*Please note that there were added new scenes in the previous chapter. If you've missed them by any chance, please reread the chapter and find out. Sorry for the inconvenience occurred!
Enjoy the story!
27. The Crimson Revelation
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The gates of the mansion house were wide open, welcoming the gloom from outside world like never before. The rain had started to pour, melting the shields of the grimy afternoon, adding some more effect to the ambience of grief, both inside and outside.
Guards, in their dull raincoats, were searching the surrounding area with their flashlights on, though their intention was not so clear, at least for themselves.
It had been hours since everyone had arrived at the mansion, trying to find some clue to start their investigations, when the guards spotted his fiercely moving vehicle, smashing through the open gates, making them jump out of the way, yearning for their lives.
The car stopped right before the main door, knocking down the porcelain statue of a maiden carrying a pot, smashing it into pieces. That smashing sound made the others come out, their eyes widened in terror.
He got down, making everyone gasp in horror. His bloodstained shirt, his messy raven hair and his burning crimson orbs were giving them shrieks undoubtedly. He stood there silent, staring at the crowd in front of his blood-red eyes, letting the rain kiss away his pain for a moment, until his best friend came forward, looking at him with a mixed feeling of fear and anxiety.
"Natsume..." The blonde guy mumbled, walking towards his frustrated best friend as if he was going to tame a wild boar.
"Where is she." Natsume asked, rain drops rolling down from his wet raven bangs to his gloomy face.
"Natsume... Where... were you?" Ruka asked, stammering, purposely skipping his question, as Natsume's tall figure crossed the distance between them, swiftly.
"Where is she." Out came from Natsume's pale purple lips, keeping his eyes focused on those of his terrified best friend's.
"We thought she was with you, Hyuuga." The never-shaken cold voice of Imai Hotaru spoke, out of the blue, coming out from nowhere, determined.
Hearing her speak, Natsume started to walk forward, frustrated than ever before. Pushing everyone away, he walked inside the house, and towards their new room downstairs. He felt his heart screaming when he banged open the door and walked in, only to find an empty room with no trace of her in it. Suddenly his knees started to wobble, reminding him that, for God's sake, he was drunk. But that wasn't the time to surrender. He couldn't let his drunken senses block his way at the moment. He felt his vision darkening and his senses starting to cheat on him as he kept on moving forward until he found her rose pink wardrobe. Weeping silently, he opened it, only to find nothing missing except for a bunch of new towels, she had kept happily till the day of her delivery and a few white sheets and flannels she had kept to wrap their baby. Seeing them missing, his heart started to stray around many conclusions. He didn't know what to think at the moment but he knew one thing clearly: he had no time to waste sorting things out.
Even through his dark drunken vision, he found his way out of the house again, making Ruka and Narumi follow him hurriedly.
"Natsume..." Ruka called out for him only to gain no response.
"Natsume-kun!" It was Narumi's voice.
"Don't follow me." Natsume replied, his hoarse voice competing that of frightening thunder.
"But Natsume-kun...! You can't go search for her like this! Let us do it for you!" A very worried Narumi spoke out, making Natsume turn his head to look at him, his crimson eyes piercing through the grimy rain.
"That... was my fault. I shouldn't have left her alone. I shouldn't have trusted anybody!" Natsume said, almost yelled out of anger, spitting out the words, shooting death glares at his frightened-to-death household staff.
"Go." A cold voice added to the air. "Go find her, Natsume." She continued as Natsume gave her an emotionless stare and got into his car, his eyes fixed on almost nothing.
As he drove off, half lost and half dead, the others kept silent until Ruka cleared his throat to find some words to fill the gap.
"Why did you let him go? He might kill himself on the road! He's not in a state to—"
"He's not in a state to stay back either." The raven haired girl said, her eyes fixed on the gleaming lights of the gloomy buildings outside the gates.
"But... I'm gonna go follow him." Ruka said hurriedly before he rushed towards his car, making Hotaru follow him without thinking twice.
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He wiped his eyes a thousand times, to keep them focused. He didn't know where he was heading nor did he have a plan in his mind to follow in order to find her. Instead, he followed his instinct, or maybe he hoped his instinct would take him to her. So he drove, around the boundaries of the mansion first and then moved away from it. She had only one and a half months left for her delivery, and here she had gone missing, making Natsume imagine the worst possible reason of all.
After driving for another fifteen painful minutes, he reached the other bank of the Kamogamo; an area known for its serenity and of course for Japanese folk medicine. Natsume could remember how his mother used to pay casual visits to the place with him when she was bearing his sister, Aoi, and those huts from back then were still there in front of his eyes, serine but at the same time, mysterious.
With some trepidation, he got down from the vehicle and started to walk in the direction of one of the brightly lit huts. He didn't know what made him do that but there was no other choice for him as well. The rain was still pouring with the same intensity, drowning both his body and soul in its grimy waters.
"Hyuuga-sama?"
Natsume heard somebody calling his name.
"Huh?" He looked in the direction of the voice and found a pair of haggard eyes looking at his young crimson ones, surprised.
"Those eyes are remarkable... They can't hide their identity..."
The old lady spoke, her wrinkled face shaking with utmost bliss.
"I'm looking for my wife." Natsume said out of the blue, as if she had asked what he was looking for.
"I'm afraid your baby's in danger." The old lady spoke in a mysterious tone, making Natsume's eyes go wild.
"Where is she?! Where's she now!" Natsume demanded as the old lady pointed her index finger at one dark hut which was built away from all the others.
"Thanks." Natsume said and was gone before she could open her wrinkled mouth to reply.
"Save your child, son."
She said and smiled in the direction he'd run off.
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That part of the yard wasn't lit properly, making it difficult for Natsume to see through the ghostly trees which were short, stout and definitely, very old. The rain had started to pour like crazy, cold damp wind blowing at his already numb face. The hut that old lady had shown was shut tight so there was no meaning in breaking and entering. Natsume couldn't decide where to go until he heard a series of heavy breathing coming out from the backyard of the shabby little hut, making a shot of agony run through his spine. He ran in the direction of the sound, wiping his dripping wet face with his palm, clearing his vision.
She wasn't there.
He scraped his head with both of his hands, disappointed. Then walked forward, further into the woods, his heart screaming in pain.
"Mikan!"
He yelled at her sight.
He didn't know when he had reached her and taken her into a warm embrace, covering her from the piercing rain.
"Mikan..." He whispered, her shivering lips buried in his chest.
"For God's sake, what the hell are you doing here!" Natsume yelled, pressing her more into his body. He wasn't really accusing her, but he just couldn't hold down his voice. He was hurt. So was she.
She didn't reply, her voice suppressed by her extreme pain.
"Why aren't you talking!" Natsume asked again, pressing her head with his chin, kissing it from time to time.
"I... I killed..." She stammered, making Natsume look at her eyes, pushing her to face him.
"I killed his baby!" She said it, tears oozing from her eyes, mixing with the rain drops. Hearing her saying that, Natsume's heart sank. He felt his world shattering into pieces as she spoke those words with the lips he used to kiss. It was only then he noticed her bloodstained white flowery dress, and that she was still, bleeding.
"Why on earth! What the hell have you done to my boy!" He yelled, his voice almost howling. Mikan had never seen him in such a distress. She actually had never seen him shedding tears, but that day, he didn't see the necessity to hide it anymore.
"Natsume..." Mikan cried, looking into his weeping crimson eyes, completely forgetting her pain.
"Natsume... It wasn't... It wasn't yours!" Mikan said, sobbing heavily.
"It was! I felt it! It was and you killed my son!" Natsume cried his lungs out, making Mikan's eyes widen.
"But... Natsume... All I wanted was your happiness!"
"What happiness are you talking about!"
"I didn't want to take a risk!"
"Then what do you call this? Ain't it a risk! It could've killed you!"
"I don't care about me."
"What?"
"I don't care about me anymore." She whispered, her pale face buried in his chest, whimpering painfully by now.
Hearing her words, Natsume stood up at once, lifting her in his arms, bridal style.
"Well, I do!"
He said before he started to walk forward, carrying his bleeding wife, hugging her safely to his chest, with his heart racing like crazy.
"Take her in! Take her in right now! She's ready for her labour!"
The spectacled doctor shouted out in a hurry, as the nurses made her sit on a wheelchair with her whining painfully.
"Mikan! Mikan!" She heard her husband calling out for her, his hoarse voice howling through the tall hospital roof.
"Please, Mr. Hyuuga... Stay here... They'll take care of her, don't worry!" A nurse spoke, blocking his way towards his wife.
"Out of my way, **tch!" He yelled, making the woman jump aside, clearing his way.
"Natsume! Natsume wait!"
He could hear his best friend's voice, making him stop in the midway. But seeing her being taken away through the corridor, he didn't have time to spare. So he ran after them, making his wife turn her head and smile at him, even through her ceaseless tears.
"Mikan..." He whispered, his eyes fixed on hers as she was taken in to the labour room. He stood there silent, tears rising uncontrollably in his crimson eyes, until she disappeared into that closed room.
"Natsume..." The blonde guy spoke, putting his hand on his best friend's shoulder, comforting him from behind. But nothing could comfort him now. Ruka knew that perfectly well.
Scraping his messy raven hair, Natsume sat on one of the chairs in front of the labour room, his eyes fixed on the door knob in front of them, dreamily.
The corridor in front of the labour room was crowded with four more heads, other than Natsume's: all looking gloomy and desolate. No one dared question what had happened. They all sank together in the icy silence instead.
Narumi looked at Ruka, gesturing him to go and sit beside Natsume, who was now, meditating with his crimson eyes tightly shut.
"He needs his time alone." Ruka whispered to Narumi, who looked surprised at his remark.
"Do you have any idea about what happened?" Narumi asked back in a whisper, making the raven haired girl who'd been standing next to him, lean on the wall, closing her eyes.
"She tried to destroy the baby." The girl said, keeping her eyes shut.
"Eh? Why the!" Both Naru and Ruka gasped in unison.
"And... It was all my fault!" The curly haired girl who was sitting at a far corner alone, spoke out of the blue, shivering in anxiety.
"Nobara-chan?" Narumi asked, shocked to death.
"Yes. I showed her the place. I took her there! But... but I never thought she'd..."
"Shut it now!"
Everyone shivered at the sound of Natsume's deep husky voice that rang through the corridor, putting an end to their conversations.
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Forty minutes passed in silence.
Still no sign of life inside the labour room.
"Natsume! Ruka! What happened?" A blue haired guy asked, running into the scene hastily, with his wife by his side.
"She's taken into the labour room..." Ruka replied as the two intruders looked at each other's faces, shocked to death.
"This sudden? Her dates are months later, right?" A very worried Misaki asked, her eyes widened in horror.
But no one answered her question. Natsume didn't even bother to look at them. Everyone was busy praying for their loving friend, little sister, and wife.
All of a sudden, the door of the labour room opened, revealing a very solemn Imai Subaru, removing his gloves, gesturing Natsume to follow him to the office.
"She gave birth to your baby."
Subaru said, as Natsume's eyes widened in surprise.
"How is she?" He asked in a hurry, his eyes focused on those of Subaru's, stern and solemn.
"She's fine. But we can't be sure the baby will be." The physician spoke, pressing his spectacles between his eyes.
"I want to see them." Natsume said, or rather demanded, making Subaru's expression change to the worst.
"Premature birth." He continued, his voice deeper than ever. "It's been only thirty weeks approximately. He's taken into the neonatal intensive care unit. No you can't see them, just yet. Your baby will have to be kept here until the time he was due to be born. And that way, he'll have a better chance of survival." Subaru stopped, making Natsume scrape his head for the hundredth time of the day.
"Why did you have to take him out this sooner!" He yelled at Subaru's solemn face, his fingers forming a fist.
"Because your wife was bleeding. If we didn't take it out, you could've lost your wife." He replied nonchalantly, making Natsume lose his mind.
"I want to see her!" He yelled again, totally lost.
"You can see them both. But not now." Subaru said before he walked towards the door, leaving Natsume lost and disappointed.
"Natsume," Imai Subaru, who was about to walk out of the door, spoke again, making Natsume turn his head and look at him, tears rising in his crimson orbs.
"She fought well. She showed no sign of giving up. Maybe... you could've been the reason." He said and gave out one of his very rare smiles, making Natsume feel at ease, even for a second.
"Natsume..."
"Hm..."
"Did you see him?"
The brunette who was lying in the hospital bed with her hands wrapped around those of her crimson eyed husband's, spoke softly.
"Yeah..." He replied, kissing her cold palms, making them warm.
"They say he's so small... Is he really?" She asked, her pale lips mumbling words with difficulty.
"Hmm..."
"Is he?"
"Yes..."
Hearing her husband, she sighed.
"Did you see his eyes?" She asked again. It looked as if she'd never got enough questioning about their baby.
"Yeah..."
"You did?" She asked, trying to raise her back, surprised.
"Yes..." Natsume answered, looking at her widened hazel orbs.
"What colour... are they?" She asked with some trepidation, fearing if she had asked the most awful question of all.
"Crimson."
"What?"
"You heard it."
"Natsume...?"
"He's my son."
A few silent seconds passed between them.
Neither of them wanted words to fill the gap. Though both were shocked, neither of them needed an explanation.
They didn't know how it happened, but wanted so bad to celebrate that new truth. Not knowing how to do it, they kissed each other, whispered their love to each other's ears, and snuggled in the hospital bed together, forgetting the pain that had been killing them until now.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I feel great! ^_^ Finally! Finallyyyy! My story's getting closer to its "THE END"! Well... It's sad but I gotta put an end to this sooner or later, right? And mind you, I've been writing this fic for almost two years, (From 2014!) so gotta end this with the chapter to come! Well... It's not like I'm in a hurry to end this... But you see... the story's in a hurry... ;-)
I really enjoyed writing (typing or whatever!) these last two chapters! And hey! Don't worry, still there's one more chapter left to come out!
And that'll be the final chapter!
Sooo dudes! How are you feeling? Did I touch your hearts? At least through this chapter? Oh did I not? :'(
Okay! I need your support! (I mean, reviews!) Haha :-D
And hope I'll receive more and more reviews for this one, since it's the chapter prior to the finale! Oh please! I need new reviewers too! Along with my old friends! :-*
And please, if you like my story, just push the favorite button and I tell ya, it's worth a lot! :-*
Okay now,
Hey is there anyone who missed the new scenes I added to the previous chapter? I hope all my readers read those parts before jumping to this chap. Or I'll feel guilty for editing it secretly! :'(
Okay now... straight to my sweet cute reviewers! :-*
iiAriya & HaCel, didn't you guys read the edited version of chapter 26? Didn't I tell you to recheck it? ;'( Oh... I'm really sad! :'( Btw... I miss you guys so much! Love ya! :-*
And newroz my love, thanks a bunch for your PMs! I Love talking to someone in every possible minute! Especially to someone who'd listen to my craziness without any condition! Haha Love ya! :-*
And Timey Wimey Detecter, you asked me why I'd hurt Mikan always,
Okay, and my answer is, "Nothing personal, buddy!" ;-) Thanks for reading and reviewing! Kisses! :-*
And yeah, Katherine Kalissa Amara, you asked my age,
I'm 20! And my birthday's in November! (That's not needed eh?) :-D
And Anilissa, jrenamae and all my guest reviewers, THANK YOU SO MUCH for making me happy! :-* :-* :-*
And here I gotta thank all the people who've added me and my story to their favorite authors/stories lists!
7angel, Bird blu, Eka19, FrozenCrimsonCroissant, FutureStarAira7, HaCel, Katherine Kalissa Amara, .roses, MusicIsTheWorld, N.U. Sakura Yukihime, Pharenix101, Stephanie2796, animaJapanKpoplover, iiAriya, jrenamae, kuroyuki051700, nej24, newroz, paopao1127, pinkus-pyon, sakura183, shayne1531, vannaeraciavillanueva, and finally xMikanNatsumex!
Thank you all for favoriting me and/or my story! :-* ;-)
Just remember that I love you all!
Maybe I write more in the author's notes than I write in my story! Haha... :-D
Okay now... I'll be back with my final episode and till then... Bye bye!
Take care and God bless you all! :-)
-Awful Nightmare-