Whitewater Gorge The Scars on My Mind Are on Replay, R-Replay

Just like that, they had lost everything. The empire had splintered and fractured as members moved away, disappeared, died, and their mother and father's legacy crumbled to ruins before them. It hurt to leave, but they had no other choice. Despite looking more and more like adults every day, the royal siblings were still just children; the Wilds were far too hostile for them to survive on their own. Even Haruki who so desperately wanted to stay eventually had to accept the fact.

So they travelled through the mountains, their three stark white coats becoming marred and matted as the days wore on. Sumi, their brave, noble sister, often ranged far ahead of them but she always returned. Until one night she didn't. Haruki tried to follow the trail, calling out his sister's name until his throat was raw but it was all in vain. His tracking skills were amateur at best, and he was forced to return to Hotaru's side, even more defeated than before.

After Hotaru's tumble down the mountainside, Haruki tried to stick close by, not daring to range too far ahead. They both now were sore, weak, hungry and tired, but they marched on. Where were they going again? On the fourth day, the boy awoke from a restless sleep, only to find himself alone. He immediately shot up, eyes wide and searching for his sister in alarm. No, she couldn't have disappeared too! She couldn't have left just like the others! His suddenly racing thoughts were interrupted by a distant shriek.

Haruki quickly scrambled to his feet and took off at an all out sprint towards the sound. The thudding of his heart in his chest was soon drowned out by the roar of the falls as he closed in on where he had heard Hotaru's cry. He would have stopped to stare at the gorge in awe, having never seen anything like it before, but his eyes were only for his sister. Standing over her was a stranger, a grey-clad woman who had only wanted to help, but to Haruki he saw her as nothing but a threat.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" he yelled as he hurtled towards the two, tail raised high in the air. As he closed in on the adult, he let out a snarl, hoping to skid to a halt between her and the cowering Hotaru, teeth bared and ready to take down whatever had frightened the only family he had left.