Wolf: Ok here’s the fourth chapter of Fray guys! Sorry you guys all had to wait much longer than usual for my fic updates. Insert apologetic rant from Play For Me in here. Onto the update!

Fray in the Dark

Chapter 4

Confrontation

---

“When did you get back?”

They were sitting at the edge of the forest, facing each other with their knees crossed and their arms resting upon their legs in a similar fashion. Mikoto’s large amber eyes stared at the figure a few feet away from her, leaning against one of the trees. Her eyes glittered with astonishment, joy, and childish curiosity. The tension that had been on her face was gone, relaxation and cheeriness lining her expression. Her hands idly traced the scabbard of her claymore, more out of habit then hostility.

The form across her turned mauve eyes and an enamoring smile crossed those pale thin lips. The face staring back at her was one of a gentleman, soft eyes glittering charmingly and an almost boyish elated expression. Distantly, Mikoto remembered a time when his obsidian hair was longer and reached past his shoulder blades, yet now it was cropped to above his ears. The childish innocence that had flared on his face was still there, but only a trace. It was replaced mostly with that cunning charm, a witty gleam in his pallid eyes.

He’d not just grown in nature; he’d grown in stature as well. The slender, boyish build he’d had as a child was gone. He was much taller now, towering several heads over Mikoto with broad shoulders and strong arms. Reito wasn’t the boy she remembered. He was a stranger, a man in both spirit and body.

But he was still her brother.

The familiar glow of affection still lingered in his eyes. She felt the core of her being swell at the hint of its warmth, a childish grin unconsciously curling her lips. Her amber eyes brightened far too much and her grin seemed too wide that Reito stared for a moment, forgetting for a moment that he wasn’t looking at the face of a plastic doll, that the affection and joy was genuine. His pallid eyes dulled and a thoughtful look glazed his face. Mikoto’s grin faltered and she tilted her head in innocent curiosity. Reito pulled out of his trance and beamed at her, more softly than the smaller raven-haired girl’s childish happiness. His legs stretched and lifted him from the ground. He neatly dusted off his pants before turning to the child. One hand outstretched to the youth as he spoke, “I’ll tell you on the way. How about you give me a tour around the campus?”

Mikoto’s eyes grew brighter, if that was possible, and she leaped from the ground and grabbed his hand, not bothering to smooth the wrinkles that had appeared in her uniform. The child excitedly tugged on Reito’s palm and pulled him from the edge of the forest back to the academy, quipping happily, “Mm! Alright Ani-ue!”

Reito’s expression was of soft fondness as Mikoto dragged him to the school. He allowed her hand to pull him along the pavement and his gray eyes lifted to the sky, then drifted back to earth and trailed along the surroundings. I wonder if she likes it here… Who’s been taking care of her all these years?

- - -

“Achoo!”

Viridian eyes blinked and turned curiously; feet stopped midstep as Natsuki paused in the middle of the hallway. Her gaze directed behind her as she arched a thin eyebrow, watching as Mai wiped her hand across her nose.

The ginger-haired female sniffed and rubbed at her face, bewilderment leaking into her large lilac eyes. Seeing that Natsuki’s gaze was trained on her, the redhead attempted a sheepish smile as she said, “Um, it’s cold?”

“Are you sick?” Natsuki asked as the two continued their trek down the hall. The two were just walking out of the cafeteria, lunch nearing an end and were making their way back to class. Normally they would have had their lunch outside on the campus grounds beneath their favorite pair of trees, but today everyone seemed to have gone missing. Tate was nowhere in sight, though the two deduced he could’ve been at a kendo club meeting or such. Nao, Akira, and Mikoto were back at the middle school and Haruka and Yukino were at some meeting for the reparations of the school. Natsuki and Mai weren’t even going to begin to wonder where Midori was.

“No not sick. At least I don’t think so. I feel ok,” Mai said as she placed the back of her palm against her forehead. The skin felt pleasantly warm, but cool enough to indicate she was indeed fine. She turned to Natsuki and shook her head in the negative. The dark-haired girl’s eyebrow quirked again yet she shrugged and continued walking.

Their sides’ brushed slightly, almost shoulder to shoulder and both their faces were of complacent serenity. Usually, both girls were neck and neck with each other in rivalry, but when they were alone and Tate wasn’t between them, they settled into a cool and easy friendship. Despite their ambition to win the heart of their beloved boy, there was nothing wrong with being on friendly terms. After all, what they’d been through certainly exposed a depth of their hearts which they’d poured to each other. It was only natural to have some form of friendship, even if it was tainted by their competition in the game of love. And it was because of this disjointed friendship, both held a strange sixth sense of each other when the other’s emotions were in a whirlpool of turmoil. Like right now.

Mai glanced to the side suddenly, watching the movements of her friend. Natsuki walked like a bull ramming its way through a rodeo, full of power and purpose, stride tinged with the feeling of anger almost. Though Mai didn’t know the full reasons as to why her friend walked with such stiffness, such standoffish rigidity, she could tell that the gait which Natsuki used now was different than usual. The sweep of her legs weren’t as smooth; the power of her swinging arms was tenser, jerkier. Her jaw was pulled tight and her brow just barely creased the middle of the forehead, wrinkled. She seemed to be in deep thought, teeth gnawing at the inside of her cheek as her bottom lip puckered out in that almost unbearably cute way she often did when she was thinking. Though Mai didn’t pay attention to any of the cute factors. If she did she might have to bash her head into a wall at the thought of her rival being anything but dominant and angry. If she ever told the biker that she thought she was adorable in any sense, Mai surely knew that her head would be rammed several times over by a certain large two-wheeled vehicle. The thought was very disconcerting.

“Are you alright?”

The question was unexpected and surprise flapped on Natsuki’s face. She paused once again in the hallway and slowly turned to the redhead. Her brow was arched almost to her hairline and her lips settled into a surprised frown. The tension lining her face gave away to shock as Mai blinked at her. She wasn’t used to people asking about her well-being. The youth ground her teeth nervously together and debated telling Mai what was troubling her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the girl; she just didn’t often spill her problems to other people. Even to Shizuru, one she had known for years now. Running a hand through the silken midnight strands, Natsuki placed her hand on her hip and her ardent pools lowered to the ground. What should she say?

“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to,” Mai reassured her.

The tone was soft, friendly and lacking the accustomed competitive edge. It tugged at Natsuki’s normally frozen heart, threatened to crack a barrier in the ice around her core. She bit at her lip, tugging on the cushioned flesh as she squirmed, pondering what to do. Finally after some consideration, the biker allowed her verdigris gaze to peer into Mai’s wide eyes and she sighed, “Um…it’s nothing really Mai. It’s just…well…Shizuru’s been acting strangely lately,” she finished in a quiet, gruff murmur.

“Kaichou-san?” Mai questioned, eyeing Natsuki. Mai had met the composed and graceful Seitokaichou before. She was a cool woman, level-headed in contrast to her much more hot-headed counterpart, the Executive Director. She didn’t know much about her relationship with Natsuki except the two held a loose friendship. Natsuki rarely spoke of Fujino Shizuru and when she did it was with passing interest only, like one speaking of an acquaintance and nothing more. If they were only mere acquaintances though, Mai just had to wonder. Her eyes clouded, mind drifting into the bank of memories. If they were merely friends, less even, why, on that one day, did she see…

- - -

Everything hurt.

Her knees buckled and almost gave way, whispering her to give in and just collapse onto the stone ground. Her arms hung limply at her sides and her chest wheezed, mouth open and gasping for air. Agony and exhaustion tugged at the thousands of fibers within her body, twisting each nerve and vessel taut. Perspiration trickled down her skin, uncomfortable and sticky, sending a musky scent to her nostrils. Her hand, shaking with fretted nerves, brushed back her ginger hair as she fought for a moment’s rest. The battle had been long and tiring, spending every little bit of her strength. Now she stood, partially hunched and roving her eyes around the scenery.

The debris, the scattered people in the stands, the stricken wide-eyed faces. The shock, the relief, the excitement on those faces. The pillars, some collapsed on the pavement and others leaning, dangerously close to falling; they were like her, spent of their support and threatening to topple over. Her knees buckled again and she steeled herself for the fall. Her eyelids drooped, her exhaustion pooled like weakly simmering heat in her belly. One foot shakily stumbled forward and a hiss flowed through her clenched teeth.

Just as she was about to topple from sheer exhaustion, a hand clasped her shoulder. Weary lilac drifted from the rocky ground and stared into chocolate eyes. Tate’s eyes were warm and encouraging, a rough smile on his face as he panted softly, fatigued as she was. The light in his dark eyes pulled her in and Mai allowed her own grin to curl her lips, warmth flooding her violet irises. Trembling, she lifted her own fingers and curled them around the hand Tate had upon her shoulder. She spoke silently, reassuring him that she was alright. Exhausted yes, but she was alright, alright and alive.

“That battle was…”

Natsuki’s breathless voice came from nearby, a few feet away. Mai gazed at the biker, watching the way her throat spasm in an upwards and downwards movement, lips fluttering as if she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words. Her sharp gaze, burning the iciness of her evergreen eyes, stared powerfully at the crumpled battlefield. Slowly, a triumphant grin curved her lips, white teeth baring themselves. Victorious couldn’t have been a better way to describe Natsuki’s smug look. Her green eyes narrowed into slits, smile turning cocky. She directed her gaze to Mai and smirked, “We won. We defeated the so-called great Ori-HiME.”

Natsuki’s pleased aura was contagious. Mai’s smile grew and she limped to the other girl. The biker turned to her and their gazes locked. Tate watched them uneasily, prepared to separate the two if their rivalry suddenly sliced between the victory of their battle. However, neither girl made motion to hurt each other, only stared at the other in a battle of silent wills. Dozens of words were spoken in their gazes and their eyes were heated, indecisive yet willing to reason. Then Mai dipped her head in, the first to give. Her gaze was almost demure as she stared at the beige concrete. Her shoes were worn out, she vaguely noted. Then words, soft words poured from her cracked lips in a gentle torrent, “Yeah, we won. We did it. Together.”

When she looked back up, Natsuki thought her eyes were too bright and her face too cheery, her smile too warm and her gaze too friendly. It unsettled something at the pit of her stomach, awakened a feeling of gratitude and warmth that she didn’t exactly want to have. Her throat clogged, tears crinkling at her eyes and wetting the long lashes of her eyelids. An act of friendship, this is what Chie and Aoi had said. She didn’t want friends though. She was perfectly fine on her own. All of these conflicted emotions, the insecurities and the hindrance fluttered across Natsuki’s face like an open book. Expressive and unsure, and Mai saw almost all of it as it passed, awed.

Then Natsuki clammed up, face going cold as she turned from the redhead, voice filled with the rough edge that accompanied her cool demeanor, “Y-yeah we did.”

Natsuki trudged away, head bowed and Mai had to wonder about the sudden change of behavior of the dark-haired youth. She shot Tate an inquisitive look, but the blond just stared at Natsuki. Before the old feelings of jealousy could course through her skin like fire whenever she caught Tate looking at Natsuki, a voice cut through the air.

Shrill, terrified, weak.

“Natsuki!”

A flutter of darkness, a skirt brushed the edges of her vision and Mai watched the great Seitokaichou almost break into a run as her feet briskly carried her down the steps of the stadium. Had she not been bred and trained so harshly, Mai imagined that the woman would have opted to discard her mannerisms and all but race downward. Her skirt was dusty, her hair slightly mussed and her eyes glazed with wide-eyed anxiety. She’d never seen anything on the brunette’s face except grace and poise. That poise now though was brushed away into the wind, the raw discord in her russet eyes evident.

Shizuru’s last steps were fumbling, almost sending the girl into a mussed pile on the ground. She barely caught herself midfall and stood shakily, legs quaking as her gaze implored Natsuki, implored her deeply. The question in those eyes.

Are you alright? Are you hurt Natsuki?

Unsaid, but brushing the corners of her lips; her mouth ached to speak her worry so. Her russet eyes roamed Natsuki’s form, hands fluttering at the ends of the other girl’s figure, hovering and almost touching, but not quite. Her brow knit together, sweat nervously beading on the brunette’s forehead. Fingers danced almost on Natsuki’s bruised skin, but didn’t take hold.

Mai stared and felt an odd emotion. It felt like she was gazing at something not meant to be seen by public eyes. A private, quiet scene of deep care. Fujino Shizuru was nearly shattering her mask, the anxiety plaguing the lines of her face. The redhead gazed on and watched the Kaichou teeter on the edge. Natsuki’s words would soothe her or shatter her. Which ones would the biker pick?

She turned to Natsuki. The biker’s eyes were dropped, not as ardent or triumphant. She was almost disconcerted, defeated. Her viridian eyes were hollow, devoid of her usual vigor and willful attitude. She seemed to be replaying something in her mind, mouth moving and soundless words spoken into the wind. Then her head shook, cobalt tresses caressing the battered porcelain skin of her neck. A sigh rocked her body. She gazed upward again and faced Shizuru. The disappointment, the frigidity in her eyes; it was frightening.

“I didn’t need you protecting me. I didn’t want you to even try. I’m fine on my own.”

The murmur was so quiet, almost unheard yet it could not have been more deafening. The nearly unnoticed effect, the widening fraction of her eyes, the slow part of her lips and the soft disbelief etching across her soft features like a sketch of drowning heartache. Her fingers trembled, curled into fists and dug into the skin of her palms as she stood there, feeling Natsuki brush past her. Teeth grazed her lip and latched onto the skin, not hard enough to bleed, but hard enough to be felt. Something solid, something tangible to grip and to steel herself against the current of confusion, hurt, and brittle shame; a meager taste of blood welled from her bitten lip. Something to keep her standing.

Mai continued to gaze onward, pondering if she should approach the increasingly tense form of the Kaichou. However, the expression that so consumed the brunette created hesitation; a fear of overstepping her boundaries ceased the girl from stepping forward. She opened her mouth, wished to speak a word of comfort for the woman. It was in her nature to do so, to soothe what was disturbed, to quell the uncomforted. Yet, her feet wouldn’t carry her and she was left to gaze solemnly at the trembling Kaichou. The tremor raking almost invisibly along her spine, the discreet shaking of her shoulders and the veil that her cascading oaken tresses caused; Mai wasn’t used to such a sight and it left her with an overflow of rising bewilderment.

Before she could sort through the myriad of conflicting thoughts in her mind though, a hand gripped her fingers. She turned, surprised emitting on her face as she glanced behind her. Earthen brown eyes stared back at her, with a cloud of sorrow and puzzlement glazing the dark irises. Tate shook his head and glanced down at their hands and seemed to ponder for a few moments. Finally, he sighed and looked up, “Let her be. This battle isn’t ours.”

“But-,” Mai rasped, eyebrows arched and a sting in her heart resonated in her eardrums. The inability to ease gnawed at her conscience, left a void of distress in the pit of her chest. Maternity gleamed in her lilac eyes, but Tate shook his head once again and reluctantly she relented. She cast Shizuru one last somber look before she was pulled away, this time by both Tate and Mikoto.

Tate’s words rang almost cruelly into her eardrums, “Even if you tried, would she want your comfort?”

Mai swallowed hard, the visage of the woman unwounded yet shaken remained in her mind. It didn’t fade, the guilty ache and she couldn’t erase the hollow look on that fair face. That wistful glow in Shizuru’s rusted eyes.

That was the glow of one who coveted something, but was forever bound by obstacles not to touch and cherish.

- - -

The memory was distant, almost lost in the banks that swept in the corridors of Mai’s mind. Her reverie was slowly drawn, gradually broken by the murmur of the voice by her ear. She blinked, glazed violet eyes focusing into the shade of pale heather. The chains shackling her to her thoughts gradually broke, let her breathe in and turn to one standing next to her.

Natsuki gazed back questioningly, chin slightly tilted to the side and brow continually creasing into that frown that always touched her features when she was angered or confused. She waited, watched as Mai finally came back to earth from who knows where. The biker had stood, watched as the expressive eyes of her rival had clouded and darkened, descending into an array of thoughts. Memories perhaps? However, the more she waited for the girl to answer, the more impatient she became. Finally at one point she’d crossed to Mai and had spoken directly into her ear, trying to gauge a reaction from her. It hadn’t seemed to work and so she’d persisted. The dark-haired youth had just been about to increase her calls in louder octaves when finally the redhead snapped from her trance.

Now Natsuki stood a few paces back, brusquely tapping her foot. Her arms crossed into a pose she took to all too often when she annoyed. One of the fine, dark eyebrows on her pale face rose. Mai looked slightly chagrined, blinking repeatedly at her friend.

“Welcome back to Earth. I’ve been calling you for the last few minutes,” Natsuki spoke.

Mai’s eyebrows disappeared beneath the reddish bangs of her hair as abashment brought a flush to her face. Her hand lifted and fingers rubbed at the skin of her nape, an uneasy and nervous chuckle flitting from her lips as she replied, “Ahh, I’m sorry Natsuki I was just thinking.”

“About what?” Natsuki asked as she half-turned, body taking in the gesture that they should continue walking.

“About the Kaichou-san,” Mai hesitantly rasped as she followed her fellow HiME. As expected, the tension snapped liked a whiplash on those strong, slender shoulders of the teenager and Natsuki almost stopped walking, but after a moment’s falter, she continued.

“Oh? Why?”

“Well… I mean I shouldn’t be prying and I can’t judge you. I don’t know the relationship between you, but if you’re worried about her and if-”

“I’m not.”

Abrupt, completely unexpected.

“What?” Mai twisted her neck about, inquiring the other girl whom had ceased walking and hovered behind her some steps back.

Natsuki was shaking her head, eyes fixated on the floor, downcast. Just like that one time. She seemed to be mulling over something, raging silently against an internal conflict. Her lips moved, but made no sound. Just like before. It was as if the memory that had filled from the banks of her mind was replaying itself right in front of her. If Mai gazed hard enough she swore she could almost see the bruises, the scratches and torn clothes, the battered yet victorious figure.

But there was no victory here.

Natsuki slipped past, a quiet whisper echoingly only distantly after her.

“I can’t just ask. One can’t just ask Fujino Shizuru something and expect an answer.”

What did that mean? Really, Mai just had to wonder.

- - -

Lunch had ended well over half an hour ago, she was vaguely aware of this. However, her legs had not lifted from the ground, stretched out complacently before her. A small distant wind played at her face, tugging at her silken hair. She sat against the bark of the tree, eyelashes lowered and fluttering against the skin of her cheeks now and then. The faint sound of twittering birds above, in the canopy of branches, whistled in her ears and she pressed her cheek lightly against the bark of the tree, listening. It was a soothing melody they sang, full of high notes though not overbearing, sweet. It lulled her, pulled her into a reticent doze and her lashes stroked her cheeks. She wasn’t aware that was she was nearly purring in contentment, chest thrumming deeply and softly. Solitude, it was her escape.

Something disturbed the brief tranquility, setting the birds into flight as they took to the skies with mad chirping. She jerked, woke from her light slumber and turned toward the sound. What had dared to break her moment of peace? Her brow knitted, lips pulled down into a frown as her russet eyes darkened. One hand brushed the tree trunk as her knees bent, lifted her upward and she straightened. A meager noise it was, she noted with detached calmness as her eardrums caught the falling of feet.

It wasn’t coming toward her, that much was sure. Rather, it was passing by her; the slow, easy cadence of someone who walked with much casualty. She strode to the edge of her haven, peered past the trees and unto the grounds of the academy.

A shock of blonde hair, darkening on the sides into golden-brown caught her eye. The skin was tanned, almost bronze, but not quite; it bore the familiar uniform of Fuka Gakuen’s boys. A strong set of shoulders and muscled arms, though not overbearingly so. A pair of placid brown eyes, welcoming and warm; the man walked with ease as if he bore not a care in the world. Somewhat controversial though, he should’ve been racing down the grounds to get to class. He was late after all. Then again, so was Shizuru and she really had no intentions to get to class.

Shizuru’s lips almost curled into a smile as she watched the boy walk down the grounds. Her eyes gleamed with something unidentifiable. Tate Yuuichi… What is he doing? With a strange feeling of amusement, she watched the boy with analytical eyes. He had begun to whistle softly, hands stuffed into his pockets. Really, it looked as if he wasn’t going anywhere, as if he didn’t have a point of destination.

So different from Natsuki…

This boy was easygoing, always walking with a confidence that never thwarted. Natsuki walked with stiff purpose and near arrogance a lot of the time. She knew her own worth and bulldozed through the crowd, proud and self-assured. Tate walked the way a normal person, as normal as he could get, walked. He was one with the crowd, not wishing to draw much attention to himself. He had an assurance all his own that didn’t impose on others. Rather, it carried them with him in his easiness. There truly wasn’t much one could dislike about the boy. He was like one of those heroes told in folktales, but by far was no knight in shining armor. More like a peasant in pants and a shirt.

Ara…

At this analogy, Shizuru just had to chuckle. Odd, but fitting of the boy it was. He was something akin to an unlikely hero, the kind that just happens to get wrapped along in the adventure and opts to eventually save the day. She at first hadn’t been impressed with the boy. To be quite frank, she thought he was nothing special at all.

Yet he must be if Natsuki fell for him…

Something, there had to be something as to why Natsuki fell so hard for the boy. Was it his casualty? His easiness? His open, friendly aura? Truth be told, no matter how much Shizuru mulled over the boy, she could find nothing truly noteworthy to clarify why Natsuki loved him. Did he have something that she didn’t? Was it his heroism? A charisma he had that she wasn’t aware of? Or was it just because he was a boy, in which Shizuru was so clearly not?

I must find out…

With a resolve in mind, Shizuru nodded and left the trees. She meandered down from the forest, picking her way carefully through the grass with her eyes trained on the boy. He wasn’t alert of her presence, still continuing down the pavement to the academy. As she neared, words formed in her throat and she called with a lofty lilt to her voice.

“Tate-san! If I may inquire, why are you not in class?”

Tate’s form instantly froze. Shizuru watched in humor as the boy’s disposition changed drastically. His slumped shoulders shot up, hunching to his ears and the muscles lining his back and arms tensed. He seemed to twitch, before slowly turning to face her. Shizuru saw the nervousness in his gaze and her lips curled more, eyes glinting. She kept back her chuckle and instead continued to speak softly.

“Shouldn’t you be in class Tate-san? It is not good for a student to be late. You would not wish to endanger the record of your studies now would you?”

Her voice was sugarcoated with sweetness, concern evident. Tate seemed to squirm at this and faltered, a dark blush coloring his skin. His hand rubbed at the nape of his neck, sweat beading on his forehead as he stammered to reply, “A-Ah! K-Kaichou-san! N-No I don’t want my studies to be endangered! I-I was just heading back to the academy right now.”

“Ara, that’s good. May I walk with you?” she asked; face reverting to her calm, pleasant poise she took up when around others. Such a nervous boy. How did you capture Natsuki’s heart? Her thoughts were only slightly gleened with bitterness, not touching the surface that was her mark. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tate mumble an affirmative and step toward her.

Side by side, they walked toward the academy. Shizuru found that in that amount of time, Tate’s demeanor was far different from his usual one. Now, walking with her, there was none of the casualty he possessed. He was tense, jerky, and stumbling over his words. If he found her so forbidding, how did he fair with Natsuki who was more aggressive than Shizuru? Then again, Natsuki did not have the stoic, and sometimes even cynical, edge to her gaze that Shizuru had; just one more thing that set her and Natsuki apart.

“Tell me Tate-san, are you nervous around me?”

This made him stop abruptly, brown eyes swerving to look at her in surprise. Such a direct question, he couldn’t seem to answer her for a moment and Shizuru watched, the pleasantness dissipating from her smile. It wasn’t surprising that he was shocked. Shizuru was not known for her direct personality. No, she preferred to evade, keeping people teetering on the edge, to watch them sway as her words delivered a circle of bewilderment. She would never deliver a clear answer, always speaking in riddles. What does one do when the riddles are pushed aside and there’s an almost cold candidness in them?

“N-No, Kaichou-san. Why would you think such a thing?” Tate finally answered, brow creasing.

“You stuttered,” she rasped softly.

He bit his lip and shook his head, trying to brush aside the feelings of anxiety that pooled at the pit of his stomach with this woman’s gaze. Steeling himself, he said, “I’m not nervous around you Kaichou-san. What reason would I have to be?”

Her eyes flashed at this and her hands twitched, disrupting the neat fold she had placed them in. What reason? Oh you have much reason to be nervous around me boy. She bit her tongue, and then continued, “Hm, that is true.”

Tate began to smile, and then shifted to start walking back to the school again.

“But…”

He paused, looking at her inquisitively.

Her smile was intact once more, her eyes softer and curious. When she spoke once more, she nearly drawled the words out, betraying the blow they had within.

“Are you nervous around Natsuki?”

“Kuga?” he said, blinking as a single eyebrow arched, his face puzzled. His brown eyes flickered, not able to quite comprehend the weight of her question. Before he could answer though, before he could begin to at least unravel the mystery beneath her tone, Shizuru spoke.

“Interesting. You call Natsuki by her last name and yet you’ve seemed to have no qualms about addressing Tokiha-san by her first name,” she stated, looking somewhere between pleased and intrigued.

Tate jerked at this, the anxiety returning to him as sweat collected on his skin once more. His face flushed again and his throat seemed to clog. His eyes widened by a fraction, breathing picking up. Why did she point that out? It was true though. He called Mai by her first name, but he rarely, if ever, referred to Natsuki by hers. It was easier to just say Kuga, keep the slightest of distances with them by that formality. With it, he could keep her affections at bay. He had long since accepted that she felt that way, but it was not in his interest to return them. Swallowing, his thoughts raced and he made a vain attempt to direct the attention away from him, retaliating at the woman with anxious words, “Well Kaichou-san you…. You seem to have no qualms about addressing Kuga by her first name.”

Something changed in the woman’s eyes. Something about her demeanor took a turn for the worst. His words seem to hit somewhere; he could almost hear the echo of something snapping in his eardrums, the sound of something being broken, shattered, and laid to waste. She sucked in her breath, teeth ever so white, eyes darkening. The russet hues looked first shocked, then angry. Her jaw tightened and her whole body shifted into a defensive, tense position. A quiver laced her spine and when she answered, gone was the reticence from her voice, something akin to resentment coloring her words, “Natsuki and I… I hold her to the utmost regards. We are…”

At this she faltered, struggled with something in the back of her mind and Tate watched this spectacle with growing uncertainty. He’d never seen the Kaichou react in such a way to one’s words, never seen her react with anything close to viciousness in her voice. Yet here she was, battling with herself for a reply. The turmoil in those dark eyes, it shocked him and he spoke without thinking.

“Just friends Kaichou-san?”

Snapping. That was the only word he could think of that described the way Shizuru reacted. Her gaze snapped up, her eyes rounded and her jaw slackened. A shocked, choked gasp emitted from her lips. Her lips moved, but didn’t make a sound as she gaped at the boy. No one has ever… How could he… He has no right to… How…

She was acutely aware of the burning feeling behind her eyes, of the pricking at her lashes and the strong urge that began to pound her heart. She was aware of the blood roaring in her eardrums and the accelerated beating within her ribcage. She was aware of the way her breath hitched, the way her throat sporadically jumped. She was aware that her mask began falling apart.

“How… How could you… Do you even know…? What makes you think you have the courage to say such words?!” she spat, eyes smoldering with an anger inconclusive. Her body shivered, muscles unwinding as the ferocity of her fury took its hold on her.

Tate stepped back, face surprised. He’d never seen this side of the Kaichou. To be frank, he’d never even thought the Kaichou possessed a side like this. She was always so calm, so composed. So stoic. Emotion wasn’t something he affiliated her with. He fought to speak, to will away her anger, “Kaichou-san… You… I didn’t mean any offense.”

“Offense?” she laughed, taking him by surprise once more. Her laughter was hollow, ringing in his ears with the clarity of empty bells. She made an astounded murmur at the back of her throat, chuckling without humor. When her bitter mirth died away, she faced him again and rasped, “Offended me? You think you’ve offended me? You, a bumbling boy who meddles in the affairs of others when it is not his right? Oh Tate-san, you are mistaken. You have not offended me. No, you’ve done far worse. You’ve taken something from me that I…. Natsuki, she… Oh how she loves you so…”

She trailed off, a wistful look glazing her eyes and dolor washing away the anger and bitterness. She sobered, shoulders slumping. She turned her back on him, facing the forest. Tate watched as he found himself, for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, without words.

A resentful remark, a biting tone.

“Do you find it funny Tate-san?”

“What?” he asked, jolting. What crazy thing did this woman wish to accuse him of now? He was still reeling from her last words, the injustice eating at his pride.

“Do you find it funny? Do you laugh? Do you find some sick pleasure in toying with Natsuki?”

“Toying with her?!” he shouted, disbelief all over his face.

Shizuru looked back at him and the anger that had left was once more brimming on her face. Her teeth gritted together, her brow creasing together as she hissed, “Yes toying! Do you find it funny? Do you enjoy holding her feelings over her head? Do you enjoy making her dream of a future with you that will never come because you are so blatantly infatuated with Tokiha-san? Do you enjoy giving her false hope?!”

The gravity around them, the burden of their words, his and hers; it confused him. The emotion painted on her face, the anger so wrought and sharp. Her gaze, dark and discrepant, challenged him to speak again. They burned at him, taunted him with resentment so deep that it made him bristle.

“Answer me,” her voice was unimaginably soft as she said this, “Do you enjoy it?”

He lashed out, taking a step toward her as he snarled, “I don’t toy with Kuga! I never have and never will!”

“Foolish boy, you’re completely blind!” she yelled, russet eyes boiling with the depth of her anger.

Before either of them could retaliate, before they could collide in their clash, something changed in the atmosphere.

A reckoning, a rumble in the ground; the pavement beneath their feet shook and groaned and they paused. Confusion swirled in both their eyes as she glanced around, searching for the source of the noise. The grounds were eerily empty and a restless wind blew at their faces. Tate’s frown grew and he felt his muscles gradually stilling. Shizuru’s face slipped back into its mask, cracks that had appeared fixing themselves.

“What’s that?” Tate whispered as he edged nearer to the Kaichou, a sense of duty and heroism overtaking the anger he’d felt for her before.

Shizuru shook her head, eyebrows gently knitting as she tried to locate the sound. It came again, this time with a louder groan and she tensed. Tate moved beside her, closer to her. She didn’t have much time to mull over his instinctive heroic behavior. The sound was getting louder. Both held their breath in, watching. Their eyes trained to a point forward in the path. A sound similar to growling, cracking alerted them. Something was coming their way.

The ground split apart.

Shizuru and Tate gasped, reeling back as a shrieking lit the air. Their gazes took in the sight of splitting cement and earth as a shadow shot from the ground. A wail pierced the sky as fangs gleamed in the light of day, several amber eyes staring at them.

“What is that?!” Shizuru cried, heart ramming against her sternum.

“I don’t know but I don’t want to find out!” Tate yelled.

He didn’t wait for a reply from the woman, hand reaching out and grabbing her. He pulled her to him and turned, yelling at her to run.

The creature screamed, snapping its head to watch them race away. Its golden gaze gleamed with hostility as a forked tongue slipped from its black jaws. With another shrill cry, it surged forward.

“Fuck!” Tate cursed as he swerved in another direction, harshly pulling Shizuru along with him. Hot breath passed his nape and he shivered as he realized the beast had just missed them.

An astonished roar echoed from behind them as the beast slammed its head into the ground. It reared back, screaming as its long, thin head shook from side to side. Angered, the serpent-shaped monster turned to them.

Shizuru froze in a mixture of horror and awe as those amber eyes fixated on her. They glared, feral and hungry. Her breath halted, her eyes widened. Those eyes, they radiated power, strength. A snap of those jaws would crush them.

What are you?

“Is this thing an Orphan?” Tate growled from beside her, pulling her away discreetly as he trembled with adrenaline.

Orphan? Is that what you are? Are you one of them?

The beast stared for a moment’s breath longer. It slowly recoiled, neck tensing, preparing itself. Black lips pulled back and fangs glistened. Its face twisted in rage. The air stilled around them, waiting.

Then it struck.

Both a roar and a scream rang loudly in the air.

“NATSUKI!”

For the first time in her life, she felt fear.

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Wolf: DONE DONE DONE DONE! Happy happy joy joy! I hope that made at least some of your hearts pound. xD I know mine did up to this point.

Again, an apology for the wait, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter: Review please?