Kanata's Dream

by ChakiChakiGirl

Authoress of "Kanata: Totally Dead?", "Kanata Thawed", "Miyuki's Spaced-Out Secret", and PPGZ's "Blueberry" and "Bunny Z"

(best read while listening to Shiawase Negau Kanata kara)

"So your heart stopped, mom?"

"Yes, for about a minute they said," Kanata gently explained at their breakfast table. "The doctors barely managed to revive me and decided not to wait anymore and tried the full liver transplant, which by a miracle worked."

"And while your heart wasn't beating, you had this dream of floating away to heaven?" asked Konata of her superbly well-preserved mom-twin who was gracing light flowing pastels like a visage of the traditional Japanese wife. If anything, Kanata more resembled Konata stuck at twelve, which delivered Konata tons of kid-sister teases at school.

"Well, I don't recall getting that far!" the girlish-looking woman coyly tittered then gazing gratefully upon her slim blue-tressed daughter. "Despite all my fighting love, my body failed and I slipped away from all of you forever, leaving you too young to ever remember me. That part was more terrible than knowing I had died."

"Gee, like that sounds so down!"

"Then imagine how I felt!" Kanata's light chuckle was like a tinkling bell laced with a sober note. "Yet, weren't for my love of you and your father, it almost felt a relief to let go so because I always kept to myself just how sickly I'd truly been through my life."

"But mom, you were like, the original all-natural babe living out in the country all your life! What could've caused your cancer?"

"They suspect it had to do with grandfather's being near Nagasaki when the bomb fell and his damaged genes were passed on the female side of the family, like my stunted height and frailty."

"Huh! That explains a lot, like Yuri-chan! But even though they caused all this, you sent me to summer school in America."

"A grudge is toxic to the soul, Konata. It's very important to forgive or innocence is lost."

"Well, needn't worry about me!"

"Excuse me?"

"Uh, I mean – meant what's made you finally confess this momentary dead dream now after all this time – unless you thought I can't handle it before!"

"Really, Konata! I raised you better than to pry personal matters!" Kanata lightly admonished before sighing out the garden. "In truth, only now has time caught up with the time of that dream, and to see what has actually come to pass is truly awe-inspiring."

"Geeze, mom, save the obscure sayings for the monks!"

Kantata coyly smiled and paused as though slightly abashed and something else, almost like it was not a very flattering recollection. "When it happened, I dreamt that I – visited you in the future when you were seventeen, a night when the full moon opened the gates of heaven for a short time for angels to trend the earth again and replenish their ties with humanity."

"When I was seventeen? You mean like now?"

"Yes. And you you were -- very different," Kanata answered in a soft thankful way.

"All grown-up."

"Oh, much more than that."

"Mom, suspense is for movies!"

"Well, you were short. Short as I."

"Kidding!"

"No, I could see it also happening to you when you were eight, and that's why I started you right then on growth hormones with your gene therapy."

"You mean turning me into a pin cushion! Almost wish I could forget!"

"Don't. You're very lucky to've gotten away with a condition that could be remedied, though I regret in my dream, you inherited other bad traits."

"Bad traits? From you??" Konata scoffed but Kanata only demurely smiled and Konata sighed in exasperation suspecting the truth;

Jeese! It's bad enough having a mom so bishōjo that my boyfriends tease about hitting on her, but is so Miss Goody-Two-Shoes Geshia that she never once criticizes dad - at least around others!

"Of course, it's important to remember that this was just -- a dream," Kanata emphasized like a light tease. "I'm ashamed to say you made poor grades because you were obsessed by video games and manga."

"Video games? Obsessed?? Are you trying to tell me something, mom?"

"Oh, I don't mean the minesweeper and solitaire games you play once a while to break from studying so hard. You were ocean deep steeped in all things games. You were even deep in cosplay."

"Now I know you're seriously joking! Sounds more like a nightmare!"

Kanata lightly giggled. "You'd such a cute ahoge too!"

"Ahoge??" Konata touched the top of her shoulder-length bobbed coiffure like trying to imagine a flaw up there. "With all I spend at the hair dresser??

"I'm afraid in my dream, like a library you never saw the inside of one either. Unfortunately your father was -- rather preoccupied from grooming a young lady!"

"Preoccupied? With what?" Konata asked and Kanata's grin suddenly fell as though abashedly caught in a compromising slip of the lip and reluctant to cloud someone's face even in a fantasy.

"Com'on mom, spill it – or do I have to get Miyuki's dentist do a house call?"

"Really, Konata!" Kanata, prettily frowning at her twin daughter.

"Hey, com'on mom, it pains me to say it but you praised a trudi-fruity proper daughter. I mean even Miyuki comes to me for advice sometimes! Still not coming clean, huh? Okay, let's see; if this dream was from way back then it must have something to do with dad's past, right?" Konata suspected and smiled like a bloodhound at Kanata's slight blush. "Like writing eroge and yaoi like Yui-chan says he used to do?" Konata pushed, knowing it culturally wasn't polite to inquire into a parent's past reputation, but then she wasn't as deeply traditional as Kanata wished.

Kanata seemed to take a breath, mulling like an embarrassing episode was being trespassed. "We were wild in love, but marriage tempers wildness."

"Wow! Like, if I wanted that answer I'd gone to a temple!"

"All I'm going to say is always honor your father for what he is, not was."

"Jeese, mom, most kids in my school don't even bow to their dads all year like I always do except to wrangle their otoshidama out of them!"

"One day you'll appreciate your grooming, Konata. Good and honorable gentlemen appreciate a true young lady like a fine delicate vase."

"So how'd dad end up kiddy-napping you instead, mom? Sorry -- couldn't help it. I mean, he was already twenty up-there when he spotted you at twelve years old in the mall with your folks and stalked you on the sly ever since till you were sixteen when he charmed you and your folks into handing you over, right?"

Kanata looked at Konata with a mild chiding look, but was too in touch the real world to rebuke her daughter's outspokenness of the moment, especially since her discussion left the door ajar for it.

"Your father's past eccentricity was -- unseemly, but it was also very discrete and respectful, Konata," Kanata replied with a velvet sternness and affirmation. "Even when my puppy love for his 'casual friendship' bloomed far beyond that, he never took advantage of my innocence or trust. I knew what attracted him to me, but it wasn't the only thing. I accepted his bad parts as well as his good parts, just as he respected mine."

"And just what are your 'bad parts', mom -- or don't bishōjo brides have any?" Konata sincerely wanted to know. "You're the closet thing to a geisha mom I know since you hardly ever tell us anything about yourself except for what you let out. Sometimes I wonder how I ever got born!"

Kanata laughed. "You follow my example and you'll have a most happy and interesting marriage, daughter!"

Before a quizzical Konata could answer, a bell from the front chimed and a husky blue-haired boy of sixteen with baseball cap and mitt in hand sauntered in. "It's Kagami and Tsukasa."

Konata bounced up and gave Kanata a pert bow. "Good! We're going to the movies! Kryon-san, wait here alright?"

"Hey sis, how come you're always sleeping over their place but they don't sleep here?"

Konata simpered. "Guess!" and she hopped out to the front door where Kagami and Tsukasa happily bowed and exasperated, Kyron went out the back door after giving a Kanata a brisk bow.

"Hi Konata!" Kagami said. "Ready for your intercollegiate quiz contest this week?"

"Studied all night!"

"Like you ever have to!" Tsukasa said like a jealous whine of admiration. "Even though we're all shrine maidens at father's temple, why do you still bother hanging around us since you're already in college so, Kano-chan?"

"Well, there's no one else my age at Kyoto U, and besides I don't mix academics with friendship or religion. So, how's this!" Konata said with a leggy pirouette swirling out her stylish half-kimono-like dress's pleated skirt.

Kagami nodded, very impressed. "Looks very western yet traditional!"

Tsukasa sighed. "It's lovely!"

"Can I get a chance to wear it?" asked Kagami.

"Well, if I can still fit into your stuff why not."

Kagami chaffed; "Don't rub it in! I need extra padding everywhere along with a tight belt to fill out your dresses right!"

The girls laughed and Tsukasa sheepishly petted her flat bodice and changed the subject. "So, what film are we going?"

"The Twining Hearts," Kagami romantically said. "It's playing next door to Stainless Steel Slashers Meet Hard Metal Rambo Twenty-Three."

"Ugh!" Konata grimaced. "What kind of freak watches that stuff?? I'd die first!"

Watching on from the next room, a small smile seeped Kanata's lips while the girls laughed and left and Sōjirō came out from behind a corner wiping his wet smile and turned -- and almost tripping over Kanata who was wearing a polite but admonishing smile, like a proper traditional Japanese wife who stoically contained her awareness of her husband's private transgressions.

"Oh! Kanata! Sorry! Er, so finally discussing your near death out-of-body experience with the kids, eh?"

Kanata demurely smiled at his tactful diversion and briefly looked out the window. "It didn't feel so near at the time, Soun-san. Or so far what -- could've been."

"Somehow, you make that sound harsh."

"Then, besides for leaving Konata undisciplined and mannered in my dream, you were an even worst lolicon otaku than before!" she chaffed,

"Ouch. you're like a spiny starfish, Kanata. Lovely to watch, just don't hold! At least you got your way in the real world by reforming me from your dark dream of the future, eh?"

"I had to. I had Konata to worry about!"

"Ouch two! Am I still so seedy to you?"

"Well, what real reason for an old lolicon otaku to badger innocence into marriage?" Kanata quipped which was rather outspoken for her traditional wifey demeanor. Sōjirō blushed with not a little guilt.

"Oh? You think I beguiled that ring onto your finger?"

"It did take a little twisting, didn't it?"

"Cute. You certainly know how to play words like a Stradivaris, Kanata! All this time I thought it was love that sealed our deal, instead you make me sound a dirty old man who roped a hapless little lamb! Well, if you sensed this, why'd you marry me -- stupidity or naive or both?" Sōjirō chaffed and not all that lightly so just to for once crack her ever demure china doll facade.

Kanata seeped a mild cat's smile and gave a short bow that was like a shrug at his taunt. "Civic duty, Soun-san."

"Civic duty?"

"Someone moral had to keep you from lurking playgrounds!"

Sōjirō's impulse to snicker popped into laughter. He knew Kanata disapproved his past and lingering vices but she also firmly but silkily managed to get him to squelch them without threat or guile. Even after eighteen years of marriage her coy mystery baffled and spiced his fancy because she was far far more intelligent than her pose let on and he felt as honored that she chose to be with him.

"Huh! A low blow! Then, it might as well be you accepted me because you're as secretly kinky turned-on by being a lolicon otaku's pet as I being otaku!" he bawdily quipped, letting it hang that he still appreciated her beauty still appearing strikingly underage even now, but Kanata only smiled back with another longer bow. "In fact, for all you know I'm still enthralled by the sight of budding petals -- and tempted to pick a few too behind your back."

"You humble me, Soun-san, but then my gracious vision also peeked your heart and knows such shall never pass."

"Oh really??" Sōjirō chaffed at her calm absolute certainty and scoffing back, he took the swagger of a playboy husband. "Granted, you're one exciting little bed warmer, but what makes you so sure I wouldn't stray like autumn leaves in a breeze, my little loli bride?"

Kanata could barely contain the smug pleasure of uttering words unrepeated for eighteen years;

"Because my honorable husband said 'no one else in the world could love me as much as he can'," she answered with a cute primness and ill-concealed smile that wiped Sōjirō's smug grin like a velvety slap.

"Huh?? Uh – Where – Where'd you hear that??" Sōjirō blurted, totally abashed in having a man's own deepest most expression of affection voiced by lips other than his own. More than that. As corny as it seemed, Kanata never lied or fibbed, and if she was so resolute that he uttered such unmanly gentle thoughts locked in his heart... Words that were like a desperate stake of prayers and promises sledgehammered into his heart on the night she nearly died -- in truth briefly did...

When she re-woke from flitting eternity's door with a new quiet passion to remold their lives and love.

"You're jesting, Kanata! I – I never said such a thing, Kanata! So where'd you hear it??"

Kanata gave a coy bow before heading off for the kitchen. "Kanata, wait! Answer me! Did I – I say that in my sleep? Kanata!!"

FIN.