The Mirror

The light of dawn broke through the already thinning black fog that surrounded the manor and shone through Shizuru's bedroom and into the eyes of a sleeping Natsuki, who woke with a yawn and stretched the sleep from her limbs. Shizuru lay next to her, arms wrapped around Natsuki in a way that had become comfortable for both of them, with her eyes closed and a peaceful look on her face. It was the first time that Natsuki had ever seen the woman without a worried or downtrodden look and it brought a smile to her face. She leaned over and kissed the woman on the brow. "You mean so much to me."

Shizuru stirred, a soft moan leaving her lips as her eyes fluttered open and she looked up into Natsuki's emerald eyes. She looked around her and noticed the sunlight streaming through the nearby window. "Is it morning already? I should get started on breakfast."

Shizuru tried to get up but Natsuki took her by the arm. "Stay with me, for just a while longer."

Shizuru smiled, a soft smile that Natsuki found intoxicating. "Alright. For just a while longer."

Shizuru lay back down with Natsuki and wrapped her arms around her chest in a comfortable position. Natsuki put an arm around Shizuru's shoulders and held her close. She knew that a challenge faced her today, challenge that she may not return from, and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with the person who had come to mean much to her in the short time they had spent together.

"Natsuki..." Shizuru turned so that they faced each other on the bed, noses nearly touching. "I...want you to know that you mean a lot to me. Since you came here, every day has been better than the last and I want you to know that I appreciate everything you've done for me."

Natsuki was touched, Shizuru's words echoed a sentiment that she herself had been feeling lately and to hear them from her nearly brought a tear to her eye. She couldn't come up with words to respond so she followed her instinct and kissed her, a gentle meeting of the lips that sealed the bond between the two of them. Natsuki, surprised by her own action, was wide eyed while Shizuru was practically beaming. She threw her arms around Natsuki and pulled her into another kiss.

Natsuki threw her legs over the bed and got up, to Shizuru's dismay who wanted her to stay in bed. "What are you going to do today? Work in the garden?"

Natsuki was reluctant to tell Shizuru about her plans. She didn't want to worry the woman any more than she had to and she was confident about what she was doing. Somehow that kiss had boosted her confidence and she felt like she could take on the world. "No, I think I'll stay inside today. Explore the manor some."

"I'll make lunch for us." Shizuru nearly hopped out of bed and gave Natsuki a quick kiss as she walked passed her and to the bathroom. Natsuki took the alone time to change into something comfortable, a simple pair of pants and a shirt she used when she worked in the garden, and took a deep breath. She stood at the door to the bathroom and closed her eyes, reaching a hand out as if she could touch Shizuru through the door. I'll save us both, Shizuru. Whatever it takes.

Natsuki's heart grew heavier the closer she stepped towards the sealed door on the second floor. Every step seemed to weigh heavier on her and a deep sense of foreboding took hold of her. Calm down, Natsuki. You can do this. She stood in front of the door, her breathing increased and she could feel a tightening in her throat. She felt something warm at her hand and she looked down to see Duran standing next to her, his green eyes looking up into hers and giving her strength. She took a deep breath and stepped into the door.

Immediately the invisible force tried to push her back but she fought it, her muscles strained and she grit her teeth against it as she pushed ahead. Each step was agony as the force continued it's assault, a heavy wind pushing against her every step of the way. She felt a power surge through her, starting from her hand and quickly spreading through her body and suddenly each step became easier and easier. One, two, three and she was there.

The door stood clearly before her. She put her hand against it and it fell open easily, creaking loudly as it did so, to reveal a place she had only seen in her dreams. An old study, bookshelves lined the walls filled with old musty, crumbling books, an old leather armchair long since cracked and faded from lack of care sitting in front of a large wooden desk covered in old papers that were long passed useful. Inside the chair sat what looked like an image of a man, there but transparent like glass. He turned to her and smiled with those eyes and that face that reminded her so much of Shizuru that she found herself smiling. "Kruger, you made it."

"I'm here." Natsuki took a moment to look around her, she examined the room more carefully. "So what's the next step? How do I get out of here?"

He seemed to get a forlorn look on his face then, it was hard for Natsuki to discern his facial expressions through his transparency. "First, you will need to know how all of this started." Visions filled Natsuki's head, visions of the manor before the darkness and when people still walked it's halls.

-ROSE-

"Daddy." A ten-year old Shizuru ran into the study, her dress trailing behind her as she crossed the room and stopped just before the leather chair her father always sat in.

Thomas Viola looked down at his daughter, who shared a remarkable resemblance to him, and smiled. He reached out with his hand and patted her on the head. "What is it, sweet child?"

"A wagon is coming up the road. I thought you would want to know."

Thomas continued to smile, though the news of the wagon distressed him he didn't want to worry his young daughter. "Thanks, Shizuru. Why don't you go find Lu and see if she'll make you something good to eat, okay? Daddy's got some business he needs to finish."

"Okay."

Shizuru ran from the room leaving Thomas alone. He reached across the desk and pulled out a flask, hidden well in a recess built into the desk, and took a long pull from the dark liquid inside. Courage, he would need plenty of it for what was to come.

One of his servants ran into the room, out of breath from the climb up the stairs. "Sir, three men are at the door. They wish to speak with you."

Thomas nodded and regained his composure. "Show them up."

He could hear their heavy footsteps on the wooden stairs, each one like a nail in his coffin. He swallowed the emotions down before they took him over and soon a thin man bearing a long moustache and flanked by two large men in hats entered. His clothing showed his wealth and his demeanor showed his contempt for his surroundings. "Mr. Viola, it has been too long."

"Not long enough for me, John."

Thomas didn't fake a smile, he merely stood and shook the hand extended to him by the moustached man. "You have always been a kidder, Thomas. It's what I like what about you. Me, I don't have a great sense of humor, especially when it comes to my money. So I'm going to make this simple, pay me and we'll go away. Don't, and I can promise that I'll be the only one laughing."

Now it was Thomas' turn to be angry. "That machine didn't work. I'm not paying you for a useless scrap of metal. Haul that junk off, I don't need it."

"The deal was already made, Thomas. It ain't my fault you didn't read the fine print."

"I ain't paying, you snake."

"Fine." The man snapped his fingers and the two burly men behind him stepped forward. "The talking parts over anyway." Thomas didn't try to defend himself, he merely covered his more sensitive areas as the two men proceeded to beat him mercilessly. Blood poured from his broken nose, several of his ribs were cracked and both his eyes were black after they were done with him. He lay on the floor gasping for air. "How about now, Thomas? Still think you're tough?"

Thomas caught his breath and spat out blood. "Can't do your own dirty work, coward?"

The man laughed. "Still with that sense of humor, Thomas." From behind him came a shriek and in walked another man holding young Shizuru by the arm. The girl was struggling but he drug her into the room and stood next to John. When Shizuru caught sight of her father on the floor covered in blood she fell into tears. "How about now? Or are you ready to watch us kill your little girl?"

From deep beneath the earth a rumbling could be felt, a deep sound the grew louder and louder until it practically filled the house. The two burly men who had accompanied John looked around them but John himself seemed unpurterbed as he drew out a long Bowie knife and held it to Shizuru. "How about it, Thomas?"

"Daddy!?" The scream was a mixture of Shizuru's voice and something far darker and it caught every man in the room off guard. A shock wave erupted in the center of the room that knocked every man backwards and left only Shizuru standing. "You won't hurt my daddy." The voice that spilled from Shizuru's mouth was not hers, but something guttural and far more menacing.

Before them, in the center of the room, appeared the shadow of a creature. This creature appeared vaguely female but in place of hair it had long serpents and it floated inches off the ground. It spoke with a deep, rumbling voice that seemed to fill the entire house all at once. "I won't let you hurt him."

Shizuru was on her knees, her eyes were pure white and her mouth was moving though the voice that came out wasn't hers. Another shockwave threw the men back down to the ground and Thomas laid his head back to the floor and looked up at the ceiling. Shizuru? What have you done?

A black fog poured from the creature's shadowy form, and filled first the room and then the rest of the manor. The shadowy creature turned to Shizuru and knelt down in front of her. "My name is Kiyohime, and I won't let anyone hurt you."

After that everything went black.

-ROSE-

"No."

A sinking feeling entered Natsuki's stomach and she felt like she was going to be sick. "Shizuru summoned the creature, Kiyohime, and she did it to protect me." Thomas hung his head. "It was my fault, but if you want to be free there is only one thing that you can do."

Natsuki knew what he was going to say and she shook her head. "No, I can't."

"You have to kill Shizuru. Kiyohime is bound to her life force, and it is Kiyohime's power that keeps the manor seperated from the world. If you want to go home, Shizuru must die."

"I don't belive you."

Thomas leaned towards her in the chair with his hands in front of his face. "When Kiyohime was summoned she trapped the souls of everyone in the manor. Everyone that once lived here has been confined to this house forever. If you want proof, see for yourself. On the first floor in the west wing there is a room that contains a mirror. Look into this mirror and you will know that I speak the truth."

Natsuki didn't want to believe Thomas but she couldn't dismiss the images she had just seen. Still, she remembered the room Thomas was talking about and the voice she had heard Shizuru talking to. She left the study and walked down the stairs and to the west wing. She stood in front of the door and felt a similar pressure to the one above, but this time she knew she would overcome it. She opened the door easily and walked through into a mostly empty room that contained a full length, ornate mirror in one corner of the room with a beautiful mural of a nature scene painted on the opposite wall. The mirror was framed in silver and was very ornately crafted, a beautiful peace excepting for what showed on it's glass surface.

Instead of her own reflection, Natsuki was facing the image of a young girl.

The image wasn't blurry or translucent like Thomas' had been in that chair, it was clear, as if the girl was standing in front of it. "Ms. Shizuru?" The girl faced the mirror as if she were looking out of it. Natsuki took a step back, her stomach turned and her mouth hung open. "You're not Ms. Shizuru. Could you be Natsuki?"

As much as Natsuki wanted to belive it was a fabrication, the girl seemed to be actively talking to her. "Y-you know of me?"

"Ms. Shizuru talked a lot about you. She said you were beautiful, so I assumed that's who you were. The Other One, though, she didn't like you much."

Natsuki reasoned that this 'Other One' must be Kiyohime, and that she must have been the source of the deep voice that resonated the night that she had heard her voice. Natsuki, feeling no malice from the girl in the mirror, stepped closer. "What's your name, little girl?"

"Isabel."

The name sounded familiar to Natsuki, but she couldn't place where she had heard it. She could swear that Shizuru had mentioned it but couldn't place exactly when. Then she remembered a conversation with Shizuru where she had talked about the people that worked for her family and she remembered her mentioning a child, Isabel. "Have you been trapped inside that mirror for all this time?"

"Yes."

So it's true. All of these souls trapped in this house for so long. It's a wonder she's not insane. "What has it been like in there?"

Isabel seemed to turn gloomy from the question. "I don't like it. I can't ever sleep and all I get to see is the walls of this room. I never get cold or hungry but I get scared when the light goes out. I don't like it here."

"That's horrible." Natsuki couldn't imagine anything worse in the darkest depths of her imagination. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about this, knowing that Shizuru had been the cause of so much suffering. It didn't change the fact that she loved the woman but it was looking less and less likely that she could save her. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Free me." Isabel's voice was pleading, her eyes cast upward to look in Natsuki's own.

"How can I do that?"

"Break the mirror. Free me...please."

Natsuki could not stand the hurt she saw in those young eyes, in that face so innocent. Her breathing increased and as she lifted her foot she knew that there was no turning back. She kicked hard at the glass which fractured but took the hit intact. Isabel shrieked and Natsuki kicked again, this time taking a large piece with her. Her last kick used all of weight and force and the old mirror shattered into pieces. "Thank you..." She heard as Isabel's spirit fled her confinement.

"Ahhhhhhh..." A loud scream filled her ears, so loud she had to cover them lest she be rendered deaf. A dark presence took notice of her, Kiyohime the spirit of retaliation, and she felt the room's temperature drop several degrees. "Ahhhhhhhhh..." The spirit cried again as it threw open doors and knocked over furniture in it's mad rush down the hallway.

Natsuki regained control of her body and ran for the door. As she stepped into the hallway she turned and saw it, Kiyohime screaming down the hallway out for blood. Her eyes burned an angry crimson and her snakes for hair flew behind her in waves. They locked eyes and she screamed again. This time Natsuki turned and ran out to the foyer and up the stairs to the second floor making for the study and hoping to find Shizuru on the way.

Shizuru was leaving the bedroom when Natsuki was running up. "Natsuki...? What's going on?"

As Natsuki ran passed she grabbed Shizuru's arm and pulled her with her into the study where Thomas was now standing in anticipation of the disturbance. "You see now, Kruger? There is only one way this can end." Thomas pointed to a dagger sitting on his desk.

"Natsuki? Father?"

Shizuru was standing nearby and Natsuki took one look at her then over to the knife. "Shizuru." Natsuki stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Shizuru as the still screaming Kiyohime tore through the door and into the room. "I know everything, Shizuru."

Shizuru's face turned down, the distress showed clearly on her face. "It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault." Natsuki held her close and kissed her gently.

"Kiiilllll heeeerrrrr..."

Kiyohime charged at Natsuki who looked in it's direction. Her eyes still blazed and her hands reached out towards Natsuki ready to grab her. She could feel a dark energy nearing her and she closed her eyes as Kiyohime was tackled out of nowhere and thrown against the bookshelves on the far wall. Duran stood in all his glory, fangs bared and body tense as he prepared to face down Kiyohime.

Kiyohime stood and screamed, sending a shockwave through the room and would have knocked Shizuru down if not for Natsuki holding her in her arms. It charged it's new enemy and Duran hit it back with full force. They battled while over it the sounds of Thomas could be heard shouting for Natsuki to kill his daughter. "Kill her, Kruger. Kill her or we'll all die."

Duran fell back, several wounds in his flank and a severe limp in his step. Kiyohime was too powerful in this place, surrounded by the darkness it had created. Natsuki held Shizuru close as another shockwave hit the center of the room and tossed Duran back into the desk behind him. Shizuru looked up into Natsuki's eyes with a resolve that she had never seen in those eyes before. "Do it, Natsuki."

"I...I can't. I love you."

Shizuru leaned up and kissed her. "I love you, too, that's why I want you to live."

Behind them Duran had stood back up and tackled Kiyohime down again. Teeth and claws rent at it but to no avail. Kiyohime struck back at Duran and knocked him away, her power sent another shockwave through the room. Duran fell back but this time he didn't get back up, he had a large gash across his side and half of his face had been burned. Natsuki exhaled, she knew in that moment that Thomas was right and that there was only one way she was getting out of there.

She knelt down and picked up the dagger that had been thrown across the room when Duran struck it and gripped it tightly in her hand. A tear wound it's way down her cheek as she thrust the blade into Shizuru's chest. "I'm so sorry."

Shizuru coughed up blood and gripped Natsuki tighter, Kiyohime's screams turned more frantic. "It's okay. Now I get to save you." Shizuru used the last of her strength to push Natsuki backwards towards the windows and with a last, powerful shockwave from Kiyohime was thrown backwards through the window. She was thrown from the house and fell backwards through open air. She closed her eyes as she felt herself falling, falling, falling...

Author's Note:

Thank you for your patience and know that I do intend to finish this story.