Mha: Hero's Path

Tap Tap Tap

The rhythmic tapping of footsteps filled the hospital as people bustled about. Among the surrounding people, two stood out. A man, wearing a suit and sporting a tired, somber expression, and a woman in a black dress. They walked slowly as they talked while heading to a certain room. 

"The doctor said he is still . . . withdrawn. He hasn't spoken since they told him of his parents' death. He hasn't even eaten much since then, and it's been two days I'm starting to get worried. 

"I know Akira, I know. My heart aches for him, but he has been through so much, and he just needs time to heal. Elara and Marcus didn't deserve this, nor did Ariel, but it did happen, and as their friends, we have to step up to take care of Ariel." 

"You know Hana, I could fall in love with you again at this rate." 

Hana let out a small, tired smile just as they reached the door to the room. The two exchanged a glance while preparing to enter. After a few moments, they gathered the strength to enter and, upon opening the door, they saw a young child lying in a bed while blankly staring at the wall.

He didn't even seem to notice as they silently walked to his bedside. It was only when Hana sat on the bed and turned to look at Ariel did he react. He brought his legs up and wrapped his arms around them while he turned his head to stare Hana in the eyes. 

Hana silently gazed into his tired, blank eyes. The look he gave her made her want to tear up, but she knew she had to be strong. Taking a deep breath, she spoke to him. 

"Ariel, I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Hana, and this is my husband Akira. We have been friends with your parents for a long time. We are here because the doctor said that you are free to leave, and seeing as you don't have any other relatives, we have decided to take you in." 

For the first time since they entered, Ariel reacted. He brought his hands back up in front of him and twiddled his thumbs as he quietly asked. 

"Why?" 

Hana opened her mouth to speak, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Turning, she looked at her husband with confusion, but he just walked forward and lowered himself so he is eye level with Ariel. His unwavering gaze and gentle voice filled Ariel's mind. 

"I know you are hurting, and I know it feels so unfair because it is unfair. But right now you need a safe place. . . A home. The hospital can't keep you here forever, so we came forward. You asked why, well it's simple. Elara and Marcus were and still are our family, and so are you."

Ariel stared at Akira with an unreadable expression, but just as the couple was getting worried, Ariel responded with a simple nod to Akira, without saying a word. Seeing this, the two adults let out a breath they didn't even know they were holding. 

— 

It did not take very long to check Ariel out of the hospital. However, it would take a while to reach their house due to the destruction caused by the flood. Most of the roads were either broken or closed, but there were a few lucky areas where it wasn't so bad or at least good enough to safely drive through. 

As Akira drove, the car was silent as if they were afraid to talk. Ariel in the meantime was staring out of the window at the ruined city. They passed ruined and standing buildings alike, but what really caught Ariel's attention was the people. Surprisingly, people were out and about, and not only that, but they were going through the rubble. 

A complicated expression crossed Ariel's face as a thought formed in his mind. Are they looking for people? The thought slightly confused him after all most of the city was destroyed, so their houses might have been destroyed as well, so why are they here and not at their homes fixing them? His curiosity overwhelmed him for a minute, and he couldn't help but ask. 

"Why are they out there? What are they doing?" 

Hearing his questions, Hana turned to face him in the back seat. She stared at his confused face for a moment before saying. 

"They are helping with the rescue efforts." 

Hearing her answer, his confusion grew. It's dangerous to help; the building could collapse . . That thought made a new wave of sadness wash over him and also made a new question form in his mind. Before he could think about it, his mouth moved. 

"Why? Don't they know they can get hurt? Don't they know that it's dangerous and more people might . . ." 

His mind was thrown back into chaos and sadness. He wanted to cry, but he also felt like he couldn't. Once again, he was starting to get overwhelmed by his own emotions. However, his mind stopped when Hana put her hand over his own. She rubbed his hand for a moment as he simply stared at the contact. After a moment, she spoke. 

"Of course they know . . When something this terrible happens, people understand that others are also hurting. Some people are lost or trapped. They know someone else needs help, and so they can't just stand by. It's because everyone in Greenhaven, and even people from far away, feels this pain too. So we help each other because that's what people do when others are in trouble." 

Before Ariel even realized it, he had somehow begun to cry again. He cried so hard that exhaustion set in, making him want to sleep. However, he refused to sleep; instead he stared out of the window and watched as people shifted through the rubble and buildings. 

Some cried and collapsed near their homes, some sifted through the rubble with determination in their eyes, and others cried and screamed when they were reunited with their loved ones. Most of all, some lost those loved ones, and yet they still helped. Ariel watched all of this through the car window. He couldn't pull his eyes away even if he wanted to; there was just so much going on that it felt terrible to even think of looking away. 

Suddenly, he was blinded by a bright light that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Heat touched his face and fell over the city of Greenhaven. Slowly, he opened his eyes again. There he saw that the grey clouds had begun to part, and just above the horizon and clouds was the rising sun. For a moment, he focused on the warmth brought by the day, but then he noticed it. Others were also taking in the sight and warmth. At that moment, Akira spoke and brought a certain understanding to Ariel. 

"You know your parents had a saying, Keep moving forward no matter what. Ariel, this is what that looks like. It's about remembering that even when you lose something precious, you find a new way to live, to hope, to build. They taught you that, and now you're seeing it all around you. We're going to keep moving forward, together."