February 8th, 8:08 a.m. || Day 1: Ophelia Crane gave birth to a small baby boy, who weighed 19.2 ounces. At birth his coat was muddy brown with only a few dark spots on his back. His eyes were a lovely pale yellow, like that of daffodils in the early spring. He was warm and quiet, never one to cry out. His favorite place was next to his mother's neck, where he slept soundly for the first month of his life. His father watch proudly, his first born was handsome and gentle, and the Crane family couldn't be happier.
October 1st, 4:22 p.m. || 8 months old: Something strange happened to Kanan that day, his father, Cassius, took him down to the river to fish and as Kanan watched contently as his dad, plucked the trout from their net, but soon grew bored of the continuous pattern, so he busied himself with a small beetle that has wondered across his path. He pawed at it contently, but with one particularly hard swipe, the beetle has stopped moving, is back legs crushed. Kanan's eyes grew wide with fright as he keeled down to look and the dying insect. He squeaked apologizes, attempting to save the poor creature. That's when it appeared, the small fleck of light radiating from his paw pads. Curiosity got the better of him, and as he scooped the tiny beetle into his paws he watched as life poured back into his injured his friend. The threat of imminent death wiped clean from it's fate, Kanan beamed at what he'd done. But this was only the start.
August 21st, 7: 34 p.m. || 1 year, 6 month old: Kanan finished his dinner of pasta and fresh bread, and had been permitted to go play in the backyard before the sun began to set. Occupied with a snail, Kanan caught a flash of white from the corner of white and turned to see the commotion. The family cat, Jingles, had caught a bird. Kanan yelled angrily at the feline and marched across the yard towards it. Jingles dropped the bird and skittered into the field hissing at the boy. Kanan gazed down at the injured bird, noticing the puncture wounds around it's neck. The boy whimpered and cradled the sparrow in his arms. "It's alright." he whispered. He ran his thumb over it's chest, the bird's heart beat began to fade, and then it happened again, just like it did 5 months ago. Only stronger. The white wisps circled his paws, and the bird's heart beat grew stronger. The bite wounds on it's neck healed, and it's chip grew lively. "What is this.." he muttered to himself. The bird squawked a thank you and took to the sky just as Ophelia called her son in for a bath.
May 14th, 6:55 a.m. || 2 years, 3 months old: Kanan had taken a liking to the river that ran next to his house. The sound was nice, and there was always rocks to play on. The boy was enjoying a particularly warm sunrise in the field before going down to the river. As the sun broke the horizon, the Mako turned towards the woods in route to his playground. That's when he heard is: a defining cry not to far off. His heart worked over his mind and he bolted towards the noise. A doe crouching down next to her small fawn who was the source of the agonizing sound. The boy crept closer, trying to understand it. And that is when he saw it: the fox trap clamped around the fawn's leg. "No.." he murmured, walking closer, head kept low. The mother grew weary of his presence, but as he gave her a sorrowful look, she backed away, knowing her efforts were futile. Kanan however, knew he would help. "C'mere." he spoke softly to the child, pressing down the the spring to release her hoof. Soon she we free on the trap but limping painfully. Then Kanan remembered, the light. "Here, here, no I can help!" he spoke with excitment, taking the injured leg into his paws, concentrating hard. Then hey apperered again: the white wisps, climbing know up to his wrists. "There." He said beaming. He watched proudly as the doe took her baby in peace.
February 17th, 6:32 p.m. || 3 years old: "Kanan, come in here dear, we've got a surprise for you." Ophelia called from the kitchen table. His parents were seated at the table, smiling happy. "But...my birthday was 9 days ago?" Kanan asked cautiously before sitting down in his chair. "No Kane, this isn't a birthday surprise. It's a....family surprise." His father said, thinking carefully on how to word the announcement. "Are we moving?" Kanan groaned, slumping his head on the table. Ophelia chuckled and tugged at her son's ear, "No no we've not moving, but someone is moving in." she gave a sideways glance at Cassius, then took a deep breath, noticing Kanan's confused expression. "Kanan, you're going to be a big brother." Ophelia beamed, patting her abdomen. "The baby should be here when the snow melts and the rain falls." his father added, scruffing up his son's hair. "Do you think you're ready for the job?" but they didn't get the desired answer. Kanan was out the back door and across the lawn before his parents could respond. A few minutes later Cassius found him on the old swing in the break of the tree line. The father sat next to his son in silence until Kanan spoke. "I hate change. Why can't we stay how we are?" Kanan asked, curling into himself. "Because things change. It's natural." Cassius said with a sigh, placing a paw on his son's shoulder. "Every day new life is born and old souls die. The seasons change and so do we. As much as we hate it, we have to accept it." And Kanan's father never spoke truer words, an he would tragically find that later on.
April 20th, 10:19 p.m. || 3 years, 2 months: She was earth toned an beautiful. A light tan ball of fluff with freckles scattered across her nose, and her mothers bright green eye's. And for the first time Kanan felt his heart choke him and tears burn his cheek. She was the most precious thing he's held and fell in love instantly. "What's her name?" he choked out, looking down at the wriggling new born in his arms. "Aida. Aida Wren Crane." his mother spoke softly, looking up at Cassius. Kanan would be bound at the hip to his baby sister. He took every opportunity to hold her, feed her, or sing to her. She would grow silent at his voice with heavy eye lids. She was his world and he was her guardian.
December 10th, 9:21 a.m. || 3 years, 10 months: Ophelia awoke to find Aida with a burning fever, sweaty and stiff. The infant barely moved and seemed to exhausted to. The frightened parents took her to the emergency room immediately, only to discover their daughter had Meningitis, a devastating infection that attacked the meninges. The two were told to hope for the best as Aida was admitted to the ICU. But Kanan all the while hardly seemed concerned, in fact, when he went to see her in her hospital room, he sounded almost chipper. "Kanan dear, your sister, she's very sick." Ophelia said through broken words and sniffles. "She might not make it." his father added, gripping Ophelia's shoulder. "No..of course she'll make it." Kanan piped, walking over to her crib and stroking her forehead. "No! Kanan she's very contagio-" then they noticed. The white wisps that now taken up some yellow coloration encircling his forearm. "You'll make it Aida." Kanan said lovingly, looking at the tiny Mako, exhausted from fighting. But their parents just stood in awe of what their son was doing. Their boy, Kanan, a normal child was producing something they've never seen before, and seemed completely calm. "Kane.." his father questioned, stepping closed to the crib. "What are you doing?" The boy beamed up at his parent, never taking a paw off his sister. "Fixing her. These little wisp things always seem to show up every time I touch something that is close to death." he said looking back down at Aida. "So obviously Aida wont be able to die if I keep them on her. Riiiiiight?" he said raising his eyebrows. "Dear lord...." Ophelia and Cassius chimed in.
And in three days time Aida was sitting up and eating again. Kanan's ability to pull back life from death had saved Aida, but at a price. Although she did survive, the damage to her Cerebellum - the portion of the brain which helps coordinate movement, was too severe. She ended up having balancing problems and muscle coordination, but all fine just the same. Kanan helped her with every day tasks as she grew, and he became her crutch. When she could not stand, he wouldn't let her fall. But that all changed on a rainy afternoon April.
October 1st, 4:22 p.m. || 8 months old: Something strange happened to Kanan that day, his father, Cassius, took him down to the river to fish and as Kanan watched contently as his dad, plucked the trout from their net, but soon grew bored of the continuous pattern, so he busied himself with a small beetle that has wondered across his path. He pawed at it contently, but with one particularly hard swipe, the beetle has stopped moving, is back legs crushed. Kanan's eyes grew wide with fright as he keeled down to look and the dying insect. He squeaked apologizes, attempting to save the poor creature. That's when it appeared, the small fleck of light radiating from his paw pads. Curiosity got the better of him, and as he scooped the tiny beetle into his paws he watched as life poured back into his injured his friend. The threat of imminent death wiped clean from it's fate, Kanan beamed at what he'd done. But this was only the start.
August 21st, 7: 34 p.m. || 1 year, 6 month old: Kanan finished his dinner of pasta and fresh bread, and had been permitted to go play in the backyard before the sun began to set. Occupied with a snail, Kanan caught a flash of white from the corner of white and turned to see the commotion. The family cat, Jingles, had caught a bird. Kanan yelled angrily at the feline and marched across the yard towards it. Jingles dropped the bird and skittered into the field hissing at the boy. Kanan gazed down at the injured bird, noticing the puncture wounds around it's neck. The boy whimpered and cradled the sparrow in his arms. "It's alright." he whispered. He ran his thumb over it's chest, the bird's heart beat began to fade, and then it happened again, just like it did 5 months ago. Only stronger. The white wisps circled his paws, and the bird's heart beat grew stronger. The bite wounds on it's neck healed, and it's chip grew lively. "What is this.." he muttered to himself. The bird squawked a thank you and took to the sky just as Ophelia called her son in for a bath.
May 14th, 6:55 a.m. || 2 years, 3 months old: Kanan had taken a liking to the river that ran next to his house. The sound was nice, and there was always rocks to play on. The boy was enjoying a particularly warm sunrise in the field before going down to the river. As the sun broke the horizon, the Mako turned towards the woods in route to his playground. That's when he heard is: a defining cry not to far off. His heart worked over his mind and he bolted towards the noise. A doe crouching down next to her small fawn who was the source of the agonizing sound. The boy crept closer, trying to understand it. And that is when he saw it: the fox trap clamped around the fawn's leg. "No.." he murmured, walking closer, head kept low. The mother grew weary of his presence, but as he gave her a sorrowful look, she backed away, knowing her efforts were futile. Kanan however, knew he would help. "C'mere." he spoke softly to the child, pressing down the the spring to release her hoof. Soon she we free on the trap but limping painfully. Then Kanan remembered, the light. "Here, here, no I can help!" he spoke with excitment, taking the injured leg into his paws, concentrating hard. Then hey apperered again: the white wisps, climbing know up to his wrists. "There." He said beaming. He watched proudly as the doe took her baby in peace.
February 17th, 6:32 p.m. || 3 years old: "Kanan, come in here dear, we've got a surprise for you." Ophelia called from the kitchen table. His parents were seated at the table, smiling happy. "But...my birthday was 9 days ago?" Kanan asked cautiously before sitting down in his chair. "No Kane, this isn't a birthday surprise. It's a....family surprise." His father said, thinking carefully on how to word the announcement. "Are we moving?" Kanan groaned, slumping his head on the table. Ophelia chuckled and tugged at her son's ear, "No no we've not moving, but someone is moving in." she gave a sideways glance at Cassius, then took a deep breath, noticing Kanan's confused expression. "Kanan, you're going to be a big brother." Ophelia beamed, patting her abdomen. "The baby should be here when the snow melts and the rain falls." his father added, scruffing up his son's hair. "Do you think you're ready for the job?" but they didn't get the desired answer. Kanan was out the back door and across the lawn before his parents could respond. A few minutes later Cassius found him on the old swing in the break of the tree line. The father sat next to his son in silence until Kanan spoke. "I hate change. Why can't we stay how we are?" Kanan asked, curling into himself. "Because things change. It's natural." Cassius said with a sigh, placing a paw on his son's shoulder. "Every day new life is born and old souls die. The seasons change and so do we. As much as we hate it, we have to accept it." And Kanan's father never spoke truer words, an he would tragically find that later on.
April 20th, 10:19 p.m. || 3 years, 2 months: She was earth toned an beautiful. A light tan ball of fluff with freckles scattered across her nose, and her mothers bright green eye's. And for the first time Kanan felt his heart choke him and tears burn his cheek. She was the most precious thing he's held and fell in love instantly. "What's her name?" he choked out, looking down at the wriggling new born in his arms. "Aida. Aida Wren Crane." his mother spoke softly, looking up at Cassius. Kanan would be bound at the hip to his baby sister. He took every opportunity to hold her, feed her, or sing to her. She would grow silent at his voice with heavy eye lids. She was his world and he was her guardian.
December 10th, 9:21 a.m. || 3 years, 10 months: Ophelia awoke to find Aida with a burning fever, sweaty and stiff. The infant barely moved and seemed to exhausted to. The frightened parents took her to the emergency room immediately, only to discover their daughter had Meningitis, a devastating infection that attacked the meninges. The two were told to hope for the best as Aida was admitted to the ICU. But Kanan all the while hardly seemed concerned, in fact, when he went to see her in her hospital room, he sounded almost chipper. "Kanan dear, your sister, she's very sick." Ophelia said through broken words and sniffles. "She might not make it." his father added, gripping Ophelia's shoulder. "No..of course she'll make it." Kanan piped, walking over to her crib and stroking her forehead. "No! Kanan she's very contagio-" then they noticed. The white wisps that now taken up some yellow coloration encircling his forearm. "You'll make it Aida." Kanan said lovingly, looking at the tiny Mako, exhausted from fighting. But their parents just stood in awe of what their son was doing. Their boy, Kanan, a normal child was producing something they've never seen before, and seemed completely calm. "Kane.." his father questioned, stepping closed to the crib. "What are you doing?" The boy beamed up at his parent, never taking a paw off his sister. "Fixing her. These little wisp things always seem to show up every time I touch something that is close to death." he said looking back down at Aida. "So obviously Aida wont be able to die if I keep them on her. Riiiiiight?" he said raising his eyebrows. "Dear lord...." Ophelia and Cassius chimed in.
And in three days time Aida was sitting up and eating again. Kanan's ability to pull back life from death had saved Aida, but at a price. Although she did survive, the damage to her Cerebellum - the portion of the brain which helps coordinate movement, was too severe. She ended up having balancing problems and muscle coordination, but all fine just the same. Kanan helped her with every day tasks as she grew, and he became her crutch. When she could not stand, he wouldn't let her fall. But that all changed on a rainy afternoon April.