Yukari was in tears, today. She was looking out of the window, sniffling, before turning to me and asking, "Isn't it heartbreaking, Chen, is it?" I didn't really know what she was talking about and I was trying to make sense of what she was asking. As I was trying to make sense of what she's asked, I felt her hand petting my head. In feeling her gentle hand, I closed my eyes and then I remembered when our hearts were broken when she had gone insane. It wasn't her own fault but she had gone insane, just like Ran had, only, and, it seems, she could feel our heartache for her. History repeated itself and, now Ran herself has gone insane. Her heart was broken, just like mine was when she had lost her sanity. Ran had gone insane and we don't know how to help her and we still don't. As I she petted my head, she lightly stroked my head and said, "I'm sorry, Chen, I'm so sorry." She gathered me into her arms, apologizing for something I knew not what.
I guess she was apologizing for not shielding me and protecting us from what happened. She wanted nothing more than to protect us but couldn't. She was trying to wrap her head around what was going on and it seems she had. After holding me in her arms, she took my hand and said, "Let's go for a walk, sweetheart." We walked for awhile and she, in her shaky voice, was telling me what was going on. Before we got home, I was in tears. She told me everything and told me Ran was sick because someone tried to hurt her. She told me she was sorry, again. She lifted me off of the ground and we went home.
That night, I felt a familiar presence stroking my hair as a I started to fall asleep. I wonder who it was.
"Big sister, where's Yukari?"
"She left to get more food."