Rain trickles down from the dark clouded skies, 2 hooded figures walk by the path, their shoes rugged and muddy, their cloaks soaked through, nature solemnly sings as the two walk in silence. Large rucksacks bounce as they continue walking, one of the two looks back at the other with a hint of concern in what little of her face that the hood allows to be shown, the other looks back and reassuringly smiles. The two figures reach a large tree, one taps the other and points at a small spot they could take a break. The two sit down their stuff and sit side by side, silence still lies as water drips through the trees either side of the two. Eventually one slowly pulls back the hood, Hatsuho sighs in relief, she smiles, yet her eyes tell a story of a tired woman, a woman with regret, a woman trying to hold it together for the other, he slowly takes down his hood, Hiro sits by his mother, his hair is long, years have passed, his eyes have the same tired look as his mother. She wipes some rogue hairs from his face as she smiles to him, he reciprocates as they huddle together for warmth, Hatsuho looks hurt, her face is one of pain as she holds her son close. She places her cheek softly on the top of his head as she strokes his long hair, she whispers “we’ll have to get this cut wont we?” He doesn’t answer, she worryingly looks down to see him asleep, her face drops once again, she bites her lip clearly holding back her tears, as one single tear escapes, she kisses his forehead and closes her eyes as she places her head into his. The two sleep either side of one another by the side of the road.

The sun slowly rises as clouds part, rays glimmer off of a river as it flows through a deep forest, trees wave as a breeze walks along the river caressing the grass and picking petals with it. The calm waters pass under a bridge as Hiro hangs over smiling down, he watches as fish swim from one side to the other, his face the picture of childlike wonder “woah… and this is called a river?” Hatsuho slowly strolls up next to him and places her arm around his shoulder leaning into him “I think so… it’s pretty whatever it is” the two stare on as the river continues. Hiro stares at the water intently as Hatsuho looks around seemingly watching for anyone that comes near, Hiro slowly makes his way down until his reflection meets him in the water. He touches his long hair as it hangs down almost touching the water “you want to cut it?” Hatsuho’s reflection hangs above his in the water as he stares at himself, he tilts his head almost assessing the way it looks “what do you think?” he turns to his mother and awaits an answer, she tilts her head and scratches her chin slightly, Hiro stares back at her in silence as she keeps tilting her head, her head sits almost horizontal until she breaks the silence “I don’t know” Hiro’s face drops, he looks fed up until he brightens up and sighs, just as he goes to speak the two hear voices from the nearby path, Hatsuho instantly grabs Hiro and pulls him under the bridge, she covers his mouth as the lean against the stone, water dances at their feet as the men walk above them, Hatsuho’s breathing becomes heavier, as dust from the above bridge drifts down towards them the two men stop just above them. “you think its calm enough to cast a line?” the other man laughs “just what I was waiting for!” Hatsuho puts her head back in relief slowly sliding down the wall as if to give her heart a break, Hiro sits beside his mother as the water continues flowing “its cold” he whispers with a grin, she turns to him and a smile is cast on her face “it is…” as Hiro puts his hand in Hatsuho slowly drops her smile, Hiro pulls his hand out quickly, the freezing water makes him chuckle slightly, Hatsuho just watches his smile as she slowly loses hers.

The sun begins to set as the two walk along the path once more, their hoods cover their faces as their large back packs swing from side to side, as the loss of the sun casts darkness on them Hatsuho reaches out her hand, Hiro looks at it puzzled “I-I’m a little old to hold my mum’s hand” she continues to hold her hand out, even shaking it, he chuckles slightly before grabbing hold of it. “I’ll always hold your hand no matter what age you are…” Hiro laughs “shut up” she pouts slightly “that’s probably not something a kid should say to their mommy…” the two walk along in the darkness, the moon the only thing lighting their way.

Time slowly passes, the sun rises and falls again, days, weeks and eventually months go by of this life, the two only have one another hand in hand, saddening glances towards Hiro become more regular for Hatsuho, Hiro is happy to have his mother after everything, as long as she is there he can still smile. The two stand by a small pond, they seem to be waiting on something, just as Hatsuho goes to speak Hiro jumps into the water, Hatsuho watches intently through the splashing as eventually he stands triumphant lifting a fish above his head, they both jump up and down unable to withhold their excitement. They cook the fish over a fire, the two sit either side watching slowly “we’ll have to move quickly because of the fire…” Hiro smiles while watching the fish slowly cook, he almost looks like a dog as he dribbles at the mere thought of eating it, he continues staring intently as Hatsuho packs things into one of the large bags “you know it’ll only go slower the more you look at it, Hiro hangs his head “I just need it so bad…” she chuckles as she snips a pair of scissors “the perfect time then?” Hiro’s eyes light up “woah where’d you get them?” she looks proud of herself as she taps her nose “you’ll never know” Hiro raises an eyebrow as Hatsuho’s proud look drops and she quietly mutters “ok… we had them for a year I just didn’t see them…” Hiro holds in his laughter as Hatsuho blushes “you shush boy! It was an honest mistake… a-anyone could’ve not seen them!” Hiro grins “for a whole year?” she pouts as she pats the ground “y’know it’s a rule to never piss off someone holding scissors” Hiro chuckles as he slowly sits in front of his mother, she sighs as she places her plan on his head, the fish sizzles as she slowly cuts his hair, the blowing of the trees the only other sound as its peaceful, Hatsuho smiles but her eyes are sad, they hold grief but a fear of the next step. “mum…?” she swallows before quietly answering “yes?” he looks to the ground, his eyes hold back his sadness, his face scrunches slightly as if to stop the tears from being able to escape as he says “do you think she’s alive?” the sound of the snipping scissors stop as he stares forward, just as he begins to turn around to see his mother she places her hands on his cheeks, her chin slowly leans against the top of his head, “I truly hope so…” Her arms slide down to hug him from behind, she leans her cheek against the back of his head as he smiles softly “I do too…”

Hatsuho slowly turns his head around until they look at one another eye to eye as she smiles softly at him, he slowly smiles back, they hu, just as Hatsuho opens her eyes she sees a small fire coming from the fish, her eyes shoot open before she jumps up “oh shit the fish!” Hiro jumps up and holds his head “no!” they both try to get over as fast as they can, they stumble over one another until Hiro holds the black fish in his hands, smoke whisps off of it as it looks inedible “my fish…” they both look over it upset, Hatsuho sighs and shrugs “well there’s always the next one I guess…” they both hang their heads as they pack everything up, just as they start packing the rain slowly drips down almost trying to match their mood, Hatsuho groans as Hiro slumps over “and now it’s raining” Hatsuho pats him in the back smiling “welp! Let’s get walking” he mutters back as he follows just behind her.

Clouds grow darker and darker as the rain becomes heavier and heavier, until eventually it crashes down on the two, they run through the mud as it slams against the grown around them. Hatsuho points out a small shack just off the path, they both run towards it slipping and sliding on the muddy path on their way, Hatsuho slams on the door shouting for anyone to answer, she gets annoyed and just opens the door, “hello?” No one resides inside, the place is empty apart from a rundown bed and a few broken parts of furniture. They both drop their stuff as they look around, water drips from the ceiling and the window is just a hole in the wall, Hatsuho laughs awkwardly “at least it’s got a bed?” The bed breaks in half as Hiro sits down, after a second of silence they both laugh together. They board up the window with rags to stop the rain getting in, they plug the holes above the bed with small rocks and bits of dirt, Hatsuho breathes a sigh of relief as she finally sits down “see? Just a fixer upper” Hiro looks around before sitting on the bed and lying back, he looks up at the ceiling as Hatsuho slowly leans back and joins him, they lie in silence as they look up at the run down plugged up roof, water still gets through ever so slightly, a small drop taps on Hiro’s cheek and runs down onto the bed, Hatsuho slowly turns her head to face him, he keeps staring up, she wipes the hair on his head as he slowly turns to her. “it’s been 3 years since…” Hiro looks up at the roof once more “and after all that time,,, you haven’t brough her up…” Hiro seems to hold back his emotions “why?” she whispers to him as he feels another droplet on his face, it is joined by a tear as they fall down his cheek before joining and dripping onto the bed, Hiro turns to his mother “I miss her mum…” Hatsuho bites her lip in pain “I’m sorry…” she wipes the tear from his cheek “I’m so sorry…” she keeps smiling as tears begin to build up “why do you keep smiling?” she swallows trying to hold back, “your dad once told me that if you smiled at the worst times, then it would be easier to smile during the good…” Hiro stares at his mother as she continues smiling, she sits up and turns to him “don’t you think that’s stupid?” she laughs as she says it. Hiro stares at her trying to hold back his tears unsuccessfully, they drip down both cheeks as he tries to force a smile, as they both lean back they laugh “that’s so dumb” Hiro cries as they both laugh looking up at the ceiling, Hatsuho slowly grabs hold of his as they lie together laughing “we did a terrible job… there’s so many dripping on us” they both laugh as tears stream down their faces, they hold hands tightly as the moon hides behind black clouds.

A black space, nothing around, no sound, no sight, slowly a voice begins to call out, someone breathes heavily, they fear this dark place, they fear the voice, Black hands slowly reach out from the darkness, they grow closer and closer, larger and larger. White eyes slowly reveal themselves from the dark, they stare forward straight towards the person a woman’s voice calls out, its muffled by the darkness, as the black hands almost grasp his face Hiro jumps awake, Hatsuho gets a fright as her hands hover above his cheeks.

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She stares at him shocked “are you trying to kill me!?” Hiro breathes heavily as he looks around “are you ok Hiro?” he rubs his eyes as he looks at his mother “I guess… a bad dream” she hugs into him “well your mommy is here to protect you!” he sits annoyed as she nuzzles into him “ok! ok!” he nudges her off of him as she slowly opens the door “looks like the sun decided to come out” Hiro hides his eyes from the harsh rays, the shack sits barely standing in the sun, it sticks out loke a sore thumb among the greenery surrounding it, the trees looks reborn as they glisten in the sunlight, birds chirp and the wind sings as Hiro stretches outside the front door, he glances at the path they walked in from, mud covers everything with large holes where each of them stepped “oops…” Hatsuho hangs up their clothes on a rope she tied to two trees, she smiles at Hiro “look! Hiro I’m doing what normal mums do!” Hiro laughs as he walks over to her hanging their clothes, her black eyes somehow still shine in the light, her black and white hair blows in the wind, Hiro’s brown hair blows alongside hers “its shining sure but the sun didn’t bless us with some warmth huh?” Hatsuho laughs as Hiro shivers “hey look at you!” she stares at his chest as slight definition seems to be forming, jumps back clasping her hands “my little boy is turning into a man before my very eyes!” Hiro sighs as he sees once again the many scars that riddle his mothers back, her small vest allows him to see the pain that she’s clearly been through, “don’t worry your clothes will be dry soon… probably” he sighs “just say you don’t know…” she looks at the clothes confusingly “I have never done this in my life…” Hiro chuckles as he heads inside “hey wait!” he turns to see her holding her arm “seeing as I’m seeing progress why don’t we train a little?” Hiro tilts his head in slight confusion “train? For what?” she slouches over and sighs “don’t you want to impress the ladies with your sick abs?” he stares at her blankly, she stares back “men?” he sighs and gets in a fighting stance as she chuckles “don’t worry I know there’s only one woman for you… me” she slowly clenches her first as she gets ready. Her clothes show her scars, all across her back is slashes and slashes, her neck shows small cuts all around, her stomach is clear as is her face, however her knuckles clearly show signs of sever damage “so are we Ju-“ just as Hiro relaxes to speak she charges at him, she swings fast but with no intent, he can barely dodge as she punches just by his face clearly missing on purpose, she eventually sighs and kicks his legs from under him dropping him to the floor, she instantly goes to pick him up “I’m sorry I didn’t think you’d get flattened…” Hiro slowly gets up smiling “you definitely did…” she shrugs “maybe…” she gets into a defensive stance “why don’t you just try and hit me?” Hiro tilts his head in confusion “shouldn’t you be showing me how to fight?” her face goes blank “how? Don’t you just do it?” they stare at one another confused “you tell me…” she scratches her chin “I think your father said that I fight on ‘instinct’?” she continues to wonder “what’s an instinct?” she scratches her head “I don’t know but we have to get you on top of it I guess?” They both stand confused as the clothes wave in the wind. “Why don’t you just run at me and see what happens?”

Hiro runs at his mother with his first clenched, the wind blows through his hair as he closes in on her, as he swings, she easily dodges every hit, Hiro feels slow, sluggish compared to his mother, she laughs as she dances around his fists with ease. Hiro lies on the ground staring up at the sky, sweat pours down him as he breathes heavily trying to catch his breath, Hatsuho hangs over him staring down “you give up?” he sighs “I thought this was training?” she grins “sure it was…” Hiro sits up wiping the sweat from his forehead, Hatsuho throws his now dry shirt into his face, he sighs once more as he struggles to his feet, Hatsuho smiles at him from a distance, he raises his eyebrow wondering why she looks so sad. Hatsuho looks up at the sun as it displays itself through the clouds, her eyes grow sorrowful as she smiles softly, Hiro steps beside her, he looks at her face, he stares as she looks off into the distance “m-“ before he can say anything she coughs as if to stop him, she heads back towards the small shack as Hiro is left standing alone, he watches his mother walk into the run down home as he looks back out towards the great sun in the sky, he looks off with a sense of yearning, he holds his hand to his chest gently placing his palm over his heart, he continues to stare off into the far reaching world.

Th sky glows orange as the sun begins to shine its final light for the day, Hatsuho fidgets with her hand as Hiro walks into the shack, he stretches as he wipes the sweat from his head, as he walks towards his bag, he asks his mother “so where to next?” Hatsuho swallows nervously almost unable to talk, he rummages through his bag before realizing he hasn’t gotten an answer “mum?” she looks up at him smiling “I think its time you leave me” he takes a second to realize what she says before reeling back ever so slightly in confusion before nervously laughing “w-what?” Hatsuho looks away from him “I think its best if you leave me now…” Hiro grows slightly annoyed and scoffs “that’s not a funny joke” she slowly stands but averts her gaze from him hiding her face, “I’m not joking” Hiro turns back to her unable to say anything, Hatsuho takes a deep breath “its not fair… you should be being a kid…” he shakes his head “mum st-“ she interrupts, her voice slightly louder “you shouldn’t have to hide” he tightens his grip on the strap of his bag, “shut up and just say where we are going next…” she once again gets louder “you shouldn’t have to look over your shoulder” Hiro slams his fist into the wall of the shack, snapping the wood slightly, he quickly turns before his anger leaves him, his eyes grow wide as he looks at his mother. She looks back at him, her smile shining brightly, she looks at him softly before placing her hand on his cheek “I think its time I stop being selfish…” Hiro’s eyes begin to water as he isn’t able to get his words out, she smiles at him before pulling him in for a hug “why…?” Hiro buries his head into her shoulder “will you promise me something Hiro?” He only digs his head into her even further as she hugs him tighter “your dad used to say that smiling through the hard times made smiling in the good times easier right?” tears drip down to the wooden floors of the shack as Hiro hangs his head “so wont you smile for me?” she begins to tear up as she pulls him tight, “wont you smile for me Hiro?” Hiro holds onto her shirt tighter “I don’t understand…” Hatsuho nudges him away ever so slightly until they can see one another, she smiles to him “I’ve kept you all to myself these last 3 years” Tears stream from Hiro’s eyes as his mother smiles to him “I think its time for you to live, and I mean really live” Hiro pulls away further as he looks at his mothers smile, her eyes give away the façade as she doesn’t dare open them to see her son “I don’t want to leave…” she places her hand on his shoulder “I think that Kyoko may be out there somewhere” Hiro’s eyes widen ever so slightly “so we can find her together!” she shakes her head as his hopeless smile drops once again “you’d never find her if I was holding you back” Hiro takes another step back with slight anger written on his face “why are you leaving me?” she stands and slowly opens her eyes to see Hiro staring back at her crying, “I should’ve never taken you with me in the first place” his fists shake “I should’ve dropped you off at the closest village… but I just couldn’t bare to leave you” he shouts back at her “and you’ll leave me now?!” she gently places her hand on his cheek before smiling at him “go find her Hiro… go be happy… please” her voice shakes ever so slightly as she lets out her final plead.

Hiro looks at his mother devastated, “mum…” Hatsuho looks up at him as he hangs his head, he slams his foot into the ground “I loved being with you these 3 years!” he pelts out at the top of his lungs as Hatsuho is slightly taken aback, he continues shouting out “don’t you dare start thinking that I wasn’t happy!” Hatsuho grabs hold of her shirt, holding it tightly trying to hold back everything, Hiro points at her with slightly anger in his voice “I miss her! And I miss dad!” she swallows preparing for the worst, he begins to tear up as his voice grows quieter “I don’t think I can bare losing you…” Hatsuho stares back at her son completely taken by surprise, her smile quivers under the weight of his words, he looks back at her with grieving eyes, she quickly grabs him and pulls him in for a hug once more “you’ll never lose me!” they stare at one another, her black eyes sparkle ever so slightly, she kisses his forehead as she steps back once more, all she can do is smile, she can tell that even trying to utter another word would break her. Hiro slowly picks up his bag and swings it around his shoulder “I’m gonna be back… so you better be here” Hatsuho smiles back at him, he turns his head “I’ll see you again mum” she swallows her own words as she closer her eyes and smiles back at him, he turns his head to look tat his mother, she opens her eyes and they shoot open, Hiro looks back with a bright smile across his face “see you later!” Hatsuho is unable to say it back.

He closes the door, and the room lies silent, Hatsuho stands as light shines in from the window, as the silence sits for long enough, she places her and over her mouth holding back her tears, she falls back onto the broken seat as she tries to stop herself. Hiro lets the sun hit his face as tears sparkle against the sunlight, he walks not daring to turn back around, as Hatsuho sits in the darkness she whispers out to seemingly no one “you’ll protect him wont you? This was for the best?” silence falls.

Hiro walks out to the path, he lets his hood fall and reveal his face to the fresh air, as his breathing begins to normalize he walks towards a sign, he stops just before stepping onto the path, he knows that if he takes the first step then he will be leaving his mother, hell be alone for a while “she trusted me to leave… and to smile” he looks up to the flowing path as he smiles to the world, he stands in front of a sign, three different words are written across it, each pointing towards a nearby village, one reads “the capital” Hiro stares closely at each of them, taking his time to stare… “oh… I don’t know how to read”.