It's been awhile since I've last written a songfic, but the moment I heard this song, I just knew I had to write a fic about it. The song used in this story is called "Cactus in the Valley" by Lights, and in my opinion, it's the best song off her new album Siberia. The song gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it, and all I could think about when listening to it was Zakuro singing it to Minto about how even though she can be cruel to her sometimes, in the end, she wouldn't be able to go on without Minto's love.
This is a Zakumint, so for those who don't like yuri, just leave now.
I hope you awesome people (who like Zakumint) enjoy my story! I had lots of fun writing it! :)
"You're going to be performing a concert, Zakuro-san?"
The addressed celebrity looked up from the magazine she was reading to view her red haired leader that had asked the question, curiosity within the catgirl's eyes. Zakuro figured that a lot of people at Ichigo's school must've been talking about it, and that's how Ichigo found out.
"Yes," Zakuro confirmed. "In a month."
"Really? That soon?" Ichigo questioned. Zakuro raised an eyebrow at her. "I-I mean, you know, shouldn't you have given your fans… more notice about this beforehand? People are going to be in such a rush to buy tickets."
"It's not going to be a huge concert," Zakuro shrugged, placing her magazine on the table as she crossed her leg over the other gracefully. "Big concerts are a pain anyway, which is why I'm only holding a small one this time. Probably for no more than 3000 people."
"That's… small?"
Zakuro nodded as if it were obvious. "This concert is merely to promote my upcoming CD—"
"KYAAA!"
All heads were turned towards Minto as she quickly set her teacup down and rushed over to where her idol was, pushing Ichigo out of the way so she could be standing right in front of the purple haired model.
"You're going to be releasing a new CD?" Minto asked enthusiastically, losing herself to her fangirlism.
Zakuro chuckled slightly. She couldn't deny how adorable Minto sometimes got when she was adoring her. "Yes."
The birdgirl squealed in delight, the blissful noise attracting Lettuce and Pudding towards them to join in on the conversation.
"Why is Minto so cheerful, na no da?" Pudding asked, bouncing around the excited raven haired girl.
"Did something happen?" Lettuce wondered aloud, her gaze switching between the faces of Ichigo, Zakuro and Minto, searching for answers.
"Zakuro-san's releasing a new album," the red haired girl informed her friends, a gentle smirk growing on her face. "Minto practically came in her pants."
Minto ignored her. "This is great news! Amazing news! The BEST news! I've been waiting for this FOREVER!"
"It's only been a year since I released my last one—" Zakuro began to reply.
"And that year of me waiting is finally over!" Minto cut off her idol, a blush blossoming on her face as she grinned down at the wolfgirl. "Thank you, Oneesama, really. You don't even understand how much your music touches me."
Zakuro stared deeply into Minto's chocolate eyes, feeling her heartbeat speed up for just a moment.
"I bet you wish it wasn't just her music that touched you…"
"What was that, Ichigo?" The birdgirl's head sharply turned to glare at her leader.
"Nothing!" Ichigo giggled, taking a step away from her teammate.
"Alright, what's all the yelling about?" Ryou walked through the kitchen doors with Keiichiro following close behind, both of them interested concerning all the commotion that was happening between the waitresses in their café.
"Zakuro-san has a new CD coming out," Lettuce told the boys, her face flushing slightly when Ryou's aquamarine orbs gazed into hers. A smile tugged at the blonde boy's lips.
"Oh really?" He looked down at the wolfgirl. "Congratulations, Zakuro."
Zakuro nodded after Keiichiro had congratulated her as well, her silent way of saying thank you.
"By the way, Zakuro-san," Ichigo started. "Where will you be holding your concert?"
"Whoa, wait, what?" Minto asked frantically, a big smile stretching across her face instantaneously. "You're having a concert, too?"
Zakuro reasoned that her fan must not have been listening in on her and Ichigo's conversation until the word 'CD' popped up. "Yes, I will be, in a month from now. I plan to hold it just across from the café, actually, to advertise it."
"You really are such a kind person, Zakuro-san," Keiichiro stated in his charming way. Zakuro looked up at the brown haired man and almost smiled, but held it back.
Minto was ecstatic. "Can this day possibly get any better?"
"I also have backstage passes for you all," Zakuro announced, reaching into a pocket of her purple uniform.
"I stand corrected," Minto said to herself, feeling lightheaded in fangirl ecstasy.
"Thanks, Zakuro!" The singer's friends' all acknowledged together, each taking a ticket from the purple haired teen. They all shared a glance and assumed that Zakuro was in quite a good mood today, for whatever reason.
Minto was actually able to stay calm long enough to take her ticket last. As she reached her hand over to grab the ticket, her fingertips accidently brushed against Zakuro's hand, causing them both to freeze in place. Their gazes bore into their hands, and then flicked upwards towards the other's eyes at the same. Minto gulped, slowly feeling her legs turn to jell-O as she was trapped within her idol's intense sapphire stare.
Eventually, the birdgirl was able to pull the ticket out of Zakuro's grasp, murmuring a gentle thank you and how much she was looking forward to it.
Flooded by a feeling so overwhelming, Zakuro nodded to her biggest fan and excused herself to the bathroom before her emotions started appearing on her face. She frowned as she stared at herself in the mirror. She knew she had no reason to be so nervous, but she couldn't seem to stop her suddenly rapidly beating heart.
Ichigo, the only one who observed this scene from the corner of her eye, just smiled knowingly.
A month after those events, thousands of fans—a bit more than Zakuro had expected—were waiting excitedly and impatiently for the purple haired model to finally appear on stage. Ichigo, Minto, Lettuce, Pudding, Ryou and Keiichiro were all sitting in the very front row, thanks to the backstage passes Zakuro had bestowed them with. These passes also meant that they could go backstage after the concert was over to talk with Zakuro, and that they would all receive signed copies of her new CD. Just that fact that she would get Zakuro's new album before anyone else did practically made Minto be overcome with joy.
Everyone stood up and began cheering and clapping the moment Zakuro walked on stage holding her acoustic guitar. Zakuro's expression was warm as she waved to her fans and asked how they were doing, causing Ichigo to chuckle.
"She's like a completely different person on stage!" Ichigo yelled into Minto's ear so that the raven haired girl could hear her over the thousands of screaming fans.
"Oneesama's just amazing like that!" Minto yelled back, her sparkling eyes never leaving Zakuro's face.
The wolfgirl didn't waste any more time. After her band appeared behind her, she immediately began singing Don't Cry, the first single off her debut album. All her fans began dancing and singing the words along with her, as they all had memorized the song nearly perfectly.
Minto's chest was warm as Zakuro's beautiful voice filled her ears. She had never been to one of Zakuro's concerts before. Sure, hearing her voice through her stereo was amazing in itself, but now listening to it in person was like listening to the voice of a goddess. Pure, rich, and beautiful in every single way.
The raven haired girl really did love her idol, in every sense of the word. Sometimes—and she knew this—she came off as nothing more than an obsessive fan, but her feelings were completely genuine. Zakuro meant everything to her, and she really hoped Zakuro knew that.
"Alright everyone, I'm going to start playing songs off my new album now. It gets released in a week, so I hope you're all excited for it!" Zakuro flashed a big grin for her fans, causing them all to scream under her leadership. Her face was flushed a bit from singing and dancing.
"I swear, I don't know how she does it," Ichigo murmured to herself. "It's like she's two different people."
Zakuro knew exactly what her fans wanted, and she knew just how to act in front of them to let them have a good time. Everyone was cheering her name and attempted to sing along to her new songs even though they didn't know the words yet. It was a time of peace and happiness, especially for the Mews, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
After Zakuro played a few more songs, she looked behind her and nodded to her band, and soon enough, they all disappeared from the stage. Everyone looked a bit confused, not expected the purple haired girl to end her concert so early.
"Don't worry everyone, I still have a couple more songs to play for you guys before I leave," Zakuro reassured in her fake sweet voice, sitting on a stool and fixing the adjustment of her microphone. "Right now though, I'm going to do something a little different."
Zakuro lost her pop idol mask and everyone noticed, the atmosphere turning a bit thick. Zakuro had that emotionless look on her face that the Mews were all used to seeing, but they were the most confused of all. Minto gazed at her idol in worry, wondering if something had happened.
"Normally, I'm not a fan of cover songs," Zakuro stated in her usual cold voice, making some of her fans shiver. "But in this case, I just had to make one. Never before have I seen myself been so described in a single song."
"Oneesama…" Minto muttered in concern.
"This is one of my favourite songs at the moment," Zakuro continued, strumming a single note on her acoustic guitar she held tightly in her grasp. "It was only released recently, so perhaps many of you won't recognize it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway."
A gentle breeze blew by, drowning out the whispers of the crowd.
"I'm dedicating this song to a friend of mine. Someone who is very… dear to me," Zakuro continued, closing her eyes. "I'm a very independent person. I never thought I would have to rely on anyone else for anything. I don't even think this person knows how much I depend on her to be there for me. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't even be playing for you guys here today.
"I know she cares about me deeply, but I've never been good at voicing my feelings back to her. I didn't want to be overcome with that vulnerability, and because of that, there are times when I'm sure that she's felt like I didn't care about her. So I'd dedicating this song to her to hopefully change that."
"Who is she?" Many of her fans asked her.
Zakuro smiled. "She's in the audience right now. She knows who she is. All I hope is that she can understand my feelings through this song."
The wolfgirl opened her eyelids and let her sapphire gaze linger on Minto for a moment before she tore them away and began playing soothing melodies on her guitar. Soon afterwards, her perfectly shaped lips peeled apart to let loose many verses of gentle lyrics.
"I never meant to wither
I wanted to be tall
Like a fool left the river
And watched my branches fall
Old and thirsty, I longed for the flood
To come back around
To the cactus in the valley
That's about to crumble down
And wipe the mark of sadness from my face
Show me that your love will never change
If my yesterday is a disgrace
Tell me that you still recall my name"
Zakuro had always been alone. Ever since the important man in her life had passed on, she knew she had to be strong. She could not allow herself to become close to someone again in the fear of losing that person, so thus her independence grew. She had no need for family; no need for friends; no need for anyone. She was content to be alone, and she never thought she would ever have to rely on anyone for anything.
But then she met Minto.
"So, the storm finally found me
And left me in the dark
In the cloud around me
I don't know where you are
If this whole world goes up in arms
All I can do is stand
And I won't fight for anyone
Until you move my hand
And wipe the mark of madness from my face
Show me that your love will never change
If my yesterday is a disgrace
Tell me that you still recall my name"
At first, Zakuro didn't know what to do. Minto was always around to ask her about her day or offer her tea, and this frightened the wolfgirl. So, in her protection, Zakuro usually ignored the raven haired girl. It would be better for both of them that way. The model could accept the fact that Minto was her friend, but she wouldn't allow them to become close. She absolutely could not allow someone to break down her walls. She built them around her heart for a reason.
But eventually, Zakuro got used to the sound of Minto saying good morning to her the moment she entered the café. She was accustomed to how Minto would hold out a chair for her and then pour her some tea. All the little things Minto would do everyday to prove how much she loved her was something Zakuro had familiarized herself with. To the point where every time Minto didn't do those things, she became uncomfortable, as if there was something missing in her life.
"In the shadow
Here I am
And I need someone by my side
It becomes so
Hard to stand
And I keep trying to dry my eyes
Come and find me
In the valley"
Sometimes Zakuro was cruel to Minto. There are times when she didn't mean to be, and other times when she did. This cruelty was driven by Zakuro's independence, as she didn't know how to deal with Minto wanting to be such a huge part of her life. So she tried to push the birdgirl away to protect herself, to show the birdgirl how to fly using her own wings.
At least, that's what Zakuro thought at first. Eventually, she realized that the reason she tried to push Minto away was because she was afraid of hurting her. Minto was innocent and pure; the holy light that shone down upon her. She couldn't taint that beautiful girl with the anxiety of her own feelings.
Yet Minto loved her, despite how cruel she was. No matter how much Zakuro tried to push her away, Minto would always come back to prove to the older girl that her love was something that couldn't be broken.
And eventually, Zakuro began to rely on this love. Zakuro was surrounded by darkness, but she knew Minto's light would always be her guide. She was always alone, but after meeting Minto, Zakuro didn't want to be alone anymore. When Zakuro was sad, she always kept the emotions inside, but she knew that if she ever let tears fall, Minto would be there to wipe them away.
Zakuro never thought she would have to rely on anyone for anything. But Minto's love was something she desperately needed. If Minto ever stopped loving her, she feared all her strength would leave her until her existence was meaningless.
"And wipe the mark of sadness from my face
Show me that your love will never change
If my yesterday is a disgrace
Tell me that you still recall my name
And wipe the mark of madness from my face
Show me that your love will never change
If my yesterday is a disgrace
Tell me that you still recall my name"
Fans in the crowd cheered wildly as Zakuro finished her cover song, touched deeply by its meaning. The Mews, Ryou, and Keiichiro were cheering the loudest, proud of their friend and how much she opened up. Ichigo had a pleasant smile of understanding on her expression, tears in her eyes.
Zakuro found that she couldn't look Minto in the eyes after she had finished her song, and it's because of this that she didn't notice that Minto was crying.
The concert had finished only minutes ago. Zakuro was backstage, sitting on a chair as she put her acoustic guitar back in its case. She was alone, her eyes glazed over as she remembered about the way her feelings practically poured out of her as she sang her cover song. She had opened herself up to everyone and left everything she was on the table. But did Minto catch the meaning of her song? If not, then this concert was useless. It never really was to promote her new CD—she didn't give two shits about that—she just knew that she could never tell Minto about her feelings, so singing something to her was the only way.
If Minto didn't get it, then maybe the wolfgirl should just give up on trying to admit to Minto that she needed her in her life.
But then, thanks to her sharp wolf senses, she picked up on the sound of the door closing behind her. She stood up and turned around, just to have her breathing halt for a moment at seeing Minto standing in front of the door, her eyes covered by her bangs.
Zakuro's orbs softened, feeling a strange nervousness build in her chest. "Minto… I…"
Without a word, the birdgirl rushed up to her idol and wrapped her arms around her waist. She buried her head in the older girl's chest and began sobbing shamelessly, holding Zakuro so tightly as if she meant everything in the world to her.
Caught off guard, Zakuro blushed; she felt her heartbeat accelerate. "Minto… what's wrong?"
"N-Never… i-it's… it's never going to happen!" Minto sobbed, soaking Zakuro's shirt.
"… What?" Zakuro murmured unsurely.
Minto looked up at her idol, tears streaming down her face. "M-My love for Oneesama will never change! Ever! You're my everything… I promise that I will never stop loving you!"
Zakuro froze, Minto's words sinking deep into her soul. She could feel all the walls around her heart crumble down in an instant.
"You know that I really mean it when I say it, right?" Minto continued in a choked voice. "I really, really love you, Oneesama. I'll always be here for you."
And there it was. One little tear. The first one Zakuro had cried in over two years. It slid from her eye without warning, and Minto leaned up to kiss it away before it dripped from her chin.
That was the last reassurance Zakuro needed. She wrapped her arms around Minto's form and held her body tightly against hers, yearning for every ounce of warmth the smaller girl could give her. "Thank you," Zakuro whispered, kissing Minto atop her head, feeling truly content for the first time in years.
"You're welcome, Oneesama," Minto replied, finally gaining control of her voice again. A smile grew on her flushed face. "By the way… that song was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."
"I'm glad you think so," Zakuro said, gazing gently down at the birdgirl in her arms. "I didn't put it on my new album though. Sorry about that."
Minto shook her head. "I'm thankful for that, actually," Minto remarked, earning a slightly confused look from sapphire eyes. "I would be annoyed if everyone else was able to listen to your version of that song all the time. This way… it can be our song. Something that we'll be able to share forever."
Zakuro smiled warmly and nodded. She couldn't agree more.
Minto's blush brightened. "… Can you sing that song for me again sometime?"
Zakuro ran her fingers through Minto's raven hair before placing a tender kiss upon her forehead, establishing a gentle sigh from the younger girl.
"Whenever you want me to."
I enjoyed writing this story very much, and surprisingly, I finished it quite quickly. Normally it takes me forever to even write a oneshot, but I had so much motication to write this that I got it done in 2 days or so :) I hope you all enjoyed this. Writing about Minto being an obsessive fangirl is just so amusing xD
Anyways, as an ending note, if you guys haven't heard the song "Cactus in the Valley" yet by Lights, you should totally go listen to it. Amazing and touching song-Lights herself even said that it's one of the best songs she's ever written.
Please review guys, it makes my day! :)