Chiyoko: The 1 000 Generations Child

Chapter 21: You Rock

A 5 year old Chiyoko chased a young Kenji. "Come back here, skunk! I'll show you I'm pretty."

Kenji ran off to the far side of the garden. "Catch me if you can!"

Chiyoko drove him in a corner. "Now I've got you."

She leaped forward and he slithered out of her hands. He ran off as she fell on the grass.

An agonizing grumble left her lips. "You will pay for this!"

Blue and pink smoke appeared near her face.

"Huh?" Chiyoko looked up. There was nobody there. "Ru-chan? Stupid Yusei?"

Ruri's voice was nearby as she said: "Over here."

Chiyoko looked down. A small rounded lapis lazuli and a much sharper rock in the grass had eyes, a nose and a mouth?

The small lapis lazuli had the most beautiful pink eyes with heart shaped irises and a ribbon with white rabbit print.

The bigger sharper rock had the harshest ice blue eyes that melted whenever glancing at the lapis lazuli.

"Ru-chan? Is this small rock you?"

"It is, Chiyoko-chan. And I brought Yusei-kun with me." Ru-rock glanced at the bigger rock.

Chiyoko picked up the bigger rock.

She shortly looked at Yusei's face, let out a yuck and catapulted him somewhere far away in the grass behind her.

Yusei-rock let out the highest pitched scream mid flight and landed with a curse.

Chiyoko ignored the unsavory sounds and carefully picked up Ru-rock.

"What happened? Why are you a rock, Ru-chan?"

"We've followed you here to make sure you're alright, Chiyoko-chan. I missed you."

"I missed you too, but I have to set this right. I don't want that brat to end up a vegetable because of me..."

"That's partially why I'm here, Chiyoko-chan.

Reina-sama said everything would be fine when daddy'd appear, but he hasn't shown up yet which is weird.

The future is still the same as when you left, but it's now missing you and daddy in it.

We think it means things somehow turned out wrong."

"What should I do?"

"Is daddy already daddy again, Chiyoko-chan?"

"I don't know. I mean, I left instructions for mom to turn him back into a yokai, but I don't know if she already turned him back or not."

Yusei screamed: "Then turn him back!"

🔹꒰ঌ😈໒꒱🔹

Sakura, reverend Sei, Megumi and Akio sat outside around the black iron table in front of the kitchen. The cherry blossom tree served as a natural parasol against the hotter getting sun.

Sakura served tea with biscuits and triangular shaped sandwiches.

Kenji had already rushed over when the smell of oven-fresh cookies had tickled his nostrils and was helping himself to another plate of fine desserts.

Sakura and Megumi were chatting enthusiastically about different car engines and their pros and cons, while Akio and reverend Sei talked about how to best raise and nourish children.

"The key is to be patient," reverend Sei explained as she took a bite of a salmon sandwich. "You might not always understand their words, but if you pay close attention, you can grasp what they are trying to communicate.

And remember: they are not you.

So don't assume they'll probably be saying things you would say. The biggest communication problem lays there, you see, with assuming they view the world just like you do."

Chiyoko pulled reverend Sei's sleeve. "Mom, can I please talk to you in private for a second?"

Reverend Sei cleaned her hands on the napkin. "If you'll excuse me for a moment."

As Reverend Sei got up, she whispered in Akio's ear: "I think this might be the best opportunity for you to communicate with your child too." She nodded towards Kenji and followed Chiyoko in the house.