To Destroy A Country

Extra 3 [Dec 1 2021]

  She tutted, "Aw, what's wrong?" she put her hand on its shoulder.
  "It won't stop crying," the other woman sighed, "and I didn't even do anything."
  Yae rubbed its arm tenderly, "don't worry, Mommy Miko is here to make it better." She cooed as she spoke to it.
  It wiped its eyes that wouldn't stop leaking. It's expression seemed far too peaceful to have tears streaming down its face so powerfully.
  "Mommy Miko?..."
  "Surely you don't expect him to call me 'Auntie Miko'." She turned her head, "that sounds horrible, Ei."
  Ei averted her eyes as she folded her arms, "I wasn't intending to have it call you anything... We're getting rid of it anyways."
  Yae closed her hands over its ears as the tears seemed to come more quickly. She gave Ei a stern look, "how could you say that in front of a child?"
  "A child?..."
  "No wonder he's crying," Yae ran her hands down its head, "there, there. Don't listen to her, she's just cranky."
  It stared at her with blank eyes. She could tell it was taking in everything with deep focus.
  Yae smiled, "you have good taste just like your mother." She pat it on the head, teasing, "find a nice lady like me, okay?"
  "Mother?..."
  "Are you just going to repeat everything I say or are you going to apologize?"
  "Apologize?..."
  Yae scoffed as she stood. "Ei, is something wrong? You've been very off lately."
  The doll's eyes watched Yae as she walked across the room. It didn't understand why liquid continued to pour from its eyes. It wouldn't stop. It knew what crying was... but why was it doing that?
  There was a dark, heavy thing inside its body. It was uncomfortable.
  "I'm just... frustrated..." Ei sighed, "nothing I've made has come out right."
  "Take a break," Yae placed her hand over Ei's arm, caressing her lovingly, "you need rest, too."
  Ei sighed again, "I just... It was a mistake to give that thing life."
  That heavy thing seemed to weigh a ton more. Water persistently flowed out of its eyes as it listened.
  Ei went on, "I was sure that it- ..." She exhaled heavily, "why didn't it work..."
  Yae's expression was filled with pity, "Ei..."
  "I'll just try again another day."
  "Are you really going to... get rid of him?" Yae asked, her voice stony.
  "I can't keep it, Miko." Ei looked over to the corner where it sat in clothes that were far too large.
  She looked hurt. Her eyes moved away, unable to look at it for long. It could tell what she was thinking. It was part of her. It knew, "that isn't right. That is a mistake. That is a failure."
  A noise escaped its throat. The first sound it had made in a long time. It felt like it was suffocating on the thing inside of it. That piece of Ei. That connection to Ei.
  Yae's head snapped in its direction. She hurried over, crouching onto her knees. She took it into her arms, "oh, don't cry... there's no reason to..."
  Yae looked at Ei who cast her eyes aside, "I'm sorry... If I keep it much longer I'm afraid I might..."
  "Hurt it. Hurt myself." It felt Ei's feelings reverberating inside of it. It knew what it all meant but it all felt so... foreign. It had a wealth of knowledge and could speak if it wanted... but it never did. Whenever Ei looked at it or it spoke she would have that look on her face. The one that said it wasn't what it was supposed to be.
  Yae rubbed its back as if it were her own child, "I won't let you kill him... that-"
  "I wasn't going to." She said quickly, emotionlessly. "I don't think I could hurt it... I'm just going to send it away..."
  "To where?"
  "Wherever it decides to go," she spoke quietly.
  "Then I'll take him," Yae held onto it.
  "No. I cannot allow it. Miko, If you take it, then-"
  "Stop calling him that," Yae squeezed it tightly.
  "Calling it what?"
  "That," she moved back and wiped its tears. "'It'. I hate that. You gave him life so you should act like it. What's his name?"
  Ei was silent. She had been avoiding referring to him as anything at all to protect herself. She could barely stand being around him without wanting to cry or scream or...
  "Come on, name your son," Yae smiled down at him. "He's such a pretty boy, give him a pretty name."
  His head drooped, his eyes finally dry. Though, it felt they might start to perspire again at any moment. He mumbled a bashful thank you.
  "Oh, and he's so polite, too. He's just like you, Ei. All your best qualities," Yae smiled at him affectionately. She lifted his face to look at him again, "he's just... softer than you. He doesn't have your hard eyes. I hope he never does..."
  "What's wrong with my eyes?" Ei folded her arms again.
  Yae chuckled as she ran her thumbs against his cheeks, "you don't smile often anymore. It shows in your eyes."
  Ei faltered. She didn't particularly like that her creation was getting more of Yae's praise than herself.
  "Come on, get to naming," Yae looked over her shoulder as she let go of him.
  He felt tired. He hadn't done anything. His eyes had made him cry all on their own. Or, that's what he thought. He didn't have a good sense of self yet. Separating how he felt from how Ei felt was difficult. For a long time he thought everything was her's... He wished it was. He wished she were the one hurting all the time. That he could push it all off as just her emotions.
  Ei's eyes fixed on her biggest mistake.
  "Kunikuzushi."
  Yae blinked at her, "that's a terrible name. He's just a baby." She frowned defensively, "he wouldn't hurt a beetle."
  "It's an accurate name." Ei's face tilted up as she glared down her nose at the doll. "Because if he doesn't leave, it's going to destroy this country."
  [Yae returned shortly after that visit, planning to steal Kunikuzushi away after Ei released him. But she was already too late... Ei couldn't wait much longer after Yae left. She couldn't handle the pain of looking at her sister's face when it wasn't even her...]