Chapter Text
Kai grinned at Nya as she scrambled after the butterfly, laughing. She slipped and bumped her chin on the ground before grumbling something in baby language and pushing herself back up in time to see the 'yewwo wying ting', as she called it, no matter how many times Kai tried to explain it was actually called a butterfly.
She looked down at her tummy once she couldn't see it anymore, then looked behind her at Kai, who was sitting on the grass and playing with the dragon toy Ray had made for him.
"Kai!" she crawled over to her brother, "I'ma hungwy. When i' Mama making 'oo?"
"I don't know," he stood up, "I'll go ask."
"Okay."
Kai ran up the small hill to the house and peeked in the forge, "Mom?" There wasn't a response. One of their parents’ friends had been visiting, he remembered. Dr. Saunders must have left already. They were probably upstairs.
Little Kai ran up the stairs, a smile on his face, "Mom! Hey, Mom!" He hopped off the stairs into the kitchen and breakfast room only to see no one. His eyebrows furrowed together as he opened first his bedroom, then peeked in Nya's, "Mom? Dad?" The bathroom was wide open, there was obviously no one in there.
Panic rising inside him, he thudded down the stairs, almost tripping over his feet as he burst outside, looking around with wide, terror filled eyes, "DAD! MOM! Where are you?!" A sob caught in his throat and he swayed before sagging against the wall, staring at the ground. Where are dey? Where's Mom and Dad? Dey always tell us when dey have to go do someting...Dey're always here...Maybe dey're in the backyard. Yeah! Deck the backyard!
Kai pushed away from the wall and ran into the backyard, head pounding. He turned the corner. They weren't there. No one was there. They were alone.
Something heavy pushed his normally bright and happy heart down as he slowly walked back around to the front of the shop, and the little boy wondered briefly why he was having trouble breathing. He couldn't see any water around, and the only time he'd had trouble breathing was that time he went underwater. He shivered at the memory briefly flashing through his mind and because even now the sun was starting to set. Maya would have made dinner by then.
"Kai?" Nya's black head of hair appeared over the hill. She'd taken longer than him to come up, probably because she'd decided to crawl while coming up in hopes of finding a caterpillar or cool beetle.
Kai looked at her and saw her confused brown eyes staring at him, "What i' it? In't Mama making de 'oo? I'm hungwy."
"Um..." Kai thought for a second, looking around. Mom and Dad probably had to go quickly to do something. They'd be back in a little bit. He remembered seeing some cereal on the counter. He brightened and smiled at her, "Uh, yeah, Mom and Dad had to go do someting. Dey'll be back soon."
"But I'm hungwy!" Nya's bottom lip trembled.
"Dat's okay," Kai went inside, "We can haf cereal."
Nya brightened instantly as she followed him, "'Erea o inna?"
"Yes, cereal for dinner," Kai led the way up the stairs and grabbed a stool, dragging it over to the counter and standing on it to reach way across it, grabbing the cereal box. He could hear Nya got distracted by one of her toys halfway up the stairs. He struggled to reach the cabinets, which were much higher than the counter. After a moment he paused and thought. A spark went off in his head and he hopped off the stool, kicking it to the side. He put the box on the table and then pulled a chair over to the counter. He climbed up and stood on it, able to reach the cabinet now, and opened it, taking two bowls out. He sat down on the chair and hopped off the side, trying not to break them, and then pushed them onto the table. He climbed back up and closed the door, but moved too quickly coming down and tripped. He cried out when his forehead bumped against the stool and felt his legs get pinned under the chair when it toppled over. Tears sprang to his eyes, but, hearing Nya's play sounds growing louder as she neared the top of the stairs, he bit them back and pulled his legs out from under the chair before quickly pushing it right side up and back in place at the table, giving it a glare for good measure. As Nya's head bobbed into view, he saw the toy she'd found was one of her boomerangs. She waved, her eyes sparkling, and he grinned. It was hard not to feel happier around the carefree toddler.
He opened the fridge and pulled out the milk carton as Nya jumped to her feet and ran over to the table, excitedly climbing onto the chair she proudly called 'my 'ai, Nya 'ai, nobo'y e'w'e.'
Kai dragged the heavy carton over to the table. How heawy do dey hafta make dese tings? he internally complained.
Nya bounced in her seat as he finally managed to lift and push the carton onto the table, and got on his own chair. He poured the cereal into Nya's bowl, accidentally spilling some, then into his own. The milk was much more difficult to pour, and he had the idea that he was gonna have to clean up the resulting puddle on the table somehow.
After Nya finished eating she hopped off her chair and ran over to the stairs, "Kai, let go pway!"
"Sorry, Ny-ny, but I haf to clean dis up first," Kai managed to find a towel and got on his chair, leaning forward on his knees to mop up the spilled milk.
"Can't Mama oo it?"
"No, Nya, it's fine," he forced a smile.
It seemed to be enough for her and she hopped down the stairs, calling, "Huwwy up, bwubba!"
Kai's smile grew more real as he did his best to comply with his little sister's request. Tossing the rag into the laundry hamper when he was done, he quickly made his way down the stairs to see her half lifting and half dragging his toy katana.
She saw him and brightened, "Wook, Kai! I'm a big nin'a gi'w!"
He laughed and hopped down the last couple steps, "Nice!" His big brown eyes involuntarily looked toward the door, where he could see the sun lowering beneath the horizon. Their parents weren't coming up the path to the shop. Nya struggled with the katana and managed to drag it all the way over to him before plopping on the bottom stair with a heavy and dramatic sigh.
He looked down at her as she fell back against the stairway, splaying her arms out, "I'm exau'te' . I' it betime yet?"
Kai looked at the three-year-old, then up at the simple clock on the wall. He nodded, "Yeah, it's bedtime. Cmon." He grabbed her hand and helped the tired toddler climb up the stairs to her room. He led her to her room and she went in, rubbing her eyes and yawning, then he moved to his own bedroom door and slipped inside. He pulled his pajamas on and grabbed one of his books, hopping onto his bed. He was still learning to read, but he could make out most of the words, and he'd memorized the book anyway from the amount of times Ray had read it to him, he could probably put together the words he didn't know yet from that, and he was still going to kindergarten.
"Kai?" he raised his head to see Nya standing in the door, her simple red kimono switched out for her light blue nightgown. She clasped her hands behind her back as she tilted her head forward shyly, "When i' Mama an Papa coming back?"
"Soon," Kai smiled, trying to ignore the tiny voice in his head saying that they weren't coming back. They'd just...left. With no reason.
Nya seemed reassured by this and asked, "Can you put me to be'? Mama not here o..." She looked down and pushed against a floorboard with her toe.
Kai nodded and stood up, walking over to her. Nya smiled slightly and shuffled into her own room, Kai coming behind her, and she sat on her bed, scooting back and wiggling her legs under the light blue blanket before looking at him with anticipation.
Kai sat on the edge of her bed next to her, "What does Mom usually do?"
"Weww..." Nya thought for a second, bunching up the blanket's thin fabric in her tiny fists, "she teww me a tory and then ing a ong u'uawwy."
Kai nodded and looked at the book in his hands, then showed it to her, "Is dis okay?"
Nya nodded energetically and inched closer to him, pressing against his side as he opened the book and gazed at the pictures with wide eyes. Kai smiled at his little sister before doing his best to read it, quoting from memory in a couple places. Nya hung onto every word, brown eyes sparkling with wonder all throughout the story as she snuggled into her brother's warmth.
When he closed the book, she closed her eyes and pressed her face into his red sleeve covered arm, her voice muffled, "Mowe?"
Kai shook his head, rubbing his eyes, "I'm too tired, Nya. You hafta go to sleep now."
"Awww....." she grumbled, sitting away and folding her arms over her chest in a pout.
"I'm going to bed now," he started to stand up but Nya launched herself at him and clung to his arm stubbornly.
"No! Mama awway ing a ong be'o be'. You in't ing a ong yet!"
"Aw...Nya..." Kai tried to tug away from the three year old.
"No," she pouted, "You ing a ong. You eh you wouw."
Kai looked at her and that's when she put on the puppy eyes.
After a second he groaned and gave up, plopping back down on her bed, "Fine..."
Nya's face immediately brightened and she slipped farther under the covers, smiling up at him expectantly.
Kai tried to remember one of the songs their parents sometimes sang to them. Finally he shifted slightly and looked at a point on the floor as he furrowed his brow. Then his small, but clear young voice managed to form the words, "When your sky is cold and lonely, and your heart is filled wit fear, I will wrap my arms around you, know dat I am here. And I will keep you safe and sound, trough the darkness dat surrounds. I will neber leawe you, nor forsake you, know that I am wit you. You will neber be alone. When your way is bright and glowing, and your soul knows no despair, can you hear me singing wit you? In your triumph I will share, for I am watching ower you, and I rejoice in all you'we done. I will neber leawe you, nor forsake you, know that I am wit you. You will neber be alone. So remember, neber doubt dis, hold it tightly to your heart, I'm foreber always wit you. I will be right where you are. I will neber leawe you, nor forsake you. Know that I am wit you. You will neber be alone."
Nya had fallen asleep when he finished and he slipped off her bed, turning around and pulling her blanket more firmly over her little form, tucking her in, then he quietly padded out of the room and closed the door, glancing back long enough to whisper, "Night night, Ny-ny."
He made his way to his room and to his bed, then kneeled next to it, feeling like he had to pray, even if his dad wasn't here to tell him what to say.
He closed his eyes and folded his hands, "Dear God, I know you probably are busy, but I'm scared. Mom and Dad just left witout saying anyting. They've neber done dat before, God. I don't know what to do, or why dey would leawe. I don't understand. I thought I was being good... Did I make them angry, God? Please, God, when I wake up tomorrow, please let dem be in the kitchen like dey are ebery day. Nya wants to know where dey are but I don't know. Dank you, God. Amen." He opened his eyes, feeling much better. God would let them come back. He'd wake up and all of this might have been a dream, or they would have had a sensible reason for leaving and they could go on like they always had. He went to sleep with a smile.