them Shun and Kagami, since you 
will study with us.  And Mitsu-san's mother forbade her to 
date anyone at all until she has her final degree.  You can 
ask her if you want to know more," I said.
	
	"Did you..."

	"I had to defy my parents to be with the one I love," I 
told her.  "I understand."

	She now fell to her knees and took my hand and 
brought it to her heart.  "I swear I will obey your 
commands as my sensei and I will keep the secrets of your 
family, revealing them to no one outside the family."  I was 
surprised for a moment, then pleased.  This was exactly 
what I needed.  

	"And I swear I will teach you and guide you, Nagiki 
Junko, and protect you when necessary," I said.  Good luck 
with Crystal, I thought.  

	She rose and bowed.  "I am ready, sensei."

	"Then let's go rejoin the others before they start 
worrying."  I think she'll keep her promise.  She seems a 
very serious young lady and I understand where she is 
coming from.
	
***************

Shun's Tale:

	Then we all kicked ass and got beaten up.  We all kept 
laughing all the time and I'm not sure why.  I guess some of 
it for me was being able to kiss Kagami without worrying 
about it getting around.  Though if anyone was watching, 
they'd see us.  But I doubt anyone pays attention to us any 
more.

	Some of it was that Junko's good cheer was infectious.  
She was loving this and it was pretty clear that Aunt Akane 
was both impressed by her skills and liked her.  Then again, 
Aunt Akane likes most people.

	The odd thing was that Junko seemed oblivious that 
Aunt Akane could basically take the laws of physics out 
back behind the barn and shoot them like a lame horse.  
She seemed to treat this as perfectly normal that Aunt 
Akane could do things like backflip over people.

	Now if Junko had been breaking the laws of physics, 
at least I would know why she viewed this as normal.  But 
while Junko was good, she certainly was not on a level with 
Aunt Akane, or any better than Crystal or I.  Maybe I'm just 
reading too much into this.  Aunt Akane wasn't doing 
anything which was beyond what you get in some martial 
arts movies, but...Something weird going on.  

	We were in the middle of kicking each other's asses 
when I heard movement in the woods.  Looks like Aunt 
Akane had decided to finally play the ambush card.  I was 
about to say something when Junko said softly, "Kurauchi-
sensei, someone is spying on us.  Two, I think.  Do you 
want me to deal with them?"

	I nodded.  "I concur."

	Kagami, who had been doing drills, blinked.  "What?"

	Crystal, who had been duelling with Junko, looked 
embarrassed.  "What?"

	Aunt Akane smiled.  "Very good, Shun, Junko.  It's 
okay, Junko, they are friends.  Crystal, Kagami, you need 
to be more alert."

	Aunt Aoi and Aunt Chie now came out of the woods, 
dressed all in brown and green to blend in.  Sort of.  It was 
not a great camouflage job.  "We got busted," Aunt Chie 
said, disappointed.

	"We did our best, but we're not very stealthy," Aunt 
Aoi confessed.  "We're going to go watch Erica practice 
and embarrass her," she continued.

	I laughed.  "Good luck on that."

	Crystal said, "Wait, this is my friend Nagiki Junko, 
from Saint Mary's.  Junko, this is Harada Chie and Senoh 
Aoi, two of my aunts.  They're married."

	Junko looked rather envious for a moment, then said, 
"It is a pleasure to meet you."  She reached out with her 
hands, realized she was now pointing swords at them and 
put them through her belt.  "My brother is a big fan of your 
investigative reporting, Harada-san."

	"Really?" Aunt Chie sounded flattered.  "He's free to 
come by and say hello any time.  I've never had a fan 
before."

	"A very manly fan," I said, laughing.

	Junko rubbed her forehead and mumbled.  "Thank 
you, I'll tell him that."  She turned to Aunt Akane.  "Test of 
alertness?"

	Aunt Akane nodded.  "Yes."

	"Good," Junko said, sounding pleased with herself.  

	They soon said their goodbyes and moved on and we 
returned to ass-whipping.

	Eventually, we moved on to what had become our 
custom of a post-training flop in the grass.  Kagami 
cuddled up to me and Junko flopped down next to Crystal 
with her head on Crystal's shoulder and one arm each 
around each other.  Aunt Akane laid down in the middle 
between the two couples.

	Junko gave a happy little sigh.  "That was fun."

	"Yeah," Aunt Akane said.  "I am always worn out 
after first training Natasha and Kasumi, and then all of you, 
which makes the drive home terrible."  She sighed.  "But 
it's worth it."

	If she's worn out, I'm not seeing much sign of it.

	"I would like to see their skills some time," Junko 
said.

	"Perhaps on a weekend," Aunt Akane said.  "Crystal, 
Shun, and Kagami don't have punishment detail on the 
weekends, so we can take them off campus for training."

	"You run a bakery, right?" Junko asked.  

	"Yes.  My dear love and I run a bakery," Aunt Akane 
said.  "We had to defy our parents to date and get married."  
She smiled brightly.  "We're very happy together."

	"They make some really great pastries," I told Junko.

	Junko looked weirdly jealous, though she now turned 
and kissed Crystal, so I kissed Kagami and Aunt Akane 
laughed softly, gazing up at the stars.   

	I was in fact so busy kissing Kagami I didn't even 
notice Gin approaching.  Thus, I was caught off guard 
when he said, "Shun, I need your body right now."

	Rarely in my life has anyone fed me such a good 
straight line.  "Oh Gin, you're so forward," I said in falsetto 
and he blinked, then turned a little red.  Kagami's jaw 
dropped.  Crystal and Junko both began laughing very 
loudly.  

	I sat up with Kagami curled up on me, looking 
embarrassed.  "Seriously, what's up?"

	"I need you to MODEL for me," Gin said. 

	"Oh, you don't need an excuse to ask me to strip for 
you," I told him.  

	Gin stared mindlessly.

	Kagami was now gibbering into my chest.

	Aunt Akane was just smiling, but Crystal and Junko 
were laughing so hard they were ready to die.  Crystal tried 
to say something but it just came out incoherently.

	Gin said, "I have a girlfriend, you know!"  He had his 
hands on his hips and looked weirdly to me like the way 
Kagami does when she's outraged.  

	"Well, Natasha and I did take baths naked together as 
kids," I said.

	"You did?" Kagami squealed.

	"All of us did, when we were really little," Crystal 
said.  "Not in a long time, though."

	"Look, I need you to model in clothing.  Or I can go 
find someone else if you're just going to make fun of me," 
Gin said, sounding frustrated.

	"Shouldn't you be at play rehearsal?" I asked.

	"I begged out a bit early so I could get you and get this 
painted tonight, since Thursday and Friday are going to be 
REHEARSAL FROM HELL NIGHTS," Gin said.

	"Okay.  Can Kagami come?"

	"Sure, she can stand in for the other model when I'm 
posing you."

	He led us off to his room.

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

Crystal's Tale:

	Once they left, Aunt Akane sighed.  "Time to drive 
home."

	"You should just move in with Aunt Chie and Aunt 
Aoi," I teased her.  "You'd be five minutes from campus."

	"But then we'd have an hour commute to the bakery in 
the morning," Aunt Akane said.  

	"Wow, you drive an hour here and back?" Junko said.

	"Yes, but it's worth it," Aunt Akane said.  "Or at least 
the trip here is.  The trip back, I'm usually zonked."

	"Well, thank you," Junko said.  "I'd better get back and 
get my homework done."  She paused and looked at me; I 
tried to figure out what that meant.  Did she want me to 
walk her back?  Or did she want a goodnight kiss?

	"Goodnight, Auntie," I said, hugging Aunt Akane.  
She hugged me back, shook hands with Junko and took off.  
Junko was giving her an oddly wistful look as she left, then 
turned to me and smiled and kissed me.

	We kissed for a while, then I said, "Is something 
wrong?"

	"No, I feel great," she said.  "Just...It's nothing."

	It's not nothing.  It is NEVER nothing.  I think we 
need to ban the whole phrase 'It's nothing', as it is ONLY 
used to lie.  "It's okay, you can tell me, I won't make fun of 
you."

	She shifted nervously on her feet.  It seemed rather 
uncharacteristic of her, making me wonder.  "I....your 
parents..."

	"You want to meet my parents?" I asked.  

	She froze up, then said, "I...is it...Do they..."

	I cocked my head slightly.  I had no clue why she was 
so agitated.  "Dad and Aunt Mikoto do swordfighting.  Dad 
is a salaryman, though, while Aunt Mikoto teaches 
swordsmanship.  And Mom is just a consultant."  And a 
superheroine.  Who thinks I don't know.  Hah!

	"Do all your aunts fight?" she asked.

	"Most of them, one way or another," I said.  Publically 
or secretly.  Heh.  

	"I'd better go," she said, then kissed me quickly.  "See 
you Friday if not before."

	"See you!"  I waved bye to her as she went and I 
headed back towards the dorms.  

**************
 
Shun's Tale:

	It took some effort to make a fake piano for me to 
pretend to play.  Kagami posed nearby, so he could keep 
the spatial relations consistent with what he already had, 
and faster than I expected, he was done.

	"Wow, they'll love this," I told him.

	"It's my apology for insulting her," he said.

	"For...oh, that."  I frowned at the memory, but quickly 
cheered back up.  

	"When are you giving it to her?" I asked.

	"Uhh...actually, we didn't think to discuss that," he 
said.  "Maybe if she comes for the play."

	"I'll talk to her," I told him.  

	"I really need to take a shower," Kagami mumbled.  
"My clothing is all sweaty."

	"You two can go take one right now if you hurry; my 
roommates won't be back for a while, I think," Gin said.

	"Two?" Kagami asked, confused.

	"You and Shun.  I'm not seeing double," Gin said.  

	"..."  She turned red, and I grinned a little.  

	"Well, I do need a shower," I teased her.

	Kagami vibrated like an egg-timer going off.  Gin 
said, "Wait, you two haven't done that yet?"

	"We've only been going out a little over a week!," 
Kagami said.  Then she glanced at me.

	"Oh, I see," he said.  "Well, you can just take one 
yourself; Natasha keeps leaving her clothing here, so you 
could borrow one of her outfits.  I went ahead and washed 
them all."

	"Well, I'll just wait," Kagami said cautiously. "I'm too 
tall to wear anything of Natasha's, anyway."  She paused.   
"Umm..."

	"Want to go up to my room?" I asked.

	"Yeah," she mumbled.  

	I grinned, said goodbye to Gin and took her up to my 
room.

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

	Kagami and I laid on my bed, worn out, with 
Kagami's head on my chest and her body splayed out over 
mine.  "Don't want to walk back to my dorm," she 
mumbled.

	"You can just sleep here," I mumbled, worn out 
myself.

	"But..." she began.

	"Don't have to get naked.  That would require 
moving," I mumbled.

	"But Kim-san..."  My suitemate is named Kim 
Masahiko.  His great-great-grandfather was Korean; his 
family is mostly Japanese by now, I think.  He's a good guy 
but a total fashion disaster, ESPECIALLY when he spikes 
his hair.

	I'm in the corner of the dorm, so we each have a tiny 
bedroom which suspiciously resembles a closet, with a 
shared living room / kitchen and a bathroom.  Which means 
total privacy when I want it, which is perfect for, say, now.  
Not that Masahiko cares.  

	"He has his own room, he can get his own cuddly 
woman," I told her.  "Anyway, I'd love for you to stay, but I 
think I whatever you decide, I am going to lie here until I 
die."

	"If my parents call..."

	"I won't answer your phone," I told her.

	"I want to stay," she mumbled.  

	"Then stay," I told her.

	She finally relaxed.  "I'm trying to be wise."

	"You're wiser than me," I told her.  

	"I know," she said.  "I mean..."

	"It's okay, dear," I told her.  "I am not Natasha and I 
do have patience."

	"Thank you," she mumbled, mostly still, but running 
one hand idly up and down my side.  "Were you planned?"

	"Planned?" I asked in confusion.

	"You know.  As in your parents decided to have a son 
and everything," she said hesitantly.

	"Natasha was the only one of us who wasn't sort of 
planned in a 'Let's have a kid' way," I told her.  "I don't 
think they had any preference for what they'd end up with, 
though," I told her.  "I think Aunt Shiho basically was 
dumb enough to have sex with a guy who wasn't using a 
condom because it 'made him uncomfortable', or some shit, 
but I couldn't swear to that."

	"That was really stupid of her," Kagami said a little 
harshly, then mumbled, "I'm sorry.  I mean, I'm not wishing 
Natasha to not exist or anything."

	"Oh, Aunt Shiho would totally agree.  But she loves 
Natasha more than she ever loves any of her boyfriends," I 
told her.  "I don't think I've ever seen her really deeply in 
love.  She got burned too many times at our age, I think.  
And just gave up."

	"Well, a lot of guys just want sex and don't care how 
they get it," Kagami said harshly.  I could feel her tense up.

	I stroked her back gently until she relaxed.  "Tell me 
how you really feel, Kagami," I teased her.

	"I did...oh," she said.  "But it's true."

	"I know," I told her.  

	"I wasn't..." she said, starting to sound frantic.

	"It's okay," I said, stroking her back some more.  She 
made a happy noise and calmed down again.  

	"Shun," she said softly.  "Is it just me or does Nagiki-
san act like she's doing something naughty when she's 
training with us?"

	I could see that.  "Hmm, yeah, maybe."

	"Though I think she likes being naughty," Kagami 
said.

	"Like a certain girl I know who is cuddled up to her 
boyfriend in his bed after curfew," I said, and now pulled 
the covers up over us.  

	"No, I mean..."  She got very flustered.  "I shouldn't..."

	"It's okay," I told her, pulling her close.  "I want you 
here."

	"What will Akane-san think?" Kagami mumbled.

	"I think I won't be telling her," I told her.  "And she 
did this with Uncle Kazuya all the time."  I assume.  "At 
our age."

	"I don't want to disappoint her or Akira-sensei."  She 
looked up suspiciously at the ceiling.  I glanced up, but I 
didn't hear anything, so I expect we're alone.

	"I think they are both proud of you," I told her.

	"Your mother really loves you very much," Kagami 
said softly, sounding a little jealous.  

	"I'm very lucky," I told her.  "A lot of people, their 
parents don't love them as much as mine do."

	"I want them to be proud of me," she said softly.  "I 
want..."  But she didn't finish.  

	"It's very obvious Aunt Akane cares about you, 
Kagami," I said softly to her, now playing with her hair.  
"And Mom will too.  Just don't expect her to be showy 
about it.  You're part of our family now."  Especially since 
you're likely a battle princess.

	She smiled brightly at that.  "I love you," she said 
softly.

	"I love you too," I told her, then slid off into sleep.

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

Akane's Tale:

	My phone rang on the way home.  "Hello?"

	It was Natsuki.  "How would you like to go out to eat 
and attend a play with Roger and I?  He has scored four 
tickets to a production of Twelfth Night."

	"That would be wonderful," I told her.  "Kazuya and I 
had vague plans, but we couldn't decide what to do, other 
than go out.  So we would love to.  Well, I'll have to ask 
him, but I'm sure he won't mind."

	"Good.  Dress up.  We will be fancy."

	I smiled.  I like to dress up.  "Of course. I'll call you 
back once I get home, okay?"

	"Okay," she said, sounding cheerful.  "I suppose I 
shouldn't be so excited, but...well, it sounds stupid when I 
say it."

	"None of your other boyfriends had all that much 
interest in getting to know the rest of us?" I said.

	"Yes," she said.  "Give me a call when you know, 
okay?"

	"Okay," I said.  

	I was excited all the way home.  Kazuya said yes, of 
course, so I called Natsuki and we set our plans.  This 
would be fun, I was quite sure.

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

	Thursday morning went by peaceably; Akira and I 
went to train as usual and I told her about Junko.

	"Are you sure that's wise?" she asked.  "We need to be 
careful about who gets drawn even partway in."

	"She has promised and she seems the sort to keep her 
promises," I said.

	Akira frowned, but said, "I suppose it is likely that if 
the children do inherit, she is likely to get tangled in this 
anyway.  And it is better she start developing bonds to the 
family now in that case."  She paced back and forth across 
the mat while I warmed up.  "How good is she?"

	"She is very skilled, good enough to take on Crystal or 
Shun," I said.

	"I will want to meet her this weekend," I said.

	"Of course.  I expect everyone will be going to the 
play."

	Akira nodded.  "True.  Alright, let's get started."

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

Kasumi's Tale:

	"I know you're up to something," Ayumi said in 
practice on Thursday.

	"You'll never be as fast as I am now and we both 
know it," I told her.  "And I'm not up to anything except 
being better than you."  I've had enough from her.  "So, I 
suggest you just shut up and go away."  I put my shoes into 
my locker and changed into my running outfit.

	She glared at me, but it didn't matter.  I control my 
destiny now.  As much as anyone can, anyway.  I will 
defend this campus and I will defend my family.  And if 
she ever hits me, I will make her regret it.  

	I headed out to run with the endurance runners.  I still 
had to hold back, but I could do this more naturally in the 
long distance runs.  But I'm increasingly thinking that there 
isn't much point in me being here if I have to hide my 
speed.  It isn't fair to them, and it's not really fun if I have to 
pretend to be worse than I am.   

	I never thought I could feel that about my running.  
But this isn't really running; this is lying to everyone.  I 
don't want to lie any more than I have to.

	Once I was done, I went back to change.  Ayumi tried 
looming at me, but I just ignored her again.  That seemed to 
anger her even more.  "Look at me!"

	"No," I said.  I pulled off my running shorts and 
reached for my skirt.

	She grabbed my shoulder.  "Look at me!" she said 
angrily.

	"Don't touch me," I said, pulling my skirt on.  

	"Ayumi-sempai, why do you keep harrassing Kasumi-
san?" June asked nervously.

	"Shut up," she barked at June, who backed off.  "This 
girl is cheating and we all know it.  No one gets that fast so 
fast."

	"Let go of my shoulder," I told her.

	"I'm sick of you and your stuck-up attitude!," she 
shouted.  "You always act like you think you're better than 
everyone else!  Bringing your family to meets and getting 
them to shout your name so as to mess everyone else up!  
Acting like you get to judge everyone around you's 
morality!  Your family paying for you to get secret tech to 
be faster than everyone else!  I know all about how your 
relatives make electronics and cyborg parts and robots and 
everything!"

	"I am not cheating with technology!," I protested.  "I 
don't have nanomachines or drugs or cyborging or 
anything!  And Dad left his family's business to be a 
BAKER.  What do you think, I have donut-powered cyber-
limbs?"  Except, she was right. I was cheating.  How can 
any of them compete with the power I have now?  She's got 
a right to be unhappy about that.  "And let go of me!"

	June ran off to get Coach.  I assume that's why she 
ran.

	"I'm not letting go of you until I figure out how you're 
cheating!"  

	I looked around.  Some of the other girls just looked 
scared of her.  Some of them looked at me sympathetically 
but clearly were not going to get in the middle of this.  But 
many of them clearly thought she was right.  How else 
could I suddenly run so fast?  Having my own teammates 
suspect me hurt.  I didn't ask for this.  I just wanted a 
normal life.

	But I can't have it.  Not all of it, anyway.  I'm never 
going to be able to explain this and I can't figure out how to 
hide it.  And what's the point of running if I can't go all out?

	I thought I'd accepted this, but now when it comes to 
the sticking point.  It hurts.  I've put so much of myself into 
this.  And this is how it ends?  No wonder our parents hid 
everything for so long.  "Let go of me," I said again.  I 
could probably break free, but she'd want a stupid fight.  
Much as I am sick of her, I don't want a fight.

	Coach shouted from outside, "Is everyone decent?"

	I keep wondering why we don't have a female coach, 
but we just have one track coach for both boys and girls.  
Not enough of us, I guess.  Track doesn't get as much 
money as the big sports as we don't draw enough crowds or 
alumni who care.  Which annoys me as we work as hard as 
they do.  

	There was some scampering, and then Aiko shouted, 
"Everyone's either decent or retreated to the shower room, 
Coach!"

	He came in, with June hovering behind him.  "Ayumi, 
let go of her."

	"But..."

	"Let go of her," he said firmly and she did so.

	Ayumi fumed.  "She has to be cheating."

	"Coach, am I too judgemental of people?" I asked.  I 
hoped he'd give me an honest answer.

	"Yes," he said.  "But I generally agree with your 
judgements."

	Several of my team mates snickered; others glowered 
at me.

	"You've always been a good girl who played by the 
rules and kept yourself pure, but you do tend to badmouth 
anyone who doesn't play by the same rules as you," he said.  
"There are times when it's better to keep one's opinions to 
oneself instead of judging your teammates."  He turned to 
Ayumi.  "And the same for you.  It is my job, not yours, to 
determine if people are cheating."

	"Pure.  Hah!  She's dating that manwhore Masakuri 
Hayao," Ayumi said, crossing her arms across her chest.

	"He's dreamy," Aiko said, drifting off into a fantasy 
about my boyfriend!  I had to force myself not to glare at 
her.

	"So long as Masakuri Hayao does not interfere with 
the functioning of the track team, I do not care about his 
sexual or other morality or even his existence," Coach said, 
sounding frustrated.  

	"My boyfriend is NOT a manwhore!  I'm the only one 
for him!"  I said angrily.  

	"He's kissing your cousin every night," Ayumi said.

	"That's for a play!"  And I'm only somewhat jealous, 
but I know Erica doesn't mean anything by it and neither 
does he.  Don't show jealousy, I told myself.

	"I could care less.  The next person to even mention 
Masakuri-san is getting a three day suspension," Coach 
said.  "You can fight over whose boyfriend is sleeping with 
who later.  MUCH later.  As in, never again in my 
presence.  Look, Ayumi, do you have any proof at all of 
Kasumi cheating?"

	"No one gets better that fast!" Ayumi said.  "And she 
looks very weird when she's running.  And her kin run an 
electronics company, so she could easily have cyberparts or 
some other new kind of device or treatment."

	A lot of people nodded at that.  

	I kept my mouth shut tight, not wanting to get cut off 
by Coach, much as I want to comment.  

	"But you have no proof," he said.  

	I looked around at everyone; more people were 
drifting in, having finished changing in the showers.  Some 
looked curious, others supportive, but many of them clearly 
agreed with Ayumi.  Too many.  I couldn't tell them the 
truth and no lie would relieve their fears.     

	"I just want to know how she got so fast!," Ayumi 
said.  "Shouldn't she be sharing with the rest of us if it isn't 
cheating?"

	I winced at that.  Much as I dislike Ayumi-sempai, 
she's right.  I couldn't stay.  They deserve better than lies 
and a teammate who is cheating with magic.  "My love 
makes me strong," I said.  "But I can't share that with 
everyone.  Either it happens to you or it doesn't."  I stared at 
the floor.  "Coach, I'm resigning.  My presence will just 
make people unhappy.  I'm sorry, you've been very good to 
me.  But I just can't do this right now."

	"Kasumi, you don't have to go," he said, looking rather 
unhappy.

	"I have to go," I said softly.  "You've all been good 
teammates to me.  I'm sorry, everyone.  Either this will 
happen to you or it won't and it is beyond my control.  But 
I'd only cause trouble if I stay.  Please forgive me."  I 
bowed to them and then to Coach.  "You were a very good 
coach to me, Coach.  I'm very grateful."

	He sighed.  "If that's what you feel you have to do.  
But I hope you'll keep honing your talent.  I would hate to 
see it wasted."

	"I'm going to be running races with tornados and 
comets," I said softly to Coach.  He looked confused, 
understandably so.  I took both his hands and shook them.  
"I won't forget you."  

	I turned to June and hugged her; she turned a little red.  
Like a lot of Japanese people, she's not so huggy as I am.  
"Thank you, June, you were always a good friend to me."

	"Kasumi," she said, sounding agonized.

	"It's okay," I said, though I was feeling the urge to cry.  
"Keep running.  Make me proud of you."

	"I will," she said fiercely, then started to cry.

	I gave her a squeeze and let go.  

	"Goodbye, Ayumi-sempai.  I'll always be faster than 
you and you'll never know why.  Ever."  I shouldn't have 
said that, but I couldn't help myself.  I'm not prone to 
violence with my fists, but I guess I am a little too harsh 
with my words sometimes.  But she had it coming.

	Or that may be me being judgemental again.

	"You bitch!"  Ayumi-sempai probably would have 
glowed with a bright red aura if people actually did that in 
the real world.  

	"Goodbye, everyone.  I'll be cheering for you, even 
those of you who don't trust me.  Win tomorrow for our 
school.  Goodbye."  And I turned and left.

	"You don't get to say that and just walk away."  
Ayumi lunged at me angrily.  

	I was ready this time and I simply slid out of the way.  
She tried a half-dozen times with Coach yelling at her to 
stop.  Every time, I simply jumped or slid or ran out of her 
grasp.  "Are you done yet?" I asked her.  

	"I hate you!" she shouted as Coach finally grabbed 
her.

	"Stop it, Ayumi," he said.  "You're a senior, show 
some dignity."

	"I can't even be bothered to hate you," I told her, and 
then I left.

	Someone ran after me; I could tell it was June.  
"Kasumi..." she said, catching up to me.

	"It's okay," I said softly.  "Be strong.  Win races for 
me that I can't run any more.  You're a really good runner.  
Dream the dream for me."

	"I will," she said.  "This is so totally unfair."  She was 
shivering.

	"Thank you," I said, trying to smile.  I probably 
looked insane or sickly.  "It's okay.  Just beat Ayumi-
sempai for me."

	"I'll do my best," she said, though she sounded 
doubtful.  "I...what did you mean by 'either this will happen 
to you or it won't and it is beyond my control'?" she asked 
me hesitantly.

	"It means I don't understand myself," I told her.  "I 
went to Fuuka and came back much faster and I don't really 
understand it all."

	"I've heard some creepy stories about that place," June 
said softly.  

	"I'd better go get ready for Mother," I said softly.  

	"Do you think..." June asked hesitantly.

	"You'll be better off if it doesn't happen to you," I said 
softly.  "I'll see you in class tomorrow, okay?"

	"Okay," she said softly.  "Bye for now," she said 
hesitantly.

	"Goodbye, June."  And I walked away.

	Once I was out of her sight, I found a wall to lean on 
and I collapsed into a ball and cried.

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

	I was still crying when I heard Natasha calling my 
name.  I said something incoherent, which I guess came out 
loud enough for her to find me.

	Natasha and Aunt Shiho now ran up to me.  "Kasumi, 
what's wrong?" Natasha asked.  

	"I had to quit the track team," I mumbled.

	"What?" Aunt Shiho asked, kneeling down by me, as 
did Natasha on the other side.  

	"You'd better call Mother, let her know I am okay," I 
mumbled.

	Aunt Shiho got on the phone.  Natasha asked, "What 
happened?"

	"I have too much on my plate and something had to 
give," I mumbled.  "Before I run myself into the ground.  
But I also got accused of cheating by Ayumi-sempai and 
couldn't prove anything and everyone was resentful and 
thought I was holding out on them."  I stared at the ground.  
"And they all think I think I'm better than them and they 
hate me."

	Natasha stared at me, mouth open.

	"You can't let bitches get you down," Aunt Shiho said 
firmly to me, then said to Mother on the phone, "We found 
her.  She's behind the library.  Come quick."

	"Do I pass judgement on everyone, Natasha?" I asked.

	"No, of course not," she lied weakly.  

	"Be honest," I told her sharply, then had another 
crying jag.

	"Umm, yeah, you can be kind of judgemental like you 
think you're better than us," Natasha said.  "It makes me 
crazy sometimes.  Especially when you aim it at my 
boyfriend."  She now hugged me.

	"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I said, trying to 
apologize for everything ever.  "I'm a terrible person."

	"You are not terrible," Natasha said.  "I'd be...Don't 
cry, Kasumi, or I'll have to cry too."

	She started crying with me, and we were both crying 
as Aunt Shiho embarrasedly tried to pat our shoulders when 
Mother got here and rushed over to us.

	"Kasumi, what's wrong?" she asked frantically.  
"There wasn't..."  She looked terrified for some reason.  

	"I had to quit the track team," I mumbled.

	I was rather confused when she briefly looked hugely 
relieved, but then she hugged Natasha and I both tightly, 
just holding us.  

	Eventually, I calmed down.

	Some.

	"Why?" Mother finally asked me.

	"You saw how worn out I got last week," I told her.  
"And now I have a boyfriend too.  I need to be able to focus 
on what's important."

	"I thought...isn't track very important to you?" Mother 
said softly.

	"Yes, but now too much of the team is unhappy with 
me and I need to be able to focus on my homework, my 
boyfriend and my training," I told Mother, trying to hold 
myself together.

	"Honey, I never wanted to push you to where you had 
to give up track," Mother said, sounding guilty.

	"It was a beautiful dream," I mumbled.  "But sooner or 
later, you have to wake up."

	Mother frowned.  "Akira didn't tell you that you had to 
do this, did she?"

	"No," I told Mother.  "I made this decision myself."  I 
had another crying jag, fainter this time.  "I promised Aunt 
Miyu I would get stronger and I will.  I will be ready when 
the time comes that we have to fight."

	Mother and Shiho glanced at each other.

	"It's coming, isn't it?" I asked softly.  "That's why you 
started training us."

	"You shouldn't have to fight," Mother mumbled, 
sounding guilty.  "And you shouldn't have to quit track."

	I have fought, I thought.  And I will again.  I am the 
eldest and it's my responsibility to protect the others.  "We 
don't always get what we want, Mother," I said, then 
staggered to my feet, pulling everyone up.  

	"I know," Aunt Shiho said sympathetically, clumsily 
patting my shoulder.  "Sometimes, you dream about 
something for years, and then you have to give it up."  She 
stared at the ground.

	I smiled at her weakly.  "Exactly, Aunt Shiho."  I 
turned to Mother.  "I'd like to stay here today and train with 
the others, if you don't mind. When they finish their work."

	"Of course," Mother said.  

	"I wish I could do that, but I have mega play practice 
tonight, so either I go train right now or not at all," Natasha 
said, frowning.  "I'd skip, but Mr. K would eat me alive and 
everyone's counting on me."

	"It's okay," I told her.  "Duty comes first."

	Natasha grimaced.  "Are you sure you have to, 
Kasumi?"

	"I have to," I said softly.  "I'm thinking we can cook 
everyone a nice meal, Mother, for when they get off their 
work."

	"Okay," Mother said, sounding pained.  "We can do 
whatever you want.  Anything.  Shiho, you don't mind 
driving Natasha over to Haruka's, do you?"

	"It's fine," Aunt Shiho said, taking Mom's keys.  "I'll 
bring them back when we come back."

	We went back to my room to cook.  

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

Roger's Rules:

	The advantage of working in the same area for ten 
years is that you build up a network of contacts who can 
help you out when necessary.

	One of mine is Captain Nina Wang of the JSDF, 
specifically, in their Coast Guard section.  This enabled me 
to get access to where they had found the other half of the 
cargo ship, exactly where Yamada had predicted.  

	I felt a strange sensation at the bottom of my back as 
we went down into the water, the same one I'd felt around 
Tallin.  I glanced over at Dorothy; she nodded.  She'd felt it 
too.  Captain Wang and the rest of the diving team she'd 
insisted on sending down with us seemed oblivious.  

	What caused that sensation, I don't know; both of us 
were perfectly normal in that part of our bodies when we 
got home and had time to check it out.  Dorothy does have 
a mark right there, but she's had it at least since we came to 
Japan and I think she had it in Paradigm City, though I'm 
not absolutely sure of that.  But I don't have any tattoo or 
anything else of note there.  Also, I think Natsuki would 
have commented if she ever saw anything odd there on my 
body.  With each of us in a wetsuit, there was no way to 
check.

	The crew was nervous; communications seemed to be 
working fine, including my water-proof watch gadget, but 
none of us wanted to be down this deep with a 
communications failure.  Dorothy had insisted on coming.  
I was nervous about that, but a gentleman should always 
take a lady's request so long as it is honorable and polite.  
Rule thirty five.

	It had to be piracy; all cargo was stripped.  Even the 
dead crewmembers were missing.  But what cut the ship in 
half?

	"The pirates stole the corpses," Captain Wang told us 
over our headradios.  "They even stole the captain's 
infamous calendar."

	"Dare I ask?" I asked.  

	"Rumor has it, he had a calendar of photos so 
horrifying, he used it to punish errant crewmen.  Not that 
these ships have very many crew these days.  Highly 
automated," Captain Wang said.  

	The other divers were fanned out around us for 
protection, though it seemed unlikely to me we would be 
attacked.  They were armed with spearguns.  Too close to 
real guns for me, except in an emergency. It's not my style 
to carry a gun.  That's rule number five.

	We went through the whole thing, but we couldn't find 
any real clue.  Studying the cut, it looked melted, like 
someone had taken a really gigantic blowtorch, or at least 
something very hot, to do the cut, but Captain Wang had no 
idea how that could have been pulled off.

	Further study, however, showed that apparently there 
had been multiple blows. Sections of the cut off edge were 
smooth, but if you found the right points, you could see 
where the cuts angled differently.  I took photos as best I 
could, hoping Norman and Dorothy might be able to piece 
together a recreation.  Or something.

	"Perhaps it was a combat mech with some sort of 
heated weapon," I speculated.

	"Maybe," Captain Wang said.  "It's hard to hide 
mechs, though; at least in THEORY, they're supposed to be 
monitored."  But we both knew that often wasn't the case.

	"How long has this area been here?"

	"First reports about twenty or so years ago, slowly 
growing more common," she said.  "Scientists can't figure 
it out, but we can find the edges and mark them.  Bastards 
moved the buoys."

	"Are these zones common?"

	"No, but they've become more common the last twenty 
years, unfortunately," she said.  "This sort of thing has 
happened for a long time at sea, but it's only become more 
persistent in areas, persistent enough for us to mark off 
zones with buoys, the last two decades or so.  But this sort 
of thing contributed to all those exaggerated stories about 
the Dragon's Triangle, Bermuda Triangle, and so on."

	This area felt like the zone around Tallin.  I'm not sure 
what that was, but it wasn't anything good.  And may well 
have been basically a dimensional weakpoint.  Maybe even 
an actual hole.  The idea that more of them are appearing 
does not please me.

	Unfortunately, this wreckage had been efficiently 
scrubbed of clues.  I could pretty much prove pirates, 
covered by the insurance, were to blame, however, and that 
would be good enough for my client.  

	Just not good enough for me.

****************
	
Alyssa's Tale:  

	We spent the day wandering the island, being touristy 
and seeing as many people as possible.  This included 
hitting the beach and lounging around in bikinis in order to 
draw as many curious locals as possible.  Everyone seemed 
to be clean.  

	Though a lot of their thoughts were no doubt dirty and 
driven by lust.  We are a good looking bunch.

	But not for them.  We're taken.

	Except for Reito, anyway.  But he's not interested in 
random island people.  

	We flew back to Osaka and had dinner at Reito's, 
which was very nice.  His butler is a true gentleman's 
gentleman and the food is always good and we all like to 
relax after a successful mission.

	I'm just worried that this sort of thing may be 
happening elsewhere without us noticing it.  I think the 
Crimson Huntsman wants a bridgehead on Earth and I don't 
know if we can stop him from getting it.

	But at least for now, Japan is safe.

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

Shun's Tale:

	Kagami was a little jumpy all day.  I had to wonder if 
she was going to end up finking on herself.  Kasumi gets 
like that whenever she's being naughty, then finks on 
herself.  I suddenly wondered if she and Hayao had done 
anything beyond kiss.  Not yet, but he was going to want 
to.  I was curious in a trainwreck watching sort of way what 
would happen then.

	I also was curious what Natasha would do for revenge 
on Taiki.  She seemed to have forgotten about it, but I 
found that hard to believe.  Though she may have delayed it 
until she finishes the play.  

	Kagami got even more jumpy during our gardening 
work.  We were busy going around pouring plant food for 
the plants and pulling weeds.  Tedious, slow, but easy.  
Kagami kept acting like all human life depended on this 
going well or something, though.

	After we finished, Crystal asked Kagami, "Are you 
okay?"

	"I'm fine.  I haven't done anything wrong at all," 
Kagami said.

	Crystal looked at me, then looked at Kagami, then 
grinned in a manner reminiscent of myself.  "Did you and 
Shun do something naughty?" she asked.

	"No, not naughty at all, no," Kagami said, started to 
take my arm, forced herself to stop, then said in a high 
whisper, "People could hear; it could get to mother."

	Crystal blinked, looked around, then said, "I'm sorry, I 
didn't even think of that."

	"It's okay," Kagami said.  Then her phone rang.  
"Hello, Akane-san."  She listened a little.  "Oh, you and 
Kasumi made us a meal?  You didn't have to."  

	"Hey, that was nice of her," Crystal said, looking 
pleased at the news.

	"We'll be right over," Kagami said, smiling, then hung 
up.  

	We said goodbye to Sakomizu-sensei and headed 
over.  

	Kasumi looked rather somber when we got there.  
"Hey, Kasumi, what's wrong?" I asked.

	"I had to quit the track team," she said softly, then 
began pulling out chairs for us, while Aunt Akane turned 
off the heat under the stew on the stove.  

	Kagami's mouth widened.  "Why?"

	"Too many people think I am cheating," Kasumi said, 
looking at the food instead of us.

	"You would never cheat," Kagami said hotly.  "That's 
an outrageous accusation!"

	"Everyone should know better than that," Aunt Akane 
said, frowning.

	"That's just...cheating?  How exactly do you cheat in 
track, anyway?  You can't exactly make the track shorter or 
make your legs longer or...," I said.  Oh wait, HER 
POWERS.  I felt like an idiot.  

	"At the last meet, the other school thought I was some 
kind of ringer brought in to throw the match in Rosewood's 
favor," Kasumi said.  "And a lot of my teammates don't 
trust me now either."  She sounded very unhappy about 
that.  "Some of them think I got cyberlimbs or something 
from my relatives in Kurauchi Electronics."

	"What a load of crap," I said; I tried to help Kagami 
sit, but she went to help serve the food.

	"That punk who was bullying you is behind this, isn't 
she," Crystal said angrily as she sat down.

	"Somewhat," Kasumi said.  "But I don't really have 
time for track now either," she continued.  "Not with 
training and homework and having a boyfriend."

	I felt terrible for Kasumi.  She loves her running.  But 
you really can't hide her speed.  Not unless the parents have 
a trick, which they must.  "There's nothing to be done?"

	"You saw how I was last week.  It was just too much," 
Kasumi said.  

	"I'm so so sorry," Kagami said to Kasumi.  "I know 
you loved track."

	"Well, the good news is that at least I can make 
Hotaru happy, as I'll be free to dance with her tomorrow, 
since I won't be going to the meet.  And I'll have to see if 
Hayao can come," Kasumi said.

	"Junko and I will likely be at the dance," Crystal said.  
"Or maybe we shouldn't go if Hayao is going to be there, so 
we don't end up with him and I having another fight."  She 
stared at her bowl as Kagami served her out a portion.

	"I would hate to chase you away from the dance," 
Kasumi said hesitantly.

	"Well, I will do my best to keep my mouth shut," 
Crystal said, sounding determined.

	We'll see if that actually happens.

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

	To my surprise, Kasumi came with us to train.  She 
and her Mother had hung out and talked after Kasumi 
bailed out of track, instead of going to Aunt Haruka's.  
Junko was waiting for us at the usual place, as I expected.  
She immediately ran over to Crystal and they kissed, then 
she bowed to Aunt Akane and said, "I am ready, sensei."  
She then looked curiously at Kasumi.  

	Aunt Akane put an arm around Kasumi.  "Kasumi, this 
is Crystal's friend Nagiki Junko.  And Junko, this is my 
daughter, Kasumi.  I am very proud of her."

	Junko studied Kasumi, then bowed deeply to her.  I 
noticed she had especially studied Kasumi's legs.  Which 
are pretty muscular like Junko's.  Kasumi blinked and 
bowed back.  "It's nice to meet you, Nagiki-san," she said 
softly.

	"It's nice to meet you too, Kurauchi-san," Junko said.  
She sounded very serious and formal.  

	"Let's warm up with some weapon drills," Aunt Akane 
said.  "Crystal, let's see if I got this right to show you."

	She began working with Crystal and a second sword, 
showing off moves I recognized from Mom, who probably 
pounded them into Aunt Akane's head all afternoon.  
Kagami began her naginata drills and I began doing some 
unarmed katas.  Junko worked on short sword drills, and 
Kasumi began doing tonfa drills.  Junko kept getting 
distracted by watching Kasumi move, which I hoped 
wouldn't make Crystal jealous, though Crystal seemed to 
focused on her own drills and yelling kiya at imaginary 
people.  I noticed Kasumi was being a bit...well, she was 
pretty obviously showing off exactly how incredibly fast 
she is now.  

	I slid over to her and whispered, "You're being kind of 
obvious."

	"I have to push my limits," she said softly to me.  "If I 
have to hide what I can do, I won't get better.  I have to get 
better.  To protect everyone."  Her voice was very sober 
and determined.  

	I suppose she's been doing this before and somehow 
Aunt Akane never noticed.  Or maybe Aunt Akane is 
deliberately not noticing and waiting for Kasumi to confess 
to her.  That makes sense.    

	After some drilling, Aunt Akane paired me off to spar 
with Kagami and work on her unarmed combat skills.  She 
was about to pair off Crystal and Junko when Junko asked, 
"Please, may I spar with Kurauchi-san, Kurauchi-sensei?"

	"Sure, Nagiki-san," Kasumi said.  

	"Alright, I will work with Crystal some more, then," 
Aunt Akane said.

	Kasumi drove Junko back across the yard some, then 
Junko ducked low and kicked Kasumi's legs out from under 
her, catching her by surprise, and pummeled her as she fell 
down.  Kasumi, however, then flipped up into the air, 
somehow spun around over Junko and attacked her from 
behind, sending her sprawling.

	Junko kept catching Kasumi off guard with kicks and 
knocking her down and then Kasumi would defy the laws 
of physics and bounce around impossibly and beat on her.  
Junko fought back gamely and I was impressed by how 
well she was doing.  But then, Kasumi has powers but only 
a little training, and I get the impression Junko started 
training early, though she seems a little rusty to me.  That 
might just be my imagination, though.

	Kasumi landed on her ass for the seventh or so time, 
then flipped over Junko again.  She's so mobile it makes me 
rather envious.  Envious enough Kagami grabbed and 
threw me because I wasn't paying enough attention.

	"Good job, Kagami," I said to her.  

	"Are you okay?" she asked, worried.  "I didn't do it too 
hard, did I?"

	I had rolled with it, or I wouldn't be okay.  She's very 
strong and I am pretty sure she's likely become a battle 
princess.  Not sure which element, though.  Given the 
naginata...wood?  For the haft?  Or metal for the head?  
Metal.  Has to be metal.  Assuming this follows the system 
Mom taught me when I was a kid, anyway.  Five elements 
– Wind stirs the waters, Water douses fire, Fire forges 
metal, Metal chops wood, Wood bends in the wind without 
breaking.  I've forgotten most of it, but I remember that 
part.     

	"I'm fine," I told her and then I started throwing her 
around.

	"I need to learn to use my legs more," Kasumi said.  
"For attacking."

	"I favor them as they're stronger than my arms," Junko 
said.  "And your legs are probably stronger than mine.  You 
jump very well."

	"Thank you," Kasumi said.  "You're very good with 
your legs."

	At the end, they bowed to each other.  "Thank you, 
Kurauchi-san," Junko said to her.  She looked respectful.

	"And thank you, Nagiki-san," Kasumi said.  "It is a 
pleasure to meet you and practice with you."  She smiled 
brightfully.

	"And you."

	They both stood there a few seconds, apparently 
revelling in their ability to be polite to each other and then 
Aunt Akane got Junko and I to show everyone some 
unarmed combat techniques and then we all tried practicing 
them on each other.  I noticed Kasumi looked very serious 
through all of this and was working very hard.  But that's 
Kasumi.  If she does something at all, she pushes herself 
hard to do well.  I wish I could muster that much dedication 
so easily.

	And I know she doesn't even want to do this; she 
loved track, not fighting.  But she's giving it up for us and 
now I feel kind of...well, no one is asking me to give 
anything up.  I felt guilty.

	I sparred with Junko unarmed while they practiced.  
I'm more about locks and throws and helping people to 
knock themselves out, while she's a kick-fighter.  So I spent 
a lot of time dodging and trying to grab and toss her.

	She was pretty good, so it was a fairly even match.  
After a while of clobbering, she asked me, "Does your 
mother ever come teach too?"

	"Weekends," I said.  "She's usually teaching students."

	She nodded.  "I should have expected Kurauchi-
sensei's daughter to be incredible, but I just...wow," she 
said, then swept my feet. 

	Well, she can at least tell Kasumi's on a higher level 
than us.  But I have to wonder what she thinks is the cause 
of that.  I managed to roll back out of the way, and when 
she tried to follow up, I caught and threw her.  "She'd be 
very pleased to hear you say that.  Aunt Akane too."

	Then Kasumi's phone rang.

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

Kasumi's Tale:

	I answered the phone.  "Hello?"

	"Kasumi," Aunt Akira said.  She sounded guilty.  "Did 
you really quit the track team?"

	"Unfortunately, yes," I said, sighing.  "Too many of 
them think I am cheating and I got sick of Ayumi-sempai 
and really, I don't have time and energy for that and 
training every night," I told her.

	"Kasumi, when I said those things in the car...I 
wasn't...I mean..."  She sounded very guilty.

	"Yes, you did mean it," I told her.  "But it's okay.  I 
promised Aunt Miyu I would become stronger, and I will.  
I'd rather not fight, but I will do my very best."

	"You always do, Kasumi," Aunt Akira said, still 
sounding guilty.  

	"You saw how worn out I was.  Something had to 
give.  And I got too good for my own good in running."  I 
sighed.  "Anyway, I am training with Mother and then I 
have to go see my boyfriend before bedtime."

	"Good," Aunt Akira said weakly.  "You need more 
training."  
	
	"I know," I said.  "I will do my best."

	"That's all I can ask.  Is Kagami working hard?"

	"Yes," I told Aunt Akira.

	"I need you to ambush her for me, since I cannot."  
Aunt Akira paused.  "If I can ask that of you."

	"It's okay," I told her.  "Don't feel bad, Aunt Akira.  
This was my decision.  No one pushed me into it."

	"I just want you all to be safe and happy," she said 
softly.

	"I know.  I love you, Aunt Akira."  I said that loudly, 
to let the whole world know.  

	"I love you too, Kasumi.  Give my love to Shun and 
Kagami," she said.

	"I will.  Bye."  Click.  I put my phone away.

	"Shun, Kagami, Aunt Akira sends her love," I told 
them.

	They both smiled, especially Kagami.  "Thank you."

	"And she sends...THIS!"  I suddenly leaped high, 
coming down at Kagami.  "Proxy Ambush!"

	"Ahhh!!!!"  We were soon rolling around on the 
ground and I laughed and she started laughing and soon the 
others were too.

	Even I think she needs to become more alert, though.

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

Shun's Tale:

	Watching Aunt Akane work with Kagami, it suddenly 
struck me that Aunt Akane may be showing off in part 
because she has no real idea any more of where the barrier 
is between what humans can actually do normally and what 
a battle princess can do.  She doesn't go to tournaments, 
doesn't even watch much in the way of action movies.  And 
she used to always seem...no one who was really aware of 
how badass they are could possibly be as jumpy as she used 
to be.  She may be showing off more now...but I don't 
know if she actually KNOWS.  She seemed really surprised 
when I pointed it out to her last week.

	Weirdly, Junko doesn't seem to notice, even though I 
would expect her to grasp that.  Then again, Junko has 
some weird ideas in her head.

	Kasumi and Crystal were fighting hard; you could tell 
that Crystal was a better fighter, but Kasumi had natural 
speed and kept circling around Crystal, dodging every 
attack, then darting in and hitting her.  Crystal was going 
more and more crazy and wearing herself out with wild 
assaults.

	"Force her to close with you, then counterattack," 
Junko yelled to Crystal.

	"Kendo tends to emphasize attack, attack, attack," I  
said, grabbing Junko and throwing her down.

	"You can't win every fight with pure attack," Junko 
said, kicking at my legs and forcing me to retreat long 
enough for her to stand back up.

	"It's one of the reasons Mom isn't too fond of Kendo," 
I told her.  "But when Crystal hits you, you really feel it."

	"I know," Junko said ruefully, having sparred with her 
before.  

	Crystal finally connected with Kasumi, who went 
tumbling and ended up flat on her back.  Crystal looked 
horrified and ran over.  "Kasumi, are you..."  

	"I'm fine," Kasumi said, getting up.  "You really hit 
hard."  She began dusting herself off.

	"I didn't mean to..."

	"It's okay, I won't break," Kasumi said, sounding 
determined.  "Don't hold back, Crystal.  Throw everything 
you have at me.  We have to get stronger."  She sighed, 
then straightened up.  "Come and get me."

	I got a good hold on Junko and tried to pin her, but she 
threw me off.  As I went flying, she asked, "Why is Crystal 
so worried about whether Kasumi could handle her full 
strength?"

	There was no good way to answer that, so I had to 
improvise.  "Crystal is physically stronger than Kasumi," I 
said.  I think.  "Kasumi relies on speed and agility, rather 
than strength.  And we always had to protect Kasumi when 
she was little."

	"So she studied hard to be able to protect herself.  
Good," Junko said, sounding respectful.  She rushed at me 
as I rolled to my feet.  I jumped to one side, and grabbed 
her as she went past me, helping her along so she would 
fall down.

	She managed to block my counter-attack, then kicked 
my legs out from under me.  She tried to pin me, but I 
rolled out of the way, got up, and grabbed her, falling 
backwards to throw her over my head and across the grassy 
field.  

	"Your relationship with Kagami-san is a secret, right?" 
she said softly as she got up.

	"Yes," I said.  "Her parents don't want her to date 
anyone."  I went for a grab but had to jump to one side to 
avoid being kicked in the legs.  "But Aunt Akane...well, she 
defied her own parents on who she could love and marry."
 
	Unfortunately, she did too good a job and I got kicked 
several times.  "Is that some sort of custom in your 
family?" she asked curiously.

	"It's all coincidence," I said.   

	She looked at me curiously, though; was she looking 
at my chest or did I hallucinate that?  Sometimes, I don't 
understand Junko at all.  I looked down at myself, but my 
body looked perfectly normal, and then Junko kicked me in 
the stomach while I was distracted, so I gave up thinking 
about that and focused on not being hit.

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

	We went longer than usual; Kasumi insisted.  I was 
pretty tired out by the time we all flopped down to look at 
the stars like we always do.

	There was a distant boom of thunder; there were 
clouds gathering off over the ocean.  

	"Sensei, what are we going to do if it rains?" Junko 
asked.

	"I'll just blow the clouds away," Aunt Akane said, 
smiling.

	See, she might actually be able to do that.  The 
weather has been rather clear all these nights.

	"Looking forward to going to the dance you always 
told us was naughty and bad, Kasumi?" I asked, grinning a 
little.

	Kasumi turned a little red and mumbled something 
about having a boyfriend.

	"What?" Aunt Akane asked.

	"There's a dance in the woods on Fridays and 
Saturdays," I said to Aunt Akane.  "The usual, you know.  
Just lots of music and dancing."

	Kasumi mumbled something about promises.

	"It's a lot of fun; it's where I met Natasha, Shun, and 
Crystal," Junko said, half-laying on Crystal, who was 
smiling.

	Aunt Akane looked at them and said, "Well, it can't be 
too bad if Junko goes to it.  You're very hard-working, 
Junko."  She smiled.

	Junko looked a little embarrassed.  "I'm way out of 
practice."

	"Yes, but you're working hard to overcome that."  
Junko looked pleased, but embarrassed.  Aunt Akane now 
rolled onto her side to face Kasumi, who was next to her 
with Kagami and I cuddled up beyond her.  "And of course, 
Kasumi, you get better every day and I'm very proud of 
you.  So I won't mind if you go dancing with your 
boyfriend.  I will be busy going out myself on Friday night.  
We're going out with Natsuki and Mr. Smith."

	"Aunt Mikoto going to take the boys?" Kasumi asked, 
now looking very embarrassed but happy.

	"Yes.  If I'd known you would be free...I will see about 
taking you two out next weekend.  I'm curious to meet 
Sayuri's son."

	"I could call him right now," Kasumi mumbled.

	"Introduce me on Saturday when we all go to see the 
play," Aunt Akane said.  

	"When you say all," I began.

	"I expect most of the family will be there," Aunt 
Akane said.  

	No pressure, guys, I thought.

	"I'm sure it will be very good," Kagami said, then 
seemed to think of something and looked nervous.  I think 
she'd forgotten about last night's sleep-over until now, and 
remembering it was making her jumpy.

	"Is something wrong?" Aunt Akane asked Kagami, 
studying her curiously.

	"There is nothing wrong at all and I have not done 
anything naughty at all and everything is fine," Kagami 
said urgently.

	"Kasumi, did you pass your tattling on yourself skills 
to Kagami?" Crystal asked, grinning a little.

	"She must have done something very naughty," 
Kasumi said, smiling.  

	"My infamously naughty girlfriend," I teased.

	Aunt Akane said, "Well, I've done a few naughty 
things in my day.  Just be careful, Kagami."

	"Akane-san, I don't want to do anything to disappoint 
you," Kagami mumbled.  

	"You and Kasumi are both good, wise girls and I trust 
your discretion," Aunt Akane said.  "Now, let's..."

	There was a distant noise.  Aunt Akane sprang to her 
feet and cupped an ear, listening.  There was another noise 
and a sound...were the sprinklers kicking in again?

	Aunt Akane frowned.  

	Junko and Kasumi sprang to their feet.  "What is it, 
sensei?" Junko asked, going for her swords.

	"I don't know."  Aunt Akane had suddenly sobered up.  
"Kasumi, take everyone to your room, stay there until I call 
you or come back."

	Crystal's breath caught.  "Wait, is it..."

	"Yes, mother," Kasumi said soberly.

	"Wait, sensei, maybe..." Junko began.

	Aunt Akane took off at high speed.

	"...we should go with you," she finished weakly.

	"It's probably the idiot prankster from Saint Mary's," 
Kagami said, frowning.

	"W...oh, right, THAT."  Junko frowned.  "I hope 
Hikaru hasn't done something stupid again."

	"To my room, now," Kasumi said firmly and began 
herding us along.

	I hope it's not another monster attack, I thought.  Even 
though I expect Aunt Akane will handle it easily.

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

	We went to Kasumi's room and did homework.  But 
Junko didn't have any handy to work on and so instead she 
paced like a caged lion, growing more and more agitated 
until Crystal roped her into helping out with some poetry.

	"Junko, it's going to be fine," Kasumi said to her.  "I'm 
sure we'd hear something if there was trouble."

	"Even the best can be taken by surprise," Junko said, 
frowning.  

	Now Kagami began to look worried.  "Maybe I should 
have gone with her."

	"Mother said to stay here; we stay here," Kasumi said 
firmly.  "Even if that means Junko has to sleep over."

	Junko's eyes widened.  "Do you think that will be 
necessary?"

	"I hope not, as you don't have any clean clothing to 
change into," Kasumi said.  "Though I suppose you and 
Erica wear roughly the same size clothing."

	"This could be another test," I speculated.  "To see if 
we stick to orders."

	"Well, I have a ton of homework to do and it is 
probably nothing Aunt Akane can't handle," Crystal said 
with the tone of someone not convinced of the truth of their 
own words.   

	"Dan and Natasha and Erica should be fine with the 
other drama people," I said.  Erica has powers, too, now.

	"I hope Hayao is okay," Kasumi said, suddenly 
worried.

	I could see Crystal biting her tongue (figuratively).  

	There was a distant boom of thunder and then a distant 
rattling noise.  I know that noise; it's the sound of massive 
rain coming down.  Were we supposed to have rain 
tonight?

	I got out my smartphone and started trying to call up a 
weather report, just to be sure.

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

Akane's Tale:

	I waited in the parking lot; I'd called Aoi and Chie 
partly for backup and partly because I didn't want to go 
stomping around campus by myself in case the staff 
challenges me.  And also because they know it better than I 
do and in case we need to go into a locked building.

	They soon arrived and joined me.  "What exactly is 
going on?" Aoi asked.

	"Maybe nothing.  Probably nothing," I said.  "But it 
was supposed to rain today and I heard all the sprinklers 
kicking in at once when it normally doesn't happen at that 
time."

	Drops of rain began to fall and we all got umbrellas 
out and headed onto campus.  I wanted to walk with my 
tonfas in hand, but I kept them in the purse, just in case we 
met someone who might challenge us.

	The sprinklers were going, even with it starting to 
rain, though we saw a frantic looking staffer run across 
campus into the facilities building.  The sprinklers stopped 
even as the rain stepped up.

	The wind picked up and all three of us began to get 
wet as the rain fell harder, blowing under our umbrellas.

	I sighed.  There were no signs of a fight or monsters or 
anything.  I was being paranoid.  "I'm sorry," I said to them.  
"I think I just wasted your time."

	"It's okay," Aoi said.  "Better safe than sorry."

	"Probably the prankster from Saint Mary's set off the 
sprinklers," Chie said, sounding amused.

	We came upon Hotaru striding cheerfully through the 
rain without an umbrella.  She was totally soaked, her 
uniform clinging to her, water dripping down her legs.  
She's a little taller than I am, about the same height as Chie, 
built about like Aoi, with long black hair and glittering 
violet eyes.  She was Kasumi's roommate last year.

	"Good evening, Harada-sensei, Senoh-sensei, 
Kurauchi-san."  She bowed to us, her bookbag swishing 
about as she did so.  "How are you all today?"

	"You seem happy," I said.  

	"It's a wonderful day," Hotaru said.  "And we've been 
needing this rain."  She twirled about.  "This is why I 
always buy water-proof bookbags, though."

	"Do you have any idea why the sprinklers went off?" I 
asked.

	She looked thoughtful.  "Isn't this about when they 
went off two days ago?  Maybe the timer has gone wrong?"

	"That makes sense," Chie said.  

	"Hotaru-san," I said.  "Did you hear about what 
happened with Kasumi?"

	Hotaru suddenly froze up, looking extremely worried.  
"She and Misano-sempai didn't get in a fight, did they?"

	I sighed.  "Kasumi quit the track team after too much 
harassment by that girl."  I felt quite angry about it.  

	Hotaru frowned deeply.  "That's terrible."

	"Thank you for dressing up Kasumi earlier this week.  
She looked really cute in that outfit," I said.

	She smiled again.  "I'm sure you'd look good in that 
too."

	Kazuya would definitely boggle.  I smiled a little.  
"Thank you for the offer.  Anyway, have fun in the rain, 
Hotaru."
	
	She smiled.  "I will."

	We searched a little more, but the other students we 
encountered all agreed it was just rain and a sprinkler 
malfunction, so I said goodbye to Aoi and Chie and headed 
back to the dorm, feeling a little ridiculous.  This campus is 
safe like we think.

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

Shun's Tale:  

	Aunt Akane finally returned, dripping wet.  "Well, 
other than getting to chat with Hotaru and get sprinkled on 
by the sprinkler system and rain clouds, nothing."  She 
sighed.  "Sorry to scare you all pointlessly."

	"It's okay, Mother," Kasumi said.  "Better safe than 
sorry, right?"

	Mother glanced at Crystal for a moment, then nodded.  
"Crystal, I will go with you to escort Junko back to her 
campus.  Everyone else, I will see you Saturday; no lessons 
tomorrow, I have a date."  She smiled brightly.

	"Have fun, Mother," Kasumi said, smiling.

	"You want...okay," Crystal said, getting up and putting 
her books in a bag, then taking Junko's arm.  "Let's go."

	"We should go too," Kagami said to me.

	I got my stuff and took her by the arm.  "See you, 
everyone!"

	We headed out and down the elevator.  "I guess I'll see 
you tomorrow," I told her.  

	"Hmm, someone's probably propped the back door of 
your dorm open again," Kagami said nervously.  

	"Yes, if you want to come back to my place a while," I 
told her.

	"I brought pajamas," she mumbled.  
	
	I grinned.  "How naughty of you.  I'm surprised you 
didn't confess."  

	"I almost did," she mumbled, then kissed my cheek 
quickly.  "But I think..."  She smiled brightly.  "Akane-san 
trusts my judgement and I think we deserve this."

	"Me too," I said, and together we snuck her into my 
dorm without any trouble.

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

Alyssa's Story:

	We ended up crashing at Reito's mansion instead of 
driving back to the nunnery.  As usual, Miyu and I shared a 
bed.  She doesn't really need to sleep, but she's gotten used 
to faking it in order to keep her cover up and I sleep best 
when being held.

	"He's outside the door," Miyu whispered as I was 
starting to drowse.

	"What?" I asked in confusion.

	"I can clear out if you like," she said.

	I turned red.  "Miyu, we're not having an affair."

	"I can tell you like him," she said softly.

	"I'm not...Miyu!"  I flailed pathetically.

	"I can clear out," she said softly.

	"Miyu, I wouldn't...I shouldn't...I'm sure he isn't 
interested and I shouldn't be," I mumbled.

	"You are human.  It is your nature to form bonds with 
others and to desire intimacy," Miyu said.  

	"We are the worst nuns ever," I mumbled, curling into 
a ball with Miyu's arms around me.  "I shouldn't want this."

	"He is touching the door," she said softly.  "I must 
either go or not quickly."

	I shouldn't think things like this.  I am a nun.  I gave 
myself to God to atone for my sins, but also because most 
men are garbage.  So of course, I end up constantly around 
one of the few who are not.

	"Miyu, you shouldn't indulge my foolishness," I 
mumbled. 

	"You always indulge mine," she said softly, then 
headed for the window.  

	"No, don't go!" I said.

	She just smiled at me, then she flipped out the window 
in her blue pajamas with yellow birds on them.  Reito gave 
them to her last Christmas.

	Then the knock came and I froze, utterly unknowing 
what to do with myself.  I'm such a hypocrite, condemning 
others and wanting...I only vaguely know what I want but I 
know I shouldn't want it.  This must be what Mother felt 
like.

	But Reito is a far better man than Father, though 
Father has gotten a lot better.

	"Come in," I said, forcing myself to sit on the edge of 
the bed and not look utterly terrified.

	He came in with three cups of decaffinated tea; it 
smelled wonderful with a hint of lime, just like I like it.  
"Where is Miyu?" he asked.

	"She went for a walk," I said.

	He came over, put the tray on the end table and 
handed me a glass, taking one himself and pulling up the 
chair by the wall.  "To another successful mission, Alyssa."

	"To another successful mission, Reito," I said, 
clinking glasses and smiling nervously.  Can he tell how I 
feel?  All these years and I still can't tell how he feels.  He 
probably just thinks of me as a child still. 

	It would be better if he did.  I shouldn't want this.

	I took an oath.  

	Sometimes, I hate myself.

	"Are you going to the play tomorrow?" he asked.

	"The...oh, the contest.  Yes, of course," I said.  "You're 
coming, right?"

	"Of course."  He smiled warmly at me.  "I will see if I 
can finagle us better seats.  Being a big donor has its 
advantages."

	"I think it's over at Tokugawa," I told him.

	"I've donated to all three, just in case we need 
leverage," he said.  "Money is my power."

	"A mighty one," I said, sipping my delicious tea.  My 
whole body kept trying to tremble.  I forced it to still itself.  
Natasha would just jump on him, I thought.

	I AM NOT NATASHA.

	But she probably feels like this before she jumps on 
someone like the little...

	I closed my eyes.  I'm in no position to criticize.

	"Is something wrong?" he asked.

	"No, I'm fine," I said, drinking more tea.  "Just hoping 
Miyu doesn't blunder into anything in the dark."

	"I don't think so," he said.  "I hope there were not 
more possessors."

	"If so, they left the island and we won't find them until 
they show themselves," I told him, then sighed.  "Of 
course, I am the safest woman in Japan with Miyu as my 
companion, so I can sleep soundly."

	He glanced at the open window, then said, "Will she 
be gone a while?"

	I tensed, my breathing speeding up.  Does he want to 
know...if we have time to...oh God...I shouldn't...

	"I...umm..."  I drank more tea to shut myself up.  
"Probably."

	I could open a line to her and ask, but she'd probably 
say 'as long as you need me to be.'

	He got up, went over and shut the window.  "Best not 
to let a draft in, then."

	I flopped over, nearly spilling my tea on myself.  I am 
such a fool.

	He came back over and sat down, pulling me up 
gently.  "You should apologize to the boy."

	"No," I said.  "He's terrible and worthless."  Even 
more than me.

	"He has been faithful to Natasha and even injured in 
her defense.  He deserves more than abuse."

	"He's a filthy, lustful manwhore," I said.  "He's 
probably secretly cheating on her."

	He sighed.  "You shouldn't make up sins in your head 
and attest them to people, Alyssa."  He sipped his tea and 
seemed to gaze off into space a moment.

	"I know the type," I said sharply.  "I could tell he kept 
thinking about me naked."

	"You are a magnificent woman in the prime of your 
beauty," Reito said.  "And teenagers still struggle to rule 
their hormones.  But he never tried to touch you or get a 
look at your underwear or anything.  And you terrified 
him."

	"Terrified him?  He yelled at me and told me off!" I 
said, outraged.  "And his terrible lady friend condemned 
you!  She wasn't there and doesn't know what it was like."

	"I deserved it," he said, looking guilty.  "I was a total 
failure as Student Council Vice-president."

	"It wasn't your fault, you got possessed," I said 
urgently.

	He stared at the floor.  "I could have fought it, but I let 
myself be taken because he offered me things I wanted but 
didn't have.  I was weak and stupid and jealous."

	I put my tea aside and put my hand on his shoulder.  
"Reito, you couldn't have stopped him."

	"Couldn't I?" he said, sounding more guilty.  "We'll 
never know because I didn't even TRY.  I never broke free, 
not even when I might have ended up killing Yuuichi.  If 
Mikoto hadn't broken the locket...If her love hadn't been 
strong enough for her to break free of being controlled...her 
love was pure and mine was hateful.  I hated him. I wanted 
Yuuichi to die.  We both wanted the same thing."  He 
shuddered and buried his face in his hands.

	I got off the bed and hugged him tightly.  "It's okay.  
You've fought by our side for decades and done infinitely 
more good than the evil your body was used to do then."

	"Have I?" he asked.  "Everything bad that happened to 
all of you, it's my fault."  I could feel him shudder.  "I 
should have died."

	"No," I said firmly.  "We both sinned, but God loves 
us and forgives us and gave us this chance to make good 
for what we did while we're alive.  Your death would have 
only brought us sorrow without fixing any of what you did.  
It is better to repent and live and make good than to die to 
redeem oneself," I told him.  No one is dying to redeem 
themselves on my watch.  

	"That's how I can bear to live," he said.

	I held him until he stopped shaking, then gently kissed 
his forehead.  "Everyone wants you to live, Reito.  Even 
Yuuichi."

	"That's the worst part, being forgiven," he said.  "It 
would be easier if they hated me."

	"Mai loves me and would probably die to keep either 
of us alive if she had to choose between us dying and her," 
I said softly to him.  "Which is why neither of us can die, or 
she will blame herself, even if it was entirely our own fault.  
She would still find some way to feel she should have 
saved us."

	"And Mikoto loves me too," he said softly.

	"Mikoto loves everyone," I said.  And as far as I can 
tell, basically lusts for all of us as well.  Or just somehow 
makes no distinction.  I'm not sure if she would actually 
have sex with Reito, but I think she would with me or any 
of the others if Mai and Yuuichi didn't object.  Fortunately, 
they are not so...omnisexual or whatever the right word is.

	He put his arms around me and we held each other 
silently for a while.

	"I should go to bed," he finally mumbled.  "Tomorrow 
will be busy."

	I didn't want him to go, but I couldn't just say 'STAY 
WITH ME', either.  Dammit.  Sorry, Lord.  I shouldn't 
swear, I am a nun.  And I shouldn't want him to stay.  Give 
me strength, Lord.

	"Well, there's no rush," I said.  "I can't really go to bed 
until Miyu comes back."

	"I think she is hiding, waiting for us to finish," he 
whispered, then kissed my forehead.  "Goodnight, Alyssa, 
my dear friend."  And then he left.

	I flopped down on the bed.  He is too much the 
gentleman to tempt me to violate my oath of celibacy.

	Which makes me want him more.
	
	Nao would just jump him.

	But I don't want to be Nao.  

	"Oh, hello, Nao, fancy finding you here listening at 
doors," Reito said in the hallway.

	I froze up completely.

	"I was just looking for a contact," Nao said lamely.  
I'm pretty sure Nao does not wear contacts.

	"Are you wearing Spiderman underwear again?"

	"Spiderwoman," she mumbled.  "And looking at my 
underwear?  How perverted of you."

	I turned utterly beet red.  

	"It would be easier not to if you wore pants at night," 
he said cheerfully.  "I'm sure Alyssa would be happy to 
help you find your contact lens.  I'm going to bed."

	I ran out into the hallway.  "Nao, put on some 
PANTS!"  She usually sleeps in panties and a long shirt, 
which isn't so bad in the nunnery, but she'll do it even when 
Reito and Professor Sasaki are around.  

	"Hmm, I can see your nipples through your pajama 
top," Nao observed idly from the floor, though she now 
stood up and her shirt dropped down, hiding her butt and 
thighs.  "You must be turned on by my good looks."

	"AAA!!!"  I ran back into my room and buried myself 
under the sheets.

	"Mission accomplished," Nao said and I heard her 
slink away.

	Contact lens.  As if.  She probably would have burst in 
and made fun of us if anything had happened.

	I'm better off like this.

	Really.

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

Erica's Story:

	Friday evening, Mr. K had brought a large cooler and 
filled it with ice and cans of ice coffee.  He'd stopped 
smoking and now just drank enough coffee for four people 
and paced back and forth constantly.

	I was nervously flirting with Hayao on stage in one of 
our scenes.  A spotlight was supposed to click on and 
reveal the Brides.  Instead, three lines before the cue, as I 
was saying, "That is a lovely poem about mourning," the 
spotlight on us went out, plunging us into darkness and an 
empty section of stage clicked on.

	"NOOOO!!!!!" Mr. K shouted, pulling his hair.  
"Come here!"

	Gin, Tech lord, and another guy, who was running 
sound, came out.

	"This?  Do you see this?"  Mr. K pointed at the stage.

	"Dammit," Gin said.  "I'll get it."  He ran and fixed 
things.

	"Two days," Mr. K said.  "Tell me the window can't 
mess up now."

	"It can't mess up now," Techlord said.  

	"I climbed in and out of my friend's window to 
practice, sir!," Mandi shouted from where the Brides were 
hiding.

	"Let's test the worst case scenario," Mr. K said.  
"Masakuri-san, Harada-san, just hold where you are.  
Suguira-san!"

	Dan, suited up in his nice Victorian clothing, ran out 
from the back.  "Yes, sir?"

	"Climb through the window three times.  If anyone 
can knock it down, it's you."  

	"Dan is not that clumsy," I protested.

	"He's big," Mr. K said.  "See if it can survive collision 
with you."

	Dan looked around, circled and climbed in through the 
window.  It went fine all three times.  "We're good," he 
said, then turned and promptly stumbled into Fukuda-san, 
knocking him down.

	"Look where you are going!" Fukuda-san shouted 
angrily.

	"I'm sorry," Dan said.

	My arms were itching again.  But it's hard to scratch 
well in all this Victorian clothing.

	This stupid itching is making me crazy.  

	I actually was starting to think we had a decent 
chance...well, to not suck, anyway.  We've all learned our 
lines and I think our performances are getting better.  I at 
least feel a lot more confident as Evelyn, though I still get 
kind of twitchy over the final scene, as I feel guilty about 
kissing Kasumi's boyfriend and more guilty about actually 
enjoying it as I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO GO 
THERE.

	I keep wondering what kissing Dan would be like and 
whether Koyabishi-san has tried to kiss him yet and 
whether kissing any man feels this good or if Hayao is just 
very good at it.  

	And then he broke it off and we finished off the scene 
with my brain on the spin cycle.  

	"Okay, it's very late and that's enough," Mr. K said.  
"Everyone sleep well and tomorrow, we practice until we 
explode."  He took a deep draught of ice coffee.  
"Goodnight, everyone."
 
	Kasumi and Koyabishi-san were waiting for us.  
Koyabishi-san zoomed in on Dan.  "Walk me home, 
please?" she asked.

	"Okay," he said.  "See you all tomorrow."

	I fumed and tried to ignore Kasumi and Hayao getting 
all kissy-face.  And tried not to think about kissing Hayao.  
Or Koyabishi-san kissing Dan.  Or ANYTHING.

	I ended up walking with Natasha and Gin through the 
rain, then went to bed, where I alternately dreamed of Dan 
and Hayao coming and seducing me in the night.

	DAMMIT.

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

Akane's Tale:

	We had a very nice dinner with Natsuki and Mr. 
Smith.  We'd ended up with Dorothy Waynewright and 
Shizuru coming as well, but they were also good company.  
Versailles Palace had a mixture of French and Italian food.  
Very rich, but good.

	"Do you get to see your family very often?" I asked 
Mr. Smith curiously.  I know he is from America.

	"Unfortunately, I am on bad terms with them and 
haven't talked to them in a long time.  They weren't pleased 
with my choice of a lifestyle," he said a little mournfully.

	"My father is dead," Dorothy said, sighing.  "And 
mother."

	"The same for me, Dorothy," Natsuki said 
compassionately.

	"I know the feeling," Kazuya said sympathetically.  
"Akane and I are both on the outs with our families.  My 
brother Jinnai is the only one we're in contact with."

	"Now I feel left out because I actually have family," 
Shizuru said a little teasingly.

	"I'm surprised your family didn't approve," Kazuya 
said to Mr. Smith.

	"They wanted me to be career military," Mr. Smith 
said.  "But I quickly discovered that involved giving away 
too much of your discretion and being used too often for 
purposes I couldn't approve of."

	I nodded.  "Good reasons to get out."  I ate some of 
my pasta.  The alfredo sauce here is very good.

	Kazuya picked at his own; he'd gambled on something 
new, but it was too hot for his tastes.  "I didn't want to have 
to fire people and ruin their lives," he said.  "Being a baker 
means everyone walks away happy."

	"You're very good at it," Dorothy said.  "Norman has 
supplied us with your wares on several occasions when we 
had guests, to good result."

	"Thank you," I said, smiling brightly.  "So why did 
you two come to Japan?"

	"I was an exchange student and I liked it," Mr. Smith 
said.  "Also, it got me out of the reach of my parents."

	"That's why we never went back to Tokyo," Kazuya 
said.  "You chose wisely.  Osaka is a great city."

	Shizuru smiled.  "I grew up around Kyoto, but I like 
Osaka.  Of course, you all stand out as outsiders to the 
locals, even now."  She has the local accent and we don't.

	"I'm sure I would blend right in if only I could master 
the accent," Mr. Smith said, deadpan.

	"Yes, of course," Dorothy said flatly.  "We could even 
form a tsukkomi-boke act."

	"I think you already have," Shizuru teased and we all 
laughed.

	Natsuki very lightly tapped Shizuru on the head.  
"Like us."

	We all laughed.  

	I love spending time with the kids, but it was also 
wonderful to spend some time with some interesting, 
intelligent adults too.  I hadn't expected to find something 
in common with Natsuki's boyfriend and his assistant, but it 
was nice to do so.  He is definitely different from the 
others.  I guess she finally decided it was time to get 
serious.

	He and Shizuru seem to get on well, for which I am 
glad.  I know a fair number of her past lovers fled due to 
Shizuru, one way or another.  I've stayed out of it, of 
course.  I know better than to stick my head in lion's 
mouths.  But I've observed it.

	"So what exactly does a Negotiator do, anyway?" 
Kazuya asked.

	"A combination of investigation and negotiation," 
Shizuru said.  "We try to help the parties involved to come 
to terms.  Which unfortunately sometimes means getting 
caught in the middle of corporate intrigues, crimes, and so 
forth."

	"The basic rule of negotiating is to consider and 
respect the other person's feelings, whether friend or foe," 
Mr. Smith said.  

 	"Which can sometimes be difficult if you're in the 
middle of a firefight," Dorothy said.

	"Which is why I don't carry a gun; it's not my style," 
Roger said.  "Rule five."

	"Likewise," Shizuru said.  

	"I don't have an absolute oath against it, but it's best 
not to go into situations assuming you will be shooting," 
Mr. Smith said.  "Right now, I am finishing up a case 
between a shipping company and its insurance by showing 
clear evidence of piracy."

	"Piracy?" I said in surprise.  "Down around Thailand, 
you mean?"  I had heard reports there is some kind of 
actual PIRATE CITY down there.  

	"Oh, the business with the container ship where half of 
it showed up on the shore and the other half is missing?" 
Kazuya asked, sounding curious.

	Shizuru and Natsuki looked curiously at Mr. Smith 
also.  

	"The curious thing is that the last example of this was 
a good twenty-three years ago near Fuuka City when a 
ferry was cut in half," Mr. Smith said.  "However, whoever 
did this was not as good at cutting ships in half as whoever 
did that."

	I suddenly felt very nervous.  Shizuru and Natsuki 
looked perfectly calm, but I suspect if I could see a mirror I 
would look totally guilty.  Kazuya certainly did.  "Not as 
good?" he said weakly.

	"I took photographs of the sunken ship; it clearly took 
half a dozen blows with a gigantic blade or something 
similar to do it.  Our current theory is a combat mech, even 
if none of them come standard with a sufficiently large 
blade.  Or have the strength to actually cut a cargo ship 
open.  The blade had to have been heated in some manner, 
though how it could be hot enough and not melt remains a 
technical issue."  He was looking intently at Kazuya, who 
now looked even more guilty.

	Not that we had anything to do with this; I don't know 
if even my powers could cut a cargo ship in half.  Without 
smashing it to bits in the process.  It could be Mikoto and 
her sword, but why?  Wouldn't we have been told 
something?

	Natsuki was frowning.  "What were the pirates after?"

	"The ship was supposedly carrying furniture from 
Africa," Mr. Smith said.  

	"Supposedly.  And in reality?" Shizuru said, now all 
business.

	"That's the question.  I got some information from a 
friend of Natsuki's which seemed to indicate something 
called Project Janus was being transported," Mr. Smith 
said.  "Possibly involving combat mechs."

	"Those terrible things," Kazuya said, scowling, which 
caused Mr. Smith to frown in turn.

	"As in the Roman god Janus?  Whose temple doors 
opened in wartime and closed in peace?" Shizuru asked, 
frowning herself now.

	"Two-faced Janus, yes," Mr. Smith said.  "Japan is one 
of the leading producers and developers of combat mechs, 
though the JSDF and police only use a relative few. The 
rest are exported to other countries.  And someone is hiring 
and hiding experienced designers."

	"The gates of Janus have been shut in this country for 
a long time," Shizuru said.  "I hope it remains that way."

	"This could have some connection to the appearance 
of a mysterious mech during the destruction of Tallin," Mr. 
Smith said.  "Matching no known model."

	We suspect he's connected to that, but he doesn't seem 
to know about it, I thought.  But if he isn't, who was?

	Shizuru was smiling an odd smile and I don't know 
why.  It rather reminded me of a mother smiling at her 
child, but that made no sense at all.  I would have to ask her 
later.

	"I..." Natsuki began, then stopped and stuffed her 
mouth with food.

	"No doubt it was Racer X," Dorothy said, and we all 
laughed.

	"I met Shiho's current boyfriend," Shizuru said 
suddenly, surprising me.

	"Really?  Is he like all the others?" Kazuya asked, 
working on his pasta.

	"Mostly," Shizuru said.  "However, this one has good 
manners.  Which I would expect of a project manager."  
She pointed her chopsticks at Kazuya.  "Apparently, he 
knows your family, Kazuya-kun."

	Kazuya blinked.  "He does?"

	"Robert Cooper works for Shell Solar, which is doing 
a project with Kurauchi Electronics and some other 
Japanese companies and US Robots.  I had to help settle a 
labor dispute," Shizuru said.  "He has a bunch of pictures in 
his office of himself with various American and Japanese 
businessmen and one of them was him shaking hands with 
a man who looked like a much older version of you which 
turned out to be your father," she said.  "Very handsome 
and dignified looking man.  Your father, that is."

	"Father tried hard to take care of himself," Kazuya 
said.  "I..."

	"Your father is doing well, I think," she said.  "If you 
want family gossip, here is a copy of Mr. Cooper's card."  
She passed it to Kazuya.  "He seemed young to me to hold 
as much authority in the project as he does."  She shrugged.  
"My negotiation was fairly successful, so I am content."

	   Kazuya took the card, looking nervous.  He still 
loves his family, for all the trouble we've had with them.  
But at the same time...well, you know.

	"Have any of you seen Blue Mountain Fever?" I 
asked.  I decided it was time to steer the conversation to 
something comfortable. 

	We soon got into an argument on the merits of the 
movie, and away from uncomfortable waters.

	Before we left, I more or less dragged Shizuru to the 
ladies' room with me; Natsuki looked rather surprised.  
Shizuru asked, once we were inside, "My, Akane, you're so 
bold, taking me off to seduce me in front of your husband."  
She had a playful smile.

	I just laughed.  There was a time when this routine 
would reduce me to incoherence; I think it still gets to 
Natsuki.  But I got used to it.  "I would have invited 
Dorothy too," I said deadpan, and she laughed.

	"Earlier, you had a kind of a weird look when Mr. 
Smith was talking about the combat mech," I said.  "Like 
you knew something."

	"Oh, I was just amused that he thinks he can fool us," 
she said.  "Roger is a very good Negotiator, but so am I, 
and we know each other's tricks to a large extent.  I expect 
he has a numbered rule for it."

	"I noticed him quoting a rule list.  Is that a Negotiator 
thing?"

	"To some degree.  But a lot of it is just Roger being a 
little anal," she said, clearly amused.  "I hope you're having 
a good time."

	"I am having a wonderful time," I assured her.  "I'm 
glad you and Dorothy came."

	"So am I," she said.  "Is everything well with the 
children?  I don't get to see them often."

	"It's fine," I told her.  "Their training is coming well.  
But Kasumi had to quit the track team."  I sighed.  "I feel 
terrible about it."

	Shizuru studied me silently, then said, "They have to 
suspect something is going on."

	"They do," I said.  "I can't hide my powers very well 
while training them and Shun actually reminded me I was 
showing off, which means he has to know.  Know 
something.  I doubt they know everything but I think 
they're suspecting the family secret relates to what I can 
do."

	"Good luck."

	"Thank you.  Well, we'd better get back before they 
worry."

	Shizuru nodded soberly.  "Let's go."
	
************

Kasumi's Tale:

	Hayao is going to come to the dance once rehearsal is 
over.  Which means late.  But I would go with Hotaru, who 
is going to dress me up.  Which probably means looking 
like a vampire again, but that's okay if it makes Hotaru 
happy.  I want to return the favor she did me, and I don't 
like seeing her looking sad and lonely.

	Also, I think Hayao really likes seeing me in that 
outfit.  Guys do like women in sexy clothing.  

	Don't think about Hayao kissing Erica right now.  I 
know it's just acting, but I'll be happier when it's over.

	To my surprise, Crystal and Junko showed up.  "Dress 
us up too," Crystal said.  "We can go as a pack or a coven 
or whatever you call a group of vampires."

	Hotaru looked ecstatic.  "That's great!"

	It took some running about, but with some work, we 
got everyone suited up.  Right down to fake fangs; I was 
kind of surprised Hotaru had that many sets.  I was pretty 
nervous, as I've heard some wild things about this dance 
and I expected I'd have a bunch of drunk guys hitting on 
me until my boyfriend showed up.  

	It started about five minutes after Hotaru and I got 
there and were dancing.  Or she was dancing and I was 
trying to imitate her.  Crystal and Junko were dancing 
nearby, rather close to each other.  I was starting to wonder 
how long it would be before they took each other's clothing 
off.  Of course, given the outfits we were all in, it would 
have taken long enough to get their clothing off that 
probably the tedium of undressing would have cooled their 
desire.

	Or maybe not, given how hot for each other they 
clearly were.  

 	Anyway, the first attempt to hit on me came about five 
minutes in.  I could see some black haired Tokugawa 
student (you can tell by the usual crew cut) closing in on 
me, studying my exposed cleavage.

	I tried to summon my purity and outrage, but instead, I 
got embarrassed as I'm not used to flaunting my body like 
this thing does.  Even if it covers most of my body in many 
layers, I was rather flaunting my breasts.  The attention was 
a little flattering, but I only wanted Hayao to look.

	"Hey, babe, want to dance?" he asked.  

	"No thank you," I said, trying to avoid eye contact.  
Unfortunately, this ended up meaning looking at his chest, 
which admittedly was pretty good and his muscle shirt did 
show it off.  

	"Nice muscles, eh?  Work out every day," he said.  
"C'mon, give me a chance."

	"She has a boyfriend," Hotaru said sharply.  "And no 
means no."

	"Hey, this is between me and her," he said to Hotaru, 
sounding angry.  

	Junko slid over to him and whispered in his ear.  His 
eyes crossed and he fled.

	Crystal laughed.  "What did you tell him, Junko?"

	"Secret technique," she said, then laughed.  "Do not 
worry, Heir of Kurauchi, I will ensure you are not 
bothered."

	I kept wondering what she told them, but she ran an 
effective defense, in between undulating with Crystal.  A 
lot of guys kept trying to approach me, which was rather 
flattering, though I don't think any of them knew who I 
was.  Certainly several guys I knew from Rosewood clearly 
didn't recognize me.  

	Or possibly didn't expect me to come to the dance I'd 
always condemned.

	Which despite my embarrassment, I was really 
enjoying dancing.  I wished my boyfriend would hurry up 
and get here but Hotaru is a good dancer and taught me a 
lot of moves and dancing is really fun.  

	I was starting to really enjoy myself, when, to my 
amazement, Ayumi-sempai showed up.  With Taiki of all 
people.  They started dancing together.  I couldn't decide if 
this was a hopeful sign he was moving on or a sign the 
universe was plotting to combine threats to my sanity.

	I decided to ignore them and they ignored me, 
thankfully.  Or just didn't recognize me.  Crystal was trying 
to avoid him, I think, staying on the far side of the dance.

	Hayao, Mandi, Dan, and Sanae all showed up 
together.  Hayao and Mandi went over to say hi to Taiki 
and Dan and Sanae came my direction.

	"You look very sexy in that, Kasumi," Sanae said, 
sounding a little envious.

	"Umm, thanks," I told her, glancing at Hayao.

	"Yeah, I'm kinda surprised too, given she's a senior 
and he's a first-year like us," Sanae said.  "I..."  She then 
saw Crystal.  "Please tell me there's not going to be a fight."

	Dan glared at Taiki.  "Not unless that bastard starts it."

	"He and Crystal have been not noticing each other all 
night," I said.  "I'm surprised Ayumi didn't come gloat, 
though."

	"Yeah.  Sorry about you quitting the track team. 
Hayao's feeling kind of guilty over it," Sanae said.

	"It's totally not his fault," I said.

	Hayao now came over with Mandi, then said, "Oh 
dear, it would appear my girlfriend has been turned into a 
vampire."  He feigned horror and I laughed.

	I kissed his neck.  "Slurp, slurp."

	"I asked them to please not start any trouble.  Taiki 
claims he will be good," Hayao said, then kissed me 
properly.  "I couldn't get any guarantees from Ayumi-san, 
though."  He frowned.

	"If she tries to mess with Kasumi, I will make her 
regret it," Hotaru said firmly.

	I'm pretty sure that Ayumi-sempai could squash 
Hotaru flat.  "It's okay," I told her.

	"It's not okay.  I don't like people messing with my 
friends and I don't intend to tolerate it," Hotaru said with an 
unusual amount of confidence.  "But for now, let's just 
DANCE."

	So we danced.  Dancing is a lot of fun, and dancing 
with a big group of friends was really fun.  And dancing 
with Hayao, who is a really good dancer, was the most fun 
of all.  He kept looking at my breasts and then making 
himself not stare, which made me smile.  I want him to 
want me, even if I'm not...even though I don't want to rush 
into getting physical.  But I want him to want me like I 
want him.    

	I think Sanae likes Dan; she at least seemed willing to 
dance pretty close to him.  To my surprise, he didn't fall 
apart; I don't know if that means he's getting better or if he 
just doesn't think of her that way.

	Gradually, people began drifting away in pairs and 
moaning noises started in the woods and I turned rather red.  
Hayao asked me, "Are you okay?  Is your outfit too hot?  
You are wearing a lot of layers."

	"Are those people..." I whispered.

	"Probably," he mumbled.

	Suddenly, he ran off, over to one such couple about to 
go down one of the many paths out of this clearing and 
whispered urgently to them.  They turned and went another 
way.

	Then he came back.  

	I blinked.  "What was that?"

	"Path isn't safe," he mumbled.  

	"Bees?" Dan asked, grinning.

	Hayao looked like he wanted to die for a moment.  
"Yes," he mumbled.

	Sanae rubbed her forehead, while Mandi very gently 
kicked Hayao in the butt for some reason.  Well, I know 
Aunt Nao turned bees loose on him, but I think bees are 
punishment enough for almost any crime.

	Which as far as I know, said crime basically consists 
of hitting on Aunt Nao instead of Crystal.

	A thought hit me.  "Where are Natasha, Gin, and 
Erica?"

	"I think Natasha and Gin went to go have sex," Dan 
said.  "Erica said she was tired and going to bed."

	Erica has seemed kind of stressed lately.  But she does 
have a big role.  "I hope she's okay."

	"She's probably sound asleep by now," Dan said.

	I glanced over and saw Junko and Crystal kissing 
against a tree.  I suppose they'll be running off in the woods 
to have sex too.

	I poked myself.  I need to be less judgemental.  So I 
don't turn all my cousins on me too.  Especially after Junko 
went to all that effort keeping the morons away from me.  I 
sighed.

	"What's wrong?" Hayao asked.

	"I'm too judgemental," I mumbled.  

	"That's better than being too slack," he said.  "I like 
you just the way you are."

	"You're so sweet," I said, kissing him firmly.  

	I glanced; Crystal was too busy sticking her tongue in 
Junko's mouth to care.  I thanked her for not causing any 
trouble.    

	We danced under the stars.  There was only the very 
tiniest sliver of moon in the sky; tomorrow would be a new 
moon.  

	Eventually, almost everyone was gone except for the 
two guys and a girl who were playing the music, a half 
dozen people I didn't recognize, and us.  Where us was 
myself, Dan, Sanae, Hotaru, and Hayao.  Mandi had gone 
off with some guy, Taiki and Ayumi had left without a 
fight (thank you, Buddha!), and Crystal and Junko had 
wandered off.

	"Dan, we'd better go get some sleep so we don't 
collapse during the contest," Hayao said to Dan.

	"Yeah," Dan said.

	"I'm going to stay a little longer, as I'm not tired yet," 
Hotaru said.  "Thanks a lot for coming with me, Kasumi."  

	I hugged her.  "It's fine.  You sure you'll be safe 
walking back by yourself?"

	She smiled confidently.  "I'll be fine."

	We walked back together through the woods, then 
split off, even though we were going to the same dorm; I 
could tell Sanae wanted a little of Dan to herself and that 
was fine by me.

	We ended up by the back door of my dorm, propped 
open as usual even though it's not supposed to be.  "Thank 
you for not yelling at Crystal," I told him softly.

	"I didn't want to mess up your fun night.  After 
everything."  He sighed, gazing into my eyes.  Every so 
often, though, his gaze flicked down to my exposed 
cleavage and my breasts, which this outfit shows off as 
greater than they really are.  I kept wondering if he was 
going to try and kiss me there, which made me feel rather 
flustered for thinking such a thing.  Then I started 
imagining it.  EEEP.  

	"It is not your fault.  I just can't handle the training and 
track at the same time," I told him.  

	"Why is your family suddenly training you?  There's 
not going to be trouble here like there was at Fuuka, is 
there?" he asked, frowning.

	"We don't actually know much about that," I told him.

	He frowned at that.  "Well, I don't know the whole 
story, but my understanding is that terrorists basically 
burned up much of the school and blew up a bridge and 
killed a lot of people."

	I nodded.  "So I've heard.  But the parents don't like to 
talk about it."

	He kissed me softly, then said, "I guess I should go."

	"Thank you for being a gentleman," I told him.

	"I'm trying," he said.  "I kind of learned a hard lesson 
from your aunt about being too casual about...things."  
Then he glanced at my breasts and forced himself to stop 
looking.

	"Well, I'm very happy with how you treat me, dear," I 
told him and kissed him again.  "My mother will likely 
want to meet you tomorrow."  Hopefully he won't stare at 
my chest in front of Mother.  But so long as it's my chest, 
it's okay.  

	"Wait, please tell me..."

	Oh dear, I fear Aunt Nao will be there.  

	"Well, Aunt Nao will just have to deal with it," I said 
firmly.  "I'm not going to dump you just because some 
members of my family say to."

	"Likewise," he said.  "Though Mom will probably die 
of joy and...oh, she'll be there too."  He sounded a little 
embarrassed.  "She's excited to see me act and I think she 
wants to see your family too."

	I felt a little nervous, but I was sure it would go well.  
I kissed him another time and then he left and I went up to 
bed.

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

Natsuki's Tale:

	The play was very enjoyable and we all had a good 
time.  I'd been afraid Shizuru and Roger would have 
another of their fights, but instead, they both seemed 
determined to outdo each other in GOOD manners.  Thank 
you, gods and goddesses.  

	Akane and Kazuya really, really enjoyed themselves.  
I guess they must be a little starved for adult interaction 
that doesn't involve selling baked goods.  They were good 
company, as they're both able to be quite dignified but 
friendly at the same time.

	As we were coming out of the theatre along with 
everyone else who had attended the play, however, 
someone suddenly grabbed Shizuru's purse and ran.

	"Oh dear," she said.  

	"I'll get him," I said.

	However, Dorothy and Akane both suddenly kicked 
off their shoes and took off after the snatcher, plowing 
through the crowd at high speed.  Dorothy grabbed the man 
from behind and Akane actually passed him and cut off his 
retreat, producing her tonfas from her purse and striking a 
combat stance.  "Freeze," she said firmly.

	The guy tried to taser her, but she dodged the darts and 
then hit the man sharply in the chest, knocking the wind out 
of him.  He crumpled in Dorothy's arms and we called the 
police.

	They were both blindingly fast and didn't bother to 
hide it.  Which Akane needs to work on and which I 
suspect will soon be an issue for all of us.  But it's more 
confirmation that Dorothy, at least, is not normal.  Only a 
Hime could move with that kind of speed.  Is the mech 
hers?  But if she is a Hime, her powers work everywhere 
like Akane's.  

	Kazuya said, agonized, "He could have had a gun, 
Akane."

	"Thank you for helping, Dorothy," Akane said, then 
turned to her husband, who had her shoes.  "Even these 
days, guns are uncommon in Japan."

	Shizuru looked over at me, looking amused.  

	I nodded.  "She's right."

	"But what if he did?" Kazuya asked nervously.

	"I'm sorry to worry you," she told him and kissed him.  
"But I'm not going to stand there and let someone rob a 
friend right before my eyes."

	"Thank you, Akane," Shizuru said as Akane put her 
shoes on.

	"You're welcome," Akane said, smiling brightly.  But 
Kazuya didn't look very happy about it.  I understand his 
worries, but she's a Hime.  Stopping a purse snatcher is 
trivial compared to other dangers.

	"And thank you too, Dorothy," Shizuru said.
	
	"You are welcome," she said.  

	"You are very fast," Shizuru said to her.

	"I ran track in college," Dorothy said.  "And did swim 
team."

	"Me too," I said.  

	"My daughter...used to run track," Akane said, 
deflating.  "She had to stop to have more time to study."

	"That's a pity," Dorothy said.  "Her name is Kasumi, 
right?"

	"Yes," Akane said.  "I am very proud of her."

	"We have a kind and gentle daughter and love her 
very much," Kazuya said, perking back up a little.

	The cops came and took the thief and our statements 
and we headed on, talking about Kasumi.  

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

Dorothy's Tale:

	I have changed since Paradigm City.  I think some of 
my systems were upgraded.  I have fully functional senses 
of smell and taste now and my body no longer makes loud 
mechanical noises when I run or otherwise exert myself.  I 
think I am the most sophisticated robot in this entire world 
that I have seen, in terms of passing for human.  Which is 
how I could run down that thief without giving myself 
away.  I have grown used to being treated as human and 
rather prefer it that way now.

	Today was more evidence Akane is one of the 
Augments.  Probably whenever she vanished at Fuuka, she 
was upgraded.  She seems sloppier about showing it off 
lately, though.

	Natsuki is an Augment and so is Tate-san, Minagi-san, 
Tokiha-san, and most likely Harada-san, even if it wasn't 
obvious. We're still trying to figure out which of them are 
Augments and which not.  I don't think Kazuya-san is, but 
I'm not so sure about Tate-san's husband or her live-in 
mistress.  I am not sure about Shizuru-san.

	Well, we'll see.

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

Dan's Tale:

	I walked Sanae to the door.  "Want to come up a 
while?" she asked hopefully.

	"Isn't it after curfew?" I asked.

	"If you go around to the back, I could let you in."  She 
sounded hopeful.

	"Well, I can't stay too late, as I have to sleep to be 
rested for the play, but sure," I said.

	I went around, seeing Hayao leaving the back door 
and heading for our dorm.  He saw me approaching the 
back and grinned extremely broadly and gave me a thumbs 
up.  I'm not sure why.  

	Sanae took me up to her suite, but we made a 
discovery.

	"OH YES, RIDE ME LIKE A HURRICANE," Mandi 
shouted through the door of her and Sanae's bedroom.

	We both paled.  "Uhhh..."

	"Can we go to your place?" Sanae mumbled.  "In 
fact...umm...any way I could crash there?  I can't sleep on 
the couch if I have to listen to Mandi."

	"Does she do this often?" I asked.

	"Usually, they don't make it out of the woods," Sanae 
said.  "I was kind of anticipating that."

	"Let's go to my place."

	My roomate was off with Joan and wouldn't be back 
until tomorrow; my suitemates were already in bed, so we 
sat on the couch and watched TV.  "You can take Ken's 
bed," I told her.  

	"Thanks," she said.  "How are things going in the 
play?"

	"Thanks to your help, I'm holding up better than I was 
before," I told her.  "And I got over laughing 
inappropriately too."

	She smiled.  "I...I have another idea," she said 
hesitantly.

	"Hmm?"

	"Close your eyes," she said.

	I did so, and now suddenly, she was leaning over on 
me, and then she kissed me firmly on the lips.

	I froze up in abject surprise.  Being kissed by her felt 
very good, but it also sent my brain into sudden panic mode 
too.

	"I...is that okay?" she asked weakly, suddenly very 
nervous.

	I mumbled incoherently.

	She shrank back.  "I'm sorry.  I was too forward.  I just 
thought..."

	"No, it's fine, I just panic, you know," I mumbled to 
her.

	She relaxed a little.  "Should I do it again?" she 
whispered.

	"Yes," I mumbled.

	This time, I clumsily embraced her, trying to silence 
the whirling thoughts in my head.  For some reason, in 
addition to roughly 3000 inappropriate impulses, I could 
also hear the Namcub whispering itself in my head.  

	That kind of creeped me out and I was caught between 
enjoying being kissed and hugging her and not enjoying 
listening to my own voice whispering about possibly the 
end of the world.

	And why was it talking to me now?  Was it trying to 
hint Sanae was a battle princess?  Or was this its way of 
saying it enjoyed this?  

	Let's not go there.

	She smiled once she finally broke off the kiss and sat 
down next to me, holding my hand.  "I was afraid I'd done 
something you didn't like," she mumbled.

	"I just panic.  Though it felt very nice and I hope I 
kissed okay."

	"That's the first time I ever kissed a boy, Dan" she said 
very softly.  

	"It was great, Sanae" I told her.  It was very nice.  But 
I could still hear the Namcub.  "I wouldn't mind if you 
kissed me again."

	  We kissed several more times.  The panic in my head 
calmed down some and the Namcub shut up after reciting 
itself a single time.  

	I wasn't sure what to do.  I like Sanae, but I wouldn't 
have said I was in love with her.  But kissing her...I like 
that a lot.  Wow, I sound trashy.  But I don't want to hurt 
her feelings and I do want to kiss her again.  

	"Oh, Mom is coming to the play with Aunt Sayuri and 
Aunt Yayoi," Sanae told me.  "I told her the boy I like is in 
it."  She paused.  "That means you."

	I laughed.  "Yes, I sort of guessed that."

	"So she'll want to meet you."

	"That's cool," I said.  "Now we just need to hook up 
Mandi and Erica to have a clean sweep."

	"I think Mandi is only into boys.  Is Erica into girls?" 
Sanae asked me curiously.

	"Well, both her parents are," I said.  I'd kind of 
assumed that.  But I can't tell, as she never talks about it.  
"On the other hand, Aunt Aoi is into boys too."

	"Dad's like that, though he would never cheat on 
Mom," Sanae said, then put a hand over her mouth.  She 
mumbled through it.

	"I dunno if your Dad would want you telling people 
that," I told her.  

	"I'm just into guys," Sanae said.  "Like Mom.  But we 
both like seeing boys kiss."  

	"Sanae, I don't think your mother would want you 
advertising that either," I told her.

	"I must really be tired," she mumbled.  "I start saying 
too much.  Like how I once dreamed about you and Shun 
kissing."

	"..."

	She put a hand over her mouth.  Mumble, mumble.

	"I think we'd better put you to bed before you say 
anything else you'll regret, Sanae," I told her.

	"At least I didn't ment..."  She put her hands over her 
mouth.

	I picked her up gently and carried her to my roomate's 
bed, and laid her down on it.  "Good night, Sanae."

	"I think you're really handsome," Sanae mumbled.

	"And you're very pretty," I told her.  She has a nice 
face, but I must admit I prefer someone a bit shorter and 
with larger breasts.  But given my romantic ineptness and 
the fact that one's body is beyond one's control, I wasn't 
going to complain.

	She passed out, while I laid in bed a while wondering 
where this all would go and why I'd started hearing the 
namcub in my head.  I prayed this did not mean it had just 
summoned monsters or something.

	However, I slept pretty soundly and woke up not-
eaten, which is all you can ask for, some days. 

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

Shizuru's Tale:

	We went over to Roger's mansion; Akane and Kazuya 
were clearly quite amazed by it.  I'm used to such places 
myself.  Eventually, they went home, but the rest of us 
lingered on, as usually happens after a group outing.

	Roger clonked out in his chair fairly quickly after that, 
as did Dorothy, leaving Natsuki and I awake on the 
veranda, sipping tea and talking quietly.

	"That was fun," I said.

	"We should put them to bed," Natsuki said, so with 
Norman's help, we hauled them off to their beds, then went 
back to the veranda.

	"I think Dorothy must be one of us," Natsuki said.  
"Or something like it."

	"She could be like Miyu," I pointed out.  "She reminds 
me of Miyu in some ways and Roger could be the person 
she's bonded to.  But she's definitely not normal.  I hope 
Akane's renewed Hime status isn't making trouble between 
her and Kazuya."

	Natsuki frowned.  "I know.  Most men would be 
happy their wife caught a purse snatcher."

	"Well, he was right.  The man might have had a gun, 
though I expect she could have handled it," I said.  "Most 
men can't handle their wives being tougher than they are, 
too."

	"He's not that kind of guy," Natsuki said.  "But I'm 
sure he does feel frustrated he can't do more."  She sighed.  
"I suspect if Roger does find out about my powers he's 
more likely to ask me to hit people for him than feel any 
angst over it."  She laughed, and I smiled.  Her smiling face 
is best.

	"He doesn't need a gun when he has Dorothy," I said.  
"Whatever exactly their relationship is."

	"They're like siblings," Natsuki said.

	Is it just that?  Sometimes they act like they're 
married.  But then, so do I and Natsuki.

	I didn't expect to like Roger, but he has enough of 
Natsuki in him to make him easy to tease.  They both want 
so hard to be dignified, but it's so easy to yank their chains 
and embarrass them.  Neither Dorothy nor I can resist.

	And I think he loves her very much.  But they're both 
hiding things from each other and I can say that rarely ends 
well.

	Still, if I have to lose her to a man, at least it is a man I 
can respect.  And envy.

	"Perhaps I should seduce Dorothy so we can find out 
her secrets.  And go on double dates."

	"I think she's only into men, and not all that strongly 
even there," Natsuki said.

	I know Dorothy has had boyfriends, but not very 
many.  All apparently short, but highly passionate affairs.  I 
have to admit she intrigues me with her wit and her 
intellect.

	"Perhaps we could use Reito as a proxy," I said.

	"Just let her be," Natsuki said.  "Seducing her to find 
out if she has a tattoo would be rather skeezy."

	"Oh, I wouldn't do it just for that," I said.  

	I could see Natsuki torn on what to say.  I expect she 
would welcome it if Dorothy and I became lovers.  It would 
be the easy solution.

	Life, however, rarely lets us take the easy solution.