Disclaimer: I own nothing but the clothes on my back! Thanks Sunrise for inspiring the following chapter.
As a reminder, this is my first fan fic so if any details seem confusing or lacking, let me know and I'll try to improve it. :)
Anonymass: I guess I didn't think to explain Shizuru's sleeping arrangements in detail. I fleshed out the end a bit to explain the basement situation. It's not a cot in a dank basement, it's a converted, fully furnished room. Hope this clears it up!
Sound was sucked from the room. No one moved, no one made a sound. Mai, Akira and Takumi gazed expectantly at Natsuki as her mind fumbled to settle on a reaction. Her eyes, wide as grapefruit, pierced Shizuru with an expression of such surprise; her gaping mouth slowly curved its way to a small, restrained grin. At last she could retain her happiness no more. A full, open-mouthed grin shattered her reserve as she sprang across the room and dove into her long-lost friend's open arms. The two women crushed each other in their loving embrace for what seemed like an aeon.
At last Natsuki pulled away enough to look her friend in the eye. "Shizuru, it's really you," she sobbed. Tears had somehow escaped from her eyes to pour down her face.
"Natsuki," responded the golden-haired Goddess, as she reached a hand to caress the tears from Natsuki's cheek. "It's quite a surprise to see you here."
Their embrace broke apart as the group relaxed and gathered closer together. "A surprise to see me? What the hell are you doing here?"
Shizuru smiled. "Research." Natsuki gave her a quizzical expression. Shizuru giggled, but said no more of her purpose. "What brings Natsuki to this distant country?"
Natsuki, along with the others, took a seat in the surrounding furniture. Shizuru sat back in her single Lazyboy. "I came with my mother for research. She persuaded me to go on with school, so I'm taking Criminology at the university."
Shizuru responded with a pleasant grin.
"So Kuga-san, where are you living?" asked Takumi.
"Closer to the university," she responded. "By Blanca Street. Near Westmount Park?"
Mai gave a nod, being the only one other than Shizuru with a decent grasp of the city geography. "Have you explored the province at all? It's absolutely breathtaking in the mountains!"
Natsuki bowed her head. "No. I've been busy."
As the day rolled on, after many conversations of hows, whys, whats and remember-whens, Natsuki was invited to spend the night with the Tokihas and Shizuru. The house had three main-floor bedrooms and a make-shift bedroom in the basement, in a large storage closet behind the main room. That room belonged to Shizuru. Despite being designed as a closet, it was the largest and, due to Shizuru's classy decorating taste, probably the best room of the house. It even had a large window near the ceiling that let in afternoon sunlight.
At 7 o'clock, as the friends sat in the kitchen waiting for supper, the lock on the front door started jiggling around. All eyes turned to the door – all seeming unperturbed except Natsuki. After a moment of frantic fiddling, the door swung open, revealing a mop of jet-black hair and a short, skinny figure.
"Ma-a-i-i-i!" Mikoto hollered. "Mai I'm hungry-y-y!"
She turned and waved out the door as a car drove away. Then she closed and locked the door, removed her shoes, and joined the group at the large table. She didn't even take notice of Natsuki.
"That's good, Mikoto, because dinner is ready!" Mai exclaimed, placing a platter of fresh Pacific salmon cooked with basil and various other spices. As a side dish, she placed down a chef salad that could rival many of the Vancouver B-List chefs. She turned to Natsuki, who had a look on her face that seemed to be asking about the mysterious reappearance of Mikoto. "She got a part-time job selling kitchen knives. She just walks around door-to-door, with knives, trying to get people to buy them." Natsuki nodded. "It helps pay the bills."
"This looks great sis'!" Takumi announced. "As always."
The feast began – Mikoto finishing her third helping as the others came to a close on their first. The atmosphere was more than pleasant – on normal days it was just Mai and Mikoto, but today was a special day. Somehow Mai had a hunch to buy that whole side of salmon this morning. It turned out that hunch was right! Not only had her brother and his girlfriend shown up unexpectedly, and not only was Shizuru home for the evening, but with incredible fortune, her tennis ball picked out Kuga Natsuki!
Dessert followed – a fantastic, home-made array of artery-clogging goodness only to be enjoyed once a year. 9 o'clock rolled around by the time everyone had finished eating and digested to a satisfying extent. The troupe had retired to the living room by this point to watch some good old, American cartoons. The Simpsons had become a favourite of Mai's. It was known in Japan, but definitely not to the extent to which North Americans obsessed. There were other shows: American Dad, South Park, Clone High – but while people in Canada seemed to be enthralled by the humour of these shows, Mai, nor her brother or friends, really found it addictive.
"Well sis, we should probably head home," announced Takumi, as he and Akira separated from each other and stood.
"Oh, well I suppose it's getting dark," Mai agreed. "I'll get my shoes on."
"No, it's okay. We'll take the bus. It'll be fine," Takumi assured his sister. She was so protective of him, even if it was an inconvenience to her. He felt like giving his sister a break for the night since she'd worked so hard to make the evening great.
The two walked off after saying their good-byes and waited for the bus. It was only a seven-minute wait and when the bus finally rumbled to a stop, the two hopped on and made their way down the almost vacant bus. They passed a large man in a long, dark coat. He wore a black golf cap, partially concealing his deep eyes. Akira eyed the man as they passed, feeling an uncomfortable, yet all-too familiar tingling of threat.
Mai stretched, letting out a big yawn. "I think I'm gonna pack it in." She stood as Mikoto sprang up from her spot on the floor to follow her friend. "Goodnight, you too. Don't make too much noise in the bed tonight!" she said with a wink.
"What are you suggesting!" Natsuki shot back defensively as Shizuru gave a cute giggle. The woman placed a hand softly on Natsuki's thigh, making her blush and squirm with a look of panic on her face.
Mai giggled as she sauntered down the hall to bed.
"So Na-tsu-ki, what do you suppose we do?"
Natsuki turned back to her old friend, sincerity on her blushing face. "Shizuru, you know I'm -"
"Not interested in me," Shizuru finished. "I know, I remember where we left off."
Natsuki looked down in guilt. "Do we have to talk about this? Now? Shizuru, we haven't seen each other in two years. So much has happened, we've all changed, haven't we? Can't we discuss something else?"
Shizuru gave her friend a sympathetic smile. She gazed into Natsuki's eyes, knowing this was not the time to push her. "Yes, a lot has changed, Natsuki." Her gaze turned to the front window. The night was illuminated by a waxing moon. A few more nights and it would be full. A few more nights and the subject of her conversations with Natsuki would change drastically.
"What does that mean?" Natsuki pried, giving a suspicious look.
Shizuru returned a positive grin. The woman was so hard to read sometimes. Natsuki knew something was up, something was on her mind. But there was no hope finding out just what until Shizuru felt the time was right. Her mind was a freaking Rubix cube sometimes. Full of colour but impossible to crack. Unless you had the right formula, which Natsuki did not. No one did.
"Natsuki, will you walk with me?" Shizuru asked.
The two paced down the small residential street, side by side, only half a foot apart. They were close enough to hold hands. Deep down inside, Natsuki realized, she didn't think she'd mind holding the woman's hand. Such affection was repulsive to her in most circumstances. Publicly showering one another with pathetic infatuation. The feeling only lasts a short while – if the pair does last until marriage that show of affection only dies shortly after. Besides, what is the point of romance, anyway? It only gets in the way of progress. Love is a distraction. Marriage is simply an institution kept in place to increase revenue into the government's pockets and make breaking up an even bigger headache.
But still. Shizuru's hand was only an inch away. Just in reach. Natsuki could already feel the warmth of her skin. Her heart fluttered – what was that? She panicked. It couldn't be. Shizuru was a great friend, her best friend even. The person who brought her out of her shell, the woman who regained her trust in humanity – if only a small degree of trust. She was intelligent, strong, devoted to her loved ones. (Perhaps a little too devoted at times.) So Shizuru had different feelings towards Natsuki. That didn't take away from their friendship.
"Natsuki," said Shizuru, suddenly.
Natsuki looked up – she'd been staring at the ground for some time.
"Do you remember when you first noticed the Princess Star?"
Natsuki nodded. How could she forget? She was barely a teenager, had been gazing at the night sky one evening when she noticed something she'd never seen before. She thought to ask her peers but assumed they knew about it too and that she'd be ridiculed for not noticing it before. It wasn't until she'd come to Fuuka Academy that that star made sense to her.
"Do you think something like that could happen again?"
"The Carnival?"
Shizuru nodded. She was watching the sky. Natsuki followed her gaze.
"Do you see something unusual?"
There was a pause. "No," she responded. She hesitated for a moment before continuing: "But sometimes I feel in my bones that something new is stirring."
A knot twisted in Natsuki's gut. She recalled the tense conversation her mother and that man had in their house. Her mother was a HiME as well, she had a role to play in the struggle two years ago. Could some new evil be brewing again? It couldn't be. And of all places, why here?
"Are you sure?"
Shizuru hesitated again, for a long time. "I don't know."
The two had wandered quite far from Mai's home. As they walked back they heard the sound of multiple emergency sirens screeching through the streets somewhere several blocks away. It was a sound that turned their heads, but drew no focus for conversation. The city was large; sirens were pretty commonplace.
They had walked in silence for about fifteen minutes. Finally, Shizuru spoke.
"Natsuki, do you ever think about the time you kissed me?"
Natsuki's heart froze. A stone dropped in her gut. Her cheeks flushed. "No, of course not," she responded coolly, without skipping a beat.
Shizuru glanced sideways at her friend. A look of disdain was painted on her face. Those eyes, those sweet eyes, so hurt. But Shizuru didn't protest. She understood. Love cannot be forced on a person. Especially not the love Shizuru felt.
"Shizuru, you don't, do you?" Natsuki asked bravely. She knew the answer.
Shizuru did not respond for a long time. The two walked in silence, Natsuki gazing at her friend all the while, hoping she wasn't hurt by Natsuki's rejection.
"Natsuki." Shizuru stopped walking.
Natsuki came to a stop and turned to face her friend. Her heart pounded. She felt flushed, a feeling she hardly knew. The girl had never been in love. Love simply was not one of her priorities.
Shizuru's mind raced. Her emotions were falling out of her control. She had to regain composure, fast. Dire situations were at hand, and there was no time for petty romance and lust. But something was on her mind, and she needed to get it off her chest.
"Natsuki, I know it's been a long time since we last saw each other. I know a lot has changed." She paused. Natsuki glanced from one eye to the other, heart racing, anxiety rising. "That's why, I need to tell you -" She cut herself off. She took a breath in and exhaled nervously. "I am still in love with you." Her eyes rose to meet her friend's.
Natsuki blushed, tremendously. She recalled the photo of herself on the windowsill of Mai's house – it wasn't Mai who kept it there. She suddenly recalled seeing another photo – of herself with Shizuru and Fuuka Academy director Kazahana Mashiro – on the mantle above the fireplace in the basement. It suddenly pained her to think of her friend suffering so deeply with her unrequited love. Though it was a feeling unknown to Natsuki she knew that, had Shizuru felt this way for someone else, she would no doubt be sympathetic to her. How could she ignore Shizuru's feelings simply because they were for herself?
"Shizuru." Natsuki was at a loss of words. She simply could not bring herself to return Shizuru's feelings. She loved her friend dearly, but to be in love was a completely different story. For Natsuki, it meant weakness. She recalled Shizuru's fall into madness over her love for Natsuki. She remembered Tokiha's misery when she was torn between Reito-Sama and Tate-san. To allow herself to be victim to such desperate, dangerous emotions? It was despicable.
Yet, she didn't despise Shizuru, nor even pity her, for having these feelings.
"I'm sorry," she said finally.
Shizuru straightened out and insisted she was merely stating a fact for reference, so they were both clear. The two returned home and Shizuru directed Natsuki to the room she could take. The three rooms were all preoccupied but Mai, Mikoto, and Shizuru were the only three who hadn't left for the summer. The room Natsuki took was decorated with band posters, clippings of half-nude men from Playgirl, and a few empty beer cans. At least it beat unicorns and fuzzy pink pillows.
Shizuru waited by the door of the room. She watched her friend familiarized herself with her surroundings.
"Why did they stick you in the basement?" Natsuki asked.
"I needed a place to stay, so Mai put together a very nice bedroom for me – she put in carpet, painted the walls, and even gave me a queen-size bed. There were no rooms left. Mine is much larger than these ones, and I have the whole basement to myself. It's really quite preferable to the rooms up here."
Natsuki smiled. "Mai's great like that, isn't she?" She flopped down on the bed. She could feel Shizuru's eyes on her. "Shizuru, how long have you been here?"
"At Mai's?"
"No – Overseas."
"Almost a year."
Natsuki sat up and looked Shizuru square in the eye. "How did we all end up here, together, in this country of all places? The last time we were together, everyone was going separate ways. Chie, Aoi, Akane, all going to Kyoto. Tate going to study in America. Mai said she was going to Paris for the summer after graduation, she said she was returning to Japan to go to school in Tokyo. And you -"
Shizuru responded with her classic, innocent smile. "Life is quite strange, isn't Natsuki? It's good we've been reunited. Why question it?"
With that Shizuru bid her friend good-night and retired to her regal bedpost.
Natsuki fell asleep with no trouble. The day had been long and though there were a lot of questions buzzing around in her mind, by the time her head hit the pillow she hardly had the mental energy to think them through. She slept soundly. She didn't even notice the gentle, elf-like movements of Shizuru as she slipped into the bed and snuggled up to Natsuki.