The Book of Grandchildren ( Natsume Yuujinchou X Nurarihyon no Mago)

The Name You Call

The memories of Ginkgo's happiness, is only last even shorter than the fleeting firework.

After sparks of colorful encounter, there's only darkness left within.

Natsume realized the pain in Ginkgo's feeling of hatred. He knows and understand it, but what he don't understand is the reason as to why Ginkgo show this memories to him.

What's done is done. Natsume couldn't helped anyone in this village nor stop Nurarihyon from using this village as a battlefield. Just what is it that Ginkgo want from Natsume?

The memories suddenly flashed following Daito as he run to his house. Natsume just noticed this, but the village is pretty quiet and stranded somewhat.

" Mother! Mother, please forgive me but I need you to wake up now. "
Daito talked to his old mother's ears while shake her body softly.

The mother blinked twice before she stares at his panicked son before her.
" Daito? What's wrong, son? "
Getting up from her bed weakly, strands of white hair falling from to her shoulder.

Daito hold his thin mother's hand tightly and with determined eyes, he tries to convince his mother.

" Mother, Ginkgo said there will be a disaster befall this village soon. We must hurry evacuate to the hill. Ginkgo promised to meet us at the west. Let's go mother before--"

" A disaster... I see. "
Surprisingly Daito's mother look more than calm to this situation.

Even Natsume is confused about her words. There's no any worries hinted in her tone.

" W-what, mother? Let's go... "
Daito look at her with confusion as he kneels before her limply.

" Daito... You know... This lovely village where you grew up... Recently has gotten quite by times. The epidemic has stole them away from us, one by one. Now there's only left some of us, even so, what's left is nothing but elders and people who got the sickness. "

Natsume's eyes widened with shock. He almost can feel his heartbeat running so fast like he had just done a marathon but then stopped in the next second later. Stopped and nothing more. It's suffocating for both Natsume and Daito.

" No....no.... Please don't say that... Mother! "
Daito sit down straight though he's unable to faced his mother with his crying face.

Stroking her only son's hair, he gently patted him just like when he was a child.
" Everyday, while lying on this bed, I keep thinking when will your laughing gentle voice leave me. When I got the sickness taken my body, I knew right away, the last thing I will hear is probably your voice. I'm glad... I'm truly glad... That I won't have to go through of losing you. "
Smiling without any pain on her crease, instead , she replaced them with happiness.

Daito looked up at his smiling mother. Her smiles have never been any less gentle from since he was a kid.

" Mother... Come one, don't give up like that. I- I can still carry you, alright? We still have times. "
Daito force a crook smile as he take on to his mother's hand.

But softly... Yet painfully, she let go of her son's hand away.

" You go save yourself now. Leave me here, even if we have the time to flee from this village, my own time will give me no any mercy. I've reached my feeling, dear. Please go with Ginkgo and protect that child instead.... Please.... I beg you... Daito..."

Perhaps, that's the moment that she talked about... About hearing his voice for the last time instead going through of the pain losing him. But to pay the price, it's Daito who have to have a hoarse voice in cry of his mother's body slowly falling to the bed.