A/N This a short story with snapshots from Shizuru and Natsuki's life. I don't specify how long it's been for each one and some are very simple.
This is something I wrote a few years ago and finally decided to just upload it. I'm considering doing another chapter, but the snapshots won't be in order. If anyone has any suggestions for scenes they'd like to see please let me know!
And as always please read, review, and enjoy!
The sun was slowly fading from the sky. Her head turned down as she peddled harder. Her front light had stopped working and she didn't want to be biking when the sun finally set. Most cars would get dangerously close as it is, she didn't need the added fear that they didn't see her at all. She was looking ahead at the green light. As she entered the intersection she glanced to the side and saw the bright lights of a car heading right toward her. She didn't have a chance to cry out before she was thrown from her seat. Her back hit the ground and she rolled over her shoulder. The world was spinning around her making her nauseas. She felt her helmet strike something hard and it cracked. Her body had stopped moving. Her eyes were staring up at the sky. Lights were flashing across her vision and her head was pounding. She didn't want to move for fear that she'd broken something. Her eyes continued to stair above her. The clouds in the sky were a deep orange from the setting sun. Birds flew above the trees and the wind rustled through the grass.
Natsuki turned her head to the side. Eyes focusing on the green grass that lay to her side. She squinted in confusion at the colour. It was the most vibrant grass she'd ever seen. She saw it sway in the breeze, the light breeze brushing across her face. She slowly rolls over onto her side. Her ribs ache with the movement. She places her hand down to push herself upright but it gives out before she's able to lift her body. Natsuki curls her body around her wrist as she breaths deeply to keep from crying out in pain. After the pain subsides she uses her right hand this time. She can feel her whole body cry out in pain. She felt like one giant bruise. She sat with her legs out in front of her as she kept her left arm close to her chest. She looked around, seeing vibrant green grass. Large trees were surrounding her, their leaves blowing in the winding, creating a calming rustling noise. Her chest began to feel tight; she couldn't understand what had happened. Did she hit her head that hard? Am I in a coma? Her eyes looked downward, she couldn't be in a coma, and everything was so vivid. There was no way…right? The pain she felt was real, so there was no way it was a dream. She pushed herself to her feet. Her head felt light and her body swayed with the movement. The sun was almost completely gone. She could see it disappearing behind large mountains in the distance. Her feet moved forward toward the mountains. She stumbled a bit, her balance still off from her crash. Her eyes were darting from side to side. The sounds of the forest were becoming louder and with the ever-growing shadows, she felt the fear well up within her. She moved her way to a large tree. She sat at the base, back leaning against it, eyes wide staring at the foliage around her. She knew that she shouldn't be wandering around the woods at night. But a part of her still believed that it was just one bad dream and it would all end in the morning. Natsuki continued to star off into the now inky blackness of the night her heart was pounding. She kept picturing large animals leaping out of the shadows and tearing her apart. Her eyes were wide, seeing movement and shapes forming and changing. Her body was cold and she kept her self-tucked in a small ball. Hoping that nothing will come out of the woods and eat her.
She heard the sound of birds chirping and her body felt stiff. She opened her eyes and saw the same bright green grass. She sat up her heart pounding. "This can't be happening" She stands again and begins to move away from her resting place. Her wrist ached worse today. She glanced down at it the skin was red and swollen. Natsuki could only hope it wasn't broken. She started walking she had no idea where she was going. Just that she had to find her way out of this forest. Her clothes were damp with the morning dew, making her feeling sticky and gross. The sun was still rising by the time she reached a small creek carving its way between the trees. She fell to her knees beside the water. She lowered her wrist into the slow-moving water. She hoped it help with the burning that had enveloped her wrist. The water was soothing but didn't stop the pain altogether. The dark haired girls back slumped as she knelt beside the stream, she didn't know how long she was going to be trapped here, but she needed to escape! Her head hung down, body leaning over the stream, she felt overwhelmed, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She swallowed tightly in an effort to reign in her emotions. Now was not the time to break down. 'I'll get out of this!'
With renewed energy Natsuki stood back up she glanced along the stream, but couldn't see much. She decided that she should just follow the flow of the water. So she began her trek downstream.
It'd been a couple hours and Natsuki was exhausted. She hadn't slept well and her wrist seemed to be getting worse. Her body was still sore and her ribs would throb whenever she'd had to push, climb, or duck under obstacles. Her stomach was twisting in hunger and her head began to pound. She'd become so lost in her thought she didn't see the break in the trees or the slope that was right in front of her. Her foot hovered over the steep hill before she pitched forward. Her hands came out to stop herself but she ended up rolling head over heels down the hill into a large field. She lay in the tall grass, tears streaming down her face. "Why!" She cried out. She was about to say something again, until she heard the sound of voices. She sat up her head swam and she swayed before focusing, eyes peering over the grass. She saw what looked like a bunch of tents. The sun was glinting off objects and she could now clearly hear the sound of a large group of people. leaped up and began to run toward the tents. Her feet pounding through the grass and she stumbled along the uneven terrain but she was gaining ground fast.
She was upon the edge of the camp when she realized something wasn't right. It looked like it was from a re-enactment group. There were tents all in a dark brown colour. She could see some horses tied to posts beside certain tents. When she saw the first person, she knew something was wrong. They had large tusks. Their skin was a greyish colour with black hair. They stood well over 6ft. She froze as the creature looked at her. Their black eyes scanned her before moving on. When they passed her she began walking faster hoping to find someone who wasn't dressed up in some realistic monster outfit. But, the more people she saw the more she began to question her own sanity. There were creatures with horns, in varying shades of red. Some with fur covering their bodies. She continued to gawk as she moved deeper and deeper into the maze of tents. When she quite literally walked into someone. She stumbled back, and glanced at the person in front of her. Her eyes grew even larger. They were tall with pale purple scales. Deep red eyes, long tawny hair was pulled back into a loose braid. Her eyes finished their mapping when the creature spoke.
"Who might you be?"
Natsuki felt her mouth drop open in shock. She quickly shook herself out of her speechlessness. "Who am I? Who are you? Or more importantly who are all of you guys?" she goes to gesture with her hand only to cringe in pain from the movement. She tucked her wrist against her chest, holding it with her other hand trying to stop the throbbing. "Did I stumble on a movie set? That must be it. A movie, you're all actors." She chuckled slightly. The dark haired girl felt convinced that it was a movie, but the scaled person in front of her had an eyebrow cocked in confusion.
"My-my I don't believe I know what this 'movie' is: She trailed off. " Her eyes turning toward the mountains in thought before looking back down at Natsuki. "You are not from around here. Please come with me and we can talk about this 'movie'"
She motioned for Natsuki to walk with her and when the dark haired girl moved to walk beside her she began leading them through the maze of tents. Natsuki had a hard time focusing on where they were going. The extras with all their makeup on and costumes were just too distracting. Her head was on a swivel and failed to notice the other woman looking at her with a slight frown on her face.
Natsuki was brought back to the present by the other woman's voice. "Here we are" she pulled aside the tent flap ushering Natsuki inside.
Natsuki stepped in. Her eyes taking in the table in the middle of the room covered in maps. In the far corner was a cot with a small trunk at the base. Natsuki moved over to the table looking down at the maps. She was trying to see the details so she could find out where she is. But, before she could get a close look the scaled woman stepped over and scooped up the maps and began to roll them up. Natsuki glanced up at her, confusion in her eyes.
"Why'd you do that? Were they super-secret props or something?" She asked, eyebrow arched.
"They are not for you to see. Since for all, I know you could be a spy" She took a threatening step toward the dark haired girl her eyes narrowing. "What's your name?"
"Natsuki."
"Well Natsuki, you wouldn't happen to be a spy would you? I'd hate to have to feed you to the wolves."
Natsuki stiffened. The other woman's eyes were glowing red. She felt her breath catch in her throat, heart pounding. "This isn't funny!" She said, getting angry. Natsuki didn't feel that she deserved to be made fun of like this. "Where are the cameras?" She growled out. The other woman growled deep in her throat, taking a step toward her again. Natsuki glared at her and pushed her back. The scaled woman didn't move much, and so Natsuki put more force behind it. Shoving the woman a few feet back. "You don't get to threaten me! I didn't sign up for this. So you can tell me how to get home and I'll leave you and your crazy actor friends to do whatever it is that you're doing". Natsuki was angry; she was tired of people trying to push her around. She was just as strong as miss I'm a scaled lizard person or whatever she could take her.
"I have no idea what you are speaking of. Also, calling someone crazy is not a great way to make friends" She said, her voice calm, but Natsuki can see the tightening in her eyes.
"You don't get to tell me how to treat people Lizard Lady!" Natsuki said, the comment slipping between her lips before she could stop it.
Natsuki watched the other woman's eyes grow wide in surprise, before narrowing again. She leapt at Natsuki with a fist coming straight at her face. Natsuki deflected the punch and came in behind the woman. Right hand sliding around her neck, Natsuki tightened the hold by bringing her left hand around to grab her upper forearm. Natsuki cringed when her hand brushed against her wrist, but she couldn't think about that. She tightened her hold and the other woman brought her hands up to her neck. Natsuki smirked she'd won. Natsuki was too busy gloating to realise that the other woman had gotten a grip and began to hip toss her. She felt the world shift and then landed hard on the ground. Her ribs crying out in agony she'd still not fully healed from her crash and tumble earlier. She closed her eyes, breath sucking in between her teeth violently. Her eyes narrowed, she sat up grabbing hold of the person's leg and sitting up on her legs she thrust her shoulder into their thighs. The other woman crashed to the ground, Natsuki following legs landing on either side of the woman's chest. Natsuki stayed focused, she had learned last time not to get cocky. But she had underestimated her opponent's strength. The other woman grabbed Natsuki's hips and flipped her off. She landed this time with the other woman hovering above her. Natsuki tried to buck her off but was completely trapped. She glared up at the woman above her, green eyes glinting in anger.
"Get off me!" She growled out. Now that her body had stopped moving she felt the throbbing in her wrist more and her ribs were aching from the weight on her. She tried to struggle again, lifting her hips but a sharp pain shot through her chest. She gasped out clenching her eyes shut. The weight above her lifted slightly, still enough to maintain control. Natsuki opened her eyes looking up. She couldn't maintain the glare; her body was too rundown to continue. She let out a breath her body relaxing into the ground. She stared past the woman and up at the tent ceiling. She couldn't believe what was happening. There is no way that this real. Was a woman with purple scales like a snake and red eyes actually pinning her to the ground? But, the lack of a camera crew or any kind of modern technology would suggest that maybe this was real…her thoughts trailed off. It couldn't be real, there is no such thing. But, the ache in her body and the very obviously scaled woman above her was forcing her to consider the possibility that it was.
"You're asking me to move? I don't believe that I will. You are obviously a trained fighter who was sent to gain information." She looked down at the dark haired girl. Her face didn't look angry, in fact her eyes seemed to have softened. But she didn't budge.
Natsuki was confused. "I'm not a spy! I swear."
An eyebrow quirked upwards "how am I supposed to believe you?"
"Because I'm not from here, I don't know how I got here, I swear. If I'd known anything would I have seriously walked in and followed you. I'd be way sneakier than that. You wouldn't have even known I was coming."
The other woman seemed to be contemplating her answer. Natsuki let her head fall back she was so tired. Natsuki started when the weight lifted off her she looked up at the woman who was now standing. She saw the light purple-scaled hand reach down offer her help. She took it, her body being pulled off the ground. The palms felt a bit softer than the outside. Natsuki stared down at the hand in interest before realising what she was doing and quickly pulled back.
"Sorry" She mumbled embarrassed by her actions.
Natsuki looked up at the other woman. The red eyes were watching her closely. "You say you're not from here, but then where are you from?"
Natsuki looked confused. "The U.S…"
The woman cocked her head to the side; she didn't seem to recognize the name. "Hmm…I've never heard of it. I'm only familiar with the one human kingdom of Heldam. Is 'the U.S. an area in Heldam?"
Natsuki stared at her "I've never heard of Heldam." She continued to look at the other woman, confusion clear across her face. "What do you mean, human kingdom…" Natsuki looked up at her hesitantly. She was afraid for the answer. None of this could be real it had to be fake. But the woman's realistic scales and strength would suggest otherwise.
The taller woman stepped closer, leaning in slightly. "The human kingdom. You are in the Kingdom of Monsters right now. Are you all right? Have you been having memory loss recently?"
The concern was written clear across the woman's face. Natsuki shook her head slightly. "I-no I haven't. I mean I crashed my bike after being hit by a car. But, I don't think so…is this real? Am I dead?" She swayed with the realization. Her good hand came up to her head, rubbing her temple, a headache threatened to start. She felt a rough hand take a hold of her arm and lead her to a chair.
"Have a seat." The woman said.
Natsuki sat, her back hunching over. She was so tired, her body hurt and she was in some mythical world. 'I must have hit my head really hard.' She couldn't hold back her exhaustion and pain any longer. She tilted to one side, her world fading. She saw the scaled woman turn to her eyes wide as she reached for her. Natsuki didn't see anything else as the world disappeared from site.
Shizuru sat next to her cot watching the other woman. The dark tresses spilled across the pillow, the bluish black hair contrasting with the whiteness of the cloth. Her eyes trailed over the girls' skin. She had felt it when they had their small skirmish, it was soft and felt delicate. That at any moment it might break.
She continued to stare, her eyes focused on her face. She seemed familiar someway. She doesn't know where she's seen her before, but they must have met. But this girl seems to have no idea about the kingdoms or anything about the world. How had she made it to their camp, where had she come from? The magic was strong in her, she felt it the minute she came upon the young woman. But, it wasn't the usual disjointed magic that many people struggle to contain; it was a calming but strong force that emanated from the girl. She had to tell the General, the girl could be useful, but she needed to have her magic categorized by their acharnist.
Shizuru stood slowly, glancing one last time at the other woman, before striding out of her tent toward the command centre. She had worried that leaving the young woman alone would lead to her sneaking around and discovering some secrets, but she knew there was nothing in her tent that would cause the fall of the war.
She strode to the general's tent. Her eyes focused as she entered spotting the large Orc bent over a table scanning through papers. She cleared her throat. He spun turning toward her. Nodding he motioned for her to come over.
"I've discovered a young woman who I believe has live magic. I believe that she could be an asset if we discover what category of living it is."
The general nodded slowly. "Where is she now?"
"My quarters. She was quite exhausted when I found her. I don't know how long she must have been wondering around the forests." Shizuru hesitated before continuing. "She's a human, I believe that she has some memory loss, she does not recognize the names of any of the kingdoms. I believe it would be beneficial if I was able to remain near her so she has a familiar face." Shizuru stood straight, hands behind her back. She didn't know why she wanted to stay near her, but it was this deep pull in her chest that seemed to be attached to the other woman. She'd never spent much time with humans, only seeing them in battle or in the debates in the Congress of Kingdoms, but up close she was much more interesting than she originally thought. She was lost in thought when she saw the General pacing out of his tent. She turned and followed him through the maze of tents. She saw the off white tent of the Archanist up head. She stiffened; the archanist was an odd man. He made her very uncomfortable, but he was the top archanist of their army and so she had to deal with him more than she'd like.
The general held the tent flap for her while she ducked inside. The small goblin sat at a table; there were all sorts of bottles spread across the desk filled with unknown substance. His greyish skin looking oily in the dim lighting of the tent. Black hair pulled back into a ponytail. His black eyes turned to them as they walked in. He smiled, sharp yellow teeth peaking about between thin lips. "What do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" He asked, his eyes focusing on the tall dragon.
Shizuru felt her body stiffen, his oily gaze staring at her. The General stepped forward "Zebelous, we have someone who we believe has living magic. We need your…expertise in identifying it."
Zebelous nodded, standing up. He grabbed a small wooden box and moved toward them. "Show me the way!"
Natsuki awoke violently. Cold hands were pressed to her head, sharp nails dug into her scalp. She saw black eyes surrounded by wrinkled grey skin. She couldn't hold back the scream. She brought her leg up and kicked as hard as she could, flinging the small creature across the tent. She leaped up, her eyes panicked when she focused on the scaled woman she'd met earlier she relaxed slightly. She saw her hands raised as she slowly moved closer.
"It's going to be alright Natsuki." She moved again, and Natsuki tensed ready for another fight. The taller woman hesitated. "Please, may I come closer, I'll explain. He needs to finish." Natsuki turns and looks over at the small creature in the corner. He'd stood up, eyes glowering in her direction, his hand rubbing his midsection.
"its fine" He growled out. "I finished right before I was attacked by this human" He spat out the word human as if it was poison. Natsuki didn't move but kept her body tensed as she watched him.
Shizuru turned in his direction. "Thank you, would you give me the report when you are finished?" He turned his eyes to her.
"Yes, Fujino." He turned and stormed out of the tent.
Shizuru turned back toward the human woman. She stepped a bit closer, hands placating. Natsuki's body slowly lost its tense posture and she slumped down onto the cot. "What was he doing?" She questioned. She felt uncomfortable still being able to feel the cold hands on her face.
Shizuru came closer. "Do you mind if I sit?" She motioned to the cot.
Natsuki shifted over to allow more room for the other woman. She eyed her as she sat down, her hands coming to rest in her lap. Once again Natsuki found herself preoccupied with the other woman's hands. They were similar to hers, but the skin or scales looked hard, like armour. 'Like a dragon' she thought. Her eyes suddenly widening at the thought. 'Was she a dragon?' She quickly schooled her features when she realized the other woman was looking at her.
Natsuki met the other woman's eyes. "So…what was he doing?"
Shizuru sighed, she felt guilty for doing it while the girl was passed out. But, she'd hoped that it would be done before she'd awoken. "He was categorizing your magic."
Shizuru watched the young woman's reaction. Her face looked surprised and then became confused. "What do you mean categorizing my magic? I don't have magic…" She trailed off. Shizuru felt her heart go out to this girl, she really seems lost. How would someone go this long without knowing the level of magic they contained?
"You do, I sensed it from you. It is quite powerful. Usually, this level would manifest some way. Have you not noticed anything odd lately?" She asked.
Natsuki shook her head. "Where I'm from there is no such thing as magic. It's just make believe…" She looks up at her with sad eyes. "I think I'm losing my mind."
Shizuru moved closer placing a gentle arm around her shoulder. "We'll figure this out." She spoke. The other woman's head nodding as she relaxed into he hold.
The wind was howling outside, rain beating against the windows. The room was freezing, a draft was circulating. Shizuru's room was just down the hall and the other woman did tell her if there was anything wrong she could come and wake her up. Natsuki kept lying in the freezing bed. Her body was unable to warm itself. After a few more minutes she flung the covers off and slid to the ground. Her feet hit the freezing stone floor. The long nightgown did nothing to stop the chill from spreading through her whole body. She ran out the door and down the hall. She skidded to a stop outside Shizuru's room. A hand rose to knock, but she hesitated. 'What if I'm bothering her? It is the middle of the night…I should leave. But, I can't sleep its freezing.' Natsuki stood in front of the closed door for a few minutes feeling the cold seep deeper into her bones with every moment. The dark haired girl didn't want to go back to her cold room, so she knocked on the large door and waited.
She heard a slight noise inside then the door was being opened. Natsuki hadn't thought this far ahead or exactly how Shizuru was supposed to help with her room being too cold. Shizuru stood in front of her, wrapped in a robe, her hair mussed from sleep, eyes hooded as she gazed down at the other woman. "Natsuki? Come in, it's freezing out here."
Natsuki stepped into the large room; the air was significantly warmer in here. She glanced around and saw the roaring fire on the far wall. Natsuki's eye's scrunched up. "You have a fire?"
Shizuru looked at her confused. "Of course, it's freezing outside. My body isn't very good at retaining heat. Come over here to the bed, my toes feel like they are going to fall off." She moved over to the bed pulling the covers back and climbing under.
Natsuki watched her, finding the site to be endearing. The strong and powerful Shizuru climbing under the warm blankets like a child. Natsuki smiled slightly at the image. She was pulled out of her musing when Shizuru called to her. Natsuki quickly moved toward the bed, sliding under the covers that were held up for her.
She immediately felt the warmth surround her. Shizuru's bed was warm, not the same kind of warmth that owning a heater would have done. She glanced over at the other woman, seeing the blankets pulled up to her chin, her body shook slightly. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, just cold. This room never gets warm enough"
Natsuki looked at her slightly confused. She felt much more comfortable now. Maybe her body functions more like a lizard…if she is a dragon and not an ice dragon or something then her body might lose heat faster because they are cold blooded…or maybe that wasn't it at all. I could ask her, would she think it's rude?' Natsuki decided not to. 'I'm usually really warm…at least that's what my friends have always said. I could help…' She kept looking working up the courage to ask. "Are you not able to warm yourself up?"
Shizuru glanced over. "No, my body loses heat easily. It makes living this near the mountains hard. But, I've gotten more used to it the longer I stay. But, the winter nights still get to me." She said sheepishly.
Natsuki chewed on the inside of her cheek, she knew her body was able to produce heat better and Shizuru had already done so much for her, sharing her body heat wouldn't be the worst. "Umm..well I could help…"
Shizuru cocked a brow at that "oh?"
Natsuki felt her face flush with heat. "I mean I was cold in my room and you're cold. We could share warmth, my body is probably warmer than yours and you have a fire in here. It just makes sense." Natsuki stopped the rambling, realizing Shizuru was smiling at her.
"Of course, I'd love that. Natsuki is so thoughtful".
The dark haired girl slid further under the covers, moving toward Shizuru. Their bodies not quite touching. She felt the other woman move closer, draping a scaled arm over her waist. Natsuki tensed, before relaxing again. The arm was harder than what she was used to but strangely comforting.
Natsuki lay on her back, eyes trained on the ceiling. Shizuru lay beside her, arm around her waist and head resting on the pillow next to hers. Natsuki risked a glance to the side and saw that Shizuru's eyes were closed.
The scales on the woman's face looked softer and were a lighter colour than the rest. Natsuki had the urge to run her fingers along the woman's face. She wanted to feel them, trace the rough edges and memorize it. 'What are you thinking!' she scolded herself. She glanced back at the woman's eyes and saw one open peering up at her. Natsuki froze, face heating up.
"Shizuru! Y-you can't just stair at someone like that." Natsuki said embarrassed.
Shizuru smiled at the other woman. "I love when Natsuki turns red like this. And what do you mean stair at someone." A sly smirk graced the dragons' lips. "I do believe it was Natsuki who was caught staring."
Natsuki felt her face heating up more. She opened her mouth to deny it, but the look on Shizuru's face stopped her. She had been caught.
"Sorry." Natsuki turned away, eyes going back to the ceiling.
Shizuru propped her head up on her other arm as she looked down at Natsuki. "It's quite alright. I don't mind when such a pretty woman wants to stare at me"
Natsuki sputtered looking back at Shizuru and seeing the other woman holding in laughter.
Natsuki smacked the woman's shoulder. "Don't tease me like that!" She sent the woman an icy glare, causing the other woman to laugh more.
"Be careful with that look Natsuki, you might freeze me over!"
Natsuki grunted and crossed her arms, eyes turning away again. Natsuki saw in her peripheral vision Shizuru lay back down again, closer than before. Her head now resting on Natsuki's shoulder. Her arm tightened around Natsuki's waste, while her other arm slid under her neck.
"I'm sorry Natsuki. Don't be mad at me. I can't help teasing you sometimes. And I'm forever grateful for you volunteering to be my heater." As she spoke she snuggled impossibly closer.
Natsuki felt like an oversized teddy bear. She wasn't one for cuddling, but with Shizuru, it felt right somehow. Of course, she'd never voice that out loud.
"I-it's alright. Now go to sleep before I decide to go back to my own room." Natsuki relaxed her body arms loosening from their crossed position.
"Natsuki is so mean, threatening me like that! I can't lose my Natsuki heater."
"Hey!" Natsuki chastised flicking Shizuru's forehead.
Shizuru laughed. "Alright, I'll be good." Shizuru nuzzled into Natsuki's neck. "Goodnight Nat-Su-ki" She all but purred.
Natsuki's face heated up again. "Goodnight Shizuru.
"Here is the Medica. It's where the healers and surgeons work. Sometimes they will come on an excursion outside the city, but they mostly stay here or to the Medica in town." She glanced over at the smaller dark haired girl. Natsuki was dressed in the black dress of a Medic. The thick heavy cloth hung down to her ankles. A pristine white apron covered the front and back of her dress, contrasting with the dark cloth of her dress. Natsuki's hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes looked around the room. Shizuru watched she hadn't moved much further in. There were people in the beds, some groans and a couple similarly dressed people walking around.
"There aren't any windows." She said.
"The sun can be damaging to certain races, so they moved the whole Medica underground." She watched the smaller woman. She felt her heart ache with disappointment. She shook it off in confusion. Why would she feel disappointment? She felt the tug to Natsuki again, it'd been awhile since she'd felt it, but she was beginning to think that it was a soul mate bond. She wouldn't be opposed. In fact, she'd be quite happy. Natsuki was beautiful and obviously trusted her if the late night visits had anything to say. But, she didn't know how Natsuki would feel about it.
Shizuru had come to believe the other woman about her being from a different world. And with everything that's been thrown at her, she doesn't know how she'd feel about knowing she's emotionally tied to another person, and that person being a dragon no less. Natsuki was having difficulty getting used to all the different races. She'd told Shizuru that there were only humans and animals in her world. It was shocking every time she'd see someone new. Shizuru was impressed with her ability to maintain a straight face. But, she couldn't contain the glare when a person would make a comment on her being a human. Shizuru had decided that it'd be best to keep the bond secret for now. She doesn't need to overwhelm her more.
Natsuki walked as quickly as she could to Shizuru's room. She'd felt a magical shift in her mind. She needed to find Shizuru. Her heart pounding as she began to run. The other woman was in pain. Her feet pounded down the corridor, her hand holding her medic robes in order to not trip on them. She careened around the corner, barrowing into Retio. His eyes flashed as he caught her around the arms to keep her from tumbling to the ground.
She looked at him in a panic. "Where is Shizuru?"
He looked at her confused for a moment. "She's in the training grounds getting ready for the scouting mission." He was about to speak again, but Nastuki had already spun and run off in the other direction. "She's transformed…" He trailed off, his eyes watching the dark haired girl run. Hopefully, it won't come as too much of a shock to Shizuru in full skin rather than her usual half.
Natsuki exited the castle. She no longer felt the pain coming from Shizuru, but that could mean she was dead! 'She's not dead' she chided herself. Maybe she just tripped, or cut herself on something. She ran to the training ground. Her footsteps slowed as she saw the purple scales of her partner. She rounded the barracks her eyes squinting in confusion; in the place of her lover was a large dragon. The sun gleamed off the dark purple scales, sharp claws dug into the earth. Natsuki's breath caught in her throat, the dragon heard and turned its head toward the sound. The eyes were still the same wine red she remembered. But set into a face, with sharp teeth and horns. Natsuki stepped closer her body hesitating slightly before gaining some confidence when the head dipped lower in order to be on a level with her. Natsuki's eyes trailed over the body checking for any obvious injury. Her hand halfway between touching and falling back down. She decided against it when she noticed soldiers and another dragon in the yard looking at her. She turned to focus back on the familiar red eyes hoping to calm her heart.
The dark haired girl stepped a bit closer and asked in a lowered voice "are you hurt? I felt pain…I was worried."
Shizuru shook her head no. Moving closer she pressed her face against the smaller woman to reassure her. Natsuki smiled at the show of affection. Any fears she might have had vanished with the action. Natsuki raised a hand and pressed against Shizuru's cheek. "Be safe on your trip?" Her voice quiet, she didn't want the soldiers to hear her conversation. Natsuki felt the slight nod of the head. She stepped back looking at Shizuru. Shizuru looked at her for a moment longer than stepped away, and taking a mighty leap spread her wings and shot into the sky, followed by the second dragon that was a dark orange colour. Natsuki looked at it and realized "Mai…"
Natsuki was in the infirmary. Her hands were coated in the healing ice as she pressed down on a soldier's leg. He'd been on a hunting excursion and a wild boar had charged and ripped his leg. She felt his body shudder as she continued. Focusing on the cold, pushing it through his system and slowing down his blood flow in order to repair the outward damage. It all took about an hour of attention. When she was finished her patient had passed out from blood loss and exhaustion, but his wound was closed and the damage inside was repaired, he'd be sore and sluggish when he woke up but instead of possibly dying he'd have a couple weeks of recovery instead. She stood slowly and went and washed her hands in a basin. She took her apron off and hung it on the hook before walking to the head surgeon.
"I'm finished with my last patient Phillip. May I head out now?"
The elderly Tiefling nodded "Of course Natsuki, thank you for your work today" he beamed at her. She couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face in response.
She turned and began her walk back to the east wing where her and Shizuru's room was. Thinking about Shizuru caused an ache in her chest. It had been months and still, she had not come back from the scouting mission. Every night that she did not come home began to cause more and more stress. Natsuki hated waiting. She was not some housewife sitting at home for her lover to come back. But, whenever she asked to go with her Shizuru refused. Saying it was too dangerous and she wasn't prepared for field medicine yet. Natsuki had grown increasingly frustrated every time she was turned down. Shizuru needed protecting just as much as Natsuki did. Sighing the dark haired girl dragged her feet up to their door. She opened it and stepped in, shutting the door with her foot she paced toward the bathing room attached to their chambers. Shizuru's status paid off when it came to the luxuries and Natsuki would have had a hard time giving up bathing in warm water. She walked into the room, the reflection of water on the walls danced. She could feel the warmth of the air. As she turned the corner she froze. Shizuru was in the pool, body leaning against the edge, hair lying on the stones behind her. The light purple scales glistened with water.
"Shizuru" She spoke softly.
Natsuki watched the other woman jerk heading spinning to look at her. The face split into a large grin, her fangs showing. She leaped out of the water taking quick strides toward the other woman. Natsuki stepped forward to meet her. Her arms rising to wrap around Shizuru's waist. She felt the strong arms pull her close. Water was soaking through her robes but neither seemed to notice. She felt Shizuru sigh her body relaxing into Natsuki's hold.
"I've missed you," Shizuru spoke.
Natsuki hummed in response, her arms tightening.
They stayed wrapped around each other until Shizuru shivered, the cold air getting to her. She pulled back sheepishly. "Might you join me? I hope the water is still warm." She turned back toward the water. Natsuki watching her body slip beneath the surface. Natsuki felt her face heat up when Shizuru turned back to her, catching the dark-haired woman staring. Shizuru smirked slightly at her before sinking completely below the water line. Natsuki turned away and began to remove her medic robes. The long material was heavy and course in order to keep things from seeping through, but it was hot and bothersome. She quickly removed it letting it pool on the floor, followed by her undergarments. She turned back around seeing Shizuru's eyes just above the water watching her. Natsuki felt the blush surge across her face and down her neck, but she did nothing to hide. She'd long since become comfortable with Shizuru seeing her completely.
Natsuki slipped into the water, floating over to Shizuru. The long absence hitting her all at once. She surged forward, pulling herself up by Shizuru's shoulders, using the water to her advantage. Normally Natsuki was not able to kiss Shizuru unless the other women bent down slightly. But, here she needed no help. Her lips crashed into the tawny-haired woman's lips. Shizuru responded to the kiss after a moment of surprise
The night was setting in, a chill in the air blowing through dark tresses. Natsuki stood to wait. Shizuru was going to meet her in the clearing to watch the meteor shower. She laid a wool blanket down on the ground and then sat with another blanket covering her legs. Shizuru needed to clear up a tussle in a nearby town and was supposed to be back, but Natsuki had been waiting for the past hour. She was growing a bit worried, but she hadn't felt any kind of magical disturbance from Shizuru yet so she continued to sit calmly waiting.
She saw a shape cut across the night sky, wind from a pair of powerful wings rushing down. The shape lowered itself onto the grass before shifting into a smaller body that moved quickly toward the dark-haired girl. Natsuki sat up looking at the other woman. She smiled at the site of Shizuru rushing toward her, her face looking apologetic. Natsuki stood slowly, bringing her arms up in as the other woman engulfed her in a hug. "I'm so sorry Natsuki, they wouldn't stop fighting and I tried to finish things quickly but no one would listen and-"
Natsuki cut Shizuru off with a quick kiss. Pulling back she smiled "It's alright, you're here now" She moved out of the other woman's hold motioning toward the blanket spread across the ground. "Join me?" She motioned to the blankets.
Shizuru smiled, leaning in before Natsuki could sit down kissing her on the lips before sitting down and motioning for Natsuki to rest between her outstretched legs.
Natsuki was lying in a large bed. Blankets piled high around her frail body. Dark hair peppered with grey covered the pillows. Natsuki's eyes looked toward the woman sitting beside her in bed. Her hand snuck out of the covers, covering the scaled hand resting on the covers.
Shizuru glanced over at her partner, eyes loving. "What is it, are you thirsty?" Her voice soft.
"No, I just want to say I love you. And no matter what happens my soul will always be yours."
Shizuru looked alarmed "Natsuki, why are you speaking like this. You're worrying me."
Natsuki smiled slightly she didn't want to alarm Shizuru, but she was nearing a 100 years old, and that alone was rare for a human. Shizuru would live for another 150 years most likely. But, she was not that lucky. She just smiled up at Shizuru but didn't answer. She knew in her heart they would meet again, maybe in her world.
Shizuru woke up cold, she rolled over toward Natsuki seeking the warmth from her body, but it was not there. Her eyes snapped open. There she was, skin ashen white eyes closed in sleep. Shizuru reached for a pulse, hands shaking. "No, no…" She mumbled under her breath. Her fingers pressed into the soft skin at her neck, but she felt nothing. Her heart cried out as she felt tears break free, streaming down her face. "Natsuki!" She cried out. "Please…" Her cries muffled into her lover's chest.
Her passing had been silent in the middle of the night, her soul departing sailing through space waiting for its match.