Inazuma Eleven 3, Book 1 : Morning Twilight

Chapter 20 : One, Two, Three

TW : Child Abuse

Author's Note : I didn't expect to have a character with this kind of backstory so in order to keep the novel ~T, I'm going to write this chapter such that most of it can be skipped and the story can be understood. However, if you would like to know what type of character Leonidas is then this will be a critical chapter for that.

I really don't intend to get into the whole tragedy and angst genre though so this should be the only time the story touches on this type of topic. My goal after all is to keep the spirit of shounen sports anime with a foray into some more serious topics and explore human relationships.

7 Years Ago, Tsujo Household

Leonidas had two mothers.

They looked the same but Leonidas knew they were different people.

One would cry and scream and shout while the other would sit and look outside the one window inside their apartment without moving or saying a single word to him.

Leonidas preferred the screaming mother, she always told him how much she loved him while the other mother didn't even acknowledge his existence. That scared him the most. No matter how much he pulled at her clothes, called out her name, or made a mess of the house she wouldn't look in his direction. She just stared and stared. Sometimes for hours and sometimes for days at a time.

Even though their apartment had a window, the only thing that could be seen was the wall of the neighbouring apartment which was less than a metre away from their own apartment. That grey wall perplexed Leonidas. He didn't know why his mother loved looking at that textureless, grey wall so at first he would join his mother when this began. However, no matter how hard or long he looked at the wall, nothing changed and the wall remained just that, a wall.

Over time, Leonidas grew to hate that wall. All of his begging, crying and screaming were useless once his mother began to look at that wall. Nothing could awaken her from her trance.

Leonidas was afraid.

Afraid that one day she would look at that wall and never stop. Never look at him again. Never call his name again. Never tell him how much she loves him.

Leonidas was scared to be alone and so he prayed and prayed to the universe that that wall would be destroyed. Reduced to rubble and so completely razed that it would never be able to reside in his mother's mind again.

When his prayers weren't answered, Leonidas would run outside and hit the wall with his tiny and bony fists until they would bleed but the wall remained and eventually the residents living in the apartment would chase him back home. Unable to give up, Leonidas returned to praying and one day,

The apartment was gone.

Hearing a big boom, Leonidas looked outside the window excitedly and saw a big black ball hitting the apartment over and over again until nothing remained just like he had prayed so fervently. Hurrying outside, Leonidas was met by the sight of a large mountain of garbage, waste and debris that cast a fog which blocked the sun and rendered the whole world grey.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.

The wall was finally gone!

Running back inside, Leonidas waited for his mother to come home patiently.

Creak

Hearing the door begin to open, Leonidas wondered which mother would be the one coming home tonight and judging by how quietly she had entered the apartment he knew it was the silent mother. Watching her slowly walk over to her chair in the kitchen/living room where she could see out the window, Leonidas was filled with joy as he waited for her to realise the horrid wall was gone.