Disclaimer. KHR belong to its respective owner

The Parallel Worlds

A series of interrelated stories. Part four.

By: LixNa

Quarto


The White Spider Lily

Nana was a nice sweet child. That was the image she had, what people thinking about her, good girl, naive, oblivion to the harsh world, an epitome of every father dream. She was a living proof that even in this muddy grim world, pure human still existed, untainted from ugliness of reality. And people wanted to keep her that way.

By covering her ears from harsh fact.

By blinding her eyes from the darkness.

By saying nothing in order to hide the truth.

: - : White : - : Spider : - : Lily : - :

"A child?" She titled her head in confusion.

The neighborhoods and Nana were walking back home after shopping. The weather was nice. In the middle of autumn, among the fallen leaf, at first they had chattering about daily live and the newest gossip, but then without her realizing it, the topic steering to children.

"Yes, Nana-san, don't you want one? After all, it's been years since you married. You shouldn't let the past hinder you."

"That's right, Nana-san. But- Oh! Don't tell me you're already planning it?"

"Huh?" Nana blinked twice. Looking at their expectation faces made her a little uneasy. Indeed, it had been five years since she married Iemitsu and become 'Sawada'.

Three and a half years since 'that' happened.

Children were a pure form of human in their earlier stages of live. Something she yearned so much but out of reach.

"No, I don't."

Her neighborhood fell silent.

"A-ah, I'm sorry, Nana-san."

"Me, too."

"Don't worry about it." Nana smiled and tried to look cheerful.

Even though it was a forced smile, they didn't realize it. The conversation continued to another topic until they said their goodbye in the intersection and parted way.

-Page break-

"Tsu-kun."

"Hmm?"

A boy dressed in white suit was standing in front of a massive window, the mansion window which overlooking the forest. With starlight glimmering from the outside, the dim room with hundred black folders and books had giving ethereal atmosphere. And yet…

…it was a moonless night.

"Tsu-kun, are you alright?"

The boy turned his body toward her, no longer facing the window. He looked at her with his kind and serene eyes. As if he tried to comfort her.

"I'm doing great of course." He smiled, but it was hollow smile and at the same time, it was clear,

...resembling a glass of clear water.

She closed her eyes.

-Page break-

She sat in the room bleached in white. White cupboard, white bed, white chair, white clock, even the wall and floor were white. There was no place for other color in that pure colorless place. Except her, except for her and anything she desired to bring.

A wide window with transparent curtain was located just beside her. With the wind blowing the curtain and caressed her hair, she was knitting a scarf made of orange yarn.

An orange scarf for her beloved.

-Page break-

Nana had walking alone in a comfortable pace, humming a slow tune, thinking about the dinner she would make tonight. The fallen leaf had already turning color. It swayed gently with the wind. Passing the street in the evening of autumn, feeling the breeze caressed her hair, and watching the children played near the park. She stopped a moment to gaze at the park.

A boy and a girl were running around the park. A happy and content expression marred their faces. Unconsciously, a small smile grazed her face. She remained there until the children parted away. And then a very familiar man was approaching the little brown haired boy. She just sighed and left the park without a word.

- Page break -

"What did you do, mamma?" She looked up from her half done job. The scarf was pooled around her thigh while the unused yarn left discarded near her feet.

From the chair beside the window, Nana sat silently, watching the new comer from her peripheral vision. The new comer who entered her place without her consent, who dared to clad in black among the whiteness around her.

"I make a scarf." She answered.

"I see... For who did you make that scarf?" He asked again. This time he stood beside her while looking at the pooled scarf.

"For my beloved."

My precious.

-Page break-

A clicking of a knife and a fork could be heard. Outside the confined of Sawada household was the black sky glittered with stars.

Nana had eating alone again.

-Page break-

Under a big willow tree in the middle of wide patch grass, she sat. The soft breeze and the dancing of the grass calmed the atmosphere.

On her lap, a brown haired boy was sleeping peacefully, like an innocent child. Ocasionally, she would carressing his brown mane and humming a soft tune. Ocassionally, she would just stared at the sleeping face of the small boy.

Another breeze had blowing and the boy stirred before opening his yellow eyes. Looking up at her, a greeting immediately left the boy's mouth.

"Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon. Welcome back, Tsu-kun."

The willow's leaf sway slightly, making a song from its moving leaf.

"Do that again." He said. His eyes was closing again.

"Do what, little Tsu?"

"Do whatever the thing you did with my hair before."

Another wind passed and the grassland was dancing with it.

She just smiled and then carresing his hair like before. Comfortable silent had passing the two of them before she broke it.

"What was happening, Tsu-kun?" She asked, eyes briefly moved to the discarded fedora with orange strip, not too far away from them. He had opening his eyes to look at the fedora like her. A loud sigh escaped his mouth.

" I failed." He said quietly. "And I must pay the price."

He was being as vague as he could like usual. He always did it whenever something important happening. But she didn't complain. She was never complaining, not now, not before, and not in the near future. It was his choice. It was his live. She had no right to interfere or entering his hearts to that extent.

So she changed the subject.

"Well, Tsu-kun. How about you tell me about your journey this time?"

The boy was smiling this time, no trace of his previous expression. Just like a kid who just got his newest toy, his voice carried a light tune around it.

"I've met a lot of interesting people." He began the story.

-Page break-

"Tsu-kun, it's your own world.

Why don't you stop this self punishment? You're being too harsh on yourself."

"I aware."

"Do you try to change that?"

"No, I don't."

"Why?"

"Because..." With conciousness which was slowly slipped away, his lid had starting to close little by little. "It is...my...

...duty."

-Page break-

The dim room had lost its glory.

-Page break-

A wide patch of grass was spreading as long as eyes could see. A constant breeze blew continuously, caressing the grass and two people who currently occupied it.

Nana had turning toward him. Her dress made an elegant swirl as she spun around to look at him. Soft voice and kind face blended perfectly with her.

"I know." She moved her gaze to the sky. "I know they're hiding something important from me."

"And you keep quiet about it, mamma? Don't you want to know the truth?" He said it with sharp eyes like he always did when trying to figure out something.

The wind blew a little strongly. Nana held her wide brim hat as the wind passed.

"Even if I ask, they will not tell me." She exhaled and putting a small pained smile. Under the clear sky, the words were said from her hearts.

"You know it was heavy, right?... A burden or maybe it's a responsibility they must fulfill." He said with eyes focused at her.

She was looking at his eyes again and this time, a soft voice like a whisper of a mother nature flittered from her. "By not telling me, they're adding the burden they must carried with the stake of their hearts."

The wind blew a little strongly again, but this time it managed to take Nana's hat with it. "Ah."

Her hat flied away from her grasp and away it went with the wind. He had taking out his gun and shooting the hat, making a hole in it. The hat lost its balance and then fell not too far from Nana.

She picked it up and checking the hat while continue walking. Her voice was as soft as it could. "And with that..."

She walked away from the grassland with him following behind. The pained look was back at her face but the breeze was as tame as it could. "…with that...the pains I must carry get lighter."

It was for the sole purpose of keeping her happiness intact. Nothing more. Nothing less.


to be continue