Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice is owned by Tachibana Higuchi
He handed a glass jar that contained a single seed and soil to his daughter and said, "Be sure to bring this with you, and don't forget to water it." The child carefully grasped onto the container, peering at it curiously. "Is this okaa-san's seed?"
"Yes," her father replied shakily, and sudden memories of his deceased wife assaulted his mind: her hair, her laugh, her smile. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a pale green stone that was about half the size of his palm, placing it into the jar. His daughter, his last remaining relative, nudged the stone.
"Otou-san , why are you putting okaa-san's rock into the dirt? Will it help the seed grow?"
An inhale of breath, and then, "No, the seed will never grow, but the stone will ensure that the seed will never die."
Her expression innocent, she repeated with a mildly confused tone, "Die?"
It was then that her father felt a pang of guilt.
She was still so young. She hadn't even fully understood the concept of death, and yet, he was leaving her.
No , this was for her benefit.
She would be happier. She would be able to explore her gift, her Alice, just as her mother had.
Yes, his leaving her was necessary and justified.
Everything would be fine.
"It will make sure the seed will never go away," he explained and gently cradled his daughter's small— so, so small— hands. They had arrived at the gates of Alice Academy, and while the seed would never die, he prayed that this guilt would one day fade away.
It was time for goodbye.
Author's Note: "Intangible" will essentially be a series of vignettes/drabbles. Updates will be sporadic. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Criticism will be accepted. Flamers will be ignored. Please, do not post this work onto any other website. However, this story is also available on AO3. Thank you for reading.
