[There's a long moment before he shakes his head.]

It never hurt. If we died, Mother brought us back. If other people died, we forgot them. We did what we were told and never really questioned why. I realize now that we didn't grow up like other children did, why I didn't see them as my siblings. It was because we were told to live together so we did. We all thought of her as a Mother but were distant with each other. We were supposed to be able to keep going after one of us fell - to not be attached.

[Ace looks up at the sky.]

Maybe it had to hurt for us to understand. To grow into being people and not just tools. [Without Izana, he might not have changed. A part of him would have always been kind but Ace is not the same person he once was.

He looks back at Izana.]

Living should hurt sometimes. It shouldn't feel the same day after day.