Sorry about this version. I actually like the idea of their daughter being Natsuki's instead of Masashi's. By the way, this another version of what if Shizuru pieced the letter together and saved Natsuki.

Shizuru sighed in relief. She was glad she managed to come in time to save Natsuki. Now, time for answers.

"Why did you leave?" Natsuki looked down.

"I… needed time to clear my mind, and sort out my feelings for you. But by the time I returned, you already..."

"Liar! If that's the case, then why does Chinatsu keep asking me who is the blue-haired girl with green eyes that keeps on appearing in her dreams?" Natsuki looked up.

"Chinatsu?" That name…

"My daughter. The one I adopted."

"Adopted?" Shizuru nodded and told her how she first met the little girl that was always alone in an orphanage, how she asked Masashi to pretend with her so that Chinatsu wouldn't be bullied for not having parents, how Chinatsu thought they were her parents since she was still young at that time, how the lady at the orphanage said that Chinatsu's parents died in an accident and so on.

"Tell me the truth, Natsuki. Why did you leave, five years ago?" Natsuki took a deep breath and sighed.

"At that time when I graduated at 19 after staying back a year and after we did that countless times since the HIME Carnival, I needed to sort out my feelings on whether I really love you."

"Natsuki…" Shizuru had a sadden look on her face.

"And there was another reason." Natsuki blushed.

"I was pregnant." There was a moment's silence.

"Eh?" Shizuru, still smiling, asked.

"I found out I was pregnant." It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

"What? When? Who? How?" Shizuru bombarded her with questions.

"Calm down, well, can't exactly expect you to, but can you at least listen to me?" Shizuru nodded.

"Ok, firstly, I was wondering why I was feeling so sick. You remember that, right? Always feeling nausea, vomiting, mood swings, heck, I felt like my sense of smell heightened and I became worried that I had become a dog. So I was worried that one of those days, I would say something horrible to you and hurt you. When I thought of that, I was so worried that I started to worry none stop. At the end of December when I was still 19, I thought all this and my fears returned to me while I was on a walk. I practically ran to the hospital and asked the person at the counter, 'Am I sick?'? She asked a doctor to do a check-up on me. After I told her why I felt that way, she said that I was pregnant and already 3 months in. I was worried about what you would think about it so at the beginning of January of the year I turn 20, I packed and studied University abroad. She was so cute. I watched her grow and by the time she was one, she could walk and say a few simple words here and there. She was so smart. I was already back in Japan at that time. She knew Kyoto-ben too, since we stayed somewhere in between Nagoya and Mount Fuji so we did travel occasionally to both Tokyo and Kyoto. We distanced ourselves from others and went for a hike up Mount Fuji every morning." A shadow formed and covered her eyes.

"But when she was 2, I decided to tell you about her, but you told me that you like Masashi, so I couldn't bring myself to tell you. Worse still, on the way back, I met with an accident. I escaped from the hospital on that day right after my wounds were bandaged and sent her to an orphanage. I knew I would fall into a coma the minute I returned to the hospital, because I overheard the doctor talking with a nurse who informed him that I had escaped."

"What? She was supposed to be in a coma! And I'm sure of it! A coma is unavoidable with injuries like those after an accident like that!"

"That's what he said. I didn't know when I would wake up, so I left her there. I did tell them that I would prefer someone kind that she would like to adopt her. In my heart, I always hoped that that person would be you." Shizuru listened to all this quietly.

"Natsuki…" An accident? Wait, I did remember an article about an accident where the victim that was supposed to be in a coma disappeared mysteriously from the hospital on that very day just to return a few hours later and falling into the expected coma.

"After I returned to the hospital, I collapsed and fell into the coma that I was expected to fall into in the first place. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. Alone. There was no one beside me. Kind of reminded me of that time when I was 7 after my accident. When I went back to the orphanage, I heard that she was already adopted."

"Natsuki…" Suddenly, there was a loud gasp. They turned to see Masashi and Chinatsu. Chinatsu ran over and hugged Shizuru but when she turned to Natsuki, her eyes widened. Natsuki just looked away.

Chinatsu's Dreams

Dream 1

"Mother, the teacher said to write about Chinatsu's family." She said to the blue-haired lady cooking in the kitchen. She turned to reveal her green eyes and smiled.

"Really? What did the kindergarten teacher ask about?"

"Umm… Chinatsu's parents. And how they came up with Chinatsu's name."

"Well, you have another mother."

"Chinatsu has two mothers?" The lady nodded.

"What is she like?"

"Let's see… She has brown hair like yours and red eyes like blood."

"Is that where the 'Chi' in Chinatsu's name came from?"

"Yes, you're very smart, Chinatsu. The 'Natsu' in your name came from me."

"From you?"

"Yes. My name is 'Natsuki' so the 'Natsu' in your name came from me. You were born in Summer so it's a fitting name."

"Chinatsu love Mother! Chinatsu want to stay with Mother forever! Promise Chinatsu, Mother, to stay with Chinatsu forever!" The lady smiled.

"Promise."

Second Dream

"Mother! You promised Chinatsu!" As a lady held onto Chinatsu, the lady with blue hair said to the lady to take her away.

"Please… take care… of Chinatsu… I'll be going… back to the… hospital… I'd prefer someone she would… like to… adopt her…"

"Mother! Please don't leave Chinatsu here! Chinatsu want to stay with you forever!"

"Tell… that person who's… going to adopt her… that her parents died in… an accident…"

"Mother! You promised Chinatsu to stay with Chinatsu forever! MOTHER!"

Third Dream

"Poor girl. She opened up to no one after that."

"I don't think she can help it. Her mother abandoned her after all."

"She didn't. She was wrapped in bandages when she dropped her off, right?"

"Yeah. I went to check the hospital after that but she had fallen into a coma."

"I'm sure she didn't abandon her. I think she wanted to leave her daughter in safe hands." The adults continue to chatter while a little girl, unknown to them, was listening.

End of Dreams

"Natsuki, what's wrong?" Chinatsu's head snapped up. Natsuki?

"Nothing." That voice…

"It isn't nothing if you're crying. What's wrong? Tell me."

"Mama." Chinatsu ran to Shizuru and hugged her tightly.

"Chinatsu, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I don't know. Maybe she just wants to go home."

"I doubt it, Masashi. And another thing, we need to talk once we get back." He shivered at her cold voice. As the wind blew, Natsuki's hair flew to the side to reveal a small scar at the back of her neck. Chinatsu's eyes widened.

FLASHBACK (Dream 4)

"Mother?"

"Yes?"

"Where did you get that scar?"

"Where?"

"At the back of your neck."

"Well, your other mother did that."

"Why?"

"Well, when I was young, there was something called the HIME Carnival. Your mother and I fought and the naginata that she wielded cut me there. It wasn't deep enough to be fatal, but it was deep enough to leave a scar."

END OF FLASHBACK

"Kanin na, Natsuki. It must have hurt when I cut there with my naginata."

"It's ok, Shizuru. It's in the past after all." Chinatsu let go of Shizuru. That's right. It all makes sense. Natsuki. Naginata. Scar. This person called Natsuki… She walked to Natsuki.

"Why?" Natsuki faced her with tears in her eyes.

"Chinatsu?" Shizuru was confused at her question.

"Why did you break our promise?" Natsuki let the tears fall.

"You promised to stay by my side forever." Shizuru looked at Natsuki who was looking at Chinatsu with eyes full of… Guilt?

"You raised me." Chinatsu took a step forward.

"I was happy." Another step.

"I loved you." Another step.

"It's been 3 years since then." Another step.

"3 years, since you left me there." She stopped in front of Natsuki. The 5-year-old's eyes reflected anger and sadness.

"Why did you ruin everything?"

"What are you saying, Chinatsu?" Shizuru asked.

"Why? Tell me why. Mother!" Shizuru froze.

"Mother?" Natsuki hugged the girl.

"I'm sorry, Chinatsu. I didn't want to but I had no choice. I got into an accident."

"Accident? When? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to. You were just 2. I was afraid of your reaction. Plus, there was no one to take care of you so I had to leave you there."

"Why didn't you come and visit me then?"

"Do you remember what a coma is?"

"Yeah, it's when a person falls into a deep sleep and nobody knows when that person will wake up."

"I fell into a coma after returning to the hospital." Chinatsu stared at Natsuki for a while. Then, she sighed before smiling.

"Ok, Mother. I feel so relieved that you didn't abandon me. I can't believe I hated you for 3 years for breaking our promise but now, I forgive you." She hugged Natsuki.

"You are my mother after all. Ookini, Mother, for not forgetting about Chinatsu." Natsuki smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Natsuki, Chinatsu is the child you were pregnant with?"

"Yeah. Actually, Shizuru…" Shizuru looked sad. She already has someone else.

"She's our daughter." Her eyes widened. Chinatsu turned to face her.

"She's right, Mama. Her description at that time fits you perfectly."

"Wait, what?"

"You're Chinatsu's other parent." Masashi had a really bad feeling…

"I think I hear someone calling for me. Got to go. Talk next time, Shizuru." So he tried to get away…

"There is no one in this isolated place, Masashi." And failed…

"And I think Shizuru isn't the only one who has business with you." Big time.

"I think you own me an explanation too." He's screwed. And he knows. In the end, he was sent to the Fujino Private Prison for, well, until Shizuru forgives him. As for the rest, they were told everything and irritated Natsuki with their various reactions.

Done! Let me know if you think I should write another chapter where Shizuru didn't make it in time to save Natsuki.

*doorbell rings* *Author answers it to see Shizuru holding naginata with a dark aura surrounding her.*

Shizuru: That had better not come true, Author-san.

Me: I-It isn't me w-who will decide, y-you know… It d-depends on the r-readers.

Shizuru: Ara, Author-san, I didn't quite catch that. Can you repeat it for me?

Me: HELP!