Title: Tōhoku
Author: Ad_Idem (Right)
Characters: Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima, Iwate, Aomori, Akita (basically the Prefectures on Himaruya's blog), Japan
Rating: PG
Warnings: novice understanding of Japanese culture
Summary: When one brother falls, a nation stands together. Written for all the brave people of Japan.
Right: I've been writing this for a few days and finished it last night, just to hear about the second earthquake this morning. I hesitated to post this ...
Tōhoku
It hurt all over. He laid flat on the floor, his eyes set forward, hooded and puffy. He was certain that he had never felt like that before, nor did he ever wish to feel it again.
The aches marked him all the way to his core where he felt split open and water logged.
Miyagi felt as though he was going to suffocate. But he couldn't move. And no one else was there.
When night came it was filled with darkness and sirens. The rustle of feet as they scrambled to find something, anything, that would make the next day better.
Some man sat down on a curb and thought about everything around him and cried.
That was when Miyagi cried too.
He was rightfully surprised when Yamagata came.
Face dirty from work, she wasted no time in opening a blind and fluffing a pillow. She didn't say much, she was never the type to do so.
Miyagi watched as she walked to the kitchen, stepping carefully over the cracks, and opened the cabinet door which was still hanging on hinges.
There was little to be said so they did not waste the time. Miyagi watched her place a cast iron teapot on the stove.
When the stove didn't work she left for a small time and trailed a scent of cherry blossoms and sunset, if the former had been in season and the latter had a scent at all.
Not long after, she returned with freshly chopped wood. It was used to light a fire in the stove which was used to boil the pot.
Miyagi's ruined home smelled like herbs and spices with drops of cherries and the nip of a winter breeze.
In time, Miyagi reasoned that Yamagata's presence was only what someone should have expected.
She worked hard in spite of a nasty cold and took care of Miyagi with the tenderness of a mother. Even to the point that she held him in his sleep.
What Miyagi did not expect was for Fukushima to appear.
While Yamagata cleaned, cooked, and coughed with the stealth of a mouse, Fukushima pulled Miyagi's thinning frame flush against his chest and sat him in his lap.
They were competition, according to Fukushima. They had similar economies and cities and people. They were great at their sports and greater at producing the newest technologies.
Miyagi knew these things already.
He was still surprised when the tight wad brother broke his precious piggy bank against the floor and handed over half of its contents to Miyagi.
Competition is good for us, Fukushima said confidently. I need you to be okay.
After a few days, Yamagata's food was cold and brothy once more. Fukushima remedied this by fishing, but returned empty handed when he thought better of it.
Miyagi felt sick again and hot in his throat and chest. It was more than a fever, it was a building static of energy to great for him to contain.
There were so few people outside but leaving would be suicide for him. He would never abandon the people still trapped within his province.
The problem was that no one knew what to do because no one knew on the outside what was happening within. No one within could even think of what was happening outside.
Iwate came when this problem was apparent.
Strapped to her side was cable and wire, transmission radios, and anything else that could send a possible signal.
So much like the other siblings, she had very little to say on the subject or anything else.
Instead she went to work on the balcony and ran wires from floor to floor with much natural grace and practiced skill of her fingers.
They called Tokyo for the first time since the earthquake by the time the sun set.
Everyone was tired and aching by the time that Aomori arrives.
He carried four bags of food and supplies on foot for over 300 kilometers. He then hugged each sibling, tickling their noses with the cat fur still clinging to his jacket.
Yamagata started up a new fire to cook. Fukushima sorted through their new rations. Iwate called the Tokyo office to sooth some nerves.
Aomori scooped Miyagi into his lumbering arms and hugged the smaller prefecture like he would never dare let go again.
Miyagi buried his face in his brother's sleeve and breathed deeply into the scent of cats and hard labor.
When they all went to sleep that night, the streets were clearer and more silent. Miyagi felt an old man hug his wife for the first time in weeks.
He curled into his blankets like it was the first time in so long that he could feel warmth again.
They are overjoyed when Akita arrives, bearing news of international relief and much sake from her own breweries.
She assured them all that it would be the last night they would sleep without food or water or electricity. They would all be flown out by morning.
Her energy and vibrant spirit warmed the cold air of the home and Miyagi was glad, so very glad.
The split in his floor and the puddles of water gathered in the sloped corners were not enough to break his home, not really.
He became sheltered by the warmth of his brothers' and sisters' arms as they ate the last of their rations and drank heavily from the sake.
There were still people in his lands but Miyagi could leave and rest. They were in good hands.
They were in his family's hands.
His eyes were half open when Japan walked into the home. He watched the Nation study the disaster and, with the pops and groans of his bones, near the sleeping children.
Japan had a radio at his waistband and he could have easily called for their emergency team to come in and carry the little prefectures out.
Instead he laid down with them and held them in his arms.
Miyagi smelled the salt of his tears as he held them closer.
Japan will always be there for you, the nation whispered.
And Miyagi slept well. Because it was true.
...
The End
[Notes]
*References to the 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami which devastated the Miyagi Prefecture.
*The region of Tōhoku contains the prefectures of Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima, Iwate, Aomori, and Akita (all of which have designs by Himaruya ). The way I write them they are "Liechtenstein age" - young enough to be under the care of Japan but old enough to have lots of independence.
*Yamagata is known for its cherries and peaches.
*Fukushima mainly possesses a fishing industry and an affinity for electronics. The piggy bank is in reference to Himaruya's design.
*Iwate is known for its communications industry
*Aomori had a cat in his design on the blog (and looked like Greece?) so I gave him a lumbering, good natured personality
*Akita is known for its breweries.
I hope this didn't offend anyone. Please continue to pray for Japan!