The Final Revelations

By

DrummondType2

Shizuru came home from class, to the apartment she shared with Natsuki Kuga. Natsuki, still in her second year at Fuuka Academy, should have been home. Her classes let out around the same time as Shizuru's, but the Academy was closer to the apartments than the High School, and Natsuki had her motorcycle.

And yet, Natsuki was not home. Shizuru frowned. It wasn't unheard of for Natsuki to run late, once in awhile, but it was usually because she had been invited to hit a patisserie by Mai and Mikoto, or to pick up a few items for dinner at one of the shops along the way, and she would invariably text Shizuru to let her know she would be a little late.

Natsuki's CHILD had been a wolf, a canine. And as Nagi had said, a HiME's CHILD chose her based on their symetry, their compatibility. Natsuki had once told Shizuru that she loved dogs because unlike people, dogs were incapable of lying. The same, Shizuru observed with a mild smile, could be said of Natsuki herself. It was, Shizuru reflected with some realization, precisely why she loved Natsuki. Whatever Natsuki was at any given time, she was always honest about it. Direct. Straightforward. So unlike the business world or the upbringing she'd had in Kyoto, where much of the customs were based on talking around something, rather than addressing it outright. Natsuki represented the honesty that Shizuru had always craved in her life, and now she had it.

Since Natsuki wasn't home and she hadn't called or texted to inform Shizuru that she would be late, that left three very distinct possibilities in Shizuru's mind. The first was that Natsuki's phone had died. But then she could have just borrowed Mai's phone to get the message out. The second possibility was that Natsuki had forgotten to text or call. But Natsuki was one of the most dilligent people Shizuru knew. Her whole life was based on cautiousness and routines for safety. Forgetting wasn't outside the realm of extreme possibility, but it seemed unlikely. And the third possibility was that Natsuki had been in an accident involving her motorcycle, and was in no condition to call, being either injured or…

"No," Shizuru shook her head, "She's not…I would know."

There was a knock at the apartment door. It was Natsuki's apartment. She wouldn't need to knock. Indeed, she had to be teased and cajoled into giving a customary "tadaima" whenever she returned home, or an "okaeri" when Shizuru did.

Shizuru opened the door only to find a familiar, if unexpected, face. Kaiji Sakomizu was standing outside of Natsuki's apartment.

"Sakomizu-sensei?" Shizuru was a master at wearing a social mask, but she couldn't hide her surprise at seeing the Fuuka instructor at the door, "To what do I owe the pleasure? To the best of my knowledge, Natsuki doesn't have any classes with you, and I haven't been one of your pupils since Middle School."

Sakomizu looked remarkably uncomfortable, ringing his hands nervously, "Um…Fujino-san, I need you to come with me to the Academy. Kuga-san is…she's in the infirmary, and…"

Sakomizu didn't get to finish. Shizuru looked as if the bottom had dropped out of her world, and she was immediately asking questions.

"Dear lord, is she alright? Was she hurt? Was it her motorcycle? Or remnants from District One? Will she be okay?"

"Please, Fujino-san," Sakomizu put his hands over hers, at which point she realized that she'd grabbed him by his sport's coat. She released him, embarrassed. She thought she'd banished that part of herself after the events of the Festival.

"I'm sorry," She manage.

"It's alright. Look, she's fine, but I think she needs you to be there. It's…complicated."

"Why did no one call me?" Shizuru asked as she followed Sakomizu to the elevator, locking the apartment door behind her.

"We tried," Sakomizu said, "Himeno-san insisted. But your phone gave us a recorded message."

Shizuru blinked, then hit her forehead gently with the heal of her palm. Her phone was set to block calls and texts from unapproved numbers. She'd never thought to keep the Fuuka Academy number in her contacts after she'd graduated.

"An oversight," she chided herself, "I will return Fuuka Academy to my approved contacts."

They made it to Sakomizu's car, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Sakomizu started the car, and gave a heavy sigh, "It started when Genichiro Kuga came to visit her on campus, today."

"Genichiro Kuga?" Shizuru frowned, "Natsuki's father? He's been largely absent from her life since the incident that took her mother. Why…?"

Sakomizu wiped his face with one sweaty palm, then gripped the wheel again, "There's…some things you need to know. Some things Natsuki needed to know. It all started that night, almost ten years ago now. No, it started nearly eightteen years ago, now, but ten years ago was when it came to a head."

"I know that you were a member of District One," Shizuru spoke calmly, "And that you were directly involved in the incident that killed Doctor Kuga. Natsuki told me everything. She also told me that she had forgiven you. That is why I spared you, if you were wondering."

Sakomizu gave a soft, mirthless laugh, "I had my suspicions. My orders were to arrest Saeko Kuga and take Natsuki into protective custody of District One. But Saeko overcorrected when she saw us waiting, and…she didn't survive the crash. I…I dove in and I managed to pull Natsuki from the car. I called the ambulance, told them that I'd witnessed an accident. I had to accompany them to the hospital…"

~~*~~

Ten Years Ago…

Sakomizu watched as Genichiro Kuga entered the hospital's lobby, "Is it true, Sakomizu? Is Saeko dead?"

Sakomizu nodded, "She is. I'm sorry. But Natsuki is alive. I saw her car go off the cliff, and I was able to get Natsuki out. I'm afraid that…Saeko and the dog didn't make it. They were both killed on impact."

Genichiro nodded, "I need to see her."

"They're still working on her," Sakomizu informed him, "I'm waiting for the doctors to…"

It was at that moment that a doctor approached them, "Am I to assume, sir, that you are Genichiro Kuga?"

"Yes. What's happening with my daughter?"

"She took in some seawater, and we're concerned about pneumonia. She also sustained a blow to the head in the crash, and there was a subdural hematoma. We had to operate to alleviate the pressure. There will be some scarring, but when her hair regrows, it will be entirely concealed. We do need to do a transfusion. Please come with us while we do the cross-typing."

Genichiro went off with the doctor, and Sakomizu sat in a chair.

"You should have just put some sort of sleeping pills in her coffee," an slightly amused voice spoke to Sakomizu from behind him. He noticed that everyone else seemed frozen in place, and the world had turned grey. A glance over his shoulder confirmed his worst fear. Those cruel pink eyes were staring at him with mild amusement.

"You're here to kill me, then," Sakomizu sighed.

"Me? I don't really like getting my hands dirty, you know. Besides, it's not like you were violating orders or anything. We told you to arrest Doctor Kuga. It's hardly your fault that she panicked. And more importantly, you rescued the girl. Little Natsuki will make it to the Festival. The power of the Star will see to that. But they'll be back for you in a bit. I think we both know why. Well…tell you what. Why don't we shutter that facility? With Dr. Kuga gone, not much use in it, anyway. We'll transfer you over to the Fuuka Academy. Why, in a few years, you can look over her yourself."

Sakomizu nodded, "My punishment?"

"It's all in how you see it," Nagi Homura grinned, shrugging, "Well, see you around."

And with that, everything was moving again, and Nagi was gone.

Sakomizu sat, quietly, in the uncomfortable plastic chairs for what seemed like an eternity. In reality, it was less than an hour.

Genichiro Kuga walked over to Sakomizu and seized him by the color. Sakomizu was thinner in those days, stronger. He could have broken the hold. But he didn't. He didn't know if Kuga was going to strike him, but he already knew the source of his rage.

"My blood doesn't match. In fact, they asked me if Natsuki was adopted, or Saeko's from a previous marriage. Natsuki is Blood Type A. Both Saeko and I are Type B. Saeko was Type B. That means that Natsuki should have been either a B, or an O. But you? You're Type A, aren't you?"

Sakomizu didn't deny it.

Genichiro drew in a deep breath, and then he exhaled, releasing Sakomizu, "Go. Your daughter needs you."

~~*~~

(Present Day)

"After that, Genichiro Kuga would visit her in the hospital from time to time, but he left before she came out of the coma," Sakomizu said, "He loved Natsuki as his daughter for eight years before he learned the truth. But finding out that she wasn't his…I know he sent money for her to live on, but learning she wasn't his own flesh and blood, and knowing what he knew of the Festival, from Saeko…it was too hard for him. He writes her from time to time, and he lets her believe that he ran out to be with his mistress. It's easier for him. But when the Festival ended with all of you alive…"

"He decided to mend fences," Shizuru concluded, "May I ask you a question?"

"You want to know why I never told Natsuki who I really was to her, right?" Sakomizu pulled in to the parking lot of Fuuka Academy, "I loved Saeko, I honestly did. But, when she was attempting to leave the organization, I sided with them, not with her. And though it wasn't what I wanted to happen, that decision cost Saeko her life. How could I go to Natsuki and tell her that I was her biological father when I was the one who cost her her mother?"

Shizuru nodded, "Genichiro Kuga has returned, and Natsuki is in the infirmary. What happened?"

"I wasn't there. I don't know all the details. But the one thing Fumi Himeno told me when she sent me to collect you was this, 'Natsuki knows the truth, now.'"

Shizuru exited the car and began to make her way to the infirmary. There was a distinct lack of following footsteps. She turned to look at Sakomizu, "Aren't you coming?"

Sakomizu shook his head, "Natsuki has become a very kind and forgiving person, but it isn't my place to force my way into her life. I can't make that decision for her. If she wants to talk, she'll know where to find me. Right now…you're the person she wants in her life, and so bringing you is the best I can do."

Shizuru felt both angery at Sakomizu, and also pity at the same time. But it was easy enough for her to consider herself to be of many minds about anything. She was, after all, the HiME whose child had six heads. The many faces of Shizuru Fujino.

She made her way to the infirmary, where she found Yohko Sagisawa examining Natsuki, "Oh, Fujino-san. You're here. Kuga just came to, and I was giving her a quick check. She was a little overwhelmed after her father came back."

Natsuki gave Shizuru a weak smile, "Oh, hey, Shizuru."

Shizuru walked over and gently embraced her, "I heard my Natsuki had a rough day."

Natsuki scoffed, "To put it lightly."

"Sakomizu-sensei told me a very interesting story when he brought me here," Shizuru ran her fingers gently through Natsuki's hair. She encountered the scar tissue on her scalp, hidden by her long cobalt tresses, "To think, Natsuki was carrying something like this for so long and I never noticed. I'm sorry, Natsuki."

"If you mean my scar," Natsuki shrugged, "I can't even see it when I look in the mirror. It doesn't bother me."

"And what of the burden that your father put on you, today?" Shizuru asked.

Natsuki gave her a rueful smile, "Which one? Genichiro Kuga, the man I've called Father since the day I was born? Or Kaiji Sakomizu, the guy who actually contributed the DNA, and who, incidentally, has been looking out for me since I started at Fuuka Academy?"

"And what did Kuga-han want?" Shizuru asked.

"My forgiveness. He told me that with Mom's death, and learning about her and Sakomizu, he just couldn't hold it together. He ran out on me because facing the truth hurt too much. He…told me wanted to be a part of my life again."

"And what did you say?"

Natsuki stood up, smoothing down her skirt, "Well, recently I became a very sappy, forgiving person. So I told him that I would let him back in on a trial basis."

"And Sakomizu-sensei?"

Natsuki scoffed, "If I know him, he's in the garden, wallowing in soil and guilt. I forgave him for Mom a long time ago. He wasn't trying to kill her. And he's done everything he could to help me. I guess, I've kinda been thinking of him as being like my Dad for awhile now. Why am I always the last one to know how I feel, Shizuru? I didn't know how I felt about you until we fought. I didn't know how I felt about Dad and Sakomizu until I died and came back. Your Natsuki is an idiot. How do you put up with me?"

Shizuru smiled, "Because my Natsuki is such a kind person."

Natsuki gave a laugh, lowering her head and then looking at Shizuru. She gave her a quick kiss.

"Come on. I've squared things away with one Dad. Now I've got to go check on the other one."

As Natsuki had predicted, they found Sakomizu in the garden. She walked over to the large tree and leaned against it. She crossed her arms over her chest, closing her eyes, and adopted her most somber voice.

"I got some new information today that I need you to verify," Natsuki said.

"I have it on good authority that what you were told was fairly accurate," Sakomizu didn't look up from the weeds.

"I see. So, then, my Mom did have a fling with a fellow lab employee."

"…Yes."

"And given everything else we've learned since then, that particular lab member would likely be my biological father."

"So it seems."

"But I also have it on good authority that while this lab member never actually came forward to tell me this, he has been providing me with material support and the occasional moral boost during my investigation of District One."

"Yes. But you also know that he was involved, however unintentionally, in the death of your Mother."

"I think his role in that has been eating away at him," Natsuki lifting herself off of the tree and slowly, silently walking towards Sakomizu, "What's more, helping me the way he did wasn't exactly safe, was it?"

"No. If he'd been caught, it would have resulted in severe disciplinary action. Imprisonment of death, most likely."

"Whatever his sins, he's repented," Natsuki said, "And he's been torturing himself for a long time."

She embraced Sakomizu from behind, "I'd be more than happy if you came home, Dad."

Sakomizu stood up, dusting the soil from his hands. Natsuki let go of him and put an arm around Shizuru as she approached.

"Natsuki, I…I'm proud of you, you know," Sakomizu said, "Why don't we discuss everything over dinner. I know a quaint little place nearby."

"Ara, ara, I've always wanted to meet Natsuki's family," Shizuru grinned.

"Shizuru!"

Everyone laughed as they walked off to the parking lot.