A/N: So, as I sit back listening to the music of the old days, a Sinatra style of sorts, I find myself thinking of Shizuru and Natsuki, and you know, I kinda wanted to do a throwback to the past...and though I never grew up in that time, I thought, oh hell, why not...I started this fan fiction a while back, but I never really posted the idea, and instead, I decided to start posting up Symmetry. I happened to forget about this somewhere along the line, and finally, today, after having dug it up, I realized how much I missed this idea, and how much I actually wanted to give it a shot.

The inspiration for this fan fiction comes from many singers, bet lets just say, the things on my play list most seemed to be Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Kay Starr, Ella Fitzgerald...well you get the idea...I just wanted to give you an idea of the sort of music that was coming through my speakers when I even decided that this was a good idea. you may see some of these oldies, but goodies, sprinkled throughout the fiction, but I don't know yet.

Anyway, please read and review. I hope you enjoy it.

This WILL be AU, and...likely OOC to some extent.

Clearly, I don't own Mai HiME.

Inky Black Redemption
Chapter 1

The rain pattered on the busy street corners, a gloomy morning upon which, the daily lives of the good city folk continued on. Newspaper boys called from the corners, waving the next issue of the messy print that would rub off of their hands, the ink painting colors of blacks and grays, indicating the freshly pressed, and tied papers were the most recent in events. For the cost of seven cents one could have such information at the palm of their hands, and as the chants of one young boy called at the nearby gas station in hopes of finding a buyer eluded to this. Some happy go lucky teens were filling their tanks, seventeen cents, perhaps nineteen, would offer them a day of cruising, and a night on the town.

It was the days of simple joys...of hard work, honest living, and it was within these days that a woman was a woman. A mother and a wife the future many sought, as that was the dream that had been implanted in their heads from even the youngest age. A man was a husband, a father, and the head of the house. He worked hard to be the breadwinner, another days pay a victory among factory workers and the booming industries. Boys and girls would trot off to school, while the cooking and cleaning took on new meaning for the women who took pride in being the caretakers of the house. It was, perhaps, with these thoughts in mind, that Shizuru found herself raised to understand, to love and believe, that she had found herself the future she wished.

Young, and fresh out of high school, she still lived with her parents. Today, her first few steps into adulthood seemed to ring in her ears, as she held nervously in her hand a neatly written resume. Dressed as conservatively as possible, she hoped beyond all hope, that she could find work here, in the small corner office of the newspaper bureau, perhaps finding stories that would appeal to the women of such an era. It was a dream of hers, since being able to read, to be able to tell the stories many dared never to question, she, herself, an inquiring mind. So few were the articles, of a woman wishing to become something other than her title...it was after all, still a radical view upon which, the ideals of unfounded declarations catered to the masses.

It was however, frowned upon for a woman to live in a mans world, to live as he would...to love as he would.

With such an ideal at the forefront of her of her mind, she dared to do what very few even refused to dream of. She was after all, such a woman, who could not speak freely of the type of love she dearly wished to have, it was unheard of, uncouth, and simply, uncalled for. Why a woman would even want to bed with another, went beyond normal realms of rebellion. Yet, that was the type of woman that she was, and she was indeed rebellious in her own, unspoken ways. Her views impossible for some to accept, or even, to comprehend.

To be gay was something hardly uttered, even to the most open minded of people.

The world business swam in conformity. Blues, blacks, browns...even women found themselves tied to those rules more often than not. Top hats and overcoats for the men. Long skirts, and high heels for women. Proper, conservative attire for those who attempted such a trade, unless perhaps, you found yourself to be a showgirl, who's idea of modesty came at a price. Shizuru herself, had selected what she hoped would be good enough, and she kept her make up simple, and hardly there at all, the red on her lips the most noticeable, a compliment to her dark, crimson eyes.

Smooth jazz wafted from the speakers of a radio that perched upon a large, mahogany desk. A single sheet of paper shoved into a typewriter that buzzed softly, and the hum was yet another thing that she fondly held near. It was it was to the tune of such a thing, and the clicking away of they keys, the bell that told all, the melodies of putting pen to paper, that she felt most at home. She fell entranced in the ideal of doing such a thing for herself. Still, the desk in front of her sat empty, and even as one of the busy workers told her to take a seat, she did so with measured grace and elegance, even as she was offered some much needed tea.

She could smell the faintest hint of cigarettes, and found it odd that this woman was not dressed as one might expect.

In fact, it had come at great shock to take note of the gray slacks, and white shirt that this woman donned. Behind her smug smile and less than appropriate attire, lime green eyes fell upon her form in abstract appraisal. "The boss will be in soon." In short order, she walked behind the desk, taking a seat in the brown leather chair, putting her feet on the desk. "If I were you, I wouldn't be so uptight. You look like you belong in some stuffy company, kissing the butt of some wealthy man on the top floor."

"Must you insist on being difficult." A voice with a lilt chimed in. "Nao, please get back to your own work." This woman was a mousy young thing, likely fresh out of finishing school herself, her mop of brown hair messy, and attire of a proper skirt, and an attractive, conservative blue top something welcoming. Thin wire frames perched upon her nose, and the fact that they had gold lacing them made it all the more apparent of her professional status. "If you don't finish the editorial, I'm afraid Miss Kuga will be very displeased." She sighed with dejection when Nao waved her off. Instead of fighting a losing battle, she instead turned to Shizuru. "Welcome, I'm Yukino Kikukawa, a personal secretary to both Miss Kuga, and Miss Suzushiro."

In the form of a handshake, Shizuru nodded willingly. "Shizuru Fujino, I'm-"

"The new applicant." Nao cut it. "Enough with the pleasantries. You two look like idiots." As she got up from her desk she rolled her eyes. "Come on Yukino, lets see if Haruka's botched anything yet..." The mousey girl was hardly given a chance to say her farewell as she was dragged out of the room, though Nao's voice carried even once they'd left. "You know she can't do anything right the first time." The ranting carried off into the gentle monotones of emptiness. The room and the hall barren. For what seemed like hours Shizuru sat waiting.

She'd heard that this particular section of the newspaper office had an ominous shadow looming over it. This particular branch not for the normalcy of the world, but instead for those who belonged tied and gagged, as if what they had to say could be considered worthless. They were small, and unpopular, many hated them, and their radical views. This news paper company was written by women, for women...the first of its kind. It went so far as to include stocks, and various other details that would normally only appeal to men. There was also a rumor about this particular branch. A hidden secret among the feminists that worked here...it was perhaps that very unspoken detail, that made Shizuru compelled to find work in a place such as this, when she knew she could have sought work anywhere, and she would be hired without question.

Finally, just as her worries began to fall over her shoulders, and doubt began to tickle the back of her mind, a tall slender woman came walking into the room. Her stride was fast, and her body seemed frazzled.

Her eyes were like that of emeralds, and her hair cascading freely down to the middle of her back. She wore a steel gray suit, all one color, and even went so far as to don a black tie. Her shoes, clearly men's, were shined, and the scent of tobacco danced in the air. One of the little white sticks perched upon the woman's pale lips. The embers alight, sending glow to the face hidden under her hat. She seemed to be in a rush, as she snuffed out the poorly rolled cigarette in the ash tray, removing her hat, and the the steely grey jacket, showing off the white shirt underneath.

Her eyes searched the desk, in hopes it seemed, to find something of value. It was only as she peered up for a moment, that she took notice of the young woman seated across from her. "Oh..." She murmured then, trying to recall the woman, coming up short. "May I help you?" Her eyes went back down to her desk, again looking for some treasured piece of something important, seemingly curing herself when it went undiscovered. A porcelain hand came into view, and she followed the arm in her sight, catching a glimpse of the woman who was in her office yet again. "Yes?" Natsuki couldn't understand why she was here, but instantly, she felt an odd sense of obscurity fall over her like a cloak.

"My name is Shizuru Fujino." The woman of fawn began softly. "I had an interview today, so..." Her eyes fell away from the emerald that so captivated her. She held in a breath as finger tips colored from traces of ink brushed gently against her own soft digits. "I hope I'm not late." Natsuki took the papers from the younger girl slowly, and Shizuru wanted the feeling to last forever.

"No, not at all." Natsuki's words seemed unintentional, as she flipped through the think, but well constructed document. She licked her lips as she gazed up, as if fascinated by this odd young girl. "Interesting...yet not without provocation." It was a quandary, a pickle that she couldn't seem to find an answer for.

"I hope you find my resume to be to your liking." Shizuru answered back carefully, unsure what to make of this eccentric woman in front of her.

"Oh, yes it will do just fine." The woman of midnight tresses nodded. "My name is Natsuki...Natsuki Kuga." She'd finally put together the math. "You're father, he's a lawyer, is he not?" If so, Natsuki knew things wouldn't bode well, yet, even so, she found herself interested in this young woman who had been brazen enough to step foot into a place such as this.

"Yes...he is." Shizuru's slow response was one filled with apprehension.

Natsuki noticed the change in the room, and her brows furrowed in confusion as she eyed the girl in front of her. "You wish to work here?" This young woman didn't belong in such a questionable place. "Do you understand just what type of paper we run?" It was perhaps the fact that she seemed wiser than her years, but even so, the look in crimson eyes told her all she needed to know. Shame...a clouded answer most were unwilling to speak.

"I do." Shizuru said then, in the smallest whisper. "It is because of the type, that I wish to work here." She tried to keep her shoulders from slumping, it was more difficult admitting the real questions behind the lines. "I know of the rumors...they only further served to interest me."

"It isn't every day we get a woman your age in here." Natsuki said, even though she wasn't all that much older herself. "Eighteen, and filled with so much promise, and you want to work here?" Natsuki knew she belonged here, but this girl...well it seemed odd. "You do realize that everyone who works here...uhhhh..." She floundered in her words, unable to find the right thing to say. "We aren't..." She scratched her head, looking down at her desk. "Are you sure you want to work here?" She chuckled looking away from the coy look she was being given.

Shizuru nodded, trying not to smile as a blush tickled Natsuki's cheeks. "It really isn't that uncommon, now is it?"

"Actually, it is pretty out of the blue..." Natsuki said then, trying to look at anything accept the girl in front of her. The way Shizuru's legs were crossed, her knee peaked out just the tiniest bit, and Natsuki licked her lips, wishing that the dark pantyhose weren't in the way. Even so, the gesture was teasing in it's own way, and she doubted Shizuru took notice of such a miniscule thing. "I mean, most of the people here...they've come from places looking for a place they can belong." Natsuki sighed then, knowing there wasn't any subtle way to put this. "We're not exactly considered family reading. The pay here is low, and the people who work here, choose to do so, because they are accepted blindly, we come from very...questionable...walks of life." Then, a heart wrenching thought came to her mind. "You aren't a runaway are you?"

"No, I live here in this city." Shizuru said then, with some measure of strength in her voice. "With my parents...they don't know." Shame again, laced her eyes, and Natsuki sighed deeply.

"You're young. You have a future that could be ruined by this." Still, Natsuki felt as if she couldn't begrudge this young woman, clearly on a personal journey to find herself. "You qualify for what I need of you, and if working with a bunch of gays is really what you want to do..." She licked her lips, and felt herself unable to deny this young woman anything she may ever ask. "I'll hire you...you can work directly under me, if that's what you want."

"It is." Shizuru said then, signing away her fate on the dotted line, knowing this was what she truly wanted.

…

"Natsuki, when I agreed to help you, I did so under one condition." Her father sighed later that evening over their weekly phone call. "That you'd do well to keep this oddity of yours under wraps." He was a stock broker, and made enough money that he could live quite comfortably. "It's bad enough that my daughter dresses as if she's my son, but, this?"

"I'm a lesbian Dad." Natsuki felt like she's been over this with him countless times already. "I'm not interested in being a guy...I just like women."

"Balderdash, you've never once acted as a proper woman should!" He exclaimed, his daughter always a deep pool of foreboding trouble. He wished he could talk some sense into her, but he also understood that was a failing endeavor. "Either way, to hire in someone so young..." He shook his head although he knew that his daughter couldn't see it, feeling lost for words. "Why would you do such a thing, Natsuki? She isn't one of your little misguided friends."

"I know she isn't." Natsuki began, feeling truly admonished. "But when I decided I was going to do this, I knew I was taking risks." She was walking around her tiny little studio, trying to clean up a bit. "I never realized that this would happen, so I just called to warn you." Natsuki knew her father was angry, and she felt as if this was a bad idea as well, but she remembered the look in those crimson orbs. "I'm going to let her work for me." She didn't want to see those sad eyes.

"I'm glad that you did. I'm extending some words of advise. She's the daughter of a client..a very important one." Her father answered back dryly. "This isn't a risk, it's absolutely out of the question. You can't keep that girl under your employment. If my client finds out that his innocent little girl is working under you, it will upset him greatly." It didn't help that he, himself, had been displeased by this current information. "You have succeeded in provoking animosity in the hearts of those around you before, but her father, he is not one you should cross. I beg of you, take just a bit of caution with everything that you do."

That part was at least true. Shizuru had a name and at the mere glance of it, Natsuki had felt the embers of trouble lurking unseen within the pit of crimson eyes. "I don't know why I decided to hire her, I couldn't even tell you off hand." Natsuki felt drawn to that look, the quiet admission, the fear of actually saying things out loud. "But, I know that if I were her, then I'd want to have a voice...actually, I did want one, that's why I dole out paper media in the way that I do. Everyone I hire feels the same way, and they struggle within themselves. We want everyone know just how we feel...there isn't anything wrong with that."

"In your eyes, perhaps not." Natsuki's father could relent that Natsuki was trying to be an activist, the only way she knew how. It was admirable at least. "It would not have mattered in the eyes of your mother either, but, no matter what Natsuki, you must remember well, those streets are unsafe for a person such as yourself. If she stays quiet, she may be able to find a man, and have all of the joys that a woman should have...even if you don't want them, it doesn't mean that she won't. One day, she will see this is a mistake, and I'm merely looking out for her best interests, as well as your own." Then he paused, coming up with an idea that had already been rejected once before. "You should accept Takeda's offer. He is a good man Natsuki."

"Dad...I'm not marring some dude...especially not that idiot." Natsuki grumbled. "I will find a woman, one who will love me, and when I do, you'll see how happy I'll be with that person...she just hasn't come along yet."

"You'll be a spinster one day if you keep that up. You've been saying that for years now Natsuki, it's time you put that idea out of your head once and for all. There is nothing wrong with independence, but, you must be lonely, and there is no cure for that, accept to wed a man, and enjoy the life that your mother, and your grandmother before you, also enjoyed." He muttered back at her. He knew however, that Natsuki wasn't going to listen to reason, and turned back to the matter at hand. "Listen, that girl can not, under any circumstance, work for you."

"What, will you do?" Natsuki asked him harshly. "Tell her dad what's going on?"

"Now Natsuki, you know I wouldn't do that." He shook his head, his daughter a shark in a man's world, and one who would dare to take on the worst of battles. She was so unruly in that way. "I wouldn't think to utter a word, but, you must also think of her personal welfare."

"I am." Natsuki said then. "That's why I hired her."

The bickering continued for several more moments before they finally gave up, and said goodbye. The phone felt heavy in her hands as she dragged the cord along the floor, coiling it back up the way it should be. She lived in fact, just above her office, and when she realized she would be unable to sleep, she decided to give up the ideal of peace, moseying back down to the lower floor. She entered her office, but didn't dare turn on her overhead light, instead, merely looking at the resume that sat of her desk earlier. It was not the first time she'd read it, and it was likely not the last, and as she thumbed though the pages, her mind meandered back to the soft gentle smile that had at one point graced those kissable lips.

"Shizuru Fujino..." Natsuki sighed the name like a fine wine, and then, she closed her eyes, leaning back into the soft leather chair. "Just what on earth does she think she's getting herself into." Natsuki couldn't be sure, as she fingered one of the cigarettes that sat in the silver case that she always carried, pondering the addiction, even if only for a moment. Then, she closed her case and sighed, licking her lips, remembering the smooth, thick voice of intoxication from earlier. No, the girl wasn't innocent...she was the furthest thing from her outward appearance, and that in and of itself seemed enough for Natsuki. "Out of the frying pan." Natsuki shrugged then, with a tiny little chuckle, putting away the resume again.

The picketers would be outside again early in the morning, and the workers would have to listen to the slanderous barbs and insults directed at them. "Into the fire. " It was an understatement. Sooner or later, Shizuru would be discovered, and she too, would have the joy of living in vocal freedom, all the while, fearing the very society who shunned such an important ideal.

So, that was chapter one...hope you all liked it.