The cliffs of Persetta were quiet, except for the crash of the waves in the Tenasa Sea below. The moon hung high, draping the saltwater in a silver sheen, while a plethora of scattered stars gave their mother company. The wind carried the sharp scent of salt and the faint hum of the tide's rhythm, a sound both soothing and eternal.
At the edge, Hatori sat with dangling legs. His eyes glanced down, where his Memento journey had begun, along with all he called family.
From behind, the faint crunch of footsteps against stone pulled him from distant thoughts. A tall silhouette approached, pace steady and deliberate. The moonlight caught strands of dark hair, fluttering in the breeze.
Tona didn't say a word at first, letting the moment hang. He simply stood by the man he called his best friend, admiring a place they had called home for their life worth remembering.
"Clever note," he said, breaking the quiet. "Your handwriting is scratchwork."
Hatori chuckled under his breath, keeping his eyes on the water. "Knew you'd recognize it."
"Hard not to."
The two stood there in the open night air, letting the wind fill the silence. Then Hatori's voice came again, quieter this time, touched with an edge of heaviness.
"Tona… you're leaving again, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Tona said straightly, eyes narrowing towards the horizon.
"How long?"
"For good, Hatori."
That drew Hatori's gaze. He remained composed, but there was something searching in his eyes.
"Why?"
Tona didn't answer right away. He inhaled deeply, letting the cold air settle in his chest before speaking.
"The longer I stay, the more I drag Memento with me. The APC's shifting their sights already. Every action, every kill… every move is used to defame the organization. The very foundation Maro built."
"You think going rogue will change that? Will save us?"
Tona gathered a breath, shifting slightly. "If I'm labeled a lone threat… my actions won't be linked to your cause. They'll hunt me down, just like they always have. And this time—"
He stopped with an inhale, before releasing a breath into the cold-touched air.
"—they can't say it's Memento killing officers in public spaces. Especially if the Ghost was expelled."
Hatori shook his head. "Danzo wouldn't do that. Besides, you know the consequences to this, right? They will hate you. They'll think you abandoned them, Tona."
"I'm prepared," he said, clenching his fists. "I already discussed it with Danzo. Even if they do… if hating me keeps them alive, so be it."
A low gust swept across the cliffside, the wind whistling between them. Tona's hair flowed freely in its wake, the strands catching flashes of moonlight.
"I need you to watch them, Hatori."
His gaze turned to his best friend, and their eyes met, firm and unshaken.
"Especially Tsuki. She's more like me than she realizes. I… I don't want this path for her."
There was softness in his voice, soothing and protective.
"She won't let that happen, Tona. You know how she is. She looks up to you. This'll destroy her."
Tona hesitated. "She's strong. I don't want her knowing the truth. She'll come after me."
"I know she will," Hatori said, turning his attention to the waves once more.
"Which is exactly why you can't tell a soul."
Hatori hesitated, his lips parting before pressing against each other again. "You have my word."
"I know," Tona said firmly, holding the new coat over his shoulder.
The night hummed again with quiet. The only sound was the slow, relentless crash of the ocean below.
"Have you told anyone else?" Hatori asked.
"I haven't. Because, you're the only one who'd understand I'm not doing it for me."
Hatori's brow furrowed as he studied his friend. "You always try to shoulder everything. You really think this is what Maro would want for you?"
Tona's jaw tightened, his gaze falling on the distant horizon, unwilling to meet his friend's eyes.
"Maro's gone. I'm not him—I've never been one for speeches, or holding the line… my way is making sure the worst of the war never touches them—ever."
Hatori pushed himself from the ledge, following his friend's sight. Tona continued, voice flat and honest.
"Even if they don't know I'm there. My image has never mattered to me. I just… I want the others to see a world where Alden isn't plagued with hate. One where they can build families and do as they please."
His voice was quieter, and held the faintest tint of uncertainty. Tona forced a smile, holding whatever remained in.
"I lost my chance for those things, Hatori. I don't want the others to suffer that fate too."
Hatori returned the smile with one of his own, genuine and serious. "A bastard, with the heart of an angel," he chuckled. "I love you, brother."
He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Tona in a tight hug. One he feared may be the last.
Tona's came up in return, gripping Hatori tightly. "I love you, brother."
They stood there for a long moment, the wind sweeping past them as if the world had paused just for the two of them. Eventually, Tona broke the embrace, turning back toward the looming forest before him. He stopped after a few steps, turning his head slightly.
"Oh, and by the way… Don't keep Correna waiting."
Tona gave one last smile—a tug at the corner of his lips, before he disappeared into the darkness of the trees. Hatori remained where he stood, with a tiny shake of his head. A single tear traced the curve of his cheek, and fell into the jagged cliffside below. The waves roared on, indifferent to the silent vow that had just been made.