Atarashii Prelude

Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann – 25

Kiyoh's kid eventually grew up on Earth. As nightfall approached, the stars would glow brighter than ever, since Kiyoh moved out of the bright Kamina City to escape the raucous involved with city life. Her child would look out of their cabin, up at the twinkling stars, the vast sky containing a new world the child couldn't even begin to fathom.

She would excitedly stare into the starry night and ask, "Why do the stars twinkle?"
Kiyoh would smile and laughingly reply, "That's the fighting spirit of the ones fighting for our future."

Her daughter would slowly tilt her head to one side and inquire, "How far away are the stars, Mommy?"
Kiyoh would gently take a glimpse at the sky and say, "Far, far away. The lights from the stars take years to rea-"

And as she spoke, a star began to fall. One at first. Then two at once. Then two that appeared to be stuck to each other. Stars continued to streak throughout the sky, disappearing into the black night, their warm aura gradually fading into black. Seconds passed, and the stars continued to fall in greater amounts.

The child beamed at the sky, exclaiming, "Look Mommy! The stars! They're falling..."

A raindrop plopped on her head. Lightly touching her hair where the raindrop landed, she looked up to her mother. Her mother was glaring into the night sky, her eyes desperately and silently pleading to the stars. She should have known years ago, but she refused to believe her instincts, and she silenced her inner cries and warnings until now. As tears were rolling down her face, she asked, "Do... do you remember Uncle Kittan?"

The child gave returned an odd look at first, in confusion of her mother's tears. She was unsure of what to say, but she eventually stammered out a, "N-n...no..."

Kiyoh kneeled down, hugged her child, gasping for breath in between cries of sorrow. She planted her face into her child's hair, her tears matting the hair upon her face. Glancing up to the sky again, she saw the largest star in the sky fade away. And in her mind, she saw the greatest star, the King Kittan, slowly fade away as well. - Anonymous