Chapter Text
Hey..? Hey... Wake up, the sun has already risen.”
A monotone greeting. Kabu– no, the puppet, has never been good at expressing himself through his voice. Though he supposes his little friend doesn’t mind such details. Said child rubs his eyes sleepily, but gets up without grumbling.
”Good morning, brother! I had the best dream, wanna hear about it?” The boy flashed an enthusiastic smile, which the puppet couldn’t help but return.
”You can tell me about it over breakfast. Go wash your face, and fetch me a bucket of water from the well, please.”
With a cheery nod, the fledgeling runs out of the room, the puppet following with a chuckle. He heads towards the kitchen alone, mulling over his options. Kannazuka is not known for its plentiful nature, but if you knew where to look, you would be fine. Lavender melons were bitter but not awful. Edible wild berries grew in many places, eggs weren't too hard to find either. Dried seagrass would make for a nice snack. The main problem with unagi was catching them in time. Despite the lack of merchants on the island, they would not starve.
After the Mikage furnace had malfunctioned, the island had been largely abandoned. Even shutting down the furnace failed to stop the decline of Tatarasuna and the nearby communities. Given that the puppet had decided to stay on the island, he had witnessed the village populace dwindle from a distance. Not long ago he and the young boy had said their goodbyes to their last neighbours.
He shouldn’t feel sad. He was hurt by these people who were so willing to sacrifice him for his otherness. They saw him as a lesser being. Despite this, seeing familiar faces disappear filled him with a bitterness he couldn’t disguise. Niwa had once told him that feelings were a proof of his humanity, but those words rang hollow after the events that transpired. He wondered if Niwa was living happy and easy wherever he escaped to, ignoring the plight that his community had fallen under.
Choosing to cut that line of thought there, he quickly decided on steamed rice with a side of nori and some fish they had managed to catch and store. He gathered the ingredients, noting that their rice supply would not last for long, and set the fire. Right on time, he heard light footsteps hurry towards him.
”Careful, don’t run with your hands full.” He sighed, taking the water from his little friend’s hands.
”Hehe, sorry, I wanted to hurry so I could go read. Can I?”
Smiling fondly, the puppet agreed. He had been teaching the kid to read, and the younger had caught on very quickly. There weren’t many books around, but the puppet had snuck into Tatarasuna one day to see if he could borrow some easy to read books. On a bookshelf, he found a recipe book, a story about a little moon fairy, and a haiku collection, all of which he decided to take back with him. A story about a beautiful kitsune was found and left behind.
.
The two, or three when including the Kabukimono doll at the younger’s insistence, sat down for breakfast. The boy didn’t bother to take more than one bite before he began explaining his dream. He had been a small bird, and the puppet had been a small kitten. Despite being a cat, he had not hurt the little bird, and instead they had embarked on adventures across the forest and even the sea. The dream was all over the place, but the boy was surprisingly good at storytelling, as the puppet had found out over time. He found himself nodding along to the story, anticipating the twists and turns that the dream took.
”Why don’t you try writing your dream down?” The puppet asked.
”Huh? Wait, does that mean you’ll teach me to write next?” The boy gasped. The older one smiled in response.
”You’ve progressed rapidly in your reading, I don’t see a problem. Say, we’ll start after breakfast, how does that sound?”
Nodding happily, the fledgeling hurried to finish the last bit of rice on his plate, but suddenly started coughing. The puppet hurried to his side, afraid the child was choking, but the younger signalled he was fine in between coughs. As the coughs died down, the puppet handed the boy a cup of water. As the boy reached out to grab it, a bit of crimson drew the puppet’s attention.
The palm was covered in blood.
The puppet stilled. Blood. Lighter in color, the wound wasn’t deep then. Is that good? He didn’t know. Was this really dangerous? Humans were fragile after all. His head buzzed with unpleasant memories, the child’s reassurances fading into background noise.
”…?”
”....ther”
”Brother!”
Snapping out of his thoughts, the puppet took his fledgeling’ hand, cleaning it with a cloth.
”I’m sorry, the writing lessons will have to wait. You should get some rest. Leave the cleaning up to me today.”
The boy seemed like he wanted to protest, but a wave of exhaustion visibly hit the child as soon as he opened his mouth to do so. Instead he nodded, taking the doll with him and heading for the bedroom.
As soon as the puppet finished his cleanup, he checked in on the boy, finding he had already fallen asleep. The puppet wished him good dreams and left. Today he would need to find any herbs he could brew into medicinal tea. Tending to sick people was a skill he had practised in Tatarasuna, helping the elderly and learning remedies from them in return. He supposes that’s one thing from that cursed place he’s thankful for.
.
The island is empty. Everything is eerily quiet, the air filling with a sense of foreboding that stings like static. The puppet takes in the silence and its implications in full as he surveys the area.
Anything near Tatarasuna is dangerous to eat, wildlife avoids the area entirely. He decides to head up North in hopes of spotting lavender melons. He had once heard that when boiled into a soup, the usually bitter fruit had healing properties that could alleviate cough. Luckily the fruit was common on the island.
It wouldn’t take him long to spot a tree with ripe fruits. The problem was that it was on a steep rock formation, meaning the puppet would have to climb to reach it. Silently he pondered his options. He could wander further in search of another tree, but if the boy’s condition was serious…
Sighing in defeat, the puppet decided to save time and attempt the climb. He felt the surface for a secure hold, pleasant with the ease he was able to find a good hold. He cautiously reached for the next one, and the next, and the next. Gaining confidence, he took a few more brave reaches.
And slipped.
The world under him spun. His panicked grab at the stone left him grasping air. His last thought was that it seemed he had climbed higher than he realised.
.
.
.
When he came to, the sun had already begun to set. Hurrying upright, the puppet was glad to find he hadn’t sustained any serious damage. Still, for a fall like that to knock him unconscious… It seemed he had been unlucky and landed head first. He had to thank his durability for being completely fine. However.
Now he had been gone for hours, the child left alone and sick. He had to hurry back as soon as he had the melons. Choosing to try again due to a lack of options, he carefully climbed up, avoiding riskier leaps. With arms full, he hurried back towards his new home.
Worried, he rushed inside. What greeted him was his fledgeling, unconscious on the floor. The puppet immediately kneeled by his side, gently grabbing the boy by the shoulder.
”Hey, are you alright? Please wake up! You can’t… you…”
Slowly, the boy opened his eyes, looking around confusedly.
”Oh… brother, you’re back.” He rubbed his eyes.
” I’m sorry, I got up to get some water, but felt really sleepy so I sat down and…” the boy interrupted his explanation with a yawn. He was clearly still sick, though sleeping had helped him regain some energy. The puppet sighed in relief.
”You– you’re alright. I thought you were– I don’t know what I would’ve done had you–”
He struggled to get the words out. The mere idea terrified him, as if uttering it into existence would actualize it. He had really gotten attached again. He internally scolded himself. Humans were weak, death was natural.
”Hey, it’s okay! Look, I'm fine!” The fledgeling gently took his hand, standing up and pulling the puppet up with him to demonstrate.
”See, I feel normal now! You don’t have to worry. Hmm. Though I guess it’s okay to worry a little, we’re brothers after all. That means we’re family, and family looks out for each other!”
Family… The puppet considered this. He had seen many families, and had been called that by some in Tatarasuna. It was true that he felt such a bond to the nameless child… his younger brother. He supposes he could try placing his trust in a human again.
”You’re right, but promise me one thing. Please, don’t leave me behind”
”I promise! We’ll be together foreeever. That’s what family is after all!”
The child stretched his hands out to emphasize his words, making his older brother chuckle in response.
”It’s a promise. I’ll go make you some soup, wait here. And please, sit down. You should save your energy.”
The puppet waited for his brother to sit down before he left to go prepare the medicine. With any luck, this was a passing bout of illness. They would be okay, they’d be together forever.
.
Weeks later, the younger of the brothers had regained some of his energy thanks to the lavender melons. However, his overall condition remained weak, which worried the puppet. In the past, the two usually gathered supplies together, chatting all the while. Now, despite the younger’s protests, the puppet did everything by himself. If not out of necessity and his brother’s steady condition, he would hesitate to leave the fledgeling alone. He still decided to keep his trips short. There wouldn’t be another incident like his fall ever again.
On one of his expeditions to find food, he happened to run into a human. Outside a few soldiers that traveled to the north of the island, he hadn’t caught glimpses of any humans since the incident. This instantly put him on edge, and he decided to keep out of sight. Unfortunately for him, the human seemed to have already noticed him too, and was already urgently approaching him.
”Young man! It’s dangerous here, you should leave as soon as you can!”
Shocked, the puppet lost his chance to run off before the stranger reached him. This was bad, he had no experience or means to fight. He could try to distract the man and make a run for it if he could keep the situation calm.
”Oh- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m a traveling doctor, I’ve come to this island to sample and improve medicine against Tatarigami poisoning.”
Apparently the puppet’s panic was clear on his face. Though, if the stranger was telling the truth, this was a stroke of luck. Perhaps this man could help his brother?
The doctor continued, clearly a bit perturbed by the continued silence.
”I’m glad I ran into you, I didn’t expect to find any humans on this island. Luckily you seem fine enough to move around, haha.”
With his best attempts being met with nothing but an unblinking stare, the traveling doctor seemed to give up on any idea of lightening the mood. Perhaps he was already debating if he had run into a yokai instead of a human. The puppet was still unsure whether to mention his brother to a stranger. It could pose a threat later.
The doctor sighed.
”I suggest you evacuate immediately, it’s extremely dangerous to stay here. The Tatarigami’s effects aren’t as strong here, but they wear on you slowly”
Realising the man would probably depart if he didn’t speak up, he decided to make one more leap of faith.
”I can’t. I, um, have a brother. He’s sick so we can’t move. Can you… no, do you know any medicine that would help? I’ve been giving him lavender melon soup but his symptoms aren’t improving… I think he’s poisoned by Tatarigami too.”
The traveling doctor was clearly surprised that he had been addressed, but hid his reaction with a clearly practised speed. He gave the puppet a look of sympathy before answering.
”Due to the unique conditions on this island, I vager that your guess is correct. Lavender melons are an excellent aid, well done for knowing about their effects. It’s already getting late and I don’t have any recipes at hand, but come find me tomorrow and I’ll write up a recipe that should alleviate his symptoms enough for you two to leave.”
The puppet nodded, thankful. It seemed that the man had realised his hesitation. Albeit a bit of an unconventional arrangement, this could work. Thanking the man, the puppet hurried back to his brother’s side, sharing the good news. The two celebrated their luck with some ochazuke. For the first time in weeks, the situation seemed hopeful.
.
.
.
Once upon a time, far far away, there was a little cat who lived in a forest. He was a gentle cat by nature. He played with the forest mice, and together they would watch the first swim in a nearby pond. The birds would sing and he’d try to mimic them with his meows. Due to his nature, he had a lot of friends. However, this left him with a problem: he couldn’t hunt.
This left him hungry.
”My darling, wait here, I will bring you something to eat” his mother told him. He waited, and waited. Then he slept. But as time went on and on, there were no signs of his mother. Eventually, his hunger forced him to move forward, despite his worry.
After wandering for a while, he stumbled upon a group of foxes he knew.
”It’s alright, my friend! Come join us, we were just about to eat!” One of the foxes told him. Excited, the little cat hopped over to see what they were eating. Mice. And he recognized some of them. Horrified, the little cat ran away as fast as he could, leaving behind the confused foxes.
Betrayed and hurt, he continued forward until he came across another one of his friends, a small songbird, still nothing more than a fledgeling. He told this friend about his troubles.
”Here, have some berries, they are my favourites!” The songbird sang. The little cat looked at the gift in front of him. The berries were red and pretty, like little pearls. He curiously regarded them before tasting one.
”Pht! Too sweet!” The cat spat the berry out.
”Too sweet? That’s a first. I will try to find you some sour berries then.”
And so, the songbird flew off. However, the little cat was too hungry, so he had to keep moving.
This led to his current predicament. His search had not been fruitful, and the hunger gnawing at him only grew stronger by the minute. As he was pondering on what to do, an owl swooped by. Deciding to ask the owl for advice, the cat chased after him.
”Wait! Mr. Owl, I wanted to ask you something!”
Landing on a nearby branch, the owl regarded him curiously before speaking. ”You are brave for talking to an owl that could easily eat you too. You are lucky I’ve found my meal for today. What is it, little one?”
Hesitating, the little cat explained his situation in detail. The owl thought for a while before responding.
”My my, I may have been mistaken. Perhaps you are not brave, but foolish. You are a cat, you need to hunt to survive. Just like owls, cats cannot survive on berries or bugs.”
”You cannot escape your nature, young one.”
As the owl started to fly off, the cat cast a look at what he was carrying.
In the owl’s claws was the young fledgeling.
…
Waking up with a start, the puppet held back a shout. What a terrible dream. He had no memory of even falling asleep. On his lap was open a storybook which he had been reading to his younger brother. Seemed like the stories were more effective than he liked to admit. He just hoped the young boy was having more pleasant dreams.
Judging by the sun’s position, it was early morning. Deeming that good enough, he set for the location he had met the doctor yesterday.
.
The medicine was working. As the days rolled by, the young boy’s condition seemed to improve drastically. The brothers had been taking longer and longer walks around the island, just as before.
When gifting the puppet his recipe, the doctor had stressed how important it was to leave as soon as possible. The man was planning on leaving Kannakuza in the next few days, and thus decided to leave the puppet with an adress slip for his clinic, inviting the brothers for a checkup in case they were ever in Inazuma city. The puppet thanked the man, not intending to go near that city unless necessary.
Regardless, it seemed the day the brothers left Kannakuza behind was nearer than ever. Gradually their talks had moved to what sights the young boy would like to see, and what island to aim for.
On one of their walks, the younger had asked about the puppet’s family, which had led to a conversation about his so-called birthplace. Deeming his brother now fit enough to visit Shakkei, he had promised to take the younger to the pavilion.
And so they ended up making the risky journey to that accursed mansion.
As soon as the puppet opened the domain’s doors, his fledgeling ran inside to look around.
”Whoa… this is where you were born? It’s so pretty! But there’s nobody here…” he finished his sentence with a stifled cough. It seemed like the journey had taken a toll on the boy. They would have to leave soon. He would have to cut his explanation short.
”I was abandoned, like you. I lived here for a while at first, but… There’s nothing for us here. We can’t stay…”
Wanting to protest, his younger brother looked at him pleadingly until another wave of coughs hit him. Understanding the hurry, the child conceded.
”Okay…”
As they turned around to walk out, the younger piped up once more.
”I heard my mom and dad used to make swords, but the factory manager died, and then my dad got sick…” coughing, he continued.
”He kept coughing all the time, just like me. Then, mom started coughing too…”
A spike of fear stabbed through the puppet at the implication. He turned around to look at his brother.
”But you can’t. You promised me.”
”Yep, we’re family now. We’re gonna be together for ever and ever!”
Smiling, the child took the puppet’s hand and urged them forward. Despite his cheery demeanour, it almost felt like the younger was relying on him for support. Worry spread through the older like porcelain cracks, but he pushed it aside in favour of hurrying them both away from that cursed pavilion.
.
The fledgeling had fallen asleep as soon as they arrived home. The puppet regarded his brother fondly before going over to the cabinet to check on their food reserves. It seemed like lavender melons were out again. A common problem, now that both the lavender melon soup and the medicine used them as ingredients. He decided to gather more in the morning as soon as the boy woke up.
However, as morning came it was clear that his brother’s condition had worsened. The boy had developed a slight fever and was mumbling incoherently. With no time to waste, he prepared a washcloth, staying by the boy’s side.
”Br-brother..?”
Good, the fledgeling was conscious. Sighing in relief, the puppet took the boy’s hand, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt.
”I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have taken you to Shakkei.”
His fledgeling regarded him sadly, speaking in an unconvincingly weak voice.
”I-it’s okay… I feel a bit better already, don’t worry about me. I just need a bit of sleep… hehe”
”Yes, please rest. I’ll be back with some medicine soon. Don’t move, okay?” The puppet put on his most reassuring smile. The younger one smiled in response.
Rushing out of the cabin, the puppet cursed his decision to wait until morning. He had methodically marked which spots he had found and picked lavender melons from, so he knew the nearest ones would be very far away. Luckily the medicine didn’t require many, finding one tree would be enough.
He searched and searched, but his best efforts turned up fruitless until hours had already gone by. Pleading to any god listening that his brother would be alright, he ran back, ignoring the scrapes and bruises he got along the way.
Arriving home, he burst the door open. The medicine wasn’t hard to make, it would be ready soon and his brother would…
His eyes landed on the floor. There, his fledgeling lied crumbled up, still holding onto that doll.
”…Hey! Wh-What’s wrong…? Say something!!!”
He ran over to his brother, gently shaking the boy to no avail. He felt cold. Unnaturally so.
No. It couldn’t be. But…
”…You promised we could be family!”
Emotions he could process filled his hollow form as reality set in. The boy was dead. Dead because of that trip. Dead because of his weakness.
”You’re no different from Niwa and the others… You betrayed me too… Haha.”
A sour feeling overwhelmed him, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes already. He angrily wiped them away.
”…”
He couldn’t take it anymore, living had been nothing but a constant string of betrayals for him. If this is what it meant to be alive, he didn’t want it. Oh, how it would have been better if he hadn’t been born at all.
The young boy in front of him would need a burial. He had heard of the practice of cremation. A fitting way to go for him too, consumed by the flames. Setting the house on fire and ensuring it wouldn’t die out. He sat down, watching the flames lick at the walls of their small abode.
He sat and sat.
The air was burning, it hurt so he closed his eyes, leaning further against the wall. Yet no matter how much the world around him burned, he was unharmed. It seemed like his durability had come back around to hinder him now.
.
.
.
The little doll had been reduced to nothing but a pile of ash now, yet he still remained. It seemed like the world was not done toying with him yet.
Weakly standing up, he staggered out of the burning remains of his home, tears replaced by a newfound determination.
If gods deemed him unworthy, he would just have to prove them wrong. If humans were too weak to be trusted, he’d stand above them.
Looking back one last time, he took off into the night.