"Please be okay." Kagura whispered, forehead pressed against the cool glass "Please."
It was strange, how she ended up here. A world of nothing but blinding fluorescent lights and permanent smell of disinfectant, rooms humming with all sorts of complicated and beeping monitors. A place of both life and death. It was strange, yet oddly comforting and nostalgic at the same time.
As of lately, Kagura began to wonder if she would ever come back to this place again. This place where her family joined together in happiness to welcome her baby brother.
Yet somehow, despite all odds, here she was, watching over him once again. Here he was, safe and protected from the darkness of the world outside.
OOO
He was so small, she realized. So tiny and vulnerable despite the light blue blanket that wrapped around him protectively. So much more fragile than the other bigger and healthier looking newborns. So much more innocent. But she loved him nonetheless.
From the first day she lay eyes on him, Kagura knew she would do anything to protect his happiness. She loved everything about him. She loved his adorable smile, his sweet squeaky laughter, his big brown eyes that greeted her with kindness everyday. He was everything a big sister could hope for and so much more.
Even before he was born she loved him. After school, she would always run back home and ask her mother if she could feel her stomach, excited every time to feel the small kick. She could remember helping her father paint the spare room a beautiful sky blue with little animal decorations on the sides. She could remember making a list of all the things they would together. A list of promises and vows she made as a big sister. She misses those times. Those times when only thoughts of building snowmen in the winter, playing in the ocean at the beach, eating ice cream in the summer were the things that were important. Those times where she could count on her parents to protect her, instead of the other way around.
Now it felt like the fate of the world rested on her shoulders.
Before she knew it, tears came running down her cheeks. Hot, wet droplets splattering on top of her balled-up fists as her entire body shook with each sob that escaped.
"What if I'm not good enough?" she whispered, eyes clenched shut to stop the flow of tears "What if I'm not strong enough? What if I can't save you?"
"I know I'm not as imaginative as Right. I know I'm not as smart as Tokatti. I know I'm not as good a fighter like Hikari. I know I'm not as caring as Mio. So what am I good at?!" she cried out angrily, slamming her fists against the glass.
The pain hurt. The pain of being helpless. The pain of being hopeless. But here in this world, she could do nothing but accept it.
"You're good at a lot of things!" a voice interrupted.
Kagura turned, facing the smiling girl before her as she held out a box of tissues.
"Eh?"
"You always bring people happiness! You make people smile whenever they feel down! You're persistent and never give up!"
"R-really?" Kagura sniffed, wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt.
"Absolutely! I believe in you! You can do anything if you set your mind to it!"
"H-how do you know?"
"Because I'm you, Kagura." her voice softening as she wrapped her small hands around hers "I know you can do it. Your imagination makes you strong in so many ways than you even know now. I know you can do it. Just keep believing."