Hi there. It has been a while since the last update to this story. I started 2011 re-reading it and reconciling the ideas I had.
After so, I have edited and corrected the previous chapters; the third and fourth chapter suffered more corrections and adjustments than the first and the second ones; I had to re-write some of the paragraphs because they had just TOO MANY errors! I re-published all the previous chapters in case you guys want to "refresh" on the story before reading this new one.
I am taking the story again after this long break. I really needed it and after reading, well, the story needed it too. But I have to say that I like really this idea a lot and even if it is not as canon as other Mai Hime fics, I will finish it as planned.
Thanks to those following the story. Hopefully now it will be better written and developed from now on.
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.
Invited ANIME Characters: Mireille Bouquet and Kirika Yuumura; from the great, great anime, NOIR.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime or Noir characters. All trademarks belong to its rightful owners.
Majutso No Hime by Galadan
Chapter 05.
"V. I have no life nor death; I make the eternity my life and my death."
Tokyo, Yokohama Area.
Natsuki had to make an extreme effort to gather her conflicted emotions and keep still and proper at Masamune´s house, and facing his fiance.
That was the hardest to do, to see and to speak that woman that even had the same name the one she loved once. For her, Shizuru Fujiwara was dead. But somehow, a woman that was and at the same time, wasn't her, was sitting in front of her. Natsuki was deeply conflicted by the similarity between this woman and that one from her past. It was like meeting a living ghost that some cruel god would had sent to torture her with lost times and memories.
This Shizuru Fujiwara was perfect. Just after their arrival and introductions, she conducted them to a spacious tea room where she prepared the most exquisite tea ceremony Natsuki ever saw. Every movement was timely and in perfect synchronization.
After that and during their frugal but luscious diner, she talked only the necessary but always but smart, ingeniously gently comments. Shizuru lionize both of them, her betrothed and Natsuki the same and it was like a soft breeze cherishing her. She smiled to Natsuki in ways that send shivers all over her well trained body, warmly, silky, captivating.
It wasn't late for the time they finished their diner but Masamune decided to wait until the morning to have a fresh start with their business. Shizuru wasn´t aware of the real reason Natsuki was there, she could deduce. The stark information Masamune gave to his fiance was that Natsuki will be helping him with some negotiations but nothing more. According to Masamune, she didn't need to know more. Natsuki wasn't agreed with that but there was not the place or the moment to discuss about that with her new boss.
The only think that Natsuki wanted at that time was to leave and be alone with her ghosts and her lost memories. Something in the way Masamune treated his fiance bothered Natsuki but she was too tired and overwhelmed by the recent happenings, to fully realize why. So, as soon as Masamune offer to meet next morning, she accepted and excused to her hotel.
She was tired after the long trip but couldn't get her dream after a couple of hours, and even then, when she finally went asleep, her dreams were not restful. She felt haunted by demons that has no way to exorcise.
Tokyo, Japan. Twenty years before.
Natsuki was still a very young girl, close to six years old the first time she saw a real katana.
That day they were having an important family meeting; her mother family was coming from Kyoto for a visit, Akiko Kuga, her husband and son. They had a prosperous manor in Kyoto and a small property in Tokyo where they have been spending more time lately since their son started the school there but were not really close with Natsuki´s family. It would be the first time she would meet her aunt and was very excited. It was summer and the weather in Tokyo was warm and humid. Her family house had a big garden that her father loved to take care together with their old gardener. For Natsuki, her house was a piece of heaven and her father, her most precious hero.
It was late morning and Natsuki and her mother were wearing traditional kimonos, standing up in their house portal waiting for their guests. Natsuki´s father was accompanying Akiko and her family, Daisuke and Masashi Takeda, her husband and son, to the house.
On the first sight at her aunt, Natsuki knew the woman was not what she was expecting. Her mother was a warm and loving woman, reserved but gently and kind. Natsuki loved to see her parents together, holding each other with absolute love. Her aunt Akiko was cold and distant, and what Natsuki felt in her aunt and her husband gazes was rejection, a deep repulse towards her and towards her father since that first meeting.
The only one that seemed to be friendly towards Natsuki was her cousin, Masashi. The boy, one year older than her, was a slim kid with rebellious black hair. He quickly tried to befriend Natsuki after the first introductions but her mother quickly called him by her side, demanding him to stay still and show manners. According to Akiko, he should behave according his prestigious family name and not as a barbarian.
That was a clear insult to Natsuki´s father foreignness since for traditional Japanese people then, foreigners were uncivilized and barbarians. Saeko´s husband, John Searrs was Canadian born and working with the American invaders; that was too much barbarian for Saeko´s family, but they didn´t take the insult. John knew that this meeting was important for his wife and was decided to make it successful.
Despite their efforts, the meal with the family was full of tension but anyhow Natsuki´s father managed to make it bearable, something like was truly an achievement. Having the simplest conversation with his brother in law was like walking over a mine field, Daisuke Takeda was everything John Searrs kept away of his life, he was a misogynist macho disguised behind the facade of respect to values and traditionalism, a haughty racist and a recalcitrant patriot with an insufferable idea of superiority (his own superiority) that was truly offended by the American intervention in Japan.
By the end of their meal when they were just chatting or trying to have a trivial civilized conversation at their living room, a good friend and coworker of John in the army stopped by their home.
-Yamada!- Natsuki´s father said after the new guest was announced and invited to join the "party". John stood up to greet his friend animatedly and introduce him to his family in law.
Hisanori Yamada was still a very young Captain when Natsuki´s father was already a Major in the army but they worked well together, mostly because Yamada didn't have the prejudices that other Japanese had towards foreigners and mainly, towards Americans. John Searrs was not American born but for the Japanese people during the Cold War, everybody speaking English was the same. That was one of the multiples reasons Saeko´s family was so against her marriage with him. Natsuki as her father liked the austere and efficient man; he was respectful with her mother and almost kind with her.
-Major, - Yamada stated formally at his superior, but Natsuki´s father cut him promptly.
-Yamada, please, we are not in service now and this is my home and my family, and you are my friend and always welcomed, - he said smiling.
The Takeda spouses hid their disapproval well but Natsuki noticed the gazes they interchanged.
-John,- Yamada corrected smiling and bowing in show of respect to his friend, - I am very sorry to interrupt your family afternoon, but I will be leaving to a new assignment tomorrow and didn't want to wait to give you this. I took advantage of my previous assignment in Yamato to get something you wanted.-
That said Yamada got a long black case he left by the entrance and offered it very formally to Natsuki´s father.
John smiled as if he knew what the content was and took the case with matching respect and carefully, opened the case to reveal a stunning katana.
-Wow, Yamada-san…this is magnificent! - John said turning with the case for everybody to see the sword.
Natsuki jumped from her mother side to see the wonderful weapon, her green eyes brilliant with wonder; his father kneeling for Natsuki to have a better view of it. The young girl extended a hand to touch the shiny surface of the sheath.
-Watch out sweet heart, the edge is very sharp, don´t touch it.-
-It is beautiful daddy! Will you let me use it? - Natsuki asked innocently, with expectant eyes.
-After the proper the training my dear, if that is what you really want, - her father answered with an amorous glance to her daughter.
-What? - Her uncle said standing up scandalized with something close to anger, - You are saying something very improper Searrs-san; a woman should not ever touch a sword and not even think about learning the art of sword.-
-Takeda-san,- Natsuki´s father said standing up, closing the case and putting a protective hand over his daughter's shoulder,- I don´t think Natsuki´s opportunities should be that different than those that young Masashi-kun could have.-
Akiko put a conciliatory hand over her husband arm. They had a very poor opinion about the foreigner man and Akiko felt a shameful pity towards her niece, but they could not state it that freely. Major Searrs had a powerful position with the Americans and they were looking in a way to took advantage of that. At the end, that was the real reason they were there after many years keeping their distance from Saeko.
Daisuke Takeda clenched his jaw with fury by the mere expression of that man daring to compare his son with a girl but controlled himself after this wife gesture.
-There are some limits that are very dangerous to transgress, Searrs-san, overstep one and you may be calling overstep many, - he said with dim tone as a bad omen.
Natsuki´s father did his best to behave with his brother-in-law and silently asked for Yamada´s help to elude the subject. Yamada took that opportunity to ask their host for those wonderful cigars he always have before he had to leave and as the last sign of good will and maybe, as a symbolic gesture, John offered cigars to both, Yamada and Takeda.
Leaving the men alone for smoking, Akiko took her sister arm, walking to the kitchen. Saeko was familiar with the gaze on her sister´s eyes and knowing that the older woman wanted to tell her something unpleasant, she asked Natsuki to show their beautiful garden to Masashi. Both kids left towards the open, finally relieved of the dense atmosphere.
Once in the garden, Natsuki showed Masashi their trout pond and her father favorite plants. Natsuki was not over talkative or noisy as other girls Masashi knew from school, she was serious and watchful despite her young age. He heard his parents talking in really bad terms about her and her father but after meeting her, he was not so sure she was that bad.
They were both sitting at the verge of the pond, when Masashi suddenly asked her, - Do you really want to use a katana?-
-Yes, - she answered with no hesitation.
-Why? - His surprised tone couldn't be more explicit of his disbelief. He thought that girls only desire was to play with dolls, not with swords.
-Because one day I will be like one of those warriors that my father tell me before going to sleep. I will have adventures like them and I will rescue a beautiful princess. I will need a sword then.-
-All of them are men! - Masashi said a bit upset by the girl self-assurance.
His comment didn't even bother Natsuki, who didn't lose an inch of confidence; she remained calm and added stubbornly. –I will be a warrior.-
They both remained in silence after that. After a while Natsuki turned to see the boy and her eyes were so limpid and fearless that Masashi thought that maybe, she could truly become a warrior one day.
-I am already going to the bujutsu training, - he said proudly instead.
That did trigger Natsuki´s interest and the girl overwhelmed her cousin with several questions one after another about his school, about the lessons he was learning, and many other related topics of interest for a six year old girl yearning to become a ninja . Masashi, older than Natsuki, was already on the age for it and had recently started his training. His school hadn´t girls and he really doubted any school will accept Natsuki so he felt superior and experimented by telling Natsuki about his experience. Having the girl big green eyes completely focus on him with something he was sure to qualify as admiration was the best feeling he had ever experienced before.
While the children were talking and the men smoking, Saeko had to face her sister´s recriminations.
-It is already such loss of prestige that you decided to marry a foreigner Saeko, but after having your first kid he is not even giving Natsuki his name? That is just too much, it´s a shame.-
Akiko was referring at the fact the Natsuki was not using the surname Searrs and was keeping her mother´s surname. Natsuki was enrolled to attend the same elementary school than Masashi in a few months and one of the women there, a good friend with Akiko Kuga, told her about her niece condition.
-She has it, Akiko-chan. She had both surnames, just not in the traditional order, in John´s country that it can be done. Natsuki will have both citizenships in either case, John thought and I am agree with him, that it will be better for Natsuki to have a Japanese surname for her life in Japan.-
-This is not John´s country, you should know better Saeko. It is already bad for our family and for Natsuki that she is half breed…-
-Akiko! - Saeko said hissing. – You don´t even say that. Natsuki will have full rights as John´s heiress. We decided it will be that way since I was pregnant and it will remain that way.-
Saeko could be very obstinate when she wanted, as well as her older sister; Akiko knew by meeting her sister´s gaze when a battle was lost but there were also other battles to fight.
-And what is that madness with the sword? - Akiko was not willing to lose everything.
Saeko was not completely disagreeing about that point with her sister but her husband always wanted to grant any of Natsuki´s wishes. They rarely discussed and that was one of their rare points of conflict. John Searrs didn´t see anything wrong in letting her daughter to get trained in martial arts. Saeko herself know a bit but her knowledge wasn´t nothing compared with the formal Bujutsu training John wanted for Natsuki. Saeko was sure that Yamada was helping her husband, because John wanted nothing but the best for his daughter and Saeko was sure he was going to get it.
-It is not as it is forbidden, - was Saeko´s plain and weak answer for her sister. –We can handle a katana.-
- Only for jigai Saeko! I am not planning to kill myself and I don´t think you are (even when sometimes you should) …So, you will just let it happen? - Akiko saw a small crack in Saeko regularly hard exterior and charged against it. –What good that kind of training can bring for your daughter? She should prepare for become a refined woman, a good wife that could overcome the disadvantage of her birth, not follow fantasies. -
-There are some things that cannot be avoided Akiko, - Saeko said with a tinge of sadness in her voice, as if internally foreboding her daughter's future, - if Natsuki´s fate is to follow that path, she will end in that path one way or another.-
Vancouver, Metro Area. Present day.
It was barely more than a day since Natsuki left Vancouver but Nao felt it was ages since the last time she felt the warmth of her body or the passion of their encounters. She hadn't had any news from Natsuki since her departure and was starting to get so anxious that everybody was starting to notice. Or at least Mai noticed it very clearly.
"Take it easy, would you Nao-chan? You will have news from Natsuki very soon, you´ll see."
Nao didn't say anything to that. The truth was she was anxious and worried; Natsuki was with her father due an unknown reason for her. The man she hated with the woman she…she was not quite sure what her feelings towards Natsuki were, but she had clear that she cared for her. She cared a lot.
That was the reason she and Mai were currently at Natsuki´s house.
Before her trip Natsuki made some arrangements to left Duran on Chie´s place for care. It wouldn't be good for the dog to be alone in the house so her friend offer herself to take care of Natsuki´s beloved friend, take a look on her house, handling their business and so on. Even when Natsuki didn't tell Chie the real reason why she was going to Japan with Nao´s father, her friend understood it was an important and serious reason just by looking at Natsuki´s face. They have got to know each other that way. Chie could be playful and irresponsible in some areas of her life but she really appreciated Natsuki and promised to do everything to support her friend.
At that time, Natsuki and Nao were distant because their fight but after their short and intense reconciliation at the airport before Natsuki departure, Nao decided at least help her girlfriend´s friend with the task. During the previous weeks Duran got used to have Nao around during her interaction with Natsuki and it was a good way for Nao to feel she was helping Natsuki after her nasty previous behavior.
Noticing her friend anxiety and in some way, sadness; Mai joined Nao for her visit to Duran and during it, they noticed Chie was going to need more supplies for her visitor. Nao offered then stop by Natsuki´s house and get them.
Secretly, Nao´s real motive to have a valid excuse to visit Natsuki´s house was to be close to her even if she was so distant, thousands of miles away and an ocean in between them. Nao will never avow aloud in front of Mai that she was already homesick for any reason in the world.
But it was not necessary her knew it very well, so while Mai rummaged at Natsuki´s neat kitchen, let Nao some private time to just walk around the house lost in her thoughts; starting at Natsuki´s bedroom, sitting at the bed where they shared intense nights and where she still could smell Natsuki´s scent.
By touching Natsuki´s things she could at least feel she was touching her someway. Now, missing her that much, she was regretting not talking with Natsuki before, not fixing the things before. Mai was right, she was an idiot.
A sudden realization woke Nao up from her rambling, her heart skipping a beat. During her wandering around she ended in the living room, that space she liked that much since her very first visit, noticing a vacant space in a very special spot. The absence of that particular object tightened her chest with an iron claw and made her heart sank with concern.
The daishō´s black wood stand was empty. "Ginsei no Ookami", Natsuki´s katana was not on its place.
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The beautiful blond standing up aside of the Ibirapuera shopping mall was regretting going out of the place so soon. At the end of March, Sao Paulo city was still sticky even when the summer was officially ended. For her coming from an usual cold winter, the season change was even more abrupt.
"I should have charged more for this job. I am ruining my clothes with the weather."
She had got some delicious fruits in the mall, a very precise order from her regularly stoic partner. Kirika found herself loving Brazilian fruits more than any other thing. Mireille certainly loved their coffee.
Meeting her partner at their hotel, they were finalizing the arrangements to take care of their last target as efficiently and silently as possible. Something that was really not that hard in a mega-metropolis as Sao Paulo. They will do it, stealthily as usual and will walk away letting the confusion around to hide their trail.
In order to do that, they had to rely on a very careful planning nonetheless. They were the best for a reason.
They were completely focused on that final planning task when a new message came into Mireille sophisticated internet communication application. She had regular email accounts, several on them in fact; but when they got a valid lead from a reliable source and the request scaled to a valid "purchase order", she used a secure encrypted way of communication to avoid any filtration and any way to be traced. Mireille used to think sometimes that she could be a good hacker if she decided to retire from hit-woman any day.
"Hmmm, this is really interesting, Kirika."
"Hmmm? " was the answer on the other side of the desk they were using as working table. Kirika rose dreamy eyes from the sketches she was doing to look at the blonde. Mireille always find amazing how the slender girl could look so inoffensive, so undeniable innocent and then switch to a mortal killing machine the next second.
"I was saying our new job is really interesting." Mireille said looking back at her screen.
"Shouldn't we finish this one before start thinking on a new one?" Kirika said always focusing in give one step at time.
"I am not thinking in the new one yet, just got a message confirming the termination order. They accept our conditions and surprisingly, our ´employer´ is revealing our… ´task´ name." The blond made a pause reviewing the information she was getting at her laptop. "We will need of course, more details; but our employer wants to be one hundred percent sure we will be able to fulfill this task, that´s why he or she, is revealing us the name."
"Very dangerous for them," Kirika said coldly.
"It will be very dangerous for us if we decide to do it, Kirika." Mireille was not woman who got dissuaded that easy, seeing that cautioning look her eyes made Kirika curious about whom this target was. She just waited looking at Mireille straight in the eyes.
"Masamune Yuuki. He is one of the most powerful business men in Japan …if not the most one."
"No wonder that many other want him dead then," Kirika said coming back to her sketches.
"So?" Mireille asked a bit annoyed by Kirika´s indifference. "Will we do it or not?"
"Your call Mireille, if you want to do it, we will do it. As always."
Kirika didn't even raised her eyes from the paper this time, the scratching noise of her pencil the only sound in the room. Mireille looked at her partner again, young, fragile…lethal; she was probably the only person in the world that could witness the dichotomy in her partner and live beyond. The others who see Kirika´s lethal side didn't have that luck.
After some pondering time, Mireille quickly typed two words and sent them through the encryption system.
"Target accepted."
Thanks and see you soon.