A Mother's Vow

Declaring the plan, Heero shouted and ran out. To bring back the beloved son. "No matter what, I’ll find Terran! I’m going out of the Imperial City, but Akari should go back to the mansion right away just in case! Maybe Terran will show up later!"

Actually, Akari wanted to run together with her husband. But, as Heero said, there’s a chance Terran might stop by the mansion at least once.

His luggage and wallet, which were in the waiting room of the arena, were left behind after he ran off. He should have hesitated to rush out of the Empire without any money or possessions, so perhaps he returned to the mansion once. 

However, those faint expectations collapsed the moment the group led by Akari returned to the mansion. She said, “He didn’t come home.”

When I returned to the mansion, there was no particular change. Sadie cleans up every day, so nothing is messy. This morning, I’m sure she had done all the housework before coming to the Arena.

A butler asked, “Lady Akari. uhm about Miss Sadie.”

Akari replied, “Let her sleep in a vacant room. It would be troublesome if Sadie were to wake up.”

Akari quickly returned to the mansion and searched all the rooms, but they still couldn’t find him, and there was no trace of him stopping by. When she realized that while biting her lips in Terran’s clean, well-organized room. Her subordinates who had been left to care for an unconscious Sadie finally caught up.

But in the end Akari couldn’t catch up with Terran. Akari asked to herself “Terran, where the heck? What the hell happened to you?”

Even now, Akari wanted to believe that it was a dream. The Commemorative Match, up to now, going by the academy teachers and Sadie, Terran demonstrated fighting skills that are completely different from the expected hearsay, even displaying Martial Art without using a sword.

Those movements, driven by power and technique far beyond our imagination, and completely overwhelmed Reval. Then the skill he used at the very end.

Akari shook the bad thoughts out of her head, “No that’s not right. Yes, that’s not what I have to think about."

Right now it doesn’t matter why Terran is so powerful. All I have to think about is what he said,  "~If I knew it would be this hard… I would not want to be born as a hero’s son~"

It seems Terran has been suffering from being son of famous heroes, and as parents they weren’t aware. Certainly, Akari heard such a story. When Terran entered the academy, because he couldn’t beat little Uriko, and he had nothing special like Poh or Reval. He developed a slight defeatist complex.

But by just listening it does seem as if it lead to Terran agonizing with frustration, and now he hated himself.

Akari couldn't stop crying. “Terran…”

In this room packed with over a decade worth of Terran’s memories. She could smell him just by being in this room, but he’s not here. There is that girl keeps it tidy. Then Akari saw the clothes hanging in the room’s closet. It’s an Academy uniform.

Akari said, “Uniform. Come to think of it, when he started school, the size of his new uniform was a little big, and everyone laughed.”

Then Akari noticed that she was looking at the uniform. Academy uniforms vary in size from student to student. Terran said, ‘I’ll grow taller soon anyway’, and ordered a slightly larger size. At that time, she happened to hear the story from Sadie, so I knew the size of the uniform.

She notice it’s bigger than the large size that he wore at the beginning. Why  the size of the uniform did change. Akari was confused at first, but it was so simple. Terran was growing, so the uniform wouldn’t fit.

Akari said, “I see. Terran, you, you’ve grown so much.”

Akari was upset that she did notice, because she wasn’t looking at Terran. She felt disqualified as a mother. 

She asked herself “So, what are you suffering from? What are you worried about. I didn’t even know what was going on.”

Even if you don’t usually see each other very often, aren’t you connected because you are parent and child? Akari felt connected, yet she didn’t see anything. 

Akari then said “I only saw Terran as an impression of myself and Heero. Terran is different from me and Heero. Terran… is Terran.”

So another memory hit Akari,  "~I just, just once. my dad, everyone, not as a son of a hero. I just wanted you to praise me. That’s all.~"

Akari said, “My own son, my beloved son. For him to say that! No, we made Terran say it!”

In this way, finally to realize that she lost Terran a while ago, “I’m sorry Terran. Sorry I can’t even be a normal mother. I’m sorry.”

Save the world was one thing. It’s protecting the world of peace, that Akari couldn’t protect the happiness in her hand.

Rushing into the room, Sadie shouts, “Little man! Haa, Lil’ Terran!!”

Sadie stood at the roughly open door, looking pale and trembling. 

Akari called to her “ Sadie…. Miss Sadie. You need to take a little rest now.”

Seems she came right away after waking up. The voice of the subordinates has not reached Sadie. 

Sadie also recalls a lot of memories, “Akari… Little man.”

Akari confirmed, “… He gave up on us and ran away.”

At that moment, Akari couldn’t take back the words that were just said, Sadie whole body trembling and stumbling. “Heh!?”

Akari accepted the blame, seeing that it’s all on her and Heero.

Then Sadie sadie “I’m was screaming… Little man. I’m sorry”

Akari understood painfully what Sadie is thinking. For her own sake, she felt bound by a feeling of regret and guilt. 

Akari said, “Even if you sit down crying till you meet death, he’s not coming home.”

She made certain that it’s not the time to cry, Sadie too. who gasped, “Eh… ah… ah…”

Akari declared, “Even if he won’t let me. I’ll will make amends, but for now I’m going to chase after him.”

Sadie agreed. “Yes…we do”

No matter where or how. 

Suddenly, it’s noisy again, these kids decided to show up at the mansion to find Terran. 

Uriko called out, “Isn’t Terran coming home!”

Poh said with fustration, “Come on, Terran!”

Reval quietly said, “Nowhere in town. why didn't you go back home!?”

Akari greeted the kids, “Princess… Poh… Reval…”

Uriko's face turned blue with nervousness. The princess doesn’t know what happened, but she can’t settle down to the fact that Terran is gone. “Lady Akari, the entire Imperial Capital is on high alert and under curfew now. So I searched all over the city but he’s...”

Akari felt that her and her husband were unqualified parents who saw nothing of Terran. She also understood also how the princess felt. 

Akari was happy thinking that Terran and the princess were to join and unite the family as the Seven Heroes. That expectation now is obvious was another issue that proved how little they paid attention to Terran.

Poh and Reval are breathless. The two grown-ups, now as anxious as children, are now worried about Terran. Reval is running around desperately trying to find Terran, despite the hard fought battle.

Akari was truly gleaming with pride to see the friends care so much about her son, even after all this time. 

As a mother, Akari knew she made a mistake that is beyond reproach. Holding on to that, she knew she had to meet Terran again, because she was a mother that truly loved her son. It’s not a lie, however Terran may not forgive her. 

it may be too late, but it will be worth getting rejected.  Just for one more time she wanted to be a real mother!

No matter how long it takes.