Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from Mai Hime Destiny, they are all the property of the creators. For those unaware, Destiny is a new series of light novels being released in Japan featuring an alternate version of the original Hime series.

Mai Hime Destiny

Rumors

Mayo Kagura paused at the cafeteria door, then with a determined step went inside, well aware of the stares that the golden handcuffs she always wore drew. That, along with her red hair and being a new transfer, meant she was drawing looks from many of her classmates.

"Mayo," a familiar voice called out and she turned, glad to see a friendly face in the crowded room. Chie Harada waved her arm while Aoi Senou beamed cheerfully, both young women sitting at a table with two open seats. With a sigh of relief Mayo made her way over to their table once she collected her meal.

"How are you coping?" Aoi asked, the dark brown haired girl nodding politely to the cuffs Mayo wore.

"I'm getting used to them," Mayo admitted, setting her tray down carefully.

The cuffs were just one of the mysteries that Mayo was dealing with. She still didn't remember who had put them on her and worse, they didn't seem to be removable by normal means. Even Shizuru's incredible sword had been unable to cut them! Speaking of Shizuru and lingering mysteries...

"Ah, Chie?" Mayo started.

"Yes?" Chie replied, the black haired young woman smiling back as she casually pushed up her glasses.

"You seem to know about a lot of things at the school," Mayo said as she carefully spooned up some soup.

Aoi smiled proudly, "If you want to know about anything, ask Chie."

"All right," Mayo said, "with all the fighting between factions here at Fuka, what started the feud between Natsuki and Shizuru?"

"Huh," Chie looked at her thoughtfully. "Well," she smiled slightly, "I can understand you wanting to know, since they both want you in their groups."

"Yeah," Mayo agreed a bit glumly.

Shortly after arriving at Fuka Mayo had found herself in the middle of a battle between a yakuza boss' army and Shizuru Fujino, in which Shizuru had won rather impressively. She also appreciated Mayo's help in a manner that still made her blush a bit at Shizuru's charming manner. However, shortly after that Mayo had her first encounter with the equally impressive Natsuki Kuga, who seemed to assume that Mayo would be joining her side.

"The problem is," Chie admitted, "there's no real hard evidence on why they're rivals. At least, not that I've heard."

"Tho there are those stories," Aoi suggested brightly.

"Yeah, but they're not very reliable," Chie frowned.

Mayo hesitated a moment then said, "I think anything would help."

"Well," Aoi looked thoughtful a moment, "one of the stories is..."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"No, it can't be!" Natsuki Kuga declared, the dark blue haired woman gazing at the paper in her hands in shock.

Delivered directly from Natsuki's honored mother's hand it was filled with shocking news, something she could not accept. She cast it aside, pacing the condo, then hurried outside into the sunlight. Fuka academy was beautiful this time of year, but the intense young woman blotted it out as she strode across the campus to the familiar garden they had met in so often.

As always, Shizuru Fujino made a striking figure in her black school uniform, her long mane of brown hair blowing in the breeze. "Natsuki?" Shizuru looked up as she heard her near, tears glimmering in the other woman's eyes as she stood in the fields of green grass they both knew so well.

Natsuki gulped, "You got a letter too?"

"From my father, delivered to my apartment this morning. Our families are at war," Shizuru confirmed, her expression bleak.

"My mother insists that I break it off with you," Natsuki muttered angrily, "or I risk being disinherited..." She shook herself angrily as she bust out, "Shizuru, we must fight this!"

"It's not that simple," Shizuru said with deep regret in her voice, "the dispute has become a matter of family honor."

"What do you mean?" Natsuki narrowed her eyes, "You would choose your family's honor over our love?"

"I am a Fujino," Shizuru said softly, pain evident in her voice as she said brokenly, "I have no choice."

Natsuki looked at her with a expression of shock and pain. "You're giving up our love," she managed to whisper, "because your family commanded it?"

"Natsuki...," Shizuru reached out a hand, tears glimmering in her eyes.

"No," Natsuki moved away, shaking her head in disbelief. She strode across the garden then stopped, turning to look at Shizuru with love and pain in her eyes. "Fine," she shouted, "we'll follow the demands of family, and I won't forget how you chose." A pause and she added with a mix of regret and anger, "Shizuru Fujino, I will defeat you."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"You know," Mayo said after a moment's consideration, "I think I've heard the same story in a samurai drama."

"Hey," Aoi pouted cutely.

"That is one of the rumors going around," Chie noted wryly. She took a sip of her drink, "It's especially popular among the ShizNat fans."

"They have a nickname for the pairing?" Mayo sweatdropped.

"There's that," Aoi said perkily, "and YukiHaru, NatsNao and..."

"Anyway," Chie said, deciding not to let Aoi continue to reveal how much of a yuri fan girl she was, "there's another popular rumor too."

"Oh?" Mayo asked, despite feeling roughly certain it wasn't going to be any more true than the first one.

"Well," Chie dropped her voice, "it goes something like this..."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Humming to herself happily Shizuru carried the bag of groceries, already planning out the night. 'First I'll make soup and mayonnaise sandwiches for my Natsuki,' she mused, 'then we'll go to bed early.' A smirk, 'And I bought extra mayonnaise for Natsuki's favorite game.'

While originally a bit creeped out by Natsuki's fetish for licking mayonnaise off her body, Shizuru had eventually warmed to the idea. Natsuki was very thorough in getting all the stuff off, and her enthusiasm was more than a bit infectious.

'I wonder if I should get Natsuki to switch to the diet brand?' Shizuru mused as she used her spare key to unlock the door to Natsuki's apartment.

"Oh my god..." the moaning cry echoed through the suite, thankfully covering up the sound of Shizuru's entrance.

Shizuru froze, her eyes widening. Carefully she set the bags down in the front hallway, then with a unusual feeling of dread advanced into the untidy as usual apartment. The floor was covered with the usual lingerie and empty soup containers, but this time there seemed to be something off.

'Those panties, that bra,' Shizuru's expert eyes quickly assessed, 'they're the wrong style and color for Natsuki.' Dread slowly turning to anger Shizuru walked over to the partially open bedroom door, peeking inside only to freeze in shock.

Nao Yuuki, a much younger redhead lay sprawled on the bed, her head thrown back as she moaned sexily. Her small but pert breasts were covered in a layer of mayonnaise that Natsuki was carefully licking up.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru gasped.

"Shizuru?!" Natsuki's face jerked up, a bit of mayonnaise stuck to her nose.

"Eeek," Nao squealed, grabbing for a sheet to cover her naked form.

"You're not supposed to be home..." Natsuki managed weakly.

"And," Shizuru pointed, "that was the GOOD mayonnaise you were saving for a special occasion! Natsuki, how could you!"

"Ah," still keeping the sheet wrapped around her Nao tried to scuttle towards the door, "I think I'd best be going now." A pause, "Can I borrow your shower to get the rest of this mayonnaise off of me?"

Shizuru seemed to shimmer with fury, "Natsuki..."

"Uh oh," Natsuki scrambled off the bed.

"Aaaahhh!" from out of nowhere Shizuru drew her katana, charging to where Natsuki had been laying and slashing the bedding to ribbons.

"She's pissed," Nao noted.

"You think?" Natsuki asked her bed mate sarcastically.

"Natsuki," Shizuru sheathed her sword, her eyes burning with a dangerous light, "I offered you my love, devotion and vintage mayonnaise, and this is how you repay me?"

"Vintage mayonnaise?" Nao repeated.

"Shhh!" Natsuki hushed her.

"We are finished," Shizuru said as she turned to walk away, "and from this day forth, you can consider yourself my enemy, Kuga."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Mayo had a faintly stunned look on her face. "Mayonnaise fetish?" she blinked.

"That's the rumor," Chie shrugged eloquently.

Aoi paused, "Spread by Nao, if that means anything."

"And is either story true?" Mayo pressed.

"Probably not," Chie conceded.

May sighed, thumping her head on the desk.

End

Notes: A short piece written based off summaries of the first two Destiny chapters by Ikka, as well as the recent MakiMaki scanlation of chapter one. This is mostly the product of my rather twisted imagination, rather than anything from the books. lol