Waking up, the girl makes her way to the restroom, analyzing her face and seeing that it is puffy. Running her fingers along her tired, teary eyes, she washes her face. After, she brushes her teeth and gets out of her robe and into casual wear. Sighing, she exits the bathroom and heads to the living room.
"Sister..." her younger brother says, worry clear in his young face, halting the girl. "You've been crying again."
"I'm fine," she lies, smiling shyly.
"No. You aren't."
"So I had a bad dream," she explains, now avoiding his stare.
"Again?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Well then, your friend called," her brother continues, as the girl smiles in relief, grateful that her brother changed the conversation.
"Wait. A friend?" she repeats, heart racing. "Which friend?"
"The witch."
Returning the phone call, chewing on her necklace, the girl sighs in relief when the annoying beep dissipates, replaced by a familiar voice.
"Hello?"
"Did you find her?" she asks, hope clear in her tone.
"Yes."
"Where is she?"
"She doesn't want to be found."
"She told you not to tell me...didn't she?"
"She has been through a lot."
"But she came to you."
"Yes...she did."
Remaining silent on the phone, breathing heavily, she inhales deeply before speaking again. "What did she say?"
"You know what she said...what she asked of me."
"She shouldn't have . . . it's wrong."
"Nothing is ever right."
"So are you going to do it? What she asked?"
"...Yes."
"You are?" she asks before scoffing, gripping her hand tighter on her house-phone. "It's just a spell to you, isn't it?" she asks, voice laced with insult.
"It's more than that..surely you understand."
"I-I need to see you; we need to talk," she pleads, receiving a long pause of silence, followed by a deep breath.
"We're coming back. This weekend."
"You are?" she asks, heart racing. "Is she-is she coming?"
"Yes."
Visiting Fukka's grave-sites, the girl stops in front of a particular one-the one that belonged to her loved one.
"I can't believe it's been three months," she says, admiring the tombstone as her eyes tear up. "You've missed a few things here and there," she continues, kneeling down on the grass. "Th-that day . . . when you died," she strains, voice caught in her throat. "They called it a gang war on the media . . . they even cancelled school for a week; your face was plastered on the victims list on TV," she recalls, remembering her loved one's face reflection with captions. "And then we had like all these crazy security guards, doped up on the 'roids, giving us a hard time at school . . . And Snyder," she continues, smiling lightly. "Snyder was eating it up at first, happy. But then he kind of lost it, and he was asked to resign," she adds, smiling at the memory of Snyder carrying his personals in the traditional 'you're fired' box. "I miss you, you know," she says, gulping loudly. "You've been in my life for so long . . . You'll always be the first boy I ever loved," she confesses, eyes set on the departed's engraved name. "Tate . . . " she whispers before backing away as she recalls the events that led to his death.
Bloodied hands, dirt layering her shirt, the orange haired wiccan casts another spell-hovering the miniature sun over a pack of vampires. "Natsuki!" she screamed as she watched her friend get taken down by a vampire, clinging on her back, chewing on her milky neck. "Natsuki!" Mai yells again, working her way to her friend, hovering her sun as fast as she could over to her friend's attacker. Casting the sun to the vampire, watching it catch fire, Mai bends down and helps her childhood friend stand back up. "Natsuki, there's too many of them..." Mai says as she holds her raven-haired friend up. "So?" her friend replies, weakly, clutching her neck. "Natsuki..." Mai says, eyes watering. "I want to die, Mai," Natsuki explains as her green eyes tear up. "I don't want to live without them . . . without her," Natsuki finishes, pushing Mai to the ground as the green-eyed slayer takes an arrow aimed for her best friend. Tears streaming down, Mai rises from the ground and watches her friend battle a demon whom she, despite her injuries, kills, pulling the arrow piercing her shoulder and stabbing it on the demon's chest. Angry, Mai levitates the ground, chanting desperate pleas, prayers of protection from the high goddesses. Then, a glitter of light envelops her, along with Natsuki and the others.
"I'm sorry," Mai continues, staring at the tombstone. "I didn't get to you on time..."
Watching a turn of events as their side begins to win, Mai thanks the goddesses before levitating back on the ground to continue fighting. "MAI!" Reito yells, approaching her, minutes after the demons gave up and retreated. "Yes?" she asks, watching her usual collective friend hesitate, hazel eyes glistening. "Reito, what is it?" Mai asks, feeling her grieve creep up on her again. "It's about Shizuru and Takeda, isn't it? . . . I know," Mai explains, voice shaky and eyes tearing up again. "Mai . . ." Reito says, wearing his gym clothes and enveloping the orange-head in a hug. "It's Tate."
"Aetharus, Shawzahkstan, Ripper, Violet, Viktor, Shizuru, Takeda and . . . Tate," Mai says, remembering the list of the ones she knew who died on that day. "A lot of freelancers too," she says absentmindedly, focus still set on the past, on the memory set of that day. "Most of them, anyway. And a lot of the demons who were on our side, too." Mai continues, sighing. "I still dream of it..."
"Mai," a voice says, careful not to startle the wiccan.
"Sakomizu," Mai says, turning to look at the plump librarian. "It's time, isn't it?"
Sighing, Sakomizu pulls out his stake from his little black messenger bag, along with a crossbow and a bottle of holy water that he hands to Mai.
"You don't think she'll come back, do you?" Mai says, accepting the bottled, blessed water.
"Natsuki . . . Natsuki turned her back on this," he says motioning over to the darkening cemetery. "I don't have a choice . . . I can't. I don't really have a reason to..." the aging librarian says, taking off his lenses.
"Let's kill vampires, shall we?" Mai says, feeling sorry for the older, lonely, and plump man.
"And Reito?" the plump man asks, putting his lenses back on.
"Reito is on his way," Mai says, grateful that Reito is still lending a hand to their cause, even after what happened.
Four years later...
"Natsuki!" Mai scolds, scowling at the raven-haired girl, lounging on the living room couch.
"What?" Natsuki says, chewing on a Twizzlers whilst watching some sort of action movie.
"What is the meaning of this?" Mai asks, using chop sticks to pick up a black-silky underwear.
"It isn't mine," Natsuki says, looking over at the article, and then returning her gaze over to the television. "It's generic."
"I know it isn't yours!" Mai says, throwing the undergarment on the floor.
"So?" Natsuki retorts, annoyance clear on her features.
"So," Mai spits out, mimicking the green-eyed girl who rolls her eyes. "Stop bringing your damn floozies to our apartment!"
"Oh," Natsuki says as it hits her. "Right. I'll work on that," Natsuki says, returning her gaze to the television.
"Work on that!?" Mai repeats in disbelief, walking over to turn the television off.
"Hey!" Natsuki exclaims, sitting up on the couch. "What's got your panties in a twist?!"
"NATSUKI!" Mai scoldsnbefore hearing her phone go off.
"Aren't you gonna get that?" Natsuki chides, smiling coldly at Mai, turning the television back on.
Scowling at the green-eyed girl, Mai answers her phone, walking into the kitchen for some privacy. "Hello?"
...
Ending the call, Mai walks back to the living room, looking over at her roommate who is still watching the television, lounging on the living room couch. Blue eyes watering, Mai recalls the decision that she made four years ago, a decision that has been haunting her, even before making it.
"Patricus found her!" Mai exclaims to Sakomizu after speeding off to the librarian's house, following the phone-call."He did!?" Sakomizu asks, taking off his lenses, smiling brightly. "They're coming! This weekend!" Mai exclaims, eyes watering from joy. And after anxiously awaiting the last couple of days, Mai and the watcher pull up at the airport, awaiting the wiccan and the slayer. Heart speeding up, Mai's smile is wiped off the moment she lays her eyes on the ill-looking raven-haired girl. Turning to look at the plump man, Mai sees that he, too, is worried for the well-being of the much too scrawny and much too pale slayer approaching them. Mai, however, scowls the moment she sets her gaze on a certain red-haired ex-demon. And after their eyes meet for a split second, the ex-demon walks away and sits on one of the benches as the slayer and the middle-aged man approach them. "Natsuki?" Mai begins, wanting to reach for the other girl's hand or cup the other girl's face, but preventing herself from doing so as requested by the raven-haired girl on that horrible day. "Mai," the green-eyed girl says, acknowledging her, indifferent to seeing her childhood friend after three months. "Natsuki?" Sakomizu says, eyes tearing up. "We need to talk," Natsuki begins, avoiding her watcher's and her orange-haired friend's gaze. Exiting the airport and driving their visitors to a nearby hotel where Patricus made reservations for them, the friends, the middle-aged men, and the ex-demon enter the hotel room. "Natsuki," Patricus begins, raising a brow at the young girl. "Do you want some privacy?" he continues, looking at Nao. "No," Natsuki answers, looking between her watcher and her friend. "What is it?" Mai asks, voice shaky. "I'm going to kill myself," Natsuki says, voice serious and face stern.
"What's up with you?" Natsuki asks, raising a dark brow at her much-too-still roommate. "Were you playing with magic again? Exhausting yourself?"
"What?" Mai asks, drifting back to the present.
"You're being socially weird," Natsuki says, eyeing Mai much how she eyes people nowadays: A scrutinizing, arrogant gaze.
"Natsuki . . . " Mai begins, shaking her thoughts away. "It's Patricus."
"Professor Snape?" Natsuki jokes, green eyes focused on the picture box.
Face falling, Mai feels her throat and heart grow heavy.
"Well what about him?" Natsuki asks when Mai doesn't reply, but still turning to glance every now and then at the television.
"Natsuki, he's dead."
"Really?" Natsuki says, unaffected by such news. "That sucks, I guess."
"Natsuki!" Mai scolds, walking over to turn off the television once more.
"What!?" Natsuki exclaims, sitting up.
"Natsuki! Patricus is dead!"
"So!?"
"He's a friend!" Mai exclaims, admonished by her friend's cold-heart. "He helped us, remember!"
"Yea!" Natsuki says, rising from her seat. "I remember!"
"Then!?" Mai questions, swallowing heavily.
"I'm grateful that he helped us; I am. But, I don't know what you expect from me . . . I barely knew the guy!"
"His-his daughter is all alone, Natsuki," Mai says as tears dwell in her eyes. "Patricus was the only parent she knew."
"And I feel for her," Natsuki says, raising a brow at her friend's attitude. "My mom died too, remember? And I was seventeen! And she's what? 24? 23ish? She's a big girl! And, come on, her father was a dark powerful sorcerer!" Natsuki continues, rolling her eyes. "Hard to sympathize with that! And it's not like we were close friends who chatted over tea either! And not to mention that they live halfway across the world! So excuse me for not feelin' sorry for that weird, creepy family!"
"He changed," Mai says, scoffing at her friend's behavior. "That's why he died . . . dark magic . . . it always comes with a price."
"And I'm pretty sure he knew that before he began to sacrifice the chickens and the virgins."
"NATSUKI! HE'S DEAD!"
"He made his bed! He drank the damn kool-aid!"
"You're unbelievable, Natsuki!" Mai says, clutching her chest where heart resides. "I don't know you anymore..."
Scoffing, Natsuki shakes her head, clicking her tongue. "I don't know what you want from me."
"I don't want anything," Mai says, bringing her hand back down, sighing.
"Don't lie," Natsuki says, crossing her arms across her chest.
"You have changed Natsuki. A lot..."
"See I don't know what you mean! I've always been like this," Natsuki says, rolling her eyes. "And I hate it when you do this!"
"No you used to-" Mai begins, but shuts her mouth. "I'm just shocked; that's all," Mai says, eyes watering. "And I'm sorry for expecting you to be someone else."
"Mai . . . " Natsuki begins, cool demeanor breaking. "Don't. Don't worry about it."
"No. I'm sorry," Mai says, tear falling, apologizing not for their fight but for something that she did four years ago.
"You're gonna make me go to the funeral, aren't you?" Natsuki says, defeated, sighing.
"Yes," Mai says more to herself than to Natsuki. "We have to help her."
"Why!?" Natsuki presses, back to being annoyed. "What about Duran?" she asks, motioning over to the giant Irish-Wolfhound, lounging by a corner.
"My brother will take care of him," Mai says, throat heavy again at seeing the now-depressed dog that's no longer playful but sleepy, always sleeping.
"You're lucky I care for you," Natsuki warns, slumping back on the sofa and slamming her head back against it. "Otherwise, a simple "I'm sorry for your loss' bouquet would have sufficed. But no! My best friend wants to go halfway across to world to say goodbye to a man we barely knew. A man that did horrible things."
"Think about his daughter," Mai counters, wishing nothing more than Shizuru being here to convince a stubborn Natsuki to change her mind with her Shizuru ways.
"Mai! I don't care! And I'm not gonna pretend to care either!"
"Not even for her. A girl that is going through what you went through a couple of years back."
"Once again, I was seventeen; and my mother was good," Natsuki says, eyes watering before turning her gaze away, not wanting anyone to see her like that.
"Natsuki..." Mai begins, wanting to comfort her friend, but knowing that it'll just piss her friend off more.
"Fine. I'm going," Natsuki says, turning back around, cold-demeanor back. "Besides, I could use a different scenery," she finishes, smiling charmingly, annoying Mai.
Sighing, bothered by Natsuki's habit of bedding any pretty girl she sees, Mai gulps loudly. "You know . . . you'd really like her if you got to know her, Natsuki," Mai finishes, ending the argument, walking back to her room to prepare her luggage.
Flying halfway across the world to London, putting up with Natsuki's annoyed and cold glances without receiving any help from the silent plump man, Mai smiles, at ease, when they finally land. Walking around the airport looking for a particular young man, both Mai and Natsuki smile when the handsome young man comes into view to pick up the group of friends and watcher from the London airport.
"Reito!" Mai exclaims, running and embracing the taller and more muscular young man from their past. "How's life in London?"
"It's been great," Reito says, patting Sakomizu's back and then hugging Natsuki. "But busy...with school and all."
"That's great buddy," Natsuki says, playfully punching him in the shoulder, causing Reito to raise a brow when Natsuki ignores him to smile at a much older business-like woman walking past them.
"And how is she?" Mai asks, rolling her eyes, yet growing anxious and nervous, stealing back the young man's attention.
"She's-she's been coping . . . she's been preparing for his death for about a year now," Reito answers, nervously running a hand through his hair. "It was hard for her at first, but she's strong."
"That bad?" Sakomizu asks, worry clear in his face. "You should have called us sooner."
"There were a lot of relapses," Reito explains, smiling nervously. "But she said she could handle it on her own," Reito says, eyes widening for a bit. "But come on! I'll give you a quick tour as we make our way to his estate," Reito says, grabbing Mai's, Natsuki's and Sakomizu's luggage.
Arriving at a huge Victorian-esque mansion, Mai stares in awe. "It's beautiful," she says, admiring the trees, and European street lights, paving the way as they enter the mansion. "It's all hers now?" Mai asks, still staring and marveling at the beautiful estate.
"Yes," Reito answers as his driver pulls up in front of the mansion and next to a 15 foot high fountain.
"Lucky brat," Natsuki mutters, exiting the limo and admiring the estate.
"Brat?" Mai repeats, feeling her heart race.
"Yea," Natsuki exclaims, digging her hands into her forest green skinny jeans. "Demon girl is lucky."
"Demon?" Mai presses, feeling butterflies roam her stomach. "You think she's a demon?"
"Dude," Natsuki begins, raising a brow at her orange-haired friend. "The girl's got weird red eyes. Very 'demony' if you ask me. And I am, after all, the slayer," she says, smiling crookedly, gloating as always about her superiority.
"But you think she's weird?" Mai asks, voice hopeful, trying to shake Natsuki's annoying cocky demeanor.
"She was when I last saw her a year back," Natsuki says, shrugging, causing little wrinkles to form on her light-blue denim designer and expensive snug button-up shirt that showed off her fit demeanor, especially when Natsuki pretended to stretch in order to reveal a toned stomach.
"You said you hardly talked," Mai interrogates, running beside Natsuki, admiring her friend, glad that Natsuki didn't change so much on the outside for she was still a beautiful tomboyish, secret girlie-girl who was scared of cockroaches, scared of missing her facial cleansing appointments, scared of split-ends, scared of religious people, yet slayed monsters at night and had a secret obsession with lingerie.
"We didn't talk much at all, Mai," Natsuki says, scrutinizing her friend. "And what's up with you? Why are you always so obsessive when it comes to this girl?" Natsuki asks, looking intently into blue wiccan eyes. "You're always whining and going off about her and her triumphs," Natsuki continues, rolling her eyes. "Not to mention you always try to get me to come with you when you visit London," Natsuki accuses, raising a brow at Mai's sudden discomfort. "So again: Why are you always obsessing over this girl?"
"I'm-I'm not!" Mai replies, blushing.
"I thought you were straight?" Natsuki counters, smirking at her blushing friend. "And to think of all that crap you give me for bringing girls home."
"Who brings girls home?" a melodic voice asks, speeding Mai's heartbeat.
"Sorry for your loss," Natsuki says, walking past the tawny-haired girl and clutching back her luggage from the estate's servants.
"Hi..." Mai says, smiling warmly at the red-eyed girl. "I'm so sorry," Mai begins, reaching out to grab the tall girl's hand. "We would have come sooner but-"
"-but you were busy slaying demons," the girl answers, squeezing Mai's hand. "It's okay. Papa explained it to me. He explained why the strongest wiccan, second to him of course," the tawny-haired girl jokes, letting go of Mai's hand and running it through her hair. "Couldn't come. Why the great little miss Mai Tokiha couldn't visit him as often," the tawny haired girl finishes, glancing quickly at the raven-haired girl who is texting.
"Excuse her," Mai says, stealing the tawny-haired girl's attention. "Natsuki is-"
"-she's the slayer," the red-eyed girl states, scrunching up her face when saying the last word.
"Are you okay?" Mai asks, worry masking her face, feeling a rush of emotions dwelling inside her.
"Shizuru?" Sakomizu and Reito both ask, luggage held in their hands.
"I'm fine," Shizuru says rubbing her temples, shaking her head, and venturing forward. "Come inside, please."
"Are you sure?" Reito says, worry-lines running across his handsome features.
"I'm not going to die, Reito," Shizuru jokes, wrapping her arm around Reito's arm and leading her guests inside.
Lingering her stare at the walking tawny-haired figure, Mai's thoughts drift back to the past.
"Kill yourself!" Mai questions, anger clear in her blue eyes. "Have you finally lost it, Natsuki!?" she presses, watching anger form on the raven-haired girl. "You don't understand, Mai!" Natsuki begins, balling up her fists. "I don't understand?" Mai says, feeling the cool of tears running down her face. "Tate died! He was my best friend. I loved him..." Mai says, voice cracking. "And Shizuru is in hell, Mai! With Tomoe! And Tate is in heaven. So no. You don't understand," Natsuki counters as tears sneak out of her emerald irises. "Natsuki . . . Mai's right," Sakomizu says, speaking up. "I loved her!" Natsuki exclaims, breaking out, crying. "And they were all taken from me . . . Takeda, my mother, and Shizuru," Natsuki says, crumbling to the floor. "I know," Sakomizu says, lending a hand for his slayer to take. Turning away from his hand, hugging her knees, Natsuki continues. "I've asked Patricus to help kill me. I will go to heaven. See my mom. Say my goodbyes and then Patricus will bring me back three days later," Natsuki says as Mai burns her gaze on the dark-haired man who looks softly at the blue-eyed wiccan. "We will then bring Shizuru back. And we'll be together. Forever. Like we planned," Natsuki says before Mai's patience runs out. "And what if it doesn't work Natsuki?" Mai exclaims scoffing at the warlock and the slayer. "If it doesn't work," Natsuki begins, looking into the distance. "I will die. And I will be with my mom-forever in heaven. And if he brings me back, I'll be cursed to hell. Then I will bring her back, but if it doesn't work like Lorne said it wouldn't, then I will wait till I die again. When I go to hell. When I'm reunited with her . . ." Eyes watering again, Mai looks worriedly at her friend. "You've thought a lot about this." Looking up at the orange-haired girl, Natsuki nods her head once, green eyes glistening. "I just want her back," the green-eyed girl continues, voice and lips trembling. "Why?" Sakomizu asks, furrowing his reddish-brownish brows. "She's your first love, Natsuki. I understand that but-" Sakomizu continues before being cut off by the raven-haired girl."-But NO ONE will EVER understand me, love me, or know me like she did! Think about it: I'm a slayer. I'm gonna die soon anyway. I'll always be absent during nights. I'll always come home with bruises and scratches. I won't have time to bear a child . . . to have a family. Who in their right mind will understand those circumstances? Who will accept them?" Natsuki says, digging her nails into her palms. "No ONE! I NEED her...I LOVE her! And I can't leave just her there! In hell! With Tomoe!" Natsuki bursts out, eyes tearing up again. "There is no future for me without her! And this-this is the only way. And if it works out, my death will awake another slayer . . . which means that Shizuru and I don't have to do this anymore. We can grow old, get married, have children for all I care and forget. Forget about slaying. And forget about saving this damn cruel world! It'll just be us!"
"Mai?" Natsuki questions, raising a brow at her childhood friend. "Are sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," Mai answers, waltzing past the raven-haired girl who rolls her eyes and enters the mansion.
" . . . Papa wished for a small service," the red-eyed girl says, hands behind her back as Sakomizu analyzes a family portrait in the hallway. "You three were on his short list," the tall girl continues, smiling at the photograph. "Along with the others."
"When was this taken?" Sakomizu says, frame still clutched in his hand.
"Acapulco, Mexico. I was seven," the girl answers in a melodic tone.
"And you remember?" Sakomizu asks, raising a brow as Mai gulps loudly.
"I was seven," the red-eyed girl repeats, smiling. "But I do remember bits and pieces. Like the sun. Mexico is really hot. And the clarity of the ocean. It was beautiful. I'll never forget that."
"I can make you forget!" Mai says once she feels that she has lost all other hope. "I can make you forget her! Forget them," Mai continues as Natsuki gets back up, scowling at the blue-eyed wiccan. "Forget?" Natsuki repeats before scoffing. "How can you say that to me!?" Natsuki says through gritted teeth and as tears rain from her eyes more rapidly. "Natsuki, what you're saying is wrong," Mai says, softly, yet scrutinizing the raven-haired girl. "No!" Natsuki counters, raising her voice. "What YOU'RE saying is wrong!" Natsuki says, shaking her head in a disbelieving manner. "Forget," Natsuki repeats, looking hardly at Mai. "Why don't YOU forget, Mai? Forget Tate." Tearing up again, Mai backs away, lips quivering. "Natsuki is right," Nao says speaking up for the first time. Clenching her jaw hardly, trembling, Mai turns to glare at the redhead. "You have no right!" Mai says with disgust as Patricus stands between her and Nao. "It's okay," Nao says, circling past Patricus and staring into blue eyes. "She's right," the ex-demon finishes, green eyes watering. "Enough," Sakomizu says, taking off his lenses. "We all lost something dear to us on that day," the watcher continues looking between the three girls. "But we have to move on," he finishes, putting his lenses back on. "We owe it to the world. To the world we all helped save. Especially you, Natsuki," Sakomizu says, looking hardly at his slayer.
". . . sounds like a lovely time you spent with your father," Sakomizu says, admiring a different frame.
"Yes. I remember that one more clearly; I was thirteen. And Papa . . . he liked visiting ruins. Ruins of his ancestors in search of artifacts," the tawny-haired girl says, smiling.
"Sounds very Indiana Jones to me," Natsuki cuts in, admiring an expensive looking vase.
Giggling, the taller girl approaches the shorter girl. "That's a fertility vase," the tall girl explains, causing Natsuki to raise a brow.
"A what now?" Natsuki says, lifting the vase slowly and carefully.
"It was used for post-marital ceremonies. After the consummation of the marriage. To ensure a little one."
"Oh so it was like a praying thing?" Natsuki says, analyzing the vase, running her hand along the weird scriptures and then digging her hand inside, checking for any contents.
"In a way," the tall girl says, before giggling again. "Both the man and wife would slit their hands and pour their blood on that vase. It was an offering. A devotion to the fertility goddess. And once the child was born it was marked with the blessing and then the vase was passed down amongst the family for generations to come."
"Oh," Natsuki says, making a sour face and putting the vase back. "But you washed it, right?"
"Of course not," the tawny-haired girl answers, snickering. "It's an omen if you do."
"Hmm. Wow. Superstitious much?" Natsuki says, annoyance clear in her eyes, expression and voice. "Weirdo . . ." she mutters, putting the vase back.
"Rude much!?" the tall girl counters, red-eyes flaring. "Jerk . . . "
"Whatever," Natsuki says, walking away, running her hands through her thighs, cleaning them off while the taller girl stares. "I didn't even want to be here."
"I knew I shouldn't have come back. You don't understand," Natsuki says, walking away from the group and out of the hotel room. "We tried to convince her otherwise too," Patricus says once the raven-haired girl leaves. "So what are we going to do?" Mai says, looking at the plump man. "We'll do as you suggested: We make her forget," the librarian says, earning silence from the rest of the people present.
"Shizuru?" Mai asks as they sit in the dining room table awaiting their meal. "When is the service?"
"Tomorrow," Shizuru says, setting piece of cloth on her lap and taking a sip of red wine.
"Isn't that...a little soon?" Wyatt, who arrived before them, asks as he, too, takes a sip of his wine.
"Papa didn't want his death to drag on his friends," Shizuru answers, calm and reserved as always.
"What about you, angel? How are you coping?" someone asks, causing all heads to turn towards the door.
"Lorne!" Shizuru exclaims, smirking at the demon who, as always, makes an entrance, making all eyes turn on him and his apparel which, on this occasion, is a black suit, a black button up shirt, and a black tie.
"Hi there, sweetie," the green-horned demon says, winking at the tawny-haired girl.
"They know each other?" Natsuki asks Mai whose smile drops down the minute she turns to look at Natsuki.
"Yea. He's been-he's been helping her," Mai says, avoiding Natsuki's gaze, fidgeting with her fork.
"With what?" Natsuki asks, looking between the tawny-haired girl and the green-horned demon who are now embracing each other like longtime friends.
"Shizuru-she's-she's different," Mai says, avoiding Natsuki's gaze.
"Meaning?"
"She's. Umm. Well, she's like Lorne," Mai answers, careful with her words.
"I KNEW IT!" Natsuki exclaims, rising from her seat, stealing the attention. "She is a demon!" Natsuki says, smiling triumphantly and pointing at the tawny-haired girl.
"No, you moron!" Mai says, smiling nervously at the onlookers, including the help.
"I'm psychic," Shizuru explains, raising a brow at the green-eyed girl.
"Oh," Natsuki says, playing with her fingers, involuntarily pouting. "So you see the future."
"No," the tawny-haired girl responds, still raising a brow at the slayer. "I can move things: Psychokinesis or more commonly referred to as telekinesis," the tall girl explains, setting her brow down.
"It's a bit of a curse. Like my gift," Lorne says, smiling weakly at the tawny-haired girl. "I've been mentoring her on how to control it. And not let it control her."
"Telekinesis?" Natsuki repeats, furrowing her dark brows. "That means you've undergone or are going through some sort of extreme mental-post-traumatic stress," Natsuki says, cocking her head to analyze the tall girl. "What?" Natsuki says, feeling all pairs of eyes looking intently at her. "I pay attention in class. When I go anyway," Natsuki finishes, sitting back down and gulping her wine before her phone goes off to Dexy's Midnight Runners, "Come on Eileen", which Natsuki sings along to as she rudely answers her phone, smirking at the caller.
"MAI!" Lorne bursts out, signaling out the orange-head. "Can I talk to you and Mr. Sakomizu?" Lorne finishes, calming himself, smiling politely at Shizuru, asking for some privacy. Nodding, Shizuru walks off.
"I swear that girl..." Mai begins, glaring at a flirting Natsuki as she rises from her seat but calming down after seeing Sakomizu's aging face.
"Lorne?" the plump man asks, brows furrowed.
"It's gonna happen!" the green-horned demon says, smiling at Mai and Sakomizu.
"What?" Mai asks, feeling a blood rush.
"It's gonna happen!" Lorne, the psychic demon who reads people via singing, repeats, smiling broadly.
Feeling her heart fly out of her chest, relieved, Mai turns back to look between the raven-haired friend and the tawny-haired girl. "Finally," she mutters, remembering the old Natsuki in contrast to the new Natsuki that never met Shizuru, never felt loved, never truly loved, never fell in love, and never had Shizuru by her side to help her cope with her mother's death. "And after all those times we tried to set them up," Mai continues as Lorne smiles weakly at her and as Sakomizu stares distantly at the wall. "After we regretted what we did. Finally."
"But what do we tell Shizuru when she realizes that Natsuki forgot about her?" Mai asks, looking between the ex-demon, the warlock, the werewolf and the watcher. "She won't ever know, " Sakomizu says, taking off his lenses. "When Patricus brings her back, we'll take her memory too, completely," Sakomizu says, exhaling deeply. "Clean slate. It's the only way. . . Shizuru will live a long and healthy life without any memory of hell, slaying, guilt, dying, being shunned from her family or being ripped from heaven," Sakomizu says, putting his lenses back on."That is, until she dies and wakes up in hell," Nao says, looking hardly at the watcher. "That's better than being trapped there right now," Reito, who came in minutes ago, says as he, too, looks displeased about the situation. "But Sakomizu is right," Reito continues, running a hand through his shaggy black hair. "Lets let Shizuru have another chance of a happy life before she goes back-back to hell," Reito finishes, smiling weakly at the group of people gathered in the hotel room.
"Reito!" Mai exclaims, pulling Reito from Shizuru whom he has been conversing with ever since he came into the dining room and ever since they started eating while Mai anxiously awaited for the right opportunity to snag Reito.
"What!?" Reito asks, smiling at Mai's sudden excitement. "I've been watching you," he continues, smiling goofily. "What has got you all excited?"
"It's gonna happen!" Mai says, smiling, sucking in her bottom lip. "It's finally going to happen!"
"What's gonna happen?"
"IT!"
"Mai . . . you're-you're not messing with me, right?" Reito asks, hazel eyes tingling with relief as Mai shakes her head, still beaming.
"We are doing the right thing, right?" Mai asks nervously, looking particularly at Sakomizu and Reito. "Natsuki is a slayer; she can't manipulate fate and nature like this; it's wrong," Sakomizu says, firm voice betraying his saddened face. "But she didn't pick this life! It picked her!" Mai counters, scoffing."As it did to Shizuru. But she has died. Twice. Thereby making Natsuki our protector who has literally saved the world," Sakomizu persists, face falling the more he talks. "It's unfortunate, but it's her destiny. She's the chosen one and she's a damn good protector and guardian to mankind," he finishes before clearing his throat. "I care about Natsuki, Mai. You know I do; but what she's planning on doing . . . it's wrong," Reito says, looking worriedly at the orange-haired girl. "Wrong!? And what you're planning on doing isn't? To make her forget without her consent? To erase Shizuru from her memory?" Nao counters, voice laced with disgust. "I know I shouldn't be one to talk. Especially after what happened . . . after Tate gave his life protecting me," Nao says, green eyes watering. "I've lived thousands of years; I didn't deserve it; I know it. Just like I know he only lived seventeen years. It isn't fair. But that exactly why you need to really think about it . . . I may not have known Natsuki as well as you three, but she did love that girl. She loved Shizuru," Nao continues, getting everyone to shift nervously in their stance. "All I'm saying is that she's been stripped off her humanity enough times. And what you want to do . . . it is as inhumane as taking someone's life because that is exactly what you're doing," Nao finishes. "She's right," Mai says, yet avoiding the redhead girl. "Shizuru is the one person Natsuki truly ever opened up to. And I don't think I can do that to her," Mai says in a definite tone. "You won't have to," Patricus cuts in. "I can do it . . . and I can take care of her. Shizuru. I've always been alone, and I always wanted someone to share my experiences with. Someone I could call my own. A daughter." Lingering her gaze on the watcher who looks pleadingly at her, Mai shakes her head. "I don't know," she says, face and voice tinged with worry. "I know, it's hard, Mai. And they're both our friends and we shouldn't betray them like this . . . it's unforgivable," Reito says, stepping in again. "But if we don't do something, we'll have to live with that for the rest of our lives. With Shizuru being trapped, unfairly, in hell. And with the fact that if Natsuki follows through with her plan of killing herself. Resurrecting herself from death. And being sentenced to a lifetime in hell . . . we'll have to live with that too."
"Mai," Reito begins as lines run along his face, grabbing her attention. "It's been four years since-"
"-I know," Mai says, setting her gaze on a certain pair of two young women, blue eyes stinging as she watches the two girls converse.
". . . So what? You're like the x-men people?" Natsuki asks, analyzing the tall girl head-to-toe while the tall girl raises a brow yet.
"Are you openly checking me out?" Shizuru asks, finishing with an odd smile. "And did you just call me a freak?" the tawny-haired girl continues, placing a hand to her chest with a hurt expression.
"What!?" Natsuki asks, shifting in her seat. "No! Well..."
"Well what!?" the tall girl snaps, scowling at the raven-haired girl.
"Well, you do move things with your mind," Natsuki states, smirking afterwards. "Kinda freaky."
"And you slay things with your super-inhumane powers, freak!"
"Did you just call me a freak!?"
"Well..." the tawny-haired girl counters, smirking as well.
"You think you're real clever, don't you Vi-o-la?"
"My name is Shizuru," the tall girl says through gritted teeth.
"Look, Viola. Don't expect me to suck up to you because you're a rich-snobby-brat."
"Ara, who said anything about sucking?" Shizuru rebuts, scrunching up her face, seemingly confused.
"Well you're the naughty girl that brought it up, so you must want it, Vi-o-la," Natsuki teases, smiling charmingly, gloating as Shizuru grits her teeth ferociously from both her remark and the fact that Natsuki called her by her middle name. "Admit it, Viola, you want me."
"I think you want me!"
"I don't want, princess; I get."
"I'm not your princess!"
"It's a figure of speech, barbie!"
"In that case, Na-tsu-ki," Shizuru begins, but then stops as both she and the slayer scrunch up their face, brows furrowed as their eyes wander aimlessly around the dinning-room table.
"Are they fighting?" Nao cuts in, smiling at the bickering girls having some sort of face-off. "Oh my god! I knew it!" Nao exclaims, scoffing.
"Yea," Sakomizu says, joining the group, genuinely smiling for the first time in years. "I know."
"Where were you Nao?" Reito asks, not taking his eyes off the two girls.
"Just went to get cousin Shizuru some more of her damn tea supply crap," Nao says, not breaking her smile. "I overheard you guys from the kitchen. What about you pretty boy?"
"I went to class earlier, and then I went to pick them up at the airport."
"Oh-"
"-Shhh," Mai says, bringing her finger to her lips, going back to openly spying on the two girls.
"You're such a conceded pig!"
"Funny. 'Cus if I was such a pig, you wouldn't have been checking me out," Natsuki counters, smirking. "That's right, princess! I saw you checking me out when I stretched my arms!"
"I'm sure you were just stretching," Shizuru retorts, rolling her crimson eyes.
"I was warming up for you, Vi-o-la," Natsuki counters, smirk broadening when the tawny-haired girl blushes. "You bite, don't you, princess?" Natsuki taunts, smiling charmingly, watching the tawny-haired girl's blush redden as said tawny-haired girl grinds her teeth.
"You DOG! You dirty-dirty DOG!" Shizuru exclaims, rising from her seat and throwing her linen cloth on the table, scowling at Natsuki.
"Yea yea yea," Natsuki says, smirking at a pissed off Shizuru. "So sensitive," she mocks before her dinner knife hovers by her face, aiming at her prized face.
"You were saying," Shizuru says, turning around, hands behind her back.
"Impressive," Natsuki says, backing away from the knife. "For a freak," Natsuki finishes, getting up and walking away.
"As if you aren't," Shizuru muttters, turning to smile apologetically at her guests. "She's so rude and so conceded!"
"Yup. That's Natsuki," Nao says before walking away from the dining room area. "I'm going to the pub. Wanna come?" Nao asks the group of people and demons who shrug. "Cousin?" she asks, looking at Shizuru. "Natsuki will be there."
"Then I'm coming," Shizuru says, smirking, and walking away.
"How'd you know that would work?" Mai asks Nao, forgetting about her grudge.
"I am her cousin," Nao explains before scoffing. "At least, I've been her 'cousin' for four years now. I know her pretty well. And Shizuru hates losing."
"So how has she been doing?" Sakomizu asks, taking off his lenses. "Does she suspect anything?"
"Well she has dreamed of Natsuki," Nao says, looking softly at the group of people.
"She dreamed of her?" Mai asks, eyes watering.
"Yea," Nao says, scratching the back of her ear. "She came to bed with me the first time Natsuki visited, three years ago. It was that time that Natsuki came to help us slay that nasty nest of Deevak demons and vampires who were raising hell in our own little hellmouth. . . Anyways, Shizuru lied down next to me, saying that she dreamed of the cold girl from earlier; she was confused."
"What did you tell her?" Sakomizu asks, putting his lenses back on.
"I told her that she may have a crush on that girl," Nao says, looking distantly off, elsewhere in her mind.
"And what did she say" Mai asks, voice hopeful.
"Impossible," Nao says, snapping back to reality. "She said it was impossible to like a cold, heartless girl like Natsuki who, despite being cocky, looked lonely. Afraid to let anyone in," Nao says as everyone shifts uncomfortably. "But then it happened again. Shizuru dreamed of Natsuki when Natsuki came back to face her 20th birthday slayer trial here in England with the Watcher's Council."
"Yea. Natsuki said they talked," Mai says, smiling at the thought of it.
"Yea. It was weird. They didn't fight. Just small talk," Nao says, furrowing her brows. "Almost as if they were trying to be nice to each other but uncomfortable at the same time. It was tense, like the old times," Nao says, smiling before scratching the back of her ear again. "And later at night, Shizuru came to me again . . . she said she dreamed of Natsuki."
"What did she dream about?" Sakomizu asks, hands hidden in his coat.
"They were in an apartment," Nao begins, still furrowing her brows. "A small ugly apartment," Nao says, chuckling, correcting herself. "And Shizuru said that Natsuki was touching her lovingly. And that she liked it . . . She felt like she was in love with Natsuki, which scared the shit out of her!" Nao explains, chuckling again. "Natsuki terrifies her for some reason! Shizuru said so when she lay with me in bed. It was almost as if Natsuki is an omen to her. And I, " Nao continues, sighing. "I thought it was a side effect from what you people did," Nao says, now glaring at the nervous group of people. "So I comforted her until she fell asleep. Then she woke up and claimed she remembered nothing. But part of me thinks she lied to me," Nao continues, furrowing her red brows. "Maybe not the first time. But that last time...I think she lied. And I think she has had more dreams of Natsuki because she was nervous yet curious to know if Natsuki was coming to her father's funeral. But from what I just saw. Just now, "Nao continues, smiling again. "Now, I know for sure that my dear cousin has changed her mind; she likes Natsuki, whether she likes it or not."
"What if we change our mind?" Mai asks, resisting the idea yet again. "Mai," Reito begins, resting a hand on her shoulder as the same group of people, minus Natsuki, meet in Sakomizu's basement. "I know, Reito," Mai says, smiling weakly and then sighing. "Did you-did you bring what I asked you to?" Patricus asks, clearing his throat and twirling the ring on his finger. "I brought a necklace. An amethyst that I found on her bureau," Reito says, handing over the item. "And I have Natsuki's stake," Sakomizu says, handing over, yet hesitating, giving Patricus his slayer's favorite weapon: The first weapon Sakomizu ever entrusted to her. Eyes glistening at the sight of her best friend's stake, Mai grits her teeth before speaking."If we're gonna do this, we're going to have to fix some other things while we're at it," Mai says, looking hardly at the two middle-aged men who look questionably at her. "When Natsuki wakes up from a seemingly normal slumber, she'll forget about Shizuru as planned. But she'll also forget about her mother's real death. We'll lie and tell her the Master's wounds put her in a three-month comma. We will tell her that Saeko died of an aneurysm: Head trauma. A quick and painless death. I can get a demon, Clem, to forge us some medical papers to back us up on that lie," Mai says, receiving slow nods. "And we have to be ready. Ready to plaster some fake smiles on our faces and support Natsuki because she will be devastated . . . Again. Mourning her mother. Everything all over again. And all minus Shizuru's comfort. So we have to be ready. But, at the very least," Mai continues, smiling coldly. "To make us feel better," she says, acknowledging everyone present. "So we can sleep better at night . . . It's better for Natsuki in not knowing that her mother was murdered in front of her and that avenging her mother's death didn't fill that gap."
"...Nao?" Reito asks, face stern, diverting back Mai's attention. "Why is Shizuru-Better yet, why was she so scared of Natsuki? Did you ever ask her? Did she ever tell you? And why didn't you tell me? I'm her best friend."
"There was nothing to tell. Shizuru claimed she forgot. FORGOT," Nao says, lips trembling.
"So she never opened up to you?" Sakomizu asks, voice weak.
"Weren't you listening? She said she FORGOT everything," Nao repeats, scowling at the plump man. "Forgetting . . . I don't know about you people but when it comes to that word. When it comes to my cousin. I don't fight it. I give up; she deserves to have her reasons. Her memories. Her fake Acapulco, Mexico, vacation. Her fake south american trip. All her fake memories, along with the newer ones. They're hers."
"We hurt her enough," Reito inputs, voice soft. "I, too, don't question her."
"Because we're guilty," Nao says, green eyes glistening. "Even if I was against it, I didn't prevent it. And, now . . . now I help her cope. I comfort her; I comforted her with her father and with her latest unfair punishment, which Natsuki said earlier: Her extreme mental-post-traumatic stress. Stress that we caused."
"The suppression. The memories still dwelling inside there . . . lost," Mai says, eyes watering. "It's our doing."
"And Natsuki is a trigger to those memories," Nao says, exhaling deeply. "That's why I don't question her. Not just the guilt. But because I don't like bringing Natsuki up. Not when I'm with her. With my oblivious cousin; it's cruel."
"Yea," Mai says, already tearing up. "It's our fault that both them ended up this way."
Now at the pub with the ones who chose to come: Lorne, Reito, Nao, Shizuru, and Natsuki. Mai, silently sipping her alcoholic beverage at a small table, is taken aback when Lorne sits in front of her, a giddy smile painted on his green, hat, and sunglasses wearing face.
"What?" Mai asks, now twirling the little umbrella on her drink, arm plopped on the table, and chin resting on her hand.
"Look," Lorne says, wriggling his eyebrows at two specific young women as they sit next to each other at the bar.
"Uh-oh," Mai says, rolling her eyes. "Natsuki is hitting on her! Again! And Patricus! 'Her father' just died! The nerve of that girl!"
"But that's good, isn't it?" Lorne asks as they walk closer to listen to the two girls' conversation, pretending to dance. "And, sweetie, tell me I don't look weird with this fedora hat and this green skin," Lorne jokes, smiling, showcasing his sharp-tipped teeth.
"Lorne!" Mai scolds, trying to find a sweet spot. "Ssshh."
". . . for not liking me, you sure do follow me a lot," Natsuki notes, finishing off with a charming, dazzling smile.
"So you were hitting on me," the tall girl says, scooting closer to the raven-haired girl causing Natsuki's charming smile to broaden.
"You're a beautiful girl."
"Umm, thanks," Shizuru replies, making a snobby face and rolling her eyes.
"Look," Natsuki begins before clearing her throat. "I know your father just died and-"
"-to tell you the truth, I'm relieved that he finally passed," the girl in a white sundress says, fidgeting with her fingers. "It has been a long time coming. I'm just happy he's no longer in pain. Suffering."
"You know . . . when my mom died, it was quick. Unexpected," Natsuki responds before taking a sip of her Blue-Moon beer.
"I'm sorry."
"The horrible part is that I don't remember it. None of it. I wake up one day. Confused. And was told I was in three-month comma. And then, all of a sudden, all my friends are standing in front of me, pitying me, telling me that my mother died of an aneurysm."
"I'm. I'm sorry."
"On top of that, I did happen to remember something," Natsuki says, green eyes watering. "I remembered one of my best friends giving his life to protect me in that battle. I try not to think about it, " Natsuki discloses, turning away from the red-eyed girl.
"Yes, I remember that. The battle. From what Papa told me any way," Shizuru says, red-eyes glistening. "Again. I'm sorry."
"It's cool," Natsuki says, exhaling deeply, chuckling nervously. "I just wish I said goodbye. To both of them."
"And I had that chance with Papa. Once more, I'm sorry," the tawny-haired girl says, reaching for Natsuki's hand as they both flinch when their skin makes contact, causing both to retract their hands.
Eyebrow raising but then shaking it off, Natsuki reaches out for Shizuru's hand. "I like this song," she says, intertwining their fingers as Shizuru shifts, uncomfortably, in her seat. "Just like Heaven?" Natsuki says, green eyes lingering on red eyes. "The song," Natsuki explains, smiling at the taller girl.
"The Cure," Shizuru answers, smiling back, easing up, and relaxing.
"Wait. You know The Cure?" Natsuki asks,marveling at the tawny-haired girl's music taste.
"Nao," Shizuru explains, smiling and looking down at the bar table. "She forces me to listen to that stuff. 80s music. She says I'd appreciate it someday."
"Hmph. You're really weird, you know that?" Natsuki says, smiling at the tawny-haired girl, only this time it's a genuine smile as Mai notes. "You're snobby, yet nice. And quite the little brat if you ask me," Natsuki finishes, smirking as Mai scowls from afar.
"And you're a pain in the ass!" Shizuru exclaims, pulling her hand back as Natsuki raises a brow.
"So the princess swears," Natsuki chides, smiling her charming smile again. "I'm impressed," she says, taking another sip of her beer, still smiling.
"As if I want to impress you," Shizuru spits out, rolling her eyes.
"So what do you want to do to me?" Natsuki teases, green eyes smoldering red eyes.
"You're a pig," Shizuru states, getting up from her seat, leaving Natsuki. "A conceded, shallow, vain pig," she adds, walking away from the raven-haired slayer.
"Sweetie, what happened?" Lorne says, dropping his hold on Mai and gently gripping Shizuru's arm.
"That girl!" Shizuru says, stomping her feet.
"Careful, sweetie, heels," Lorne says taking his red eyes from the tawny-haired girl, only to bring them back up, smiling apologetically.
"What did she do this time?" Mai asks, pretending to be oblivious to the exchange that she and Lorne overheard.
"She hit on me!" Shizuru exclaims, blushing.
"Yet she liked it," Natsuki purrs, wrapping her arms behind the taller girl and hovering her head on the taller girl's shoulder, grazing her lips on the tall girl's bare shoulder. "Didn't you, my beautifully annoying brat?"
Blush deepening, Shizuru unwraps the green-eyed girl's hold on her, punches her on the face, knocking Natsuki to the floor before storming out of the pub.
"She's strong," Natsuki notes, standing back up, massaging her chin, marveling at the door that the tawny-haired girl just slammed shut. "She's different."
"Because she punched you?" Mai asks, raising a brow, yet internally screaming from joy that Natsuki still gets turned on by Shizuru's dominance over her.
"Because it hurts," Natsuki corrects, flexing her jaw, still admonished as her green eyes linger on the pub window where a tawny-haired girl is seen standing outside, arms crossed against her chest, sandy brows furrowed, pouting angrily.
"Then go get her tiger," Lorne teases, smiling, whilst being elbowed on the ribs by Mai.
"Lorne she's drunk!" Mai says, not taking her eyes off of Natsuki.
"Drunk with love," Lorne counters, winking at Natsuki.
Smiling at the demon's comment, still in awe, and massaging an incoming bruise, Natsuki nods her head at Lorne, heading towards the pub door in pursuit of the tawny-haired girl.
"Shizuru, " Mai hears Natsuki say as Natsuki walks past her.
Scoffing, shaking her head, Mai watches, through the huge pub window, Natsuki gently tap the angered tawny-haired girl on the shoulder. Turning around, scowling, arms crossed across her chest, Shizuru is taken aback when Natsuki hands the red-eyed girl her leather jacket, smiling warmly at her. Feeling her heart race and melt, Mai elbows Lorne who elbows her back as they watch the two girls. "It's happening," Mai relishes before scowling when she sees Natsuki suddenly cup the taller girl's face, running her thumb along her lips, aiming to kiss her only to have her foot stomped on by the taller girl who shoves Natsuki away. "I swear that girl," Mai begins, but then stops when she sees Natsuki pull one of her better moves, bringing her hand up, clutching a little purple flower that she must have picked up along the way, and then handing it to the blushing taller girl.
"That's better," Nao says as she and Reito join the peeping tom's club and as Shizuru accepts the purple flower, inhaling it while Natsuki absentmindedly kicks at the ground, smiling.
"Wait for it," Mai says, anticipating another move, gasping when Natsuki doesn't reach for the other's girl's hand, intertwining their fingers and luring her in for a deep kiss, which usually leads to a heavy make-out session before Natsuki successfully beds the girl. "That's not right," Mai says, furrowing her brows. "Natsuki usually does this combo," Mai begins, only to stop when she sees Natsuki do something that she frequently did to Shizuru when they were together in their previous life; instead of playing a sleazy move on the taller girl, Natsuki does reach for Shizuru's hand only to bring it up and kiss it, releasing it and smiling lovingly at the taller girl before the taller girl reaches back for Natsuki's hand, smiling lovingly in return, red eyes penetrating green eyes.
"It's fitting, isn't it?" Lorne says as Mai turns to look at his nostalgic expression.
"What is?" Mai asks, watching Lorne turn to look at her, his red demon eyes glistening.
"The song," Lorne explains, turning back to look at the two conversing girls, playing with their hands as Shizuru swings them in the air, brushing a strand of tawny-hair back behind her ear with her free hand, blushing at something Natsuki said while Natsuki still looks at the taller girl in awe, green eyes beaming brightly.
"It is," Mai agrees, humming along to one of Natsuki's old favorites, Modern English's "I'll Stop the World and Melt With You". Blushing when she sees Shizuru peck a blushing Natsuki on the cheek, Mai gulps loudly, feeling her throat grow heavy. "They belong together," she says as everyone else scoffs, knowing that they were wrong all along.
"But she has to move on," Reito says, trying to sound reassuring. "Right?" Wanting nothing more than to not be there, Mai sighs. "She will," Mai says, looking hardly at everyone present-Sakomizu, Patricus, Reito and Nao. "She'll distract herself with slaying evil and saving the world like she did before Shizuru. Before her mother was murdered in front of her. Before the love of her life was also murdered in front of her. And before one of her best friends was murdered in front of her," Mai says, eyes tearing up. "She'll be your slayer again," she says, looking specifically at the plump-afro-haired man. "So now if you excuse me, I'll help Patricus set up Natsuki's cruel and unusual punishment," Mai finishes, watching Nao nod at her as she nods back.. "I know it's unfair, but it's for the best," Sakomizu explains as his eyes glisten and his hands tremble. "For whose best?! The 'greater good!?" Mai spits out before scoffing. "That's the thing about being good: It's never I, me, and mine; it's about them," Sakomizu explains, aging lines deepening in his aging face. "And right now, they need her; Natsuki is their savior, even if they don't know it; they'll sleep because of her; they'll love because of her; they'll live because of her. She's Natsuki the Vampire Slayer."
Now to defend myself...lol. For starters, I didn't want to end it with Natsuki's or Shizuru's point of view; I wanted their 'relationship' to be looked at externally from another perspective, and Mai was the perfect fit. Also, I don't like happy endings, which is why I "killed" Shizuru off; happy endings are too unrealistic (and I get the irony: writing a fictionist world with magic, monsters, demons and the resurrection of certain people-totally unrealistic lol). But I do I like hopeful endings; I live for them: The endings that broaden the irritated audiences' minds, the ones that royally piss you off yet tug at your heart at the same time. It's bittersweet.
Obviously, I do not own Mai-Hime, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, (or Angel, for that matter, since I borrowed Lorne and some other demons from his show or any of the 80s music that I mentioned in which my only regret is: I didn't use Alphaville's "Forever Young", but I did use my absolute favorite 80s song -"Just like Heaven").
As always, thank you for your time. (And I hope I didn't piss you off that much.)