WOLF DEVIL WOMAN
Chapter 15
The five non HiMEs were gathered in a plain area that is use by the HiMEs as training ground for the newest members of their warrior clan. Chie and Nao were slumped on the very ground not worrying of the dirt under their pants, Mai found a short bamboo stool to sit on along with Aoi who was funning herself with a fan made of Anahaw (1) while Natsuki was trying her very best to unearth the ground by pacing to and fro in front of her friends.
The four women who were following Natsuki's every move were now frowning because it feels like Natsuki had been doing the same thing for more than an hour now and she has no intention of stopping any time soon.
"What the heck Natsuki-hime? Have ants crawled up your pants or something?" Nao asked the still pacing cobalt-haired woman that caused Natsuki to stop and dropped her shoulders.
"Why is marrying Shizuru so hard?" Natsuki whined and slumped hard on the ground beside Nao, "I thought my only problem was beating that Tomoe woman…"
"As if you got a chance to beat her," Nao mumbles without looking at the whining woman.
Natsuki glared at the red head, "You're not helping at all Nao,"
"Well she has a point," Mai seconded Nao's observation, "From how I see Tomoe; she is a very formidable enemy that can't be beaten unless Mikoto fights her." Every eyes on that place rolls except Mai's purples, "What? I'm sure even Kruger-san knows that."
"Mikoto here, Mikoto there…" Chie shook her head, "You are sooo in tooooo deep," Chie finished and laughed when Mai puffed her cheek at her. "That sexy woman's declaration was a shock. I don't even see any indication of her wanting to have Shizuru's hand in marriage!"
"She probably lost it when Nao clearly declined her advances for Miyu," Aoi said smiling and looked at Nao who was glaring at her.
"Baka," Nao said and then sigh, "And from the looks of her, she too is a formidable opponent. She was with that green haired bitch looking for Shizuru and she seemed to listen to her…aside from that tall blonde warrior."
Chie, Mai, Nao and Aoi looked at Natsuki, "I think you need a lot of tough luck and courage to get your Shizuru Natsuki," Chie said grinning, "If only we could use gun in this competition, we'd have no problem at all."
"You and your guns Chie," Mai shook her head, "So what's your plan? You know if you've just admitted that you are in love with Shizuru, this wouldn't even have to happen," The rest agreed with Mai's words by nodding their heads.
Natsuki was silent for a moment, "Well can I tell Shizuru that I love her now?" she asked sarcastically,
Aoi snickered, "And you expect her parents to believe you?"
The cobalt-haired frowned and huffed, "No,"
"So why the heck were you suggesting that for?" Nao said irritated,
"I wasn't suggesting it baka! I know I already made the decision I was merely being ironic with Mai!" Natsuki said in a high, agitated voice.
"So now you are trying to lay the blame on me!" Mai reply in the same manner,
"I'm not blaming anybody!"
"You so are!"
"STOP!" Nao said standing up, "Will you two shut it? Look around, they are all watching us now as if we are monsters that came back from hell," Natsuki and Mai looked around and indeed a lot of HiMEs had stopped whatever it was they were doing and were now watching them with different expressions on their faces.
And then there was silence
"It would be hard for Natsuki to beat that green haired bitch, and add that sexy woman to the fray? What's Natsuki's chance of winning this game?" Aoi said breaking the silence.
"Is the game starting already?" Natsuki asked biting her lower lip, "Because really, all I can do right now is to run away from those two to be able to advance." Natsuki dropped her shoulders, "That is if they won't be able to out run me which I think is…impossible."
"I should probably ask Mikoto about this game, the what, where, when and how of it." Mai said standing up from the bamboo stool, "I got a feeling Natsuki will need her a lot,"
"I got that same feeling too…" Natsuki said looking at the retreating fiery-haired woman.
maiuniverse
Shizuru was adamant in following Ain. The older woman was trying hard to get out of Shizuru's sight but wasn't able to shake the chestnut haired woman off. Damn…she's getting good, Mikoto's rubbing off on her a lot Ain thought and grinned as she ducked into a large tree just for her grin to widen when the younger woman followed suit. Ain started running in a slow pace to which again Shizuru followed Ohhh, Shiz is really on to this… she sighed as she gain momentum, was I doing the right thing? She keeps on thinking to herself that she'd forgotten about Shizuru and she "oofed" when a body got her from the back,
"What the hell are you doing Ain!" Shizuru said a little bit loud as she was still panting. She had the older woman pinned on the ground with Ain in a prone position and her face raised up to not hit the dirt more, "What are you doing?"
The older woman felt the sudden release of pressure on her back and took that opportunity to turn the tide on the younger woman. She used her stronger legs to push on the ground and arching her back out so that Shizuru gets unbalanced and fell off her, then her greater speed put her on top of the younger woman, her hands pinning Shizuru's above the younger woman's head, "Ain!"
"You do know you got some nerve coming after me don't you?" Ain said with a winning grin on her face.
"I wanted to know why did you do it!"
"Why did I do what?"
"You know what I'm talking about Ain, so tell me why,"
Ain sighed and released the younger woman and stood up, "I got my reason,"
"Then tell me what it is!" Shizuru was angry already, "I have no idea what kind of reason you have for you to declare your intention to marry me! After all these years…you do that now?"
"It's free for all Shizuru…anyone can declare their intentions towards you."
"But to marry me?" Shizuru stood up and pace back and forth, "My Natsuki will have a hard time going head to head with Tomoe and now here you are!"
Ain grinned, "Aren't you happy your Natsuki won't have to battle Tomoe head to head now?" she sighed and faced the younger woman, "Believe it or not Shiz, I am at your side. I'm not doing this to make it more difficult for you, you are like a little sister to me and I know what's inside that heart of yours."
Shizuru looked at the older woman in doubt, "Why would you want to help me?"
Ain shrugged her shoulders, "I talked with Tomoe, I tried to pound some sense in her head, I told her your Natsuki will find a way to beat her, maybe not as a warrior but the game is not just about being a warrior."
"Then how will this help?"
Ain patted Shizuru's shoulder, "Well I am just your fallback, just in case your Natsuki can't find a way to beat Tomoe then it'll be Tomoe and me…and guess what? It's not as if I'll let her have you."
"So you'd rather have me?"
"Well in a way yeah…"
Shizuru shook her head, "You're being cryptic…and I got no idea how this will help."
Well I got no idea too…
maiuniverse
Kruger and Viola were both in front of their house, sitting on a swing made from strong abaca(2) ropes tied to a sturdy yantok(3) bench, Viola was fanning herself and Kruger while the cobalt haired leader was quietly thinking.
Viola had a smile on her face when she broke the silence, "Puzzled?"
Kruger sighed and looked at her wife before shaking her head, "I didn't know that Ain is interested in Shizuru that way," the smaller woman sighed once again, "This is getting way out of hand,"
"Way out of hand? I'm actually a little disappointed at the turn of event!"
Kruger looked at Viola funny, "Disappointed?"
The older chestnut haired woman nodded her head, "Yes, don't you think our Shizuru deserves to have more than three warriors to fight over her?"
If she could, Kruger would have face-faulted, "What are you thinking honey? Shizuru isn't just some prize for the warriors out there!"
Viola grinned, "Well honey, whether there are 2 or three or dozens or hundreds of warriors to compete in this game, it all sums up to our Shizuru still being the prize. Whoever won this competition will marry her so, I'm disappointed that there will just be three of them fighting it out in this game."
Silence before Kruger looked at her wife frowning, "You're trying to guilt-trip me for still continuing with this aren't you?"
"Me?" Viola tried to look innocent, "Would I ever do that to you?"
"You?" Kruger raised one eye brow, "Yeah you would,"
"Ohhh that hurts Kruger honey," Viola said it a bit more dramatic by putting a fisted hand on her left chest, then she grinned and kissed Kruger's cheek, "I'm saying the truth though, Shizuru is the prize no matter what."
"I know what you mean but we had an agreement and that little me had not shown any indication that she indeed love Shizuru."
"She's just not saying it, but in action you can see it. Besides hon, how many non-HiME and non-combatant people would dare enter this game? If Natsuki doesn't have the same feelings, why bother?"
Kruger sighed for the third time, "Well because Shizuru is just a convenience for her?"
Viola shrugged her shoulders, "We can't speak for Natsuki that's for sure and we both read her differently." Viola held Kruger's hand in hers, "Just promise me this, make sure that Natsuki stays alive in this game because God knows what Shizuru would become if something drastic happens to her."
Kruger looked at Viola, "Then let's be thankful that Ain actually entered this contest."
Here Viola nodded her head in agreement.
maiuniverse
"That was a surprise," Ms. Maria said as soon as she rested her back on the chair. Midori, Youko, and Irina were sitting on the chairs on the other side of the table while Miss Maria was sitting beside Yukariko on the other side along with Haruka who was sitting with her wife Yukino who have their 1 year old daughter Hayumi settled on her side.
"True, just three warriors competing for Shizuru, I won't be able to exercise my power as high priestess well, imagine just three?" Midori said shaking her head
"Well I'm more surprised our guest had the nerve to ask her hand in marriage despite knowing Tomoe was in for it." Yukariko said sighing
"And Ain? What the hell was she thinking?" Haruka said frowning, "Why the hell would she want to be with Shizuru, you know? She got the hots for that guest with red head! So what was she thinking?"
"HiMEs now are so different! During my time, we do things here simple; you get on the right age, find your match and mate! There's not much problems like right now…competitions? BAH!" The red head Irina, lower priestess said with her shoulders dropped dramatically.
"You're one to talk, first, you're not that far from their ages and second, what the hell do you know about mating? You haven't even tried finding your match!" Youko said elbowing the youngest member of the group then she looked at the rest, "I have no plan on knowing what's inside Ain's head, all I know is that this is crazy. Even Kruger had it smooth when she chose Viola who was not a HiME."
"Well for one, it was Kruger who made the choice and there was no doubt about her feelings for Viola, if it were reversed, I think we might have the same problem." Miss Maria said grinning, "If Kruger is really the same as that younger version of her, then I believe it would have been the same."
"I find it really surprising that those two looked alike. Nina is Kruger's own flesh and blood and they don't look that much the same, but her?" Youko said.
"I thought Haruka here told me that Natsuki actually looked like the other one in that big cave,"
Everyone except Haruka and Yukino and their baby looked at the blonde warrior, "What?"
"There's another look alike?" Miss Maria asked with wide eyes before she looked at Midori and Youko
"I think we need that book be translated at once." Youko said seriously
"Wait a minute, what the hell are you all talking about?" Haruka asked irate
"I don't think we have the right to talk of it right now, but let me tell you Haruka, I think there might be something we'd unravel with this discovery of yours." Miss Maria said grinning once again.
Yukino who was listening had a frown on her face at first but it transformed into an expression of realization, "Wait…are you saying that The Great White Wolf might be related to Natsuki and that other look alike?"
Haruka looked at her wife, "What are you talking Yukino? They can't be related, they are worlds apart!"
"We can't know that, this maybe just a coincidence…" Yukariko said smiling sweetly
"That's too much of a coincident," Midori said before sipping her glass of one of the finest HiME wine.
"I think it is just right we go through translating that little book for us," Youko said sipping her wine as well
"Wait a minute! You all are talking non-sense to me!" Haruka growled
"Well at least you all have idea of what one looks like…I only have The great white wolf's picture in my head to derive a conclusion," Irina whined and looked at the two priestess she was with then looked at her still untouched glass of wine.
"Irina, you should drink that wine…you can't be a full pledge priestess if you don't drink wine." Midori said grinning like a Cheshire cat
Irina's eyes widened, "You can't be serious?"
"I'll be the one to ordain you so…yes I am,"
No response to the other women and they decided to finish their lunch in silence…
maiuniverse
Saeko have to hurriedly cover her face when she got a great urge to sneeze in front of Himeko and that made her face as red as a tomato.
Himeko on the other hand looked amazed at her lover's expression of embarrassment, "Are you okay?"
"I am, it's just that I have this great urge to….HACHOOOOO!" well that teaches Saeko to speak up when the sneezing urge is on the high, "See…its so embbbaaarrraaa…CHOOO!"
"Oh jeez…are you getting a cold?" Himeko asked worriedly,
"I think Saeko-sama is being at the center of conversation or she's probably missed much." Fumi said once she stepped closer to Saeko and hands her a soft 2 fly paper napkins, "Natsuki ojou-sama probably misses you a lot,"
"Well I hope it doesn't have to be because she gets herself into too much trouble," Saeko said before another sneeze attacked.
"I think Miyu is the one in trouble Saeko-sama, if Nao ojou-sama don't come home soon, she'll probably go crazy," Fumi said looking at the absent minded Miyu who was about to serve Saeko and Himeko ice-cold coffee in a very large mug.
"Or she'll get us killed with arrhythmia from that large coffee serving…"
"We better get them to come back or we should go there," Saeko said and another sneeze, "Oh kami, what could they want from me?"
maiuniverse
"Are you sure this will work?" Natsuki asked the smaller warrior who was concentrated in flattening the paper, "Will it really reach my home?"
Mikoto frowned and looked at Natsuki, "My dove good, she knows!"
Natsuki sighed, "I really have no idea why I need to do this!"
"Baka! At least you could have said your last goodbye to your mother!" Nao said seriously
"Damn! And you're really sure I'm gonna die trying to win Shizuru over?"
"No," Mai said, "But this is just in case…you know, we can't foretell the future."
"None of you are helping me at all,"
"But you do agree this will be tough and you got what?" Chie said looking at Mikoto
"2 full moons, competition start when second full moon shows up," the small HiME said, "There, now you can write."
"How?" Natsuki asked frowning
"Natsuki no know how write?"
The cobalt haired woman rolls her eyes, "I do…what am I going to use my tongue?"
Mikoto frowned, "You like dip your tongue on that ink?" Mikoto grinned, "I love you do that,"
Nao, Chie, Aoi and Mai laughed at Natsuki's embarrassment, "That teaches you to be ironic Natsuki-ojousama," Nao said teasing before receiving a glare from Natsuki.
"Let's just see when it's your time to write Miyu!" Natsuki said before standing up and taking a fallen twig from the ground, "Okay…dear okaasan…"
-End Chapter 15-
Saeko and the gang visits HiME…and all hell broke lose! So yes…Saeko and The Great White Wolf will meet!
1 – National Leaf of the Philippines
2 - Manila hemp
3 – A species of rattan