Chapter 2: The Letter and the Sacrifice
"Natsuki!" Shizuru wailed, sitting on the sofa in her living room, the open letter sitting on her lap. She was sobbing loudly, holding her face with her hands. Little droplets of water fell onto the paper, leaving small wet dots on the parchment that had dried recently from the rain. There was a small slit near the top, as if it were stabbed.
Knock.
There was a knock at the front door, but Shizuru didn't bother to get it. After all, she had just read a letter from her Natsuki, the bluenette saying that she might not make it out of the war. She continued sobbing loudly, the tears sliding down her cheeks, chin and hands.
"Shizuru?" A voice called softly as the door opened with a soft click.
The front door was located around the corner, near the kitchen and in the hallway, out of sight from the living room, although it was close enough so you could hear small noises.
Shizuru's cries instantly died down, having heard the voice. She looked up slowly at the entrance to the kitchen, expecting someone to walk through.
"N-Natsuki?" She stuttered, standing as hope flashed in her eyes. That has to be Natsuki! Natsuki always called her name when she got home... So it just... It just had to be Natsuki.
"Shizuru?" The voice called again, but it was much louder now that the person was standing in the kitchen.
Shizuru widened her eyes in realisation. No. That isn't Natsuki. Now that the voice is much clearer than it was at the front door, she could tell that the voice was not her Natsuki's. The voice was less husky, and it seemed to high to be that of her lover's.
Shizuru slumped back in her seat, not blinking as she saw a flash of dark green. It was Tomoe that came in, uninvited, saying Natsuki's greeting that was her name. This was most definitely not her Natsuki.
"Shizuru!" Tomoe cried, seeing Shizuru's crimson eyes as she rushed over. They were red, as if she were crying just seconds before.
The greenette kneeled in front of Shizuru, looking up into crimson orbs. "Shizuru, are you okay?" She asked, her voice harsh. It's not soft at all. Not like Natsuki's gently, soothing voice.
Shizuru's breath got caught in her throat as the tears started rolling down her cheeks again. Everything somehow reminded her of Natsuki ever since she read that letter. That last letter...
She started sobbing abain, holding her face very much like she did before; but somehow, just a few seconds after the abrupt sobbing, Tomoe had sat next to her and hugged her, pushing Shizuru's face gently to her chest.
At this, she started wailing even harder and louder, but not leaning into Tomoe's embrace. It just didn't feel right. Tomoe's chest felt taut, and her abdomen were muscled, having a small four pack. It wasn't soft. Not at all. It wasn't at all like Natsuki...
"Natsuki!" She screamed, sobbing even louder, "Natsuki! You're not dead! I know you're not!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking as she broke down in Tomoe's grasp.
Twenty minutes passed and Tomoe was still holding Shizuru, but now Shizuru was only sobbing softly. The worst part was over.
Pulling out of Tomoe's embrace, she looked at Tomoe's face. Her face was that of worry, but had a hint of satisfaction, judging from the small smile she held.
Her eyes though... They were glazed. They had something in them, which Shizuru had seen many times.
Lust.
Tomoe looked at Shizuru's face. All she could see was beauty. She had successfully comforted this crimson eyed beauty... But there was one that she had to know.
"Shizuru... Why were you crying?" She asked quietly, watching Shizuru flinch.
This gave Tomoe cruel pleasure for some reason... As well as when Shizuru was crying. It hurt, but... It felt good.
Shizuru didn't answer, tears threatening to spill again.
Waiting for Shizuru's answer, she noticed an open letter in Shizuru's lap. Raising her hand in picking up the paper, she didn't miss the chance to graze Shizuru's inner thigh, which was clad in a denim mini skirt, accompanied by a bright yellow sweater.
Shizuru shivered as Tomoe touched her. It didn't feel right. It had intention behind it. What kind, Shizuru didn't know. But... It felt gross. It felt wrong. It didn't feel like Natsuki's soft touch. It felt cold and wanting...
She watched as Tomoe read the letter slowly, head lowering as she waited for Tomoe to finish reading.
Tomoe read the letter in her mind, going over it again once she finished:
Shizuru.
It's hard to write this. I can't explain the pain I'm feeling of not seeing you before this. Before the charge.
I'm going in the front lines. And we're doing a charge. I probably won't make it.
I really wish I could have seen you, felt you, kissed you and made love to you before I rushed into a battle that I'll most likely lose. I really did.
But it's okay; I won't die alone. Nao is with me here. She's coming with me.
Did you know that we actually had fun today? We were bickering, and it was... Fun. It was great. It was something great to do before I go to charge.
… But... It isn't the best. The best would have been to see you, and watch you see me off.
I know it's crazy, but it's true.
I love you.
Forever and ever,
Natsuki Kuga.
Tomoe blinked, absorbing the information and glancing at Shizuru, who had her face down so that she couldn't see her face.
This was the opportunity. Natsuki was gone.
"Shizuru... It's okay." She cooed softly, placing the letter on the coffee table in the middle of the room and hugging Shizuru, who didn't raise her head. "I'm here."
Shizuru shook her head, "But Natsuki... She isn't..." She murmured, moving away from Tomoe.
Tomoe frowned. "Look. I can take care of you. Even better than Kuga could!" She growled, standing up in an outrage. "Everything reminds you of her, doesn't it? It hurts, doesn't it?" She shouted, Shizuru flinching and Tomoe smirking inside, "But obviously I don't remind you of her!" She Yelled, placing a hand to her chest.
Shizuru paused, her face going blank, fear evident. Tomoe was right. She didn't remind her of Natsuki. Everything that reminded her of Natsuki hurt...
"... So.." Tomoe continued, softer this time as she lowered onto the sofa. "... I... I can't hurt you." She said softer, watching Shizuru's face.
Shizuru hesitated, but nodded shortly after. She was trembling. What was Tomoe trying to do to her?
"... Shizuru," Tomoe started after a short while, "Let me take care of you."
Shizuru blinked, finally looking up at Tomoe, only to be met by a rough, lusty kiss. She fought against it, but gave up. It hurt that she wasn't kissing Natsuki... But it didn't hurt as much as when something reminded her of Natsuki. The kiss was rough. Natsuki's was gentle. Tomoe was forcing. Natsuki let Shizuru willingly do what she wanted...
Tomoe was so different.
And... It didn't hurt.
-0-
Natsuki cursed under her breath. She ran out of rifle ammo a few minutes ago, shooting Several Garderobe soldiers that was chasing after both her and Nao. Sure, Natsuki was unscathed, but... Nao got hit in the leg, right behind her knee. She couldn't walk.
So now they were hunkering behind a mix of both Garderobe and Fuuka bodies, lying on the ground lifeless. Around them, a few gunshots rang out, and bodies fell to the ground with a cloud of dust.
It's been about 40 minutes, Natsuki assumed, so it would be near the end of the charge. Not much soldiers were up and standing, let alone gunshots heard. The only soldiers that were standing had Garderobe uniforms on. So that means Fuuka lost. At least the odds are almost evened out for Fuuka.
Looking at Nao, Natsuki smiled wanly.
"Nao, are you okay?" She asked in a hushed tone, keeping an eye and ear out for any Garderobe soldiers coming by.
"Fuck, you think I'm okay?" Nao hissed, wrapping a torn white singlet around her bullet wound. "I have a bullet in my leg! I can't even walk!"
"At least you don't have a bullet in your head like most of the Fuuka military." Natsuki retorted, her face blank. "They can't walk either. They can't even breathe anymore." She mumbled.
Nao looked away with an ashamed face. She hadn't thought of what it would be like if you were dead, nor does she want to find out. "... Sorry." She mumbled in apology. "But what are we gonna do? They have an advantage, and we're he-"
"Shh." Natsuki hushed Nao, covering Nao's mouth with one hand and a finger from her free hand to her lips as she ducked down behind the lifeless bodies.
She had heard voices, and sure as hell they weren't speaking Japanese.
'Must be English,' Thought Natsuki, 'They must've wanted to keep they're plans secret in case someone heard...' She thought idly, before snapping out of it.
This wasn't a time to be pondering about useless things. Both her and Nao's lives were at stake.
Hearing the footsteps fade away, she cursed, looking over at Nao, who was wide-eyed.
"Shit!" Nao cursed, panicking as she looked around. How were they gonna get out of this?
"Nao!" Natsuki hissed quickly, "You got any bullets?" She asked, glancing over the dead body barricade. She could see around about fifteen shadows further up in the cloud of dust. If they had enough bullets, they could shoot the Garderobe soldiers, then head back to the base, Natsuki carrying Nao.
Nao paused looking through her rifle and her handgun, before nodding. "Yeah." She replied, Natsuki smiling and hope glimmering in her eyes. "But... I only have one magazine left for the handgun." She sighed, holding the handgun out to Natsuki.
Natsuki slumped. There were only 10 bullets in the handgun magazine. There weren't enough bullets left to kill all the Garderobe soldiers.
Nodding numbly, she took the handgun, checking the magazine. "Okay. Thanks Nao." She smiled softly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"So, you got a plan, mutt?" Nao smiled, seeing Natsuki's smile. She had hope. If Natsuki asked if she had any bullets left, that must mean she had a plan... Right...?
Natsuki hesitated. "Well-"
BANG!
A gunshot rang out into the recently silent air, echoing around the battlefield. It had been quiet for a few minutes now, and Natsuki was beginning to wonder if the Garderobe soldiers had left.
Unfortunately, they hadn't.
Natsuki peered over the shield of dead bodies into the distance, seeing the Garderobe soldiers much closer than they were in the last minute or so. She saw them point a handgun at a dead body of a Fuuka student.
'What are they doi-'
BANG!
They shot the dead body, before moving onto another one, closer to their body barricade, before aiming the gun at their head and shooting again with a loud bang.
"... They're shooting the bodies." Natsuki said numbly, slumping back down behind the bodies as she heard another bang. "Their double checking that the bodies are dead." She said softly, looking around.
All she could see were dead bodies of both Fuuka and Garderobe. She looked at a body of a man from the barricade she made, studying the man's face and features. His expression was that of fear, his face contorted in a scream that most likely never made it out of his throat. His eyes were open and lifeless. No, this man did not die peacefully.
"What are we gonna do, Natsuki?" Nao asked, her eyes widening in fear as she trembled.
Natsuki blinked. Nao never called her Natsuki. It reminded her of how Shizuru would call her Natsuki.
'… Shizuru...'
Natsuki paused, watching Nao numbly.
She had a gun.
She had someone to go back to.
Natsuki... Had a happy life to live.
Nao had nobody.
Nao had no one to go back to.
No one was expecting Nao to go back home.
Nao had no one.
Natsuki had to see Shizuru again. She had to. She would never die in peace if she didn't see Shizuru before her death. She wanted to die with Shizuru.
She needed to see Shizuru again.
Click.
Natsuki raised the handgun to Nao's temple.
She had to do this. She had to just see Shizuru... even if it just was a glimpse of the auburn hair.
"N-Natsuki-? What are you doing?" Nao asked in a hushed tone, her eyes showing a tremendous amount of fear, watching Natsuki's now dull emerald eyes with her own lime.
She had to.
"I'm sorry."
"What? Natsu-"
Bang.
Nao fell to the ground, limp as blood seeped out of her temple, soaking the dirt in her crimson.
Natsuki had killed Nao.
"..." Natsuki glanced at the blood, touching it with her free hand and raising it to her eyes.
"... This looks like... Shizuru..." She mumbled idly, looking at the crimson red blood.
She snapped out of it once she heard voices shout in English, panicking slightly before remembering her sick plan.
She placed the handgun in Nao's hands, wrapping her fingers around the handle, and resting it gently on the ground.
The foreign voices got louder, signalling that the Garderobe soldiers were close.
She stared at Nao for a second, then at the blood. She knew what she had chosen.
"... I'm sorry." She repeated softly before crawling in under a dead body, lying still and unmoving. Her eyes stayed open, staring at Nao. She was going to act as if she were dead, coincidentally killed there, next to Nao.
Just as she did that, a foot stood right next to her head.
Natsuki stopped breathing, watching at the man that owned that foot kneel down and examine Nao.
"Oi! What happened over there!" A voice shouted in Japanese, and a person stepped into sight of Natsuki.
"It's just another suicide, Takeda." The man replied, standing again, not bothering to check the other bodies. "Let's check the bodies over there." He said, pointing north, the opposite direction to the Fuuka base.
"Oh. Whatever. Come on then, Tate." The man named Takeda replied, walking off and out of sight.
The man named Tate looked back at Nao, before nodding and walking off into the distance, following Takeda.
A few minutes passed, and Natsuki deemed it was safe to move again.
She crawled out from underneath the dead body, before standing shakily. Her eyes had tears pooling in them, and she glanced down at Nao.
"I'm... I'm so sorry, Nao." She uttered, before wiping her eyes and walking south, to the base.
She was selfish. She killed Nao so she herself could see Shizuru. Sure, Nao didn't have anyone waiting for her, but it didn't mean she could meet someone that could. She had a life to live as well... And Natsuki sacrificed that for her own selfish needs.
Natsuki felt... Disgusting, to say the least. What had she become? She'd become a monster.
"... I'm sorry..."
-0-
Tomoe smirked. She had finally gotten Shizuru to sleep on the sofa after a few more hours of crying, and was now sitting on an armchair positioned across from the sofa. She was staring at Shizuru's tear-stained face, smirking cruelly yet lustfully.
Her eyes yet again rested upon the letter that was on the coffee table. Picking it up, she read it again.
"..." A small, disgusted frown appeared on Tomoe's face as she read it.
"How sickeningly sweet." She mumbled, getting out a packet of cigarettes from her pocket, still holding the letter with her free hand.
She opened the packet skilfully with one hand, placing the packet on the arm of the chair and slipping a cigarette out, sticking it in her mouth. She got the zippo lighter that was tucked in with the cigarettes in the box out and lit it, moving the flame near the tip of the cigarette, lighting it up and dropping the lighter in her lap, taking a puff of the toxic stick.
She exhaled the smoke, tapping the cigarette's ashes off in the ashtray that was on the coffee table.
She sighed. "It's so sweet... That it burns." She chuckled, holding the letter up and getting the lighter again with her free hand. She lit up the lighter, and moved the flame under the parchment setting it alight.
She dropped it in the ashtray, watching the paper shrink in size and turn into ashes.
"Natsuki, dear, you shouldn't right things as sweet as this," She sighed to herself, "Because Shizuru... Is now mine." She chuckled, smirking toothily as she leaned back in her cushioned chair.
"... So sweet... That it burns."
-0-
A/N:
Hey! Just so you know, this is definitely going to be a multi-chapter fanfic!
Thank you for reviewing this fic, I'm glad that you all like it! AND YAY! One day update! This chapter is around 2,000 words more than the last one. So yeah. :D
To tell the truth, I had to expand this a lot to get this much. I mean, this all started with a 500 word notebook story. Not descriptive, not that great, and had a lot of flaws in it. So, I'm halfway through that 500 word story. And don't worry, there'll be more than that! The 500 words is all that I have pre-written, and there'll be plenty more!
Sorry about the angsty stuff. Tomoe is such a bitch.
And sorry. I killed off Nao. REALLY SORRY ABOUT THAT. It's just... Argh. I didn't even want to, she's one of my favourite characters! I had to because of the storyline! FLAME IF YOU WANT, I DESERVE IT!
And yeah, there is some one sided Tomoe/Shizuru, the one side on Tomoe's part. And Tomoe's a sadist in this fic, if you haven't noticed.
Also, if you can guess why Nao's blood reminded Natsuki of Shizuru, I'll dedicate the next chapter to you, and add a bonus scene relating to the plot for you!
Well, enough rambline, I'm getting the next chapter ready!
Please,
REVIEW!