A New Battle

Welcome

"It's a girl!" The doctor announced. Touka collapsed into the hospital bed, untenseing all her muscles for the first time in six hours. She let go of Ken's hand. He rubbed his fingers as they...unbroke. 

The doctor handed the baby to Kimi. The child began to scream as she cleaned her off.

"Is she okay?" Touka almost pleaded for the answer.

Kimi wrapped the girl in a fluffy pink towel. "She's perfectly healthy." Her crying slowly eased as the warmth of the towel took over her small body.

Kimi handed Touka her child. Her eyes were grey like Kens. The baby smiled, and made a noise close to a laugh.

Tears spilled down her cheeks. Ken held his wife at her shoulders, slowly caressing her side trying to comfort her-- but he soon found tears staining his own face.

"Have you thought of a name?"

"Ichika." They couple said at the same time.

"Flower," Kimi said. "That's beautiful."

"Hi, Ichika," Touka sobbed. Ichika wrapped her hand around her mother's finger and smiled. 

"We're your parents." Ken finished. Her little eyes shifted to her father.  She smiled so wide that it forced her eyes closed.

The new parents just sat and took in their new child. 

She was perfect in their eyes.

"Do you want to let the others in?" Kimi asked. "They've been waiting a while."

"Yeah," Touka sad wiping the tears away from her eyes.

Hide, Yoriko, Yomo, Hinami, Ayato, and even Nishki walked in-- but he walked right to Kimi's side.

"Her name is Ichika." Touka said.

♡ "I love that name," Hinami chirped.

♢"She's got snows eyes." Ayato said.

"Please stop calling me that," Ken asked.

*"And Touka's nose," Yoriko laughed. 

For a moment they just stared at baby girl.

~"Can I hold her?"

Touka handed Ichika to Hide. Her baby hands reached for his mask; he gave her his pointer finger to hold onto instead.

Hide's eyes wrinkled; he didn't have to have a mouth for people to know he was smiling-- well, trying to.

~ "With this mask, I think I will hands down be the best at peek-a-boo."

The other's couldn't help laughing, but no one negated him.

♡ "I can't believe how small she is." Hinami used her thumb to caress the side of Ichika's cheek. The baby leaned into her touch and smiled again. "I know she's only been alive for an hour, but I already love her so much."

♢ "I guess she's kind of cute."

~ "Do you want to hold you're niece?"

♢ "No!... Not yet... She's so fragile."

Hide laughed a little before handing Ichika to Yomo. 

That was the first time Ken and Touka had ever seen Yomo smile. He had dimples of both cheeks. His smile was contagious, and a corrupted everyone's faces-- even Nishki and Ayato.

♟ "She's perfect," Yomo said. Ichika buried her face in his chest.

"How are you feeling, Touka?" Kimi asked with her eyes still on Ichika. "Touka?"

But she was already fast asleep in the hospital bed.

"It's been a long few hours," Ken laughed. "Thank you guys so much for sitting with us through all of this, but can the three of us have a few more moments alone."

"You can just kick us out," Nishki said. "No need to be so polite."

Yomo put Ichika in Ken's arms. His daughter snuggled her face against his chest and closed her eyes.

Their friends left.

Ken sat on the chair next to Touka. Ichika warmed his chest, and he held her closer. The sky shifted from a deep indigo to a light pink, leading the darkness out of the sky, and allowing the sun to peek out from the horizon.

Ichika started crying.

This was certainly going to be a fight he would never be ready for.

THE END