Seto stumbled through the once familiar forest, occasionally tripping over tree roots and small potholes that he didn't quite remember being there before.

It had been too long, Seto cursed himself, his foot catching on a spare tree root. He had been so busy with working and helping with their new living arrangements ever since Ayano had died, his head had been wiped completely of the 1/4 medusa waiting expectantly in the woods for his broken promised arrival.

He had convinced himself, at the time, that Mary couldn't fit into this new life, that he would have to forget about her, and eventually, she would too- she had lived for over a century, he was sure she could manage on her own without someone like him.

He had managed with this lie for maybe half of an hour before he ended up realizing that even if Mary didn't miss him, he certainly did, and ended up not only missing Mary, but his shift. Well, at least he wouldn't be turning into Kano anytime soon.

He lifted up a curtain of vines, an immense feeling of relief washing over him at seeing the small house nestled in a small cluster of tall trees. He ran into the closure, slowing at the wooden door, calling desperately up at the open window, "Mary! Mary, I'm here! Sorry I'm late!"

Maybe she couldn't hear him? He cupped his hands, a small seed of panic growing when the albino girl didn't answer. "Mary? Mary!" Did she leave the house? No, it couldn't be, not after her mother. Unless...

"Mary!" He ran furiously to the back of the house, to the grave, his head swishing both ways, searching wildly for her small figure, until he say her small crouched figure placed next to a stone with long dead flowers, her white locks flowing down her back like a waterfall, curling around a bed of dark red flowers.

Seto swore that he had never sprinted so fast in his life, barely registering Mary's shocked face when she turned to the sound of thudding shoes on grass, leaving the grass to tackle the small albino girl.

Mary flailed desperately under him, terrified, as he breathed hard, holding her close to his chest. "You're safe. Thank god," he sighed, his arms tightening around her thin waist, the incredible softness of her hair sinking under his fingertips. Mary could barely pry herself off of him, spluttering for breath, her pale hair sticking out in all angles, her startled red eyes searching for his face under her mess of hair. "Eh? W-Who-?!"

Seto beamed at her, holding her shoulders, reveling the softness of her hair flowing over his hands and her small body in his arms. She simply blinked at him through her hair, her pink eyes terrified, still batting at his arms, struggling to get out of his embrace. "W-Who are you?! Get away!"

Something died inside of Seto's chest as she wiggled in his arms, trying to get away, her eyes terrified, Mary being terrified of him. Had she forgotten about him first?

She managed to get an arm out in his stunned weakness, wriggling her legs out to escape, but Seto held her close, desperately looking into her eyes, grabbing her escaped wrist, her head twisting to look at him."No, no! Mary, don't you remember? Don't you remember me?" He pleaded, feeling like if she didn't remember him, after so long, he wasn't sure if he could keep living this way. Her wrist trembled in his grip, his intense gaze desperately searching hers.

Her breath fanned shallowly onto his face, her red eyes dulling, calming, her white hair shifting and spilling over her shoulders with each heave. Seto held tightly onto her wrist, for he felt sure that if he let go he would lose this only chance. He stared determinedly into her eyes, waiting tentatively for her to use her eye ability and leave him.

It wasn't like it wasn't fine with Mary to forget him. But he couldn't afford, he couldn't live, to have her leave him. This new life, living with a stone cold Kido believing she could do everything herself and leaving everyone behind, a Kano that always left, coming back late at night, his eyes flashing red everyday, Mary was all that he had left that stayed the same- coming back here, the trees the same, the same weather, the same map, Mary's age, even, seemingly never changing, greeting him every time with the same smile, and now, at his refuge, she had finally forgotten about him. It had been too long, and now, changing himself to believe the same, he had to pay for it. This was his last chance. But if Mary didn't remember, he was afraid he would miss it, the days of sitting on her lap after getting hurt by the bullies, playing pretend, ignoring the fact that nothing ever changed.

But now it did, and they had all been convinced it had been for the better, and yet, all that had happened was heartbreak, pain, stress, false dreams broken, and no time for anything and everything and that was to be their life from now on? Was it even worth living? But he had forgotten, in his pain, that Mary was still here, living but barely living, the same everyday, the one change, a small brave boy, gone, abandoning her to be alone once more. What did she have worth living for?

Looking at Mary so close but so far, having to hold her close, to look her in the eye, desperately pleading, "I need you to live," Seto almost laughed bitterly at the irony of it. He really was worthless after all, he supposed. Maybe, if he let go of her wrist, she would run away. He wasn't really the "Seto" she knew anymore, anyway. Even if he was, who would want him like this? Selfishly holding onto a girl from a year ago because he was tired of living. It was just a loose, lame excuse that wasn't worthy of any sympathy.

His hand faltered at her wrist, and she flinched, but didn't move, quickly averting her eyes from his. He laughed hollowly, his arm moving to scratch the side of his head. "Sorry for pressuring you. I'll...go now." His knees creaked, as he stood up, briefly dusting off his jumpsuit before hardening his heart to leave the forest for the last time.

Suddenly a tug on his sleeve stopped him, and as he turned, a slowly dawning recognition was settling in her brightening pink eyes. "Wait, I..." Her eyes lit up suddenly, and brushing her bangs out of her face with one hand, she suddenly pointed at his face and exclaimed, "Seto!"

Before Seto had the time to react, the small girl leaped into his arms, squealing happily, nearly strangling him with her once weak arms. He choked, trying to hug her back, while her arms tightened around his neck, the soft, flowery smell of her hair overloading his senses, her feet dangling a few inches off the ground, her body swaying dangerously as she (tried) to whirl him around, her cheeks pink and eyes the same as the ones that had excitedly received him whenever he visited. "Seto! I can't believe it! Where've you been? You just disappeared, and-"

Suddenly she pouted and glared at him, trying to look intimidating, which, Seto had to supress a laugh at, was, to be honest, a very honest but adorable try at looking angry. She loosened her hold and nearly toppled to ground-it seemed that she hadn't noticed that he had grown taller again, wobbling on her feet for a few seconds before trying to assume the same angry mother look again, pointing a finger at Seto's terribly disguised laughing face. "N-now look here, I- woah!"

She wobbled dangerously, her bare feet slipping on the ground, to which Seto jumped to action to catch her, white hair streaming. "Careful!" His hands barely reached the back of her ruffled apron in time before she touched the ground, her eyes shut tightly closed for impact, fluttering open hesitantly to see Seto's shadowed, worried face hovering an inch over her's. She blinked, while Seto looked at the ground worriedly, then at her bare feet. "What are you doing out here, anyway? I thought you said you didn't want to go outside anymore. And besides-"

His eyes returned to her face, and she quickly looked away, the tips of her ears a bit red, stuttering a bit as she pushed him away, staggering to her feet again, nervously brushing off her dress, refusing to look at his face. "S-sorry. It's just, um..." She covered half of her face with her hand, her hair falling over part of her face, her eyes still shyly looking away. "You, uh... I noticed...you got...tal...a h-hair clip."

She coughed a little, staring at her house, her hand still hiding her, Seto could've sworn, when he looked closely, pink cheeks. He suddenly felt awkward as well, the recent remembrance of his holding her down and looking at her in the eyes for a full 5 minutes suddenly felt like a terribly shameful and disgusting act to do- that's right, he wasn't the same age anymore. His cheeks warm, he held his hand, the slim feeling of Mary's wrist still tangible in his hand, and pointed to the house. "Well, let's go."

A/N: It's August 15 so you know what that means. It means another chapter update at 8:15 at August 15. Or 8:21 PM but that's close enough. It's not a very well thought out ending, but I felt obligated to do something this day (it only happens once a year woah such rare) so I thought about it and then this jumped out of my uterus