A Heart for a Heart

Interlude: A leap of faith

Note: Natsume is Mariam's honourary grandmother. She met her before the Saint Sheild's battle with bladebreakers, and had been visiting her often. Natsume was a member of Saint shield once, but was exiled due her certain decisions.
"Should I do the dishes before I leave?" Mariam said as she stirred the boiling soup pot over the stove with a spoon.

"No Mia, my limbs still work. I'll do it later." The woman with long blue braided hair huffed at the girl. She was in her late fifties and was wearing a baggy brown overall with a red lumberjack shirt, despite the age there was not a single white hair on her head.

She just returned from a walk with her five huge malamutes, removing their collar as they try to push each other to be in the front.

"Calm down boys, or you'll topple this old girl over. Good, now who wants a scratch behind ear." They howled and jumped, pushing each other in the process.

"Then behave." On of the dog let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like, 'No, I won't.'

She laughed at them. "Did you heard that, told ya Shaw can talk. Mah silly little boy." She petted his head.

"Oh come on, Natsume. He's probably asking for food. I don't know why would you keep so many of them."

Natsume snorted, looking at Mariam fondly, "You know, sometimes I wish you would use that scepticism in making life descisions but alas. There's a lifetime of lessons ahead of you, one's that cannot be taught but must be experienced."

The kitchen was decently large and open and a medium sized dining table sat in one fourth of it's space.

"Thanks for the Ted talk." Mariam set the food on the table.

"You don't need to come here, anymore." Natsume gave the dogs their food, watching as they gulped it down in a breath. "I know you don't like being here. That's okay." Her words were laced with resignation.

"I didn't want you to be alone."

The smile she received told her that it was a lie.

"I didn't want to be alone myself. We're practically family doesn't that count."

"It does but you should be spending that time with your friends. From what I've heard you like them. Go ahead, live your life."

"Not today, geez."

They finished their food. Mariam avoided looking at Natsume directly but made small talk about their days, weather, whatnot, before they ran out of things to talk about.

"You're going back, aren't you?"

Mariam stared at the empty bowl she knew this was coming, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to see Natsume again.

"You're going to stop me."

Natsume sighed, intertwining fingers of her hands with her elbow on the table.

"No, I've already lost that fight. The only who can stop you is you girl. I'll just be disappointed in myself that I let you throw it all away."

Mariam looked up abrubtly, her hands clenched into fists.

"I'm not throwing it all away, people live like that for the tribe, for the cause. It's bigger than us."

Natsume's brow furrowed as she met Mariam's gaze.

"And save a wilted ideal that you've just been told isn't worth it. Tell me did you captured the sacred four?"

The dog raised their head as they felt the atmosphere tensing, eyeing the humans warily.

"No, that's unrelated."

"It's not, you realised the importance of freedom in life and that's why they won. And here you are going back to same trap."

"And what do you expect me to do? Live here, all alone. Not a single person to care if you die."

It took all her patience to reign the anger that those words had erupted, disdain burned in her eyes. But in all honesty Natsume was more disappointed than anything.

"Ha, I've left my mark in the world and there are people who still remember me, not out of pity, but for my deeds. And what life do you think you'll find back their, huh? A nameless spawner for a tool, that'll be trapped in the same delusion."

Mariam frowned at the choice of vocabulary, it sounded so wrong when she put it like that. She slammed her fist at the table.

"You're manipulating the words."

"Do what you want? And don't come back untill you've got some sense knocked in that thick head of yours."

"Fine. But let me finish this first."

Mariam moved to pickup the dishes, when an grip halted her movement.

"No, I'd done my work myself my entire life. I'll do it till I couldn't move. And trust me girl when that day comes you'll fine me asleep on my bed."

A lone tear fell from girl's eye, "You know I don't have a choice."

Natsume let go of her hand, giving the girl she'd raised as her granddaughter, one last hug. Her eyes shined a little as she patted her comfortingly.

"There's always a choice, Mia. You just  have to choose carefully."

That day Mariam left a part of her behind, Natsume's last words ringing loudly in her ears. So, It was her choice. But was it? She didn't had the means to survive. She didn't had the map to exit. How could she escape to this concrete paradise? She was aware of how cruel it could be. Wouldn't it be easier to just do what so many before her did. So, what if they're a part of a nameless mob. It's still a life. And life is important. And there was only one thing to do. A last leap of faith. That'll decide her future. And another question arose.
Should it?

A/N: So this is something, anyway remember that black lizard in previous chapter. TheFutureLegend asked to name him Kuro, so he's Kuro now. So yay. Stay safe people. Tata for now. XD