Nui's steps faltered as she laid eyes on her old home. It looked much the same as it did in her memory, she had expected it to have changed in her absence.

The change had happened on the inside, as it turned out. The place had been ransacked and abandoned, and was now eerily quiet. Nui walked through the halls, looking in each room for signs of life.

She was hit with flashbacks with each one she glanced in. Entertaining guests in the dining room. Drinking tea with her husband in the sitting room. Feeling the warmth of his body next to hers in their bedroom. These had all been happy memories once, but they only made her sick now.

She gasped when she set foot in what had to be Tahomaru's room. There were broken toys lying on the floor, and a small black kimono was crumpled up under the bed. On the wall there hung a family portrait, but someone had ruined it. Tahomaru's face had been slashed with a knife, as well as a woman who must have been his stepmother. Only Daigo's face was intact.

He had a stepmother, she thought to herself. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy and bitterness, despite knowing it was completely unwarranted and unfair. To the unnamed woman, she thought, Thank you for caring for my son. I hope you didn't suffer too badly at Daigo's hands.

She wondered where Tahomaru was now. Although his portrait was ruined, it was still clear that he had been very young when it was painted. Had he escaped? Had his stepmother gotten him out? Or were they both… she couldn't bring herself to consider the possibility, but knew in her heart that he was almost certainly dead.

I'm so sorry, Tahomaru, she internally cried. I thought you would be safe, but I was wrong. If only I could have gone back for you, if only I could have saved you.

Dororo sensed the anguish she was feeling and took her hand. They seemed to arrive at the same conclusion she had. "I'm sorry about your son. I know you loved him very much."

"I did, but it clearly wasn't enough."

Nui forced herself to turn away from the portrait and leave the room behind. She continued walking through the house, praying Daigo was somehow still here so she wouldn't have to search for him. He would die for this, for what he had done to both of their sons.

At the opposite end of the house, she found a trail of blood that started at the door to the outside. They both followed it up to the highest level, but they stopped at the door leading inside.

He must be in here, Nui thought. To Dororo, she said, "Please wait outside. This shouldn't take long."

"I need to help you, who knows what he might try," they countered.

"Normally I'm very appreciative of your help, but this is… personal. I'd rather do this on my own."

Dororo wanted to protest further, but they nodded in agreement. They drew their dagger as Nui went inside, bracing themselves for a fight.

Nui drew in a sharp breath as she closed the door behind her. She was instantly hit with the pungent stench of death, she coughed as it filled her lungs.

Daigo was kneeling across the room, his sword in his hands. Nui drew her own sword, though it was obvious something wasn't right about him. She approached him slowly, waiting for him to rise and attack. But he didn't, he stayed motionless. She gasped when she finally saw his face; mottled purple and black with decay. His eyes stared open, glassy and unseeing. She saw what remained of the demon heart and wondered what had happened here. Had the demons turned on him, and he'd had to defend himself? She couldn't think of any other reason why he would have killed it. She studied his frozen expression for a clue of some kind as to what had happened here. He appeared… resigned. Not angry or fearful, but as though he had accepted this fate wholeheartedly.

I come all this way to face you, to avenge our sons, and you don't even have the decency to be alive for it, she thought bitterly. What am I supposed to do now?

What indeed? She had been bracing herself for this for so long, thinking over and over of what she would say to him. She had let her rage towards him build exponentially, so that she could kill him without hesitation when the time came. But he was already gone, and so her rage had nowhere to go. She had lost everything, and couldn't even have this small satisfaction.

With a great cry that ripped through her already damaged throat, she drove her sword into the heart of the demon. Dororo rushed in, concerned.

"Are you all right, Mama?"

With a good deal of effort, she pulled out her sword and turned away from her husband. She could no longer force a smile for Dororo, the best she could do was keep her expression neutral. She fought back the fury and grief that were dying to be released and contained them, until she felt nothing at all. From now on, numbness was all she would allow herself to feel. She led the way out, with Dororo following and worrying about her.

"What are we going to do now?" they asked softly. "Where will we go?"

Nui did not answer; her throat was on fire, just the simple act of breathing was almost too painful. She shook her head and walked away.

Dororo hurried over to her side and took her hand. "I'm staying with you, Mama. I'll never leave your side."

Their presence was a comfort, but Nui would not allow herself to feel it.

She set the house ablaze on their way out, wanting to remove the stain of Daigo's existence from the world. She then walked to the river, taking a moment to glance at the flowing water that had led her to Jukai and Hyakkimaru so long ago. She sighed and then turned to walk in the opposite direction.

"Don't you want to go home?" Dororo asked quietly. "Your son is waiting for you, he misses you."

Silently, she thought to herself, I have no home, and I have no sons.

From then on, every moment passed by in a blur. Nui no longer took part in the world around her, she was constantly absorbed in her own spiraling thoughts of grief and guilt. She hardly acknowledged the people they passed, she oftentimes didn't even notice their presence. She ate only enough to sustain herself, and tasted none of it. She barely slept anymore, and she felt the weight of all her scars and injuries dragging her down more than ever before. She merely existed, more ghost than human.

Dororo did their best to help her, to try to get her to open herself up again. They described all the beautiful sights around them, they told her about the interesting things they learned from the people they met on the road, and they tried to paint a mental picture of the life she could return to with her son if only she would go back to him. They told her of how the war had ended and how the death and agony that had plagued the land for so long was finally diminishing. Her efforts had paid off and the demons could no longer hurt anyone, she had saved everyone. And yet, she didn't care. It was a relief to know the suffering was coming to an end, but she would not allow herself to feel it. The silence from Nui was deafening and unsettling, Dororo felt the need to fill it as much as possible.

Months passed in this way, with Nui drifting further and further away. They constantly traveled with no destination in mind, and with no end in sight.

One night, Dororo had finally had enough. Over their campfire by the river, they said, "Mama, this has to stop. You've become an entirely different person, you've become someone I don't recognize. None of this has to be this way, you're letting yourself fall apart over one failure. Let's go home, let's go back to your son. So what if he can't speak? You think he's going to let that keep him from living a good life? You lost a leg, and you were just fine until now. And look at me! I have a demon living in my eye socket, but you'd better believe it's not going to change anything about me. The only person letting his voice stand in the way of things is you! You already gave him every other part of his body back, you fulfilled your promise the best you could. Your son wants his mother back, his voice be damned!"

Nui wanted to tell Dororo that it wasn't just his voice holding her back. Her mistakes cost one of her sons his body, and the other his life. She broke her promise to one, and left the other to be killed. She wanted to tell them that she was unworthy to be a mother, that her sons should have been born to someone who could protect them and give them a good life. They were her greatest gifts, but she didn't deserve either one. She wanted to tell them, but her voice was damaged beyond repair.

Dororo moved to sit by her, they took her hand and squeezed it. They seemed to know what she was thinking as they gently said, "You miss your sons. You feel guilty for what happened to them even though it wasn't your fault, and you're letting it eat you alive. You already felt this way before you left home, but travelling alone and hunting monsters for so long has changed you and left you defenseless against these feelings. I'm sorry all this happened to you, you've always tried to do the right thing but it either turns out to be a mistake or you get punished for it in some other way. I'm sorry you've lost so much, but you're forgetting that everyone else has too. You think I don't miss my parents? You don't think I feel guilty for being alive while they're dead? I dream of them every night, but you don't see me letting myself waste away into nothing. You're letting your guilt ruin your life, you're letting it drive you insane. I don't know how much longer you can go on like this, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up one morning and find you dead. If you would just listen to reason and let go of this obsession with your guilt, you could get him and your old life back. Honor your late son's memory by being a good mother to your other son. You could be happy again! You're really going to let this keep you apart from your family forever?"

Nui gave no response. She merely pulled her knees up to her chest and stared into the campfire without really seeing it.

Dororo sighed and shook their head. "I love you so much, Mama. It breaks my heart to see you this way, and I'm not giving up on you, not ever." They paused, then said, "There's a small group of travelers just up the river. I'm going to pay them a visit, and give you some time to think about what I said."

As they walked away, Nui thought to herself, I'm killing their spirit, I'm dragging that poor child down with me. They're so strong, but soon I'll have drained the life out of them. I have to do something about this. I'll take them back to Mio and come up with an excuse to make them stay, I'll think of a reason to stop them from leaving with me again. And then… I was going to let my life run its natural course, but I can't stand this torment anymore. I just want this all to be over.

She laid down on the ground and stared into the fire until it slowly went out, going in and out of sleep. She awoke again some time later, this time feeling parched. She pulled herself up and walked to the river. She waded in to where it was ankle-deep, and then she bent down to scoop water into her hands. She drank the freezing water, wincing as it ran down her throat, and then noticed a boy standing in the river upstream. She could see him quite clearly in the moonlight, she could see his eyes on her as he too drank from the stream.

The boy started walking through the water towards her, his hand outstretched. Disturbed that a stranger was approaching her, she hurried out of the water and back to the campsite. She started to go for her sword, but then paused. If this stranger meant her harm, she didn't care enough about her own life to stop him. But then she thought of Dororo, she couldn't let them fall in harm's way. She drew her sword just as he ran up to the firepit, his hand still outstretched.

She scowled at the stranger, waiting to see what he would do. He tilted his head slightly and stared at her for a long moment, studying her. He then did something that made her heart seem to stop. He lightly tugged at his hair.

"Hyakkimaru." She couldn't stop herself from uttering his name in a gravelly whisper as she dropped the sword.

It couldn't be him, he couldn't be here. He was supposed to be at home, safe and sound. For a second she marveled at him, grown up and with nearly his entire body intact. He looked at her with his own eyes, truly seeing her for the first time. It should have been wonderful, but she was mortified at the thought of how she must look to him.

She fell to her knees and covered her face. She ignored the pain in her throat and pleaded in a voice that was barely audible, "Please, go away. Don't look at me, I don't want you to see me this way. Just go and forget you saw me. I beg of you, just go."

But he didn't go, he knelt down with her and pulled her hands away from her face. Hyakkimaru lightly traced the scars marring her skin with his finger, with great sorrow in his eyes. He then threw his arms around her and held her close, and she felt his tears on her shoulder. She couldn't help herself, she returned his embrace and sobbed into his hair.

She had no idea how long they stayed that way, locked in each other's arms. Nui was filled with joy for the first time in so long, she had forgotten what it felt like. But she couldn't let herself feel it for long. She pushed him away and shook her head.

What's wrong? Hyakkimaru wrote in the dirt.

Nui was surprised that he could already read and write, he had come so far in their time apart. She wrote back, My son, I've missed you so much. There hasn't been a single day when I haven't thought about you, when my arms haven't ached to hold you. I love you more than you'll ever know… which is why you have to leave now. I couldn't kill the final demon. I failed you, I couldn't give you back your voice. It's my fault you had to suffer so much, and I couldn't even make it right. I don't deserve to have you, so please go.

Hyakkimaru's brow furrowed as he tried to read what she had written. She realized it was still new to him, he was still getting the hang of it. She wrote to him again, more simply this time, I can't go with you. I couldn't kill the last demon, it won. You will never talk, because of me. I love you, Hyakkimaru, but you must go without me.

As Hyakkimaru learned that he would never regain his voice, she saw the pain in his eyes. He had waited so long to speak, but now knew he never would. He took a deep breath, and then wrote, It doesn't matter, I don't need to talk. You did good. Come home.

She shook her head. Refusing to give up on her, he wrote, I won't go. You come home. We need you.

Sweetheart, I-

He didn't let her finish. He picked her up in his arms and started carrying her, ignoring her protestations.

"Hyakkimaru, I can't. Put me down, please."

She covered her face and buried it in his chest in disgrace when she saw them approaching another campfire. She heard talking and laughter, and the sound increased her humiliation and shame.

"Um, you make a new friend, Hyakkimaru?" she heard Jukai ask. It felt so good to hear his voice, but she tried desperately to push that feeling away.

"I know we never told you that you shouldn't kidnap people, but I thought it was obvious," said an unfamiliar voice.

"Mama? What are you doing with my mama?" Dororo demanded.

She felt Hyakkimaru raise his hands, and it occurred to her that he might be using sign language. He had found a way to communicate and express himself after all. Even though she knew she couldn't stay, she longed to understand his language so they could speak. And so she could use it herself, so she wouldn't have to use her ruined voice anymore.

"Nui? Is that you?" Jukai asked in disbelief.

"Please don't look at me," she begged again. She wondered if they could hear her, let alone understand her. Even so, she had to try. "Just let me go, forget I was here."

"We've been looking for you for months now, and waiting a decade for you to come home. We've been dying to see you again." Jukai came closer and put a hand on her arm. She pulled away from his touch, but he stayed near them.

"Wait, Mama, this is your family?" Dororo asked, incredulous. "Well that settles it then, you have to go back home now."

She said nothing, she just shook her head.

"Why would you not want to come home, Nui?" Jukai asked, now sounding concerned.

"Because of this." She heard Dororo remove the bandage covering their eye, and the collective gasp that followed. "We faced the last demon, but we couldn't kill it because it latched onto me. I'm so sorry, Hyakkimaru."

Nui felt Hyakkimaru raise his hands again, and Jukai spoke for him, "There's no need to be sorry, you did all you could. You'll never know how grateful I am for all you both did for me."

"Mama won't listen," Dororo quietly explained. "She thinks she doesn't deserve to be with you because of it, and because of what happened to her other son."

"How could you think that way?" Jukai asked. "You gave our boy his body back. One missing piece doesn't change that."

Nui kept her face hidden, until the unfamiliar voice spoke again.

"Mother? It's me, Tahomaru."

She finally turned her head to see him, unable to stop herself. Here was her son, standing before her with an expression of worry for her. She couldn't help but stare at him, studying everything about him. She also couldn't help but wonder if he was a ghost, or if she was imagining all this.

Hyakkimaru knelt down with her so she could write in the dirt. Tahomaru? But I thought you were dead. I thought Daigo-

"He killed my stepmother when I was young, so I ran away."

Nui couldn't believe her lost baby was alive, and that she was finally getting to meet him for the first time. And not just that, but knowing now that he had reunited with his brother like she'd always hoped nearly overwhelmed her.

She wrote to him, My son. My sweet boy. I never got to meet you, I never got to hold you. I had to leave you behind, it was unforgiveable. My actions hurt you both so much, you'll never know how sorry I am for all you've gone through.

"I know you didn't have a choice, and I know you would have come back for me if you could. I… I've forgiven you."

Don't, I don't deserve it. I let that horrible man hurt you both, and there's nothing I can do to make it right. "Why are you all so accepting of this?"she suddenly snapped, raising her voice as much as she was able. "You should all hate me for what I've done, and you should forget you ever knew me."

Hyakkimaru set her down on her feet and looked her in the eye. He started to sign, and Tahomaru spoke for him, "You risked your life to save me, and you've been risking it every day for the past ten years to give me my body back. So what if I can't talk? I still speak, Tahomaru and Papa gave me my voice. And look at what else you've done. We've met people you've helped, you mean the world to them. And by slaying the demons, our land is finally recovering. Because of you, things are finally changing for the better.

"You made mistakes in the past, but so have the rest of us. As far as I'm concerned, you've more than made up for them. We've all forgiven you, now it's time for you to forgive yourself and come home with us. We're not leaving without you. Now that we're together again, nothing will ever keep us apart."

Nui wrapped her arms around her middle and kept her gaze down as another tear escaped her eye.

"We'll take it one day at a time," Jukai said gently. "You've been in a bad place for so long now, it's all you know."

"You need time to heal, none of us can imagine what you've been through," Tahomaru added. "We'll be patient with you, and help you every step of the way."

"I'll never see my parents again," Dororo said wistfully. "I'd give anything to have my family back. Please don't throw away yours."

The burden of guilt threatened to crush Nui, but for the first time, she realized and accepted that she didn't need to carry it anymore. She would never forget her past and the mistakes she had made, but to let them consume her would be the biggest mistake she could ever make. Her family truly wanted her back, for so long she had believed they should reject her. She finally saw that notion for the nonsense that it was, and she took her first steps toward forgiving herself and moving on. She still had a long, arduous path ahead of her, but at least she had finally begun the journey.

Nui finally lifted her head, and she looked to everyone in turn. She then wrote, I'm sorry I've been such a fool. You are all far too good to me. If you really want me to, then… yes. I'll come home.

Hyakkimaru hugged her again, and Dororo threw them self around her legs. Jukai enveloped them all in his arms, while Tahomaru settled for putting a hand on her shoulder. She understood, they both needed time.

Nui melted in their embrace, having trouble believing this was all real. That she could be forgiven, and that she had a home to return to. She would never spend another night missing her family, the nightmare was finally over.

Nui was surprised when she found she was the first to wake the next morning. She was up even before Hyakkimaru.

She left the campsite to find something for them all to eat. As she walked, she noticed the grass and trees around her swaying in the breeze. She heard the birds singing, and the air around her was cool and crisp. Although the sky was overcast, it was still lovely in its own way. She was noticing the world around her again, she saw the beauty that she had tried to blind herself to.

She walked until she came to a peach tree. She climbed up to a low-hanging branch and started picking enough fruit for breakfast.

"Oh, there you are."

She nearly jumped at the voice. She looked down to see Tahomaru standing at the base of the tree, looking up at her. His eyes were groggy, he wasn't fully awake yet.

"I woke up and found you gone, I thought you might have left," he explained.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I guess I was just being… paranoid." He rubbed at his neck, seeming embarrassed. "Drop those peaches down and I'll carry them for you."

She did so, and when she felt they had collected enough, she climbed back down. She tried to do it gently, but still winced as her stump was acting up.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded and offered him a little smile. Tahomaru reached into his pocket, which wasn't easy with his arms full, and produced a sheet of paper and a piece of charcoal. He handed them to her and then offered her his arm, and she leaned on him as they walked.

There was an awkward silence for a time, both trying to think of something to say but unsure of what.

Nui wrote on the piece of paper and held it up for him to see. Was your stepmother good to you? Did she love you?

"Yes, she was wonderful to me. Her name was Kirika, and she was actually the one who taught me sign language, you know. Without her, I couldn't have taught Hyakkimaru."

I wish I could have met her, to thank her for what she did for him and for you. I wasn't able to be there for you, so I'm glad someone was.

Tahomaru seemed taken aback by this, but then he nodded. "She would have loved to meet you. With all the traveling you did, she would have tons of questions about your experiences. You'll have to tell us some of your stories, when the time is right."

One day, I will. For now though, I'd like to hear some of yours. I doubt you've led a very boring life.

"Ever since I met Hyakkimaru, boring is one thing I've never been able to complain about. Um… I could tell you about the time he and I snuck out of the house to go to a festival. You know, he swore he saw you there, but I knew it couldn't be you."

It was a harvest festival, right?

His eyes widened. "You were there? Oh, he's never going to let me live this down."

Nui laughed a little. It didn't sound like a laugh with her ruined voice, but it felt so good to laugh again after so long. I had no idea my boys were so rebellious, it's a wonder you haven't turned Jukai's hair gray yet.

"It was just the one time," he replied with a laugh of his own. "And it was Hyakkimaru's idea, so blame him."

Oh, I don't know if I believe that.

Tahomaru told her about the rest of the festival as they walked back to camp. Hyakkimaru met them on the way, looking anxious.

"I was worried…" he began. "I thought maybe she'd left."

"You've got to have more faith in our mother," said Tahomaru, shaking his head.

Having inferred what he'd said, Nui wrote, I'm not going anywhere, Hyakkimaru. There's no need to worry anymore.

He nodded, relieved, and then walked alongside them back to camp. Jukai and Dororo were both up by then, and the two of them were walking towards the river with fishing rods in tow.

"We already got breakfast!" Tahomaru called out to them.

"I wanted to go fishing, though," said Dororo, pouting slightly.

"We'll try again tonight," Jukai assured them.

"You mean… I can come with you?" they asked, revealing a fear that they'd been keeping hidden. They rubbed their arm self-consciously.

"How could you ask that? We're not leaving without you, either," Tahomaru assured them.

They smiled and said, "Hey, I just wanted to be sure."

"Besides, I will need your help with the fishing," said Jukai. "We'll see how much you know about it."

"More than you, old man," they replied, grinning up at him.

"Old man?" he asked, acting offended. "Oh, you're breaking my heart."

The five of them sat down to eat. They unfortunately found that the peaches weren't entirely ripe yet, but they were still filling and would tide them over until their next meal. Afterwards, they packed up all their supplies and prepared to begin the journey home.

"Did we get everything?" Jukai asked.

"I think so," Tahomaru replied. "I've doublechecked."

Hyakkimaru noticed something in the grass. He knelt down and picked up the flint they used to start their campfires, and showed it to Tahomaru with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, so I should have triple-checked," said Tahomaru, rolling his eyes. "You've had your eyes back for just a few months and you've got better eyesight than any of us. It's not right."

The stump of Nui's leg grew achier, and she bent down to rub it. Jukai noticed and offered her his arm to lean on. "When we get back, I'm making you a new prosthetic. First thing."

She responded with a relieved smile.

They all started off, following the trickling river. Hyakkimaru had only taken a few steps when Dororo tripped and bumped into him. He glanced at them in surprise, and Dororo hastily apologized while reflexively covering their bandaged eye. It was apparent that they still felt guilty over what had happened, and feared that he resented them for it. Wanting to put their mind at ease, he offered them a smile and lifted them up on his back to carry them. Dororo had to wipe at their eyes, touched by how quickly they had been accepted by their new family.

Hyakkimaru got Tahomaru's attention and asked, "How long should it take to get home from here?"

Tahomaru produced the map he'd been working on from his satchel and said, "It'll be a while. At least we'll get to see the sights on the way back."

"If that map of yours doesn't get us lost."

"I might get us lost on purpose just to annoy you."

"I would just assume you drew the map wrong."

"Shut up."

"Hey, Hyakkimaru," Dororo said eagerly. "Teach me how to make those signs with your hands. I want to know them all by the time we get there."

"I doubt you'll be able to learn that quickly, but we'll see how well you do," Tahomaru translated for him.

"I already know the swears, you know," Dororo said slyly. "Learned them from a fellow street urchin about two years ago."

"Oh, you'll have to teach us," said Tahomaru with a mischievous grin.

"I will, but in exchange, there's somewhere I'd like to stop by on the way." Dororo pointed to a spot on Tahomaru's map. "I think it's near that village, I'm pretty sure. I'd like to visit my old home and let everyone know I'm okay. And they'll want to hear about how everything turned out with Mama."

Tahomaru gazed thoughtfully at the map. "It's out of our way, but we're not in any rush. Besides, there was someone there I don't think Hyakkimaru would mind seeing again." Hyakkimaru elbowed him in response, blushing slightly.

"Oh, look," said Nui, gazing upwards. Water droplets were starting to fall. "It's raining. I can't remember the last time it rained."

"You've started healing, and so has the land," Jukai observed.

The five of them savored the rain as they walked, even as it began to pour.

Hyakkimaru looked up at his mother, walking ahead of them by Jukai's side. He was still reeling over all that had happened, and the fact that their little, strange family was finally whole. There had been times when he'd wondered if it would ever happen, if they would ever find each other again. But now it had finally happened, and the joy he felt was nearly overwhelming.

Nui glanced back at him with a small smile. He could still the pain in her eyes, and he suspected that it would never fully go away. He had seen a similar look in Tahomaru's eyes when he spoke of his stepmother, and in Jukai's when he told him of his time in the war. He saw it in Dororo's remaining eye when they touched the bandage covering the other, and when they had told them about their parents and all they'd gone through to survive. And he carried it himself, with the knowledge of all his father had done and all he himself had gone through in the time he'd spent without his body and without the missing pieces of his family. They all carried the scars of their pasts, and those scars would never fully heal. But they would fade.

Hyakkimaru gazed at the sky above and smiled at the rain soaking them. He would savor their final weeks and months on the road, enjoying seeing the world around them and meeting new people, knowing their journey would soon be over.

At long last, they were all going home.