Chapter 1

"597... 598... 599... 600!" Kyo held up the newest of the tiny paper cranes with pride, showing them to his mother. Ms. Mayoigo smiled and clapped her hands, smiling at her son.

"Wonderful Kyo! Now we only have 400 more to go." Ms. Mayoigo laughed softly and sat up, picking up a small white crane with silver swirls on it. She held it in her hands, stroking its wings as gently as if it were a real bird.

"You've become excellent at making these..." She murmured, laying her head back against the propped-up pillows, smiling at her son. Kyoshi smiled back at his mother and glimpsed over his mother's fragile body. Ami Mayoigo was only thirty-three, but she looked so much younger now. Once full-figured and vivacious Ms. Mayoigo had been reduced to a figure as small and brittle as a child. She still had her bright smile and warm hands, but it was obvious to everyone that she was slowly fading away. Kyo was mostly uncomforted by the dozens of tubes that were stuck in his mother's arms and legs- the only things keeping her alive.

Ms. Mayoigo noticed her son's eyes on the unfamiliar tubes and scars that were on her arms and sighed softly. Kyo slowly looked back up at his mother's face and smiled softly.

"Yeah.." He whispered, then laughed, trying to keep the mood up. "And once we get the last 400 folded, then the Gods will grant our wish and return your health, and we can go back to living like we did before."

Kyo picked up another piece of origami paper, trembling as he did so. The Doctors had given his mother only weeks to live. His mother.. who had always been there to pick him up and throw him in the air, to teach him, to hold him, to comfort him, and to love him since he could remember. The thought of her dieing was unfeasible. Kyo felt himself struggling to hold back the wave of tears that suddenly threatened. The pressure was suddenly too much to hold back, and Kyo doubled over, coughing deeply and crying at the same time.

Ms. Mayoigo sat up, wrapping her arms around Kyo and holding him against her, waiting for the coughing to stop.

"Kyoshi.." She murmured, her voice full of concern. "You should make those cranes for someone who it will do use for. Like yourself... You need to get better, stronger, Kyoshi..."

"N-no!!" Kyo yelled, looking up at his mother, bright with embarrassment at having to be cuddled like this. He was sixteen years old- he should be beyond this.. but the pain of slowly losing his mother was just too much to handle. "You will get better Mom! The Doctors are wrong, you'll get better and we can go back to our apartment and live happily, you'll see... you'll see Mom..." Kyo leaned against his mother, crying and losing himself in the bond between child and mother, forgetting anything but to exist in her arms.

Ms. Mayoigo rocked her half-grown son in her arms, her chin on his head. She stared off into space and cried.

Where will he stay?

Here, please don't cry Ami... Can I get you anything...?

"He's dead." Ms. Mayoigo said, staring at the letter in front of her in shock. Tears soundlessly ran down her face. Kyo hovered over his mother, concern etched in his face. Ms. Mayoigo let the paper fall from her hands and covered her mouth, staring into space.

"Mom? Mom? Who's dead? Mom? What is the matter?" Kyo patted his mother's shoulder awkwardly, scared by how harshly her shoulder bone protruded from her hospital gown. Kyo shifted his feet, nervously straightening his mother's blanket and staring at her, unsure of what to do for her. Ms. Mayoigo took a deep breath and gave her son a strained smile, grasping one of his hands.

"Your father, Kyo. Aijou is dead." Ms. Mayoigo said, staring off into the space in front of her, not even looking at Kyo.

Kyo stiffened in surprise. He'd never known his father, at all. His mother had never spoken badly about him- saying that they'd merely divorced and gone their separate ways because they got new interests- and Kyo had never had any real interest in him, but he knew that his mother had loved Aijou once and it would be painful for her to have him dead.

"Oh Kyo..." Ms. Mayoigo said, suddenly pulling her son against her in a gentle hug. Kyo stared up at his Mom in surprise, feeling himself almost choke with the concern upon seeing all the tears that poured down her face. "Oh Kyo, my son... what are you going to do? Where are you going to go now? Who will take care of you when I'm gone?"

"M-Mom!" Kyo said, hugging his mother as tightly as he dared, staring up at her. "It's alright Mom, we'll finish those cranes and the gods will let you get better, they have to... You'll get better, so don't worry, I'll be alright..." Kyo coughed softly, trembling in his mother's arms. Ms. Mayoigo rubbed her eyes, holding her son in her arms and staring down at Kyo as he tried to recover his breath. She sniffed softly, stroking his face.

"My poor son... Rest. I know that you did not know your father, and don't really care about his death, so I do not want you to waste yourself away after me by worrying too much. Please sleep Kyo, and get better..."

Ami Mayoigo stared out her window at the moon. She had a beautiful room. The view was of the forest as it tumbled down to the sea. Such a rich, full forest was rare in an expanding city like this. Ami looked around her room- the room she'd be spending the last days of her life in. It was the best that her insurance could afford, which was about middle-class. Vases of flowers were changed daily, all year round and she was served beautiful gourmet food. Everything was gently decorated, and offered beauty and serenity in the entire room. Few other rooms in the entire Hospital were decorated like this. This was a special room, a room for the dieing.

Ami's eyes drifted over to her sleeping son. Kyoshi laid in the second bed that the nurses had placed in the room for him, his chest rising and falling softly with each breath he took. Ami stared at him for a moment, struggling not to cry. He was so old, more a man than a boy. Yet it still wasn't fair to leave him alone in the world, without a single guiding light. Ami let a few of the tears fall, and laid back against the bed, losing herself briefly in the hopelessness of it all.

About a hundred of the flock of six-hundred thirty-two paper cranes were hanging from the ceiling around Ami's bed. Birds made out of all the colors of the rainbow spun softly in their place, as if they wished to fly. Some where made out of beautiful patterned paper with silver swirls and glittering gold kanji bearing blessings of health and happiness. Kyo had learned about the old belief that folding 1,000 paper cranes could bring health from the gods while studying the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in his history class at school. Ami still remembered the day, when she was so, so sick, that Kyo had come in with a large packet of origami paper and told her, even while the Doctors were standing there, that he would heal her.

Ami laughed very softly to herself, staring up at all the cranes. It encouraged her beyond words, that her son would give such courage and faith to her... yet it would be fruitless. In a couple weeks, she would be dead and her son would be all alone...

Oh Kyo... Ami closed her eyes, sighing softly. He was ill, as well. Who would take care of him, who would watch after him and help him recover his strength? Ami shook with tears for a minute, then stared up at the paper cranes dancing on the ceiling. Maybe it would have worked. Maybe the cranes would heal her, if she could live long enough. But she knew that the only thing that kept her here anymore was her worry to find Kyoshi a safe home. Not even that could keep her to her expiring body much longer.

Oh Kyo... Ami sat up, rubbing her eyes and staring at her son. It was too late for her, but... but maybe the cranes could bless her son with health and happiness. Maybe, this way... she could bless him with her unending love this way.

Ami picked up a piece of the thin origami paper and started folding it, drawing her finger carefully over each line with a constant thought in her mind.

Let him be blessed with health, let him be blessed with happiness, and give him the love I would have shown him if I had stayed. Give my son life. Let him be blessed with health, let him be blessed with happiness...

"My name is Takakura. I've come to speak with you about Aijou's last wishes."

Takakura was an elderly man who looked like he'd been doing hard work almost all his life. His eyes were squinted and he wore a worn formal suit, sitting uncomfortably as if he were unused to wearing such clothes. Takakura also seemed extremely nervous, and kept glancing at Ms. Mayoigo.

"I..." He started, then stopped, staring down at his hands and shaking his head. The unease with which he talked told Kyoshi that he wasn't really use to people. Kyoshi felt vaguely sorry for him, and curious as well. Kyo glanced at his mother, wondering how she'd treat Takakura. To his knowledge, Aijou had never spoken to her since the divorce.

Ms. Mayoigo smiled politely at Takakura, bowing her head briefly.

"You have no reason to be nervous, Taka. I bear no grudge against you or Aijou. I realize that people just go on different paths sometimes. You have no reason to fear resentment from me."

Takakura visibly relaxed, the tense atmosphere falling from his shoulders. He shifted a little and coughed slightly.

"Alright then. I'm glad you think that way, Ami. Aijou was always worried that you were angry at him for leaving you..." Takakura's voice faded off for a second and he sighed to himself. "But I suppose he doesn't have to worry now. I have an offer for you, Ami." Takakura looked up at Ami, his face darkening. "Yet... this probably won't do you much good. I.." Takakura paused, going silent at his loss for words. Ms. Mayoigo smiled gently and put her hand on Takakura's hand.

"Don't worry Taka. I realize my time is limited. There is no reason to be gentle about it. Please tell me what you have come here to tell me, Taka."

Kyoshi startled as Takakura suddenly looked up and straight into his eyes. Kyoshi shifted nervously while Takakura stared steadily at him. Finally Takakura broke the stare and looked at Ms. Mayoigo.

"I... Aijou and I, we... we bought a piece of land in a small valley outside of Enkakuchi city. We were going to work on it together, farm it, raise animals on it... but Aijou passed away suddenly, of his weak heart, you know... Yet, he left it, in his own word to me, and his will, that he wanted the land to eventually be left to Kyoshi."

Ms. Mayoigo stared at Takakura, her eyes bright with attention to his every word. Kyoshi's jaw dropped slightly. This was a lot to take in at once. The true implication of Takakura's words didn't even reach him at that moment.

Father liked farming? He had heart problems? He knew me? He... cared about me?

"In a way, Kyoshi doesn't need to own the land until I die, but I feel.. that it's only right to give Aijou's portion of land to him now. I am getting old, and I... the joy of farming and almost the joy of the entire Valley has faded for me without Aijou. I don't have the heart to run even the small farm we got. I... Aijou had mentioned, a couple months before his death, that you were getting sick, but I didn't know..." Takakura glanced helplessly at Ms. Mayoigo, lost for words once again. Ms. Mayoigo patted Takakura's hand reassuringly and smiled intently at him.

"It's alright Taka. I didn't get the chance to tell Aijou that I was this sick, or else I know he would have told you, and been here. Don't think he was neglecting us." Ms. Mayoigo leaned back against the bed, staring up at the paper cranes that danced around her head on the ceiling. There were seven-hundred and three. "I think, Taka, that you've solved a difficult dilemma that I had on my mind."

Ms. Mayoigo turned to Kyoshi, reaching out and stroking his face gently with her free hand.

"My son... my wonderful son..." Ms. Mayoigo closed her eyes for a moment, a couple tears rolling down her face as she smiled. "Do you want to go to this farm, Kyo? The city air makes you so sick, that you are kept in bed with weak lungs and a weak body all the time. I want to see my son strong and healthy, alright? Do you want to go to this farm?"

"No!" Kyo said, standing up and holding his mother's hand between his own. "I cannot leave you, Mom! I can't leave you all alone now! We're almost done making the paper cranes! Then you'll get better, I know you will... I know you will..." Kyo tried to keep himself up, but his face dissolved into tears, and soon he was back in his mother's arms. Ms. Mayoigo ran her fingers through her son's hair, rocking him softly. Takakura turned away, his face clouding and reflecting his discomfort.

"Shhh... shh... It's alright Kyo..." Ms. Mayoigo murmured, holding her son against her. "I love you Kyoshi.. I want you to grow up strong and healthy, safe and sound. Takakura is offering you a beautiful opportunity. Remember how much you loved going to the cherry blossom picnics with me? Remember how excited we got over seeing one tree, Kyo? Now you can live next to a whole forest of trees and beautiful plants! This is a blessing, Kyoshi..." Ms. Mayoigo pulled Kyo up, staring him in the face. "I won't be here much longer, Kyo. We both know it. I want you to be safe and happy... but I won't make you go to the farm if you don't want to... it is for you to decide."

Kyoshi buried his face against his mother's chest, trembling with the depth of grief that shook his body. All around them, piled into little boxes and hanging from the ceiling, little paper cranes of all colors sat like butterflies waiting to fly.

A week later, Ami Mayoigo died.

"Kyo... come here... I... I've got something for you."

"Are you ready to go?"

Kyo stared down at his mother's shrine.

The gravestone proudly bore the family name, and below it, hers. Ami Mayoigo. Only thirty-four. About a third of the estimated life-span for the modern human.

Large and small vases full of brightly colored flowers crowded around the shrine, the alter covered in incense and sweets. All farewell gifts to Ami's spirit, as it left the world so early in its journey.

Kyo held a small box with all seven-hundred eight-five cranes in it. The last eight-two his mother had made herself. On his back was a backpack containing all the possessions he could bear to bring. The rest contained too many memories of his life with his mother. He'd given everything else away to friends as he said good-bye. It was better to start fresh, without the memory of the long, agonizing months that he had had to say good-bye to his mother.

Kyo shifted. The weather was changing. Maybe that was a good sign. The mild, wet weather that passed as a soft winter was fading away into spring. Green buds were exploding on trees into bright blossoms. Flowers were rising from the grasses everywhere, giving the world a breath of color. The thin smoke from the incense on Ami's grave danced in a slight breeze. The breeze stroked Kyoshi's cheek and he closed his eyes, filled with a strangling tangle of happiness and grief.

She wants me to be happy...

"Are you ready to go?" Takakura repeated softly, patiently waiting for Kyoshi to finish saying good-bye. Kyo slowly straightened up.

"Yeah, I am." He said, sighing softly. It was starting. Some new chapter of his life. Kyo stared at his mother's name engraved on the granite stone one more time, and turned to follow Takakura out of the temple grounds.