After-School Secrets

"After-School Secrets" (ヒミツの放課後？) is the second episode of the anime series My-HiME.

Plot
In the Fuka Academy Student Council room, Haruka Suzushiro is furiously questioning Mai about her sudden appearance in the courtyard in the aftermath of the ship accident, scolding her for improper behavior, including bringing "dangerous objects" (Mikoto's sword, which is standing in a corner in the same room) to school. The interrogation goes nowhere, as Mai herself does not know anything. Reito Kanzaki, the Student Council Vice-President, tries to defuse the situation by offering the girls tea. Yuuichi announces Takumi's arrival, and the brother and sister are reunited in a hug. Haruka is confused, and President Shizuru Fujino, herself relaxed as ever, calms Haruka down.

Mai immediately develops a dislike for Haruka, while Yuuichi explains the functions of the Student Council, as well as Haruka's and his own place in it. He also says that Mikoto is recovering in the health center. Like the last time, Mai and Yuuichi end up infuriated with each other.

As the next lesson begins, the Tokihas introduce themselves to their respective classes, and Mai notices, much to her dismay, that she is in the same class as Yuuichi. After the lesson, Chie Harada and Aoi Senou ask Mai to join them at lunch, and while there, they introduce themselves.

In the Executive Council room, Haruka and Yukino Kikukawa thrudge through newspapers, investigating last night's ship accident and Mai's appearance. Haruka decides that Mai is hiding something, and, determined to punish her, orders Yukino to report any suspicious details to her.

Mai, meanwhile, returns to the circle she awakened in, which is now surrounded by a fence. Chie tells her that several other unexplained mysteries have occurred around the school before. Before she can elaborate further, Mai is distracted by spotting the long-haired girl from the ship accident, who is now wearing Fuka uniform and whom Chie identifies as Natsuki Kuga. Chie says that she rarely comes here, and Mai, realizing what Natsuki is up to, runs to the health center &mdash; only to find out, together with the school nurse Yoko Sagisawa, that Mikoto is gone.

Natsuki converses with one of the teachers, Kaiji Sakomizu, who is tending to a flower bed, from behind a tree. There is apparently more to Kaiji than meets the eye: he is part of a secret organization, and has known all along that Mikoto was not the only HiME heading for Fuka Academy that day. Meanwhile, Mikoto, running through the school yard on all fours, catches the smell of food, which turns out to be curry bread belonging to a kendo practitioner. Inside, the kendo club captain, Masashi Takeda, looks through the name tablets hanging on a wall, among which is Yuuichi Tate's name, written in a different color.

Mikoto steals the curry bread and takes a bite, but finds it too spicy and screams. She then runs wildly through the yard on all fours, knocking down and frightening Nao Yuuki on the way; Mai spots her and starts a chase.

At the local (Christian) church, the kendo practitioners confess to Sister Yukariko Sanada, describing Mikoto as a devil disguised as a black cat. Yukariko tells them to knell before God and pray, dismissing the vision as influence of their "overwhelming youth".

Meanwhile, Mai's classmates notice that she is missing. By that time, Mai has lost Mikoto. She finds a beautiful garden, where a girl in a wheelchair (Mashiro Kazahana) is smelling the flowers. Mai, confused, asks her if she has seen anything pass by; Mashiro, in turn, asks her maid, Fumi Himeno, who believes she has seen a cat, and directs Mai in the way "it" went. After Mai leaves, Nagi tells Mashiro and Fumi that she is "the latest HiME", but her powers have not yet fully awakened.

Mikoto finally finds a fountain and drinks from it, relieving her pain. Spotting Mai, she angrily knocks her down, but then recognizes and glomps her. Mai takes Mikoto to her dormitory apartment and cooks her noodle soup, which Mikoto finds delicious.

As Mai still has not returned to school, Takumi runs to find her. Back at Mai's apartment, Mikoto shows her a pendant and explains that she is searching for her "big brother", then jumps out of the window and runs away.

In the forest, standing on top of a tree, Nagi watches the sunset. A big clock on the library floor rings. Takumi is in the forest looking for his sister, with a strange creature (an Orphan) following him. Mai, meanwhile, is running through the forest looking for Mikoto, and encounters Natsuki on a motorcycle. Natsuki is surprised to see her alive, but as Nagi appears, she becomes alert and materializes a pistol. Nagi tells them that something terrible is about to happen, and as proof, drops the empty pill box that Takumi has thrown away.

Takumi is still being chased by the orphan. Mai stands in front of Natsuki's motorcycle to prevent her from getting away, and after she refuses to move away, Natsuki tells her to get on the motorcycle, much to her surprise.

By that point, the Orphan has chased Takumi into a cave with a sword stuck in a wall at one point, signifying a seal. The Orphan, formerly ghostly, transforms into a large insectoid monster, and Takumi collapses from exhaustion. Mai and Natsuki arrive; the former runs to her brother, while the latter summons Duran, who starts fighting the Orphan. Mai remembers her dying mother, and suddenly her powers manifest: a ring of fire appears around her, transforming into a beam that reaches the sky, alerting Mikoto to their location. Nagi, Mashiro and Fumi also watch from afar, and Mashiro lowers her head sadly. Semi-unconscious, Mai starts dancing in the flames, her eyes closed...