Saga was exhausting himself and he knew it. It was difficult to remember to take care of himself these days since he was so preoccupied, but he had to maintain his strength in order to keep going. He certainly tried, though he wasn't very successful. Whenever he slept it was fitful and not for long. He was far too anxious to get a proper night's rest. This directly impacted everything he did. He was less efficient, less capable when it came to hunting, expending more energy than usual and sometimes failing to catch enough. The fact that these waters were unfamiliar to him already made it difficult, but his slowed reflexes made things worse. He traveled slower and for shorter periods of time as he needed to stop to rest regularly. He had started to draw and write in his journal to try to make a map of some kind, just so he didn't have to retrace his steps, but he found himself forgetting to do so more often than he would've liked due to his fogged mind. He was sure he looked like hell. He could feel his ribs a little more easily than he'd like to.

I'm going to kill Ritsu for making me run around like this, Saga thought with a huff, staring up at the night sky during another night of failed slumber. I'm going to kill him then I'm going to bring him back and kiss him and then I'm going to kill him again. Saga looked for constellations in the stars as an intrusive thought pushed its way to the front of his brain; if he's not already dead.

Saga frowned and immediately rejected the idea, though he was unable to escape the anxiety the thought brought with it. After all, there always was the possibility that something horrible had happened to Ritsu...

It was going to be a long night.

Just like every other night.

Saga managed to sleep for a few hours, though once the sun began to rise he was unable to ignore the light. He dragged himself to the water, catching as many fish as he could (which wasn't many, but he couldn't spend hours hunting) before he took flight once more.

He had landed on multiple ships over the past Summer and interrogated countless sailors about the location of Oda Ritsu. Every single time he came up short. No one on these seas had ever heard of him, let alone seen him. Hopefully the turn of the season would bring better news. It was difficult for Saga not to let his pessimism get in the way of his search, but the idea of Ritsu potentially being in danger was enough to keep him going. Ritsu may have left of his own volition, but Ritsu had admitted himself that he wouldn't survive long on his own. Ritsu especially would have troubles if he were somewhere as unforgiving as the sea.

Now, he was searching for another ship, though currently the waters beneath him were empty, save for whatever unseen creatures lurked below.

The siren was not sure how long he flew, but it felt like he had been searching for a ship for hours with no results. Saga, discouraged and hungry, started to consider landing.

Then he heard it:

The call.

Saga almost fell out of the sky in shock. His mother was close by and was trying to reach him. He whipped his head around, trying to gauge what direction the call was coming from, realizing it was further South. He did not hesitate to follow, flying as quickly as he could toward the familiar song.

The sea below him moved in a blur and eventually the water turned into stone as Saga stumbled and clumsily landed on an unfamiliar cliff, falling forward onto his hands and knees from the rather hasty landing.

Out of breath, a little dizzy from moving so fast, and exhausted now that all the adrenaline had left his body, he stood on slightly shaky legs and came face to face with brown eyes that matched his own.

"Masamune!"

Kotoko threw her arms around her son, hugging him with all her might. Normally, Masamune might complain or try to wiggle his way out of her grip, but instead he just slumped against her and let her squeeze him so hard that he might bruise.

"I can't believe-how did you-where did you-I'm so glad you're alright!" Kotoko could hardly contain her tears, ignoring the other sirens who flitted about but still kept their distance. They watched with wide eyes and frantic whispers, unable to believe what they were seeing. Masamune was alive and had actually come back!

"Me too. I'm glad you're alright too." Masamune said softly, slowly hugging her back.

Kotoko pulled away and forced herself to take a deep breath, pushing down her tears so she could look at Masamune properly. She gently brushed her fingers through his hair to fix it and looked him up and down for signs of injury. "You're so skinny." She said. This wasn't unusual for her to say, but normally it was said in scolding. Now Kotoko only sounded very concerned.

"I've been flying for a while." Masamune shrugged. "I've been having trouble catching food." He admitted.

"Let's get some food in you then and let you rest, we still have meat leftover from our most recent hunt."

"Mom...I still don't…" Masamune trailed off, glancing uncomfortably at the other sirens who were unashamedly watching and listening in.

Kotoko hesitated. "Let's go down to the water together then. And you can tell me about your journey." Normally she would insist on Masamune eating like a proper siren, but for now she didn't care what Masamune ate just as long as he was in fact eating.

Masamune nodded and followed her, the two of them snatching up fish. Masamune was very grateful for the help: half the work for him and double the fish. He definitely needed it.

"So, you certainly took your time getting here." Kotoko said, but it lacked any real bite as she smiled with relief.

Masamune shrugged. "Sorry."

"Why didn't you come when I called for you the first time? Before we left, I tried to get you to come back." Kotoko frowned.

"I was mad." Masamune admitted. "For when you clipped my wings. I didn't wanna come back." He said. The 'I wanted to get back at you' was silent, but somehow clearly communicated.

Kotoko nodded. "I figured as much." She said, "I'm sorry, Masamune."

"I'm sorry too." Masamune said.

"You found us in the end." Kotoko smiled.

Masamune nodded, not having the heart to admit that he wouldn't be staying.

"Tell me about your travels." Kotoko said.

"There's not much to tell. It was just long and tiring." Masamune said, figuring it was better to omit the fact that he was landing on every ship he saw and interrogating the sailors about one human in particular that he had grown very attached to. Masamune looked out to the water at the thought of Ritsu, a strange tight feeling beginning to wind up in his chest. He'd have to begin his search again as soon as he could. There was no time to waste.

Kotoko followed his gaze out to the horizon, but saw nothing. She drew her lips into a pensive line before she spoke again. "Nothing exciting at all? No sea monsters? No sunken treasure? Or undead pirates?"

Masamune's mouth quirked up slightly and he rolled his eyes, briefly distracted by the ridiculousness of her speculations. "No, nothing like that."

"Then what's that?" She pointed to the bag that Masamune had forgotten was still slung over his shoulder.

"Just...stuff." Masamune said. "Not really treasure."

"Where'd you get this 'stuff'?" Kotoko asked.

Masamune shrugged noncommittally. "Found it."

Kotoko sighed. "You must really think me a fool." She said. "It's not anything you risked your life for, is it?"

This time Masamune didn't have to lie as he shook his head no.

"Good. I'd rather you have a completely boring and safe journey than an exciting and dangerous one." Kotoko said.

"How have things been here?" Masamune asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Good. Plenty of fish. Plenty of ships. We don't need much more than that." Kotoko said. "The others thought you were never coming back." She added.

Masamune couldn't blame them for thinking that nor was he insulted. Still, it felt a little nice to prove them wrong. Masamune always did his best to be contrary, after all.

Once Masamune got his fill (got more than his fill really as Kotoko insisted that he eat more and more), he and his mother returned to the top of the cliffs. The others approached hesitantly, expressing their relief that Masamune was back, but not pressing with very many questions. Masamune was glad they suppressed any curiosity they had, whether that was because Masamune must have looked exhausted or because Masamune had never been very friendly with them in the first place.

Although Masamune did not intend to stay long he told himself that one night was necessary. He needed the sleep and his mother deserved a restful night too, knowing her son was home and safe, at least for the time being. Although his worries about Ritsu still simmered under his skin, they managed not to boil over. Something about having familiar faces nearby-even if he wasn't particularly close with many of them-was comforting and allowed him to fall asleep quickly as his exhaustion caught up with him.

Masamune got his first full night of rest in a while, having turned in early, but the rising sun still woke him up. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, wishing he could have slept for a couple more hours, but realized it was probably better that he wake early. Hopefully everyone else was still asleep and he'd be able to leave without any complications.

He stood, trying to be as quiet as possible as he stretched his limbs and wings out. He walked toward the edge of the cliff, double checking he still had everything in his bag even though he hadn't taken anything out. He then took a deep breath and prepared himself to fly off when-

"You aren't even going to say goodbye?"

Masamune turned quickly, seeing Kotoko standing there with her arms crossed.

"Mom-I just-"

"I know." Kotoko sighed. "There's...something out there for you. What it is, I don't know because you won't tell me," She paused to give a huff, "but I saw it yesterday, when you looked out to the ocean. Something's calling you. And you can't resist." She sighed, looking past him to gaze at the ocean as if it would provide her answers before focusing on her son once more. "Will you be back?"

"I don't think so."

That had been the answer Kotoko feared. "Not ever?" She asked, not trying to hide her disappointment. Masamune was still so young and the thought of him going off on his own like this both worried her and broke her heart.

"I don't know."

"Can you at least tell me what it is you're looking for out there?" Kotoko asked as she gestured toward the sea.

"I can't." Masamune frowned. "You'll think it foolish and try to keep me here."

"I could clip your wings every season, this is true. Perhaps it would even be for your own good if I kept you here, but you would be miserable and come to resent me. Hate me. What would be the point in keeping you here forever if you could never be happy?" Kotoko asked with a sad smile.

Masamune still hesitated.

"At least promise me you'll be safe?" Kotoko requested as she realized she would not get the answers she was searching for.

"As safe as I can possibly be."

"And feed yourself better! You'll never get to where you're going if you neglect yourself." She added with a frown.

Masamune couldn't help but to smile a little bit at the familiar motherly scolding. "I will, I promise."

"Good. Now come here and hug me before I change my mind about letting you leave." Kotoko opened her arms and Masamune, though not used to showing a lot of affection toward his mother, obliged. He hugged her tightly, but briefly as Kotoko pulled away with wet eyes. "Go, go, the longer you're here the more I want to keep you here. I love you."

"I love you too." Masamune said before he turned around and walked back toward the edge of the cliff.

"Masamune! One more thing!" Kotoko called and her son faced her once more. "You always can come back, if you ever decide to. You know that, right?"

Masamune nodded. "I know."

"Good." Kotoko said once more, now satisfied. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thank you." Masamune said, genuinely meaning it. "I do too."

The feeling of lift off and flying away from the cliffs was bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter. Knowing he never had to hear their violent screams again, knowing he didn't have to witness ship crash after crash, knowing that the smell of blood no longer had to be a frequent assault on his senses, it was all quite relieving. Masamune was leaving 'Saga' behind and he intended to leave it behind for good, if his nature would allow it. He'd just have to fight against it if he ever felt the temptation.

But what did that make Masamune now? If he wasn't Saga Masamune, then what? Could he just be Masamune or should he pick a different name? Being just 'Masamune' felt lonely, a reminder that he had no clan even though he was the one who had chosen to leave it. He played around with the idea in his head as he flew, paying attention to the waters below him as he considered his options. Masamune had left his clan in hopes of leading a different life with Ritsu. Maybe he should pick a name that reminded him of the human? Oda certainly didn't feel right. Masamune wasn't an Oda, Oda was an Oda.

Masamune continued to flitter through names before he recalled a book he and Ritsu once read together that featured a pair of lovers: Takano Miharu and Oishi Riyuka. Both he and Ritsu had liked the book and it's happy ending.

Ultimately, the siren decided that Takano was a perfectly suitable name. It reminded him of Ritsu and the happy ending the two main characters got. It helped grow his flame of hope for he and Ritsu's own happy ending.

Takano Masamune.

It was a little bit clunky, having quite a few syllables, but Masamune just needed to get used to it.

He hoped Ritsu would approve.

Masamune doubled his efforts and continued his search, waiting for any sign of a ship.

Ritsu sneezed three times in a row, seemingly for no reason seeing that he didn't have a cold. It also wasn't allergy season, since Summer had officially passed and there shouldn't be any lingering pollen, certainly not on the ocean.

"Ooooh, you know what that means Richan! Someone's thinking about you!" Kisa teased, having taken advantage of the sudden sneeze fit to disarm him.

"Not fair." Ritsu complained through a sniff as his sword clattered to the deck.

"733!"

"What?" Ritsu furrowed his eyebrows and frowned.

"You've never played this game?" Kisa pouted, completely forgetting about their swordplay. "Did you never have any fun in that stuffy castle?" He asked.

Ritsu just shrugged and waited for him to explain.

"If you sneeze three times in a row, it means someone is thinking about you, missing you, maybe even in love with you~" Kisa said with a wide grin. "Then someone gives you a random three digit number and you add the digits together. If the digits add to one, someone whose name starts with the letter A is thinking about you. Two is B, three is C, etc. So, 733!" Kisa beamed.

Ritsu blinked as he tried to keep up with the slightly complicated explanation before he then tried to do random math on the fly. Seven plus three was ten and then an additional three was...

"Um, 13? What letter is that?" Ritsu asked, mostly going along with it so they could get back to training.

Kisa started to count on his fingers as he mumbled the alphabet under his breath before he beamed. "M!"

Ritsu's expression became wooden and he picked his sword back up. "I don't like this game." He decided.

Kisa pouted. "Always so serious, Richan, never letting me have any fun. You're almost as bad as Hatori." He complained.

Ritsu ignored the complaint-not thinking it was such a bad thing to be compared to Hatori anyway-and lunged forward in an attack which Kisa rebuffed.

Unfortunately, Ritsu's sneeze attacks did not stop there.

Once again at dinner he sneezed three times and someone called out, "391!"

Apparently they were all familiar with this silly game and Ritsu added up the numbers again despite himself and found that they once again added up to thirteen!

Ritsu started to worry he was beginning to get sick when he sneezed three times in a row again the next morning while in the middle of a lesson with Hatori, but he felt totally fine! It definitely didn't feel like a cold of any kind.

"562." Hatori deadpanned, almost automatically.

Ritsu let out a sound of complaint, not having expected such silliness from Hatori, but he supposed some of the captain's habits had rubbed off on the first mate. He added up the numbers and again they added up to thirteen! Was this some sort of conspiracy against him? Were they doing this on purpose?

"616." Kisa beamed later that evening when Ritsu sneezed three times in a row again.

Ritsu wanted to pull his hair out. "Captain, please tell me if you and the others are messing with me because I don't think it's very funny."

Kisa frowned. "What do you mean Richan?"

"Because this is the fourth time this has happened and every single time the number has added up to 13!" Ritsu explained.

"Wow, I guess someone whose name starts with the letter M is really thinking a lot about you!" Kisa grinned.

Ritsu groaned. "Well, I wish they would stop if that's the case. I'm getting really tired of sneezing a whole bunch." He said.

"Well, when one runs away, their loved ones tend to think of them." Kisa pointed out.

Ritsu ignored that last part because the only person he knew whose name started with an M certainly wasn't a loved one, at least not anymore.

"Any idea who it is?" Kisa asked.

"No. Absolutely no idea at all."

"You did better that time!" Kisa clapped with an excited smile.

Ritsu raised an eyebrow. "Better at what?"

"Lying to me! But, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." The captain said with his usual easy-going attitude. Kisa had a feeling he already knew anyway. There was no point in pushing Ritsu and making him uncomfortable. "But if you want to stop playing the game, stop sneezing so much!" Kisa teased.

"I can't help it!" Ritsu complained and Kisa chuckled.

"Maybe you shouldn't have left such a big impression on that person then, hm? Maybe try to be less adorable?" Kisa pinched one of his cheeks.

Ritsu scrunched his nose and swatted the hand away, making Kisa laugh, but eventually the topic was dropped.

Still, Ritsu's sneezing problem did not go away.

Neither did the number thirteen.

What a stupid superstition, Ritsu thought with a shake of his head every time someone played the little game.

After all, there was no way that person was thinking about him so much.