Asuma watched as the clouds floated by slowly from the spot he was laying at on the hill, and as he watched one particularly slow one go idly about its path he sighed heavily, his eyes unfocusing as he began to worry over the turbulent thoughts that swam through his head.

"Hey, mister down-in-the-dumps, what's got you all gloomy?" He turned his head to look at Ringo where she was sitting beside him, leaning back on her elbows as she lay sprawled out in a most unladylike fashion.

"How do you feel about your mother?" He asked her instead of answering her question, not that the brunet minded though. She knew that they'd eventually get to what was worrying him.

Ringo pulled a face as she thought his question over. "Well... She's always trying to force me to do all of this girly stuff with her which is really annoying, and she's always yelling at me when I get my clothes dirty or tear them up. She nags me about really stupid stuff and she yells way too much, plus she worries about things she doesn't need to worry about." She leaned forward to sit Indian style, idly scratching a scab that was on her elbow.

"But how I feel about her? I love her. She might do all of that stuff and sure, it's annoying, but she only does it because she cares about me. And I guess I do give her some things to worry about, though it always comes out alright in the end." She looked down at Asuma and saw that he was looking up at the sky with the most melancholy expression she had ever seen.

Wanting to get that look and whatever feelings that had brought it on out of her best-friend she dove at him and landed on his stomach, making the poor boy wince in pain as her elbows caught him in a few sensitive spots. She propped herself up on him -ignoring his grunts of pain and discomfort- and looked down at him.

"Why? Are you missing your mom?" She asked, making him pause and shake his head.

"No... I actually don't really remember her. I sometimes remember the way she felt when she hugged me really tightly and sometimes her laugh or the way she called my name, but the only real picture I have of her that doesn't come from the photos we have is of her waving good bye when she left."

He sighed again, looking up at the passing clouds and actually finding comfort in the weight of Ringo on top of him. "But... I guess... If I actually try and think of 'my mom' I end up thinking about Maria."

"She's always so happy and she's always smiling, and she's always there when any of us need her. She's warm and kind, even when she's mad at us, and she does everything with us that a regular mother does. She scolds us, tells us to pick up the things we wouldn't bother with if she wasn't there, she never yells no matter how mad she gets, and when she looks at us sometimes you can just see in her eyes how much she loves us."

He looked down into the clear blue eyes of his closest confidant and frowned. "Am I a bad person for thinking that?" For forgetting her? Was the question he asked her silently. Ringo shook her head.

"No. You can never be a bad person just for loving someone." She smiled at him, not her usual unrestrained grin, but a softer smile that she seldom showed to people.

"I look like her, and I think that makes me feel guilty too."

"Why?"

"Because it must hurt them to look at me and see something like that; Dad because he misses her and Maria because it might feel like she's looking at the person she's replacing."

"Is she replacing someone?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know. She's Maria, and when I look at her all I see is Maria, but what about what Dad sees? Or Kyoko? She remembers our mother better than I do." Ringo sat up and reached over to lightly knock her fist against his head, her face stern.

"You're being rude to a person who freely loves you by saying such disrespectful things. If you think of her as even having a chance of being only a replacement then that's what she'll be, and that's something no one ever wants to be." Asuma nodded, seeing her point.

"Now then!" She said, jumping up and shaking off the serious mood in favor of her usual playful one. "Let's go do something fun! We're ten, we should be enjoying these few years of freedom and development, not sit here having serious conversations with depth and meaning!" Asuma smiled at her and took the hand she offered him so she could pull him up.

They started walking down the hill and Ringo playfully dug her elbow into Asuma's side. "You must be right about the whole 'looking like her' thing, though. You do have a really girly face." She teased. Asuma glared at her as she hit one of his sore points.

"Ringo!"

"Sorry Asu-chan!" She called out as she started running down the hill and away from him. "I was just pointing out a fact!" He growled and raced after the laughing girl.

"I've told you a million times not to call me that! We're not little kids anymore!" And they raced away, leaving their doubts and worries behind them on the hill.

Asuma and Ringo! Awww!

I just wanted to write this and maybe one or two more before the Temair bit, and to actually introduce you to Asuma. Oh, and he is a really cute boy, but he isn't all that girly looking.

And everyone called him Asu-chan when he was growing up because he was just so cute!

The stars only come out at night so that they can look down at how amazing and beautiful you all are! I love you!