CHAPTER 3
OF FUTURES AND PASTS
Natsuki
I woke up with two people hugging me from the front and the back. Shizuru is spooning me from behind and is tickling the back and had encircled my waist gently. Hazuki was clutching the front of my shirt and her face at the crook of my neck. Of course Hazuki is also a cuddler, a trait that is definitely Shizuru's as shown in my position now. I smile despite of everything, it's been a long time since I slept next to Shizuru, I forgot how I missed her body next to mine, and the body of our child next to me is also giving me happiness. I had became used to calling her my child despite a very short time we had together, despite all my logic and common sense saying that it can't be true, my heart is saying otherwise. The DNA test that I had submitted to our laboratory yesterday would confirm or deny my suspicions. But even if she is not mine or ours I had already decided that we will help her. Last night events flooded to my head and I frowned.
" Mama in our time, a month before I went here, Papa died"
My mouth was hanging open and I was very shock, when my wits started to come back I was about to ask her to tell us more when Shizuru put her hand to my shoulder and shook her head silently telling me "No". She kneeled and put both her hands at our child's cheeks.
Hazuki you can see Papa right? She nodded. You can feel me right? Hazuki put her hands above Shizuru's, and then nodded. Then trust me my child I will make things right okay? And Shizuru smiled genuinely to our child. Hazuki blinked away her brimming tears and smiled back to her father. Shizuru then pat her head and said. Go now and play Mama and I will just talk. And like a ball of energy our child laughed and played at the dining room.
Shizuru looked at me calmly and said, just be calm Natsuki everything will be alright. With slight irritation and anger due to worry and sadness I replied. I'm not a child anymore Shizuru, I know a huge problem when I see one, honestly I'm quite surprised you're so calm Shiz. It's youre death were talking about.
Shizuru sighed but it's more of a tired sigh than a worried sigh. I need tea for this conversation Natsuki, would you mind waiting at the garden. I grudgingly agreed.
Asking me to go to the garden just shows yet again how much Shizuru knows me. Looking the calming swaying of beautiful plants and the cool evening air definitely calmed me, both Shizuru and I grew up in province, we always crave its quiet solitude and simplicity. By the time she's back I have calmed down significantly.
We both sipped tea then Shizuru started talking. First of all Natsuki I am calm because considering all of Hazuki's statement is accurate, I would have lived a quiet happy life before I died, Married happily for 6 years and a mother for 4 years, I was about to retort when raised her pointer fingers and said. Let me finish. Second I was sure I did not die due to any accident that can be prevented by going back to the past or anything easily avoidable for that matter. I was confused. How can you be so sure? I asked. The presence of Hazuki here now confirms it. According to her YOU sent her here, and from I had gathered she was not worried about you or your future well-being meaning you are well in the future. Considering all these, why then didn't the future you come back to the past yourself of come back to the time right before my death if it was easily avoidable? Now that I think about it Shizuru has a point, considering all these it looks like Hazuki's purpose here is not saving Shizuru but…. Realization sets in and Shizuru saw my face and said. Yes, whatever you realize is correct, the person being sent in the past and the timeline she was sent just point to one thing, You did not come yourself because you can't, and you can't trust anyone else aside from yourself and me so you send her to our younger selves. Why do you think you would let your child alone to travel the very dangerous new technology like travelling the space time continuum? Because you can't protect her from the danger in the future if you travel with her. These also points to a very big danger, you didn't try to save me because I was not easily saved. My eyes widen and she continued. I have came to conclusion that I am not easily saved because I was murdered, that's the only thing aside from an accident that would force me to leave you and my child despite the dangers. Lastly you sent her here despite the risks because of one and only one thing, she paused but I already know what she would say and steeled my resolve. She continued. Not to save me but to protect her.
It is a beautiful morning. Shizuki, Hazuki and I were walking here in Fuuka Academy's ground to go to class. You might be wondering why our "child" is with us in class, well Shizuru and I had decided that the child's education is important and that we should continue it as much as possible, so we decided to enroll her in the Fuuka Preparatory School, which is just at the back of the Fuuka Academy school. Thus, the reason we are walking her now to her class. She is now hanging like a koala at Shizuru's neck half-asleep; she's not a morning person, another trait from me, though I thought my nightly rendezvous were the cause of my grumpiness in the morning, now I conclude that is genetic.
Though that is not my main concern right now, my main concern are the squealing fangirls of Shizuru who keeps Awwwing and Owwing everytime Shizuru acts maternally to Hazuki like now. She is caressing Hazuki's hair and back while softly humming to her. Shizuru loves the child's hair, Nao said she likes it because it looks a lot like mine, which I can't deny. Anyway here are the snippets of the fangirls conversations.
"Owww, kaichou and Chu-chan are really cute~" moaned fangirl 1
"Yeah, kaichou is really a good mother, or father according to the child" fangirl 2 giggled
"And have really good genes too! Have you looked at the child's jaw, the shape of the face, and the eyes? Oh especially the eyes, that's definitely kaichou's!" exclaimed fangirl 3
" She's already very energetic, smart and polite, Hayyyy!" sighed fangirl 1 "I wished kaichou had child with me instead I would die happy"
All of them giggled, and that's where I draw the line, These fangirls always seem to forget that Hazuki is MY and Shizuru's child. I gave them the good old Death Glare and they scurried off. These fangirls were really incorrigible. They numbers have doubled if not tripled since Hazuki's arrival. They always flirt with Shizuru and Play with Hazuki. Actually I don't mind the latter but is really irritated by the former, not just because they don't even try to hide it but also because Shizuru flirts back. Not that I'm jealous. though if I am, I certainly lose my right to do so since I rejected her a year ago. Nonetheless I still make sure that these fangirls know their limits. When Shizuru decided to come out, aside from psychological and emotional relief and freedom that it will give her, I thought one of the best improvements is that she will be also free of her fangirls as well. Apparently that's not the case. They did keep their distance for at least a month, the tension in the school was very thick that month. Some idiot boys and even a few girls even tried to bully Shizuru, but they learned that Shizuru never lets anyone step on her the hard way. They were suspended for a week and had to make an embarrassing public apology on how homophobic and idiot they were, and Shizuru gave a very powerful speech on how equality and respect on every human being is not an option but a necessity. What makes Shizuru very dangerous is that she did all these without even once losing her temper doing it with such calm and elegance. Her speech has emotions and emphasis on right places but never losing control of it. A perfect civilized leader, these made even the most conservative admin and board members agree to her revision of school rules making bullying, and homophobic behavior have more punishment. After that the tide seem to shift toward her, at first gays and lesbians were the only one supporting her but the number increasingly increased, not to mention the homophobics are scared as Shizuru is very skilled in making people regret trying to oppose her. Then the fangirls started coming back too saying that "Kaichou is very brave and inspirational". Now the fangirls do not just adore her anymore, getting into her pants was also an option apparently.
But what frustrates me is that even me doesn't know what goes on her mind anymore. I hate it that she know the meaning of my every word and emotions, my every actions, but I always have difficulty knowing hers. Maybe Nao was right, I am a shitty friend to Shizuru.
Hazuki stirred and then Shizuru said
"Baby can you go to Mama's arms for a while? Papa is just going to check her email." Then she smiled to our child
"Kay" Hazuki said while yawning then stretched out her arms to me. I carried her and played with her a bit.
Shizuru
Under the pretext of checking my mail on the phone, I concentrated on glaring on these hormonal and perverted boys looking at MY Natsuki and OUR child. Not that this is the first time that Natsuki has garnered attention, but Natsuki's fanboys had dwindled through the years since she hadn't shown ANY interest in them, many of them assumed that she's asexual or lesbian for that matter, but the latter seems to turn them on not off, these useless apes. But the arrival of our child, revealed the inner child and motherly behavior of Natsuki that I had hoped only me and our immediate family and friends would see. This made these imbeciles think they had any chance at the mother of my child. There delusional, so I glare at every one of them, a glare that would make any of them shit in their pants, then I list their names at my head, they are so getting punished after class.
Ken
The whole Viola-Fujino are gathered in the living room are trying to read the results of the unbelievable DNA test, that tells us that the child hanging limply sleeping in Shizuru's neck is in fact her child and a part of the family. Grandma and mother should never believe these things, but the way they look at Shizuru burn the pits of my stomach. Unadulterated trust, they never looked at me like that, nor any of my siblings for that matter.
The Fujino family is a very old, influential and powerful family. We are the Roscthchilds of Japan. Our lineage is so noble we even intermarried to the royal family several times. The official records states that our family are at least a thousand years old, an offshoot from the royal family, but the truth as many believes is that we are much much older than that. An epic or myth featuring our family is still widely known today.
It started with Jun Fujino, a powerful warlord when Japan was at its infancy. He was a good and wise leader, but even during those chaotic times he was never a bloodthirsty warrior. He would prefer peace and prosperity than war and glory at any time. But everything changed when he met the warrior princess Sana. Tensions were starting to rise between warlords, and Sana's father a less powerful warlord ask Jun for alliance against the rival clan Masaki, in exchange after the war they are willing to give up their lands and titles and become vassals to the Fujino's. The Masaki clan was the second most powerful clan at that time and no one can oppose them except the most powerful Fujino's. But Jun wants' to maintain the peace in his domain and almost declined. But one night before he officially express his decisions, Sana had talked to him and told him she knew he was going to decline and ask him what it's going to take to change his decision. Jun half-heartedly told her he wants her hand in marriage, knowing full well the stubborn nature of the princess, she had quite a reputation in defeating and insulting, her suitors in fact Jun knew this is the source of the conflict in the first place, when Sana refused the Masaki's heir in his marriage proposal and he took offense. Sana was not impressed she asked Jun if she want's to suffer the same humiliation the Masaki's heir had suffered, Jun was impressed in the princess' boldness and he can't help but admire the princess more. He told her "No I would definitely not want to be humiliated by defeat especially in my own home" he smirked, "But defeat comes in many ways my dear princess, let me woe you and show you that I am worthy to be your spouse after a year and I am not able to persuade I would burn the Masaki's to the ground, not only will I let your clan keep your lands I would grant you the conquered lands of the Masaki's", " And if you 'persuade' me?", "Our marriage will surely appease the Masaki's as you have chosen a better suitor as your husband and a war would be prevented, but the lands of your clan will now belong to the Fujino's as promised, but you will still be able to manage it at my spouse, So do we have a deal?":. The princess looked at the smirking,arrogant Lord, the young Lord was confident, why wouldn't he? he was the most eligible bachelor in all the lands and known womanizer nobody can resist his charm, and she have to admit the young lord is handsome, and his care for his people in really endearing, but she wasn't known as the "Unattainable Princess" for nothing, she looked at the offered hand of the young lord and sealed their fates and the fates of their descendants forever
Deal.