As they arrived in Hamelin, Marcassin made a suggestion.
"I've got a proposition. How about some of you go to Motorville and find Alicia's piece while the rest of us stay here and look for my father's piece?" Oliver nodded.
"That sounds like a good plan. Who's going and who's staying?" Harmony stepped up.
"How about Marcassin, Swaine, Esther, and I stay here and Oliver, Aaliyah, and Drippy go on ahead to Motorville? The four of us know the Porcine Palace best, which is most likely where his piece of the map is, plus it would be easier with not so many invisible people around. And Oliver, Alicia was your mother. If anyone would know where she would hide something this important, it would be you." Oliver nodded.
"Alright. We'll meet back here after we've find them?" The others nodded. "Then let's get going!" Oliver then cast Gateway, and he, Aaliyah, and Drippy walked through. When they reappeared in Motorville, they didn't waste any time in running to Oliver's house. When they got inside, they found only Melody home. She was sitting at the kitchen table, looking through a magazine.
"Melody?" Oliver said quietly. Melody looked up from the magazine, her eyes wide.
"Oliver!" She exclaimed, standing up and coming over to him, giving him a hug. "Where have you been? I've been so worried!" Oliver hugged her back.
"I'm sorry, Melody. I was in Ni No Kuni, trying to help my friends." She smiled and hugged him again. Aaliyah stood there, smiling a little awkwardly. Drippy had already disappeared upstairs.
"I'm just glad you're okay! Grant and Sam have been begging me to call the police to find you, but I knew that you were okay. Nothing bad can happen to my Ollie!" Oliver laughed. "That, and I was sure that when you did come back it would just end up being a waste of money on a detective." Oliver laughed even harder, and Aaliyah had to hold back giggles. That was when he remembered they were there and that Melody could see Aaliyah.
"Oh! This is my friend Aaliyah! We're here to find something." He told Melody, pulling away.
"Very nice to meet you Aaliyah. And what are you looking for, Oliver?"
"Something that was very important to my mom. A torn slip of paper, like a piece of a map." he told her. Aaliyah explained what was happening, and Melody tapped her chin.
"Hm, a torn piece of a map…" She wondered out loud. Then she snapped her fingers. "I might know where it is!" Then she went upstairs, Oliver following. But Aaliyah looked at the magazine that Melody had been reading. It was a magazine of wedding rings! Was Melody thinking about getting married?
"Hello? Is anyone home?" came a voice from the front door. Aaliyah went in the front room, where she saw Grant coming in. He looked surprised to see her.
"Oh! Hello! Aren't you the little girl who lives next door?" She nodded, smoothing down her skirt a little.
"Yes, hi. I'm Aaliyah."
"Grant." Then he looked around. "Do you know if Melody is home?" Aaliyah nodded.
"Yes, she's upstairs with Oliver and…" She caught herself, remembering what Oliver had told her. The people from this world wouldn't be able to see Drippy. Luckily for her, Grant seemed distracted and didn't question anything.
"I'll have to be quick." Then he ran into the kitchen and dug around under the sink until he pulled out a navy blue suit jacket. Aaliyah followed him, confused.
"I'm sorry, but why do you have to be quick?" He glanced at the stairs, then gestured for her to come over. She did, and he pulled out a small black box from his pocket. Aaliyah gasped. "You're going to propose to Melody?" She asked in a hushed whisper. He nodded, him grinning from ear to ear.
"Yes. I've been planning it for a while, but I've only now been able to buy the ring. It cost so much, but love is priceless." Aaliyah smiled.
"Do you feel ready for it?" He nodded.
"Young lady, I've felt ready to marry Melody since the day I realised I loved her. And that was a few years ago." Aaliyah laughed a little, then they heard Oliver's voice call down.
"Aaliyah! What are you doing down there?" Grant's eyes went wide and he began to panic.
"Don't tell them I'm home! I want to wait for Sam! He'll be home in a few minutes!" Aaliyah nodded.
"Go hide out in the backyard and get all dressed up! I'll distract them until Sam gets home!" Grant nodded, then grabbed the rest of his suit, then dashed outside. Aaliyah ran upstairs to where Melody, Oliver, and Drippy were in Melody and Grant's room. They gave her a strange look.
"What were you doing down there?" Melody asked her. Aaliyah just shrugged.
"I was just… looking at that magazine on the table. It looked interesting." Melody furrowed her eyebrows, then glanced at the clock, and sighed.
"I don't understand it. If Grant were home, he'd have come up here."
"Maybe he's late." Oliver told her, and she sighed again.
"Maybe." Then she went back to digging in the closet, until she pulled out a white cloak. "Here it is! I'm assuming this was your mother's, Oliver. It was in a hidden floorboard in the closet. I was seeing what might fit me, and I found it. With this in it's pocket." She reached into the pocket and pulled out a torn slip of paper. Oliver went over took it from her, and noticed how it smelled a little like his mother. Not like her perfume or anything, just that familiar scent that was just her. He carefully folded the piece and put it in his pocket.
"Thanks, Melody." She waved it away.
"Don't thank me! Thank your mother for being my size!" They all laughed, then they heard the front door open.
"Mel! Grant! Look alive! I'm home!" They all laughed again and the four of them went downstairs. Sam looked surprised to see Oliver and Aaliyah.
"Oliver! Where have you been?" He demanded. Oliver looked at Aaliyah. He wouldn't believe that he was in Ni No Kuni. Luckily, Melody was the soulmate of his sister.
"He's fine and safe. Why does it matter where he was?" Then she peeked through the curtains. "Where is Grant? It's not like him to be late." Sam shrugged and went into the kitchen. "Uh, Mel? You might want to see this." Melody went into the kitchen, followed by Oliver, Aaliyah, and Drippy, and gasped. Grant was standing next to a set table with candles and some of the nice dishes that they rarely used. He also had on his suit, and one of his hands were behind his back.
"Hey Melody." he said, smiling at her. Melody's eyes were wide.
"Grant… What's all this?" She asked. He came up to her, and knelt down.
"Well, Mel, I've known you since I was a child and you were just a bit younger. We've been together for a few years, and I thought that it was time I asked." He pulled out the box and she gasped. Aaliyah held back her giggles and Oliver looked as shocked as Melody. Sam just poured himself a drink, trying to calm his own shaken nerves. Drippy was chuckling a little, his arms crossed.
"What's happening?" Melody asked. Grant opened the box and there sat a diamond ring!
"Melody, sweet, sweet Melody Song, I got this for you because I knew that this was your birthstone, and I wanted to use it to show you just how much I love you. Will you marry me?" She burst out laughing, tears streaming down her face.
"Yes! Yes I will!" She exclaimed, diving into him, giving him a huge embrace and a kiss. Sam cheered, Oliver and Aaliyah high fived, and Drippy chuckled some more.
"Proper tidy, mun!"
That night, Oliver and Aaliyah stayed for dinner, slipping some food to Drippy. But as soon as they could, they left a note on the front door saying that they were going back to Ni No Kuni. When they arrived back in the Porcine Palace, they could feel something was in the air.
"Oooooiii!" Drippy called through the halls. "Anybody home?" That was when Harmony flew over their heads on her staff.
"Swaine, did you find her!?" She called.
"No! You don't think she left, do you?" He called back.
"She wouldn't go anywhere without telling us!" Marcassin told them, running into the room.
"Marcassin! What's going on?" Oliver stopped him.
"We can't find Esther."
(Uh oh...)