"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are."
A/N: Okay, this is my new story. It was supposed to be a complete new story but I had kind of an epiphany and found a way to combine it with my previous. So, for those who have read Takane no Hana and Takane no Hana Aftermaths they can enjoy this one as a sort of sequel and to all those who haven't read my other story, this one is able to stand on its own without having any background-knowledge (although you can always go and read the other stories ;-) ) As I already worked out the story-line, I can at least say that this is going to be huge.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mai HiME. *points at Sunrise*
Chapter 1: What if
- What if you tell a person you don't love them? What if you fail to make it right? What if you don't get a second chance? What if it is final? What if your words were the cause that they ended their life? What if these words have been a lie...? -
It's not your fault they say. It'll get better they say... All of you are just a bunch of liars I say. I am not crazy... That's what I tell myself all the time while shaking back and forth in the sterile white cell. They won't let me follow you. They won't let me get to you... I'm sure they wanna make me pay for all my sins. They keep me here so that I have to suffer the pain of reality and I shall endure that. This is my punishment. I will take that for you... I'd take anything for you... but it won't bring you back to life, right?
"RIGHT? SHIZURUUUU!" The screams were engulfed by the soft walls surrounding the green-eyed girl.
"She's got an attack again. Tranquilize her! Now!" A male voice called.
They're coming... they're coming for me again... with their needles... to get me, Shizuru... to make me forget you... But I won't let them... I won't ever forget about you!
The shaking body soon gave in to the power of the drugs. Two brawny carers grabbed the unconscious girl harshly and hauled her into another room, where she was fixated on a bed. The room was small, consisting of only two windows and a bed. One window was framing the blue sky with a high standing sun and the other one was a one-way glass, showing nothing but the mirror-image of the almost empty room itself.
As soon as the girl awoke, she cried for the carer to shut the blinds.
"She still doesn't want to see the outside world." The blonde doctor said to the visitor on her right, while observing the situation in the room through the other side of the mirror-glass.
"I see. So, she isn't doing any better at all." The girl said in a disappointed voice. The doctor eyed the young girl, who didn't even look like a teenager anymore. It made her sad to see how the worries and sorrow had slowly eaten the girl's youth away. She was only eighteen but already gave away an aura of maturity and seriousness she shouldn't have at that age. The doctor knew the girl for two years now watching her change without being able to help her. The girl didn't seem to care that she was being watched while she stared through the glass at the apathetic raven-haired girl.
"I see. I'll come back tomorrow then. Goodbye, Dr. Tenshii." She eventually said in a monotone voice.
"Nao-san?"
"Yes?" came the obviously surprised response.
"Why don't you put your mind to rest for a while? You don't have to come here every day after work. It's not that you can do anything to help her. Go out, have fun, enjoy your life. At least for once."
The eyes of the green-eyed girl became watery but she wouldn't allow herself to cry.
"That might be the right thing to do... But not for me... My place is here. I cannot be without her." She turned around, leaving the Doctor speechless.
The hospital became silent as most patients were going to sleep after they had taken their evening medication.
Light… Darkness… Light… Darkness… round and round it goes… One, two, one, two… I have stopped counting days long ago anyway… Why do they have to put me in room with a window… I wanna go back to my home… I like the white room with the soft walls… The straps are laced much too tight. I can't feel my fingers anymore. I like the jacket better. But then, I don't really give a shit... It's much too bright in here even with the blinds closed. It must be full-moon...
When the pinioned girl drifted off into a dream-like state, the images crawled into her subconscious mind again. All the memories she had buried deep inside her soul came forth and started to torture her mercilessly. The tears, the pain, the guilt, all the unwanted feelings started to form a nightmarish scenario in front of her inner eye that made her scream without making a single noise. She was struggling so hard that the straps were cutting into the flesh of her arms. Nearly suffocating under the force of her thoughts, she suddenly noticed a silhouette in her field of vision. She didn't know if she was awake or still captured in her nightmare. It didn't matter to her anyway, reality was just as bad and so she didn't care about sleep anymore. Only when the silhouette started talking to her, she became suspicious.
"Long time no see, Natsuki-chan." came the childlike greeting.
She didn't recognize the voice at first. Only when the figure started to move into the moonlit area, Natsuki noticed the silver hair and was now sure that she wasn't awake. Although the pain on her wrists seemed to prove her wrong on that matter, she didn't really believe in what she saw. Light red eyes were looking at her with mischief. Trying to give her words a voice, she opened her dry mouth, but not sound came out.
"You seem quite exhausted." The boy went on. "I've been watching you for a while now. The last few years have changed you a lot but at some point you just stopped existing it seems."
"Nagi..." She mumbled in disbelief.
"I'm so glad Natsuki-chan remembers me." He made a pause to flash an evil grin.
"What do you want?" She said.
"Good thing that you ask. I am here because I have an offer for you."
"Offer?" By now, Natsuki was sure that the drugs had melted her brain completely. The boy kneeled down next to her bed and laid his crossed arms on the edge it to support his chin.
"Ne, Nat-chan. It's been quite a while since the star disappeared. Many things have happened since then. Not all of them good, if I remember correctly." He made a pause and watched the reaction of the fixated girl. Natsuki clenched her fists and shut her eyes in pain, a single tear rolling down her face. "Now now, who would cry over such trivial things?"
"How dare you say..." she screamed.
"Something can be done, you know..." His eyes shone maliciously in the darkness before he went on. "What if it was possible to undo all of it?"
Natsuki just stared at him, unable to say a word. But Nagi figured that he at least made the confused girl curious and waited for her to respond, which she eventually did.
"Undo what?"
He grinned evilly.
"Everything. Your involuntary commitment... The death of your mother... The disappearing of your Child and your Elements... The Carnival... and even Shizuru-san's death..."
"Don't tell me... you can turn back time..."
He laughed.
"No, that I cannot do. But I can create a kind of rearrangement."
"So, the Carnival will start all over again..."
"I guess you can say that... But it's not the Carnival you already lived through. You destroyed the star and broke the cycle. The world I restore will have different rules."
"And why do you tell me out of all people about this? As you can see I am officially nuts."
"Because you choose too. You're sane enough to do what feels right. I need an agreement with at least one of the former princesses otherwise it won't work." Nagi saw that Natsuki became suspicious and tried to laugh the seriousness away. "I always liked your dance and I figured that you might like the idea of starting again after all that happened. Your life has been rather unpleasant and everyone deserves a bit of luck, don't you think?" He shrugged nonchalntly.
The former Ice-HiME wasn't sure what to think of it. She didn't care about anything. Her life was screwed. She could just stay here forever and eventually die. But the idea of living a different life slowly began to sink in.
"What if I take the offer? What will happen to this world? How can I be sure the other world is going to be better?"
"Do you really believe it can be any worse than this one? Just think about it. I won't force an answer from you tonight. I'll give you until tomorrow. But you need to know at least one more thing..." He turned around to face the dim moonlight that was soaking through the blinds. "You'll have to pay the price eventually, Natsuki-chan."
"What does that mean?" she said, her voice full of doubt.
"I can't tell you any more than I already have. It's up to you whether to take my offer or not."
"Something like this can't be real..."
"What if it is true?" He turned around to smile at her once more. "Think about it. I'll come to you tomorrow night to get your answer." The boy said with a voice full of mischief and then as fast as he appeared, he was gone and Nsatsuki was left alone with her thoughts again.
What if...
A/N: And that's it for the first Chapter. I'll try to create a complete new story for the carnival, with different rules and background-stories for the characters and of course in my Mai HiME Universe, Natsuki will be the lead. I hope you liked it so far. Interesting things are going to happen...Reviews are welcomed.