A/N: I know I know, should be writing more for the other stories but to be honest I really wanted to post this story as well. I started writing a story similar when I was 15 but lost it on the PC and thought I'd try to recreate it but with ShizNat instead. I hope you like it and please review it too- it would do my confidence the whole world of good. Any questions please either review or PM me.
Muchos erm... love-ios?
Tiny xxx
Oh and it starts off in 1985 but goes to present day soon enough!
Chapter 1- Spitting out the Demons.
Fuuka Docks 1985.
At the docks of Fuuka on the stroke of midnight, not a soul was about and the eerie sound of the soft pads of paws on the ground was the only thing heard as a wolf with midnight-coloured fur and sparkling emerald green eyes emerged from the shadows. The wolf raised its muzzle and sniffed the cold air- finding it too sweet and sickly for its liking- its ears raised to attention as it retreated back into the shadows. The wolf looked around the area, to its right a red and black spider crawled down from the metal cargo container and landed next to the wolf before suddenly growing in size and transforming into a naked, red-haired young woman with lime green eyes. The young woman- Nao- rolled her eyes as she bent down to the bag beside her full of clothes before pulling on a form fitting t-shirt and leather trousers.
"You transform back too Mutt… You know I hate trying to read that thick mind of yours." Nao turned around and reached down into the bag again and pulled out her companion's clothes before throwing them down onto the ground in front of the wolf. The wolf sat on its hind legs before growing in size, transforming into an equally young woman of pale alabaster skin, dark hair with a face of utter beauty- she was even more beautiful than the redhead.
"You'd think 345 years of this would give me time to get used to this whole 'being stark naked when we change back' thing. Nao where's my coat?" The dark-haired woman grumbled in a low and quiet voice as she tried to keep quiet as she muttered a quick 'Thanks' as Nao handed her a leather overcoat and her prized possession- a black, blue and silver katana.
"Cram it Natsuki. Why did you have to volunteer our team to go hunt? Not only that but you left Chie and Aoi behind when you know they could help us." Nao folded her arms across her chest as the older girl slung the sword belt across her body and laughed quietly- flashing pearly white teeth.
"Did you ever think maybe I just wanted to spend some quality time with you Nao? Plus I gave those two the night off, Chie hurt herself last night and Aoi would be off her game if she came with us." Natsuki ignored the scoff coming from the younger girl. "Where are the others?" Natsuki scanned the area, she knew their younglings were close by as the smell of cinnamon whirled through her nostrils as it mixed in with the sickly sweet smell of their opponents.
"I told them to hang back in the shadows and await your orders. Holy fucking Christ I hate the smell of Angels… takes me a week to wash it off after a kill." Nao grimaced. To an Angel, Demons smelt greatly of fire and brimstone due to the fact they lived underground most of the time. Demons to others of their kind smelt similar to cinnamon and Angels smelt sweetly and sickly which was unpleasant for their counterparts. Right now, to Nao the air smelt sweet but it was rather faint as of yet.
"Are you forgetting that it's me who smells it first and has to deal with it ten times more strongly than you? Stupid spider."
"Slobbering mutt."
Natsuki sniffed the air again and grimaced. The rebel group of Angels were closer now than they had been and Natsuki figured that they had caught the scent of Demons near to the newly created portal. For three weeks now, since the finding of yet another portal into the Demon world, a group of Angels had been ambushing those emerging from the depths and as more than a dozen Demons (thankfully all of lower rank) had disappeared- Natsuki had ordered nightly patrols and the immediate death of any Angel in a five mile radius from the portal. "They are getting close. Tell Daisuke to fly up ahead and send me a whistle when he has them in sight then get Shiori, Kensei and Takeshi to go around and set up a perimeter with you. Send the other three my way. Go."
Nao nodded as she ran back. Usually, in any other circumstances she would rather have chewed her own head off rather than listen to an order from Natsuki- however Natsuki Kruger was no ordinary Demon. The dark haired Demon was the adoptive daughter of Sergey Wang, the Demon Lord, and the heir to the Demon throne. Also she was one of the most powerful, the scariest and the strongest of all the Demons in Hell… she also happened to be Nao's creator establishing one of the strongest bonds between a set of friends known to existence. They argued like an old married couple for sure, but who didn't?
When Natsuki saw the shape of a bat fly overhead with the shadows of three Demon younglings she breathed a sigh of relief. For most of the seven younglings it was the first or the second time out on patrol since their creation a month ago and all of them felt honoured and privileged to serve alongside their future ruler. Natsuki's ears perked up as she heard the ultrasonic whistle emitted from the youngest of the bunch as he landed behind the cargo container and emerged fully dressed next to his leader. "My Lady, there are thirteen of them, eight of them appear to be newly awakened by their wings but one of them has a strange aura about them. I think I've sensed it before but I can't be sure."
"That's good, Nao and I will go after the 5 mature ones whilst you seven deal with the others first. What I want you to do is lure them in by attacking the fresh ones first. You and Kaori will go up front first of all and kill a couple of them as quickly as you can… you'll have my scent on you to draw in the others if you wear this." Natsuki began to unbutton her overcoat and she instructed Daisuke to do the same and instead put her one on- whilst putting Daisuke's on. She felt bad knowing what could potentially happen to the younger man but he had already proved himself to be quite the fighter and if all went according to plan, the Angels would catch her scent off of Daisuke and chase after him back to Natsuki and Nao with the others.
"Remember to aim for their hearts or their head and don't under any circumstances let them touch you with their feathers. Not even Youko will be able to help you then." Natsuki looked around for Kaori who nodded as she had already heard the plan and with Daisuke the two younglings set off. Even from their distance with her canine-like senses, Natsuki could hear the screams and the sounds of the fight going on- she hoped that the screams were coming from their adversaries rather than their own. A few minutes later and she saw the young man running towards her coated with blood, some of it his own as the closer he got, Natsuki could see the young man was missing his left arm and yet it was only he that returned. Natsuki resisted the urge to berate the younger man for tearing up her coat, however she was more interested in where Kaori was and so once he had limped back down beside her Natsuki soon heard her answer… much to her displeasure.
"They had split into groups, we managed to get three of them but then one of the more mature ones sneaked up behind Kaori. They split her into pieces and I narrowly missed being torn up myself." Daisuke gritted his teeth in pain- the wound would heal over eventually even without any medical attention and yet the arm would never grow back- thus rendering his flying ability as a bat useless and him redundant! He had hoped that the news that they got one more than originally intended would please his leader and yet the ever scowling Natsuki's frown only got deeper. She didn't like losing anyone on her team, feeling each loss like a limb being torn off and yet the young man had done well so she patted him on the back in reassurance.
"Go to Nao, tell her they are on their way and there's ten left, five of them are mature ones so we'll see who can get the most out of us. Leave the younger ones to you lot." Natsuki unsheathed her sword in a quick and sweeping motion- she didn't usually use it, but if she needed to she could transform just as easily and still be just as deadly. As the Angels made their way through, the two most senior Demons easily singled out the more mature ones and the younglings ferociously attacked the newly awakened Angels. At the end of it, two of the younglings were dead, three injured with all the Angels- bar one mature one- destroyed. Where are you? Why can't I smell you? Natsuki looked around the area, trying to hear for any movement and cursing the fact that even though her senses were unparalleled in her human form- her canine form was so much better.
"Nao go with the others to the portal, get the injured to Youko and Irina. I'll deal with the other one wherever it is."
Nao scoffed as she slung one on the arms of one of the injured around her shoulders. "Yeah sure, you win this time but the next hunt I'll win." And with the others limping or aiding those in pain, Nao left Natsuki alone… if anyone could deal with a mature Angel singlehandedly it was Natsuki. Natsuki closed her eyes as she felt the convulsion before the transformation, her fingernails soon turned into sharp claws, her arms coated in a midnight blue-tinged fur and soon the young woman was on all fours. Natsuki turned her nose into the air and took in a deep breath- the sweet tinge to the air that she had smelt before was amplified once more and only now could Natsuki get a clear heading. Found you! The smell was from about a mile away so the young wolf began to run. Natsuki running on two legs was incredible but running on four? It was an impressive sight to witness.
I can tell what Daisuke had said about the strange aura… it's not as strong as a normal Angel. Natsuki's thoughts were racing as she kicked up dust behind her however as she neared the final corner she skidded to a halt. Natsuki narrowed her emerald green orbs as she tried to make out the figure in the dark and noticing that it was female who had long hair tied into a messy and spikey ponytail. It can't be her can it? The wolf mentally cursed as she saw the Angel turn around and stare at the wolf in anger before a beautiful and pure white set of wings shot out from her back. What the Hell is Midori doing… she's going to attack? She can't tell it's me? Youko's going to rip me to shreds for this. As Midori began to head straight for the Demon, Natsuki met the Angel head on and in a split second- the two clashed and Natsuki mentally screamed as she felt the sharp jolt of pain spread across her shoulder and down her back as she landed on the corner of one of Midori's wings. Natsuki snarled though the pain as by using one of her powerful paws; she forcefully hit the side of Midori's head and released Midori's hold on her as the woman fell to the floor unconscious. Natsuki fell to the ground as the pain became too much. Under any other circumstances, a mere pinprick of an Angel's wing on Demon skin would emit enough poison to kill even an experienced Demon like Nao or Chie in a matter of a few minutes- Natsuki however was different and no matter how many tests there were to explain why the Angel's poison never killed her… there were only ever more questions than answers. Natsuki took a deep breath before transforming back to her human self and moaned as she saw the silver liquid emitting from the very large open wound starting at the top of her shoulder and running down to her lower back. Natsuki took a look at the unconscious Angel beside her and- whilst trying to be careful not to touch the wings anymore than she already had- she ripped off the woman's jacket and jeans before sliding them over her body. The clothes were very loose and there was a chance that she was going to smell like an Angel for the next week. Can I make it to Youko if I try transporting from here? Natsuki closed her eyes and concentrated- her mind forming a picture of where she wanted to go to.
The brunette doctor tapped a vial of blood with a fingernail when suddenly she heard a crash of instruments coming from behind her and she turned around to see her friend and the heir to the throne, Natsuki, collapsed in a heap on the floor.
"Oh my… Natsuki what the hell happened?" Youko picked the young girl up and placed her on the gurney by the counter as she examined the wound- groaning as she took back her silver-liquid stained hand. "You're supposed to stay away from the wings Natsuki… not throw yourself on them." Youko huffed, annoyed that the young girl never really took care of herself and after knowing each other for more than three centuries- patching the Demon heiress up was getting rather tiring.
"Tate, get your ass in here now and bring Irina with you." Youko rinsed a cloth under the tap before dabbing it on the girl's pale skin and wiping away the Angelic poison- pleased with the fact that the wound across her shoulder was already healing. A split second later an orange-haired, handsome young man with sideburns rushed into the room accompanied by the youngest bespectacled apprentice.
"You called boss? Whoa is that Natsuki-oujo-sama?" Irina ran up to the unconscious older woman and inspected the wound also.
"Yeah, dived head-first into a vat of Angel poison from the looks of it. She's got one, two…three broken ribs as well… silly girl. Right, Tate-kun goes and gets Sergey-sama… Irina you go find Nao and bring that scrawny behind of hers here as well. She's got explaining to do." The coral coloured haired girl nodded and ran out of the room following Tate. "What am I going to do with you Natsuki?"
A few minutes later the red haired woman came running into the medical lab- the young girl was unusually flustered. "Holy shit Natsuki you idiot." Nao closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair as on the other side of the gurney in a fountain of flames- a blond haired man with a large scar cutting through his eyebrows appeared and everyone (sans Natsuki) fell on bended knee out of respect. Nao's breathing became shallower as she fought with all her might to resist trembling with fear at the sight of the imposing man in front of her. Sergey bent down and kissed his daughter on the forehead after taking a look at her wounds.
"Yuuki-san… care to tell me why my precious daughter is lying on this gurney and yet you are unscathed?" Sergey took his eyes off of Natsuki and glared up at the young girl- his eyes burning with rage.
"Natsuki-oujo-sama sent me back with the wounded. She told me she would handle the last Angel my Lord."
"Yuuki-san, you are expendable… you are a pest that I should have killed all those years ago and if it wasn't for Natsuki I would have wasted no time breaking that neck of yours. Natsuki is my only daughter Yuuki-san and you have risked her life in the field of battle too many times." Nao could feel herself begin to crumble inside from Sergey's harsh words. For nearly 300 years every time Natsuki had risked her life in the pursuit of eradicating every Angel in existence and had ended up on the brink of death- it always got Nao in trouble. For 300 years Nao was sworn to loyalty to Natsuki as her best friend, her comrade and usually as the person that if Natsuki was in serious danger- Nao was meant to take whatever hit was aimed for the heir to the throne. It was tough, considering how ridiculously proud Natsuki was… and so damn stubborn and bone idle at times. Nao hung her head "My deepest apologies my Lord. Do with me what you will." She muttered in a small and quivering voice.
Sergey stood up a little straighter and folded his arms across his chest- proud that he was still as fearful as ever. "The next hunt is yours- they are bound to send out more Angels for you to redeem yourself. Your business is finished here so you can leave." Sergey watched as the young, small girl nodded her head and skulked out of the lab with her tail between her legs… so to speak. The fire-coloured eyes softened to a hazel colour as he turned to the young doctor who looked deeply troubled. "There's something on your mind Youko… you can tell me- especially if it regards my daughter." He said calmly and softly with a small reassuring smile.
"Don't… don't you think that maybe you were a bit too hard on Nao-chan? She transported here carrying some of the injured at Natsuki's orders… knowing full well how that could have damaged her."
Sergey smiled and nodded "Perhaps. She is too much of a free spirit and she needs to fear and hate something other than her own immortality."
"Natsuki may be the one carrying the wounds but Nao-chan feels the pain. She never wanted this life Sergey… strictly speaking none of us did." Youko looked at the girl lying down in front of her "The only reason Natsuki thinks she wanted this life is because we made her think so. If she knew differently what would happen if she decided to go down the other path?"
Sergey clenched his fists in anger at the thought- sometimes Youko was a bit too frank with her words- however if it had of been anyone else they would soon find themselves torn to shreds. "The old magic works wonders Youko. Magic even older than you or I but Natsuki knew what she wanted back then. Even if she didn't fully comprehend it at the time I saw what was in her heart. I saw and felt the pain… I was there and she needed my help." Sergey stroked Natsuki's black locks of hair from her face- marvelling at how beautiful his daughter actually was. "This is the best path for her. This way she has all the power she could possibly want and she never needs to know."
"Those powers will wake and take hold of her eventually Sergey and you know that too. Not even the old magic could completely exterminate them. When they do what will you do?"
"If they do then I'll have no choice but to do what should have been done the moment she was born." Sergey closed his eyes as he could feel the anger of his words coming from the doctor. If I can't have you then no-one will… Natsuki.
"You don't mean that do you? She's your daughter. You would kill your own daughter out of fear?" When Youko got no reply but a solemn look from the Demon Lord she shook her head out of disgust- what had been said sent shivers down her spine. "You may want to take her to her room- these wounds will take a couple of days to heal I expect. I'll meet you up there." Youko said as she carefully placed the jacket back onto Natsuki's wounded shoulder.
Sergey gave the doctor a nod as she picked up his daughter and flamed out of the room leaving a scorch mark on the floor- causing Youko to frown. The scorch marks were a pain and a hassle to clean- especially on the tiles of the lab's floor- and due to Natsuki's frequent visits to the medical labs- it was perfectly natural for the girl's father to pay her a visit.
In just a matter of seconds, the usually dark room was awash with a bright orange light as Sergey with Natsuki in his arms flamed into the room and the worried father placed his sleeping daughter on her king-sized bed- careful not to aggravate the wounds that were already starting to heal. Ten minutes later Youko appeared with a medical kit in hand and she placed it at the end of the bed before moving up to remove the bloodstained jacket. This jacket… why does it look so familiar? It doesn't belong to Natsuki and I've seen it before. Could it be hers? Youko tried to shake the thought from her head as she focused on the job at hand and she turned her head to Sergey who was invading her personal space. "Sergey, could you please and I mean this in the nicest way possible… but could you back off please? I'm just about to undress and examine your daughter so…" Youko gestured with a nod of her head to the door- the door that he wouldn't use- and his eyes widened and nodded.
"Ah, excuse me… please do your best. I'll leave it to you as always. Thank you Youko."
With a final curt nod and a small bow in response from Youko, Sergey exited the room in flames. Youko rolled her eyes- the Demon Lord was a scary and intimidating man to pretty much everyone he ruled over- Youko however had been his personal physician for more centuries than Youko cared to admit. She had been there to tend to his wounds from the very beginning, she patched him up after his victory in the fight for his throne and she took care of Sergey's most precious commodity… his adopted daughter Natsuki. The brown-haired doctor removed the jacket and turned to place it on the chair behind her- however as she turned around a hand caught her throat and threw her into the wall behind her. Youko raised herself up on all fours before resting a hand on her aching throat and she was shocked to discover Natsuki standing beside the bed… bare-chested and positively furious.
"Natsuki… why…" Natsuki didn't even let the doctor finish her question as in a flash; the dark-haired Demon princess had crossed over to Youko's side of the room and dragged the doctor to her feet using one hand around Youko's neck. "Explain… why is it that Midori didn't recognise me so she attacked me and would she be behind the recent killings?"
Youko frowned in confusion so Midori was there? "Natsuki… please… pl…put something on to cover yourself up." Youko watched as Natsuki's brow furrowed in confusion as her emerald eyes glanced down to her exposed chest and the young girl quickly removed her hand from Youko's neck to try and cover herself up.
"Are you even going to answer me?"
"I don't know why…" Youko coughed to try and clear her throat- the young Demon heiress' grip was extraordinarily strong even in her current condition "… I don't know why Midori was there Natsuki. You smell differently so that possibly threw her off. You even smell different to us remember?"
"I was wearing Dai's coat… he wore mine so our scents were mixed- no wonder they got confused." Natsuki gritted her teeth as a sharp jolt of pain shot through her shoulder "Midori's half Angel… the poison should be half as potent right?"
"That's the theory."
"Yeah well, regardless of whether she's your friend or not… I'm going to kick her ass the next time I get my hands on her."
Youko's eyes widened in horror as Natsuki suddenly clutched at her chest and fainted on the floor with a loud thump before Youko managed to stop her from hitting the ground harder. Youko resisted the urge to leave her where she landed after the harsh words said about Midori and yet she knew that if she did- precious brownie points would vanish at a blink of an eye with Sergey. The blue-eyed doctor huffed before picking Natsuki up, placing her back on the bed and putting one of the many discarded tank-tops on her before covering her up. She noticed that the area around where her heart was still and unbeaten for centuries was unusually hot and scarred- which remained a complete mystery to the young girl as to why that happened. It had happened before, a very long time ago and left Youko with many questions what to what started it and how come only Natsuki was affected. She'll be down for a while after that, her cut's opened up again and she's not got her strength back yet. I should get back to the lab. Youko grabbed her kit, headed out the door and shut the door behind her where she was promptly met- and startled by- a disgruntled and flustered Tate.
"Tate-kun?"
"An Angel found her way through the portal; she was in the labs, Irina's unconscious and Nao-san's there fighting her off."
Youko's eyes widened in horror and she began to run as quickly as she could back to the lab. Fortunately and rather conveniently, Natsuki's room complex was situated fairly close so the two got there rather quickly. Quickly enough to witness Nao begin her transformation and Midori take a fighting stance. On one cheek, a thin line of silver Angelic blood trickled down Midori's face and Youko spotted a large bruise around her secret lover's eye running down her jaw.
"NAO… stop this at once and don't you even DARE transform here. Midori relax your stance NOW and calm down" Youko tried not to look as lime-green eyes stared at her in confusion before reluctantly retracting her poisonous fangs and instead stared in amazement at the brunette doctor who calmly walked across to where the red-haired Angel stood.
"Youko… you know this thing?" Nao spat as her original amazement transformed into anger. Youko stared at the floor before meeting the younger girl's accusatory gaze. "I do know her and I know that she won't hurt you Nao."
Nao snorted "I seriously doubt that. Your friend here practically ripped my head off at the first opportunity she had. Fucking animal." Nao turned around just as Youko had to physically restrain Midori.
"Me an animal? I'm not the one who transforms into a spider now am I you bug?"
"Spider's are arachnids… not bugs." And Demons are supposedly the brainless ones. Nao muttered to herself before turning back around once Youko had got Midori settled and calm- apparently the woman's temper was as fiery as her hair! "Youko, this thing is the one that attacked Natsuki… do you honestly think I'm not going to want to bash her head in?"
"It was self-defence… we were scouting the area for the rebels when some of your Demons attacked us. The rest pursued them into a slaughter. I saw my guys die so it was only natural for me to get upset over it but I never meant for Natsuki-chan to get hurt- I didn't realise it was her until it was too late. She was already gone so I came here to see if she was alright." Midori hung her head in shame over what had happened earlier on- once she came round after being knocked unconscious she placed the familiar smell of Natsuki. Underneath that strong layer of fire and brimstone was the scent of something unusual… it was an outdoorsy type smell that wasn't too displeasing and more bearable than the usual Demonic smell which after decades of being with Youko she had learnt to endure!
"Oh come on don't tell me… you were scouts? Not the ones we were looking for?" Nao couldn't get her head around it.
"The Demon killings have affected us too you know… the Archangel's concerned. Her position at the moment is frail enough and if these rebel Angels aren't dealt with soon the situation would only be exacerbated. Who knows what could happen." Nao hummed in agreement- despite being an Angel- Midori did talk some sense. Some sense though!
"How do you know Natsuki? How could you know her long enough to use 'chan' anyway? How in Hell did an Angel get through undetected by the others?"
"Natsuki and I met a decade ago when she caught me here with Youko. She told us to end it and nearly killed me when I refused but somehow… she went along with it. Also, I'm only half-Angel and so my aura is different and weaker than most. As you can see I'm wearing some of your youngling's cast-offs as Natsuki-chan stole my clothes when she knocked me out… with a single hit." Midori rolled her eyes, rubbing the still sore spot on the side of her face and trying not to wipe the smug smile off of the young Demon's face.
"A single hit? You're lucky Natsuki-san didn't damage anything but your pride Midori." Youko bumped into Midori's shoulder and flashed her sly grin.
"How is Natsuki anyway Doc?" Nao bit the inside of her cheek and jumped up to sit on the gurney which she soon realised had splashes of blood and the poisonous silver liquid. As she grimaced she hoped back down and alternatively leaned against the wall.
"She'll be alright Nao. She heals faster than the rest of us so she'll be up in a couple of days only to get injured again when she insists on supervising another hunt." Youko said as she tried to ignore the huff coming from her lover- it was easy to forget that the two of them were on opposite sides of the spectrum. Every time a Demon was killed by an Angel, Youko was angry when she next saw Midori and vice versa- however they both conceded to the fact that the wickedness went both ways and those good Demons did exist as did evil Angels
"Whatever, technically thanks to you Midori I have to go out on patrol again- for the fourth time this week- so I'm going to get as much sleep as I can… what with Aoi and Chie's room being right next to mine!" Youko sniggered as Midori cocked a brow in confusion- clearly missing an inside joke- as Nao walked out the room.
"Clearly I'm missing something here right?"
"Yeah you kinda have to know Aoi and Chie to get it… more accurately though would be to hear them!" Youko raised her eyebrows suggestively and Midori clued on instantly- her grin widening. "Gotcha now! You Demons… you really are animals aren't you?"
"Hell yeah my little slice of heaven." Youko winked as she pulled Midori closer to her for a kiss.
"You know that was incredibly corny right? Ah I don't care it's been too long… kiss me." And Youko was only too happy to oblige.
Tokyo, Fuji Television, same time.
It had been a long day- a very long day- and unfortunately it still wasn't entirely over for the young Executive Shizuru Fujino as once again she found herself gazing up at the clock on the other side of her office. There was only ten minutes left of her typical working day and yet the thought of going home after work wasn't as appealing as it should have been. The house would be empty… void of life which greatly reflected its owner. Shizuru closed her entrancing crimson eyes as she rested back into her chair and not even the rapid knocks on her office door caused her to stir- she knew full well who it was and there shouldn't have been anyone else in the offices that late after all. Only one employee stayed behind.
"Come in Ms Maria." The blonde woman of about thirty years old walked quietly into the centre of the office and sighed as she saw her young boss on the verge of falling asleep at her desk- not that she could really blame her. Shizuru Fujino was well known for her incredible work ethic and her ability to only run on a few hours sleep and still function to the highest standard. "Fujino-san may I suggest that perhaps you go home already as it's just gone midnight? Even better why don't you take some time off and recuperate? You are human not a machine."
Shizuru chuckled slightly and opened her eyes "Human Ms Maria? Are you so sure about that?" To many of those in her department, Shizuru was a machine who plugged away with unparalleled efficiency and with few faults. To Ms Maria however Shizuru was special- a child both blessed and cursed by God for one certain feature. One that only she knew of and was sworn to secrecy to not reveal.
"I suppose the way I put it was slightly inaccurate- however you look as much a human as I do especially when tired and so I feel a short holiday would be a good idea. Go back to Kyoto and get some much needed and deserved rest perhaps?"
Shizuru shook her head as she straightened up in her chair and rested her elbows on her desk "I know I should but no, no thank you I can't take a break so close to the auditions- I'm needed here all through next week. Although I guess I could leave a bit earlier tonight. Thank you Ms Maria for staying with me yet again." Shizuru stood up at her desk and began to tidy up her desk- placing certain items into her leather bag. "Would you care to walk with me?"
The older woman gave a quick nod and despite the feeling of victory as her boss had actually relented and taken her advice- Ms Maria's face was as stoic and stern as ever. The two women exited the office with Ms Maria by Shizuru's side, the younger looking one had always liked the saying "Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." despite the difference in position between them, the two women were good friends and held each other in high regard.
"Out of curiosity, how is Yukariko these days? I haven't heard from her since her return." Shizuru asked as the thought popped up in her head as the two stepped out of the elevator. A ride mired by silence.
"Yukariko has been missing the children at the orphanage a great deal since she got back. She is well though thank you for asking." Shizuru smiled, yet she knew in her heart that something wasn't quite right and she was certain that her friend had picked up on it- hence the uncomfortable atmosphere.
"You feel it too… don't you?" Shizuru asked timidly and she knew from the look on Ms Maria's face as they made their way out of the building.
"I do… Shizuru-san." Ms Maria stopped in her tracks as the doors of the building drew ever closer and in the pit of her stomach the sense of unease became stronger "I feel it in my stomach that once you go through those doors something may happen but I know that I am powerless to stop it."
Shizuru nodded and reassuringly touched Ms Maria's shoulder "You know that I'll be fine and you know what to do should anything actually happen. It'll be okay in the end." The older woman nodded and even showed the hint of a smile which was reciprocated before Shizuru took a deep breath and pushed the double doors open out into the street. There was hardly anyone walking the street which was unusual and undeniably unsettling for the young executive despite the time of day- the streets were usually still busy even at this time of night. Shizuru's crimson eyes scanned the area for any suspicious looking people and tried to smell the air and found the faint trace of the Angel's smell. Come on. Where are you? Just do it already. Shizuru turned around to see Ms Maria still standing in the atrium of the building, however from the corner of her eye she could see a small child running towards her.
"Oneesama Oneesama, please come… please help!"
Shizuru kneeled down beside the chid and could see in the little light there was that on the little girl's forehead there was a trickle of blood and her clothes were torn in places "What happened to you?"
"My mama's hurt, our car hit a lamppost please come save her she's trapped." The young girl tugged Shizuru's hand and even for a small child she was strong as she dragged Shizuru behind her- not even waiting for an answer. Shizuru ran with the girl's hand clutching her own as they ran around corners and down streets where they eventually came to a halt but found no car but a tall dark haired man instead.
"Well done Hoshi-chan. You can go back to your mama now." The man smiled at the younger girl who released Shizuru's hand and ran past the man whose face was hidden. "Shizuru Fujino- you weren't as difficult to find as I had anticipated."
"I wasn't aware that I was in hiding. Will you tell me your name Angel-san?" Shizuru stood a little straighter- she was annoyed that she had been so easily fooled into lowering her defence by a little girl but she was impressed.
"Since you're going to die I don't see why not. Daichi is my name and I ask you to forgive me for what I am about to do." Out of respect for the woman in front of him, the young Angel bowed his head and remembered the words spoken to him.
The woman you are about to kill is worth more than a thousand of you. So respect her. Then kill her.
Out of respect Daichi pulled down the scarf that covered his face and moved closer to the brunette- his hand poised and ready to kill. Even though he was one of the more powerful Angels, Daichi had gone down a different route and instead of filling a more fulfilling role within the executive board; he had chosen the darker route of prostituting his powers- killing anyone who paid the right price "As ordered I must ask if you have any last requests Fujino-sama."
"Please make it quick. I thank you for the respect you have shown me and sincerely hope that killing me grants you everything you desire." Shizuru bowed her head and closed her eyes as she waited with baited breath for her death to come.
Natsuki… I see you.
Whilst Shizuru could feel the burning and excruciating pain of the flames inside her mind- literally burning her from the inside- Ms Maria ran as she mentally chanted for help. Oh guardians I beg you… come now please and rescue her before it's too late. Ms Maria had managed to catch up after a while of searching and when she got to the empty road she saw as Shizuru's body collapsed onto a heap on the floor with her killer spreading his large white but tainted wings and disappearing into the heavens.
"Shizuru-san!" Maria ran to the still and unmoving body and crouched down beside it. "Oh Shizuru." The older woman gently closed her boss' eyelids, closing her own as the tears fell down her face. She was so focused on her grief that she hardly noticed the two bright lights from behind her and soon she was joined by two other women- one blonde with amethyst coloured eyes and the other with messy brown hair and upside down glasses.
"Who are you?" she asked as the women knelt down- one of each side of Shizuru's body.
"You called for us remember? My name is Haruka Suzushiro and she's Yukino Kikukawa. We are Shizuru's guardian angels… and you might want to stand back. We have some work to do."