Growing Things

Her spade made a strange sound as it struck the black, cursed earth. The sound was more akin to metal on metal than to metal on dirt on sand. She used it to pry out a shovelful of the black earth then tossed it onto the growing pile behind her and stuck it back in for another pull. Natsuki had found the spade in a small shed just to the side of the garden where she found many implements of gardening. After digging out the area around the rose she had decided she would use her ample time to clear out some of the infected land in the garden and possibly do some gardening of her own.

So far she had managed to clear out several feet in a semicircle around the rose, standing like a beautiful sculpture with the now cleared earth around if. She could almost hear it sigh in relief with each shovelful of black earth she took away from it. For the last few uncountable days she had been waking up early so that she could clear out more of the land. Today she had made some good progress, adding a few more feet to what she had already started.

She planted her spade into the earth and wiped her brow which was glistening with a thin sheen of sweat from the muggy heat of the garden. Summer must have come to the outside world, though Natsuki still wondered how the heat managed to breach the black fog.

She was just about to take the spade out of the dirt when she heard footsteps and turned to see Shizuru approaching wearing a simple white sundress with a wide brimmed hat and carrying a tray with two glasses on it. Perspiration fell from the glasses and Natsuki grew very thirsty just looking at them. Before Shizuru could come to a complete stop she snatched one off the tray and drank it voraciously, the feel of the cold liquid making her sigh. "It's hot today, isn't it?" Natsuki didn't respond, she was too busy enjoying the cold glass of water. Shizuru set the tray down on the ground nearby and held her own glass in her hand.

Natsuki emptied the cup quickly, then lay her head back. She looked around the garden, to all the black earth that lay across the large space and exhaled. "Why does it feel like I'm not accomplishing anything?"

"Don't feel like that." Shizuru was standing still, both hands clasped in front of her around her perspiring glass, her head thrown back and looking up at the sky. She took in a breath and caught Natsuki's attention. "Look." She pointed upwards and Natsuki followed her gesture up into the sky where a single beam of sunlight fell through the wall of black fog, breaking the pall that had seemed to hang over the mansion since she had first arrived there. "Even the smallest rocks make waves."

Natsuki still had her attention in the sky when she felt Shizuru rest her head on her shoulder. As if a light switch had been turned off, everything else disappeared but them and it seemed to Natsuki that they were standing in a whirling maelstrom full of black fog that threatened to engulf them in it's darkness. The two of us against the world. "Does that mean the black fog is somehow tied to the cursed earth? Is that what he meant by 'Heal the land'?"

"Mmm..." Shizuru wasn't listening to the words she was saying. Much like Natsuki, she too felt like she was standing within a black maelstrom but she clutched onto Natsuki knowing that she could trust the woman not to let her down. She held onto her glass with one hand and had the other arm around Natsuki to steady herself.

Natsuki was deep in thought. She looked around her and noticed that the fog, that had once been as thick as a wall and equally as intimidating, was starting to thin. In some places she could swear that she could see green through it. Did this mean that she was on the right track? That soon she would be able to leave this accursed place? Just the thought renewed her energy and she reached for the spade forgetting that Shizuru was leaned against her. She jerked away and Shizuru nearly fell over. "Ah."

Natsuki heard her and turned her head, in that moment remembering that they had been standing together. "Oh, sorry."

Shizuru found her balance and shook her head. "It's alright." She had a soft smile on her face, a smile reserved for Natsuki. She bent over to pick up the tray and both of their glasses, now empty. "It was nice while it lasted."

She walked away and Natsuki couldn't take her eyes off of Shizuru's slim figure, the way her hair fell easily around her shoulders, the way her waist swayed as she walked. She was starting to heat up and had to turn away from the scene, focusing her attention on the feel of the wood in her hands to recover her composure. She had started to notice things like that happening more often, her eyes would stay on Shizuru for longer than she meant them to or would drift away from her eyes when she was talking to her then she would quickly look away out of fear of getting caught. These feelings were new to her and she didn't know how to deal with them. Should I just say something? Should I just tell her that I think she's beautiful? Would she get offended or angry?

The spade cut through the dirt and she moved another shovelful while her mind ran circles around her feelings. She managed to add another foot of radius to her garden before she felt weary and sore enough to call it a day. She replaced the shovel in the shed where she had found it and walked back to the house.

Inside she found Shizuru waiting for her upstairs. "I ran a bath for you and dinner will be ready by the time you get out."

Natsuki didn't know what to say, she unconsciously bit her lip while her eyes roved hungrily over her. "Shizuru, I..." What am I supposed to say? I think you're beautiful and it's driving me crazy? "You don't have to do this for me."

Shizuru closed her eyes. "I want to." Natsuki could feel the tension between them, could almost cut it with a knife. "I see you out there, working every day to heal this place, to heal my home. I feel powerless..." Shizuru opened her eyes and looked straight into Natsuki's, those burgundy eyes pierced all of her barriers and struck her heart. Shizuru reached out slowly, tentatively, with her hand and placed it gently over Natsuki's cheek. "If this is what I can do to help you, then I'll do it happily."

Natsuki's heartbeat pounded in her ears so loudly she thought she was going deaf. The intensity of the moment brought her thoughts to a standstill, all that mattered was that moment, the feel of her hand, the look in her eyes, her soft lips wanting to be kissed. She stood still, not knowing what to do, and the moment passed. Shizuru's face returned to it's normal sadness. "You should relax. Take a bath and come down for dinner whenever you're ready."

Shizuru brushed passed her and walked downstairs leaving Natsuki wondering just what had happened. She entered the bath in a daze and found the tub full of hot water waiting for her. She stripped out of the clothes she worked in and settled into the bath, letting out a sigh as the hot water soothed her aching arms and back. She wet a cloth and lay it over her eyes, closing them and clearing her mind.

She lay in that tub until the water turned cold, then cleaned herself off and put on a dress that Shizuru had laid out for her. It was elegant and far different from her work clothes, a simple pair of pants and a loose fitting shirt. The dress was less frilly than the ones Shizuru typically wore and was tighter around the waist, showing off her figure. Wearing it made her feel attractive and she wondered if that was why Shizuru had picked out this particular dress.

She made her way downstairs to the dining room where, as Shizuru had said, dinner was laid out for them but she was no where in sight. "Shizuru?" No answer. Shrugging, Natsuki sat down with the intention of waiting for her but upon seeing the food in front of her she realized how hungry she was. She filled her plate with chicken and collard greens and started eating with fervor.

"You must have been hungry." Natsuki looked up in surprise to see Shizuru sitting next to her with a peaceful smile on her face. "Or do you like my cooking that much?"

"Both, honestly."

This brought a smile to Shizuru's face. She filled her own plate and started to eat as well, quietly happier than she had been in recent memory.

After dinner the sun fell and the mansion grew dark. They retreated to the second floor where their bedrooms were. Natsuki had her hand on the door knob when she felt a hand grab her wrist. Her eyes met Shizuru's and the question didn't need to be asked or answered. They both knew and there were few barriers between them now. She let Shizuru lead her into her bedroom and sat down on the vanity while Shizuru changed into her night clothes.

When she returned she took the brush out and brushed Natsuki's hair, something that had become a ritual for them. When she was done Natsuki changed into her own night clothes and the two of them lay down on the bed. Shizuru lay on her side and Natsuki threw her arm over her and in minutes Shizuru was asleep. Natsuki, however, had a difficult time falling asleep, even in the comforting warmth of Shizuru's bed. When she finally did fall asleep she was accosted by dark dreams of a mysterious presence watching her sleep.

-ROSE-

"It's good to see you again Ms. Kruger."

Natsuki was sitting in the same leather chair that she had sat in during her last dream conversation with Shizuru's father. She looked around the study but nothing was in focus, she couldn't tell anything about where she was other than the handsome man sitting across from her. "I want answers. What's going on?"

The elder Fujino looked saddened. "I wish I could tell you more but I'm worried that you're not ready to hear it." Natsuki was starting to get annoyed by these talks. It seemed like he only called to her to speak in circles that made no sense. "Have you noticed the darkness receding?"

Natsuki nodded, thinking back to the ray of light she had noticed earlier. "Is that because of my garden?"

"Heal the land. I guess you found out what that means." He smiled, a smile reminiscent of Shizuru's smirk. Something about that smile put away her doubts about his intentions.

"Is that the answer, then? It would take some time to clear out all the black sand."

"Not quite, but it's a start." He leaned forward and steepled his hands in front of him, a gesture that felt intimidating to Natsuki. "You are weakening the darkness but there is only one way to banish it and escape this prison. Unfortunately, I can't tell you any more than that right now."

Of course not, you never tell me anything. There was something she wanted to ask him and she hoped he would answer. "Well since you can't tell me anything can you answer a question? I keep seeing a wolf around the manor, do you know anything about that?"

"A wolf?" He scratched his head. "Are you sure about that? I don't know anything about a wolf."

"How would it get in here?"

"I'm not sure." He seemed to brush off the subject after that. "In any case, the answers you seek are here, in my study. You must find me here."

"How do I do that? The doors are sealed shut."

"As you weaken the darkness so you weaken the hold it has on this place. It's barriers are not impenetrable and you can break them if you have the willpower. The only way for you to leave this place alive is to enter the study."

The dream started to fade away and, as Natsuki had become used to, she was left with more questions than answers.

-ROSE-

Natsuki kept up her work, nearly doubling the size of her garden. In the shed of implements she found a hoe and several bags of an unknown seed. Natsuki, wanting to bring more color back to the manor, decided to try her hand at planting. She was worried that the black fog wouldn't allow enough light through to support plan life but she had noticed more light filtering through the thinning wall of black fog and decided it would be worth a try. It wasn't like she had anything better to do.

Soon she had the field seeded and was ready to water it. In the shed she found an old watering can and nearby she found an old well. She filled the watering can with water drawn from the well and watered the area of her garden. It took her most of the day but when she was done she could swear the area was looking greener already.

She started to sleep in Shizuru's bed more regularly, due to her working and the comfort of Shizuru's embrace she was able to sleep comfortably. Over long days she watched the fruits of her labor grow as the seeds she had planted started to grow. Some color had returned to the manor and she could see the black fog weakening around them, more light shone through during the days and the manor started to seem less and less oppressive. For the first time since she had arrived, Natsuki was feeling hopeful.

Yet not all of the dangers of the manor were dissipating. The voices that could be heard around the house were still there, lurking in dark hallways and filling space in the middle of the night, the doorway on the second floor and one in the worker's wing remained unopenable and she could feel a dark presence keeping them shut, and she felt like someone, or something, was constantly watching her.

One afternoon she was out tending to the garden when she felt a presence behind her and turned to see a familiar face staring at her. The wolf, with it's green eyes so similar to her, had come back. She turned to face it and felt no malice from the animal, saw no animosity in it's eyes. She steeled herself, having become less afraid of the darkness, and approached it slowly, her hand outstretched before her.

The wolf sniffed the air and, as she neared to within touch range, lowered it's head. Her hand touched it, grazed the soft white fur of it's head, as soon as they touched a connection was born. All fear of the unknown fled her and she instantly understood that Duran was here for her, to protect her in this dark place. She let go of him and Duran looked up with, what appeared to be, a grin on his toothy face. He gently licked her hand as if to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that he was going to keep her safe, and her heart grew stronger. What before had seemed impossible was starting to seem possible now, she knew in her heart that she possessed the strength to face the dangers of escaping this manner. She was worried for Shizuru, however, who had seen more of this darkness than she had.

Shizuru was in the sitting room when she walked in, her eyes glassy and her expression blank like she was deep in thought. Natsuki pulled a chair up and sat down straight across from her. She looked closely at Shizuru's face and noticed that her eyes seemed more crimson than burgundy and her mouth was twitching like she was speaking softly to herself. It took Shizuru nearly a minute to notice that she was there. Her gaze softened and, as if it had been merely a trick of the light, her eyes returned to their normal hue. "Sorry, I didn't see you come in."

"I didn't want to disturb you, you looked lost in thought."

"I was...thinking..?" Shizuru seemed as if she had just arrived and had no idea what was happening. She quickly regained her composure. "Yes, I was thinking."

"Can I ask what about?"

The edges of her lips turned up in a vague smile. "You." Natsuki looked away, a slight blush tinting her features. "I do that a lot, think about you." She closed her eyes. "You've come to mean a lot to me. Everything, in fact. I don't know what I would do without you."

Natsuki leaned forward and put her arm around her, she pulled her closer until Shizuru was hugged against her chest. "You don't have to think about that. I'm not going to leave you." Shizuru looked up into her eyes and something passed between them, a feeling that Natsuki couldn't explain and a warmth that she couldn't hide. "You mean a lot to me too."

Shizuru returned the embrace and they held each other while time around them seemed to freeze and the rest of the world disappeared except for this room, this moment, this embrace. Natsuki's heart strengthened once again and she felt like she could take the darkness head on, had the strength to overcome her fear of the manor and cut a path for herself and for Shizuru. She would protect Shizuru. I have to try the door again. Tomorrow, when I'm rested.

After dinner, she and Shizuru headed to bed. What had been a repeating pattern had now become an every night occurence, so much so that the room Natsuki had been staying in went unused. Natsuki went to search for a nightgown when Shizuru stopped her. "I've been working on something that I'd like you to try."

Natsuki was intrigued when Shizuru handed her a folded and wrapped package and indicated that she should change into it. Natsuki went to change in the bathroom, she felt insecure about Shizuru watching her change, and unwrapped the package to find a beautiful silk slip inside. She ran her hand along the fabric and loved it. She quickly stripped out of her clothes and slid it over her bare shoulders. It stopped just at the knee and felt like she was wearing a cloud. Just wearing the garment made her feel more elegant.

She left the bathroom to find Shizuru waiting for her, her jaw nearly hit the floor when she saw Natsuki wearing the slip. "How do I look?" Natsuki did a spin to show off the backside of the dress and Shizuru looked as if she might faint.

"Amazing..." Was the only word that she could think of to describe this angel in front of her. "I take it you like it then?"

"I love it." Natsuki crossed the room and gave Shizuru a gentle kiss on the cheek, a small gesture but one that Shizuru felt deeply. It resonated within her until all she could think about was the feel of Natsuki's soft lips on her cheek. "Thank you."

Shizuru lay down on her bed and snuffed the nearby candle, covering the room in shadow. She felt the bed shift when Natsuki lay down next to her and felt her warmth when she threw her arm around her. Shizuru took her hand and held it close to her chest and in moments was peacefully asleep. Her dreams were dark but the promise of seeing Natsuki in the morning made it all worthwhile.

Natsuki, however, was having trouble sleeping. I'm going through that door tomorrow, for better or worse. She prepared herself mentally for the task that awaited her in the morning, causing her some unrest. She slowed her thoughts and focused on Shizuru's even breathing, matching her own breathing pattern to hers. I will protect you, Shizuru, and we'll walk out those front doors together.