Wolf Children, Ending Rewrite

When the rain finally let up, Yuki's high spirits slowly turned to worry. Her mother should have arrived long before, and although her adventure around the school with Souhei was fun, a shadow of anxiety at her mother's absence was growing. Souhei's acceptance of her wolf nature, which had given her such relief and happiness, had distracted her from pretty much everything. But with the morning coming, she wondered if something had happened. Did her mother get swept away with the rain? Was she safe? Did she forget about her?

Souhei tapped Yuki's shoulder, startling her from her thoughts. Turning to ask what it was, Yuki's question was cut off when Souhei pointed out the window. There, running toward the building, was Yuki's mother, looking like she had been mauled by some forest creature. With a cry of surprise, Yuki ran out of the classroom, changing to a wolf so she could run faster to her mother. What had happened? Why was she covered in mud? Why was she limping?

Yuki nearly ran into her mother in her haste, both of them reeling back so that a collision would be prevented, and both falling down in the process. Panting, both began asking questions at the same time.

"Yuki, what are you doing-"

"Mom, why are you-"

"You know what I told you-"

"But what happened your-"

"Yuki!"

The young wolf forced herself to stop speaking, her head lowering against her mother's rebuke. Her mother Hana took another few breathes to recover herself, before putting a hand on her daughter's head, "Yuki, what if someone saw you?"

At this Yuki perked up, "There's no one here but Souhei and I, and he-"

Hana looked up to a point over Yuki's head, and as Yuki turned she saw that Souhei had followed her down, holding her discarded clothes. "Souhei!" Yuki ran up to him, but at the look of amazement on his face she remembered she had never gone full-wolf in front of him before. She slowed down, looking away from him in sudden anxiety, stopping a bit away from him. There was a moment of silence, before Souhei whispered under his breath, "Cool."

Yuki looked up at him then, and saw a smile of awe had appeared on Souhei's face. He knelt down offered her clothes, "But you know, you better change back in case a teacher or something comes. But wow. Cool."

Yuki grinned at him, laughing as she ran around him a few times to show off, and then snatching the clothes in her mouth. She retreated to a nearby room to change, leaving Souhei and her mother alone. Souhei stood, a bit nervous being alone with Yuki's mother, especially with the serious expression on her face. Hana approached the young boy, who was rooted to the spot, avoiding her gaze.

"Do you swear you will keep Yuki's secret?"

Souhei meets her eyes then, a bit scared at the intensity in the question. When he didn't answer right away, Hana pressed again.

"Do you swear?"

Souhei opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated, took a deep breath to steady himself, and replied.

"Yes. I swear I won't tell anyone about Yuki being a wolf. Never in all my life, I promise."

A few beats of silence pass, but Hana relaxes and smiles gently at Souhei, surprising him, "Good. I'm glad she has a friend she can share this with." Souhei sighed in relief as Hana took a few steps back, looking to where Yuki had gone. She appeared only a moment later, back as a human and dressed, a grin still on her face.

They dropped Souhei off at his house and continued on to theirs, Yuki babbling happily about her adventures and Souhei the entire time. Hana did her best to respond with equal joy at her having a friend that would keep her secret, but she couldn't help but continue to be worried for her daughter. Souhei was a good boy, but so many things could happen. And it was hard juggling this new worry with what had happened with Ame…

"…Mom?"

Hana turned quickly, her frown vanishing into an unsteady smile, "I'm sorry honey, what was that?"

Yuki observed her mother for a moment before asking, "Why were you so late coming to get me?"

Hana's eyes flashed with sadness for a moment before she looked back to the road, "Oh… well…"

The silence was tense in the car, Yuki's guesses in her head on what had made her mother late becoming more and more bizarre. Finally, Hana answered, "Your brother… well, I just had to make sure he was okay. Up on that mountain, you know? He… well, I did tell him not to go but… I raised you both so you could take your own paths. Choosing to be a wolf… that was one of them."

Yuki stared at her mother in disbelief. "Ame… left?"

Hana smiled sadly, and that smile made something twist inside Yuki, "Yes. He left."

There was a short pause, but Hana continued, "He'll be fine. I know he will. You're both going to be fine, whatever you choose to do."

Yuki felt her disbelief churn inside her, "But… so you went to the mountain and… is that why you're…?"

"Oh, goodness, yes I guess I am pretty filthy, huh? I lost my head a bit back there." She laughed, but it still contained that sadness that was in her smile. Yuki's disbelief was changing into something else. "I just… well, I tripped. Pretty lame huh? But your brother got me out of there, so…"

"Ame brought you home?"

"Well… no, not… just out of the mountain…"

"He didn't… he just left you?"

"Yuki-"

"He just left you after you went there and got hurt-"

"It wasn't that bad-"

"He left- He didn't even say goodbye to me?!"

The car arrived at the house, Hana about to try and reason to her daughter that her brother had to do what he felt best, but she found that the passenger seat was empty. "Yuki?!" Hana leapt out of the car, searching and soon finding her daughter, in full wolf, running to the mountain. "YUKI!"

"I'll be right back mom! After I kick Ame's BUTT and drag him back!"

Yuki's disbelief that her brother had left completely changed to anger. How could he leave mother like that? How could he go up that stupid mountain without saying goodbye? How could he choose to live up there over living with his own family? How could he?

Hana decided to wait for Yuki's return rather than brave the mountain again. The departure of Ame and Yuki revealing her nature to Souhei had taught her that it was time for her to step back and let her kids make their own decisions without her involved. However, that did not stop her from being anxious about them.

She cleaned the house and prepared dinner, a pang of grief startling her when she makes enough for three. It was doubtful Ame would be joining them. She didn't even know if Yuki would come back, if Ame convinces her to join him as a wolf. And with that realization, she sits down at the table and cries alone in her empty house.

Hana is forced to eat by herself and put away the food. There is no sign of either of her children coming down from the mountain. Maybe Ame really did convince Yuki to join him. Maybe she would live alone in this house from now on.

She could do it. Live alone. She knew that she would be content as long as her children were safe and happy, where-ever they ended up. She knew she could do it. But… well. She wouldn't be happy. Content perhaps. But without any sign of her children visiting her, how could she look forward to anything? What would she do? Her whole life had been her children, and now that they were gone…

Her thoughts went to her neighbors, and those older parents that would lament their children leaving. They were still active, still happy. If they could do it, well! So could she! But those parents visited their children during holidays, or they would come to them. There was always the understanding that the parents were still involved somehow. Ame leaving… and now maybe even Yuki…

She would be okay. She swore to herself that she would be okay. And she would. But happy? Hana had to admit to herself that it was a bit unlikely. She brought her fist down on the table, frustrated. "Ame, would it kill you to tell your mother you'll visit sometimes?" Hana muttered to herself.

A shuffling sound came from the house entrance, and she sat up straighter, listening. Someone was murmuring aggressively, and there was a brief sound of something scrapping against the floor. "Mom?" Yuki's voice rang out, causing Hana to let out a soft sigh of relief, feeling a few tears well up in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly and went to where she had heard Yuki, stopping in her tracks as she came into sight. Yuki, in half-wolf form, was covered in mud, much like Hana herself had been, and there were obvious scrapes, scratches, and… was that a bite mark? But Hana felt the tears threaten to return when she saw what Yuki grasped in her right hand. It was Ame, still a wolf, gripped by the scruff of his neck.

"Sorry it's late. We fought." Yuki said shortly, not letting go of her brother. The young girl's eyes had a steely, determined look to them. Hana was reminded how in wolf terms, Yuki was full-grown. Ame struggled a bit to try and free himself, although strangely not using his full strength, saying in a hurt tone of voice, "I said goodbye to mom already-"

"You call THAT saying goodbye?!" Yuki shook her brother a bit, making Hana step forward with her hands up instinctively. Yuki didn't seem to notice. "Mom doesn't speak wolf! Idiot! Stupid!" A few more shakes and Ame growled in defiance, "She knew what I meant!"

"Kids-"

"Yeah, that you meant to run off after all she went through to check on you!"

"I'm the new guardian of the mountain, I-"

"What, don't have time to take care of mom? Is that it? Huh? And when were you gonna visit? When were you gonna say bye to me?!"

At this, Ame stopped struggling altogether, suddenly still. Yuki continued to glare at him, but his soft voice caused her grip on him to loosen, "You would've thought I was a freak."

Hana brought a hand to her mouth, chanting to herself to let them be, to let them figure it out between them. She had a feeling this was something that had weighed on Ame's mind for a while. Silence persisted, until Yuki let her brother go and knelt down to look at him in the face. He avoided her gaze, still tense but making no move to leave.

"Well you are pretty weird," Yuki said slowly, a mixture of humor and hesitation in her voice. Ame scoffed, but Yuki continued, "I think you get a bit too into the whole wolf thing, but… but you're not a freak. We're not freaks, Ame. I thought we were, but we're not. And you knew that better than me in a way, I guess. So… sorry about fighting that one time."

Ame turned his attention to her, surprise evident in his expression as Yuki pressed on, "But you can't just run away, Ame! You can't! I'd miss you if you just lived on the mountain all the time! And mom would too, wouldn't you mom?" Yuki looked to her with certainty, and Hana nodded with a smile on her face. Ame didn't look at his mother, his head lowering in what Hana could only guess was shame.

Hana approached the two and knelt next to Yuki, who was by this time full human again. Ame still didn't move, but he tensed further with her near. Hana took a deep breath and let it out slowly, saying with a soft smile, "I accepted your goodbye, Ame. I knew you would be okay following the path you chose." Ame's head jolted up, meeting his mother's gaze in an expression close to desperation. Hana cupped his head in her hands, "I won't tell you to stay, Ame. I was so worried for you, but it was wrong of me to keep you at the house so strictly. I understand how you want to live your life as a wolf from now on. But…" A ripple of sadness distorted Hana's smile for a moment, "Maybe… visit sometimes, okay? Know that you're welcome here anytime. And that I love you. So, so much."

A tear escaped Ame's eyes, and although he tried to keep them in, more came soon after. He shifted to human form and embraced his mother, quietly weeping, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, mom, I'm sorry, I thought you'd make me come back, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Hana stroked his head, a few tears of her own running down her face but a sincere smile was growing there as well. Yuki, holding her tears in somewhat more successfully, grinned at her mother and joined the hug, laughing lightly. All three sat there for a long time, crying and laughing, together.