[ That's the crux of it, isn't it? For someone who is so driven to be in charge of her own actions from that moment onward, a part of her kind of wished someone else would do that legwork for her. But no...no, that isn't right. Avoiding it certainly hasn't lessened the weight on her heart. Only working alongside Kurenai had made her feel finally, finally connected to that part of her past again.

If there were anyone to pass the final judgment on her it would be the Ruby Princess herself, wouldn't it? The one she would sworn to serve and protect.

To think that Kurenai would be such an kindred spirit, wanting to see the world above the waves. She does wonder what could have happened if she stuck around.

But it's too late for that. She's never been one to harbor much regret--not because she hasn't made more mistakes than this, but because she knows that the only thing she can do is try to move forward. Except for this. One of the few things she hasn't been able to move past, mayhaps because it set everything in motion. It's a mixture of "something had to happen" and "but not this".

Abel is right. Of course he is. His capacity for caring and understanding is exactly what she would have expected from him. She's...grateful. That he isn't saying that she did the right thing, but that she doesn't need to condemn herself forever. ]

I think...

[ She drops her hands to her lap. ]

I'd like to tell my mother "I'm sorry". I didn't, then. Mayhaps she knows already because she's that sort of person, but...I should have all the same. She deserves to hear it.

[ Himeka chances a somber smile. ]

And maybe someday I can meet my niece and nephew.