New story idea that really needed to leave my head. Also kinda hit a road block with ASR. Hope you guys enjoy this while I try to break the stupid dam between me and my muse.
Warning: Might seem a bit OOC considering this story is AU.
I don't own Mai HiME.
On a normal day, she would wake up to the sun peaking through her curtained window. On a normal day, she would prepare for a long boring day at her university. On a normal day, she would have a breakfast of mayo on toast. The thing is, though, it wasn't a normal day. No, not at all.
Natsuki woke up to the sound of someone banging on her apartment door. On any occasion, she would've just ignored it. After all, it was spring break and she was entitled to sleep for as long as she wanted to. But for some reason, the young woman's emerald eyes found their way towards the ceiling.
"Yea, yea. Hold on a sec." she said groggily, rolling herself out of her bed. Yawning slightly, Natsuki walked towards her door, still wondering why she had actually gotten up from under her warm blankets. What had compelled her? It was only Tuesday of her spring break. The spring break that she was supposed to be sleeping away because of the non-existant sleep that she gained as a college student. Oh, she was gonna give the person a piece of her mind. No one, no one, had the right to wake her up.
'It better not be Nao or I swear to Kami, I'm going to be banging her head against the wall till it bleeds.' the nineteen year old thought mercilessly. Unlocking her front door, Natsuki got ready to brutally interogate the person who dared wake a tired college student.
"What the hell was so important that you had to wake me up?" she practically yelled as she yanked her door open. "Do you know how tired I am? I haven't slept for so long that I'm actually thinking about ending your pathetic existence just so I can go back to sleep!" Natsuki yelled, dishing out the best that her sleepy mind could handle. She didn't care who she was yelling to; she just wanted to scream at the person who interupted her peaceful slumber.
"Ara, I am sorry for waking you up." a soft voice said. Natsuki stopped her rant abruptly. That voice, why does it sound so familiar? Turning her emerald eyes to the person in front of her, she finally noticed who she had opened the door for. Crimson eyes stared down at her.
For the first time since Kami knows when, Natsuki felt her breath hitch as those pair of eyes watched her. Such intensity... It felt like the woman could see everything about her. As if those deep orbs were diving into her mind and into her soul. Natsuki found it...unsettling, but at the same very fascinating. It was somewhat familiar as well...
Natsuki examined the person who had decided to wake her up. The woman was a good 162 cm in height. She had worn a short black skirt, that reached her thighs, with a black blazer over a purple tee. Even though the woman had worn some pretty casual clothes, Natsuki couldn't help but think that those clothes were made especially for her. The body wasn't what caught her attention, though. No, that was the woman's face. Long tawny chestnut hair flowed down the stranger's back. Full lips were curved into a smile. But the part that had captured Natsuki's full attention was the pair of red crimson eyes starring at her.
"W-who are you? And what do you want with me?" Natsuki asked the woman, a tinge of nervousness in her voice. Not out of fear, but of a curiousity as to why the woman was at her home. Natsuki watched the woman smile and felt her heart beat erratically. 'The hell is wrong with me?'
"I do apologize for not introducing myself." the bright eyed woman began as she gave a customary bow. Keeping her head down, the woman continued. "My name is Shizuru. Shizuru Viola." Shizuru raised her head up to give the emerald eyed woman a smile. A smile that triggered little alarms in Natsuki's mind. Something flashed through her memory, but before Natsuki could reconize it, it disappeared.
'Shizuru...Viola? Shizuru Viola... Why does that name sound so familiar?' It really was driving Natsuki wild that she couldn't figure this woman out. A classmate? One of her fangirls? The university student shuddered. She really didn't want this Shizuru person to be a fangirl. Putting that thought aside, she wondered why, or what, the woman was here for. "...Alright, Viola-san. Why are you here and what for?"
Shizuru stood to her full height as she answered Natsuki's question. "Why and what I'm here for is you, Kruger-san." Natsuki's eyes widened. "My father has asked me to fetch you for him."
"Your father? Who's your father?" Natsuki replied confused. She just met Shizuru today. Why the hell would the woman's father want her? 'Then again...her name does sound familiar.'
"Hideyoshi Viola." Shizuru replied back, still patiently waiting to be invited in.
.'..Hideyoshi?.. H-i-d-e-y-o-s-h-i...Yoshi... Yoshi-ojisan!' Natsuki's mind flashed with old memories of a smiling old man with a mop of chestnut hair and a ruggish grin. "Yoshi-oji!" The nineteen year old exclaimed in recognition.
Shizuru gave a smile in confirmation. "Ara, yes."
Natsuki grinned as she remembered. She wasn't the best at recalling things, ever since it happened, so it really felt like a victory for when she remembered something from her childhood and her past. Thinking about Yoshi-oji also triggered some memories from when she was younger.
Flashback
A young Natsuki was waiting for someone at her neighborhood park. It was pretty hot outside so she was wearing a pair of blue shorts with her bright forest green t-shirt. Suddenly, she saw someone coming closer to her. Another little girl wearing a pair of jeans and a purple blouse. "Vi-chan!" she yelled waving at her friend.
"Hello Ku-chan!" the other little girl yelled back as she glomped the young Natsuki. This was pretty common when the two met up. What Shizuru did next though, was pretty new to Natsuki.
Natsuki blushed as Vi-chan kissed her on the cheek. "V-vi-chan? Wha?"
Vi-chan just giggled as let go of her friend. "I saw mommy do that to daddy this morning. I asked mommy why she did that and she said because she loves daddy. Well, I love Ku-chan!"
Natsuki blinked then grinned. Taking the other girl's hand, Natsuki suddenly kissed Vi-chan's cheeks too. Shizuru blushed as well. "I love Shizuru too!" Although, the phrase itself was innocent, anybody else could easily see that those words were much more deeper. The two just didn't realize it yet.
The two five year olds then ran off towards the slide and the swings ready, pumped up for another day of fun.
Flashback end (Dang, that was a horrible flashback.)
Natsuki's grin suddenly dropped as the realization hit her. Vi-chan... Shizuru? 'No, no frickin way...'
Suddenly she remembered. Eating ice cream at the park. Bike rides around the block. Climbing trees. Late night sleepovers. As those old memories rushed in, the emerald eyed woman felt the same fondness her younger self had felt for young Shizuru. Fueled with the happiness of seeing her old friend, Natsuki did something that she had never done with anyone except for Shizuru.
"V-vi-chan!" Natsuki exclaimed as she uncharacteristically gathered the other woman in her arms for a hug. It felt so right. So easy. As if the two had never grown apart. As if Shizuru had never moved away. Natsuki pushed those rather depressing thoughts aside. The past is the past. Right now, all she really cared about was being with Shizuru again.
Natsuki could hear soft giggling come from her arms. Letting the other woman go, Natsuki let one of her rare smiles slip onto her face. It really was nice to be with her old friend.
"Ara, it seemed Ku-chan remembered, ne?" Shizuru wondered smiling at the dark haired woman.
"Yea, I remember. Sorry about that. I don't really do well with remembering things." Natsuki rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. This woman... this beautiful woman was her best friend! Natsuki felt her face turn slightly red. Feeling the warmth upon her cheeks, a shock of confusion and complete bewilderment coursed through her body. She was blushing! Natsuki Kruger had never blushed. 'What the hell am I blushing?' The blunette was utterly confused, but now wasn't the time to think on it. Setting the subject of her new blush aside, she focused on the other woman once again.
Her past relationship with the older woman was as one would describe, close. The two did absolutely everything together. They were inseparable. And in a way, that was what made their friendship so special. Shizuru was the light to her dark and the two clicked like two pieces of a puzzle. Without the brunette, the nineteen year old would've lost herself long before she reached junior high. On another note, Natsuki loved the fact that she felt so comfortable with the Shizuru standing before her. Being comfortable with the younger brunette could be explainable, but this was a different Shizuru. A more older and mature version of her childhood friend. Maybe this was why they had gotten along so well. The easy acceptance of one's presence back in the past had welcomed each other again here in the present. She felt a bit guilty for thinking this, but she had never felt this at ease with anybody else, including her current friends.
Reaching the deeper part of her memories, Natsuki gave a chuckle as she remembered why she had picked Shizuru as her best friend. She remembered all times that the older girl had helped her, all the times Vi-chan had cooked for her, and all the times that she had comforted the younger Natsuki whenever something bad had happened. In a way, It was as if someone from heaven had sent Shizuru to be Natsuki's guardian angel. Someone to care and offer friendship to the damaged child that her father had left her as. And for a while, she was happy. That all changed when Shizuru had moved away, but Natsuki exhiled those thoughts right away.
Natsuki snapped out of her daze(1) when she heard a rich, almost hypnotic, laugh come from her friend. "It seems Natsuki is still the same from when we were younger."
Natsuki laughed, but then tried to put on her best serious expression. "Hey! I've changed! I'm not the same person I was when we were kids!" Natsuki tried her best to hold the smile that was trying to sneak onto her face.
"Ara, I beg to differ. Natsuki still likes mayo, ne? Did she also continue to pursue her obsession with motorcycles as well?" Shizuru tilted her head to the side and innocently looked at Natsuki. Natsuki gave a friendly growl when she realized that Shizuru knew that she had been correct.
"She still growls when she's annoyed too. Is Natsuki sure that she's changed?"
Natsuki narrowed her eyes when her best friend began to tease her. "Yes," the emerald eyed woman then gestured to her much more matured body. "I'm pretty sure I'm not the same as my kid year old self."
Natsuki watched as the other woman eyed her body. "Yes, Natsuki is most definitely not her six year old self." she heard Shizuru mumble as the crimson eyed woman nodded in appreciation. Natsuki just blushed.
The two continued to chat, or in Shizuru's case- tease, for a few more minutes before Natsuki remembered the reason why the tawny haired woman had visited her. Ushering the older woman into her apartment, the two sat themselves inside the kitchen. Natsuki prepared the two some tea, she remembered that young Shizuru was addicted to it, and the two situated themselves for another conversation.
"Ne, Shizuru, exactly why does your dad want me?" Natsuki asked as she sipped from her mug. Green tea. Really the only tea that Natsuki actually enjoyed.
Natsuki felt the room temperature drop as Shizuru's once bright eyes turned unbearably sad. "H-he's dying. Natsuki..." she whispered quietly as she stared into her own mug. "..The cancer... they said... he's got three days left.."
Natsuki felt her heart shatter as Shizuru gave her the most heartbreaking news. Yoshi-oji...Oh, Yoshi-oji was going to die...
Flashback
"Nat-kun! Here for Shi-chan?" a middle aged man with messy chestnut hair asked as he opened the door to his house. There standing in front of him was a five year old Natsuki holding a bucket full of beach tools.
"Yoshi-oji! I'm not a 'kun'!" Natsuki whined as she stamped her small feet against the floor.
The man chuckled. "Alright, then Nat-chan!"
"No!"
"Then, what do you want me to call you?"
"I'm just Natsuki!"
Hideyoshi just laughed as he ruffled the little girl's hair. Natsuki tried to slap his hand away only for the man to do it again. They proceeded to play their little game for a while longer.
"Oto-chan!" someone shouted from behind Hedeyoshi. Suddenly a weight was on the man's back. Hideyoshi smiled as his little girl wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling. "Oto-chan shouldn't tease Ku-chan. Only I'm allowed to tease Ku-chan!"
Natsuki narrowed her emerald orbs into her developing Kuga death glare. "Hey! I've got an idea, how about the both of you stop teasing me?"
The two Violas looked at each other then at Natsuki. "Nope!" the two replied simotaneously, their faces holding identical grins.
Natsuki just gave a small whine. "Fine. Whatever." Turning her attention to her best friend, Natsuki raised her blue bucket. "C'mon, Vi-chan. We gotta go now or else the big kids would get there before us. Then they'll hog all the room...again."
Shizuru, realizing the affects that would occur if they were late, jumped off her father's back. "Alright, Ku-chan. Let's go!" Shizuru picked up her purple bucket, that she had set down earlier, and began to walk towards the front door, Natsuki and Hideyoshi at her heels.
Shizuru yanked the front door open with as much strength as a seven year could gather.
"Kids, you know the rules. No punching, no kicking, no jumping on people's backs, no throwing rocks, no pushing people in the water, and finally please don't, and I say this as serious as I can possibly say, don't dye people's hair pink...again." Hideyoshi grinned as her grabbed the two girls in a bear hug. "Alright, you're all set. Be careful and watch out for Shizuru, Nat-kun. I want my baby girl safe and sound." He set both the girls down.
"Mou, I'm strong enough to take care of myself, Oto-chan! I don't need Ku-chan's help!" Shizuru crossed both her ams and gave a cute pout.
Hideyoshi just laughed. "I know baby, but I trust Nat-kun to protect you just in case you can't protect yourself."
Natsuki grinned and gave a salute. "I'll do my best, sir!"
The three shared a laugh and the two little girls began to head out "Bye Oto-chan/Yoshi-oji!"
"I'll see you guys later! And remember Natsuki, elbow, foot, nose, then crotch. Now have fun!" Hideyoshi yelled as the girls began to walk away.
Natsuki gave a wave as she walked away from the middle aged man. Turning towards Shizuru, the emerald eyed girl smirked. "Your dad might act protective at times, but he's pretty awesome."
"Ara, yes, yes he is."
Flashback end
Natsuki felt something warm and wet drip down on her hand. Tears. Wow, she didn't know she could actually cry. She's never... not even when her mother had died or when her father... Natsuki shook her head to get rid of the flashes of images that her past had brought up. It was not time for this. She shouldn't cry. She had to be strong for Shizuru.
Turning her emerald orbs to her silent friend, Natsuki noticed that the normally bright crimson eyes had turned cloudy. The woman's body also kept shuddering as if... Shizuru...Shizuru's been crying while Natsuki was having a recollection. Mentally punching herself for her inconsideration, she stood from her spot and walked behind the silent woman. Bending down slightly, she wrapped her arms around shaking shoulders. Shizuru tensed for a moment before relaxing slightly. "S-shizuru... I'm- I can't- I don't know how to..." comfort you... Natsuki stuttered to get her words out, but it all left her mouth all jumbled.
The two stayed in her position for a few more moments before Shizuru relaxed into the arms of Natsuki. "Silly Ku-chan.." the woman began. "She's still the same..." With those words, Shizuru broke down the dam that she had built over the news of her father's impendent death.
Natsuki was never good at comforting people, hell she's not the type to comfort people in general, so she did the only thing that would give Shizuru at least some comfort. She held Shizuru tighter as the woman cried her eyes out. "Yea," Natsuki whispered softly, "Ku-chan will stay the same just for Vi-chan."
After Shizuru had cried herself to sleep, Natsuki began the fast process of packing her necessities. Five days worth of clothes, her toothbrush, and her shoes. She wasn't really the type to go all out when it comes to things, so she packed all her clothes in a small duffel bag.
Setting her stuff in front of her door, Natsuki sat on her recliner waiting for her best friend to wake up. She didn't really have to wake long as Shizuru began to stir.
"Natsuki? What happened?" Shizuru mumbled as she rubbed some of the remaining sleep from her eyes. Natsuki found it absolutely adorable even at a time like this.
"You fell asleep after you cried.." Natsuki answered back as she glanced at her watch and sighed dejectedly. It seemed like packing took much longer than she though. Standing from her seat, she helped her friend up. "C'mon, Shizuru. Time is of the essense. We've got to go to Yoshi-oji."
Picking up her bag and slinging it on her shoulder, Natsuki opened her door for the other woman to step out so she could lock her apartment door. Shizuru did exactly that and Natsuki wasted no time locking her place. The two then walked out of the apartment complex to Natsuki's bike.
Natsuki froze as she was about to hop on her bike. No matter how fast they were moving towards Yoshi-oji, there was one vital piece missing. "Shizuru, how exactly did you get here and where is Yoshi-oji?"
"I took my car." Shizuru pointed to the black sedan a few cars away from the woman's beautiful bike." We live in Kyoto now so I didn't have far to drive."
Natsuki nodded and thought for a moment. "Okay, how about we take my bike? Your car is too larger to dodge traffic with and my bike is faster. With this baby, we'll arrive in no time." Natsuki patted her pride and joy. Today was the day her blue Ducati Diavel power cruiser was going to show what it was born to do.
Shizuru agreed and followed Natsuki as the other woman turned on the ignition. The crimson eyed beauty took the helmet that Natsuki had offered her and put it on. Shizuru then wrapped her arms tightly around the other woman's waist. Natsuki held a determined look as she revved her bike out of the parking lot with only one goal in mind. To get to Kyoto as fast as she possibly can.
1: Natsuki's thoughts lasted pretty fast. No time was wasted with Shizuru. All of her thoughts happened within her mind, if you get what I mean.
Sorry about the spelling and all my grammar mistakes.
If you have any questions. REVIEW. Seriously. Cause reviews are like cookies and I do like cookes. Yup, they're absolutely delicious.