I Wish
Chapter 6: Enter Kuga
Author's note: Sorry for the delay in getting out this chapter! All of the reviews I received for chapter 5 were greatly appreciated, and I hope what follows doesn't disappoint anybody too greatly. Please enjoy!
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Mai was frozen by the sight of Shizuru Fujino and Natsuki Kuga kissing passionately... in public... after just meeting? Confusion clouded her senses as she continued to watch the couple's embrace.
"It's disgusting, isn't it?" came a familiar, bored voice off to her left.
Spinning around, Mai was confronted with Yuuki Nao leaning against a Cherry Blossom Tree and idly examining her fingernails. The delicate pink and white flower petals from the tree and the surrounding orchard floated in the air around the redhead with the emerald eyes. Mai had never seen the surly girl look so serenely beautiful.
"What the hell are you staring at? Are you a lezzie like those two over there?" sneered Nao with contempt.
With those words, the illusion of serenity burst. With old habits dying hard, Mai couldn't help but respond with snarky comment of her own. "Shut up, Nao! We all know you're secretly in love with Natsuki, so stop with the gay bashing!" seethed the lavender eyed redhead.
A look of pure fury crossed Nao's face as she pushed herself away from the tree and came stomping toward Mai in a rage. Stopping just inches from Mai, the younger redhead bared her teeth and growled, "I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but if you ever say anything like that again, I'll send you home in multiple body bags!" Nao poked Mai several times in the chest to prove her point.
"Whatever Nao, I'm about as scared as you as I am of toothless puppy. You're no more dangerous in this world than any other skinny-assed 15 year-old. I suggest you keep on walking!" shouted a furious Mai. There was so much adrenaline pumping in her system due to the encounters she'd had in the last several minutes, that Mai found it difficult to control her temper.
Nao was speechless, not because of the poor excuse for a threat that the newcomer had tossed at her, but because the stranger seemed to know who she was.
"Wait a minute! How do you know my name?" Nao narrowed her eyes at the other girl.
"Huh? What?" Mai was thrown off by the sudden change in tone and topic.
"Are you deaf in addition to being a stupid lesbian?"
"Wow, you really are the most unpleasant individual I have ever known. I don't have the time to deal with you right now," said Mai as she attempted to turn back toward Natsuki and Shizuru.
"No, answer me!" roared Nao as she grabbed the other girls arm. "You seem to know me, but I've never set eyes on you up until a couple of minutes ago. How is it that you know my name and other stuff... that'scompletelyuntrue," the emerald eyed girl grumbled the last words in a rush.
Mai looked at the girl for a moment and then turned her head to look back toward Natsuki and Shizuru. By now, the commotion she and Nao had created had caught the duo's attention. The couple stood hand in hand and stared at the two redheads with expressions of confusion and amusement.
Turning back toward Nao, Mai saw that the younger girl was genuinely curious. Mai was also beginning to realize that her chance of getting Shizuru to make the wish was most likely gone. Shizuru was supposed to see Natsuki, fall in love at first sight, and then make the wish so that they could be together. Mai hadn't anticipated that they would see each other and start making out like established lovers. Who the hell does that? With a heavy heart, Mai had the sinking feeling that she may have missed something in her research of Shizuru Fujino.
Rubbing her face in frustration and fatigue, Mai considered her options for a brief moment. Nao could make the wish too, so it was best to stay on her good side - or perhaps she should say, less evil side - in case things didn't turn out like she had hoped with Shizuru.
"You're right, Nao. You deserve an answer and trust me it's a good one. However, you'll have to be patient, because I have to deal with something first," said Mai as she looked back toward the couple who were starting to walk in her direction.
"Why can't you tell me now?" hissed Nao.
"Because it's a long story, and I need to deal with Shizuru and Natsuki first. Listen, is there a place we can talk in private later this evening?"
"You can come to my dorm room. I'm in building C, room 308. A campus directory map will show you how to get there," said the younger girl.
"Oi, you making a date for later Nao?" hollered Natsuki from a few feet away. "Who's the dyke now!?" laughed the dark haired beauty.
"That'd still be you, mush-for-brains!" Nao spat back and added a finger for good measure.
"Baka! I'm going to beat your slutty ass to a pu..." Natsuki stopped mid-sentence when Shizuru put a calming hand on her shoulder.
"Natsuki, please calm yourself. We haven't seen each other in months, and I don't want our time together to be taken up by a silly argument," reasoned Shizuru in her calming Kyoto-ben accent.
"Listen to your girlfriend, you stupid ugly mutt!" sneered Nao.
Before Natsuki could respond, Shizuru turned her gaze on Nao and said, "You will not disrespect my Natsuki. Do you understand me, Nao-san?"
Mai's heart seized up upon spying the intense gaze from the crimson eyed girl. When Nao just grunted and took off with a fast walk down the pathway, the busty redhead couldn't blame her.
Looking back at the couple, Mai was once again struck dumb by the familiarity the two had with each other.
"Uh, I take it you two already know each other?" blurted out the redhead.
"Who the hell are you?" questioned the dark haired rebel.
"Natsuki, please don't be rude," admonished the Kyoto beauty. Pointing toward Mai, Shizuru started introductions, "This is Tokiha Mai. She asked a favor of me that needed to be accomplished here in Fuka." Taking the dark haired girl by the hand, Shizuru continued, "Tokiha-san, this is Kuga Natsuki. She is a longtime friend, and for nearly a year, my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? I think I'm going to be sick," whimpered out Mai as she slumped to the ground.
"Hey, how dare you judge..." barked out Natsuki, only to be interrupted by Shizuru's calming hand on her shoulder once again.
"Natsuki-chan, she doesn't mean it like that," assured the crimson eyed girl.
Kneeling down next to Mai, Shizuru whispered, "Is Natsuki the true love to whom you were planning on introducing me?"
With a small sob, Mai nodded her head.
Shizuru smiled and continued, "I had my suspicion once you let Natsuki's name slip in the hotel room."
Looking around for a more private place to talk, Shizuru spotted a small structure close by. "Let's go sit over in the gazebo Mai-san, and we can both explain what is going on," suggested Shizuru as she helped the shocked redhead to her feet.
Mai couldn't believe it. Two people who lived in different parts of the country had somehow met years ago. This development came as a complete shock to the redhead.
After sitting down Mai started throwing out questions at a rapid fire pace. "How'd you two meet? When did you meet? How is this possible if Shizuru-san never transferred to Fuka? When did you become comfortable with public displays of affection?" The last question was directed right at Natsuki, which caused the dark haired biker to blush bright red.
"Whoa there, motor mouth! I just met you, so stop acting like we're friends," barked Natsuki. Turning to her girlfriend, "Seriously Shizuru, where'd you meet this girl?"
Taking Natsuki's hand in her own, Shizuru attempted to explain the series of events that had led up to their reunion in the administrator's garden. When the brunette got to the part where Mai drugged her, Natsuki lunged toward Mai in a rage. Thankfully Shizuru, anticipating such a reaction from her beloved, was able to subdue the dark haired girl before the incident got ugly. After what felt like an eternity to Mai, Shizuru finished her explanation of the events of the last day and a half.
Natsuki stared at the two of them and burst out laughing. "That has got to be the craziest story I've ever heard! Wait until I tell mom about this!"
Mai was shocked to hear that Natsuki's mother was still alive, and it showed on her face. Shizuru saw the redhead's expression but interpreted it as Mai not wanting this story spread. Out of kindness to the lavender eyed girl, Shizuru asked her lover not to mention to her mother, Saeko, what she had just been told.
Natsuki grumbled, "Fine, I'll keep it to myself, but I know mom would get a kick out of it. She did some research a few years back on nano technology that, in theory, could be combined with the human body to materialize weaponry. Nothing ever came of it, and I think that mom would be grateful to find out that she needed a special 'star' to make it work," Natsuki's green eyes sparkled with mirth.
Turning her smiling gaze on Mai, Natsuki couldn't help but ask, "So tell me Tokiha, could we fly too?"
"Well, I could, but the rest of you had to rely on your Child for flight capabilities," answered Mai truthfully.
"Oh is that so?" laughed the dark haired girl. "What was my "Child", a pegasus perhaps?"
"No, it was a giant wolf with a cannon on its back. His name was Duran."
"Duran?" whispered a stunned Natsuki. The biker hadn't heard that name in years. It had been the name of her beloved childhood dog. He had been hit and killed by a car a month before she had met Shizuru, and it had been their meeting that had pulled her out of an angry depression.
Natsuki narrowed her eyes at Mai, "Who told you about Duran?"
"Huh? What do you mean? I was by your side numerous times when you summoned him into battle."
Looking at Shizuru, Natsuki coldly asked, "Did you tell her about Duran?"
Taken aback by the icy demeanor of her lover, Shizuru denied giving Mai any information and the redhead concurred.
"Listen Natsuki, Shizuru didn't tell me anything about you. Frankly, if I had known that you two were already... familiar, I probably wouldn't have brought her here. I could've saved time and expense, not to mention possible jail time, if I just arrived on my own and tried to convince somebody else to make the wish," explained Mai in exasperation.
Natsuki felt sheepish that she had doubted her girlfriend and gave her an apologetic smile, which Shizuru returned. The dark haired girl then turned back toward Mai and gave her an appraising glare. "Ok, so if all of this is true, why didn't you ask Shizuru if she knew me, or let her know that someone named Natsuki Kuga was destined to be her lover? Why all the secrecy?" demanded the dark haired girl.
"I had no way of knowing you two were already acquainted..." started Mai only to be interrupted by Shizuru.
"Oh I can assure you Tokiha-san, that we are more than mere acquaintances," purred the Kyoto beauty as she slowly ran a finger down her green-eyed lover's arm. This, of course, caused the dark haired girl's face to blush a bright red. "Kawaii, it's like Christmas in the spring time," cooed Shizuru after seeing Natsuki's reaction, and the Kyoto woman went in for a short kiss.
Mai was stunned at the open displays of physical affection. The Natsuki of her reality had obviously loved Shizuru, but she never would've been okay with allowing the older girl to kiss her so openly in front of others. The blushes were still there, but those were likely due to her shyness rather than any discomfort with the situation. Throughout every kiss, hug, and longing look, Natsuki never let go of Shizuru's hand, and not once did she admonish the chestnut haired girl for her behavior. The Natsuki of this reality had clearly benefitted from growing up with a loving parent, and Mai's heart let out a small pang of regret that she was trying to take that away from someone she considered her friend.
Slightly thrown off by Shizuru's behavior, Mai attempted to continue, "Yeah...anyways, how would you react if some stranger tells you a crazy story about monsters and true love, and then lets it slip that - by the way, you're also a lesbian? The first part is hard enough to believe, but throw in something personal, like somebody's sexual orientation, and that may be the deal breaker for some folks."
Mai watched as Shizuru placed another small kiss on Natsuki's ear and witnessed a quick flick of her tongue that caused the dark haired girl to shiver. It was apparent that they weren't listening to her anymore. The redhead wanted to smack herself in the head for ever thinking that the Kyoto girl would've ever been disgusted by the thought of a same sex relationship. Something told Mai that Shizuru was scientific proof for the theory that someone was born gay.
Clearing her throat to regain their attention, Mai continued, "I realize now that I made a mistake. A person doesn't always think clearly when put in a stressful situation, and trust me this was… is stressful. At the time, it seemed prudent to keep that aspect secret. I had no idea whether or not Shizuru was into girls before she met you. The only thing I knew for certain was that she was head over heals in love with your thick skull in my world. I thought that if she saw you, she'd do anything to be with you, including wishing herself into a world that had crazy monsters."
"Mai-san, you are correct in believing I would do anything to be with my Natsuki, but I'm not sure I would've ever made the wish. To be honest, even if this had been our first meeting I believe I would've introduced myself, and then pursued her shamelessly," said Shizuru with a wink toward her lover, causing the dark haired girl to blush with embarrassment yet again.
Mai looked at the two and internally sighed, "You say that now with the confidence of nearly a year of dating under your belt, but were you always so sure? Were you able to confess your feelings so easily to each other the first moment you knew that you were in love?"
The expressions on the lovers' faces let Mai know that she was correct in assuming it that it took awhile for the duo to confess to each other.
"The Shizuru in my reality loved Natsuki for years, but she feared rejection and losing that important friendship, so she kept that love bottled away," continued Mai. "If it hadn't been for certain events – and people - during the Hime Carnival, there's a chance that Shizuru never would've confessed."
"You are perhaps right, Mai-san, but the fact remains that my wish has already come true, so I fear I will be unable to undo yours. Please forgive me," said Shizuru with compassion.
Mai was so tired, and hearing that her actions over the last 5 days had been for nothing was incredibly disheartening. The redhead just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep, never to awaken again.
With frustration clearly written on her face, Mai just had to ask, "If you never intended on making the wish, then why did you come with me all the way to Fuka? Why didn't you demand I return you to Kyoto as soon as you woke up? Why didn't you just let me know that you were already in love? Why continue this charade?"
Shizuru looked at Mai with regret for causing such disappointment and attempted to explain her actions, "After I had awoken in the hotel room, and you told me your full story, I was at a loss for what to do at first, for you seemed crazy and I didn't want to antagonize you. However, you kept talking of true love and destiny and how your actions had prevented me from meeting the love of my life in Fuka. I thought it was so strange that you believed this, when I had already met my true love in that very city. My instincts kept telling me I could trust you and that I should go with you. I admit, I was intrigued, and I wondered with whom you believed I was destined to share this romance."
Natsuki glanced at Shizuru with hurt when she heard those words, but the Kyoto beauty gave her girlfriend a reassuring kiss on the cheek before continuing, "You never had anything to worry about Natsuki. My heart belongs to you and to you alone."
With a subtle wink toward Mai, Shizuru quickly added, "That doesn't mean I wasn't curious, and to be honest I was hoping it would be my Natsuki. Not everybody gets to have their feelings validated in such a mystical way."
Mai smiled, for she had to admit that she too would be intrigued if a stranger appeared in her life and claimed to know who her true love was. Would it be Tate?
"Plus, this journey allowed me to see my love ahead of schedule," said Shizuru as she pulled Mai out of her own romantic pondering. "Mother and I weren't due to come here for another month, so this was an unexpected treat."
Natsuki smiled at her lover before turning towards Mai, adding, "Your story is crazy, but the fact that it places Shizuru and me together lends some credence to its validity. However, even if I did fully believe you, there is no real reason for me to make the wish either. I'm happy with my life and don't see any reason to wish monsters into it... even though Duran sounds pretty cool," the dark haired girl couldn't help but blush a bit at the confession.
With a weak smile, Mai nodded her head, "I understand. Fujino-san, you fulfilled your promise and came with me to Fuka, even after I initially forced you. For that I will be eternally grateful. Kuga-san, I thank you for not killing me when you found out how I got her here."
Staring off in to the distance, Mai appeared lost in thought. After a few short moments, the redhead appeared to have shaken off whatever had occupied her so fully and a sweet smile crept across her lips. "Do you mind telling me how you two managed to meet? It'll drive me crazy if you don't tell me. Shizuru-san, you mentioned something about you and your mom coming to Fuka?"
Natsuki growled and looked away but didn't object, so Shizuru took this as a sign that she could share with Mai some of the circumstances surrounding their introduction.
"You are correct that I mentioned my mother and a scheduled visit to Fuka. Natsuki's and my mother were friends at University while they were both studying biochemistry. My mother ended up marrying my father after graduation and gave up her research ambitions to help run Fujino Corps. Natsuki's mother went into graduate school and then received her doctorate. A couple of years after she graduated, it only made sense, at least to my mother, to hire Saeko Kuga as head of the new Fujino Corps research facility in Fuka. Mother and I flew out that first summer to see how the new facility was shaping up, and to allow a rekindling of their old friendship. Every summer, and the occasional holiday in-between, she and I visit Fuka and stay with Saeko and Natsuki. That, Mai-san, is how we met," said Shizuru with a smile.
"So how long did it take before you realized you were in love?" questioned a dreamy-eyed Mai.
"As it occurred for the Shizuru of your world Mai, it was love at first sight."
Natsuki laughed and interjected, "Yeah, it was love until I dumped a can full of dirt and worms on your head. You ran off crying and wouldn't talk to me until I had apologized."
"I only cried because it appeared that the love of my life had rejected me. However, I couldn't help but forgive you once you presented me with a bouquet of handpicked flowers and showed me your blush for the first time," disclosed Shizuru as she placed her head on Natsuki's shoulder.
Mai laughed at the story and a warm glow spread in her chest after witnessing their love in this reality and in her own. It was heartwarming to know that some relationships were meant to be.
The three girls chatted a bit longer until Natsuki announced that she needed to get to her next class. She explained that she had already missed most of her fourth period history course and needed to hurry back to the main building if she was going to make fifth period chemistry.
Mai stared at Natsuki, dumbstruck. "Fuka's resident bad girl is worried about skipping classes!? This world surprises me more each day!" thought Mai in amusement.
Seeing the expression on Mai's face, Natsuki felt as if she had suddenly sprouted dog ears. "Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Natsuki nervously.
"I think Tokiha-san is as shocked as I am that you would even consider going back to class," interjected the Kyoto beauty with just a hint of mirth in her voice. "I'm sorry Natsuki-chan, but you will be far too busy 'catching up' with me and will be unable to return to your studies today."
Before Mai knew it, Shizuru had pounced on the blushing, dark-haired beauty, and it was obvious no amount of throat clearing would pull the two of them apart. The redhead made a hasty exit.
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Omake
Kuma Kuma: So I finally put you ladies together in the story. Are you satisfied now?
Shizuru: Oh yes....Mmmmm. Natsuki was very satisfying.
Natsuki: *Blush* Shizuru!
Kuma Kuma: Uh, that's not what I meant, but I'm happy for you. Anyways, I've got to move on with the story, so I hope you two can keep yourselves occupied...
Shizuru: Mmmmm *Licks her lips*
Nao: Oi, lesbians!
Natsuki: *Sigh* What are you doing here Nao?
Nao: Well I'm not here to see you, you ugly mutt...
*Shizuru glares at Nao, quickly silencing her*
Nao: Uh, where's that crappy author? *grabs Kuma Kuma by the arm and drags her away*
Kuma Kuma: Whoa, where are you taking me?
Nao: *Growling* How dare you imply that I have any feelings, other than disdain, for that, that, dog toy!
Kuma Kuma: Dog toy?
Nao: Sorry, that was lame. Shizuru's gaze sometimes scrambles my ability to effectively insult her mutt.
Kuma Kuma: Oh, so it's Shizuru-san that you have lusty feelings for?
Nao: Baka! No, that's definitely not what I meant! You need to stop insinuating that I have feelings for mush-for-brains, and don't you dare lead people to think that I have any sort of interest in her snake in the grass "Master".
Kuma Kuma: Whatever...*rolls eyes and walks away*
Nao: Hey, don't you walk away from me!