Okay, I know Tomoya dies along with Ushio in Clannad, but I want to do a sort of "what if he didn't?" thing. I haven't written a sad story before, so please bear with me. -.- It's only going to be short, so enjoy! :)
Tomoya looked out of the train window and sighed. It had been 3 years since his daughter, Ushio, had died. He himself had almost died along with her that day - He had collapsed in the snow with her in his arms. Someone had found them there - a local on their way out with their children to play in the snow - and called an ambulance. Ushio had died, but, much to Tomoya's disappointment, he had survived, however he had been in hospital with Pneumonia for around a month. His in-laws, Akio and Sanae, visited him and looked after him when he had gotten out, as they had done when he was younger. Tomoya admired Akio and Sanae - they had lost their daughter, and then their granddaughter, to the same illness - and Tomoya - who had lost his wife and daughter - had done nothing but cry over his loss, yet, when they knew he was there, at least, Akio and Sanae hadn't shed a tear. Sanae had brought Ushio up to be a strong woman, and Tomoya was glad she had done that. Nagisa, Tomoya's dead wife, was always crying, so Tomoya was sure Nagisa would have been proud to know Ushio was brought up to be strong.
Tomoya was currently on a train, going as far away from his old town as possible. He had tried to be strong, but he couldn't. Living there was too much pain, too much effort. Their graves were there - Nagisa and Ushio's - and they had been buried next to each other. It felt as though their spirits were there, too. He had nothing there anymore, but friends who meant nothing to him compared to all the family he had lost.
He had learnt, just the other day, that his father had been taken into hospital with a heart attack. Tomoya had been to see him in the hospital, just before he died, but he all he was allowed to do was sit outside and wait. It was awful - with Nagisa and Ushio, he knew they had both died, but with his father, it was waiting, waiting and waiting. His father was strong - he tried to hold on as long as possible - but in the end, he had passed away.
The doctor had visited him at around 1 AM to tell him that.
So now Tomoya was leaving. He hated that town - The memories it brought back, the people who reminded him of when things were good... his old best friend, Youhei Sunohara, had offered for Tomoya to move in with him - he had a house now, and was married to Ryou Fujibiyashi, a girl they both went to school with. Tomoya had no idea they would make a good couple, but apparently, they did. The last he had heard from them was that Ryou had just had a miscarriage, and they were both upset about it. Tomoya thought they were lucky - If Nagisa had had a miscarriage, she would still be alive - and he wouldn't have had to go through the heart break of losing both of them. It wouldn't be as painful as having they both die, right by him.
He didn't understand it, but as sun started setting, Tomoya looked out to a distant view of where he had once taken Ushio, and where his Dad had once taken him, and heard a soft, familiar voice, a girls voice, whispering. He was sure he had heard it from somewhere, however he couldn't seem to remember where.
Farewell... Daddy...
The Train slowed down to a halt just before midday the next morning. Around the same time, Tomoya's phone went off, signaling he had a new text or email. He took it out of his pocket and saw "1 New E-Mail From Kyou Fujibiyashi" in big letters across the screen. He clicked the button for "View" and read:
Hi Tomoya,
It's been nearly 3 years since Ushio pulled out of class. How are things? According to the Sunoharas, you're moving to a new town today. I just want to let you know that if you ever need anyone to talk to, myself, Ryou and Youhei are here for you, even if it's just through an email. Don't break contact with all of us just because of what happened. No matter what, your friends are here for you. Remember that.
The three of us will tend to the graves sometimes, and give Akio and Sanae a break from it - You've seen how Sanae gets when she sees it. They're getting older now. Anyway, I don't want to fill your mind with sad thoughts.
All our love,
Kyou Fujibiyashi
Tomoya clicked the "Back" button. He didn't feel like replying. If these were the kind of emails he would get by staying in touch with his old friends, he felt he might as well join his family. He didn't want to live any longer. Living was too painful, and what was he living for? He had no one. No one except his Grandma.
She was meeting him off the train. She didn't live near here, but he felt that they were all each other had got now - What use was it staying away from her when all it would do is make them both sad? He didn't want his Grandma to be lonely. He hadn't seen her in just over 3 years, no, but she had family. Now, however, she only had Tomoya, and he only had her. He headed up the stairs and out into the warm, midday sun.
As he exited the train station, he saw a light float down from the sky. He was tempted to catch it, although he had no idea why. He shook his head, and continued on, trying to call attention to a passing taxi. Probably just a firefly out early, he thought to himself. Nothing special about a firefly.
The taxi took him to his new apartment. It was small - smaller than his old one - but in his old one, himself and Nagisa, and then himself and Ushio, had lived fine, so he figured it would be okay. He hadn't brought all that much from his old house - Sanae had forced him just to take his photo albums, and the framed photo of Nagisa he used to keep by his bed. All he had brought besides them were his clothes. Soon after he had reluctantly started unpacking, he heard a knock on the door. He sighed. What was it now? Opening the door, he found himself face-to-face with none other than his childhood friend, Kotomi Ichinose. Her welcoming smile turned into a huge gawp, and she said, "T-Tomoya? Tomoya O-Okazaki?"
Tomoya sighed again. First Kyou and now Kotomi? Would he never get away from his painful past and be able to move on?
"Hi, Kotomi." he replied, "Is it important? 'Cause if you don't mind, I'd really like to be left alone for now."
"Of course, but... Last I heard you were with Nagisa. W-what-?"
"Just go!" He shouted at her, "Is that the last you heard? Well guess what? She's gone! Forever! And I'm never going to get her back..."
He fell to the floor, crouched on his knees into a ball. "Never..." He whispered, repeating himself. He cradled his head with his arms and knees, crying into them like a little boy.
Kotomi crouched down beside him and pat his back comfortingly.
"Just go..." he whispered, "Sorry, but you remind me too much of a past I don't want to go back to."
Kotomi seemed quite hurt at this, but she tried not to show it, and nodded, although Tomoya couldn't see her. She stood up and walked back across the hallway connecting the apartments.
