Chapter five: Miyuki's always right

Nagisa sat on the windowsill staring out across the grounds of Miator. Nothing stirred in the peaceful night. She sighed, her breath fogging up the windowpane. She drew her finger up to the misty pane and wrote Shizuma's name with a small heart beneath it. "Please tell me we'll get through this"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shizuma?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you still here?" Miyuki asked stepping into the greenhouse.

Shizuma shrugged staring out of the glass walls "thinking"

"About?"

"Nagisa"

Miyuki nodded even though Shizuma had her back to her. She took a seat and played with her hands. "You know you could work this out"

"No, this time it's not so simple"

"Why ever not?"

Shizuma sighed bowing her head, touching her forehead to the icy glass "the way Suzumi keeps going at her she'll fall for her sooner than later"

"She won't"

"How do you know?"

"Have you seen the way she looks at you?"

"Of course I have!" Shizuma snapped before running a hand through her silver tresses "but she will"

"Shizuma, Aoi-chan is many things, she's stubborn, she's childish, she's uncommonly loud and oblivious but she isn't stupid"

"What are you saying?"

"If you really loved her you wouldn't have let her go that easily" Miyuki left shortly after her last statement. Shizuma was left to herself, thinking. Was Miyuki right? Of course she was! She always was! Shizuma sighed.

"You're right Miyuki … you're right"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The doorknob turned. Nagisa's heart raced. She leapt to her feet hen the door opened inwards barring her view from whoever was coming in. "Shizuma?"

"No" Miyuki looked saddened at Nagisa's distraught expression.

They sat down on Nagisa's bed. Miyuki rested a hand on Nagisa's shoulder. "Did you … talk to her?"

"Yes"

"And?"

"She's thinking"

"About what?"

"How to tell you she loves you"

Nagisa snorted, "No she isn't"

"Trust me she is"

"How do you know?"

"Because I am always right"

"I wish that was enough to comfort me"

"Isn't it?"

Nagisa shook her head. Miyuki wrapped her arms tighter around Nagisa and hugged her against her chest. She stroked her auburn hair. A few minutes passed before Nagisa's voice carried through the still air. "I should never have come to Miator"

"Why do you say that?"

"If I hadn't come here I wouldn't have fallen in love with Shizuma, she wouldn't have fallen in love with me, and we wouldn't be in this situation"

"If you hadn't come here Shizuma would have never unfrozen her heart, she would never have laughed again, she would never show up on time for lessons and meetings, and to be honest ever since you came here she's spent more time in the school than moping around the lake"

"I…I guess"

"Do you want me to go?"

"I don't know" came Nagisa's meek voice. She brushed her hair aside. "All I can do really is wait … right?"

"Shizuma will come to her sense, you know why?"

"You're always right?" Nagisa smiled up at her friend.

"Exactly" Miyuki returned the smile before standing up and heading for the door "good night Nagisa-chan"

"Goodnight Miyuki"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shizuma had already walked around the perimeter of the lake and was now lazing around the greenhouse. She had kept a spare key for the greenhouse. It was her little sanctuary. She strolled around the aisles of wild flowers their names floating absently around in her head. Her eyes drifted through the glass walls towards the chapel, so many memories in that chapel good and bad. She sighed heavily. "Nagisa…" suddenly a glimmer of dull light caught her eye. She strained her eyes against the dusk. It was a figure, a figure walking up the path towards the small chapel, however they were too far away to be identified. She left the greenhouse and sprinted towards the chapel. From inside the chapel was a soft voice singing. It sounded like Hikari … only it was softer and lighter. Shizuma strained her ears as she leant against the door.

"kedakaki yuri no shiro no gotoku
kushiki bara no beni no gotoku
aoba no nobe no midori no gotoku"

Shizuma poked her head around the doorframe and looked inside. The singing was coming from the stage b the altar. The light was still really dim so she couldn't tell who it was. Shizuma slid inside undetected and took a seat in the shadows. She sat peacefully and listened as whoever it was continued singing. From this angle she could tell that the person singing was not Hikari… she didn't have long blonde hair, in fact her hair was short, messy, and auburn.

"Ten no kisaki wa uruwashiku emu
hikari kagayaku warera nomi haha
yowaki na ga kora wo mamori tamae"

The singing looked really familiar. Shizuma's eyes roamed over the singers' body, she felt herself drool slightly over the girls' faint curves and thin frame. "Achoo!" the singer sneezed and ran towards the organ to get a tissue, where the candle was perched. That's when Shizuma saw who it was. Her eyes grew wide and her heart lurched into her throat.

"Nagisa-chan?"

Nagisa spun around. When she saw Shizuma she back up against the altar. "Shizuma-sama?" They stared at each other for a few minutes. Shizuma stood up and walked down the altar. Soon she was directly in front of Nagisa. "Shizuma…" Shizuma leant closer, an arm wrapped around Nagisa's waist. Nagisa let out a small sob and buried her head against Shizuma's chest, her arms rising up to wrap around Shizuma's neck. "Shizuma"

"Nagisa…"

"NAGISA!!!"

Both girls turned to see Tamao-chan and Chiyo-chan armed with guns. Nagisa froze in Shizuma's arms. "Shizuma-sama step away from my beloved" Tamao hissed aiming her gun at Shizuma. Shizuma stared stonily at Tamao, but did not leave Nagisa's side. In fact she gripped her tighter.

"Do as you are told Shizuma-sama" Chiyo instructed coldly.

"No"

"Why?"

"I said 'no' I love Nagisa I would rather take a bullet for her"

"So be it" and that was Tamao's last word as she fired her gun. The bullet hit Shizuma Square in the chest. She slumped against Nagisa's body. Nagisa let out a strangled cry as she sank to the floor cradling Shizuma's body, blood running from her chest all over Nagisa's pyjamas.

"SHIZUMA!!!"

Shizuma's head lolled onto her shoulder, so that she was facing Nagisa. "Nagisa ... my little Nagisa ..."

Nagisa forced the tears from her pink eyes "Shizuma! No ... please don't ... don't leave me ..." she wailed as she pressed a kiss to Shizuma's forehead.

"I'll always ... love you ... Nagisa ... " Shizuma breathed raspily, her chest rising faintly.

"No! Shizuma! P-please .... you can't leave me!" Nagisa sobbed into Shizuma's white hair. She pressed a kiss to Shizuma's lips. Her own lips were dressed with the blood Shizuma had choked on.

"Nagisa" Miyuki walked up to her from the front doors. She'd heard a gun shot and came running inside.

"S-H-I-Z-U-M-A-!" Nagisa fell against Shizuma's body crying and shaking.

Miyuki looked down in horror at Shizuma lying in Nagisa's lap, her lips smeared with blood, her eyes closed. Her heart dropped through her body. Tears sprang to her eyes. "Shizuma"