01x20 - Echoes

[bunniefuu]

The battle with the Nokkers

on Jananda Island came to an end.

Fushi learned a lot of things here.

He resumed his journey

after bidding farewell to Tonari.

Also, to Hayase of Yanome…

Grandma,

when will the one you're waiting for come?

Who knows?

Pioran,

I made you wait for so long.

Pioran has been kind to me for so long.

But I attract the worst kind of things.

Things that want to use me.

On my way here,

I've been thinking about it.

But I can't seem to make anyone happy.

I'll sleep here tonight.

Tomorrow,

I'll take the boat and leave

first thing in the morning.

Wait.

How much money is Pioran carrying?

She only ate five beans at the store.

She can't survive like that.

Are you sure you don't want me to pay?

You even gave me this piece of bread.

Don't worry about it.

I know you're short on money.

I've opened up the shed.

Go ahead and use the soap I left for you.

Thank you.

-The food was delicious. Thank you.

-You drank too much.

She'll manage

even without me.

This is goodbye, Pioran.

-One, two.

-All right.

Be careful.

If I leave without telling her,

I'll just end up

making her wait even longer!

-I can't do that!

-A rat?

I'll write a letter,

so she doesn't have to wait anymore.

I need a pen and paper.

I don't have any.

Excuse me, may I borrow that for a moment?

No.

Just a moment!

Hey! What are you doing?

I'm sorry. Thank you.

I'm doing well.

Goodbye.

Wait. Is this how you write "P"?

Well, whatever.

This is the final farewell.

Wait.

Pioran was always cold at night.

She always said she wanted a coat.

She'll freeze to death soon

if she wears that.

This looks good.

Where is she?

Where are you taking me?

You're from Jananda Island, right?

This isn't the place for you.

-I'm sending you back to the island!

-Let go of me!

I was freed by the island chief!

That doesn't matter!

I have to save her.

You fool.

Pioran.

It looks like

she's managing just fine without me.

But…

She hasn't smiled at all.

What's wrong?

Don't loiter around.

Tonari once said

that you might be the devil.

Is that true?

That's an irrelevant question.

I see that you wish to remain with Pioran.

No, I…

If you stay with her,

there's a chance

she'll get k*lled by the Nokkers.

But even if you don't,

her age will eventually k*ll her.

Either way, she doesn't have long.

Stop! Pioran won't die.

Humans must die.

The human body begins to change

from the moment it begins to exist.

After the first spurts of youthful energy,

its capabilities gradually dull,

and finally, it comes to a stop.

Have you ever questioned

how she would die after that happens?

There's no point in just thinking.

Until that time comes,

you won't understand

what kind of death

will she have wished for.

You can't choose the ending yourself.

What should I do?

What do you want to do?

I don't know.

That's why I'm worried.

So…

Are you lonely?

Yes. That's right.

I think I'm lonely.

Uroy.

Oopa.

Mia.

I acknowledge it.

I k*lled all of them.

On the island…

Gugu.

Parona.

March.

It's all right.

It's all right now.

This will be the end.

Who's there?

Stop, you over there!

Fushi!

No, I'm not Fushi.

Look. I'm a girl…

I feel like I've left many things behind.

I couldn't understand or accept them.

What do you think?

This is the Sarlnine Forest.

There's really nobody here.

I wonder if there are potatoes here.

There are potatoes everywhere.

Perhaps one day,

I'll have to come to terms

with them.

Does your injury still hurt?

Please have these.

Reporting.

For the past month,

I've been observing the journey

of the boy and the old woman.

The old woman, Pioran,

is near 90 years of age.

She is skilled at catching fish.

Light a fire, Fushi!

The boy, Fushi,

has passed his animalistic phase

and his spirit is now changing

in response to all he has acquired.

In human terms,

I would put him at 14 years.

It seems he has

fully acquired self-consciousness.

They're coming, 500 m to the south.

Pioran, they're here.

What?

To live safely with Pioran now,

I must follow a few rules.

-Run!

-Firstly,

if the Nokkers come,

we need to run away immediately.

It will be far more dangerous

if we accept the challenge.

Secondly,

I must avoid turning into an animal

that I don't understand.

-What is this?

-What would happen

-if I can't maintain myself?

-You were bitten by a leech.

The best way is to respond

to Nokkers attack immediately.

-Good night, Fushi.

-Thirdly,

sleep later than Pioran

and wake up earlier than her.

I'll write down everything important

so I don't forget them.

You wrote so much,

but you're just going to burn it?

It's all right.

I can get it back whenever I want.

I see.

Pioran, is there anything

you want to do or eat?

Any kind of wish?

Wish?

Well…

I guess I'd like to be young again.

If I were young, I could move better

and eat harder stuff.

And I'd be popular with the boys.

Popular?

I was just as pretty as Rean

back in the day.

Sounds like an unlikely wish.

You know,

I've done everything I wanted to do.

I used to work like a mule back then,

but I was blessed with grandchildren.

Now, I'm living freely.

I'm satisfied with my life.

Fushi saw something noble

in the old woman.

Satisfaction.

I'd like to achieve that someday too.

But that something noble

wouldn't last long.

Pioran?

You have to hold on more tightly!

Shut up!

I said my back hurts!

You fool!

Have you cooked the potatoes

for breakfast yet?

You just ate them.

I didn't eat anything!

You ate them!

I didn't!

The changes came on slowly.

Why are you carrying me like this?

I bet you think I'm useless! Put me down!

I have no choice!

You keep falling off the donkey!

I know I'm just a burden to you!

Leave this senile old woman

on the road somewhere and go!

I won't do that!

Wait.

Pioran, where are you going?

-It's late.

-The Yanome will attack us

if we sleep here!

The Yanome aren't coming.

Fushi couldn't understand

why this was happening.

He couldn't accept my explanation

of what was happening.

And now he was left to take care of her.

Just k*ll me!

Nobody would mourn my death anyway! k*ll…

To Fushi,

it seemed almost

as if the person known as Pioran

was gradually disappearing.

Fushi was changing

in response to the situation as well.

He began to smile frequently.

The relieved expression

that always seemed to face forward

might've been a marker of emotion

stirred by a new experience.

Or perhaps

it was his greatest show of resistance

against that inevitable waning.

Fushi.

I'm happy to have met you.

It will rain soon.

Could you pick up

the potatoes and fish we left to dry?

I'll be back in a bit.

It's cold, so stay in bed!

Hey.

The one who's always

following Fushi around.

Black-hooded man.

Take me away now.

And if you can,

let me be reborn as something

that can help Fushi.

If you value him,

do as I say.

Your soul is only a given form

by your physical body.

If your body changes,

so will the thing that created you.

Are you willing to accept that?

Yes.

All right.

Close your eyes.

Imagine what you would like to be.

Before you are captured by heaven,

I will come for you.

What should I do now?

That's right.

I mustn't forget about today.

About Pioran.

I have to write it down.

Fushi, what is your dream?

Be like me and do whatever you want.

Thank you, Pioran.

I was happy too.

For a long while after that,

Fushi stopped talking to me.

And just like that,

several decades passed.

That hurts.