Title: Ice And Fire

Author’s note: This story is dedicated to Hoppy Chan. Happy birthday, plot bunny hunter.

Based on your theme, I came up with this small vignette. I hope you don't mind that it incorporates several ideas I had for Where The Roses Bloom.

EDIT: Corrected a few continuity mistakes as pointed out by Devil-Urd. Thanks, mate.

Chapter 1 - Lost

In the dark of night, a desperate hunt was on. Otome scattered across the Black Valley forest, lashed by relentless rain, searched for their lost sisters under the wan light of the Blue Star. Shizuru, the Graceful Amethyst, led the rescue operation.

She glided between the trees, skimming over the gnarled ground like a hawk hungry for prey, as her eyes frantically scanned the dark, foreboding forest. The Black Valley was well-named. Corruption had twisted the terrain to a mockery of its former glory. Now, it was a barren land of shadows where no one returned from.

Shizuru hastily put such dolorous thoughts to the back of her mind. She halted her flight and landed. Hampered by the elements, the search had so far been futile. Rain blackened the forest, making it hard to see more than a few metres ahead. Even equipped with a special infra-red visor, she could only see blue blotches. Howling wind and roaring thunder blocked out all sound. There was no sign of life anywhere.

She activated the com integrated into her GEM. Her comlink spat, stuttering to life with the faint hoarse shouts of her rescue party.

“Mai!”

“Natsuki!”

“Shout if you can hear us!”

So, there had been no change. Shizuru closed her eyes as if she could wake up from this nightmare by doing so. Exhaustion whipped her, burned along her back, arms and legs. How long had they been searching? Since sun up and now it was far past moonrise. Despite the insulation provided by their Robes, they could not keep pushing their tired bodies much longer.

She opened her eyes and stared at the forest with all the hate that she possessed. The Black Valley was well-named. It was a land of death, not even hope could live here.

Her hand moved of its own accord and tapped open the com channel to her team. Her voice when she spoke was leaden, robbed of its usual affected gaiety.

“Shizuru to rescue team. Return to Garderobe.”

Her order was well-received by all – it had been madness to continue the search for so long after all. Well, all except one.

“What?” was Haruka's incredulous answer. “But Mai and Natsuki are still out there!”

Shizuru made her voice steel. “I will not jeopardise the safety of the team any longer. I repeat. All Otome return to Garderobe.” She heard her friend draw breath to argue with her. She cut her off quickly. “Please, Haruka.”

Despite the other woman's calm tone, Haruka could hear the pain in her voice. And underneath it, defeat. The oft-pugnacious blonde Meister did not argue and instead departed. She was glad that it was raining; the rain hid her bitter tears.

Shizuru made to take flight then hesitated. Ten more minutes. It would not hurt if she spent ten more minutes searching. She looked around the Black Valley forest and despaired. Would ten more minutes make any difference?

Still, the brunette lurched forward, her legs now dead weights. Her eyes searched, seeing only blue upon blue. It was useless. Fatigue made her stumble, defeat made her fall to the foetid mud. She laid there, drubbed by rain, drowned by memories of Natsuki.

Suddenly, her hands curled into fists. “No... no I will not let you go,” she hissed. Angrily, she forced herself up to her elbows, tore off the visor and flung it into the brush. Her eyes, used to the thermooptics, flared in pain as colours pierced her retinas.

When the agony stopped, she could see the grey washed surroundings. Submerged deep within her consciousness, her training as a soldier rose to the surface. She could hear clear in her mind, Ms Maria's lecture on scouting: Stop seeing with your mind and let your eyes show you the truth.

She turned her head, desperate breaths coming hard, eyes scouring the misshapen shadows and then she saw. Out of the corner of her eye, there by a tree stump - the faintest flash of white. Hope fuelled her. The young woman got up, stumbled a few steps then broke into a tottering run. She knelt by the crumpled form and turned her over. A sharp intake of breath followed by an exhaled prayer.

“Shizuru to Garderobe. I've found Natsuki Kruger.”

Stark horror blanked her mind as she took in the state of her friend. Her lips were pale blue and cracked. Her skin pale and translucent. Shizuru gently turned her love's head and saw with shock that her GEM was missing. The fool must have removed it so they could not track her - after they forbade her to search for Mai. You stupid girl, oh you stupid girl!

As warmth seeped from her to Natsuki, the woman awoke, shivering. Shizuru cradled her tightly as if to keep her from shaking apart. At first, her worn green eyes held no recognition then slowly awareness dawned. Her sundered voice rasped the air.

“Mai... where is Mai?”

“It's alright. It's alright. Steady, steady. I got you,” Shizuru murmured, biting her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. Senseless words tripped out of her mouth as her hand, on its own accord, curled the wet locks back from the woman's forehead. “We'll find Mai. We'll find Mai together. Don't you worry.”

Natsuki managed a weak, beautiful smile then shuddered once then laid still, her head lolling lifelessly backwards.

“NATSUKI!”

Shizuru, fighting the fear flashing through her, checked Natsuki's pulse on her neck. It was faint. Seven days lost without food or water had taken their toll. She could feel Natsuki growing colder by the moment.

Without wasting any more time, the Number III Column scooped the young woman up and launched into the air, weaving her way upwards through the canopy. Free from the roof of branches, the rain and wind batted them. It took all her strength and skill to maintain flight and head towards Garderobe. She felt a flicker of pity for her fellow Column lost in the storm. Mai had been missing for ten days. But her concern now was for Natsuki.