A/N: Set a few months after the carnival.
DISCLAIMER: once again, inspired by Nick Joaquin's works, particularly Candido's Apocalypse. Mai hime belongs to sunrise.
VENUS THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
Chapter 1: Heaven's Fury
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Large chunks of nimbus clouds, united by their desire to precipitate, loomed over the busy streets like shadows upon the heavens. A voice boomed through the old man's radio: 'Mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers through the capital…' The traffic light turned green and the voice of the weather reporter drowned in a sea of noises that ensued from wave after wave of faceless souls. The cars hummed loudly as they hurriedly zoomed through the streets.
Shizuru sat inside a quaint café near the university, watching the tides of nameless faces come and go. The steam from her cup of coffee rose up in the air and formed patterns that looked like woman's unruly hair entangled in bat wings.
'Omen?' She looked outside the glass windows. The bat wings swirled around her, flapping as they fell on her face. It was morning. And yet the sun was nowhere to be seen. The supposedly bright blue heavens were tinted with a dark shade of blue.
'Dark blue…ara...her favorite color…' She smiled sadly at the skies.
Her thoughts were disturbed by a buzzing sound that came from her pocket. She sighed in annoyance and then took her black celphone out of her purple trench coat's pocket.
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"Hello? This is Fujino Shizuru speaking." She said before taking a sip from the steaming cup in her hand.
"Kaichou-sama?"
"Who is this?" She asked in curiosity. It was a familiar high-pitched voice.
"T-this is…um…this is Mai Tokiha. Do you remember me?"
"Tokiha-san! It's nice to hear from you again." She placed the cup down on the round table before her. "So, how are you?"
"I'm fine kaichou-san."
"That's good to know." She said with a wry smile on her face.
"Yeah…" Mai's voice fell flat.
"Is something troubling you?" She asked as she took another sup of hot coffee in preparation for the incoming bad news. She knew that uncomfortable silences signified grave problems.
"Ah…well…Kaichou-san…I-it's about Natsuki." She replied nervously.
"What about her?" Shizuru asked. 'Dark blue girl…I lost you long ago…are you back to haunt me again?' She began to play with the silver spoon on the table.
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"S-she's missing."
VROOOM!!! Thunder broke through the heavens.
Clink! She dropped the spoon on the café's marble floors. "What?"
"It's been two days now. She's been acting weird….um…saying things one isn't supposed to say to other people."
"Such as?" She did not pick it up. She wanted to…but she did not have the strength.
"Um…things that she isn't even supposed to know about, Kaichou-sama." Mai explained; her uneasiness evident in her voice. 'Tell her about Beku-sensei!' Someone from the other line chimed in.
"Is that Harada-san?" Shizuru asked.
"H-hai. Um, Kaichou-sama, can I give your number to Fumi-san? She really needs to talk to you about Natsuki."
"Alright." She replied without even thinking.
"Arigato Kaichou-sama. I have to go now. Be well, alright?"
"Take care Tokiha-san."
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BEEP. She slipped the little device back into her trench coat's pocket and stared at the tea; not realizing that the bat wings were on her back now.
Outside, the heavens poured their sorrows on the thirsty pavements. The tides nameless faces rushed through the streets; turning into a raging wave of hats, hoods, and umbrellas. Outside, the sea of noises drowned into the cries of heaven; by the music that the raindrops created as they melted into the pavement: turning the asphalt into obsidian.
"Natsuki…" She closed her eyes and fought back the tears while the bat wings grew larger and larger, embracing her. While the strands of unruly hair spilled from her cup and floated high above her.
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'Omen.'
.
Click.
"Fujino-san?"
"Hai, Fumi-san." Her voice calm voice echoed through her room, disturbing the sacred silence that lingered in the moist evening air. The rain pitter-pattered on the tall sliding glass windows in front of her. To her right, the lamp flickered dangerously; the dying light reflected in the crimson of her eyes.
"Thank goodness. We're very sorry to disturb you but you're our only contact to Kuga-san."
"She has a father, Fumi-san."
"Yes but the number listed in her bio data is no longer working."
"What is the matter with Natsuki?" Her lecture notes were scattered on her table. She tried to 'read' Natsuki out of her mind. But her presence, even the mere thought of her, was too powerful and too beautiful to be washed away by tedious notes on philosophy and politics. So glanced at the mess on the table. 'I'll fix those later…'
"Um…it would be better if you could come over to Fuuka, Fujino-san."
"Ara…but I am quite busy with my majors, Fumi-san." Shizuru's brow creased in displeasure. 'Ara…you are going to make me go to Fuuka just for a simple talk? How very insensitive.'
"Very well. We shall discuss the issue over the phone then."
"Thank you for your kind consideration."
The rain grew stronger. The pitter-pattering on her windows turned into tap dancing.
"Two days ago, Kuga-san came to class. She entered the room in a strange manner. She kept covering her eyes with her handkerchief albeit her constant bumps and slips. When she sat down on the chair she kept staring at the floor. Are you still there Fujino-san?"
"Yes Fumi-san. Please continue." She sat down on her study table and took out a black ball pen from one of the drawers.
"Naturally, her math teacher, Beku-kun, called her attention. Kuga-san stood up from her seat and stared at Beku-kun with a horrified look on her face and said 'sensei! It's opening - Your rose bud!'
"Rose bud?" She began to search for something to write on. 'A paper…a notebook…anythi- Ara! scratch paper.' She scribbled 'Rose bud' on the center of the paper and wrote the name of the dark-blue girl underneath it.
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Rose Bud.
Natsuki Kuga.
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"Hemorrhoid, Fujino-san. Kuga was referring to Beku-kun's hemorrhoid. So we took Kuga-san to the guidance councilor, Himegawa-san. When she entered Himegawa-san's room, Natsuki refused to sit near the councilor. When Himegawa-san asked why, Kuga-san replied with another question that was…well an unwelcome query."
"What was it, Fumi-san?" She began to draw a chibi Natsuki.
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"She asked Himegawa san if 'it still hurts'. Himegawa –san asked what it was that Kuga-san referred to and Kuga-san said that she was asking about her breasts."
"Ara…"
"Himegawa-san is a breast-cancer survivor and she had both of her bosoms removed four years ago."
"How did Natsuki…How did she know of this?" She added a little rose bud on Natsuki's hand.
"We do not know, Fujino-san. But we have a hypothesis."
"Ara. May I know what it is, Fumi-san?"
"Kuga-san's attendance records have always been bad. And many of the teachers insist that they now know where Kuga-san goes to whenever she is absent."
"Fumi-san. It is not in Natsuki's nature to spy on people." She remarked coldly, spitting the word 'NOT' out with venom.
"Then how did she know of all these private issues?"
"I do not have a proper explanation yet, Fumi-san. But I assure you that Natsuki did not spy on any of your teachers."
"I find it hard to believe to, Fujino-san. But…the absences…and then all these sudden outbursts of hidden knowledge! well it just fits together perfectly." Fumi-explained in an apologetic tone.
"I see…when I see her, I shall talk to her, Fumi-san." She wanted to be alone. Completely. Secluded from the world or from any other phone calls.
"You mean you don't know where she is?"
"I know nothing of her whereabouts since I left for college." Shizuru replied with a frown.
"She has been missing ever since this bizarre incident occurred. No one knows where she went, Fujino-san. We were hoping that you knew about her whereabouts since you were her closest friend."
"I will try to find her, Fumi-san, and when I find her, I'll talk to her."
"Thank you very much, Fujino-san. I hope that you succeed. I'm sorry for taking up too much of your time."
"It's alright, Fumi-san. Good day."
BEEP. She slammed the celphone into the wood of her study table in frustration.
Outside, the weather reports boomed through the neighbors' television sets.
'Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers through the capital.' She groaned as she covered her eyes with her hands. Salty badges of distress sipped through the slits of her fingers like rain.
She threw herself unto her bed and wept furiously.
"Natsuki…" She whispered into the air; praying that the wind may carry to Natsuki.
"My Natsuki…" She cried out. The fury of the heavens grew stronger. But the tempest that raged within her heart was far stronger and if it were unleashed upon the earth – Kami! It would drown the whole planet.
"What are you running away from now?" Such a tempest it was! and she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift back towards memory lane where Natsuki waited for her with a cocky smile. The walls of the room melted away to reveal the flowery gardens of Fuuka where they first met. 'Shizuru!' Natsuki would greet her – Ah! That husky voice! Sweeter than angel's song to her ears! – And they would lie down on the grass and allow time to pass them by like the flowers waiting for spring.
The dying ember, the sole source of light in the darkness of her room, flickered continuously. And she dreamt of Natsuki - dear, dear Natsuki. They were driving through the streets of Fuuka when suddenly the blue heavens turned black! The sun melted away – leaving specks of golden paint on the heavens! And she was no longer seated on Natsuki's Ducati. She was standing in the middle of the churchs – now barely a ruin! Now an unholy placed plagued by horrible memories! 'SHIZURU!' A gurgled scream. She looked back and there was Natsuki – Drowning in a torrent of blood.
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Hemorrhoids (AmE), haemorrhoids (BrE), emerods, or piles are swelling and inflammation of veins in the rectum and anus.