Work Text:
"Rest, okay, so you can get better quickly. I'll accompany you here."
"But Kiriya and I have to—"
"It's okay. I already told Kuina to replace you."
Ubuyashiki Kanata, who was 7 years old at the time, wanted to argue with her mother again, but the unpleasant feeling in her throat and the pain in her head made her helpless. In the end, she gave in and went back to her futon, lying under the blanket with a warm cloth on her forehead.
Her mother, Amane, was still by her side. Kanata feels guilty because her mother should have been by her father's side. However, a small part of her childish nature wanted her mother to be with her. Just like a mother.
Amane took Kanata's small hand and held it gently. Warmth spread from her hands to her heart, making Kanata feel comfortable and gradually drifting off into dreamland.
Deep inside, Amane felt very hurt. To see her children born with weak bodies, to see her children unable to run as freely as they could under the bright sun and on the green grass, to also regret her harsh and overly disciplined way of raising and educating them. Amane did not like it, but she had to.
Amane, who had almost fallen asleep in the sitting position, was suddenly startled by the voice of a child from outside. Amane got up and went to the door, moved shōji and found Hinaki, her first daughter, holding her husband.
"Hinaki? Kagaya-sama?"
"Good morning, Mother. Father said he wanted to visit Kanata," Hinaki said.
Amane frowned. Her husband was not supposed to know that their youngest was sick. Amane looked at her husband, who had lost his sight. The man smiled, cool as spring.
"Hinaki, it's all right now. Thank you for bringing me to Kanata's room. You can go," and play, Kagaya said to Hinaki. He smiled at his daughter.
Hinaki nodded, also with a small smile on her lips. "Anytime, Father." Slowly, Hinaki let go of her father.
"Mother, Father, I'm leaving." And the beautiful girl disappeared from sight.
Amane and Kagaya were alone in the doorway. So Amane led her husband into Kanata's room. Kagaya sat to the left of the sleeping Kanata, while Amane stayed faithfully by his side.
"Earlier, Kiriya and Kuina went to my room to say goodbye because they were going to meet the Kisatsutai children. I knew from them that Kanata was ill," Kagaya paused for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me that our daughter was sick?" Kagaya asked in a soft voice that was far from intimidating.
"Because I did not want to worry you," Amane replied. Her tone sounded guilty.
"Amane..." The always peaceful voice called his wife's name. This time, it sounded softer for fear of waking their little daughter.
Amane looked at her husband. "Yes?"
"Just like the Kisatsutai children, who are like my own children, I want to do the same for our children. I'm not a good father, I never play with them in the yard. But I always want to be at our children's side," one of Kagaya's hands slowly grabbed Kanata's tiny hand. Even though he could no longer see, he could easily find his daughter. "Therefore, involve me in everything and pour out your worries on me."
Amane turned her face away so that no one could see her tearful eyes. She had been very depressed lately. She had prayed to the Gods every day to protect her family, but this was what the Gods gave her.
Ah, she could not help it.
"Ka-Kagaya-sama, excuse me, is it okay if I leave for a moment? I need to prepare some new warm water for Kanata." Her voice trembled. Kagaya knew that his wife was holding back tears.
"Yes, it is okay." And he pretended not to know so as not to embarrass his wife.
Amane left. Maybe she needed to shed tears in addition to preparing warm water. And if you can imagine, it was just as painful for Kagaya.
"F-Father..."
The weak voice surprised Kagaya a little. He smiled softly at his youngest daughter.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
Kanata shook her head. "No, Father, don't apologize. I woke up myself." The little girl tightened her grip on her father.
With her other hand, Kagaya stroked Kanata's mane, which was the same color as her mother's.
"Go back to sleep. When you wake up, I hope your body will return to health."
The little girl let go of her father's hand. Even though her body was still weak, she deliberately shifted her body, leaving some empty space there.
"What is it?" Kagaya asked in surprise.
The sound of the futon being lightly hit, also with a child's smile. For the first time, Kanata wanted to act like a child in front of her father.
"Father is sick too. So Father has to sleep as well."
The head of the Ubuyashiki family chuckled slightly. He knew that his daughter just wanted his company. So Kagaya sat down next to Kanata and lay down under the blanket, using his arm as a pillow. His body ached, but it ached even more when the voices of his children no longer filled his ears.
"Father, yesterday Kuina stuffed me with bugs."
"Bugs? Aren't you afraid of bugs and spiders?"
Kanata smiled, then nodded. She was glad that her father remembered her.
"Um. That's why I screamed. I almost fainted."
Kagaya chuckled. Kuina, the third daughter, is sometimes mischievous. However, she is the one who looks more 'childish' than all his children.
"Then Kiriya sometimes lacks self-confidence. We all know that Hinaki is smart and Nichika is just like Mother. So sometimes, when Kiriya is alone with me, he complains about that—he feels that he's not capable of being your successor".
This is new information for Kagaya. It means that his only son is a very good actor to hide his fear. After that, he had to talk to Kiriya.
"But Kiriya makes me just as proud as well," Kagaya said in a quiet voice.
"But father, he said he didn't want to be your successor,"
This sentence was enough to make Kagaya interested. But before he had time to answer, Kanata finished her sentence first.
"Because if Kiriya becomes your successor, it means that Father is no longer with us. And we all don't want that."
Kagaya fell silent. For the first time, he was at a loss for words.
"Kanata, shall we sleep?"
Kanata understood that her father didn't want to discuss this. So she nodded and clung to her father's arms.
The big hand touched the top of Kanata's head. Caress after caress brought the little girl to the Dreammaker's lap. Slowly, her consciousness began to fade, leaving her father, who was still by her side, to care for her forever.
"Pain, pain, go away."