I Wish
Chapter 5: Bound
Author's note: The exact location of Fuka was never discussed in the series, and I haven't been able to find any discussions online that speculate as to its whereabouts. For the purposes of this story, it will be located in the Shikoku prefecture.
*****************************************************************
Shizuru was surrounded by tea. Tea leaves of every imaginable variety lined the shelves and were just begging her to brew them. There were so many to choose from she didn't know where to start. The chestnut brunette bent at the waist in order to breathe in the scent of the Jasmine Green that was resting on the shelf to her left. She inhaled deeply and was shocked to discover that the tea smelled of stale hotel room and something else she found familiar.
"Ara? Is that ramen I smell?"
Confused crimson eyes slowly opened as Shizuru's mind began to clear. She was lying on her side with her head resting on a lumpy pillow, and for some reason moving her hands and feet proved difficult. After several moments, her vision started to focus and she saw that her appendages were bound together with rope. Fear gripped the brunette's heart as she struggled to recall how she could've ended up in such a situation. The sound of water bubbling caught her attention, and she struggled onto her back in order to see the source of the noise. A familiar looking, very buxom redhead was stooped over an electric burner that was set up on a shabby looking table by the door. She appeared to be boiling water.
"Ahwa, hwo ah..." Shizuru stopped mid-sentence. She was gagged! Her words, or at least the noises that had escaped through the cloth that was shoved in her mouth, had alerted Shizuru's captor that she was now awake. When the redhead turned her head in the gagged woman's direction, Shizuru suddenly remembered why the girl looked so familiar. It was Mai Tokiha, the new friend she had made during the freshman orientation at Kyoto University. At least she had hoped they would become friends, but in light of her current situation, it appeared that she was in the presence of an enemy.
"Fujino-san, I'm glad that you're awake!" said the very nervous redhead. "I was afraid I'd made a horrible mistake after I gave you a second injection of the sedative. You started to wake up only an hour after I gave you the first one, and in a panic I injected a second. When you failed to wake up 5 hours later I got worried and pulled over and got us a room."
Mai turned off the electric burner and started to walk toward the bed. Shizuru shrank back in fear and disgust. She wasn't sure what this psycho had planned for her, but she wasn't going to let her touch her again without a fight.
Seeing the crimson eyes flash in warning, Mai halted her progress toward the bound girl and held up her hands. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Shizuru looked at Mai incredulously upon hearing this, and if possible she would've laughed at the absurdity of such a statement.
Mai ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. Things had not gone as she had hoped. True love was supposed to be Shizuru's impetus to journey to Fuka with her, but instead Mai had been forced to become a kidnapper. She needed to regain the brunette's trust if a wish were to be made. It was time to explain everything to Shizuru.
"I apologize for the situation I've put you in. Things just got out of control before I could fully explain." Mai took a calming breath and continued. "You see, Fujino-san, I'm on a mission to save my younger brother. As I mentioned before, I come from an alternate reality. In that reality my brother was about to receive heart surgery in the United States and had the opportunity for a long and happy life. In a moment of frustration and stupidity, I made a wish that inadvertently killed the woman who had made the surgery possible. This wish also drastically altered this world in other ways that I had not taken into consideration."
Mai attempted to explain to her captive the circumstances that had lead up to the current situation they found themselves in. The redhead deliberately left out certain bits of information, such as the fact that Shizuru's true love was a girl. She had no idea if the Shizuru in her world had been a lesbian before her meeting with Natsuki, or if it had been their meeting that had allowed the brunette to accept her true desires. Mai chose not to be the one to tell the Kyoto girl that she was gay. Through it all, Shizuru gave Mai a cold glare that made the younger girl's blood run cold.
"S...so y-you see Fujino-san, this is why I have done what I've done" stuttered out Mai. "Not only was I affected, but you were as well. As I mentioned before, you were supposed to meet your true love during our time in Fuka, but I robbed you of that chance. All I ask is that you come with me, so I can introduce you to your destiny. If, at the end of this meeting, you feel nothing, I will drive you back to Kyoto immediately."
Shizuru's expression remained cold as she mumbled, "Wremwove dhe ghag."
"Sorry? What are you saying?" asked the perplexed redhead.
This time gesturing with her bound hands toward her mouth Shizuru again said, "Wremove dhe ghag!"
Understanding dawned in Mai's eyes, and she immediately went to remove the gag only to stop short. "Uh, do you promise not to scream? Not that it'll do you any good...we're kinda the only people staying at this roach motel at the moment, and the person who checked us in was on his way to being passed out drunk...Uh sorry - that sounded pretty crazy." Holding up her hands and taking a deep breath Mai continued, "I'm not going to hurt you and I will remove the gag, but I'd appreciate it if you don't scream."
"Wremove dhe ghag."
Without further ado, Mai pulled the damp piece of cloth from the other girl's mouth and was surprised when no scream erupted from her lips.
"I need to use the restroom," said the brunette with as much dignity as she could muster.
"Huh? Oh crap! I'm so sorry. Believe it or not, I actually did think about your comfort before jumping head-first into crazy town." Mai helped Shizuru sit up on the bed and looked into the other girl's crimson orbs. "I'm going to untie your hands and feet as well. I can only hope that you've listened to my story with an open mind and will at least think about helping me." With that statement, Mai released Shizuru and took a step back to give the brunette some breathing room.
Shizuru was confused. Why would this girl drug her, drive her hundreds of miles, tie her up, and then give her the opportunity to escape? The Kyoto native had to admit that the tale Mai had woven was interesting, and it appealed to her in a way she couldn't describe. However, the question remained: should she trust this near stranger?
After rubbing her wrists and ankles to get some feeling back in her appendages, Shizuru made her way to the bathroom. She took the time alone to consider the redhead's words and decide what her next move should be. With her hands free, the anxiety that Shizuru had been feeling was dramatically lessened. She was a 2nd degree black belt in Karate, and with this mobility she'd be able to take out Tokiha easily. But was that what she wanted to do?
After several minutes, Shizuru emerged from the bathroom still unsure of her answer. Mai sat forlornly on the bed and appeared to be fighting back tears. Crimson eyes took in this scene and couldn't tell if the young woman was an exceptional actor, or she was actually emotionally distraught. Either way, Mai was likely crazy, but something at the back of her mind kept screaming at her to trust the redhead. Shizuru needed to stall a little longer, so she could think.
"Tokiha-san, I noticed you were cooking ramen a little earlier. I wonder if I might trouble you for a bowl? I haven't eaten since the orientation mixer, and I find myself feeling hungry."
Mai looked up with hope splashed across her features, "Certainly Fujino-san! I was actually boiling the water earlier for tea; I had already eaten. The water should still be hot, so it won't take but a few moments to boil and I'll have dinner ready in very short time."
"Hmm, tea sounds lovely as well. Would it be possible to have both?"
"Uh, certainly! I'll just add a little extra water to the pot and pour it off into the tea pot once it boils, and then I'll cook your noodles" said the eager to please girl.
Throughout Mai's preparation of the meal, Shizuru discretely observed the redhead to make sure nothing unusual was put into the food or beverage. If anything remotely suspicious was put in or even near the pot, she'd take out the smaller girl without hesitation. The tea was pre-bagged, so lacing it with a drug seemed unlikely, and the noodles were of the instant variety so they also came prepackaged. Mai added a few fresh ingredients to the dish, but nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Here you go Fujino-san. I've been told my instant noodles are the best around, so I hope you enjoy the meal," said Mai as she placed a steaming bowl in front of the brunette. Mai then poured two cups of tea and sat down across from the older girl, gently sipping the brew.
"Well the tea is definitely not drugged since she's drinking it herself. I saw nothing suspicious go into the noodles, so I think I'm safe," reasoned the crimson eyed beauty.
Taking a bite of the noodle dish, Shizuru was shocked to find that it tasted delicious. "Ara, are you sure these are instant, Tokiha-san?" The brunette resisted the urge to slurp the noodles in at a rapid pace, but definitely found it difficult not eat faster than she normally did.
Mai smiled with pride, "Yup, it's amazing how a few fresh ingredients can enhance a dish." Mai took another sip of her tea and stared wistfully out the window into the darkness. She appeared to be lost in thought, and after a few moments she mumbled out, "Mikoto and Natsuki both said something similar when they tasted my noodles for the first time..."
Shizuru's ears perked up at that comment, though she wasn't sure she'd heard the redhead correctly. The brunette was about to question the girl when the sound of a phone cut through the silence. It was coming from Mai's purse.
For a moment they both stared at the purse, until Mai finally got up to answer it.
"Excuse me, Fujino-san," apologized a slightly bewildered Mai. "Who's calling my phone at this hour? "
Walking over to her purse, Mai pulled out her cell phone and saw a photo of her brother appear with the number of the hospital below his handsome face. Her brother had been in and out of the hospital so much in his short life that Mai had jokingly entered it into her cell as his "personal" number. It appeared that the Mai from this reality did the same thing. Mai wasn't sure if it was Takumi calling or his doctor. In a panic Mai threw open the flip phone and nervously greeted the other person on the line.
"Uh Sis? Is everything ok? You sound a little freaked out," said the voice of a worried young boy.
"TAKUMI! Geez Brother, you scared the crap out of me! I thought the hospital was calling with bad news. Why are you calling me at [Mai glanced toward the night stand clock] 2 am!?" Mai was angry with her brother. He needed to be sleeping to conserve his strength, not making phone calls.
"Sis...it's day five," said the boy with worry in his voice.
"Nani? Takumi it's 2 hours into day five. I kind of expected to be given the whole 24 hours," sighed Mai in frustration, but with a hint of amusement.
"I'm worried about Fujino-san. Is she ok? Can I talk to her? You didn't tie her to the toilet, right?" questioned Mai's brother in rapid fire succession.
"Eh? No, I didn't tie her to the toilet," whispered Mai as she covered the phone with her hand.
Worried that Shizuru had heard her comment, Mai looked over to the other girl. However the brunette seemed to be off in her own world, staring out the window into the inky blackness. "Hmm, I wonder what's up with her?" thought Mai briefly before returning her focus to her troublesome little brother.
"Takumi, I wish you would trust me. I know what I'm doing and nobody's been hurt, or is going to be hurt. Just trust me, please? I think I've convinced her to join me willingly."
"You think? Mai this doesn't sound good. Listen, there may be another way to solve this, so you should just let Fujino-san go and return to Nagano. There have been some developments since you left..."
"Unless you tell me the doctors have found a way to cure you, I'm not coming back until all possibilities have been exhausted. Did they find a way to cure your heart condition?" asked Mai point blank.
"Sis, you know that isn't possible," whispered Takumi.
"Then I'm not coming back yet."
"Fine, then let me talk to her...please?" whimpered the boy.
Once again Mai's heart shattered. Her brother's plea had such an effect on her that she couldn't deny him. "Ok, hold on a second. Eh, excuse me Fujino-san?" called out Mai.
Shizuru was thrust out of her thoughts and stared at the busty redhead in a daze. "Ara, what can I do for you Tokiha-san?"
"Um, my brother wants to talk to you. He wants to hear from you that you're ok, " with cheeks blushing, Mai held out the phone to the other girl.
Taking the device from the girl, Shizuru looked at the photo of the young man on the display screen. She could see a resemblance between him and the blushing girl standing before her. They had the same eyes.
Putting the phone to her ear, Shizuru hesitantly said hello. A surprisingly deep voice, from one looking so young, came filtering out of the ear piece.
"Are you Shizuru Fujino?" came an equally hesitant response to her greeting.
"Indeed, the last time I checked," Shizuru couldn't help but tease the boy.
"Sumimasen Fujino-san! I never wanted this to happen, and I will be forever sorry for any mistreatment you may have received from my sister," a small sob escaped from the boy's lips as he continued. "Mai loves me so much and has let that love override her common sense in many matters. She blames herself for my current predicament and believes she may be able to fix it."
Shizuru interrupted Takumi's apology. "Do you know why your sister is doing what she's doing?" asked the chestnut brunette.
"Yes, I know why," came the boy's honest answer.
Shizuru asked another question, "Do you believe her?"
"Y..yes, I do, Fujino-san. Mai would never lie to me about such a thing...she has always been honest with me." Another sob escaped through Takumi's lips. "In truth, she has been more like a mother to me since our parents died."
Shizuru looked over at Mai after those words. At this moment, the young girl looked worn out, and worry definitely creased her face, but she didn't look crazy. No, she looked like a parent who was desperately trying to save her child.
With her mind made up regarding her next step, Shizuru reassured the young man that she was not hurt.
"Takumi-san, I will accompany your sister to Fuka tomorrow morning. Please do not worry yourself over my safety anymore. I assure you I am more than capable of taking care of myself. You need to take care of yourself and stay strong for Mai..." Shizuru blinked back a few tears and continued her sentence silently, "She may need a shoulder to cry on if this works out like I suspect it will."
Without another word, she handed the phone back to a grateful looking Mai. The redhead silently mouthed a 'thank you' to Shizuru before engaging in a short, tear-filled conversation with her younger brother.
While the two siblings talked, Shizuru took the time to clean up her dinner dishes. Every so often, she'd peek over at Mai and feel a sense of dread for the young redhead. "Gomen Mai-san, but I fear you have put your hope in the wrong person."
*****************************************************************
After getting a few hours of sleep, the two young women continued their journey to Fuka. They remained silent for most of the drive, with only the occasional comment floating between the two of them.
Nearly four hours later, the women were driving over the large bridge that spanned Fuka Bay. Mai was glad to see the structure whole again. In her world, the bridge had been completely destroyed by Alyssa Sears and her very powerful 'Child'. She had forgotten how impressive this collection of steel and concrete had been.
Shizuru marveled at Mai's familiarity with Fuka as they wove their way through the city. She had yet to fully accept Mai's story, but her obvious knowledge of the town at least corroborated the fact that the younger girl had in fact spent some time there. Lost in her thoughts, Shizuru failed to notice that they had reached their destination until Mai pulled over and turned off the engine. Signs posted stated that they were in the guest parking lot of Fuka Academy. Shizuru's heart clenched.
"Tokiha-san, will you all right if this does not turn out the way you are hoping" asked Shizuru. "Do you have an alternate plan?"
"To be honest, you are probably my best hope since Akira chose not to meet Takumi," Mai looked over at Shizuru with a small smile, "Don't worry Fujino-san. If I'm wrong about your destiny, there are still others I can approach."
In a whispered voice, "I fear you are not wrong..."
"Eh? What was that?" questioned Mai.
"Nothing, Tokiha-san."
Shrugging her shoulders, Mai indicated to Shizuru that they should begin their walk onto the school grounds. It was just after noon, so the students would all most likely be gathered out on the school grounds for lunch. If the Natsuki of this reality was anything like the girl Mai knew, the biker would most likely be found eating lunch near the administrator's garden. It was just far enough from the main building to discourage large crowds, and it boasted the most beautiful flower garden. Natsuki claimed she preferred this area over others because of the lack of other students, but Mai knew that the girl would go there even if it was crowded. Although the rebel would never admit it, Natsuki loved flowers.
Halfway to the garden, Mai spotted two individuals, and the sight stopped her in her tracks. It was Reito and Mikoto! They weren't on the school's student body listing. What were they doing here? Without a word, Mai took off running toward the two, leaving a bewildered Shizuru standing in the middle of the path to the garden.
"Mikoto!" screamed Mai with joy as she hugged the small dark haired girl to her chest. She had feared the worst, that Mikoto didn't exist. However that fear was laid to rest once she had spotted those telltale braids.
Reito stood speechless as a strange redhead squashed his sister's face into her ample bosom. Truthfully, he was a little jealous, for this newcomer was quite attractive. Looking at his little sister, he noticed that she wasn't exactly fighting to get out of this embrace and debated whether or not he should intervene. Finally, propriety caused him to break up this love-fest.
"Excuse me miss, but you appear to be cutting off oxygen to my little sister's brain," said handsome man with a large smile.
Reito's familiar smooth voice pulled Mai out of her joyful revelry and seeing the smile on his face, she blushed. Slowly releasing Mikoto, Mai looked over at Reito and apologized.
"I'm so sorry. I just didn't realize you and Mikoto attended Fuka Academy. There was no record of a Kanzaki or a Minagi attending the school," Mai confessed with a smile as she once again hugged the blushing girl.
"Kanzaki? Minagi? I'm sorry miss, but you may have gotten us confused with other people. Our family name is Hirose," said the bewildered young man.
"Hirose?" said Mai as she loosened her grip on the young girl, though this time Mikoto kept herself firmly entrenched in the redhead's bosom. This was most definitely the Mikoto she knew and loved.
Mai stared up at Reito again and confirmed that it was in fact the same young man she had gotten to know in the other reality. His hair was a little longer than what she was accustomed to seeing him with, but it was Reito.
"Brother, Okasan's maiden-name was Minagi, and her mother's family name was Kanzaki," came Mikoto's muffled voice. Tilting her head so her chin was resting on the top of Mai's breasts, the girl with the braids asked her new friend, "Do you know Ojiisan and Obaasan?"
Without thinking, Mai nodded her head in an affirmative. She hated lying, but the innocent question gave Mai an easy explanation for her behavior.
"Uh yeah, my parents were friends with them. I heard so many stories about you two and was subjected to so many photos that I felt like I knew you. When I saw you over here, I just ran over without thinking," the lies came off her tongue with a practiced ease that made Mai sick to the stomach.
"Then why did you think our names were Kan..." started Reito when a loud voice interrupted him.
"Oi, Hirose!"
The three turned to see a young man with spiky blondish-orange hair with his arm around a gleeful looking middle school student with pink hair. Each of them displayed a different emotion with the arrival of the two. Reito looked amused at the pair, while Mikoto looked annoyed. Mai on the other hand was unreadable. Seeing her boyfriend with his arm around the girl, who was for all intentions her rival, made the redhead seethe with anger and jealousy.
Tate and Shiho sauntered up to the trio with goofy grins on their faces. Tate gave Mikoto's hair a small rustle and asked, "You ready for the Kendo tournament tomorrow?"
With a glare in her eyes, Mikoto responded with a quick nod of the head and mumbled out, "I'm going to kick your ass this time..." The small girl then tightened her grip around Mai's waist and continued glaring at Tate.
Tate just laughed at Mikoto's rude words like he was used to this type of treatment. "Little kitten, you have long way to go before your skills can match mine."
Seeing Mai for the first time, Tate introduced himself. "Ah, are you a new student? Please forgive my rudeness for not introducing myself sooner! I am Tate Yuichi, and this is my girlfriend Shiho," he indicated by squeezing the swirl-haired girl in his arms. Shiho was practically catatonic with joy, and Mai was surprised she wasn't drooling on herself.
"And you are?" inquired the cocky kendo captain.
Mai realized all four of them were staring at her in anticipation. "Oh, sorry. I'm Tokiha Mai. Uh...I'm acquainted with Reito and Mikoto's grandparents, and I thought I'd come over to introduce myself."
With the attention back on Mai, Reito once again attempted to question the redhead on her assumption that he and Mikoto had their maternal grandparents' family names and not their father's. Before he could finish his sentence, Mai interrupted him and excused herself due to a friend that was waiting. Turning to leave, she felt a tug on the back of her shirt and spun around. Mikoto had a grasp on the garment and a look of longing in her eyes.
"Mai-san, will I see you again?" asked the dark haired girl.
"You can count on it, Mikoto," Mai smiled before turning and quickly walking back toward where she had left Shizuru.
Mai felt stupid for not realizing that Kanzaki and Minagi weren't the siblings' real family name. Mikoto was raised by her maternal grandfather in her reality, so that must've been why she was using his name. Reito's use of Kanzaki… well, Mai couldn't be certain, but she suspected he was raised with that name to prevent others from easily tying the two siblings together before the start of the Hime Carnival. Oh, and to see Tate dating that pink haired brat! Mai couldn't help but question the guy's taste as jealousy erupted in her like a volcano.
The redhead was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't immediately notice that Shizuru wasn't where she had left her a few minutes before. Fear that she'd been abandoned swelled in her chest, and in a panic Mai dashed toward the school administrator's garden hoping Shizuru had gone on ahead. Turning a bend in the trail, the garden came into view, and with relief Mai noticed that Shizuru was indeed there. However, there was someone with her. Someone who had their arms wrapped around Shizuru's waist and quite possibly had their tongue down her throat!
Blue-black hair was swept up by a breeze, and with start Mai realized the girl in question was Natsuki. Her jaw dropped as she thought, "Why are they already making out?"
**********************************************************************
Sorry for ending the chapter this way. I'm sure every ShizNat fan is cursing me right now, but I felt like this was good stopping point. I want to give the duo proper attention and I already have a lot going on in this chapter. Well I hope you enjoyed chapter 5, regardless of the sudden ending. Keep those reviews coming!
*********************************************************************
Omake
Mai: Oh thank goodness, you didn't have me tie Shizuru to the toilet! I don't think I would've survived the consequences of this action.
Shizuru: You are wise Mai-san. *Turning to the author with eyes glowing* I don't think Kuma Kuma would've either.
Kuma Kuma: Uh...
Natsuki: Yeah! Nobody ties up my girlfriend...
Shizuru: Without your permission.
Natsuki: Eh? What are talking about?
Shizuru: Hmm, maybe 'better than you' is more apt. I'm merely finishing my Natsuki's sentence, like lovers tend to do.
Mai and Kuma Kuma are doubled over with laughter causing Natsuki to blush bright red.
Natsuki: BAKA!