Chapter 2: Motherless Child

The sunrise was beautiful. It rose from the ashes of the distant horizon and seemed to slowly be set ablaze as my eyes began to hurt from looking at it for so long. I peered over my shoulder to look at Mitsurugi who had not said a word in our long, but comfortable, silence. He stared off into the distance, his eyes on the verge of welling up in stinging tears from the blinding sun, and his facial expression was full of emotion. I could never read Mitsurugi quite as well as he was able to read me. His face always revealed his emotions, but there were so many he bottled up that when he showed them, he displayed something so complex that one would have a difficult time deciphering its intricacy. Other times, he would not be so open about his feelings, so he would stitch that door close, leaving a seamless wall between him and the bareness of his soul. Only those that knew him as well as I would sense that there was something crawling beneath his skin.

I continued watching him from the corner of my eye. He did not move an inch since we last spoke. He just kept his eyes set on something that he seemed to see that I could not, yet it was as though he was remembering. There were times when I would catch him lost in his own reverie, as though he were playing an old roll of film in his head as he stared at an invisible white screen with images being projected onto it. That must be what he was doing at that moment, so I knew better than to bother him when he was remembering; just as he knew not to bother me when I was accepting reality. A stubborn part of me wanted to keep denying my mother's death, but I knew deep in the bottomless pit of my heart that her death was true. But according to the epitaph, she had passed away just barely more than a month ago, so confusion worked its way into my head when I tried to reason why I suddenly believed she was alive after all this time.

"Mina," a voice cut through my thoughts. Mitsurugi finally spoke.

"What is it Rugi?" I shifted myself to face him.

"I should be asking you that, young one," he retorted. "Your face is molded into a shape I recognize fairly well. What troubles your heart child?"

I sighed when he referred to me as a child again. But after the conversation we had earlier, I knew not to waste time with debating further about the subject. "Nothing… I'm just confused. So confused…"

He paused. "Mina, you do understand that when one wakes up, they sometimes forget what is real and what is not?" I nodded for him to continue. "When people are in a state of deep slumber, they see things that have happened in their past, things that have happened in their present, or things that they wish to have happen in the future. Those images may just be dreams, but they are rather illusions, because they make you see and feel things that are not actually there. You see, when those dreams become so real, people may have the tendency to wake in the mindset that what they've dreamt is actually their reality, when really they are not."

He didn't need to continue the lecture, as he knew that I was quick to learn, but slow to accept. But that didn't mean I was ready to take in his words completely. I leaned back on the wooden pole and let out a heavy breath. "I understand."

Mitsurugi ruffled my hair gently before breaking into a small smile. "Good Mina. Good."

I let out a tiny smile before sinking into a frown. "Sometimes, I wish you were my father instead of Lord Huong."

The General suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Mina! You must not say such nonsense! Do you understand?"

I bit on my bottom lip. "I'm sorry Rugi, I didn't mean to offend you in any way…"

He let out a short breath. "Of course not, I take it more as a compliment. Young Seung Mina Huong wishing for someone like me to be her father than the Lord of one of the most powerful Dynasties of all Spira…"

"Rugi! You insult me," I pouted. "You must've dreamt up an illusion that I'd care about something so insignificant."

"I'm sorry young one," he apologized. "I shall keep that in mind."

"Oh, do not use that on me," I frowned. "I'd rather you know me than remembering me as someone that doesn't care about such things. It's a bit more courteous on my part don't you think?"

"I believe so, Mina," Mitsurugi nodded and stroked the beginnings of a beard growing over his strong and square chin.

"But Rugi, I mean it," I told him seriously. "I mean… I do believe that I am blessed. To have a father that is the Lord of such a powerful Dynasty. To have a mother who is—

I stopped myself short when I realized my mistake.

"I mean, a mother who was the most beautiful woman in all of Spira," I corrected myself sadly. "To have a brother who is to follow in my father's footsteps in becoming a great ruler of our people and lead our warriors into victory over the evil Shinma." I looked at Mitsurugi and noticed his eye flinch at me mentioning the Shinma. "And just to live such a luxurious life. I have been outside the Dynasty walls, and I do not feel that it is justified that we live such extravagant lives when so many, just steps away from the walls that fence us in, are in pain and suffering from starvation and poverty."

I sighed and stretched my legs in front of me before swinging them back and forth over the side of the temple. "I really am lucky, but is this what I really want? A father that cares more about his Dynasty and his heir than his other flesh and blood? I became a motherless child just barely more than a month ago, Rugi! How does he expect me to take care of myself when mother had always been the one there for me? And as much as I hate the title, yes, I really am still a child. A child that desperately needs her father, but instead finds that he relies on sending me to someone or somewhere that will take care of me because it is supposedly more convenient for giving him the time he needs to take care of the things he really cares about."

I continued sitting besides the man as he quietly listened. "Just like now. He sent you to come after me, didn't he? After all, he isn't here. And even if he were, all he would do is silence me and tell me how much of a disappointment I am compared to Kilik. He wouldn't sit here and listen like you, Rugi. He just… I feel like he's not really my father sometimes."

Suddenly, I noticed Mitsurugi's head snap up as though he was alerted of danger. "What is it, Rugi? Did something happen?" I began to panic. But he returned to his calm composure and waved it off.

"No, it's just that," he began. "My duty… but that's irrelevant to the conversation, please continue."

"Oh! My goodness, Rugi, I didn't mean to keep you for so long," I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, please forgive me, I know how strict father is on punctuality, and you haven't even begun your morning routine yet!"

"Mina, please don't fret, I'm sure Lord Huong will understand," he reassured me. "He knows I'm with you, so he won't mind if I am tardy for my duties."

"Are you sure?" I asked once more.

"Yes, child!" Mitsurugi chuckled. "But just know this… your mother really was the most beautiful woman I've been blessed to lay eyes on, because she was not only beautiful on the outside, her beauty shone from within. And I haven't a doubt that you will follow your mother's path, because when I look at you, I see your mother."

"Really?" I asked with bright eyes.

"Yes, really," he smiled. "And that fire and passion that she had inside of her… that was what I truly admired about her. Because she felt the way you do about subjects of injustice and the inequality that exists in our society. She had wisdom beyond her years, and I believe that you received that trait far more than I expected."

I laughed. "What are you implying dear Rugi? Am I getting too smart for your comfort?"

He had to laugh at this. "No dear Mina, you are getting too witty for me to dodge questions I don't want to answer. Now I best get going before Lord Huong sends out a search party for the both of us."

I smirked. "Right… when pigs fly, Rugi."

"Ah! Never say pigs cannot fly little one!" Mitsurugi joked. "But I must go. Would you like to accompany me back to the palace?"

"Actually, I need some time alone," I replied quietly.

"Oh, I'm hurt," he shot back sarcastically and grasped his chest as though I had wounded him with a shot of an arrow.

"Rugi! What kind of general acts with such silliness?" I rounded my fists and placed them on my hips with a pout.

"A general looking after a child with no manners whatsoever," he joked again.

"No manners!" I exclaimed. "I'll show you manners!" I stood up and jumped onto him and swung my fist playfully at his face. "Hah! Take that! And that! And that!"

"Mina! Careful, you might hurt yourself!" Mitsurugi warned.

Suddenly my fist accidentally struck a blow to his left eye, and I stopped punching immediately and gasped at what I had done. I was just about to open my mouth for a heartfelt apology when the man started chuckling. "What's so funny?" I asked in confusion. My curiosity only made him laugh harder. "Rugi! Are you laughing at me? Or at yourself, for being beaten by a child?" I smirked at him when he gaped at me for mentioning such a thing. "Ahah! What say you dear Rugi? Do you deny your defeat, or shall I bring a mirror and show you my victorious mark?"

"What!" he cried. He took a finger and touched his eye, which had already begun to swell into a light shade of purple and blue. He flinched at the bruise on his tender skin, and shoved me off as he stood up. "Oh the tragedy, how must I face my men in such condition? I'm not pretty anymore!" Mitsurugi strut the pose of a damsel in distress as he rung his fingers together and shook his head from left to right.

"Oh Rugi!" I laughed. "Are you sure I'm the child here, or is there something you want to tell me?" I raised an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.

That was when my smile faded when I noticed a twinge in Mitsurugi's eyes. He was acting strange lately, he seemed more distracted and distant these days, and I caught him on more than one occasion this morning. But as soon as those unreadable emotions flared in his face, it disappeared back behind his mask, as it always would. I wished I knew what was wrong, but I knew he'd come up with a way to dismiss such judgment.

"Rugi," I snapped at him to get his attention. "Come, let's make you beautiful so those men will court you and free me of this horrid baby-sitting."

"Oh, please do!" he replied fluttering his eyelashes. He had eyelashes? What a sight! I took his hand and dragged him along as I ran back to the palace to do just as I said… make him beautiful.