The Gift
Handj
Chapter 2
3 weeks prior to chaos
The door to the Fuuka administrative office opened revealing a “once” very visible face in the university. He walked in his usual stride, slow, light, composed and most of all, confident. His well combed, non-gelled hair moves along with him. He is wearing a smile that can be compared to that of Fuuka’s ex-kaichou, though upon seeing the female form sitting on a chair, his forced smile dropped and was replaced by a real one, his smile now reach his glistening eyes.
“Mashiro-san.” He said, his eyes focused at the woman (A/N: Mashiro just looks like a child but in truth she is over a hundred years old right?) before him.
“Kanzaki…or will I call you Minagi-san now?” the woman asked, her eyes mirroring that of Kanzaki Reito.
“Kanzaki is fine; Mikoto is Minagi so I prefer to be called Kanzaki. But Reito will definitely be welcome.” He replied in his usual flirtatious manner.
“Very well, I’ll prefer Kansaki-san, Reito will be too informal.” She said making a soft sound of laughter.
“Do we need to be formal right now?”
“No, but I prefer that we do.”
Reito straightened his back, “Very well.” Silence, “Does Himeno-san know that you’re here? We got this impression that we won’t be seeing you anymore as you should be coming back in what? 300 years?”
“I would have loved to tell Fumi-chan that I’ve returned, but my coming here is a bit early so I do not want to worry Fumi-chan.”
“A bit early? 300 years early?” he teased.
“3 weeks early.” A stunned silence followed that declaration, “I’m suppose to come here to relay a message from the Obsidian Lord.” The mention of the spirit that took over Reito’s body during the carnival made the well composed man to flinch, “But that’s not the point or the reason why I asked you here Kansaki-san.”
Instead of talking, Reito decided to bite his tongue and just listen to what Mashiro is about to say.
“Here.” Mashiro handed out an enveloped to Reito who took it with a bit of trepidation
Kami-sama, please let this not be a warning to us, please don’t let this demon come back and take over me once again.
Reito tried hard to stop his hand from shaking while he started to open the envelope.
“Aren’t you quite the nervous wreck Kansaki-san? It’s so unlikely of you.” Mashiro said with her usual cheerful smile pasted on her face.
“You know,” Reito said looking at Mashiro’s face, “You should come here in your original form sometimes. It is hard to get angry at Mashiro.”
Mashiro’s smile did not waver, “Then the more reason I come here in this body, is it not?” No answer, “Besides, you don’t have to fuzz over the obsidian lord coming back to take over you, that letter is from me and you’ll be doing me a great favor if you decided to play along.”
Taking his eyes from Mashiro, Reito looked at the sealed letter inside the envelope and read it. A couple seconds of silence then Reito returned his gaze at the woman and smiled.
“What’s in it for me?” He asked grinning.
Mashiro smiled then shook her head, “I never thought that Kanzaki Reito, the savior of scorned women will be asking something in return for saving a woman.”
“I never asked anything if the will to save those pitiful women is made by me, but in instances like this where saving a distraught woman is not my choice but the choice of someone who should have vanished for a long time is a different thing.”
Mashiro dropped her smile and look intently at Reito’s face, “Very sound argument. I concede. So what do you want in return?”
Reito knew what he wants, but if he obtained it…how will he live? He smiled, determined he return Mashiro’s intent gaze, “Immortality.”
Silence.
“You asked a life time of damnation for saving a woman we both knew you’ll save in a heartbeat?” Mashiro asked her eyes wide in puzzlement, “I am not sure if the carnival has rendered you insane or this is the real you you’re hiding from everyone.”
“I’m not giving you my reasons; I’m doing your bidding so it is just right that I be rewarded. Isn’t that what the obsidian lord believed in?”
Mashiro regain her composure, rested her back and smiled once again, “Very well, it’s not that hard.” Mashiro smiled, “And we’ll be seeing each other again let’s say in 300…” Mashiro stop then looks at Reito
No words were exchange after that.
XXX
2 weeks later
“You don’t look good Shizuru, are you feeling alright?” The Fujino matriarch asked her daughter. Shizuru’s focus is on the food laid at their table. The crimson eyed girl just got through emptying her stomach to her personal comfort room. Looking at the various foods prepared especially for her, the fair haired woman just can’t analyze why she suddenly felt like vomiting at the site of her favorite food.
“I don’t have appetite okaa-san.” Shizuru look up at her mother, “I think I am going to have flu.”
The matriarch’s face was suddenly hit by anger, “Don’t tell me you are making excuses again! We have finally found a very suitable omiai for you and you’re acting sick again to get out of it?! Shizuru! You’re father is getting old and he wanted you to take over our business and it is not possible if you remain single!”
Shizuru’s mother’s tirade placed a scowl on Shizuru’s face, “I can’t believe you accused me of that! I came home to fulfill my duty! I left the only person I loved for this duty and you accused me of things I haven’t even thought of!” Shizuru screamed back but before her mother could reprimand her coarse behavior, Shizuru felt the sudden urge to empty her stomach once again, without care with what her mother’s possible reaction, she stand and hurriedly ran out of the dining area and went straight to the house’ common bathroom to relieved herself of that feeling
Finally finding a well suited man for my darling Shizuru and here she is stricken with flu. I do hope Kanzaki-san understands once they meet, or better, I do hope Shizuru would be relieved of that flu before Sunday next week. The matriarch’s thought as she sat still in her chair not even bothering to find out if her daughter is alright. She shrugged her shoulder it’s just flu, it’s not as if Shizuru is pregnant. Her last thought then she started eating.
XXX
Present day
Crimson eyes were revealed as soon as the light hit her face; a bit dizzy she tried to elevate her body by pressing her elbows on the surface of the bed and seconds later returned to her previous position. She feels so weak, though the constant sensation of vomiting miraculously disappeared. She scanned the room where she is now, she was assaulted by a white, unadorned wall, the bed where she’s lying is located at the center, and a small cross is hanged at the wall opposite her bed. A small side table is on the right side of the bed, nothing’s laid on the table except for a number of apples and oranges. To her left is an IV stand, a single IV fluid bottle hanged from it, tracing the tube connected to the bottle she found out is actually inserted inside her left hand.
Her curious mind was interrupted by a familiar sound at the room’s door.
“You are awake Fujino-san, finally.” Shizuru looks at the man she knew so well.
“Kanzaki-san?” Shizuru smiled, her strong defensive walls crumbled at the familiar sight then she found herself being engulfed in a warm, soft embrace.
Reito didn’t say anything instead she let Shizuru cry out on his shoulder. After some time had passed, Shizuru’s cries digressed into soft sobs, the woman pulls away and looks up at Reito’s face, “Ara,” Shizuru’s first word after that break down is now accompanied by a simple, sad smile, “Thank you very much Kanzaki-san for lending me that broad shoulder.” She said with a slight teasing tone in her voice.
“You are incorrigible Fujino-san; you still tease wickedly despite your situation.” Reito said smiling and shaking his head.
“You prefer to hear me sad then?” Shizuru asked trying hard to build another wall around her.
“Stop what you are doing Fujino-san, It’s not good for you and it’s not good for your babies.” Reito said softly, his hand lay on the girl’s arm.
Reito’s words alerted Shizuru and in the process made her widen her eyes, “How-”
“Did Himeno-san contact you through phone?” at Shizuru’s nod, Reito stood up and took the envelope that was given to him by Mashiro, “So you know that Mashiro-san came back?”
“Fumi-san told me that she came back to relay a message to the HIMEs.”
“That’s correct.” Reito said and smile. He walks forward and returned to his previous place, beside Shizuru and handed the letter to the girl, “I was at Kyoto for a special mission, a special mission for Mashiro herself.”
Shizuru looks at the envelope in her hand, then she lifted her gaze to look at Reito’s smiling face, “What is this?” Reito did not answer instead he pushed Shizuru’s hand towards the girl and nods his head, silently telling Shizuru that she should read it. And read she does.
Reito did not removed his gaze from Shizuru while the crimson eyed girl read the letter repeatedly.
“Kanzaki-san, this-this,”
“Just as the letter stated, I am about to meet you as your omiai if that good for nothing Obstetrician of yours did not squeal on your condition at once, she did not even thought of the consequence of her action.”
Silence.
“Fujino-san?”
“You’re my omiai?” She watch Reito nodded “But – You… why are you here?” Shizuru’s eyes now bore a foreboding emotion.
“Because I am you’re omiai.”
“You will accept me even though you know that I am…” she stop at Reito’s shaking of head, “Then why-”
“Because this is Mashiro’s mission for me: To take you away from Kyoto and away from your family.” The look in Shizuru’s widened eyes clearly tells Reito about her unasked question, “If your parents found another omiai other than me, do you think you could get out of this situation?”
“It’ll be the same they’ll still throw me out.”
“And if you have a different omiai, will he be following you to see that you’re fine?”
Shizuru’s gaze become icy, “You’ve been following me?”
“I must. If I didn’t then you wouldn’t be here.” Reito answered sternly.
Shizuru frowned, “Where is here?”
“You haven’t figure out where you are? And I thought you’ve memorized this place by heart.” Reito replied grinning, he stood up and turned his back to Shizuru then started walking to the door.
“Answer me Kanzaki-san…please?”
“This is Fuuka’s special medical bay Fujino-san.” Reito said without looking back, but before he gets out of the room, he turned around, looks at Shizuru, smiled and said, “I should be going now, Youko-sensei will be coming soon to check up on you.” He smiled once again, “And no one knows that you’re here except me, Himeno-san, Mashiro-san, and Youko-sensei.” He finished, bowed his head and turn to leave, “And before I forget,” he spoke once again, “that letter in your hand is already void since you don’t need me to save you from your family… and Fujino-san?” Reito knew that Shizuru is watching him, “I think I know what’s in Mashiro’s head, so please collect yourself and start moving forward.” With that Reito walked out then disappear through the door.
15 minutes later Shizuru heard a knock.
XXX
“Eh?!” Shiho squealed after Mikoto whispered in her ear, “Is that true?” Mikoto nodded her excitedly. Shiho scrunched her forehead then sigh. Mikoto and Shiho, both middle school students were sitting on a blanket spread across the green lawn of the school. Shiho is usually seen with Tate during her breaks but after the news of her pregnancy around campus and inside her class, she and Tate decided that they should not hang out together often to make it more easier on the younger girl. Shiho lay on the blanket spreading her arms outward while Mikoto just looks at the other girl, “So Akira is pregnant too?” Mikoto nods again.
“Mai said that Takumi is asking her to help him find a job.” Mikoto added
Mikoto heard Shiho sighed deeply, “I envy Akira!” Shiho looks at Mikoto who is frowning, “Takumi is much younger than Tate but he is already showing how responsible he is. Tate had known about me getting pregnant for days now and all he did was told me to lessen contact with him.”
Mikoto shrugged her shoulder, “Maybe Takumi gets that attitude from Mai!”
Shiho smiled at the energetic girl, “yes, perhaps he does.” There was silence as the two thought of what to say to each other. This is the first time Shiho agreed to hang out with another human being not Tate, and first time to hang out with another HIME. She is about to comment on this when she heard a loud growling sound.
Shiho watched Mikoto’s eye widen and her face reddened then the two looked down at Mikoto’s growling stomach. When Shiho returned her gaze at Mikoto’s face she could see Mikoto’s eye twitching, trying to contain the tears that is about to pour out, “Mikoto, let it out baka!” Shiho screamed at Mikoto.
“I want Mai! I want my bento! Bento! Bento!” Mikoto cried and starts flinging her arms. Shiho laughed at the other girl’s antics, she decided to sit up and tried to pacify the wailing girl huh? Since when did I care about anyone crying? Shiho frowned, is this the effect of pregnancy? Shiho sighed deeply once again and readied herself to enfold Mikoto in her arms when her eyes caught a very familiar face.
“Ne…Mikoto,” Shiho called Mikoto, her eyes never leaving the person she found.
“Mai! Bento!” Mikoto continued to wail not minding Shiho.
“MIKOTO!” Shiho screamed which cause the other girl to stop and looked at her, “Isn’t that Kanzaki Reito-sama?” Shiho asked Mikoto forcing the other girl’s face to look at her back.
“Ani-ue?” Mikoto asked then turned around, the spiked haired girl was only able to see the back of Reito, “How will I know? I can’t see his face!” Mikoto glared at Shiho
“If you were listening to me instead of wailing you would have seen him! Baka!”
“Baka no baka no baka! I want Mai! I want my Bento!” Mikoto screamed at the top of her lungs.
“MIKOTO!!” Shiho and Mikoto looked at the origin of the sound to find Mai and Natsuki approaching.
“MAI!” Mikoto screamed though unlike earlier, her voice is laced with joy and relief, “I thought Mai is not coming.”
“I could hear you scream Mai and Bento from our building Mikoto!” Natsuki teased the younger girl.
“I’m hungry!”
Shiho became silent
“Ne Mai, can I share my Bento with Shiho, she doesn’t have a bento.”
Mai smiled, “Of course,” Mai and Natsuki seated on the blanket and brought out the bento boxes Mai prepared.
“Itedakimasu!” The four HIMEs chanted before they proceed on eating. For the first time they were eating in silence, Shiho making side way glances over Mai from time to time.
“How come you three aren’t pregnant?” Shiho asked out of nowhere. The question brought Natsuki into a coughing fit, Mai to stop eating and Mikoto…well Mikoto just continued on eating.
“For one Shiho, we don’t have boyfriends to make us pregnant.” Natsuki replied flatly after her coughing pacified.
“Nao and Yukino claimed that they are virgins.”
Mai sighed, Natsuki grinned, “Yukino perhaps, but Nao?” Natsuki flinch when she heard a familiar screaming sound.
“And what are you suggesting Kuga?!” Nao’s voice resonated over the field; a vein came out from her forehead, pulsating.
“Ah…nothing?” Natsuki smiled deviously. Natsuki saw Nao inhale deeply and then let out the inspired air before the red head looked at her.
“I’m here to tell you that Himeno-san wants to talk to us HIMEs.”
“Himeno Fumi-san?” Mai asked as if she didn’t hear what Nao has said.
“Yes, Himeno Fumi-san.” Nao replied irritated.
Mikoto stopped eating, “Is Ani-ue going to the meeting with us?”
Nao, Mai and Natsuki looked at the younger girl their face bearing a question of ‘what did you just say?’
“Shiho said she saw Ani-ue and she forced me to look at him, what I saw was the back of a man, but that man’s back looks like Ani-ue’s!”
“And what do you think Kanzaki-san wants here?” Mai asked no one in particular.
“The question is: how come he shows up on a time where all HIMEs have this sticky situation?” Natsuki supplied.
“Hey! Not all HiME’s are in sticky situation. You three aren’t pregnant!” Nao corrected.
“Mai!” Mikoto called out, “I’m not sure if it is Ani-ue.”
“But I am! I saw his face!” Shiho interrupted.
“Okay,” Mai said looking at Shiho, “Let us say Shiho is correct, where was Kanzaki-san headed?”
Both girls pointed at the administrator’s building, the one that wasn’t used often because that part of the building housed Fuuka’s special medical bay. As everyone at Fuuka knows, only the administrative personnel are taken there when they need it. (A/N: I made this idea up because I wanted that place to be secret. )
“Who is he visiting there?” Nao asked.
“Probably Himeno-san.” Natsuki replied at once.
“Impossible, I just came from Himeno-san’s office and she was there sitting on her chair doing some paper works.” Nao explained.
The three older girls look at each other in puzzlement.
“If that is Kanzaki-san, something fishy is going on!” Natsuki said frowning.
“Natsuki, Ani-ue isn’t that bad.” Mikoto said softly defending her brother.
“We’re still not sure Mikoto.” That was Shiho.
“But he changed since carnival!” Mikoto said in a sure voice trying to persuade the others to give her brother a chance, “Mai?” Mikoto’s watery eye turned to the fiery red head.
Mai smiled, raised an arm and wraps it around Mikoto, “He did Mikoto, Natsuki and Shiho is just being cautious, we have suffered a lot during that time and we cannot blame them if they feel that way about your brother, especially right now where we are again faced with a big problem.” Mai smiled sweetly when she heard Mikoto start sobbing, but everyone’s attention was caught by Shiho and Nao’s crying fit.
“What the heck-”
“I don’t know why, I don’t usually go soft like this not even when I’m at the hospital watching my mother!” Nao said unclearly as her words were obscured by her crying.
“It must be the pregnancy!” Shiho supplied a reason. Her words were like that of Nao’s.
“Hormones!” Mai and Natsuki exclaimed simultaneously.
XXX
“Youko-sensei.” Shizuru greeted the older woman who came to her side. Youko started looking at her chart, writing something in it, and then she walked around the bed to look at the bottle of IV.
“You know you are thin and underweight for someone carrying a twin pregnancy?” Youko asked looking at Shizuru with a smile on her face.
“I suspect.” She answered returning the smile, “I can’t seem to retain anything; the site of food makes me sick.”
“You are dehydrated Shizuru, malnourished and feverish. I did suspect that you are suffering from Hyperemesis gravidarum,” Youko explained, “Now, don’t be alarmed. That condition normally happens to pregnant woman but in a very mild pattern, in your case you are suffering from the severe type causing these unwanted complications.” Youko watched Shizuru nodded in comprehension, “I also suspect that stress plays a key role in your condition, so as your doctor, I want you to do two things for me from now on.” Shizuru did not answer, she just looked at the doctor intently, “You should stop pressuring yourself, find something that will relieve this stress. From Reito’s story, he assured me that he had removed at least ½ of the cause of that stress, and he said he is going to find the cause of the other half,” Youko made a funny gesture on her face before she continued, “he actually said ‘and straighten her out’,” Youko sighed and laugh, “That Reito sure knows how to make a woman laugh!” Youko said then she turned her back to Shizuru and walked towards a chair near the wall opposite Shizuru’s bed.
Kanzaki-san is trying hard. I don’t think there is a way for him to straighten out my Natsuki Shizuru thought.
“The second thing I want you to do,” Youko continued, “Once you get out of the medical bay is to stuff yourself with food and stop drinking your tea. Tea is not good for the babies.” Youko looked at Shizuru with a stern gaze.
Shizuru just smiled at the doctor.
“I’m not kidding here Shizuru, you have to stop drinking your tea while you’re pregnant.” Youko smiled when she saw Shizuru nod, agreeing to that condition. “Very well, right now you are under NPO, that is nothing per orem, all your food, vitamins and supplements gets inside you through that.” Youko said pointing on the IV line in her left hand, “Once we corrected the dehydration and relieved you of vomiting, we can start changing your regimen into soft diet, we still need you here though to keep on checking and if you could tolerate that regimen, we could move on to “good for solid” but still limited, and you’ll still be under monitoring.” Shizuru listened, “And once that goes well, we can change it to your normal diet minus the tea. No coffees, no carbonated drinks, and for the first trimester, limit acidic food and fruits.”
Silence.
“Will you be staying with Reito once you’re cleared to go?” Youko asked.
“I have no idea Youko-sensei, but I think I’ll just find a place of my own, find a job-”
“Aren’t you studying in Kyoto?”
“I was, yes.” At that answer, Youko noticed Shizuru’s usual calm demeanor shifts into something painful. She didn’t voice out her concern knowing that the girl might resent her questioning.
“If you have no more questions, then I shall leave you to rest. Reito told me that he might not be able to come back later to accompany you but he said to assure you that he’ll be sending someone to replace him.” Youko smiled at the girl in front of her and stood up.
Shizuru returned the smile then she silently watched Youko-sensei walked out of the room.
The silence of a room usually brought Shizuru into tears, in complete silence her mind wandered to that time when she and Natsuki were still friends, that time when that friendship wasn’t tainted and was nothing but pure and eternal bond. A thought that never calms her raging soul, But here, in this place the silence is acceptable, for Shizuru knows that though her Natsuki doesn’t know her presence, the mere fact that she is under a roof within Natsuki’s vicinity is enough to calm that raging tide of emotion.
“My Natsuki…”
XXX
My Natsuki…
“Shizuru…”
Natsuki was pulled from a pitiful sleep by a force shaking her. Slowly she opened her eyes to see Mikoto’s own an inch away from her, “AHHHHH!!” She screamed and jumps away causing her head to bump on a misplaced rock (A/N: The hell…where did this rock come from?!)
“Natsuki!” Mai exclaimed, coming over the still lying girl and helped her out, “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Try hitting your head on a rock and answer that question!” Natsuki retorted then looked Mikoto with her death glare.
“I’m just waking Natsuki, we have to go to Himeno-san’s office!” Mikoto reasoned.
“Don’t do that again!” She said while taking Mai’s hand to help herself get up, “Ever!”
“Hai!” Mikoto replied with a grin, the younger girl turned her back to the two and started sprinting away towards the administrator’s building.
On their way to Fumi’s office, Natsuki’s gaze turns to the administrator’s special medical bay
My Natsuki…
Natsuki blinked several times that dream again, Shizuru…I can feel your presence Shizuru, what is happening? Unbeknown to Natsuki, a single tear made way out of her right eye.
“Are you alright?” Mai asked Natsuki after tugging her arm lightly.
Natsuki turned her head towards Mai and frowned, “Why do you always ask that? I am alright!”
“You’re crying.”
“Wha-” She raised a hand on her right cheek and felt a cold wetness there, “Something must hit my eye without my knowledge.” Natsuki reasoned why am I crying?
Mai didn’t made any smart remark, she just nodded and return her focus on the approaching office you do miss Shizuru even if you keep on denying it Mai thought.
XXX
11 HIMEs and 1 are now seated in front of the school’s head mistress. None of them are happy that such a meeting takes place, no one knows about the agenda of the meeting, but because they respect Fumi, they agreed to come and listen.
“What is this all about Himeno-san?” It was Midori.
Fumi took a deep breath, releasing it before she calmly said, “I know that all of us have questions about what is happening to us HIMEs, and I know that there are relationships that suffered because of this unexplainable events.”
“You’ve just said it Fumi-san, this is unexplainable so why the hell are we here?!” Nao asked angrily.
“Nao-san,” Alyssa Sears, though cloned is still regarded by everyone as one of them. Miyu is also present as Alyssa’s guardian, and for the fact that she was the key to the destruction of the obsidian lord during the carnival.
“Because Fumi-chan might not be able to explain it but I can.” Everyone’s gaze shifted up to where the library is located. On the stairs is the woman they never thought of seeing again came down to join them.
“Mashiro-san,” Everyone whispers the name except for Mikoto whose eyes beamed with joy and started running towards the woman who is now at the ground floor.
“Mashiro!!” Mikoto screamed then she hugged the smaller woman.
“Mikoto!” Mashiro said Mikoto’s name sweetly.
“I’m glad to see you again! Are you staying?” Instead of answering Mikoto, Mashiro looked at the assembled people in the office and offered a bow to them. The others returned the bow except for Nao.
“What is the fucking meaning of this?!”
“Nao!” Fumi scream at the red headed spider princess, “Give Mashiro-sama the respect she deserves!”
“She doesn’t deserve any!”
“Enough Nao!” Natsuki said glaring at the angry woman, “You want answers? Well here is someone who could give them! So shut up before I shove this book up your ass!!”
Miyu is busy covering Alyssa’s ear from all the swearing in the room.
“Another word Nao and I’ll make you stay in the confession room.” Yukariko said calmly, the ex-nun’s words made the fierce red head stop.
“Wow! That was sudden!” Shiho chided, giggling. She received an angry glare from Nao. Shiho decided to shut up and just listen.
“First question…what’s happening?” It was Mai who started the ball rolling.
Mashiro smiled at Mai, she walked to the center of the office and faced the assembled HIMEs. “I was tasked by the obsidian lord to deliver good news to you HIMEs.”
“I don’t think any news from the obsidian lord will qualify as good.” Yukino said softly.
“Well, that can be true but he is giving you a gift.” Mashiro continued.
“What gift?” Mikoto asked, her eyes twinkling at the word gift.
Mashiro smiled at Mikoto’s child like reaction, “Not that kind of gift Mikoto, he is returning your child to you.”
“What?!” 10 different voices echoed in the room.
“He is returning your child, but unlike before, you don’t have to activate them, they cannot disappear or appear when you wish them to.”
“I can’t understand…”
“He is returning your child as humans, a human borne to a HIME making your child pure blooded HIMEs.”
Silence.
“The pregnancy…” Akane
“…is the beginning.”
Silence once again.
Mikoto then looks at each of the HIME’s, “Wait! How come Natsuki, Mai and me got nothing?!” Mikoto asked innocently.
The other HIMEs nods their head.
“The obsidian lord was able to suck the HIME’s power during the carnival through the pillars after a child’s death. That power was transformed and was distributed to the HIMEs when Miyu destroyed that pillar. The power became latent inside the body of the concerned HIMEs and can only be unlocked and transformed into an organic being by a very powerful source.”
“And that’s where the obsidian lord comes in.” Yukino finished for Mashiro.
Silence.
“That means that only those HIME’s who died during battle…“ Midori started.
“…and lost their most important person received that gift of life.” Akira said then looks at Mai. “Then Mai and Mikoto’s situation is understandable since they were the only two whose child did not die in battle. But how can you explain Alyssa and Natsuki?”
“Alyssa is simple, she was not chosen by the obsidian lord to be a HIME, pardon me Alyssa-chan, but as we all know Alyssa was cloned from a HIME’s living tissue, hence her power was not granted by the obsidian lord, and that make’s the obsidian lord’s power ineffective on her.”
The rest nodded.
“And me?”
Mashiro took a deep breath, “You’re a very special case, you and Shizuru-san.” Mashiro looks at Natsuki, “Unlike the other HIME’s whose most important person in their life are normal people, you and Shizuru are each other’s most important person, and the both of you died.”
“So?” Natsuki said frowning, irritated.
“The power that you and Shizuru have unlike the others molded together, hence only one from you shall carry your children.”
Yukino’s eye widens, “Children?”
“Twins?” Midori added, Mashiro nodded.
Natsuki frowned, “Then, since I’m not pregnant, that only means …”
“Shizuru is suffering twice as hard as us.” Yukariko said.
My Natsuki…
Natsuki closed her eyes as she recalled that dream, Shizuru is suffering more than anyone here and I’m not even there to help her, and she’s carrying my child! God Shizuru, why do you always have to suffer for me?
“I was wondering why the obsidian lord would need to unlock this power.” Nao said frowning I am carrying my mother inside me! Isn’t that gross?
“He wanted more powerful HIMEs in the future. Aside from that, you will be facing another problem and you will need your powers back.”
“Our powers are unborn children!” Shiho said.
Mashiro shook her head, “At the first full moon after the pregnant HIMEs reach their second month, you shall be able to materialize your elements once again.” Everyone looks at each other.
“That serious hah?” Nao said smirking.
Mashiro nodded, “The unborn children which is the embodiment of the HIMEs power is the source so that you can summon those elements again.”
“Then that would mean Mai and Mikoto won’t be able to materialized theirs.” Miyu interjected in her flat, monotonous voice.
“Supposedly.” Mashiro said, “That’s why Kagutsuchi and Miroku will be returned in their original form.”
Silence filled the room.
“The obsidian lord asks you to protect the child, something far greater than Sears is coming for them.”
Shizuru…
Another silence which was broken by Natsuki’s running out of the office
“Natsuki!” Mai called out, she was about to run after the blue haired girl when she was stopped by Fumi-san.
XXX
Kanzaki Reito was stood waiting at the path way just outside the administrations office waiting…
“Kuga-san.” Natsuki stopped dead on her tracks when she heard Reito. She turned her head to where the man is standing.
No words were spoken that time instead the two stared at each other, calculating each move. It was Reito who finally broke the silence but not the stare.
“I wanted to know what Shizuru is to you.” Reito said not in his usual tone but in a tone Natsuki rarely heard.
“What is it to you?” she said returning that cold, hard voice to Reito.
“I just happened to be Shizuru’s omiai, I know how she feels about you but have no idea how you feel about her. And being an indirect friend and a former school mate who respects you, I wanted to make sure that I won’t be stepping on anyone once I married Shizuru.” Reito said in his serious tone.
“She’s pregnant with hers and my child, are you aware of that?” Natsuki’s voice did not have the same fierceness.
“I do, and I was there as she suffered, I was there when her parents denounced her because of something she has no control over.”
Shizuru…my Shizuru is suffering and what the hell am I doing?
“I need to go. I have no time talking to you.”
“And where do you think you’re going?” Reito asked anger visible in his voice, “If you are turning your back on her, then I am free to give her what you can’t.” A statement with finality.
“I am going to Kyoto, if I have to scour all places there I will, I will and I will find Shizuru and take her home with me.”
Reito smirked, “If you’re doing this out of pity Kuga-san, then no matter how you try you cannot make Shizuru happy. She’ll wilt before your very eyes.”
“DAMN YOU!!” Natsuki screamed. Tears started falling from her lovely emerald eyes, “I love Shizuru! She is my most important person. You don’t know me to judge me like that! I am taking Shizuru and I will make her happy! Not you!”
Silence.
Natsuki almost hit Reito’s face when the man gave Natsuki a smile, a smile so familiar in his face, “Fujino-san isn’t at Kyoto anymore.”
“Wha-”
“She was very sick when I found her walking along a road 3 days ago and brought her here. She hasn’t woken up for 2 days, and…she’s just very sick, physically and emotionally. She needs you.”
Silence.
Natsuki looks at Reito not minding if the man before her saw her crying, “Where is she?”
-End chapter 2-
A/N: Finally! This is too long I just can’t cut it. Anyways to those who love reading long chapters, then you’ll be happy with this chapter, for those who don’t… gomen!
“Reito said that Shizuru is in this room.” (Grabbed the knob and open the door, then ducked once she saw a vase coming at her face)
“Who the hell are you?!”
“Hey! You’re not Shizuru!”
“Duh!”
“Who the hell are you? And…and…why are you green?!”
“It’s none of your business get out!!” before even Natsuki closed the door she heard “Whose that?”, “No one, just some psychopathic bitch calling me Shizuru princess, jeez can’t even tell thru my skin!” And Natsuki closed the door.
“I am so going to kill that Kanzaki baka!”
- heh that is something that suddenly pops in my head! -