Roland, Tsubasa, Muirrach, and the twins followed Tsubasa’s grandparents down the hall, where the space opened up to a walkway surrounding an indoor courtyard, with lovely flowers blooming around a small, clear pond.
“Where’s everyone else?” Tsubasa asked.
Her grandmother chuckled. “You’ve spent so much time in Wonderia it’s toyed with your sense of time,” she said. “It’s a weekday afternoon. Your parents, and Satoru and Touma are at work. Tetsuya is home, but he’s out walking Deku.”
“Deku!” Tsubasa cried, her shoulders slumping. “I’ve missed my pooka… how long have they been gone?”
“They left just a few minutes before you arrived,” her grandmother said. “I’m surprised you didn’t see them.”
“Must’ve gone the opposite direction,” Tsubasa said, pouting. She sighed. “Well, at least we’ll see them all eventually.”
They entered a room beside the courtyard, with a sliding paper door open so they had a nice view of the courtyard, and sat on the floor around a low table. Tsubasa’s grandparents left for the briefest moment, taking Tsubasa’s bags of apples and other goods with them, and returned with a tray with settings for seven — small cups and plates, as well as a central plate with fluffy mochi, dainty little cakes, and sliced apples. The tea cups were already filled with tea, each cup also having a small pink flower blossom floating on the surface of the tea.
“How did you prepare all of this so quickly?” Erika asked, gazing in awe.
Tsubasa chuckled. “Grand-da and Granny are always ready for guests,” she said.
“As any good host should be,” her grandfather said with a smile. He and his wife sat with them, and they all took tea and some sweets. Roland held the cup in his hands for a moment, taking in the fragrant aroma, before sipping it and relishing in the warm, soothing taste.
“Now, then,” said Tsubasa’s grandfather, folding his hands on the table, resting his gaze on the twins. “We should introduce ourselves, and then discuss your parents. I am Ryunosuke, and my wife is Setsuna.”
“And we are grandparents of a wonderful granddaughter,” Setsuna said, beaming at Tsubasa.
“Aww, Granny,” Tsubasa said, looking away, her cheeks reddening.
Roland, Muirrach, and the twins introduced themselves. “Erika and Enrique,” Ryunosuke said, nodding thoughtfully. “Your parents care deeply for you both.”
“They really came and talked to you?” Erika asked. “What did they say? Are they all right?”
“And why did they come to you?” Enrique asked. “What did they want?”
“They are safe,” Setsuna said, in a very calming voice to assuage the twins’ fears. “Though their situation is curious. But we will get to that. What they wanted from us was help with their Songbird Restoration Project.”
“Songbird Restoration Project?” Roland asked.
“So you have heard of it,” Ryunosuke said. “Good. Isadora wondered if you might have, having gone to the Intersection at Loch Reòsair. Then you have acquired your ship’s memory drive.”
“They told you about all that?” Tsubasa asked.
“Yes,” Ryunosuke said. “And I see the question in your eyes — what help could we provide with such a project? What would we know about their Songbird, a very different being from the Divine Songbirds, or the songbirds that served as prophets, scholars, saints, and heroes in ages since the Fracturing?”
“But you do know something,” Tsubasa said.
Setsuna smiled, and gave an affirmation in Kisetsugo. “Always so perceptive, Tsubasa-chan,” she continued. “What Alfred and Isadora first did was show us their Songbird. It was a curious being — and only one part of three.”
“One part of three?” Enrique asked. He looked down thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly reached into his bag and pulled out the memory drive. He looked at Roland. “Can you open it again?”
Roland and Tsubasa opened it together as they had before, and Enrique then tapped through to the “Songbird Restoration Project” entry, which brought up the three separate biorhythm charts. “One part of three,” Enrique murmured. “Could Songbird be divided, somehow?”
“But Songbird is one being,” Erika said. “At least, that’s how we’ve always understood it.”
“New Elysia’s Songbird is one,” Ryunosuke said. “But it is a being of three aspects. A reflection of a divine truth. Something was done to your Songbird, dividing its aspects in a way that never should have been done. Your parents carry with them one aspect, and wish to restore Songbird to its complete, undivided self.”
“But they only carry one aspect?” Erika asked. “What happened to the other two?”
“One aspect was captured by their enemies,” Setsuna said. “The third aspect, they would not speak of. They would only say, ‘It is safe.’ They were convinced of that. These biorhythms suggest otherwise — though perhaps the third aspect is physically safe, even if it is still suffering from unnatural irregularities. Their own aspect, that your parents carried with them, was also… disrupted. They sought to heal that first aspect, and with the knowledge of how that was done, to heal the second and third, and reunite Songbird to its true, complete form.”
“So… Songbird,” Tsubasa said. “What exactly is it? It’s been talked about like a computer program, but also like a living being.”
“It is… both,” Ryunosuke said. “And yet not. It is a marvel, something that even Alfred and Isadora, who knew a great deal about it and worked intimately with it in New Elysia, do not fully understand. A gift from an age before our own — a gift of Elysia.”
“That makes sense,” Enrique said. “We know now that Elysia was their home, but something happened. Whether they were forced out of Elysia as punishment, or left behind by accident when the realm was sealed away, they were given New Elysia as a new home. If Songbird was the governing body, then it must have also been gifted from Elysia.”
“But our parents…” Erika said, looking as if despair was creeping in on her. “They left us behind to draw Reunion away. And they said their mission, which they gave to us, was to deliver the wishes of the world to Elysia. Now you’re acting like their mission is to heal Songbird? And they’re doing it without us… without even telling us about it…”
“They are a pair of many secrets,” Setsuna said. “I wish we knew all the answers you seek, Erika. But I can say, with complete certainty: they love you and your brother more than life itself. What they do, even if they keep much of their plans secret, they do for your sake, and their greatest hope is to be reunited with you. Though…” she sat back, her brow creasing with worry, “that may prove more challenging than even their ambitious mission.”
“How so?” Roland asked. “Their parents… has something happened to them?”
“They are physically safe and sound,” Ryunosuke said, heading off worried outbursts from the twins. “However, in order to elude Reunion, they eventually realized they would need to make a rather bold, even desperate, gamble. They separated themselves from the physical world, to hide themselves fully and completely, able to come and go in a manner unpredictable to their pursuers.”
“Separated from the physical world?” Roland asked. “And yet you say they are safe and sound?”
“They are,” Setsuna said. She lifted her cup and held it in front of her. “You see the steam, yes? It is a symptom of the warmth the tea exudes. But what you do not see is the heat itself. You smell the aroma — but you do not see the aroma.” She lowered her cup and turned kind eyes on the twins. “Your parents have become like heat, like fragrance. They cannot be seen, except in rare instances, like when they came to speak with us. Even that visit was not entirely within their control. They departed before they had said all they had wished to say, or asked all that they had wished to ask. Their times in the physical world are limited, and come upon them at intervals that they cannot fully control. However… we discovered something interesting, something they had not realized.”
“There is a pattern to their arrivals in the physical world,” Ryunosuke said. “They have some influence over where they go — and there is a way to predict the when, as well. In other words…” He smiled.
“You know where their parents will show up next!” Tsubasa said. “And when!”
“Really?” Erika asked. “Please, tell us!”
Ryunosuke laughed. “I would not keep such an important fact as a secret,” he said. “They will be in Fujitoshi, capital of Fuyuo, in seventy-three hours.”
“You know it down to the hour?” Tsubasa asked.
“They had kept very detailed records,” Setsuna said with a smile. “A pattern swiftly emerged, for those with the wit and wisdom to find it.”
“And no one’s got keener eyes or minds than you two,” Tsubasa said, beaming. “But you said they control where they go, at least somewhat. So… why Fujitoshi?”
“They came to you two for help,” Muirrach said. “What help they sought is tied to their next destination, isn’t it?”
“Correct,” Ryunosuke said. “Tsubasa knows the tale of the Divine Dragons, and the Dragon Devas they established to govern Kisetsuryuu-En.”
“And they do, too,” Tsubasa said. “I told them the whole story way back when we first met. Oh! But Muirrach, that was before we met you.”
“I have read the tale, as well,” Muirrach said.
“Very good,” Ryunosuke said. “The Divine Dragons and the Divine Songbirds — these are one and the same. The great agents of the Creator, who sang His song over all the world in perfect harmony, before the Fracturing, established Kisetsuryuu-En, a haven governed by four great Dragons of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The Dragon Devas are not the Divine Dragons, but they are the closest in spirit of all great beings since the beginning of time. And New Elysia’s Songbird, though very, very different from the Divine Songbirds with which it shares a name, is similar in many ways, too. If one is to restore its broken, chaotic spirit, then one needs the wisdom of a Dragon.”
Tsubasa gasped. “Did they… but you…” She shook her head, collecting her thoughts. “Did you send them to meet with Fujiryuu?”
“Fujiryuu?” Erika asked.
“The Dragon Deva of Fuyuo,” Tsubasa said. “Winter’s Dragon.”
“You can meet with the Dragon Devas?” Enrique asked, eyes wide.
“There are four families,” Ryunosuke said, “one in each of the lands of Kisetsuryuu-En, that serve as mediators between the Dragon Devas and the people over which they govern. Our family, Kuraoka, is the mediator family of Fuyuo, land of eternal winter. My brother and his wife serve as the current head of the ancestral home, and so the ultimate decision lies with them — but I made a full recommendation that Alfred and Isadora be allowed an audience with Fujiryuu, and my brother agreed. When they arrive in Fujitoshi, they will be granted an audience with the Dragon Deva of Winter, who will set them on the right path to healing their Songbird.”
“They’re meeting a Dragon…” Erika said in a tiny, awed voice.
“Will we get to meet a Dragon, too?” Enrique asked.
“Perhaps,” Ryunosuke said. “You should go to Fujitoshi to meet your parents, at least. You have been apart for too long. But you won’t have to leave immediately.”
“Seventy-three hours is plenty of time,” Tsubasa said. “We can take a proper rest — finally — and head out tomorrow.”
“You look in need of good rest,” Setsuna said. “Have you been running yourselves ragged?”
“Uh…” Tsubasa said, with a little self-conscious chuckle. She looked to Roland and Muirrach, and together they told the tale of their journeys. From how Roland and the twins met, to how Tsubasa saved them, and how they met Muirrach, and then beyond that, all the way up to the present.
By the time their story was done, everyone had fresh refills of tea, and half the mochi, cakes, and apple slices were gone.
“Quite the adventure you’ve had,” Ryunosuke said. “And it is no wonder you look so tired — at least you three.” He indicated the adults of the group.
“They got to snooze on the train,” Tsubasa said, smirking at the twins.
“I was wondering,” Enrique said, “when we met our mother in Aîrchal… that really was her, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” Setsuna said, smiling. “She told us of that encounter, which had us wondering if you would arrive on our door someday, knowing you were traveling with Tsubasa.”
“We didn’t think it would be quite so soon, though,” Ryunosuke said. “I’m glad that you will be able to meet your parents again soon.”
“Seventy-three hours…” Erika said softly, staring at her lap. “Just seventy-three hours…”
“We won’t miss it,” Roland said. “It’s time you saw your parents again. And hopefully, you’ll get a chance to ask all your questions.”
“They’ve kept so many secrets,” Enrique said.
“They were quite secretive with us, too,” Ryunosuke said. “Though they told us a great deal, it was clear there was much they yet held back. It was clear, though, how much they love you, and how much they want what is best for you. When you see them, talk to them honestly and earnestly. Show them how much you need the truth. I do not think they will hold it back from you.”
“But you still have plenty of time to rest and prepare for your trip,” Setsuna said. “So please, stay with us. You are more than welcome here.”
Just as Muirrach, Roland, and the twins were thanking them, there was the sound of the front door sliding open. “Tetsuya!” Tsubasa called, putting on a bit of a grumpy tone. “It’s about time you got home! Did you guys have —!”
Her question was interrupted by swift, light pitter-pattering of paws, and then the tiniest ball of fluff leapt through the air, hit Tsubasa in the chest, and knocked her flat on her back. But Tsubasa was beaming, petting the little white fluff-ball all over as a tiny little tongue happily licked at her face, and a tiny fluffy tail wagged so fast it was a blur.
“Deku!” Tsubasa cried with joy. She lifted the tiny white dog — he was so small she could easily heft him in one open hand — and sat up, hugging him close. “I’ve missed you so much! Was Tetsuya nice to you, taking you on a million walks and playing with you all the time and letting you give him all the kisses in the world?”
“You know I don’t like dog kisses,” came a young man’s voice. Into the room strode a man who couldn’t be much older than Tsubasa, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three, with straight black hair and bright green eyes that were so much like Tsubasa’s, the resemblance was uncanny. He was tall though, where Tsubasa was very short, and had a slender build to Tsubasa’s martial artist muscularity. When he saw the guests, he straightened, and bowed respectfully at the waist. “I didn’t realize my sister had guests over. I’m Tetsuya, her younger brother.”
“Younger?” Erika asked. “But I thought she said she was the baby of the family.”
“Oh, I am,” Tsubasa said, laughing. “But since all of my brothers are older than me, that’s how it goes. Tetsuya’s my younger brother…”
“And I’m her middle brother,” said another voice, and from the hall came a young man, barely older than Tetsuya, with a stockier build, his long black hair tied up in a tight bun. He was dressed in a dark three-piece suit like that of Cyril Republic detectives. He smiled at his sister. “Welcome home, Tsubasa.”
“Satoru!” Tsubasa said, and she leapt to her feet and rushed to give her middle brother a hug.
“Where’s my hug?” Tetsuya asked, pouting. “I’m the one who’s been walking your dog…”
“And I’m her older brother,” came a third voice, and joining them was a tall young man with green eyes to match his siblings, but blonde hair — clearly dyed, judging by his dark eyebrows — that was combed to the side. He was in a blue police uniform, a captain’s badge gleaming on his chest. “Welcome home, sis.”
“Hi, Touma!” Tsubasa said, hugging her older brother.
“Feeling really left out over here,” Tetsuya said with a sigh.
“Welcome home, Tsubasa!” came a woman’s voice. “I’ve missed the house being so lively.”
Joining them now were two more people, clearly Tsubasa’s parents — a woman who looked to be in her late forties, with dark hair cut a bit shorter than shoulder-length, and longer on one side than the other, dressed in a detective-esque suit like Satoru, and a man about the same age, with a martial artist’s build beneath his three-piece business suit.
“Mama, Papa!” Tsubasa cried, and more hugs went around. It was only after she’d greeted her parents that she clapped Tetsuya on the back playfully, and then finally gave him his long-awaited hug.
“Everyone’s here,” Tsubasa said, picking up Deku, who’d been anxiously chasing her around, pawing at her to be picked up again. “Well… I’m home. And I’ve brought guests. And gifts!”
Introductions went around, with Roland learning that his suspicions about Satoru and Tsubasa’s mother — Sakuna — were correct. They were both detectives in the Gardenia police force, while Touma was a police captain, and Tsubasa’s father — Sousuke — was a prosecutor. Tetsuya was a defense attorney, and it seemed like there was some inside joke about that, but whatever it was went over Roland’s head. They were all full of smiles, warm laughter and greetings, and then…
They all got the full story from Tsubasa, Roland, Muirrach, the twins, and Tsubasa’s grandparents.
“So you’re only here for a day,” Sakuna said. They’d moved to a larger family room, where Sakuna and Sousuke knelt at the head of the dining table. “Well, we’d better make the most of it. And Tsubasa, what’s with all these gifts? You’re not some visitor dropping in unannounced — you’re our daughter. Give me the receipts.”
“No,” Tsubasa said. “You don’t pay someone for gifts! What if I just wanted to get you something nice?”
“Tsubasa,” Sakuna said, with only the slightest edge of sternness in her voice. Yet that alone proved quite effective.
“Fine,” Tsubasa said with a sigh. She pulled a crumpled receipt from her pocket and handed it over.
“You’ll need money for the rest of your quest,” Sakuna said. “I appreciate the gesture, but you don’t have a steady income, and you have so much ahead of you. There’s nothing you need to try and butter us up for — we’re always happy to have you home.”
“I know,” Tsubasa said, chastened.
“So toss that frown away,” said Sousuke. “Come on. We should get ready for dinner, and prepare the guest rooms for your friends. Care to help?”
“Gladly!” Tsubasa said.
As they all started to get up to go about separate chores, Sakuna pulled Roland and Muirrach aside. “Thank you for watching over my daughter,” she said softly.
“She’s done more for us than we have for her, I think,” Roland said. “She saved my life, and the twins’ freedom, when we first met.”
“That’s my girl,” Sakuna said, with a distant smile. “I just… you know some of her story, I presume? About her Teacher?”
“Yes,” Muirrach said. “My wife, too, joined with Zweitracht. I know well your daughter’s pain.”
“I see.” Sakuna stood at the window, looking outside, with a lovely view of the wisteria tree upon their hill. “Going back to Fujitoshi… it will be painful for her. She’s a joyous soul, but… she hurts, too. She doesn’t want to let it show. And while we have a wonderful relationship — we tell each other very nearly everything — there are still some hurts she keeps buried deeply. I know she doesn’t want to worry me. But…”
“A parent worries about their child,” Muirrach said. “There’s no avoiding that.”
Sakuna nodded. “Yes. I’m glad she has such good friends. And I know she’ll look after you. And, well… I know you’ll do the same for her. It’s silly, asking you to do what you already would on your own. I suppose, seeing her travel alone for so long… I worry she’ll still be alone, even with friends right beside her.”
“I know what you mean,” Roland said. “She’s helped me turn away from some of my own solitary inclinations. I like to think we’ve done the same for her. She’s told us so much, allowed us a look into parts of her life that are very painful. I… haven’t had many friends in my life. The ones I have beside me now… they mean the world to me. I won’t let her suffer alone.”
“Thank you,” Sakuna said. “And I’ll also do my part for you. Roland, I can make a few calls, see if we can do something about your situation. Hopefully your assets haven’t been frozen, but if they have, I might be able to change that. And you’ll be going to Fuyuo — if you think you have proper winter clothing packed, I assure you, you don’t. Not for Fujitoshi. We’ll make sure you’re all properly equipped. It’s a beautiful land — but quite a shock, for people not used to its particular kind of winter.”
That was the spirit going around, as they settled in for dinner and talked about things over a lovely meal: Tsubasa’s family had only just met Roland, Muirrach, Erika, and Enrique, but they wanted to do everything they could to help them.
And that was exactly what they needed. After the memory drive had left them with more questions than answers, after the Lighthouse had turned out to be a lie and a trap, after they’d departed Ars Moran feeling back where they’d started in regards to the twins’ parents…
They had answers they’d desperately longed for at last, and a clear direction on where to go. Tonight, they could rest in warm beds, in a lovely house with a warm, welcoming family.