Author's Notes:
Sorry for the long wait. This time, I have no excuse except that Kekkaishi, Junjou Romantica, Sekai ichi Hatsukoi and Vocaloid had (and actually still is) dominated most of my time which is why I only finished this chapter now. I have some stuff to say but I'm sure you wanna guys read now so. . .
On with the fic!
Chapter 7
Momo walked quietly as she made her way to the Sohma main house. She told her mommy that she was going to play with her friends in the park, an excuse she often used whenever she wanted to see Momiji, and her mommy agreed, telling her to be back in a couple of hours. It had been a couple of days since she was told that Momiji got out of the hospital and she was a little upset when she found out that her mommy had visited Momiji without telling her.
Momo huffed a little as she remembered it, her lips curling into a small pout. She wanted to see Momiji too. Why didn't her mommy take her when she went to see him when he got out of the hospital? She asked her many times but her mommy would always tell her that she went to an appointment that morning before going to the hospital and she didn't want to wake her up earlier than usual only to make her wait the whole morning.
Well, her mommy did have a point. It was always boring whenever her mommy would have to meet with people she didn't know and she would have to wait for her to finish talking to them, so she was slightly okay with it. After that, she asked if they could visit Momiji the next day but her mommy only looked at her apologetically and said that they can't visit for a while. When she asked her why they can't, her mommy told her that it was hard to explain why and they just can't go for a visit awhile.
It was unfair. Really. She thought as she lightly kicked a small rock in front of her, sending it a couple of feet away. She didn't get to see Momiji before he went home and now her mommy tells her that they can't go and visit him for a while. It was just unfair.
The high walls surrounding the Sohma main house came into view as Momo turned a corner and her steps became faster. She really wanted to see Momiji even if her mommy said that they can't visit for a while. Besides, she could always just go and watch him just like she did before and this time she didn't have to hide so much since Momiji can't see right now. She just had to keep quiet and make sure Momiji won't notice her.
Reaching the main house, she slowly made her way to the part of the wall that had the secret entrance that was hidden by the bushes. Looking around to see if anyone might see her and finding no one, Momo let out a small sigh of relief and she continued to go inside the bushes and through the hole in the wall.
As she finally crawled out of the small hole, Momo stood quietly and looked around if there was anyone who might notice her. Finding no one, she checked her dress to see if any dirt that got into it and when she found none, she continued to make her way into Momiji's house.
Whenever she sneaked inside the main house she often stared at the beautiful gardens and houses inside. For her, the main house was like a different world compared to the outside. it was quiet and peaceful and full of pretty gardens and trees. The houses were large and connected by many hallways and pathways and whenever she came there to play with her friend or to watch Momiji, she felt like she was having an adventure, having to hide and sneak inside the main house so that she won't be seen and scolded.
She remembered the first time she saw Momiji. It was when she and her mommy were going to see her daddy in his office and they saw him in the hallway. When she saw him, she felt a little shy at first since he was older than her and she thought he was a girl because the clothes he wore looked like a girls. But when she looked at him more she thought that he looked like her mommy. They had the same hair and eye color and even the way his hair looked like was similar to her mommy.
She told her mommy that she and Momiji looked alike but her mommy just laughed and said they didn't. She then told her daddy the same thing and she wondered why her daddy had a weird look in his face. Just like when he was having a problem with his work and then he told her that she can't meet with him anymore. When she asked her daddy why, he got angry and said that they just can't meet.
She didn't want to make her daddy angrier so she stopped talking about Momiji but she still thought about him a lot. One day when she was secretly playing hide and seek inside the main house with her friend and was hurriedly looking for a place to hide, she heard a melody. Curious, she searched for the source of the beautiful melody and she saw that it came from one of the houses nearby.
When she arrived at the house, she was surprised to see Momiji. She was so happy that she finally knew where he lived and she wanted to go talk to him but then remembered what her daddy said and so she decided to just watch from where she was. He was playing the violin and was making such pretty sounds that she wanted to play the violin too.
As the days passed and she kept coming back to watch Momiji, she sometimes wonder why she doesn't see anyone else in the house except for Momiji. Where was his mommy and daddy? Why was he always alone in the house? She wanted to ask him. She wanted to befriend him. But she was afraid to go and ask because her daddy told her that she can't talk to him. So when she saw Momiji's friend she had asked her to tell him for her the things she wanted to say. That she wanted to play the violin with him and that she wanted him to be her big brother so that they could be together.
After quietly walking behind the trees and houses, Momiji's house slowly came into view and Momo started to walk slower, looking around to see if there was anyone that might see her. Finding no one, she reached the fence that separated the house from the others and she took a peek, seeing the view of Momiji's room.
Momo blinked, a little puzzled. Momiji wasn't there. Then again, there were times that she came and Momiji wasn't in the room either and came in a little later. Maybe if she waited she would get to see Momiji. So that's what she did and she waited while glancing around every now and then to see if there was someone around that might see her. After a while, her feet were starting to get tired and she sat down still waiting for Momiji to enter his room.
Momo was starting to feel sleepy with all the waiting she was doing. Momiji still hasn't come in his room and and she was bored. She didn't like waiting for a long time but she wanted to see Momiji. She wondered where he was. She would always find him in his room most of the time she came to watch him so why wasn't he there now?
Then she started to think that maybe Momiji was busy. Was that why he's not in his room? Was he busy? Momo thought. If Momiji was so busy that he can't come into his room, then maybe he was in the other rooms in the house? She didn't really know what people do when they say their busy because they move around so much that before she would see what they were doing, they were already moving to another place. Just like the other people she saw on her daddy's office, they often moved around looking for something or another.
Momo nodded to herself. That's it. Maybe Momiji was busy going around the house that he can't go back to his room right now. Still wanting to see Momiji, Momo stood up and decided that she would look around the house to see if Momiji was in the other rooms. She walked towards the house and looked through the next window closest to Momiji's room but no one was there, so she moved on to the next window but she still saw no one. She continued doing this until she was almost halfway across the house.
She was too focused on what she was doing that she didn't notice the presence of another person coming from behind.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Momo froze, still holding onto the window sill, as she heard the voice. Her mind suddenly racing as she realized she had been caught. Slowly, she let go of the window sill and placed herself down from her tip-toed position. She let out the breath she had unknowingly held as she felt her heart beating fast. She was caught. She would be scolded by her mommy and daddy for lying and for entering the main house without permission and snooping around one of the houses.
Her eyes started to feel wet with tears. She might not be allowed to go to the main house anymore. She blinked back the tears as she heard the person behind come closer to her. Slowly, she turned away from the window, and turned to look at the person who caught her.
Momiji sat in the dining table, a cup of tea and a slice of chocolate cake in front of him. Hatori was busy working in the clinic and left him in the kitchen after helping him prepare the snack. After taking a sip of the tea, he grabbed the fork and began eating the cake. As the days passed, Momiji became more used to eating and doing things on his own. He would still ask Hatori for help sometimes when he can't do something or find what he needed, but it became less frequent and Momiji was more than glad that he's getting used to moving around on his own.
Speaking of Hatori. The older man seemed to have taken the news about his mother well. He calmly listened as Momiji told him the full story of what happened in the hospital and how he asked her to give him some time to think about things. Hatori agreed that he needed time to think and told him that if there was anything he could do to help him, he just needed to ask.
"This chocolate cake is so good!" he said to himself as he happily continued to eat. Tohru came by yesterday and brought the cake with her. They spent a lot of time talking about many things. Then he told her about his mother and what they talked about in the hospital. And as always, Tohru was worried, but she told him that it'll be okay. She smiled as she told him that. He couldn't see anymore but he knew that Tohru was smiling, he could feel it from her. Just like how she always does whenever she comforted him or Yuki or Kyo or anyone else for that matter. She would always smile gently and tell them that everything will be okay and say the things that always seemed to be the words people would want to hear. She was just that kind of person and after they had finished talking, he had felt better.
After finishing the last piece of the cake and his tea, he gingerly picked up the plate and cup and placed them down on the sink. Thinking of what to do next, he remembered that he had those braille materials Hatori brought him yesterday.
It had been decided by his father and Hatori that Momiji would have to transfer to a different school since his current school didn't have any special classes for students with cases like his. Luckily, they found a school that accepts students like him and that he would continue his studies by learning how to read braille. It was also relatively near to the main house, but he can't be enrolled right now since it was already the middle of the semester.
As the decision was made, both his father and Haotri thought it best that he should start learning how to read braille before hand, saying it would make it easier for him to catch up with his studies if he learned reading braille now.
When they asked him what he thought about their decision he said he was okay with it. Besides, it's not like he had much to do now. So he told them that he agreed and that he could start learning how to read braille. In fact, Hatori started to teach him yesterday. Teaching him how to distinguish a specific dot and the letter corresponding to it and gave him some materials to practice on. But since Hatori was busy working in the clinic today, he decided that he would just study what he was taught yesterday and familiarize himself with the letters today.
Making his way to his rooom, he headed to the desk placed everything he used yesterday. A small frown made its way to his face as he groped around the desk but found nothing. "Strange, I'm sure I placed it here yesterday." He groped around the desk more and the furniture close to it "Where could it be?" he scratched his head as he asked himself.
Maybe he left it at a different table? But he wasn't that sure, he still had a problem of leaving things in different places. Momiji left his room and made his way to Hatori's clinic. He should go ask Hatori, the older man might have seen where he left them. Reaching the door, he lightly knocked and opened the door. "Hari"
Hatori looked up from his desk and turned to look at the doorway where Momiji stood "What is it?" he asked. "Have you seen where I placed the materials you gave me yesterday? I can't find them." he told Hatori. He heard the chair swivel a bit, probably Hatori turning to face him "I saw it in the table at the living room. Are you going to review what I taught you yesterday?" he asked "Yeah" Momiji nodded "I could continue teaching you if you want." Hatori offered and Momiji shook his head. "No, it's okay, I just have nothing to do, and you're pretty busy right now."he told him. "Well, if you say so. Just call me if you need anything." Hatori said. "Right, thanks." Momiji said and he turned back towards the living room. "I knew t. I placed it somewhere else." He silently mumbled to himself.
He reached the living room and headed for the table and sure enough, his materials were there. Finally finding his materials, he grabbed them and was about to turn back into his room when he stopped, listening attentively. Did he just hear something? It sounded like a knock, but he wasn't sure, it sounded so faint. He stood still for a moment, listening for the faint sound he heard earlier. Nothing.
Momiji sighed and turned back, about to leave the room, when he heard the sound again. Much louder this time. Turning back to the source of the sound, he listened again and surely enough, another knock was heard.
Judging from the direction, it came from the large glass doors that led to the small garden outside. Was someone there? Momiji wondered. Walking towards the door, he reached over and slid it open, letting the gentle breeze enter.
"Yo"
Came a greeting and Momiji blinked in surprise. "Haru? Why are you here?" he asked, surprise still evident in his voice. "Visiting." Came the short reply and Momiji let out a small laugh "I know. I mean why are you entering in the living room and not through the main door?" he asked. "A change in scenery." Haru replied "Also, she didn't want to go through the main door." He added.
"She?" Momiji repeated. Who did he mean? Did he bring along Rin? But surely Rin wouldn't just enter Hatori's house through the living room. Then again, she often visited Shigure's home unannounced. "That's right. She." Haru answered and Momiji heard some shuffling "What's wrong?" You wanted to see him right?" he heard Haru speak, but it wasn't directed at him "Go on." Haru urged. Momiji tilted his head "Haru, who is it?" he asked when he felt a light tug on his shirt and looked down.
"Momiji"
Momiji's eyes widen in surprise "Momo? What. . .How did you get here?" he asked her. Even though it became less strict inside the main house after the curse broke, it was still hard for people in the outside to get inside the main house and usually they only came when they had business with the head. Not receiving any reply from his sister, he called her again "Momo?" but she only made a small sound.
"I saw her looking around your house. So I thought I'd bring her to you before anyone else might see her." Haru said causing both Momiji and Momo to look up at him. "In my house?" he asked the taller teen before lowering his head to where Momo is "What were you doing in my house-" "I'm sorry Momiji. Mommy said I can't visit but I just wanted to see you." Momo cut him off tugging a little harder on the his shirt as she spoke "But when I came to your house, you weren't there." She said, her voice had become lower "I'm sorry."
After hearing what Momo said, Momiji remembered what Tohru told him before when she came to see Kureno. That Momo had been watching him in secret. Coming over to the main house just to watch him. A smile made its way to his face and he lightly patted Momo's head, causing her to look up at him "It's okay. I'm not mad at you for coming." He told her and Momo's face lit up as she heard that he wasn't mad.
"By the way, what's that?" Haru asked gesturing at the papers Momiji held against him "Oh, these?" he held them out for Haru to see. "Is that braille?" the taller teen asked and Momiji nodded "Yup." "What's braille?" he heard Momo ask. Crouching down so that they were nearly eye level, he explained to her what it was and how he will be able to read books without needing to see with his eyes. "Hatori's teaching me how to read braille." He he finished
"Is it hard?" Momo asked beside Momiji who was also sitting down. They were now sitting on the floor, their feet dangling off from the elevated floor of the house. Momiji had slid the other glass door open, providing more space, and both Haru and Momo sat beside him. "It's hard, but it's also fun." He told her cheerfully and they continued on their conversation until Haru stood up, making both Momiji and Momo turn to him.
" I'll go out for a sec and check on Rin." Haru said and Momiji turned to him "Rin's here too?" he asked "Yeah, we were walking together when I saw Momo. She said she'd come along here because she thinks I'd get lost on the way." Haru explained earning a small chuckle from Momiji "You do get lost a lot. Why didn't she come here though?" he asked the taller teen. "You know how Rin is." Haru shrugged "She's in the outer garden." He told him and he started to walk back the direction he and Momo came from. "Well then, I'll be back in a while." He said, smiling a little as he left and a calm silence fell between the two left behind.
A gentle breeze passed and Momiji was about to start another conversation when he heard Momo mumble something. Not understanding it, he asked her again what she was saying.
"Momiji, um. . ." Momo fidgeted, seemingly hesitating. "What is it? You can tell me." Momiji said, urging her to continue. It seemed to work and after a few seconds of silence, Momo started to speak again "Um, if it's okay. . . can. . . can Momiji be Momo's. . .big brother?" she asked shyly.
Momiji's eyes grew wide at hearing this. Big brother? Has their parents told her about him being her older brother? Does she really know? "Big brother. . ." he breath out "Momo, did they tell you about it?" he asked. And form a moment, Momo looked thoughtful, "They?" she mumbled to herself before looking back at him "Tell Momo what?" she curiously asked him back and Momiji had the sudden urge to slap himself. No. Of course they haven't told her anything about him. At least not yet. And now, here he was giving hints to his sister after assuming that she knows the truth, only to find that she still didn't know anything.
"Momiji?" Momo called and for the first time in a long time, Momiji was at a loss, thinking of ways to somehow explain to her what he meant without giving away anything. He ended up thinking in silence as Momo continued to watch him, waiting for an answer. Coming up with nothing, Momiji decided finally he'd just change the subject when Momo's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"So, is it true then?" she asked him, lightly tugging on his shirt. "What is?" he asked her, not really understanding what she meant. "That you are my big brother." Momo told him "Is it true?" Momiji blinked, surprised at the sudden statement "M-Momo, what are you saying? That isn't-" "But you look so much like mommy!" Momo cut him off, silencing Momiji "You really do! Even if mommy said you didn't!" she told him ". . and. . .and. . . Momo really wants you to be. . .her big brother. Because. . . when Momo looks at Momiji, he feels like. . .family. . ." Momo finished, her voice drifting off as she said the last words, her hands still clutching the hem of Momiji's shirt and her head lowered a little.
Momiji sat still in silence as he let Momo's words sink in. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. What Tohru said to him that day when she went to look for Kureno was true.
"She wanted to know if you wouldn't be her big brother."
Momo said so herself. The fact that she could feel it, the bond of being a family, that even when she didn't know the truth and yet, was yearning for it was enough to make Momiji burst in happiness. That despite not knowing, she was still somehow aware that they were connected, and that she was reaching out to him.
After hearing such a confession from his only sister, Momiji felt that he was left with no other choice but to tell her. He didn't want to lie to her, not after all the things she said to him. To lie and say that it isn't true would hurt her, and Momiji didn't want that. Not for Momo.
Sighing a little, a gentle smile formed on his lips as he patted Momo on the head, making her look up at him "You got me." He said "Eh?" Momo tilted her head and Momiji laughed a little "I guess I just can't hide it from you anymore, huh?" he said and Momo's eyes widened "So it's true? You're really my big brother?" she asked him excitedly.
"Yeah." He nodded "But then, why don't you live with us? And why doesn't mommy remember you? And daddy doesn't talk about you." She asked him, sounding more subdued compared to earlier.
"Momiji's smile turned into a sad one as he gently patted her head once more "That's because there were. . . many difficult circumstances we were facing before." He answered. Despite telling her that they were siblings, somehow he still didn't want to tell her everything, the curse and their mother forgetting him."Circumstances?" Momo repeated "That's right." He answered back "Like what?" Momo asked again, leaning closer to Momiji and Momiji looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Well, there's a lot. And it's difficult to explain." He explained and he heard an 'oh' sound come from Momo "Then, is that why you don't live with us?" she asked again and Momiji nodded "That's right. Because of those circumstances, I have to stay here in the main house." he told her and Momo continued bombarding him with questions.
"Does daddy know about you too?"
"Yup. He visits me when he has time."
"Do you go on trips with daddy then?"
"We don't. We usually just eat together and spend some time doing other stuff."
"How come no one's at your house? Do you live alone?"
"Yeah, but a servant or two always comes to check in on me sometimes. And sometimes I stay over here at Hatori's house."
"Don't you feel lonely then? Living alone?"
The last question struck Momiji like a chord. "Yes, I do, sometimes." He told her truthfully. He did feel lonely. Felt it countless times when he was younger. And he would often wish that he would still be with his family during those times. Even though he knew that he can't. But as he grew up, he got used to it. Treated it as if it was a normal everyday thing and moved on.
That was how he got through such things. When you're feeling down, then so be it. Let it flow out. Let it show. Cry if necessary. And after doing all of that, move on and carry on with life. Because he knew nothing would come about by wallowing in such feelings. Letting it linger on would only bring about more pain. Momiji knew this. That's why he tried his best to move on past such feelings. He didn't want to feel any more pain than he already does.
Momiji closed his eyes, feeling the gentle breeze as it passed. "Momiji?" opening them, he titled his head at hearing Momo's voice "Is something wrong?" she asked, noticing the change in mood. Shaking his head, he answered "No, it's nothing." And started another conversation. They spent a few more moments talking happily, listening to each other's story about one thing or another.
They enjoyed spending time together that they forgot about the time. It was only when Haru came back that they remembered that Momo had been there for quite some time. "Well, I guess you should be going home now." He told her and he can't help but smile as he heard a small disappointed sound from Momo. "You've been here for quite some time now. They might start to worry about where you are." He said to her. "Can Momo come visit again?" she asked and he nodded "Sure. Be careful on the way back, okay?" He said and patted her on the head. "Okay" Momo happily told him and she went over to Haru."Ready?" Haru asked and Momo nodded "Bye Momiji." She said and Momiji waved back.
After that, both Haru and Momo left, leaving Momiji alone in the living room just like how he was earlier. Picking up his braile materials, which he placed on the floor earlier, he stood up and headed to his room and placed it on the desk. He had wanted to review what Hatori taught him, but it could wait until tomorrow. After all, he got to spend time with Momo. And that was more fun than having to guess which dot represents what letter.
Maiko stood by the sink, washing the utensils she used to cook pancakes for Momo. "Are you still mad at me mommy?" Momo asked, looking up from her half eaten pancakes. She had been severly scolded by her mother yesterday after she went out to look for her in the park only to find out from her friends that she never came to play with them that afternoon.
"I'm not mad Momo. Not anymore." She said, not looking away from the sink. After allowing her daughter to play outside with her friends, she started to get worried when Momo still wasn't home past the time she told her. After another half hour had passed and her daughter still hadn't returned, she decided to check the park where Momo often played and saw that she wasn't there. She asked the other children if they saw her and her worry only increased when they said they haven't seen Momo that afternoon.
Thinking of other places her daughter might have gone, she went around to check if her daughter was there, but she wasn't and Maiko was starting to panic. Quite some time had passed and the sun was starting to set. She didn't know where her daughter had gone and she didn't know where else to look for her. In her panic, she called Mizuki and told him what happened and after being calmed down by her husband, they decided to meet up back at the house.
She quickly hurried back to the house and hurried even more when she saw the car in the driveway. As she entered the house, she headed to the living room where she heard Mizuki's voice and relief quickly spread throughout her as she saw Momo sitting in the couch, looking sullen. But her relief was short-lived as her worry turned into anger and she scolded the girl.
Crying as she was being scolded, Momo told them where she had gone and both of them were surprised when they heard their daughter's explanation. She had gone to the main house ecause she wanted to see Momiji and that she didn't intend to spend so much time there. After everything was said and Momo had apologized and reflected on what she did, it was decided that Momo was grounded for a while and won't be allowed to leave the house unless they were going out.
Finishing the last of the utensils, she left them on the counter to dry and sat across from Momo. Massaging her temples, she let out a sigh. "Are you okay mommy?" Momo asked, staring worriedly at her. "I'm fine, Momo, just a little headache. Nothing to worry about." She reassured her daughter.
She had been having headaches for a few days now. It began as a dull throbbing pain that quickly went away after taking a short rest. But as the days passed, it became more painful and frequent. Mizuki was worried about her but she assured him that she was fine and probably just needed to rest. But today it seemed different though. The headache she's been having since this morning hadn't subsided even when she had taken a nap earlier and it seemed to have become worse.
"Mommy?"
Opening her eyes, she saw worried expression on Momo's face and forced out a smile "It's just a headache Momo. Eat your snack." she said and Momo, though worried, continued to eat the remaining pancakes and Maiko rested her head in her palm. She suddenly remembered the conversation she had with her daughter yesterday.
After her anger had dissipated and Momo had become calm enough and stopped crying, Maiko had asked Momo what she and Momiji talked about. By that time, only the two of them were at home. Mizuki had left earlier to return to his office to retrieve his belongings that he abruptly left as he received the call from Maiko.
Momo remained quiet at first, but then she slowly told Maiko about what she and Momiji talked about and she was taken by surprise when Momo told her about finally knowing about how she and Momiji were siblings.
Although, after hearing the rest of the story, it seems that Momiji didn't tell her everything. She only knew that they were siblings and nothing else. And somehow Maiko felt relieved that Momo didn't know everything. That Momo didn't know about the curse and her 'forgetting' Momiji.
"Mommy" Momo called and Maiko returned her attention to the girl. "Yes Momo?" she asked. "Why doesn't Momiji live with us? Why does he have to live in the main house?" she asked her mother, her curiosity clearly evident in her voice. "Well, that's. . ." Maiko fumbled about, unconsciously playing with a lock of hair as she thought of what to say.
How could she tell Momo? She might not understand yet. She's still too young and she didn't know if telling her the truth would affect her view of Momiji. And the truth itself seemed almost like it was taken out of fiction. But. . . she already knows about Momiji being her brother and she seem to really like him to the point that she would go and visit him without permission. Besides, she has a right to know, she is his younger sister after all.
Maiko continued to play with the lock of hair as she considered this. Momo was still young, she still didn't have the skepticism adults have towards almost anything in this world. If she explained to her and tried to make her understand. . .
Maiko let out a sigh. How could she do it though? When she herself still hasn't fully accepted the truth? To be told that the boy she only knew as a child of a far relative was actually her son, that she herself chose to forget. That was quite hard to believe in itself. And the fact that the reason for doing so was because of a curse, was even harder to believe and accept.
For her to explain something she can't even remember, she didn't know if telling her daughter right now would do anything to make their current situation better or worse. She hadn't even spoke to Momiji ever since the confession she told him back at the hospital a few days before.
Maiko groaned, closing her eyes as she lightly massaged her temples. All this thinking was making her headache worse. "Mommy, are you really okay?" Momo's worried voice rang in the room. "I. . .I think, I need to rest." Maiko admitted and noticed the empty plate and cup. "Ah, you're done already." She said and began to reach for the dishes.
Momo continued to stare worriedly at her. Noticing her daughter's distress, Maiko patted her on the head "I'll just put this in the sink and wash them later. I'll rest after this." She reassured her daughter and stood up and gathered the dishes. As she reached the counter, she felt a strong pang of pain in her head and she had barely managed to place the dishes on the counter before clutching her head and leaning in the counter for support.
"Mommy!" Momo ran over to her, her worry Increasing as she saw her mother in pain. "I-I'm. . .fine, Momo. . ." she said, trying to lessen her daughter's worry even though the pain was worsening and she leaned over the counter even more for support, waiting for it to subside.
After some time had passed, she feelt slightly better and she tried to stand straight, pushing herself up from the counter. But as she did, she didn't notice the cup that was placed over the edge of the counter and accidentally knocked it off. She tried to reach for it but it had fallen too fast and she could do nothing but watch as it crashed on the floor, breaking into little pieces.
Momo moved a couple of steps away on instinct and was now standing almost behind her mother. The cup shattered into many small pieces and was scattered all around but she was surprised when her mother didn't even do so much as flinch when the cup broke and scattered. Looking up, she could see her mother, eyes wide, staring at the shattered glass before her. ". . .Mommy?"
Maiko barely heard her daughter call for her. Her eyes fixated on the broken pieces of glass below near her feet. The sound of the cup breaking resounding loudly in her head. She didn't know why, but hearing it made her feel. . .different. As if the sound itself felt. . .familiar. An image of a boy flashed through her mind and she once again clutched her head in pain .
"That creature is not my son!"
"W-What. . ." Maiko mumbled weakly as the pain in her head intensified. That voice. . . it sounded so familiar. Her vision was starting to blur, and the pain wasn't subsiding. She closed her eyes, hoping that somehow, it would lessen the pain, but she quickly opened them as she heard a crash.
When she opened her eyes, she looked surprised. The room had changed. She was no longer in the kitchen and judging from the furniture, she was in a living room , one she couldn't remember. But it felt very familiar and . . . it was a mess. Another crash made her turn to the source instinctively but as soon as she did, everything became pitch black. And she once more heard the voice.
"This is all your fault! I wouldn't be suffering like this if it wasn't for you!"
Another crash, then a cry.
"If only you weren't born!"
" . . .What is. . .this. ." she weakly said, the pain wasn't subsiding at all. In fact, it felt like it was becoming worse. What's more, she didn't understand what she saw. That voice. . . She had never heard something so hateful, so despaired.
"Mizuki!"
She heard the voice again, but it wasn't filled with the hate and despair she felt earlier, and all of a sudden, she saw Mizuki standing underneath a large tree.
"Mizuki!"
She was happily coming up to him. A bright smile on her face Which was returned by her husband.
"What is it? You sound incredibly happy."
"Mizuki! I'm pregnant!"
She happily say to Mizuki and watched as a look of worry passed Mizuki's face before breaking into a smile.
"That's great!"
The scene suddenly shifted and she was suddenly in a park, talking with one of her friends, her hand placed over her big belly.
"I heard from Mizuki that it's going to be a boy."
"That's right."
"So, have you decided on a name already?"
"Not yet, we can't seem to decide which name is better."
"Then, how about naming him after your favorite season?"
"You mean autumn? Hm. . . That would be nice."
She look off to the distance, thinking."Yes, it is a nice name. . ." she muttered to herself before a gentle smile fell on her lips.
". . .Momiji."
She was still clutching her head, not understanding what was happening. She was seeing and saying things that she didn't remember having done so before. Were these her memories? Were these the memories she had erased? The scene changed again, faster this time and she heard a scream. This time, she was in a bed, surrounded by Mizuki and Hatori who looked at her worriedly. She was looking down at her trembling hands. A small rabbit lay on her lap.
" . . .W-What is. . .this?" she asked shakily.
"Maiko. . .that is our child. . . " Mizuki quietly told her and she looked up at him.
"Our. . .child?" she looked once more at the small rabbit on her lap.
"This is not my child. . .It can't be. This isn't my child! This isn't Momiji!"
Maiko cried out and fell to her knees as the memories and emotions continued to flood her mind. She was too lost in the myriad of thoughts and emotions that she barely heard Momo's worried voice calling her. Familiar faces and voices continuously flashed through her mind and the pain she felt was becoming even more unbearable.
"That creature is not my child!"
"He is one of the jyuunishi, possessed by the rabbit spirit."
"If only you weren't born!"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. . ."
"Do you really want to forget everything? You won't. . .regret it?"
Everything was happening too fast and it was too much to take and Maiko fell to the floor. Her consciousness was slowly slipping away and she could hear the muffled voices of her daughter and Mizuki from behind. Memories still flooded her mind, but the pain was disappearing and everything was becoming dark. The last thing she could remember before finally giving in to unconsciousness were the cold, harsh words she said on that day.
"The biggest regret of my entire life. . .is having given birth to that creature. . ."
Author's notes:
I can't believe how long it took me to write this. I had chunks of this chapter stuck in my phone for days! (yes, I write in my phone when I can't use the laptop) Well, I'm finally glad I finished it. Oh, and if you find anything wrong, grammar, phrasing, tensing, please tell me. The laptop I used didn't have the spell check feature and I don't know where to find it so I checked everything on my own, but I'm not sure if everything's okay.
Also, the last two lines in the end that are italicized and the one line italicized in Momiji's scene are taken from the manga. I just didn't want to put marks in it.
And I have a very important thing to ask and I need your opinion! I really want to follow the manga and I noticed that Momiji mentions his parents differently, although I'm not sure it it was the way the chapters were translated, like how he mentions his mother when Tohru asked which of his parents were German, he said that it was his 'Mom', but when he tells her about his mother, he call Maiko 'Mother'. And I know I saw another chapter where he called her 'Mama' and I don't know which one to use! It's the same with Mizuki. Momiji calls him 'Father' and 'Dad' in two different chapters and frankly, I'm confused in what to use.
So know I'm asking for your opinion! What do you want Momiji to call his parents? I really need your opinion! I've been debating with myself for quite some time now and I can't decide which to use.
Well, with all of that said, I'll be waiting for your opinions and review.