by Eikyu No Nozomi

	The little girl skipped and giggled by the sea, her pale
green sun dress twirling in the ocean breeze.  She didn't
notice, in her enjoyment of a day at the beach, the brooding
young man dressed in black walking down the beach.  
	"Sorry!" the child giggled as she bumped into the older
boy.
	"That's okay.  Should watch where I'm going." the old
boy said, his head still lowered, his long chestnut braid
trailing down his back.
	"You look sad.  What's wrong?" the little girl asked,
her giggle turning to concern.  The young boy looked down at
her, his gloomy thoughts stil dancing across his face.
	"It's nothing you would really understand.  Go, play in
the sun.  You will cease to enjoy it all to soon." Duo said, a
tear running down his cheek.
	"Why are you crying?  Did you get a splinter?  My
Mama used to say that splinters were the worst of all.  But
she was wrong." the child said, her face sombering as darkly
as Duo's. Duo, seeing the effect he was having on the girl,
smiled, trying to seem cheery.
	"Oh?  What was worster than a splinter?" He asked,
his disposition as sunny as the globe in the sky.  The girl
giggled at his bad grammar, but her face was still darkened.
	"A Gundam.  They're the worstest of all." she said
sadly. "Even Papa would say so."
	"A Gundam?" Duo stopped short, looking down at the
child, fear covering his face. "Where.... where are your Mama
and Papa?"
	"They're out there." the little girl said, pointing across
the blue-green expanse of water.
	"Oh God, I'm so sorry.  It's all my fault!  It's all my
fault!" Duo cried out, dropping to his knees and hugging the
girl, tears streaming out of his eyes, sobs escaping his throat.
	"You're.... you're sorry?" the child asked, looking at
Duo with peace in her eyes. "Yes, you are sorry."
	"I killed them, didn't I?  All I could ever do was kill,
and now.... now you have no parents because of it!  I am so
sorry, Shinigami should not exist anymore, he only causes
pain!" Duo wailed at the sky above, his voice drowned in
sorrow.
	"It's okay.  I forgive you.  Because of you, many other
little kids have parents." the little girl said with a giggle.  
Duo looked at her, almost shocked by her cheeriness.
	"You forgive me?  But, I cannot earn forgiveness.  I
have killed to many to ever be forgiven.  I am not even to be
considered human anymore!" Duo said, glaring down at his
hands, as if they were stained by the blood of a thousand
lives.
	"Someone once said that only a true human can be
sorry for all that they have done.  You need not suffer, we all
forgive you. Stand, walk, laugh, live.  Most important of all,
live.  Live for us, and for those around you, for we all forgive
you, Duo Maxwell. You did what was needed to save the
future, and because of you, there is one." the little girl said,
giggling.  Duo stared at her in horror, not sure what to make
of the strange wisdom that had come from one so young.
	"Who.... who are you?" Duo stuttered, backing away
from the tiny child.
	"Who I am does not matter anymore.  I was here, now
I am not, but I will come again one day.  Do not lose hope,
Duo, we forgive you." the child giggled once more, and ran
off toward the water, seeming to disappear with the surf,
mingling with the foaming whitness.
	"You are, Kaiyo, the little girl of the sea.  The soul of
all those I have killed." Duo whispered to himself, smiling.
"But, I am forgiven.  You hear that world!?" Duo shouted to
the sky above his head, his braid flying back in triumph, "I
am forgiven!"