[Nurumaiel]

So Rie sang, very softly, a joy in her eyes. She realized that she loved this fiery little girl, and it would hurt her terribly to see her go. Happiness was dancing in her eyes, and the tears of joy still remained. Don was listening, but she did not look at the woman beside her. Instead she bent down and plucked a little flower from the side of the road, and ran her finger gently over the soft petals. Then she burst into tears.

Rie quickly knelt down. "What's wrong, Don?" she asked. "You don't have to stay, Don, you don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"I'm not sad!" said Don fiercely. "Can't you see that, or do you not have any eyes?" A little smile turned up the corners of Rie's lips. This sounded like the Don she had first encountered.

Don took three deep breaths, and stopped crying. She looked at Rie fondly. "I'm sorry, Rie," she said. "I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. But I hate crying when people are watching me."

"Oh, I understand," said Rie. "And it didn't sound like you were yelling. You just sounded like... like Don."

Don smiled, and then laughed through her tears. She looked down at the flower again and then up at Rie, who said quietly, "But will you tell me why you were crying?"

"I was happy," said Don. "When I said I would stay, I was afraid I'd be miserable. I was afraid I wouldn't be happy, but I was foolish to think so. I'm very happy, Rie. So happy that I'm crying. I knew we'd be friends when I first saw you, but I didn't want to admit it. That's why I was so terrible. And that's just my personality. But we're not friends, Rie. We're almost like… family." The last word was whispered, as if Don was afraid it might not be true.

"You're right, Don, we are like family," said Rie. "And I'm glad, because I don't have a family anymore."

Don looked at Rie with large eyes, full of a wisdom that a child of her age should not have. "You do have a family, Rie. Your family is still waiting for you, I think. I have a family. I have my brothers; I have my sisters… I even have my aunts and uncles… though I don't like them," she added quickly.

Rie laughed a little, then became solemn once more. "You're right, Don. I do have a family. But I can't go back to them now."

"Why can't you, Rie?" the girl asked, all the wisdom leaving her face and childish curiosity taking its place. "Why can't you go back? And why did you leave?"