I choose my lover

Both Ash and Elena patiently waited as the line grows shorter and shorter as the time slowly passed. It seems that the old artisan really asked hard riddles because every people that exits the house has either have a disappointed or a frustrated expression on their faces, some even cursed and swear as they exit the little hut. But that didn't dishearten the two, if they were right; this artisan had given something to Ash's father.

After an hour of waiting in line, it was finally time for one of them to enter, Ash and four others enter the hut.

"Hey Elena, wait for me." Ash said as he entered the small hut.

"Good luck." Elena told him as she waited patiently.

When Ash entered the hut, he noticed several things. First of all, the hut was smaller inside than the outside, it was typical. Second, the hut was decorated with a lot of jewels that Ash deems to be a work of art but Ash also noticed that majority of the jewels were fake. To the untrained eyes, those fakes will look like genuine and authentic jewels but to the eyes of Ash, they were fake as fake can be but still, Ash can help but be marbled and be amazed at the beauty of the jewels that weren't fake. They were a real work of art.

"Sit down young man." A voice that was quite rusted ordered. Ash looked at the source of the voice and was met by the sight of an old woman who was probably at her ninety's with a dozen of jewelries, that Ash quickly noticed that were fake, in front of her. With one look, Ash could see that the woman was really wise, really skilled with her hands, and most importantly, very cunning. She also seems to be in top shape for someone of her ages. Ash, already respecting the old woman, sat down and waited for the woman to ask her riddle.

"A man has a choice to either save two women, the first woman was his mother, his mother had treated him like a useless trash all his life, and the second one was his lover, his lover on the other hand was an unfaithful person who had a dozen of affairs with his friends and strangers. If you are that man, who will you save?" The old woman asked in a sage like manner.

Ash raised an eyebrow at that question that was the most absurd riddle that he had ever heard. But the four people that were with him in the hut, disagrees with him.

"You are losing your touched old lady." The man said arrogantly. The man was in his early twenties and was wearing clothes that were overly flashy. "The answer to the riddle is simple, save none. The women in that riddle deserve to die because they have done a lot of sins." The man answered cockily.

"Fool." The man beside him whispered, that man was the person who told him and Elena all the things about this artisan. "The answer is clear, save the mother. The two of them is family and blood is thicker than water, as people say. Plus, redemption is never too late." The man explained.

"I'll save the lover; love is a beautiful thing after all." A man that was on his late twenty's answered.

"Many people here are dump." A man mumbled under his breath. Ash looked at that man, only to met by a very obsess and very rich looking man. "The answer is very simple, save them both." The man answered with shrugged.

The old woman looked at the four people that answered her riddle before landing her gazed towards Ash. "What about you, young man? What is your answer?" The old woman asked in a weary tone.

Ash looked at her with confusion before smirking lightly. "Can I assume that you're asking me for my answer because the other answers are wrong?" Ash asked which cause the other four to look at him confusedly and for the old woman to raise an eyebrow.

"I did not say their answers are wrong, child." The woman said with a small smile, finally a boy that could read between the lines.

"But you're implying that there answers are wrong. You will not ask me my answer if they said the right answers. Am I correct?" Ash said with a smirked, mind games is not his specialty but he sure hell can play them.

The woman finally grin, this child was wise beyond his age. "You four…." The woman said as she pointed at the four men. "You may leave, come back next year." The four men grunted and groaned before standing up and leaving the hut. When the four men left, the woman look at Ash with smile.

"My name is Ran, what's yours child?" The old woman asked.

"Ashura Satoshi Ketchum, but please call me Ash. I don't like it when people use my whole name." Ash said as he bowed to show his respect.

The woman, who was named Ran, smiled. She could already guess who was the boy's father. "So tell me child, what is your answered to my riddle." Ran asked with a smile.

"My answer, my answer is silence. That riddle doesn't have an answer." Ash answered with a smile.

The woman smiled, finally a challenge. "Why so child?" Ran asked with the widest grin on her face.

"Easy, that riddle is a trick riddle, it isn't supposed to have an answer and it doesn't have a wrong answer either." Ash stated with an intrigue smile. "You just want to see if we could relate that riddle in our real lives, correct." Ash inquired.

"Exactly child." Ran said in a sage like tone. "Yes the riddle doesn't have a correct or wrong answer and yes I want people to relate that riddle to their lives, now child, if that will happen in your life….." Before Ran could finish her question, Ash answered.

"I would save my lover." Ash said with a soft smile. "I would save my lover because I need her to much."

Ran was quite surprised at that, especially to the tone of voice that the child in front of him stated his answer; there was no trace of lie or uncertainty in his tone. The child was speaking the truth, passionately as she observed. She glanced at his eyes and what she saw shocked her, power, passion, love, and many other emotions that she could not decipher were burning in his eyes.

"Tell me child, why would you choose your lover over a person that bore you to the world?" Ran asked with a tone that cut through the air.

Ash looked at the old woman with a passionate smile. "I love my mom, don't get me wrong but I need my lover more. I owe my mom that I'm alive, I owe her that I exist, and I also owe her that I'm the person that I was when I began my journey in the world, but I owe my lover more. My lover changed me, she change who I am and change me for the better. She showed me that I'm a person that has the ability to become who I want to be. She gave me courage and reason to use the power that I so highly detest. But more importantly, she gave me the reason to finally be myself." Ash said as he smiled remembering all the changes that he went through when he met Elena.

Ran was both shocked and impressed at the passion of the boy for that person. It was rare for to find a person that was that passionate to his beloved. The woman smiled, this boy will go far in life. "Can you tell me the name of this lady?" Ran asked curiously.

Ash looked at her and smiled before he shook his into a no. "Sorry Miss Ran but both of us swear that we will not tell about our relationship to anyone, not until…." Ash didn't even finished his statement and just stayed silent, unsure of that ever even happening. Ran seemed to read his mind and merely looked at Ash with a passive expression.

"I would take your silent as a sign that the two of you don't have a normal boyfriend and girlfriend relationship." Ran said with a knowing tone. Ash, not wanting to answer that question, merely looked away from her gaze. Ran took that as a yes. "But you still love her with everything you have, am I right?" Ran asked with a sharp tone.

"I'll put it to you this way." Ash said as he once again looked at her before leaning towards her and whispering something that made the old woman smile in glee.

Ran smiled at her, in her ninety years of living, she has never met someone this passionate about their beloved. "You interest me child so please, pick your prized." Ran said with a cheerful tone.

"Before I do, what could you tell me about this?" Ash asked as he took out the most important thing his father left him.

Ran's eyes widen, the child is really is his son. "Tell me child, your Alexander Ketchum's son right." Ran said with a bit of enthusiasm in her voice.

Ash nodded which cause the old woman to smile. "First things first, pick your prize. I can now finally give the prize that your father refused twenty years ago, only this time, his son will have it." Ran said proudly.

Ash sighed. "Fine then," Ash said as he pointed on a certain jewel. Ran looked at the jewel and smiled.

"Like father, like son, I see." Ran said as he gazed upon the jewel. It was one of her most favorite work art.

"What could I say? We both love jewels and theater." Ash said with a shrugged.