Snowflakes
Apparently, it was said, that there were no two snowflakes that looked the same.
His wide eyes surveyed the flakes; he thought that it was a bit of a wrong statement. Of course, some snowflakes were different, but a lot of them were quite the same. He could count for hours how many times he'd seen a flake that was the same as the one just next to it.
He smiled, despite the fact that he was chilled to the bone, and trying to make himself smaller so that he could conserve as much as he could. The tattered, thin shirt didn't help. He had long ago lost the feeling in both sets of toes and hands. But he still smiled.
The snow might have been cold, but it was like watching lace fall from the sky. He remembered a time when his father used to wrap lace in his mother's hair. Suddenly, his face hurt from smiled so much.
He buried his face in his knees, feeling dizzy. It was either from how loud silence could be, or from not eating for a while. Often, kind people would toss him a scrap of a meal here and there, or press a coin into his hand. Yes, these people were kind, because nobody was really too rich in Water Country. Whatever could be saved was saved, and it was really very kind people that would offer him something to eat.
The snow was still falling in his hair, on his skin. It might look like lace, but it was as bitter and vexing as the fact that it was frozen water. Ice. The very same ice that he had used to kill his whole village.
Too bad there were no hot tears running down his face. It would have offered him warmth if not comfort.
"I killed the very people that gave life to me. That gave meaning to the life they gave to me. I killed the two people so most precious to me."
Although Haku's dad had killed his mum, Haku thought he was the real person who had condemned his mother first. And then… he had killed his father.
Haku should have just let his father kill him… and he really, truly would have let his father kill him- but the bloodline… it just protected him. All by itself. Really.
"I don't think there is a person with less worth than me in this world."
Haku didn't know at this point, that just over the bridge, a man with a huge sword was thinking those exact same thoughts.