Death Row
Humanity
Confusion settled into the area, like a fog covering the ground. "...Natsuki?" Shizuru breathed, afraid of this side of Kruger.
"Takeo! Ta-Ke-O!" Natsuki screamed, punching another bar on her cell. Tears of silver slid from those confused emerald eyes as Natsuki continued to pound the bars.
Juliet and Nao backed up, but Shizuru moved closer, still out of reach of the enraged woman.
Staining her uniform, tears drowned her eyes as she continued to hit the bars weakly as she slid to her knees. "Takeo..." She whimpered, on the floor as she rested her forehead down. "...Takeo."
Shuddering on the cold floor, the prisoner closed her eyes slowly, whimpering.
Taking hold of the bars, Shizuru lowered herself to Kruger's level, and licked her lips, feeling tears of her own stinging her eyes.
"Natsuki?" The blunette's head shot up, startling Shizuru into falling back.
"Who are you?" She whispered, eyes wide and innocent. "Where's my mother?" She demanded, standing with the help of the bars.
"Where's my mommy!" She screamed, holding herself as if to protect herself from the harshness of reality.
Shizuru stood, a tear trailing down her face as she neared the bars once more. "Natsuki..." She breathed, reaching a hand through the bars to touch the navy haired woman.
"Who are you people? What am I doing here? G-get away from me!" Natsuki backed away, yet Shizuru pursued before a yell stopped her. "I said don't touch me! Where's mommy? Where's my baby sister?" Natsuki screamed, tears rampantly licking her face as they went.
Nao's eyes teared up as well, and she turned and buried her face into Juliet, whose steely gaze met Shizuru's.
"Just please go away I..." Natsuki swallowed and huddled in a corner before she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
Crimson begged, and lime relented. "I'll do it." Juliet promised, leading Nao out as Shizuru took one last glance at the broken woman, before leaving as well.
Outside, Shizuru felt as if the night sky could swallow her whole. "Shizuru, she is dangerous, you know." Juliet spoke quietly, gesturing that Nao get in the car without her.
"But that's just it, she's not!" Shizuru breathed, clenching her eyes shut and wiping her tears. "She's harmless!" Juliet shook her head and cupped Shizuru's face, to make the younger girl focus.
"Kruger Natsuki killed the two most important people to her, Shizuru." She spoke gravely, and spoke again to stop Shizuru from retorting. "She's not in her right mind, yes; but that doesn't wipe the blood from her hands."
The red haired woman released the brunette, and entered her car, driving away.
"No...the Natsuki I know...the Natsuki I love...did not do any of those things..." Crimson eyes clouded over with pain, pain that was mirrored in those emerald eyes that she remembered.
Hearing the cries from another inmate, a pepper haired woman sat up from the bed, looking directly into the cell across from her, and spoke. "Hey kid, quiet down in there! We are trying to sleep!"
She watched as the blunette faced her, scared look upon her strong features. "Who...who said that? Who are you!" Natsuki demanded, bottom lip quivering.
The inmate waved, getting her attention. "Over here kid, the name's Hallard Chie, the beauty over here is Senoh Aoi." Chie gestured to the still sleeping brunette beside her. "Why you crying?" Chie asked, chocolate eyes a bit concerned.
Natsuki sat in front of the bars, her shoes pressing against them and her arms around herself.
"I can't find my mommy! Have you seen her, Miss?" Natsuki asked, trying to wipe her tears away. Chie's eyes softened, and she stood and leaned against the bars, feeling sorry for this weak girl.
"I'm sorry, but no. I haven't seen your mother." The pepper haired woman sighed, and flickered her eyes across the woman's features. 'She looks so lost...like a child.' Chie mused, biting her lip.
"Oh..." Natsuki looked down dejectedly, knowing she had to find her mother. "Thank you anyway, miss." Chie nodded, before looking away from those innocent emerald eyes. "No problem kid, try to sleep." Forcing a smile so the other might do the same, she crawled back into bed with Aoi, and tightened a hold on the brown haired girl, forcing herself to sleep.
Natsuki slid over to the corner again, and cried silently as she wondered what was happening.
Curled up in a ball in that dreary old cell, tears dried yet spirit spent, Kruger stared bleakly at the wall.
Her eyes flashed, and she came to her knees, holding her head in pain as she whimpered, before a cry tore through her raw throat, more tears springing to her eyes as she closed them.
Snapping open, calm emerald eyes opened as a smile spread across the perfect porcelain face, of the broken angel Kruger.
"Much better." She spoke, voice strong as she stood, massaging her knuckles. "Tsk...Natsuki, why must you try so hard to break from my grasp?" She asked, before laughing. "Natsuki should just stay in the shadows of our mind where it's safe for her, and watch my little play unfold."
Looking into her reflection in the puddle of her tears, Kruger smirked. "Father knows best, after all."
Stifling her panting, as she had just climbed a rough fence, Shizuru ducked down underneath a window of the Kruger Manor.
Lifting her head slightly, she watched as Takeo left the chateau, not to return that night. Claiming in reports that the manor held too many memories to stay, he had secluded himself to his cabin on the other side of the city.
Testing the window to see if it would budge, it surprisingly did. "Thank you pretentious rich bastard." Shizuru gasped as she crawled in, landing with barely a sound as she kept the window open.
Everything was at it had been before the tragic day had arrived, it seemed.
It made it all seem so surreal...No one would have believed something so horrifying could have occurred, but it had and that's why she was there. She wondered, for about a split second, if on different circumstances, would she have met Natsuki? Could they have been friends, or even...lovers?
A light blush crept across her face as she thought about that, but she shook her head and moved on. There was practically no security, so the crimson eyed girl could wander as she pleased.
Still cautious, Shizuru ventured up the stairs, coming upon a room she knew to be Natsuki's. Pushing against it slightly, she bit her lip when it opened without a sound.
Once she entered the glorious room, she could smell the scent of Natsuki, of her icy breath and frosty scent, than when you inhaled it froze you from the inside out. It enveloped her, and she felt safe, even as she stood in the room of the beast.
'Natsuki is not a beast.' Shizuru chided herself for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, and walked deeper into the room. It was painted crimson, with navy borders. The canopy bed seemed inviting, and a portrait of Natsuki hung above it, dominating the room.
She fought the urge to rip it off the wall and run with it. She was here for a reason. She had to help Natsuki, or she'd never get a chance with her. And she wouldn't let herself accept that she'd never be with her.
Looking around, Shizuru spotted a few pictures framed on the black sleek dresser that was pressed against the wall, a mirror hanging over it.
Walking closer, the reporter swore she saw an imprint of the blue haired woman close behind her. "Help me, Shizuru..." The brunette shivered, hearing the grave whisper and feeling the ghostly breath on her neck.
Staring at one of the framed photos, Shizuru nodded. It was one of Natsuki, cuddling with Nina as their mother enveloped them both in a hug, all smiling happily. "I will help you, Natsuki." Shizuru vowed, and took the photo from the room before leaving.
In her rush, Shizuru tripped over a chair in the hallway, falling and hitting her head hard on the marble floor. Protecting the frame, Shizuru heard something smash and she sat up quickly. "What's this?" She asked aloud, picking up the other picture. It was of two blue haired girls, both with glasses. "Two mini Natsuki's? When did Natsuki wear glasses?" Shizuru rambled as her eyes fluttered, before the picture slid from its broken frame.
"Wait, that wasn't my Natsuki! I've been deceived!" She whimpered, before holding her head as she set the now empty frame down. "...I hit my head way too hard." She muttered, before looking at the photo again.
Flipping it over, her crimson eyes shook with shock.
'Saeko and Matsuri, cutest twins ever!'
"Kruger Saeko had a twin sister?" Shizuru clutched the photo and shoved it into her coat, handling the framed photo as she exited the manor in the same way she came.
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