Treasured

Chapter II: Natsuki Kruger, of the Northern Ice Lands

Disclaimer: If I owned Mai-Hime/Otome, then I would make an anime out of the Destiny manga. Shizuru as a teacher clad in black, wielder of a katana gives major nosebleeds.

A/N: I had no idea I'd get this many reviews from one chapter o.o… but it made me happy x3 –gigglesnort-
Anyways, it seems that I need to clear some things up. First off, Natsuki and Shizuru are both as old as they are in Otome. Also, if they know each other or not is a mystery. I meant to do that to make people think so they won't have their brain cells die later on. How considerate of me.

And now for the big announcement! SychoBabbleX has volunteered to beta my stuffers! Joy, joy! I'm so glad to have found someone reliable, and awesome with writing. Clap-time!

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OMAKE.

Jack Sparrow: Why is the rum gone?
Elizabeth: One: because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two: that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire royal navy is out looking for me, do you think there is even the slightest chance they won't see it?
Jack Sparrow: But why is the rum gone?

-Pirates of the Caribbean

Treasured Version:

Shizuru: Ara? Why is the tea gone?
Natsuki: One: Tea can't be good for you when I never see you go to the bathroom. Two: The entire navy is out looking for me, do you think there is even a slightest chance that they won't see this big green blotch in the middle of the ocean water, and not to mention the mellow fish?
Shizuru: … Natsuki has been a bad girl. (Translation: spanking time.)

[A/N: Little parodies will be where quotes are usually put at the beginning of every two chapters released. Meaning quotes and parodies alternate. Please note that most of the parodies have nothing to do with the fanfic itself except the context of the situation. Chances are, Natsuki would rather stay with Shizuru and get spanked than trying to get found by darling Nagi.

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In the distance a small silhouette could be perceived, swiftly approaching from the horizon. The curve-like bottom and its rowing passengers confirmed that it was a frail, and slowly sinking boat that would have surely not made it to the harbor if it weren't for the incredible speed it sailed at.

The tall waves that rocked its little frame pushed it forth with such power that anyone who would've witnessed this would insist that the boat made a summersault before crashing against the wooden dock of Artai.

CRACK! –thwump –thwump –thwump.

Its passengers who continued to move unlike their thrashed boat, landed in a heap a couple of feet away from the roaring water. They groaned as their bruises, and cuts rubbed against the hard wooden floor and salty water. Stinging and aching all over, one of them had tried to lift himself off of the dirty floor, but it found the deed to be quite impossible. It felt like weights the size of an anchor were strapped to his back.

A particular blond man rubbed the back of his brain-damaged head as he looked up in a daze at his comrade whom had just given up and lay motionless on the ground. It took him about half a second to realize what must be done.

"Duke Nagi Artai! Pirates! Go!" Sergay pointed towards the mansion that loomed over all the other buildings as he emptied his lungs of the little oxygen that remained. The three men whom were previously dead miraculously sprang to their feet and started to run. Artai- as most figured- gave birth to very weird, and persistent people.

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"As expected from Shiho…" A tall, and handsome man appeared beside Shizuru. He adjusted the collar of his blouse that was tightly held to his body with the help of a vest dignified of a gentlemen. The strapped sword by his side clinked to every movement as its sheathless blade gently shook.

Shizuru greeted him with a casual nod but her eyes observed the boat that sped towards the harbor in the distance. "I always believed that Shiho-san was gifted, but to think that her family passed this curse down for generations…"

"Is a bit frightening I suppose." The man watched the younger girl below who gave a particular high-pitched, maniac-like laugh. Her delight brightened as the boat Sergay rode on crashed violently against the wooden dock.

"Yes, you can put it that way Reito-san." Shizuru's lips curled into a beautiful smile that would have made any man or woman swoon. Reito sometimes wondered if she even knew how alluring her gestures were sometimes. "Ah- it seems Sergay has gone to alert Nagi of this. Please follow procedures as planned." Despite the thick fog that settled above the lurching ocean, the faint silhouettes of men dashing about could be seen. The ship was floating quite close to Artai, but thanks to Shizuru's brilliant preparation, their plan was executed during a perfect foggy day.

Reito nodded and gave his captain a quick salute. "Yes capt'n." Reito returned the smile he received as his eyes followed the chestnut haired pirate who had begun to get ready to disembark while helping the others get into position. The ship would shortly arrive on the dock where Shizuru would go ashore and roam around town while the rest of the crew took the boat to a secret pier. There, they would then follow their captain, and back her up if anything went wrong.

Reito found it a little reckless- especially when Shizuru was the one who came up with this tactic. Usually, her strategies were set in concrete stone, and never held doubts or "what if's" but this time it was different… and Reito loved it. Ever since they met when they were still children, Reito had grown accustomed to the chestnut haired girl's charm. Any quirks in Shizuru's personality that would surface from time to time made the woman even more interesting. Despite her calm, and composed behavior, she was still very unpredictable.

Both Reito and Shizuru were great friends to one another and always watched each other's back in times of despair, but that was what became a problem… It was the sort of relationship that people labeled as "just friends" and Reito did not want it to be… so simple. The tall man sighed. "So close, yet so far."

"What's far brother?" A playful voice snapped Reito out of his reveries as a small girl bounded up to him, short hair barely moving to the wind, and a smile so wide that it nearly took up half of her face. Her presence was always known within a ten meter radius due to her active nature.

"It's nothing Mikoto-chan. Get ready, we'll be on land soon." The taller man gave his younger sister a playful pat on the head as her grin widened. Mikoto had always loved her older brother the most, and so it was normal for her to become part of the crew when Reito had decided to join Shizuru for this grand adventure. The resemblance between the siblings was minimal, but everyone knew that their souls were linked as well as their hearts.

"Sure thing sir! Make sure to bring the foo-" but before Mikoto could finish her sentence, a particular raspy voice boomed from the lower dock, thus interrupting any going conversation upon the boat.

"Hurry your asses up before I maki-maki them to shore!"

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The fog had thickened as time elapsed slowly, creating an illusion-like atmosphere around the dark capital of Artai. Anyone who dared to venture out at this time would feel as if they were in a bitter dream that threatened to engulf them, and never let them wake up.

The elder would often convey a bone-chilling story that explained the origin of this dense fog that had been present on late autumn days for the last millennium. In ancient folklore, this was known as the period of "Feeding" for the lost souls whose remains were left to wander in the narrow, and cold streets of the town they perished in. Those spirits were known as the Wanderers. They fed upon the blood and soul of their victim, their hunger for human essence fueling their aggressiveness. It served as a reminder to them of how it was like to be alive.

And so this superstition was what kept the streets bare on foggy days. Only the fools and the fearless ignored the words of the elders.

"Damn." A shiver ran down Natsuki's spine as she pulled the collar to her long mantle closer to her body as small goosebumps formed along her arm. "This must be that stupid 'Feeding' time bullshit the hags were talking about." The air that escaped her lips was visible through the short, little, white puffs that added onto the dense fog. Silhouetted tall buildings of stone stood erect on both sides of the street. Their unified-like shadow created a wall that lead a path to the harbor.

Right now, the only thing the dark-haired girl wanted to escape to was the ocean. The hypnotizing sea must currently be in turmoil with all the wind, and approaching storm, but no matter; it was still a problem-dissolving hobby that the woman picked up during her childhood. "I can't believe I'm going through all this trouble just to remind myself of that idiot." She muttered particularly to no one, eyes trailing the large rock road that led to a junction to two other streets. "That kid and I made a promise to overcome our fear of the sea together- and the next thing you know, the dumb kid goes and gets crowned leaving me behind to rot in Artai." She sneered, ignoring the biting breeze that had just brushed against her. "She probably grew up to be some kind of ugly, spoiled princess brat." Stray, dried up leaves rolled around the streets along with the invisible, miniature tornado that had formed. Its little crisp crackles were pretty much the only things that could be heard other than Natsuki's ramble. "Mashiro-hime." She spat bitterly. "Wait until I become queen to come and kick your ass." The girl growled but her discontented features had quickly turned into a sad frown. The crackles of the leaves that skidded across the empty street danced continuously. "Tch, I can't believe you were stupid enough to go and get yourself attacked by pirates too. I've heard from father that they had come to your kingdom to claim land." These old news had reached Natsuki approximately eight years ago, two years prior to her engagement to Nagi. It had been quite a shock to her when her father had asked to speak with her alone about her friend. Her only friend. "It's been eight years now… since you've had to bear through the pain the captain had inflicted on you. You were strong, and you kept your ground… but you're the biggest idiot. Why are you taking on your problems alone?" This had become one of the many pointless conversations Natsuki often had with herself. The girl sighed. "I'm being a hypocrite. But I'll go find that Shizuru Fujino pirate before I come see you, and I'll beat the crap outta her." Shizuru Viola Fujino was a famous name amongst the sea. She was known as one of the greatest pirates that roamed the ocean. Fearless, beautiful, graceful… Natsuki couldn't help but feel a little pang of nostalgia from that very name for it reminded her of Mashiro herself, but she despised it at the same time.

The lone girl now walked past the little tornados, stepping on the leaves as their brittle bodies oddly cried in pain when they were crushed… which successively brought Natsuki out of her mental rants.

The girl blinked. Did the leaves just cry?

Natsuki's head suddenly jerked to the side as she strained to listen to something. On the other side of the buildings that separated the street the girl presently walked on, there were faint male-like shouts. It didn't last long since whoever it was, seemed to be running quite swiftly towards where Natsuki just come from. Once the yelling ceased, the woman was left alone to listen to the silence that suddenly became quite intimidating. The atmosphere became a little tenser as Natsuki coursed through the every details of the folklore the elders had told her about on one particular evening.

"Tch, probably some fools trying to get themselves devoured by these so called 'Wanderers'." Natsuki scoffed, trying to keep her cold-blooded, and fearless demeanor calm. "Ugh, and who am I kidding." She ran her fingers through her long, and silky hair and took a deep breath of moist air before continuing her path towards the dock. As of now, the empty streets that were led by looming buildings were unwelcoming. The cold vapor that haunted its every nook had become even more sinister than before. It was only a matter of minutes before Natsuki reached the end of the street, but what awaited her was not the familiar fork that led to the dock, or the bakery.

The girl's eyes widened as she stopped and stood stock-still.

Everything was covered in white mist. Absolutely nothing could be seen over the huge cloud-like mass that settled into the area. The faint silhouettes of the buildings that were visible moments ago had long disappeared within the white veil

Natsuki turned around to see if she could back step her path, but it was too late. The fog had moved to the back street and became so thick that everything including Nagi's mansion which could be seen kilometers from the city appeared to be white.

As the girl spun around, trying to find a clearing to escape to, something had caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Natsuki swore that she had just seen a figure through this dense cloud- but how was it possible when she couldn't even see her own hand, mere inches from her face?

"W-Who's there?!"

The lone girl felt perplexed, and nervous.

-Bo-bom. –Bo-bom.

Her heart rate increase steadily as her senses went wild. The once-smooth and soft face was covered in cold sweat as her eyes continuously darted back and forth. The panic-stricken girl felt as if she was watched… her every movement observed.

"Show yourself!" Natsuki quickly reached for the guns that were buckled to her belt, and to her relief, her hands wrapped around the familiar feeling of leather, and metal. The weapons were quickly brought up to face any direction that seemed the most ominous as heartbeats intensified.

Despite losing sight of both her arms, Natsuki caught sight of the shadow that had reappeared again in the distance. Its eyes were blank but they were directed right back at her. If it tried anything, then she'd blow off its fugly head.

"Tell me who you are or I'll shoot!" Trembling slightly, the girl readied herself to fire. Of all things, the Wanderer just happened to be real… if it was in fact what she was staring at. It must currently be looking for its next human-flavored meal that would bring bliss to its brain-less soul, and that was exactly what Natsuki did not wish for. Not that anyone would anyway.

Silence.

Her fingers shook at the pressure that was applied to the trigger to the gun. Frustrated, and terrified, Natsuki grinded her teeth together. As reckless as it was, fear had taken over Natsuki's senses, and she could no longer think of another way to protect herself.

There was a long pause, but as the girl backed-away, the silhouette glided forth, thus sending Natsuki in a fit of panic.

Two deafening bangs resonated painfully through the dense air as bullets whizzed towards the shadow but it had disappeared within the mist. Natsuki furrowed her brows together and looked around swiftly, trying to catch sight of the Wanderer in case it decided to charge at her. Her shirt had become damp from the sweat as her consciousness flickered lightly

And that was when it happened… all too suddenly.

A pair of blazing-red eyes had appeared right in front of Natsuki, followed by hands that grabbed her wrists, covered her mouth and pinned her against a wall she would have never known existed. She must have unconsciously pulled the trigger because the echo to the gunshot reached her ears painfully…

The low breathing from the Wanderer against her neck was oddly sensual to Natsuki's surprise, but the girl was much too shocked to realize anything other than the piercing eyes that burned holes right through her.

Natsuki knew she was going to die. The elders were right- fine- she admitted they were but now she was going to become a nice cheesecake for the un-mannered spirit who's soft, and warm body was pressed against hers while warm breaths hovered over her cold neck.

But… wait-a-damn-minute. Since when did spirits have bodies, let alone WARM ones?

"It's not very nice to point a gun at a woman," came the exotic accentuated purr of a beautiful voice.

That remark hadn't exactly processed through Natsuki's head. Right now- she was in a visible state of confusion. Her mouth was slightly parted, as her eyes stared directly into the mesmerizing crimson orbs that matched the color of her blush. She must've looked quite stupid at the moment because a soft, and elegant chuckle reached her silence-engrossed ears.

"I'll bring you to a clearer area- hold on."

"Wha- aaaaaahhhh!"

And before the gunner knew it- she was flying.

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"Hmph, I knew it." A finger playfully trailed along the rim of a wine glass as a low-pitched ring left a bad aftertaste in the ears of the people that were awaiting orders from their superior. "What of their location?"

"They were fairly close to the harbor when they sent us, Duke Nagi!" said Sergay, whom was currently kneeling before a very short, white-haired and impish looking child that sat at a chair much too large for him.

An urgent meeting had been called that afternoon by none other than the Major General who had returned from a pirate patrol on the eastern coast of the continent. The second he had announced the name of the pirate they were dealing with, everyone immediately rushed to the room and all the attention fell on Sergay. Only the soldiers, and high-class Artailka combatants were permitted in the red and black themed Hall of Agreements but the news weren't stopped from spreading nor was the excitement subtle in this case.

There was a fairly large commotion outside amongst the trainees of Artailka, and staff as the center of the uproar revolved around one particular pirate. Even the soldiers of the Artai military were having trouble standing still alongside the hall, impatiently listening to Nagi's thoughts. They truly wished to catch a little glimpse of this Shizuru Viola Fujino of the Southern Seas.

"They have probably docked by now, and since they were so straightforward with their request-"

"Yes, yes, I know. I can tell." Nagi sighed, apparently not very pleased of the news on this terrible day. The bored icy eyes that pierced holes through the blond man's own held a malicious particular glint to them. "Send our high-class, and mid-class Artailka soldiers to their pursuit. Once you find the captain, bring her here. She will not get what she has come for." The ringing stopped and the hall became awkwardly silent. "And make sure The Wanderer doesn't go berserk." There was a shuffle of clothing as the Duke uncrossed his legs, his black, long coat undulating with each movement.

"Yes sir."

Combatants, soldiers and generals rose from their kneeling position to look up to their Duke before simultaneously bowing.

And with that, Sergay left the hall followed by an army.

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Upon arriving at the harbor, the fog had considerably thickened along the water. The thrashing waves below, and the pirate boat long gone left but the thunderous cries of the sea in its wake. It was truly a time where pirates closed their eyes to pray for their fallen comrades that have perished on storms like these- or rather like the one that would soon create chaos upon earth.

Never in her life had Shizuru ever witnessed so much condensed water vapor in one place. She missed the warmth of the sun, and the humid air provided by southern coordinates on the map, but what she had come for was worth this gloomy mess.

Now regretting her lack of air-resistant, captain's vest, Shizuru felt a light shiver crawl up her spine as a particular wind grazed the light blouse which happened to be the only article that covered her top, excluding her bra of course. The elegant southern pirate had taken off any piece of clothing that would distinguish her as a sea bandit- notably as Shizuru of the South- but it would only prove useful for a couple of hours before she would be found. At least, from far, her appearance resembled the one of a natural merchant… not that it mattered. Shizuru had to execute her plan as soon as possible.

"Ara? It seems my task has been simplified." The elegant beauty announced happily to herself as she walked over to the entrance of a narrow street and peered in. Instead of seeing the common dark of a normal Artai street, a luminous white had engulfed the whole avenue. "This must be the Wanderer I have heard so much about." The woman waved her hand around the white cloud as it swiveled away, and back due to the wind produced by Shizuru's hand. "Even if it is a strange phenomenon, it is still fog." Precise and logic calculations were one of the Southern Pirate's forté. However before the chestnut haired woman could proceed with further analyzations, two loud bangs reached her ears. Someone was being swallowed within this cloud, and chances are, it was someone Shizuru was looking for. Unfortunately, if this said person was in danger, then the pirate didn't exactly want any more blame then Nagi will charge her with for now. Leaving someone to die when she was right there also became something the woman could not tolerate. It was not as if she ever told people of her heroic acts just so she could keep her pirate reputation.Besides, she couldn't let her target die so easily.

With a sigh, Shizuru stepped inside the fog and broke into a dash towards the echo that still bounced within the condensed water and oxygen. Sound waves travel faster in matter than in gas, and when something this loud broke the silence, Nagi would surely find her more quickly.

She would have to get this person, and come back to the harbor as soon as possible, so the plan could work.

Shizuru covered her mouth with the use of her sleeve as she blindly ran through the mist. It didn't do much of a difference since the fabric was thin, but filtering a bit had to be better than inhaling large amounts of damp air. As the girl ran, she kept her keen hearing on the lookout for a change of tempo.

Once the echo became weaker- Shizuru quickly stepped back and turned to her right, making sure she'd reach this person before the sound waves died out. Luckily, the voice of a unnerved female could be heard as the girl approached. It seemed that whoever it was, this person wielded a gun, and if Shizuru wasn't careful, then a bullet could pierce her. Her speed increased. It was dangerous to run blindly since the walls of the buildings were nowhere near visible, but Shizuru knew better than to do something as ungraceful as running into a wall.

At last, the barrel of a gun appeared right in front of the pirate. The trembling hands that held it up were ready to fire once more, but Shizuru tightly grasped the girl's wrist, and the other before staring right into a pair of wide emerald eyes. Pinning people was another of the chestnut haired woman's talents- and it proved useful most of the time. She was able to hold both of this girl's arms with the use of one hand, thus allowing her to clasp the mouth of the shout-ready girl. Luck had even blessed her with a wall, permitting her to keep her balance if ever the woman that writhed in her grasp decided to pull some martial art maneuver. Their bodies met, warmth seeping within each other's skin through the thin materials of their tops. This was Shizuru's way of calming someone down.

Just as the distressed woman met her crimson orbs, she had fired once again, and this time right beside Shizuru's ear. The roar of the bang had caused the usually calm girl to flinch slightly but this was nothing compared the sound of cannons, though Shizuru had to admit- the amplified sound did make it hard to keep the girl under her control.

Another echo bounced swiftly upon the narrow walls of their enclosure, already reaching where the pirate had previously been, and sounding like a little thunder clap. Though as silence reigned, Shizuru pressed her body against the girl a little more closely to keep her calm in case she'd break into a fit of hysteria. Although hopefully she was smart enough to figure out that spirits did not possess bodies.

"It's not very nice to point a gun at a woman," Shizuru whispered to her as her eyes studied her prey's face. Her smile widened when the chestnut haired beauty realized that she was exactly the person and goal of her mission. A reckless girl she certainly was. Wondering around during the time of Feeding, surely she was a fool. 'Bingo.'Came her thoughts as her grip loosened around the shorter woman.

Lady luck had seriously been on Shizuru's side today.

Those emerald eyes stared back at Shizuru as she resumed her breathing from a slightly parted mouth , a hand no longer preventing her from shouting. The confusion that was emanating from her eyes were somewhat humorous as a dark blush burned beneath the cheeks of the girl's face. It must be because of their pressed bodies.

Shizuru chuckled lightly. To think that her target blushed so easily at the slightest brush of warmth. "I'll get you to a clearer area. Hold on." Before the younger girl could speak or retort, Shizuru had swept her off her feet and gracefully sprinted across the dense mist..

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A/N: I just heard Shizuru's English dubbed voice for the first time. AND I DIED. Whyyy must they do this to heeerr. No offence to people who have the accent of course, I personally like hearing it when it suits someone.

Also, SychoBabbleX is an awesome beta who sacrificed her eyes to improve my writing for you all. If you find that my fic has been nicely written, it's all her work.

Chapter 3 will and might be released later this week- for I have four fugly tests waiting for me and so far, I'm FAILING. Like I fail with literature.

For kicks, here's a little preview for chapter 3.

Short extract of Chapter III: Together We Ride

The gunner now stood gun-less, and speechless from the attack. It was over, she lost- and now her head would be sliced off like those guns that had been stripped from her hands with one single and graceful swoop of a sword.

Everything felt like time had slowed. Perhaps it was a little demonstration from Death whose objective was to show Natsuki how the pain of getting her neck sliced in two by the hands of a pirate truly felt like. It could be some sort of punishment to marry the king that had taken away so many lives, and namely those of pirates.

Ironically, despite the oath to save her country, Natsuki couldn't help but ask herself, how she would be greeted in the afterlife.

How did it feel to die?

It was as if time had never returned to normal. The hot blade that had been fated to slit her pale throat never came. Instead, Natsuki could feel soft lips brush against hers. Arms had snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, against the now wet, but familiar body that had once pressed against her before. She was too shocked to react. If death felt like what Natsuki was feeling right now, then she would gladly die, over, and over again.