Everybody knows my stories are primarily AU, right? 'kay, now that is settled. Onto the second chapter! Muahahahahaha!
P.S: It was a bitch to write this chapter..but fun as well! :P And...I'm probably workin' on the third chapter!

Mixed Match

Filler: Lullaby

"I hope it rains,

it would be a sweet sound.

Deep in the clouds, and over the sea,

I never thought I would see such a sweet dream.

When I would wake, I thought you'd be there.

Trapped in a illusion, I'd make it out of this fairytale,

but it was a sweet dream, but either way I knew I couldn't escape."

Sighing, the woman stopped and leaned against the limestone balcony, her unique eyes (held a tinge of sorrow in the crimson depths as they) stared off in the distance, particuarly focused on the horizon. But she turned around, the lush garden below reminded her everytime how powerless she was. If only...she shook her head, and stalked back to her king-size bed. When the times comes for her to take over, she would find her.

Only, the letter she sent out to her suitor was taking long to reply back. Maybe something got held up? Oh, she probably didn't mention the magic in the letter—besides the tracking seal if you refused to visit—there was something unique. That letter she sent had a bit of magic, meaning, the magic she poured in, would find the perfect suitor for her. And wherever that person, she wanted him/her to be loyal, and caring. Or loving, she rather have loving, but, it was certain they would get first impressions to a bad start. Since it was her magic she put in the letter, that letter would then find the one that suited her needs and expectations.

Laying on her back, she ignored the taps and pitters of feet closing in on her room. Her traditional cape was crumpled on the floor by the bed, and also along with her white botton-up blouse from the blistering heat. Today was hot, the wind did nothing to cool her down, so she took off the blouse to cool herself down. But, she indulged in her guilty pleasure: tea. The one thing—wait, there was her (but she hardly knew what she looked like now, maybe she forgot her too, just as she did now) until she was tooken away and had been forced to move. Now, the honey-haired woman always wondered during the night, how was she doing. Does she still remember...?

"—iola-sama! Viola-sama, there's a family meeting in the dining room!" A soft voice rang from outside of the door. Probably the maid. What a time to have a gathering family meeting, what were they to discuss now? About who her suitor might be? Money to bribe to the person to go away? Well, that would all depend on when they would be meeting, and since it was dawning to a night. Shizuru thought that her anonymous suitor would arrive in two-three days or so. Anyhow, she wondered if the letter was doing okay.

Scoffing, she can't believe she temporarily forgot that the letter was being tracked! So, her family must be watching and see how long that person would get here, maybe they were plotting how to get rid of him/her if they weren't worthy enough of giving a new birth to the Viola heiress. She shuffled down the halls, and past doors with paintings ornately hung for decoration, since it showed her ancestors from long ago.

The pyjama'd clad heiress walked down the stairs to the dining room. Watching in amusement when her father was smiling sheepishly with a red blush on his cheeks. Even since she knew her father was accepting of all things, and cared for his daughters good welfare, but was also protective, she took things up with him before moving on to experiment. So, if he met the lad or lass that was perfect for his only daughter, he would sure string it hard for them, asking question off the top of his head and testing their mentallity strength and rate how much of an "open book" the man/girl was.

But, her mother was sweet also, and accepting. But, man, she bet when her suitor was to walk in their house, she/he'd be blushing heavily from the amount of teasing. Shizuru grinned and coughed. "Well, now will somebody tell me what this meeting is being held for?" She intertwined her fingers in a nimble embrace, careful to keep her feelings in check and façade.

"Heh, oh, you'd know even if you didn't send that letter." Her mother chuckled, throwing a hand in the air as she began once again, "And, you're reaching of age where you need a heir, we can't just get impregnated by some light, ne? This is your arrangement, I'm sure your suitor is perfect for the letter to choose him or her." But it all depends on this person's imperfection, sweetie. Her mother looked on, she wondered if they would get along, but, it would take time to warming up to each other. And they had time.

"And with your singing in the morning and at night, I sure she or him would cherish you but above all, you have a good heart but...love takes time, don't say I didn't warn you if you start falling for this unknown person." Now I really wonder who the letter choosed. But, for now, she was glad watching the small seal keep track of mush more time they had to wait in anticipation.

"Oh, Shizu-chan, don't you think I should announce to people of this country that if they see anyone with a red seal to be brung here?"

Shizuru smiled cynically, and gritted out, "No, I'm sure they will arrive soon, there is no need for that okaa-san, good-night." She gracefully left the dining room and headed back to her safe haven during day and night, hopefully, when her suitor arrives. She/He would have respect and humilty or...just be neutral.

Especially during times like these, the only way to vent her frustrations out were to spar or play the piano as passionately as she can. Those would be sure to empty her high energy of stress. Of course, she already mastered the piano and could play it with ease. Maybe she should get a new hobby to get her time preoccupied with. Even deep in her thoughts during the trip to her room upstairs, she didn't trip over a step, such things were unneeded since she loved her house from child-hood years.

So, the hobby should be...cooking. Shizuru smiled, she knew little of how to cook with the maids serving her, so...she had to ask mom. "I just had to be up here when I should've stayed down there..." She slipped into shorts and a tank top, then went to find her mother for cooking lessons, it would do good use for future things, like to cook for her future...wife or husband.

And then, she wouldn't have to feel so helpless. "Great...just who is my suitor?"

Natsuki grumbled, after all the driving, her mother was still hyped up from the speed and did not go to sleep until she hit the bed, which was one of the softest she ever felt. Comfy yet simple, like it was royalty and yet a bit mix of peasantry. And with the endless chatter that emitted from such a young woman, was surprising. Saeko was speaking a million words a minute, too fast that poor Natsuki couldn't even catch up, she had to ask her mother to pause and say the words more slowly to listen more correctly each thirty seconds.

Of course, Natsuki herself, was famished and wiped-out, still, the shock had not yet arrived. Is there something defective with me? The bluenette was puzzled with herself, mainly because of why the shock or some kind of after-shock that might attack her unexpectedly. She expected and started to ready herself, maybe she felt comfortable with marrying—no! I will just leave as soon as we fix this situation, and reside onwards. No more, no less, it's not suppose to be me! I have my own stuff to worry about, don't need anything more! Natsuki hardened her resolve, yes, it was to go as planned, head to Windbloom, find the heiress or heir, and mend this mixed up situation. But...would it truely fix this mess up?

She was insane. No, delirious to think that.

Or maybe it was just her, but the bluentte rather have the latter. Insane, indeed she was, too much thinking always resulted in her feeling drowsy.

Her eyes felt heavy, maybe...for a few...moments.. Natsuki closed her eyes, shifting around the make herself comfortable. But, her sleep was disrupted by a light snoring.

She scoffed, instantly awakening, and her mom said she didn't snore.

Well, since she couldn't go to sleep now because of a certain mother, Natsuki decided to exert herself to making some food. Maybe a bit of sushima, and a roll of chicken balls from that restaurant, then when they were charged. They would head out and follow the directions, which involved trailing through forests and some hidden dirtroads, soon, they would get there and sort this thing out. Then, things would go back to normal and they would resume back to life, without getting paranoid of getting watched or assassinated.

Chances of that, were slim, Natsuki thought. Since when did she ever have a "normal" life? Considering what she knew of this world, it was not impossible of having some kingdom that was located of something with (maybe) millions of acres and forests to build buildings or houses. And beside the fact, she ushered the thoughts out of her mind, shaking her head wildly.

Better get going if we want to reach them...now..to wake up mom. Natsuki smiled deviously, turning her body and stalking towards the room where her mother was sleeping, curled up from the sunlight making its way towards afternoon and drifting through the translucent curtains.

But, Natsuki stopped, her mother needed the sleep, and if she were to wake the woman up. Guilt would eat away at her conscious. Though, it would be like pay-back for that time she embarrassed her in front of her friends...

Whistling, she went to the living room, sitting on a comfy couch. For a cheap hotel, it sure had cozy stuff in rooms, clean wahsrooms, nice kitchens. Sparkling windows, food packed into cupboards, and the dairy, greens and other products of the four food groups stuffed into the freezer and refridgerator. She mindlessly moved around, boredom was taking over her expression, now, she wished her mom was up, to tease her. Something! Before she went insane! Okay...

Deep breath.

Exhale.

Now, close your eyes.

Breath in and out in a cycle, until you feel your mouth feels like it's relaxed and not tense or you feel like bursting out in loud laughter, so far, it went good for Natsuki before the bluenettes' ears heard a 'thump'.

Mom must've rolled off the bed... She rolled her vermillion eyes, and smirked while her hands were stuffed in her pockets as she walked towards the mediocre room. Typical. As guessed, her mind was right, on the floor, lying on her stomach was...a drooling and incorhorently mumbling, half-unconscious Saeko Kuga.

"Now, to wake the damned woman before she sleepwalks.." Natsuki mumbled, saughtering her way to the small lamp table where her mothers' head was by. But she turned thoughts back to the threatening letter, "Jeez, what'd I do to get this? Those Kamiis must be out there to get me..." She didn't need anymore drama, or...teasing if that what the Viola heir was, her mother provided a healthy amount and provoked annoyance out of her easily where it was almost seeping out of every pore in her body. A vexation as she was, but also understanding.

"I need something sweet, I can't go on like this.." Whined Natsuki, her hand trembling while her mouth was watering, "Sugar! Need su-gar." She moaned dronely, sound closely like a zombie and a mix of bees.

"Eek, how'd I get on the floor?"

That signalled her mother waking up...on the floor. Took her long enough... Natsuki frowned, such a childish side my mama had got. Her shoulders shaked as she chuckled, "Mom, now is not the time to curse the floor, it's not even alive." She lifted a brow while her expression was deadpanned, the floor did nothing and here Saeko was, banging the carpeted floor like her fists were hell's hammer. Suddenly, they both heard a muffled, "Shut it up there! I'm trying to watch T.V!" and Natsuki watched in blantant amusement when her mother apologized to the man who yelled—it looked like she was saying sorry to the floor instead of the (probably) couch patato man.

"I'll go pay, wait for me on the bike." Natsuki stated, her arms tucked to her sides, and her (trying her best to) slide out of the hotel room and downstairs to pay the...receptionist behind the front and main desk in the foyer and beat her mom.

When she got outside, her mother was straddling her ducati with her helmet on tightly and safely. Natsuki sighed, she lost. But..eh, how did her mother get there so fast? Neverminding that question, she straddled the front and grasped onto the black leather handles. "Now, we still continue southward on this highway, till we hit some national park before we hit the boarder." Then she started to test if it was ready to go and revved the motor, "Okay, ready?" She wanted to be sure, cause her mother wasn't exactly the most gullibliest person to meet, no, far from that.

A muffled "yes sweetie" and they sped off the parking lot to the main and narrow highway curving and tristing towards dangerous looking cliffs. "Hm. Don't call me that!" Natsuki said loudly, her eyebrows were twitching. Any more teasing in her life...I swear one day I'll go crazy.. She finished.

A giggle broke from Saeko, "Don't worry dear, when we meet Viola-san, I'll make sure to keep my endearments to myself."

"Promise?"

"Sure." Saeko firmly said, laying her head on her daughters shoulder and closed her eyes, revelling in the sensations as they sped down the highway without a care in the world, she also ignored the butterfiles from the high speed and adreneline rushing all over her, washing her body in magnamous waves.

Natsuki leaned to the side slightly, turning on a curve then leaned forward, "Hey," her voice was lowered and muffled, "can you look in my pocket, I'll slow down some but when are going—actually, just tell me how far till the boarder."

Her mother reached into Natsuki's favourite leather jacket pocket, feeling a crumpled paper, "Natsuki! Don't be so hasty, don't ruin it by rolling it into a ball! We might wear the drawings out!" She chided lightly, an accusing tone evident in her voice, the female motorcyclist nodded euthusiastically.

"Okay, won't happen again, ma'am!" She salute shortly, and quite quickly to not loose the balance and grip she had on the handles, her features were masked in an uneasy mask, maybe...that wouldn't work. She thought, this was too wacky, and a bit insane. Did a kingdom really exist? How come it wasn't discovered yet? Was it hidden behind a barrier? If so, how would they get past the force without alerting anyone? Sighing, Natsuki found herself wishing that she brought something of home with her.

To keep some kind of reminder, like some mayonnaise, or Duran, her favourite band in the whole world! She should've brought her poster that was personally signed by Nao Yuuki, and the others...but her damned mom strolled to the front of the line and pulled her into a lingerie store. One of her embarrassing moments that was ranked high up there.

Enough about her past, they were in the present. And searching for a kingdom called Windbloom, was it even real? She felt skeptical about this whole ordeal. Finding a heir or heiress or risk getting assassinated and hunted all because of some proposal. Natsuki sighed, when did her life get complicated? Oh, I don't know, I say around my whole life? She sacrastically thought, a scowl set on her feminine face. But first things first, she wanted to see how this Viola heir was and acted. She would choose to spend a...month? No, a year. A year because she knew it wouldn't be a 'love at first sight' thing, that would be highly impossible. But, the attractions would be put there in their hearts if this heir was pretty or handsome. Her fingers coiled around the handles, lurching to even more speed as her mind was set on getting their faster than they would expect.

"Waa!" Saeko trembled, "Yeesh, calm down. I bet they are patient since the letter didn't say 'Arrive now or get killed immediately!'" She immitated a gruff voice of a man. Kids. So hasty sometimes.

I still hate the letter! Natsuki thought, oblivious to her mother's sarcasm.

"So you know how to make scramble American eggs? Can you make takoyaki?" Shizuru's mother, Iikotsu Viola, asked her only daughter perceived since the last one was a miscarriage, who they had planned to name Alyssa.

Shizuru nodded, "Yes, takoyaki is my favourite, as is rice. Don't you know my bento boxes consist of rice, sashimi, my tea and takoyaki?" Her mother was out-of-date it seemed.

"So you can make me my favourite?"

"Your wasabi?"

Her mother nodded zealously, like a hyper kid that was playing a game. Shizuru sighed, "Yes, is there something I do not know how to cook here?" The crimson-eyed heiress sat at a high stool, her elbows rested against the marble counter that was dark to the pale contrast of her healthy skin.

"Hm...I do like my domburi, and onigiri. The kare raisu, but the curry rice burns my sensitive tongue. Ikezu.." Shizuru pouted at that, she loved rice, and her tea that always soothed her frazzled nerves. "Oh, my favourite I'd like to learn to cook is chazuke! The rice served with green tea!"

Now, I see why it's your favourite..I should've never got you hooked on tea and rice... Her mother thought, but she wasn't exactly regretful of her choice to introduce the rice and tea in her daughters life.

"Hm, throw some yakisobe in, I already know how to cook yakizakana but udon would be good, and some ramen and soba." Added Shizuru thoughtfully, who wondered what her wife/husband like. "Yakitori, nikujaga, omuraiso, my miso soup, agedashi tofu. We have to make sure to buy soy sauce for that. Tsukemono for a side dish, um...gyoza, throw some monjayaki and can't forget korokke." She finished, hoping how mom heard and gratefully, she did.

"Ara, I'm guessing so, but wouldn't that matter if my intended was here?"

"Hm, maybe he/she can go 'cool as a cucumber' to 'in a pickle' in about a minute," Iikotsu whispered jokefully, but her eyes were dilated and unfocused, her mind was somewhere faraway...yes, far away from earth and orbiting into space.

Shizuru inched away from the kitchen where her mother was having some type of daydream or episode, and moved into the living room. She checked the time, finding out that it was past her normal bed time and decided to call it a day.

Her mother was still in her stupor before she shook her head as tears were starting to make their way out. "No...that was all in the past, S-chan is probably...dead...or happy. I'm not one that selfish to break that."

She gazed sadly out the kitchen window, the sunset providing a number of colors that stripped the normally sky blue. This was no time to be all depressed and mopey, when her daughters' suitor gets here, how would that first impression be like?

Iikotsu walked to the bathroom, finishing her nightly routines then to bed where her husband slept soundly.

"Okay, it's almost night. We should head to a motel for the night then leave early. And my neck is sore from sitting straightly." She slowed her ducati down and saw a building in the distance. A motel. She thought, glad that they didn't leave highways so vacant. Revving the engines and speeding down the lone highway, her lungs were left taking in short puffs of oxygen when her mother tightened her arms around her stomach and abdominals. She wasn't a teddy bear to cuddle!

Gah! Moms are so weird! Natsuki frowned, taking a slight lean to the left and then perked the motorcyle straightly. She already felt tired, and the warmth her mom emitted made her even more tired, if possible. But she snapped back to attention when her mind alarmed her, "We got mom! Don't you dare swerve to that ditch, Natsuki! Come on soldier, keep awake or not to awake; that is the question. Now...the answer? Keep awake you dimwit!" Despite her own mind turning into a stern figure with a harsh speech. She obeyed the said commands to stay awake. Until they reached that motel to sleep and...sleep...sleep on comfy, fluffy pillows...

"Keep awake, you GODDAMN DIMWIT!"

'Okay! I'm trying my best you know, but brains need alot of sleep to function properly!' It was her irrational mind VS. her platonic, 'dimwit' and weak brain.

But her brain (the pink mush is the one that keeps her body alive with small electrical currents which in turn help pump her heart) and her turned army mind (the one that thinks) weren't in harmony, and caused the small effects known as stress and a painful annoying thumps of a headache.

"Enough!" Natsuki yelled, only to have an epiphany that she controls herself, and certainly not any imaginary...army mind and innocent brain that's smart.

Her mother was startled by the loud "enough", was she talking to herself mentally? If so, in knowing that small fact, it worried her that Natsuki would lose her sanity if they didn't go to sleep yet, and the damned hotel looked so close already. Natsuki lurched forward, not too much but enough the increase speed to stop in the parking lot.

Saeko got off, her legs wobbling from the numbness that set in when they were going at high speeds. "Geez, what's a woman to do for some hot tea?"

Hm, strange...I feel like I should remember something relating to tea but can't cause of some barrier holding me back... Natsuki's still present frown deepened. Just what should I try to remember?

The blunette headed to the foyer (her mom trailing behind her) to pay for a one night room.

"Hi!"

"What your name, little one?"

"Natsuki!" A wide smile beamed happily but to Shizuru's dismay, the rest of her face was smeared.

"Well, do you want to play Kagome, Kagome?"

"Su—oh wait, I can't. Mommy said we have to get ready for a ball."

The child named Natsuki turned and ran off to wherever.

"Nat-su-ki."

"Natsuki?" Why did that dream pop up? And...why is that name so familiar? A distressed Shizuru thought, wiping the sweat that clung to the crown of her head and forehead.

"I need a shower." Her mind was racing, who's Natsuki?

"A cold one."

Review! And um, I'm sorry if anyone thought of this type of thing, but this just popped up. And I looked to see this type of story wasn't taken and here is the second chapter of Mixed Match. I bet someone can guess why I titled this story that, ne? Anyone who does, will get the third chapter dedicated to them. :) Can't wait to see how your thoughts are!

But firstly, this is not the person, the author. We might have pressured her to write this, but hey! It's good, right?

Well, we're taking her time and writing away so, adieu!

(Oh, yeah, please review! Hmm, is this a good story still? I have my doubts but ne, thanks for taking the time to read this! I hope I didn't mess the plot up...but this chapter is dedicated to Lee Lamprush for...well, reminding her of the bad grammer thing and ShadowCub to be this storys' first reviewer!)

Have a nice day. ;P

:) And I really don't want to think this is a lost cause.