Beetle broke through the surface of the lake, carrying Kubo in his arms. The ship was in ruins. The last pieces of wood floated along the water.

“Over here!” Monkey called out. She clung to what remained of the bow.

Beetle swam to her, pulling Kubo up onto the wreckage. He wasn’t moving, and his skin had turned a ghostly gray. “It was the eyes,” Beetle said. “They had him in a trance.”

“No.…” Monkey said, gently shaking Kubo’s limp body. “Wake up! Please wake up. It’s going to be all right.… I’m here.”

Monkey laid her head on Kubo’s chest, and the tears streamed down her cheeks. She could hear his heart still beating. But for how long? When would her child come back to her?

When she looked up, she saw the pieces of the boat coming together again. They assembled on the surface of the lake. His magic was still alive… which meant he was still alive. He had to be.

Just then, Kubo started to cough. He turned on his side, the water spewing from his mouth. When he’d finally caught his breath, he looked into Monkey’s eyes. “I saw you, Mother.…”

Monkey stroked his hair, hugging the boy to her chest. “My son,” she whispered.

They stayed like that for a long time. Slowly, the boat formed around them. Then they were moving over the water again, the giant sail catching the wind.

Hours later Kubo and Beetle were huddled around a fire. They’d found a cave on the shores of the lake, and they took cover there for the night. Monkey moved around collecting firewood.

Beetle looked from Monkey to Kubo, then back at Monkey. “So you must look more like your dad, then?”

Kubo just shrugged. Monkey hadn’t said much while they sailed to shore. He waited for her to explain as they made the fire, and while she speared fish for their dinner, but the whole time she was silent.

“You’re staring,” Monkey finally said, turning around. “Let me guess. You have questions.”

“Tell us your story… please?” Kubo asked.

Monkey seemed unsure. She picked up Kubo’s shamisen and handed it to him, a sad smile curling on her lips. “Perhaps you can help me.…”

Kubo plucked a few notes, playing for her.

“The night I met your father…” she started, taking a deep breath. “My sisters and I went to the Temple of Bones to kill Hanzo.”

Kubo was so stunned he stopped playing, holding his bachi in the air. For a moment the cave was quiet. “Oh, right…” he mumbled, playing a few more notes so Monkey could start the story. As music filled the air, pebbles and twigs rose up around them, hovering near the ceiling to illustrate what Monkey was saying.

“At the bidding of the Moon King,” Monkey went on, “my sisters and I had come down from the night sky and killed many noble warriors. Your grandfather told us that any man who found the magical armor would grow too powerful and be a threat to the heavens. That night, I arrived at the temple before my sisters. And there he was. The mighty Hanzo.”

Above them, the twigs and pebbles illustrated the scene—a young Mother and Hanzo together.

“‘You have offended my father,’ I said, ‘Now you must die.’”

“That’s so you.” Beetle laughed.

“We fought,” Monkey went on. “Hanzo was strong. But then he stopped. He looked into my eyes and uttered four simple words. These words changed everything.”

“I love you, Monkey?” Beetle guessed.

“‘You are my quest,’ he whispered. I had seen the wonders of the universe, but the warmth of his gaze as I looked into his eyes… that I had never known. It was his humanity I saw. And it was more powerful than anything in my cold realm.” Monkey watched as the figures danced above them, falling in love. “I spared his life, and he gave me mine.”

The figures then appeared with a baby Kubo in their arms. “He gave me you.…” Monkey said. “But your grandfather found us. His rage at my betrayal shook the heavens. Your father and his army gave their lives, allowing me to escape with you in my arms.”

Kubo stopped playing the shamisen, and the figures slowly fell to the cave floor. “Why does Grandfather hate me?” he asked.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Monkey said, stroking her hand through Kubo’s hair. “He wants to make you just like him. Blind to humanity, as I once was. Only then can you take your place beside him as part of his family.”

“I’ll never be like him,” Kubo said. “Never.”

Monkey hugged him, trying to calm his nerves. “I know.…”

After a long while, she realized he’d fallen asleep in her arms. She rose, carrying him to the corner of the cave, where she made sure the robe was covering every part of him. Then she returned to the fire.

Beetle watched her limp as she walked. There was blood staining her fur, and she winced when she sat back down. “You’re hurt,” he said.

“Just a scratch.”

He glanced back at Kubo, making sure he was asleep. “Monkey,” he started. “Why didn’t you tell him sooner who you really are?”

“The magic that keeps me here… it’s fading,” Monkey said. “Soon I’ll be gone, and Kubo will be alone again.”

“Not alone,” Beetle said. “He is the son of Hanzo, and I will do everything I can to keep him safe from harm.”

“Thank you, Beetle. To know Kubo has someone to watch over him when I’m gone… that would be a fine way to end my story.”

“Your story will never end,” Beetle corrected. Monkey had never seen him so serious. “It will be told by him. And by the people he shares it with. And by the people they share it with. And by the people they share it with. And by the—”

“Beetle!”

“The point is,” Beetle said, “your story will live on. In him.”

Monkey looked across the cave to where Kubo was sleeping. She listened to each one of his breaths. She didn’t know if Beetle was just saying that to be nice, but she wanted to believe him. She smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.