The Golden Pear [YA - Featured]

♫~Notes 69~♫

His brothers watched him in awe. Not even Rigaku could process what was happening. Rocket neighed, speeding up as if this was a tag. Kagetsu got on his feet, running at the edge of his balance as the gravity threatened to pull him back.

Rocket's prosthetic leg dug into the ground, slipping, and the horse collapsed on his side, neighing like crazy.

"Rocket!" Aiyoku screamed, leaping on his feet. "Kagetsu!"

Rigaku followed him, his brain calculating what the heck had just happened. His youngest brother had never shown such intense signs of panic and absolute fear. Not even when he said something utterly stupid and ran away.

"Calm Rocket! I'll get Ka!" The oldest brother shouted, and Aiyoku nodded, diving next to the horse.

Kagetsu meanwhile tripped, curling up as he hyperventilated, gasping for every molecule of air. Rigaku held him, making sure he wouldn't choke on his own tongue, and pressed a point on his neck. The crazy pulse hammered the brother's fingertips, but it gradually calmed down.

Kagetsu's eyes stopped shivering as his breathing slowed down, and his fingers let go of his working T-shirt.

"Ka, wink if you can hear my voice."

His brother did so.

"Good. Do you see two fingers?"

"Yeah," he hoarsed. "But what's wrong?" He stood on his all fours sluggishly as if he moved in jelly substance. "My body hurts."

Rigaku pondered in a few heartbeats how to bring this. "You had a panic attack," he said, not beating around the bush. "Rocket galloped towards you. I guess his cubicle wasn't closed."

"Ro-cket?" Kagetsu syllabified as if the name didn't ring a bell. With a sharp twist, he looked behind, seeing the horse on the ground. "Rocket!" he screamed, staggering back on his wobbly legs. "You okay?"

Freya and Satos gathered as well, checking on the horse. Rocket now laid as if nothing had happened, watching everybody with curious eyes.

"He doesn't seem to be hurt." Mr. Sato finished examining the prosthesis leg. "But we should call the vet to check on him. Rocket's leg could get damaged."

Kagetsu didn't dare to come closer than a few steps. "I'm sorry!" His tightened fists balled even more.

Rigaku caught up to them.

"Why do you apologize?" Mrs. Sato-san asked. "You didn't do anything—"

"It's my fault!" Kagetsu barked. "I didn't close the cubicle properly! I panicked like a headless chicken! And now Rocket may be seriously hurt because of me! How's that not my fault!"

They watched him in silence.

"Life is full of falls." Mr. Sato-san got up, dusting his knees. "But we keep getting up. Why one may ask." He gave teary-eyed Kagetsu a gentle smile. "Because staying sitting is too boring. Just like you now, Rocket will get up on continue on his life journey."