The moon was full and radiant over Gardenia, transforming the wisteria tree on the hill behind Tsubasa’s home into a font of liquid starlight. Dinner was over, and most of the family had gone to bed, as well as Muirrach and the twins — but Roland was still awake, and he climbed the hill to stand beneath the tree. He wasn’t alone, either. Tsubasa was awake, and she said she had the perfect place to sit and reflect.
Despite the extraordinarily long, trying day, Roland still wasn’t tired. Then again, maybe that was part of it. He’d had moments — the ferry ride, the train ride — to consider his colleagues at the Tower and their actions, but he still felt a strange distance from it all. Like it hadn’t sunk in yet… and he wished it would. He could feel it, like a distant dread. When the real emotional weight of what had happened finally hit him, would he be crushed beneath its force?
Thankfully, their departure from Ars Moran had led to a very swift turn of their fortunes. Where their hopes had been crushed at the Tower with the lies about the Lighthouse, Tsubasa’s grandparents had provided them a very promising lead on the twins’ parents.
But the answers raised so many more questions. Songbird, the governing body of New Elysia, was a creature that was both living being and computer program, something of Elysia, beyond any technology or wonders of the present day. Songbird had been separated into three aspects, one of which the twins’ parents, Alfred and Isadora, possessed. They sought to heal that aspect, but for that, they needed an audience with Winter’s Dragon in Fujitoshi, capital of Fuyuo.
And Alfred and Isadora themselves were separated from the physical realm, a desperate gamble to evade their pursuers and safeguard their aspect of Songbird. They could still come to the physical realm — but only for limited times, and their arrivals and departures were outside of their control.
Our first step is to meet with Alfred and Isadora. We need to see them, face-to-face, and ask them our questions directly. Hopefully we can even help them with their Songbird Restoration Project. That could help us understand the situation better than we ever could by being told the facts.
Up on the hill, he and Tsubasa sat beneath the flowering tree, with a great view of the entire neighborhood before them. “How do you like them?” Tsubasa asked.
“Your family’s wonderful,” Roland said, smiling. “So welcoming, without an ounce of suspicion.”
“What, you think a family of cops, detectives, and lawyers would be suspicious?” Tsubasa asked. She laughed, and Roland laughed with her.
“They trust your judgment,” Roland said. “You’ve been blessed with a truly wonderful family.”
“Mm,” Tsubasa murmured. There was a long silence, and Roland looked at her. She was sitting back, gazing up through the flowering branches at the full moon. Slowly, she spoke again. “I’ve met so many immigrants and immigrant families in other lands, who came from other places than ours. They all have similar stories — leaving their home, where they belonged, because of economic crisis, or impending conflict. Or departing as refugees due to war, or oppression, or natural disaster.”
Her voice was soft, full of longing. “My family… this community,” she gestured at the neighborhood, with its mixture of conventional brick houses and Fuyuo-style wooden houses like Tsubasa’s, “isn’t like that at all. They all left Kisetsuryuu-En just… because. And my family in Fujitoshi, cousins and aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews… they’re all so loving and welcoming to me, too. I have a cousin, she’s the same age as me — a painter, musician, poet, actress, the whole artistic package. We’re best friends, we have so much fun together. She… doesn’t speak standard Albian. Most of that side of the family doesn’t. I’m fluent in standard Albian, but also in Kisetsugo. Raised bilingual from birth. A child of two worlds… which is… weird.” She hugged her knees up to her chest, and rested her chin on her arms. “I was born here. My brothers were born here, my parents were born here, all of us in Gardenia. But I was raised as if I was born in both worlds. I didn’t even see Fuyuo until I was five years old. When I went to Fujitoshi for the first time, it was so amazing, so wondrous, so new. And I was told it was ‘home’ — our ancestral home.”
She let out a heavy sigh. “Home,” she said, loading that one word with so much complicated meaning. “I loved Fujitoshi, but it did feel… I don’t know. It wasn’t ‘home,’ not really. It wasn’t where my bedroom was, it didn’t have all the places I knew and loved, all those familiar pieces of where I’d been born and raised. But a funny thing happened when we came back to Gardenia, after being in Fujitoshi for a few weeks. Gardenia… didn’t feel as familiar as when I’d left. It felt… foreign, too, in a way. But Fujitoshi still did, too. I kept visiting Fujitoshi, every year, and… there was always that distance. I was welcomed in both cities, in both worlds, by both families. Loved in both cities, in both worlds, by both families. But I started feeling… adrift. A ship without an anchor, out in an endless ocean, with no lighthouse to guide it home, no north star to point the way.” She shook her head. “It sounds so… nonsense. Two families who love you, Tsubasa, two worlds that accept and welcome you. There are so many people whose own parents don’t even love them, or who are orphaned, or homeless, what the heck are you complaining about?” She looked aside at Roland. “You’re an orphan. You never had all this love I have, you never had a place to really call home. And here I am complaining. It feels so stupid. I wish… I didn’t feel this way. I wish I knew what I was supposed to feel.”
Roland wished he knew what to say. He was seeing so much of himself in her own conflict. He’d been an orphan, had never known his parents, and no, he’d never had a single place where he was born and raised, never had that anchoring element of a stable home. But he’d never been unhappy. Not truly. He’d felt adrift, like Tsubasa, but he’d never fallen into the despair, anger, bitterness, and distrust that he saw so many of his fellow orphans fall into. And that had made him a bit of an outcast from his peers at the orphanage…
But he’d met Alystair. And Alystair had taken him under his wing, and Eilidh had welcomed him into her home. Roland had love in his life, and welcoming parental figures who cared for him as if he was their own child. And they’d helped him find wondrous purpose in training as a Summoner, in helping him apply to and get accepted to the Academy Canticum Crystallus.
He opened his mouth to speak, to express his empathy with Tsubasa. But she spoke first. “I’m not just fluent in both languages,” she said. “I have a perfect accent, in both. I could fit in as a native of either land, of either home. I mean, I look like a native of Fuyuo more than Gardenia, but we have so many children of immigrants here that I don’t stand out here, either. You’d think I’d have this whole giant world open to me, to be so blessed to belong in two worlds, with two families, in two homes. But somehow I’m left not knowing who I am, where I belong. It’s…” she shook her head, and whispered softly, “wakaranai.”
“I think it’s good that you’re thinking deeply about all of this,” Roland said. “Home is… not always such a simple thing. To know where you belong… for some people, it’s a given. There’s no question. There’s that anchor, that stability, their entire lives. But for others, it’s a journey. I’m still on that journey, so I don’t have the answers I wish I could give you. But I’ll gladly walk the journey with you.”
Tsubasa smiled. “I’m really glad to have a friend like you,” she said. “Right from the start, we were kindred spirits. Both fond of ruins and history, of crystals and music… you’re a martial artist, too, even if you’re too humble about your skills.” She smirked at him, and Roland tensed for a sudden attack — but she didn’t “test his reflexes.” “So… I’m glad to be walking this journey with you. Maybe ‘home,’ right now, is on the road. Looking after the twins, completing the Path of the Eight, going to Elysia… yeah.” She pushed herself to her feet, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I’ve got no time to be worrying about where I belong, not yet. We’re going to Elysia! After that… well. The world could be a totally different place when we’re done. I… shouldn’t keep worrying. I’m sure I will, still. But I’ll try my best.” She held out a hand to Roland, and he let her pull him to his feet.
“It’s all right to carry these burdens,” Roland said. “Your smile lifts everyone’s spirits. But you don’t have to fake it, if the burden feels too heavy. When that time comes, count on us to lift your spirits.”
Tsubasa smiled. “Yeah. Erika’s got the sweetest smile in the world. If I can protect that smile… yeah. That’ll lift my spirits, no doubt about that. Well? Ready to try and get some sleep?”
“That seems like a good —” Roland started, then his heart leaped into his throat as he stepped back, arms coming up in a swift block to Tsubasa’s sudden punch.
She beamed at him. “Yup,” she said. “You’re way too humble about your skills.”
“Don’t do that to me!” Roland cried, heart hammering in his chest. “I don’t need that kind of stress!”
“You’re fine,” Tsubasa said, clapping him on the back. “Gotta be ready for anything, what with Zweitracht and Reunion both trying to stop us.”
“I’d prefer a bit more warning, when the attack comes from you,” Roland said.
Tsubasa chuckled. “No promises,” she said. Roland sighed, but there was no winning this argument. So he followed her back to the house, and headed to his guest room. When he finally did lie down, sleep came quickly, deep and dreamless.
In the morning, over a lovely — and lively, with a dining table shared by twelve people — breakfast, they discussed the plans for the day. Tsubasa’s mother, Sakuna, and her father, Sousuke, were going to make some calls and see if they could get Roland access to his bank account. Tsubasa’s brothers were going to take Roland’s group shopping for winter clothing and anything else they might need for their trip to Fuyuo. Ryunosuke and Setsuna, meanwhile, would be putting together a letter of introduction for Roland and company to Ryunosuke’s brother, which should get them an introduction to Winter’s Dragon, too. Along with that, they were going to procure tickets for the trip, and provide a map marking various doors to Wonderia in and around Fujitoshi.
“But Grand-da, I already know where the door is in the ancestral home,” Tsubasa said.
“Anything could happen,” Ryunosuke said, “and your journey can — as you’ve seen for yourselves — take many twists and turns. It is never a bad thing to be prepared.”
“Fair enough,” Tsubasa said.
And after breakfast, they were off, everyone to their tasks. Roland was glad for a chance to see more of the city — they walked to the shopping district, rather than driving or taking a cab or bus, and it was a lovely morning for it. And the twins were especially happy for the walk, because it meant they could take along a very lively companion: Deku, Tsubasa’s tiny, beloved dog. He trotted along beside Tsubasa without a leash, and whenever he wandered, all it took was a simple command, and he darted right back to Tsubasa’s side. But she did give him a lot of leeway most of the time, allowing him to stop and sniff the roses — and the trees, and the shrubs, and random blades of grass, and fire hydrants, and lamp posts… — and he was quite happy to gambol about, running circles around the group, and often darting to and away from Erika, responding to her joyous enthusiasm.
“You’re sure you shouldn’t put him on a leash?” Enrique asked, watching Deku with amusement and endearment, but a bit of concern, too.
“Don’t you worry,” Tsubasa said. “He’s the best-trained dog in the realm. Deku, sit.” And Deku dropped into a sit without a moment’s hesitation. The group kept walking, and Deku kept sitting, even as his owner got farther and farther away. Finally, Tsubasa called, “Come!” and Deku came running as fast as he could, right to her side, where he fell in step with her, matching her pace, panting from the sprint and gazing up at her adoringly. Tsubasa praised him and pulled a tiny treat from a pouch on her belt, which he happily accepted.
“Tsubasa was a wonder with him,” Satoru said, beaming with pride. “She was only ten when she got him, and Mom and Dad both put the full responsibility for him on her. She was going to take him to classes, but it overlapped with her school club activities, so she bought a ton of books on dog training and dedicated herself to making him the best dog in the world. Although she did think he was going to grow a bit more than he did.”
“The breeder said he’d grow to be twenty pounds!” Tsubasa said, and there was a little bit of childish disappointment in her voice. “He didn’t grow past five. But it’s not so bad. Check this out.” She reached down, scooped Deku up in one hand, and deposited him into one of the big pockets of her jacket. Deku disappeared completely into the pocket for a moment, before popping his head out and resting his front paws on the edge of the pocket, watching the world go by. “See? A pocket pooka!”
“That’s why he gets to go everywhere,” Tetsuya said. “The store, the library, sporting events, court proceedings, the police station…”
“She even took him to school most days after he was fully potty-trained,” Touma said with a chuckle. “The first time one of her teachers noticed, she nearly got detention. But you talked yourself out of that somehow.”
“That’s just how charming your baby sister can be,” Tsubasa said, batting her eyelashes.
“Best of all, we can smuggle him in to the theater,” Satoru said, grinning.
Tsubasa pouted. “Yeah, and you took him to ‘Great Feline Adventures’ before I’d even seen it!” she said. “But I finally did see it, thanks to my wonderful new friends.”
“Isn’t it amazing?” Satoru asked.
“For some reason, I don’t feel like discussing it with you,” Tsubasa said, pointedly not looking at him. Satoru just laughed.
They walked several blocks — after a few, Tsubasa let Deku out of her pocket, and he went back to happily sniffing everything he could see — before turning out of their neighborhood and into a sprawling shopping district. The centerpiece of this district was a huge fountain surrounded by beautiful flower gardens, and each of the cardinal directions from the fountain led to different types of shopping. To the north were cafés and local eateries, to the west music and bookshops, to the east fashion, and to the south furniture and appliances. Their group went east, to a dense, colorful avenue of clothing stores of all sorts. There were brands that Roland recognized — the famed, luxury fashion chain Cher du Mont, and the hip, youthful brand Pinned — but most of the stores were local brands he’d never heard of before.
“This is the perfect time to prep for a Fuyuo trip,” Satoru said. “We’re just out of our winter season here, so there are tons of great deals going around. Let’s stop in here, first.”
The shop was called “Mabry’s Multitudes,” and had a flashy, bright storefront that led into a much more spacious interior than the entrance suggested. It truly was a multitude of options, Roland saw, with clear organization of men’s, women’s, and children’s attire stretching far, far back, farther than Roland could see.
“Boots are the most essential for Fuyuo winters,” Satoru said. “But we’ll get those elsewhere. When it comes to great clothing, you can’t go wrong with Mabry’s. Let’s get you two settled first, shall we?” He smiled at the twins, and Erika smiled back, while Enrique gave a curt nod. He wasn’t quick to warm up to strangers, even if they were Tsubasa’s brothers.
They headed to the children’s section, and Roland kept struggling not to laugh at the sight of Deku riding in Tsubasa’s pocket, head swiveling back and forth to check everything out, his tiny little front paws resting on the edge of the pocket.
Satoru and Tsubasa launched into conversation with Erika and Enrique, discussing what they could expect from Fujitoshi’s climate. Touma and Tetsuya chimed in, too, and Erika started eagerly expressing her interests, while Enrique remained more reserved.
And as that conversation went on, Roland and Muirrach looked at each other and nodded in understanding. The twins were in excellent hands. So the two of them strolled to the men’s section, and after a bit of browsing, found a huge winter selection, all items marked down to less than half their usual price.
A sales clerk came over and started asking Muirrach questions about what he was looking for, but he assured her he was fine and could cope on his own. She took the refusal in stride, and went off to check on other customers, but Roland could understand why she’d singled him out. Wonderia’s frogkin made their homes in warm, moist climates. For one to be sizing up winter clothing suggested a journey to harshly different climes than he was used to, and he might perhaps not know what to look for. She might even have been worried that Muirrach was preparing to travel somewhere that would be too harsh for his biological needs.
Roland could understand her concerns. He’d seen how easily Muirrach got cold in Aîrchal and at Thadheine. But he’d also traveled to the harshest cold-weather region in the realms: the frozen city of Geimhreadh, in the most northern part of Northern Wonderia, with another frogkin: Alystair. He’d worried about Alystair then, but his Teacher had assuaged his fears.
“I certainly don’t like being cold,” Alystair had told him. “And I get cold more easily than others, just like the rest of my kin. But we’re warm-blooded, too. A few extra layers, and I’ll be able to withstand the cold just as well as you. I’m certain to be a fair bit grumpier than you, though. Do try not to take it personally.”
So Roland tried not to worry about Muirrach. Doubtless he knew what he was doing, too — though he wondered about Muirrach’s missing arm. He’d heard that phantom pain of missing limbs could get worse in colder climates. And clothing was rarely made specifically for people missing limbs.
“What is it?” Muirrach asked, noticing Roland watching him.
“Sorry,” Roland said. And, after a moment’s hesitation, he shared his concerns about Muirrach’s needs.
“I’ve coped with the cold in the past by wrapping a scarf around my torso, covering over my right arm — such as it is,” Muirrach said. “With a thermal undershirt under that, and a good sweater and coat over it, I’ll be all right.”
“Have you been to wintry places before?” Roland asked.
Muirrach smiled, but there was something wistful in it. “Eilidh and I took our honeymoon in Geimhreadh, as odd as that might sound. Bitter cold though it was, I’ve never seen a land more beautiful. And, well… we had a great deal of fun sledding, if you’re curious.”
Roland stared, the mental image of Muirrach and Eilidh, happily sledding down a snowy slope, laughing together, clear in his mind’s eye. And though there was something strange and amusing about it, what he felt most was a profound sorrow.
“Ah, this’ll do nicely,” Muirrach said, pulling a long burgundy coat from the rack. “I was hoping I wouldn’t be too tall for their selections, but it seems they’re used to serving a variety of peoples, not just humans.”
We all carry our own pains. But we don’t stop living our lives. And even when great sorrow weighs on our hearts — there is still joy in the world, and simple pleasures.
“What do you think of this?” Roland asked, picking out a coat for himself.
And so the shopping journey went, with Tsubasa and her brothers getting Erika and Enrique settled, and Roland and Muirrach finding their own winter outfits. Sweaters, coats, hats, earmuffs, gloves and mittens (Erika loved mittens, while Enrique, Roland, and Muirrach opted for gloves), scarves (several extra for Muirrach), thermal undershirts, thick pants as well as water-repellant and heat-retaining snowpants to go over them…
They were just missing boots.
Touma paid for all of their clothes, refusing to allow Tsubasa or her friends pay for anything. “Roland might not have any money at all for the foreseeable future,” Touma said to Tsubasa, “and you don’t have a consistent income. Save your money for when you’re on the road, and let us help you while we can.”
Roland and company thanked Tsubasa’s brothers profusely, and then they headed outside, just across the street to a shoe shop, for a much shorter and simpler shopping trip. All they had to do was find boots that fit — and, once again, it was clear that Gardenia’s clientele wasn’t limited to humans. Even Muirrach could find boots that fit his large, webbed feet, and as odd as it was to see him try on socks and boots when he’d been traveling thus far through all sorts of climates in his bare feet, Roland knew that protecting one’s extremities was particularly important when it got colder.
“You’re not buying anything, Tsubasa?” Erika asked as they left the shop with bags of boots to add to their bags of clothes.
“I’ve already got winter clothes at home,” Tsubasa said as she pulled Deku from her pocket and let him back onto the street. He wagged his tail, and Tsubasa gave him a treat, and then they were on their way. “Plus, I don’t really need anything. It won’t be real winter in Fujitoshi for another two months.”
“You have to at least cover up your stomach!” Erika said. “And your legs, too! You’ll catch a cold!”
Touma burst out laughing. “Tsubasa hasn’t been sick her whole life,” he said. “At least, not from cold weather. She handles the cold better than anyone. You’d think she was born in the snow.”
“I’ll wear gloves, at least,” Tsubasa said, rolling her eyes. “And switch over to warmer boots. My fingers and toes get cold sometimes.”
“Just your fingers and toes?” Erika asked. “What about your nose? Your ears? Wear a hat and a scarf, too!”
“What’re you, my mama?” Tsubasa asked, laughing.
“Speaking of which,” Satoru said, “you know Mom’ll try to make you wear long pants and a long shirt.”
Tsubasa groaned. “Can’t a girl embrace the cold?”
When they got back to Tsubasa’s house, they learned the answer to that question, as Sakuna set upon Tsubasa, constantly insisting that she pack long pants and a long shirt, if nothing else. “You aren’t invincible, Tsubasa,” she said. “No one is. I know they haven’t hit their coldest months yet, but you know how volatile the weather can be.”
So Tsubasa was full of heavy sighs and eye rolls as she packed winter clothing. Once that was settled, Sakuna and Sousuke delivered an update to Roland.
“We couldn’t get the bank to budge on your account,” Sakuna said. “I tried to call in a few favors, and Sousuke’s working a legal avenue, but if we succeed, it’ll be after you’ve left.”
“I appreciate the attempt,” Roland said. “I was already resigning myself to have to start over from scratch. Thank you for trying. You’ve done so much for us already, and you haven’t even known us a full day.”
“You’re friends of Tsubasa’s,” Sousuke said with a smile that was so like his daughter’s, full of bright, sunny warmth. “And the stories of your adventures speak for themselves. We may have only just met, but it feels like I’ve known you for ages.”
“We’ll keep our eyes open for reports about Reunion and Zweitracht,” Sakuna said. A darkness touched her expression. “Zweitracht has… taken so much from Tsubasa. I know it’s selfish of me to ask anything of you after all you’ve done so far, but please — if you do encounter Tsubasa’s Teacher, don’t leave her to face him alone. She thinks it’s her own battle to fight. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”
“We’ll look out for her,” Roland said. “And she’ll look out for us. Your daughter’s incredible.”
“She is,” Sousuke said, beaming.
They had lunch together, and then it was time they were off. They didn’t change into their winter clothes — they’d do that on the ship, when they got closer to Fuyuo and its frigid winter weather. At the front door, Tsubasa held Deku close to her face, letting him give her kisses all over.
“You be good to Tetsuya, okay?” she asked, tears brimming in her eyes. “Give him all the kisses, even though he doesn’t like them. Somebody’s gotta let you give ‘em kisses, and he’s your buddy when I’m not home.”
“Don’t worry, I let him kiss me all he wants,” Tetsuya said with a resigned smirk. “I’ll take good care of him.”
“Of course you will,” Tsubasa said. “You wouldn’t dare risking your baby sister’s wrath.”
Tetsuya chuckled. “Yup, you’re terrifying,” he said, without a hint of fear.
“Promise you’ll actually dress for the weather,” Sakuna said, giving Tsubasa a stern stare.
Tsubasa looked like it took all her effort to resist sighing. “I promise,” she said. “And you promise not to cry when I’m gone. I’ll be back.”
“I don’t cry when you’re gone,” Sakuna said. “I save my tears for when you come back, and we’re reunited.”
“Mama…” Tsubasa said. The tears in her eyes looked ready to spill over.
“Best get to the ship,” Setsuna said, and she and Ryunosuke came forward to grasp their granddaughter’s hands warmly. “Be well, Tsubasa-chan. Our love and prayers go with you.”
“Ganbatta-ne,” Ryunosuke said. He gave Tsubasa the letter of recommendation he’d made for her and her party. “Find Alfred and Isadora, meet Winter’s Dragon with them, and see things to right.”
Tsubasa nodded, swallowing once.
“Well,” Touma said, smiling. “Saying goodbye when we’ve only just said hello isn’t exactly what we had in mind for your next return home. But we’ll look forward to you coming home again. And until then…” He led the way, and his brothers and their parents joined Tsubasa’s grandparents. They all wrapped Tsubasa up in a warm, joyous group hug, each of them wishing her well. Tsubasa handed Deku over to Tetsuya, hoisted her bag, and nodded. She gave a farewell in Kisetsugo, and her family responded in kind.
And then… they left. Tsubasa led the way at a brisk pace, down the front walk and then turning down the lane. Roland and Muirrach were all right keeping pace with her, but the twins struggled to keep up. It was only when they turned onto the next street that Tsubasa slowed, and then stopped, bowing her head. She let out a soft sigh, shook her head, and looked at her friends with a smile. “No tears,” she said, blinking rapidly. “It’s okay. I’ll be home again. And I know… I know their love goes with me.”
“You’re surrounded by love, everywhere you go,” Erika said, beaming. “I’m so happy I got to meet your family. We’ll come back, all of us, again. And we’ll stay longer, next time!”
Tsubasa nodded. “I’d like that,” she said.
They headed on down the lane, making several more turns, passing into a bustling business district. Ahead loomed a grand, multi-floor station, built in an ornate New-gothic style, an elaborate stonework inspired by the Leucen Kingdom’s great cathedrals and manors, with sweeping, soaring accents inspired by the Cyril Republic’s love of great birds of prey as symbols of freedom and independence. What made the group stop, and the twins especially gaze up in awe, wasn’t the marvelous stonework of the station, though, no.
It was what they saw floating above the station, slowly descending. A massive oblong balloon, flying numerous colored pennants, with wide canvas wings stretching out from either side, and great propellers installed on them and at the back of a luxurious carriage of wood, metal, and glass, big enough for hundreds of passengers.
“An… airship?” Enrique asked, gaping, his eyes sparkling in wonderment. “Are we going to fly?”
Tsubasa grinned. “Sure are!” she said. “Take a good look — and then get ready to board. We’re riding the clouds, all the way to Fujitoshi.”