AN-2011: Republished chapter. Corrected and edited.
WARNING: Rated M for violence and mature content between two females. If you don't like or you aren't at least 18, please don't read it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime characters. All trademarks belong to his rightful owners.
Majutso No Hime by Galadan
Chapter 03.
"III. I have no divine power; I make the honesty my divine power."
Vancouver Great Metro Area.
She couldn't see anything in the middle of the darkness and the bamboo shafts, she should be able to see and to hear, but was blind and deaf; sweating profusely she knew she was losing terrain. She couldn't move as fast as him; she felt has if her limbs were stone made, the slightest movement costing her an eternity. She moved in circles trying to keep her balance, trying to block the attack she knew it was coming after her. His dark eyes were deep wells of hate when looked at her before his final strike; she felt the katana crossing her at sternum level.
Breathing heavily, Natsuki found herself sitting in her bed, sweating and trying to calm down, realizing she was at her home in Vancouver, several thousands of miles away from that place in Japan and living a new life. She knew that he was dead and that she won that final battle.
Only during the first days when she moved to Canada, she was having that nightmare. It stopped almost two years ago. "Why is this ghost showing up again, just now that I felt like leaving out from whatever dead living I was? Damn it."
Calmed now, she look for the time. Almost 4 am in the morning. "That time, always that time." Maybe internally she wasn't ready to move ahead with her life but she will have to, no matter what.
She tried to sleep again with no success so decided to get up for a very early warming up before the presentation at the dojo. While she was getting ready, she remembered her unexpectedly pleasant encounter with Nao Yuuki and the promise waiting there for her feeling a little bit better.
Tokyo Metro Area, Yuuki Enterprise Corporate Building at Yokohama.
"Daitouryou-san, we have the information you requested." Masamune Yuuki's young assistant, Yukino Kikukawa said handing him the folder with the very important information he request about certain someone.
Just then, his beautiful fiance was announced by his secretary.
"Of course she can get in, immediately. Never let Fujiwara-san waiting, do you understand, Akane-san?"
Shizuru made her entrance to Masamune´s spacious office wearing elegant western clothes. She preferred the traditional and elegant kimonos and regularly Masamune agreed with it, but this time she was accompanying him to a social meeting with some Americans and he explicitly asked her to wear western clothes. "I would certainly prefer to keep your beauty just for my eyes, my dear Shizuru but I appreciate that you accepted to join me for the diner," was what he told her. But she knew better. He wanted to make ostentation, to show his trophy. She was his trophy and she was letting him to enjoy it…by now.
Her dress was an adjusted satin dark red dress that fitted well for her height and voluptuous body, the fine design and cut combining perfectly with her polite mask and perfect manners for an extraordinary elegant and classy result. Masamune was sure by looking at her "soon to be" wife that no other female at the party would be more stunning than her. He would send a powerful message to his American peers. Shizuru was the perfect fiance and will be the perfect wife.
"My dearest, you are a bit early. Please sit and relax. Kikukawa-san, please make sure Fujiwara-san is comfortable."
"Ara…Yuuki-san, what carelessness from me, I don't want to be a nuisance for you." Shizuru said playing with her prey, Yuuki-san always wanted to take care of every need she could have. In several ways, he was a good man. As good as any business man could be. If she could feel anything for any human being definitely would feel sympathy for him. Or pity.
"Oh, no my dear, please. It's my fault; I am having a very busy day but I should have finished before. I will be with you in a couple of minutes." He said a bit more anxiously. Shizuru had the power to break his usually steeled and cold behavior.
Sitting carefully at the couch she waved indicating at the young Yukino that she didn't need anything and waited. Masamune's next words filled up her heart with something close to happiness.
"So, you are 100% sure she is the one we are looking for, Kikukawa-san?"
Yes, Daitouryou-san. She is the very best and one of the most knowledgeable and respected sensei living outside Japan." Yukino avoided the other adjective she found very frequently in her references about this particular subject. Feared.
"Interesting. Kuga Natsuki. She is scarcely 25 years old, living since two years ago in Vancouver. Her record is impressive for someone so young but there isn't too much personal information here about her. My own daughter is 23 years old and is living in Vancouver too." Masamune recited with Yukino standing up by his side properly. Closing the thin folder, he ordered her assistant, "I will finish reviewing it later but I agree on a first glance. Please get me the usual information and make the arrangements, Kikukawa-san."
Internally, Shizuru felt almost exultant by hearing Masamune´s words but was careful enough to put the appropriate mask of disinterestedness and boredom; she also thought her age was almost the same than Kuga's but Masamune didn't questioned that when arranged everything to get married with her, or whit the woman he thought she was. "Everything is going according to the plan. She will be here soon."
That thought will give her empty days a sense of meaning.
Vancouver, Great Metro Area.
After the presentation at the dojo, Natsuki introduced her new friends to Chie and Aoi, whom made an instant click with Mai, so the six of them, including Mikoto and Nao, went together for Japanese food and stayed together until late afternoon just talking, knowing each other.
Chie felt very happy that her glum friend finally decided to leave out her personal shell; she didn´t miss detail at the way Natsuki and Nao were glancing at each other during the whole time. The redhead wasn't bad at all. When they were left alone in the table, Chie didn't waste a second to say,
"You have got a very nice prey, Natsuki-chan!"
"Chie…" Natsuki warned, glaring at her but Chie was immune to it and kept going. It was her privilege as the closest friend of the best and most deadly ninja living outside Japan.
"Come on, it's crystal clear that she likes you Natsuki! Have you asked her out?"
"Well… yes..." Natsuki answered almost blushing.
"Terrific! And when are you doing it?"
"I don't know, soon I guess, we haven't talked about it and…" Natsuki couldn't finish the sentence because she saw the group of women coming back to the table after a collective visit to the restroom. It was beyond her understanding why they have to go in group but Mai, Aoi and Nao were coming back chatting animatedly with Mai practically dragging Mikoto who made clear she didn't want to go to the restroom since the very first minute.
"Uhmmm, seems that you have been also the conversation theme for them too, Natsuki," Chie told Natsuki giving her a friendly kick under the table.
"What?"
"We will work on preparation for you date, don't worry. Nao-san will be CRAZY for you in no time." Chie whispered to Natsuki.
"Chie!" Natsuki said her blush increasing.
"What kind of dirty conversation are you guys having that Natsuki-san is all blushed, Chie Harada?" Aoi pointed out to her girlfriend.
"Nothing dirty at all, my dear. Just general thoughts, maybe it's a bit warm here." Chie said by alternatively looking at Nao and Natsuki.
That day they spend a bit more time chatting there and when it was time to leave, since Nao arrived with Mai and Mikoto, everyone managed to leave her alone with Natsuki for a ride home. It was Nao's second bike ride and it was more enjoyable this time. Sitting behind Natsuki and hold her firm waist closely felt more natural this time. Natsuki again chose the long way bordering the shoreline, when they arrived to Nao's apartment; she didn't ask Natsuki to go up with her but instead went for the higher bet.
"So Kuga, will you find your courage and ask me out for a date or will you keep fooling around?"
Natsuki, still at her bike with an elbow resting over her helmet blushed slightly, grinning at the redhead; it was something she wanted to do but hesitated the whole day about it.
"Errr…I was thinking…I mean, there is something I had wanted to do since I arrived to Vancouver and I…" It was harder than she thought.
Nao was very amused seeing Natsuki embarrassment. "Shoot it Kuga, it can't be that bad."
"Would you like to go to a hockey game with me next Saturday?" Natsuki asked her so suddenly, looking straight to Nao's eyes, which was caught in surprise by the sudden and somewhat anxious request mainly coming from someone so confident and reserved like Natsuki.
"Wow, that's new. Everybody has asked me out for a very fancy diner, the ballet, or the opera. Hell, the last one was the most fashionable and expensive night club." Certainly this was the first time someone had asked her out for a hockey game. "It seems that is something she really wants to do and not just because she wants to impress me."
Nao thought a couple of seconds in silence and Natsuki was sure that she did screw up everything. "Argggh, I should have asked Chie before asking her something so stupid! You are an idiot Natsuki."
"Look Nao, I am sorry. Maybe it's not a good idea, I…"
"No, no…" Nao hurried to clarify, "It is perfect Kuga, and it sounds like fun. I would love to go to hockey with you next Saturday. I have never gone to a hockey game."
Natsuki was speechless. "Well… me neither."
Both of them laughed after a while and just before Natsuki put on her helmet again, Nao got closer and very slowly, planted a soft kiss in Natsuki's cheek and murmured at her ear causing little shudders on Natsuki's neck and back, "I will wait anxiously for the next weekend."
With that said she ran her hands across Natsuki's arm and walked away keeping her eyes on Natsuki´s until she was almost touching her building´s door. Natsuki stared at her smiling and then put her helmet and left. This time her smile lasted almost the whole week.
The next Saturday, they went to the GM Arena to watch the Vancouver Canucks in a game. Despite her regular controlled and very Japanese behavior, Natsuki let herself get infected by the general enthusiasm. She and Nao screamed and laughed a lot, Nao showed her how to whistle properly at referee, drank beer and eat hot dogs.
They left the arena feeling like kids after the fair. On their way to Natsuki's bike, still with a wide smile at her face Natsuki teased Nao, "I thought you never had been in a hockey game!"
"It's true, I never had Kuga!"
"How did you know how to whistle at the referee?" Natsuki asked.
"Well, I just know how to whistle. You won't believe it but my mother taught me. I was just following the regular mood," the redhead ended smiling. It was a long time ago since she didn't had a happy memory of her mother.
Now it was Nao's turn to ask Natsuki, "Why did you want to try the hockey Kuga?"
"Not sure, it is something so different to Japanese culture, all measured and controlled. I felt curious about the environment in the stadium and all the… western stuff. I lived in Japan all my life until two years ago so… I am glad that you came with me, I had a really nice time." They were already at the bike and facing each other, Nao could felt the tension increasing between them. She really liked Natsuki and this night she was not letting her go.
"Would you like to come to my apartment for a drink? It's still early… unless you have something else to do, of course." Nao said a bit teasingly, a bit nervous.
Natsuki felt the first bite of nervousness but also anticipation, "Is she thinking about… that?"
"A drink sounds fine." Natsuki said a bit embarrassed of her own thoughts.
"I have very good sake or maybe a cup of coffee if one beer was just too much for you, Kuga"
"Sake will be great, Yuuki." Natsuki said with a playful serious face while mounting.
Once they were at Nao's building, Natsuki was surprised to find that Nao´s apartment was the penthouse.
Nao's home was very spacious, with big windows from floor to ceiling; which surely was very well illuminated during the day. The big apartment loft style had a terrace and a wonderful view of the sea. Unlike Natsuki's house which was very eastern and Japanese despite being a modern construction, Nao's was modern and fully western. Nothing there could make her think about Japan.
In some way, Natsuki liked it, it was refreshing. She spent some time walking in silence on the big living room admiring some photos Nao had framed in the walls. All of them were black and white photos of diverse themes, people captured in different moments, meaningful moments; a mother feeding her child in some remote place, men and women working in different scenarios, a couple of old men arguing while playing some kind of table game. Frozen time would be the words Natsuki will use to describe then and she liked them; they had a particular style of showing reality without its natural crudeness. She was wondering if it was the angle, the illumination, the very moment the photographer chose for the shot or everything together but they had the quality of a dream, like an old Japanese painting.
"Did you like them?" Nao asked getting closer to Natsuki.
"A lot, they are beautiful, Nao. Who is the artist?"
"My mother took some of them and I did the others." Nao said shyly but proud hearing genuineness in Natsuki´s voice. "Thank you Natsuki."
Natsuki turned with admiration and surprise at her eyes. It was the first time Nao called her by her first name. She always called her, Kuga. They looked intensely at each other; Natsuki's gaze ran across Nao's body, she was aching to touch the redhead, to touch her in the most intimate way possible. Nao was also feeling overwhelmed with the closeness and asked Natsuki to leave out to the terrace while thinking, almost praying, "God, we have just arrived; I can't push her to my bed."
"What a beautiful view of the sunset you should have here, Nao."
"I guess you also have a pretty nice one of sunrise and sunset at yours." They were leaning, elbow to elbow over the terrace balustrade when Natsuki felt more than saw, Nao trembling.
Natsuki moved closer taking Nao's arm making the redhead face her, asking, "Are you cold?"
Nao's eyes were brilliant with the indirect light coming from the living room; they were at the terrace darkness, their bodies so close that they could feel the other warmness emanating, "Not exactly, Kuga."
Natsuki was fascinated looking at Nao's face; raising her right hand she cherished Nao's cheek very slowly and gently, letting her fingers interlace with Nao's silky short hair while her left arm moved to the young woman's waist pulling her gently and slowly; Nao held her breath anticipating what was coming without opposing. Natsuki, a couple of inches taller than her, inclined her head and opened her lips slightly to cover Nao's lips with hers for an intimate and soft first kiss with their bodies sending electricity and warmness in every point of contact.
Nao responded slowly at the beginning, enjoying the feeling of Natsuki's lips on hers; they went into a close, deep embrace in no time; their hands running slowly on their bodies as if they couldn't get closer enough. Natsuki was exploring Nao's curves, her hips, waist, butt and back causing soft moans on the redhead, keeping the slender body smashed to her body.
"Let's go inside." Natsuki said breaking the kiss but seeing a disconcerted face in Nao, she wondered if she was going to fast.
"It's getting cold here…" She said as explanation and wanting to make the point even clearer, she added with deep voice, "We won't do anything you don't want to do." The need showing in her green eyes was telling otherwise but Nao knew Natsuki meant it.
"That's what worries me, Kuga. I want you… so bad." Nao was trying to restrain the emotion in her voice but her eyes were showing it all to Natsuki.
As an answer, Natsuki took her by the hand walking Nao inside the apartment, and once inside, pulled the redhead in a close embrace and a deep kiss. All the barriers that she put around her over the past years were falling apart, breaking in pieces at the sensation of that woman in her arms, at the taste of those lips on her mouth and the scent of Nao´s arousal in her nose. Natsuki needed to own that woman, the primal side of her mind craving to take control. Their kiss was no longer soft, gentle or exploring, it was deep, wet, intimate, possessive.
Nao didn't know how they end at the big couch but her next conscious thought was that she was lying down at the couch arching her back with her legs around Natsuki's waist and Natsuki's mouth slipping at her neck while exposing the skin of her shoulders. "Oh my God, she is undressing me and I can't even protest… I don´t want to protest."
Natsuki was unbuttoning the rest of Nao's blouse without rush but without hesitation, her lips and tongue moving from Nao's neck to the skin at her chest she was slowly exposing, planting wet kisses at the sensitive skin of her breast and in between them. Nao's bra was still on but when Natsuki captured her nipples through the fabric with her teeth, Nao's couldn't help a moan, a cascade of black and brilliant hair falling cherishing her skin and sending thousands a little shivers at her torso. Her bra was all wet from Natsuki's caresses, her nipples erected and aching to feel Natsuki's lips with no barriers. Breathing heavily she took Natsuki's head to make the woman lift her gaze.
"Natsuki…I…"
Wordlessly, Natsuki unclasped Nao's bra gently and captured her breast with her mouth and hands making the young woman moan with pleasure tightening Natsuki's body with her firm legs.
Natsuki removed all the clothes from Nao except the panties and admired the redhead woman arousal, the insinuated wetness in her panties and her dilated pupils.
Keeping her position between Nao's legs, Natsuki raised her torso and guided Nao's hands to unclothe her, the first contact of their almost naked bodies, overwhelming them with passion. Natsuki´s mouth made the trail from Nao´s neck to the sensitive skin of her inner legs, her fingers flying over as feathers; delighted to hear Nao´s moans, reading through the sounds and carrying on Nao carefully to the edge.
Nao gasped feeling Natsuki roving over her bare skin, thoroughly focusing in the fabric of her panties and what was behind them.
"What…What a hell are you doing, Kuga?" She managed to ask in between panting.
"Smelling you," was the husky but direct answer while she kept doing it but now with her nose cherishing Nao's sex.
Between moans, Nao begged her to stop feeling embarrassed and exposed but her body was arching and Nao knew that she wanted a lot more than just a touch.
"I could do this all night." Natsuki said before her mouth caressed and bit Nao's sex very gently and slowly through the fabric. Nao's underwear was undoubtedly wet in less than a minute; Natsuki knew by Nao´s groans that she was beyond control, she was was squirming, crying Natsuki´s name and trying to remove her panties by herself.
"It's not dessert time…yet." Natsuki said smiling, feeling her own wetness while moving against the other woman body.
Catching her breath, Nao pleaded, "Please….I…" Natsuki raised her head; she wanted to see Nao's face saying the next.
"You, what Yuuki-san? …Tell me," she demanded her green eyes darker with desire.
"I…want you." Nao didn't care for her ego right now; she had a more immediate urgency between her legs. The craving in her eyes unleashed Natsuki's hunger; changing her mind about tease Nao a bit more. She wanted her now. Removing Nao´s panties, Natsuki covered her sex gently with her open mouth, causing a scream at Nao when her tongue started to stimulate her now very noticeable clit.
Nao was moaning and panting wildly with her hips trying to follow Natsuki's mouth rhythm. Natsuki was driving her to the edge steadily and when her orgasm came, her fingers were interlaced with Natsuki's hair painfully, her body arched and trembling.
Nao was still breathing heavily with her eyes closed, feeling Natsuki´s body moving away from her, she opened her eyes to see her now lover remove her own wet underwear; with her gazes locked Natsuki lay over her to held her closely, no space between their bodies while kissing her deeply and passionately. Natsuki was moving slowly, firmly against her, so intimately that Nao could not handle the deep kiss too much after that. Moaning and nailing Natsuki's back, their breasts rubbing against each other and the overwhelming sensation of something breaking inside her, Nao had her second orgasm crying Natsuki's name.
It wasn't the last time she said Natsuki's name like that during the night.
They finally fell asleep close to the sunrise after having the good sense of switching from the couch to Nao's bed sometime during the night. Without planning it, they basically spent the whole Sunday in bed. Sleeping, making love or eating. It was the first time Natsuki did something like this in her life and was literally, starving.
By the early evening Natsuki started to worry about Duran. It was the first time she left him alone for so long since they arrived to Canada and was feeling a bit guilty.
They were naked on the bed and Nao was cuddled against her, resting her head on Natsuki's shoulder, their legs tangled intimately.
"I have to go, Nao. I have…left Duran alone too much time, you know."
Nao felt a surprising jab of deception after Natsuki's words but auto kicked her ass after some seconds, both of them enjoyed the date, it was FAR beyond her expectations and she didn't want to ruin everything behaving like a possessive teenager with her first girlfriend.
So, she moved to see Natsuki's eyes. "I know, Kuga. You are right." And then, straddling Natsuki's torso she added sensually, "But you have to pay a fee for leaving, you know."
Natsuki grinned at the gleam of lust in Nao's eyes, paying her fee with pleasure.
She finally left Nao's apartment almost by 9 pm. She felt lighter, like walking in clouds. Maybe that's why she didn't notice the black car parked outside Nao's building that followed her all the way down to her home.
Thanks for reading.