We entered Town Square and what I saw was complete pandemonium. I suspected the entire Community who was a Twelve and older was there. Everyone was milling around and some were even yelling at the Chief Elder.

She saw Giver, and said, "Receiver, do something! Make them be quiet!"

He looked at the crowd, and said, "I think we should let them speak, Marilyn."

I looked in shock at Giver. No one, and I mean NO ONE, calls the Chief Elder by her given name.

She sighed, and said, "Fine." She pointed at the loudest in the crowd. "You. Speak."

I realized who she was pointing to. His name was Mack, a male in my class. He was #50 in the Ceremony, the youngest child in our age group. This may have resulted in his flightiness and the fact that he doesn't think before he does something. Eventually, he straightened out, and he was chosen to be an Instructor.

Anyway, Mack yelled at the Chief Elder, "What is going on? At times that are most inconvenient, while I am trying to WORK, I have images in my mind of suffering and torment! I want them to stop!"

Another one, a man named Tim yelled to the Giver, "Why should we even go back to the old ways? According to the memories, everyone in the old time is cruel and relentless!"

That set everyone off again. My heart dropped when in the crowd that was screaming was my mother, father, and friends, Asher and Fiona.

Giver yelled, "SILENCE!"

Everyone stopped talking.

"According to Timothy, everyone thinks that the old way is the worst way, am I correct?"

Everyone nodded.

"I have proof against it, though. Would you like me to show you?"

Again, everyone nodded.

He said, "Koyuki, step forward."

She gently handed me Gabe, walked onto the stage, and she turned to Giver.

He said, "Extend your arms."

She did this.

"Now close your eyes and draw the memory back."

She winced, and I realized what she was giving.

Suddenly, I was Koyuki. She was much younger in the memory than she is now, perhaps a Six or Seven. She heard a voice. "Hey, you disgusting brat! Get in here!"

I realized the voice of this is Koyuki's father.

She gently walked into the room, and the man grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. His breath reeked of alcohol.

"Well, you maggot, you know that that child protection place is looking for you."

She nodded. "Mmhm."

"Well, we want to get rid of you. You're just a resource-sucking worm. Right?"

She gently nodded.

"But your mother and I don't want to go to jail. So..." He picked up something that I realized was a gun. "Say goodbye, kid." Then he open fired.

Koyuki ran, but not before she stumbled. An unbearable pain swept through her leg. Right before her father was going to get her, she made it out the door. She ran as fast as she could out the house, and through the streets, eventually making it to the woods. There, she got on her knees, clasped her hands together, and started praying, "Dear God, make me a bird so I can far, far away from here. Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far, far away from here."

She kept praying until she fell asleep. But then she was woken up by an elderly woman's voice saying, "Poor dear. She bleeding."

Her eyes popped open. "Wh-who're you?"

She saw there were not just one woman, but three. All were in kimonos. The woman who was talking to her, the one in a red kimono, said, "Oh! I didn't mean to wake you. I am Yamamoto Shinju. These are my sisters, Emiko and Kanon. What's your name, little girl?"

Koyuki looked around them, and said, "Dunno. Mama and Papa never named me." Shock shot across her face. "Please don't make me go back! Papa'll shoot me if he sees me again!"

Shinju's eyes widened. She turned to Emiko, the one in the blue kimono, and Kanon, the one in the green kimono, and the three sisters started whispering. Koyuki caught wisps of phrases.

"...shot at his own daughter!..."

"...can't...growing too numerous..."

"...innocent child..."

"...teach her the ways of the ninja..."

"...become a valuable part of the village..."

Shinju eventually turned, and said, "I'll make you a deal. You can come to where we're from. You don't have to go back. Is that okay with you?"

Koyuki smiled, and said, "That sounds very good, arigato!"

Shinju gave Koyuki a wider smile, and said, "Well, that's wonderful! Come, now, child! It's almost dark!"

Then the memory ended.

Everyone was staring at Koyuki in shock, especially the ones from Pekopon.

Then, the Giver said, "Well, if Timothy is correct, if everyone in the old ways are cruel, then why did those kind women take this young lady back to their village, away from her dangerous father? If three people can be kind, why not everyone? We should go back!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Giver turned to the rest of them, and said, "I have just one memory left to give." He turned to us. "Aiko. Come."

Aiko didn't want to go, but Tomoyo urged her on with an encouraging smile, so when she went in front of Giver, her head was straight and proud.

Everyone gasped when they realized who she was. Was this the Released twin, who was taken by Zeroro?

Giver smiled, and transmitted the memory into her. She smiled, and she turned to the crowd. Then she began to sing,

Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood

Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayers so often prove in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away

Yet now I'm standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fears
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way straight through the rain
A small but still resilient voice
Says hope is very near

There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles, you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe.

For a moment, all was silent. Then, they slowly, one by one, began clapping. The volume, when it was at its highest, was almost ear-splitting.

Aiko smiled. She waved, clearly unsure what to do.

Giver then stepped in. He placed both his hands on Aiko's shoulders. "If a child, in your eyes, that deserved to be Released before she even had a chance at life, can do such wonders at such a young age, well I say, why are we Releasing them in the first place?"

Everyone started mumbling, "Yes," and "He's right," and "He's got a point you know."

"If this child was Released, we would never have heard her beautiful voice!"

Everyone nodded, saying in unison, "Yes, Receiver."

"So, from now on," he said, "I am not forcing you to do so, but I would be most happy if you did. From now on, I would like you to look at Zeroro as not a monster that should be Released, but a man who should be admired. He saw the beauty of this child when none did. He saved her life. For that, we are grateful!"

Everyone started clapping at the end of Giver's sentence.

I looked back. Keroro and Tamama both pushed Zeroro next to Giver. Everybody clapped louder than ever when they saw him.

In the end, even I was cheering. Tears streamed down my face, and for the first time, I was not the only one in the Community who did. I saw Fiona was crying, and my mother, and a few others.

I looked down at Gabe. I expected him to cry at the sound of all this noise, but he was laughing and clapping. I smiled, and placed him on my shoulders.

The Community was healed. All was right.