The three Light Guardians - Mizuchi, Eli, and Yune - along with the shopkeeper appeared in front of an apartment door - room 345 at some old apartment complex. There were rats scurrying along the walls. The stench from the place was strange. It was like every apartment had some kind of smoke coming out.
The shopkeeper pointed at the door.
"Your mother is in this apartment," he said.
"Is she safe? Is she alright?" Mizuchi asked worryingly. She didn't remember much about her childhood with her mother, but she did remember they were all good times. But this place looked nothing like where she they lived, or so she thought.
"Just knock and find out. Now, if you don't mind. I'll be leaving, now," he said right before he vanished.
Yune and Eli had nothing to say. This was Mizuchi's choice. So, the other two walked far enough away to leave Mizuchi alone, but make sure that she was safe. They still had a responsibility to look after her.
Mizuchi was right in front of the door. The mother she was searching for was just beyond this door. She tried looking for so long, but in an instant after becoming this hero, she got what she wanted. She wanted to knock, but fear set in. She didn't know what to say. So many things could happen. So many ideas went into her head. She breathed in and relaxed. She just decided not to overthink things and just speak from her heart.
She looked at herself and thought it was ridiculous to show up after all these years looking like some kind of pop star super hero. With just a thought, a bright came over her and she went back into her human form. Back into her regular clothes.
She knocked on the door.
"Coming," a female voice from inside went. She could hear footsteps coming towards the door. Her heart beat faster than when she was running from that creature just moments earlier.
Then, the door opened. It was an middle-aged woman. Older than how Mizuchi remembered, but it was definitely her. She was speechless.
The woman asked without recognizing, "Can I help you?"
"Uh. Hi... mom," Mizuchi said with half a smile. She didn't know what to feel. Happiness. Glee. Shock. Everything all at once.
The woman was confused at first, but then it set in.
"Mizu...? Mizu, is that you?" she asked.
"Yes. Mom. It's been so long," Mizuchi replied with a full smile finally getting to see her mother.
"Who the hell is it!?" a man yelled from inside, "Tell them to leave! Hurry up and finish! I don't pay you for standing around!"
"Who's that?" Mizuchi asked without being able to see him. When she tried to look in, the mother walked outside closing the door behind her. Then, Mizuchi understood what was going on. It was nothing like her fantasies, but she didn't expect her mother to be any kind of saint, either.
"Now's not really a good time," the mom said, "It's been a while. You seem to have grown."
"It's been a while?" Mizuchi retorted, "Is that all you can say? Sorry. It has been a long time. I'm used to talking back to defend myself. Just a force of habit. Anyways, I came looking for you. And here you are."
The mom said, "I'm sorry. It's just that lots have happened."
"What happened? One moment you were there and the next you weren't. I thought... I didn't know what to think."
"It's... complicated," she said with a sigh, "Listen. It was hard. Hard to keep up with everything. It was hard to keep up with the excessive bills. The food. The rent. Everything was so high. And you. The schools have been getting more expensive. One moment, I went into your room. You slept so peacefully. You didn't cry like you usually did when you were younger. But when you did, it was excessive. Everything began to pile on. More and more. And I had enough. You were asleep, and one night, I had come back from very unhappy clients. I wasn't getting paid as much as usual. And when I looked at you, I blamed you. You weren't very different than any other kid. And when I saw the other parents look at me like they did, it just added more to the pile. But when I saw them with their children, they seemed so perfect. I thought that anybody would have made a better mother than me. I tried. I really did. But during the night, I dreamed that I was about to stab you with a knife. It was horrible. Blood everywhere. But I woke up. That's when I realized I couldn't take care of you. I didn't know when, but I knew that I wasn't fit for it. I took you out in the car and told you we were going to the amusement park for the weekend. I can't even remember what day it was. It was you and me for that day. And when my back was turned, I didn't see you. That was an accident. I looked around for you, but when I did find you, I remembered everything that was happening to me. I called the police to say there was a missing child. And then when I saw them find you, I left. I even figured any one of them would have made a better mother than me."
Mizuchi didn't know how to respond to that. There were so much feeling in her stomach. So much disappointment. She had a feeling that her mom didn't want her, but that feeling never came out as fact. Now that it did, she felt hurt. But she still smiled and kept a facade.
The mother continued, "I'm sorry. I have to go. Maybe... maybe, we can keep in touch."
"Maybe, mom. Maybe," Mizuchi said as she began to walk away, "It was March 21st."
"What's that?" the mom asked.
"March 21st was the day we went to the amusement park," she replied.
They looked at each once more knowing that they would never see each other again.
"Mizu, I'm sorry," the mom said.
"I know."
And then she left.
Mizuchi walked away from the apartment as her mother walked right back in.