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“How did you find us?!” demanded Dore, shaking from fear of the legendary borrower. “You were banished and we moved over a hundred human miles so you could not return!”
Aerite seemed to ignore the elder’s words. Instead, she turned to face Sho, who stared back blankly. “Well? Do you want my help?”

“Aerite…?”

She sighed, and kneeled beside Sho. “Yes, it’s me. The so-called borrower-human-god-devil. I can help you.”

Jane stepped between Aerite and Sho, as if shielding him from an evil force. “How do we know that you’re not going to hurt Sho or Arrietty?”

Aerite shrugged, and kneeled on the cold ground. “I’m not a horrible person. At least not now. Yes, I abused my powers that I developed with the man I loved, and I know my actions can never be reversed. But it’s never too late to start mending old bonds.”

Jane was not about to budge. “I still don’t trust you.”

“Well,” sighed Aerite, “then let me tell you my story. Perhaps then you’ll understand me better.

“I was a young borrower, just about twelve, when I caught sight of a blonde boy with red freckles. I was inside a supermarket, borrowing little bits of pasta and rice and sometimes a piece of candy. He caught me sneaking behind a cereal box, which in my foolishness I had neglected to realize was the last one in the row. I shrieked, of course, and so did he, but when his mother came running to find out what happened, he quickly replaced the cereal box and told her he needed to go to the bathroom. At the time, I didn’t know how great of a distraction that was” Aerite giggled “but it worked. I was able to sneak away safely.

“I was fearful of returning to that supermarket, afraid that I had been found out and that people would be searching for me, but I was also curious to see if the boy would be there again. I had to thank him for his distraction and compassion. You may not realize this nowadays, but borrowers had a strict sense of gratitude and righteousness. It was tradition that if a borrower was helped by anyone, they’d have to repay the favor.

“Of course, I didn’t see the boy the next day. Or the next. Perhaps a month went by that I did not see him. I had almost given up seeking him to thank him, when fate pulled us together again. It was the same supermarket, same aisle, and to my knowledge, the same box of cereal. He pulled it out, and our eyes met. Quickly, I said, ‘Thanks for saving me last time! How can I repay you?’ and he replied, ‘Can you be my friend?’

“Sounds cliché? It was. I almost laughed out loud at the request, but I thought better of it. So I agreed, and I asked him for his address. He murmured it, and ran off to his mother. There was something about this boy that attracted me, and I felt that I could leave my trust with him. I still remember that address… but I digress. I went to visit him to repay my debt, and I discovered that he was sick too.” Glancing at Sho, Aerite smiled. “He had cancer. He laid in bed most of the time, and after we had conversed a bit, he explained that the only time he got to go outside was to go grocery shopping with his mother. The doctor had advised fresh air and movement, and this was the only sure way to keep him from harm.

“He begged me to stay, to live with him. Of course, I had to refuse. I had a family, a life, and my friends. But I couldn’t refuse. I knew how much a friendship meant to him, a companion that could stay by his side all the time. So I agreed.”
Jane had sat down next to Sho, captivated by Aerite’s story. Sho’s expression was blank – Aerite was basically telling his own story.

“I spent two whole years with him, and over that time I developed the legendary abilities. I could grow and shrink to human and borrower sizes. I could share thoughts and memories. I could see through his eyes, and let him see through mine. And the myths are true, to an extent. I was capable of miniscule levitation, so that my feet hovered just above the ground. I learned to swim like a human does and as a fish does, as water is much more different when you’re a borrower. I learned to mimic the actions of animals, which I had once feared due to my minute size. But nothing beyond that.”

“Why not?” asked Jane. “Wasn’t it possible to control weather, too?”

“If you recall, he had cancer. He passed away two years into our friendship. I never had the chance to experience the full extent of our relationship. I was broken, shattered, unable to come to terms with the truth. I lied to my family, and my clan. I told them he’d dumped me, cast me aside, and abused me. But it wasn’t enough. I started to believe it myself, that he gave up on life because he had what he wanted. And so begins the tale of my rage. The killing, the destruction, they are all true. I did all that. I’m not giving myself an excuse to do those things, but maybe you can understand why it happened. I don’t want to see another borrower or human in pain because they are unable to spend time with their significant other.”

Sho was convinced. It was as simple as that. There was no doubt that Aerite was telling the truth, and that she really did want to help. “Yes. Please help us.”

Description
“How did you find us?!” demanded Dore, shaking from fear of the legendary borrower. “You were banished and we moved over a hundred human miles so you could not return!”
Aerite seemed to ignore the elder’s words. Instead, she turned to face Sho, who stared back blankly. “Well? Do you want my help?”

“Aerite…?”

She sighed, and kneeled beside Sho. “Yes, it’s me. The so-called borrower-human-god-devil. I can help you.”

Jane stepped between Aerite and Sho, as if shielding him from an evil force. “How do we know that you’re not going to hurt Sho or Arrietty?”

Aerite shrugged, and kneeled on the cold ground. “I’m not a horrible person. At least not now. Yes, I abused my powers that I developed with the man I loved, and I know my actions can never be reversed. But it’s never too late to start mending old bonds.”

Jane was not about to budge. “I still don’t trust you.”

“Well,” sighed Aerite, “then let me tell you my story. Perhaps then you’ll understand me better.

“I was a young borrower, just about twelve, when I caught sight of a blonde boy with red freckles. I was inside a supermarket, borrowing little bits of pasta and rice and sometimes a piece of candy. He caught me sneaking behind a cereal box, which in my foolishness I had neglected to realize was the last one in the row. I shrieked, of course, and so did he, but when his mother came running to find out what happened, he quickly replaced the cereal box and told her he needed to go to the bathroom. At the time, I didn’t know how great of a distraction that was” Aerite giggled “but it worked. I was able to sneak away safely.

“I was fearful of returning to that supermarket, afraid that I had been found out and that people would be searching for me, but I was also curious to see if the boy would be there again. I had to thank him for his distraction and compassion. You may not realize this nowadays, but borrowers had a strict sense of gratitude and righteousness. It was tradition that if a borrower was helped by anyone, they’d have to repay the favor.

“Of course, I didn’t see the boy the next day. Or the next. Perhaps a month went by that I did not see him. I had almost given up seeking him to thank him, when fate pulled us together again. It was the same supermarket, same aisle, and to my knowledge, the same box of cereal. He pulled it out, and our eyes met. Quickly, I said, ‘Thanks for saving me last time! How can I repay you?’ and he replied, ‘Can you be my friend?’

“Sounds cliché? It was. I almost laughed out loud at the request, but I thought better of it. So I agreed, and I asked him for his address. He murmured it, and ran off to his mother. There was something about this boy that attracted me, and I felt that I could leave my trust with him. I still remember that address… but I digress. I went to visit him to repay my debt, and I discovered that he was sick too.” Glancing at Sho, Aerite smiled. “He had cancer. He laid in bed most of the time, and after we had conversed a bit, he explained that the only time he got to go outside was to go grocery shopping with his mother. The doctor had advised fresh air and movement, and this was the only sure way to keep him from harm.

“He begged me to stay, to live with him. Of course, I had to refuse. I had a family, a life, and my friends. But I couldn’t refuse. I knew how much a friendship meant to him, a companion that could stay by his side all the time. So I agreed.”
Jane had sat down next to Sho, captivated by Aerite’s story. Sho’s expression was blank – Aerite was basically telling his own story.

“I spent two whole years with him, and over that time I developed the legendary abilities. I could grow and shrink to human and borrower sizes. I could share thoughts and memories. I could see through his eyes, and let him see through mine. And the myths are true, to an extent. I was capable of miniscule levitation, so that my feet hovered just above the ground. I learned to swim like a human does and as a fish does, as water is much more different when you’re a borrower. I learned to mimic the actions of animals, which I had once feared due to my minute size. But nothing beyond that.”

“Why not?” asked Jane. “Wasn’t it possible to control weather, too?”

“If you recall, he had cancer. He passed away two years into our friendship. I never had the chance to experience the full extent of our relationship. I was broken, shattered, unable to come to terms with the truth. I lied to my family, and my clan. I told them he’d dumped me, cast me aside, and abused me. But it wasn’t enough. I started to believe it myself, that he gave up on life because he had what he wanted. And so begins the tale of my rage. The killing, the destruction, they are all true. I did all that. I’m not giving myself an excuse to do those things, but maybe you can understand why it happened. I don’t want to see another borrower or human in pain because they are unable to spend time with their significant other.”

Sho was convinced. It was as simple as that. There was no doubt that Aerite was telling the truth, and that she really did want to help. “Yes. Please help us.”