That day felt like a dream, but today he woke up to reality with a threat from his coach.
"Trading me? Ken Sato, to the Tigers?! To the Tigers?!" he bellowed as he entered the room.
Inside, Emi and Amari were seated together, absorbed in a book.
"Nobody trades Ken Sato!"
"Okay," Amari whispered, while Emi looked at her uncertainly.
"Ken Sato has arrived home," Mari informed, rather late.
"Thank you, Mari," Amari hummed, her eyes shifting to Emi.
"Don't worry, baby, he just needs a breath," she assured Emi, gently patting her hand. Her eyes hid her own concerns for Ken.
"I... I'm doing my best, okay?!" Ken yelled at his reflection, his voice cracking slightly, reaching his breaking point.
"I feed you, I clean up after your massive poops!" Ken ranted, his emotions overwhelming him. He hit the glass, scaring away a nearby fish.
Engulfed in frustration, he muttered bitterly, "I'm back in the slums. My country hates me, my team hates me, and... at least Amari doesn't..."
"Right, I love you," Amari reminded him from afar, words that melted Ken from the inside.
Ken's shoulders sagged as he nodded. Emi chirped.
"Emi says she loves you too!"
Instead of smiles, sniffles filled the air.
"Ken, are you... crying?" Mina's voice cut in gently.
"No, I'm... not crying," Ken denied, though his sniffles and visible tears said otherwise.
"Ken?" Amari called, finally speaking up. "Come here."
Without waiting, Ken dragged himself to her, wrapping his arms around her and hiding his face in her chest. The quiet sniffles echoed in the room, confirming to them all that he was indeed crying.
Amari softly rubbed his back. Emi cooed, dragging her Ultraman teddy to offer it to him in comfort.
"Thank you, Emi," he sniffled, giving her a weak smile, though he cringed slightly at the massive smelly drool soaking from it.
Emi let out a chirp, happy to be of help. Though his lack of open acceptance to the gesture made her tilt her head.
Reaching out, she scooped them both in her arms in a giant Kaiju hug, letting out happy chirps.
"She's saying it's okay," Amari translated.
"When did you become the giant Kaiju translator?" Ken teased weakly, quite appreciative of the hug.
"When we became parents," Amari smiled. "It's thanks to Mark's research and Mina mostly. And, of course, Emi, who just loves critiquing your play."
Emi let them down.
"Thank you, Emi," Amari said, giving Emi a proud smile.
"Do you want to hit a few balls, Ken? That always makes you feel better," Mina suggested as she moved over to the pair.
"Yeah, yeah. That sounds good," Ken sniffled.
A projection of a baseball pitch pixelated into existence. Emi marveled at the realistic design.
The projected version of their parents appeared. Ken stills slightly at the sight of Amari's father, who was always the loudest at his games.
Funny how whenever he was feeling the strongest emotions, he went to hit some balls. It may not be the same supporters, but they were just as great as the last bunch.
Ken's eyes slowly moved over to Mina, then to Emi who marveled over the designs. To Amari, whose eyes were fixed on him. She gave him one of her signature smiles and a thumbs-up.
"You got this," she mouthed. Simple words which let out all the pressure from his joints.
Ken took a deep breath, wiping away the remaining tears as he turned his focus to the projection. He grabbed a bat and headed to the makeshift pitch. The familiar weight of the bat in his hands was comforting, grounding him in the present.
Ken took his stance, his muscles remembering the familiar motion despite the emotional turmoil. He swung the bat a few times, feeling the rhythm come back to him. Mina adjusted the projection settings, ensuring the pitch was as realistic as possible.
"Come on, come on! You are Ken Sato," he reminded himself.
The ball was sent, and he missed.
Emi drew closer, pushing her face against her tub, eyes watching in anticipation.
Another pitch, and he missed again.
Emi clapped, not getting the cue as she searched the sky for the nonexistent ball.
In frustration, Ken tried to break the bat over his knee. Key word: tried. Metal won't bend under scrawny legs.
"Ow! Ow!" he whined, clutching his leg as Amari cringed.
He limped off, his mood much worse than before.
"Maybe call someone?" Amari suggested gently.
"Why don't you just shimmer some of your happy words on me?" Ken sighed, causing Amari to snort.
"Today, I'm not all here," Amari confessed. She had been zoning out most of the time before Ken's arrival, her mind preoccupied with thoughts.
Ken's eyes traced over Amari, taking her in silently. She had been acting off all week, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.
With a sigh, Ken pulled out his phone and called Ami
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Ultraman: Rising Fanfic
Fanfiction"A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart" - Hercules The plot and images are not my own. The oc belongs to me. Please Read, comment, vote, follow and enjoy.
