Chapter One
Thirty Years had passed. All the children of Mabase had moved away, to bigger cities like Tokyo or Kyoto. Nothing exciting ever happened there. The Medical Meccanica plant was gone. Nobody saw it happen, it was just gone one morning. And the legend of the Vespa Woman who had destroyed the city was just that, a legend. Nobody knew the truth.
Except for Naota.
He was the only child who didn't move out of the city. His father and grandfather had died many years ago, his grandfather of old age and his father of an unknown disease. Now, at forty-two and with three children and ten grandchildren, Naota still kept the bakery up and running.
None of his children knew who their mother was. Only Naota did. He never married, but lived with the woman who bared his child for seven years, then she disappeared. He was really young when he had his kids, barely eighteen. But it had been exceptionally hard when she disappeared.
Again.
Thankfully Ninamori Eri had been there. She had been a sergeant mother to all the kids. And still was to his grandchildren. They had dated for some years after his children's mother disappeared. But it hadn't gotten that much more serious.
"Gwampa Gwampa we're here!"
Naota turned around and caught his fourth-eldest grandchild, Satsuka, in his arms. A moment later he was tackled by the other six.
"Sorry we're late, dad. Traffic was a nightmare. There was another accident on the bridge." He watched as his two daughters and one son walked through the door with their husbands and wife. They were carrying large bags of groceries, stepping over the kids on their way to the kitchen.
"We'll start dinner!" Shouted his son as he walked passed him.
"Thanks, Sumatsu. I'll just keep the kids busy I guess." He trailed off as he looked at the seven toddlers hanging off his arms and legs.
"Papa, pway your Gwuitwar." Whined Kamatatsu.
Naota glanced up the stairs, where the guitar was. "Fine, but you little one's have got to sit on the couch and wait for grandpa to get his guitar, okay?"
It was like a stampede, all seven toddlers running as fast as they could to get to the couch. Naota grinned and started up the stairs, grabbed his guitar, and walked back down. He then sat himself on the sofa and looked up at all the little kids. Fourteen eyes were locked on to him expectantly. Giving a little chuckle, he picked at the strings of the guitar.
"Okay, this song I'm gonna play was your guys' grandmother's favorite song." The toddlers watched fasanated as Naota picked carefully at the strings, the melody of Drops Of Jupiter playing out across the room.
As Naota reached the last note, he realized how bland the song actually sounded without Canti to plug into. He too had disappeared without saying goodbye.
"That was really good."
Naota looked up to his three eldest grandchildren. All three of them were adopted. They were calm and pretty much secluded themselves from the rest of the family. Ordinary for thirteen year olds.
"Hey Grandpa, I heard a rumor today." Said Kamusa, the eldest boy.
Naota looked towards him. "About what?"
"A person called the Vespa Woman. She rides a cool Moped bike. My friend says that there is a legend about her. That all of whatever happened in your time, when you were a kid. Do you know the legend?"
Naota closed his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Of course I know the legend." He looked at all seven of the toddlers, who immediately screamed, "Tell it!" all at once.
Naota laughed and settled himself into the chair, pulling the guitar onto his lap.
"It all started many years ago, when all the children of Mabase were living here."
Thirty Years had passed. All the children of Mabase had moved away, to bigger cities like Tokyo or Kyoto. Nothing exciting ever happened there. The Medical Meccanica plant was gone. Nobody saw it happen, it was just gone one morning. And the legend of the Vespa Woman who had destroyed the city was just that, a legend. Nobody knew the truth.
Except for Naota.
He was the only child who didn't move out of the city. His father and grandfather had died many years ago, his grandfather of old age and his father of an unknown disease. Now, at forty-two and with three children and ten grandchildren, Naota still kept the bakery up and running.
None of his children knew who their mother was. Only Naota did. He never married, but lived with the woman who bared his child for seven years, then she disappeared. He was really young when he had his kids, barely eighteen. But it had been exceptionally hard when she disappeared.
Again.
Thankfully Ninamori Eri had been there. She had been a sergeant mother to all the kids. And still was to his grandchildren. They had dated for some years after his children's mother disappeared. But it hadn't gotten that much more serious.
"Gwampa Gwampa we're here!"
Naota turned around and caught his fourth-eldest grandchild, Satsuka, in his arms. A moment later he was tackled by the other six.
"Sorry we're late, dad. Traffic was a nightmare. There was another accident on the bridge." He watched as his two daughters and one son walked through the door with their husbands and wife. They were carrying large bags of groceries, stepping over the kids on their way to the kitchen.
"We'll start dinner!" Shouted his son as he walked passed him.
"Thanks, Sumatsu. I'll just keep the kids busy I guess." He trailed off as he looked at the seven toddlers hanging off his arms and legs.
"Papa, pway your Gwuitwar." Whined Kamatatsu.
Naota glanced up the stairs, where the guitar was. "Fine, but you little one's have got to sit on the couch and wait for grandpa to get his guitar, okay?"
It was like a stampede, all seven toddlers running as fast as they could to get to the couch. Naota grinned and started up the stairs, grabbed his guitar, and walked back down. He then sat himself on the sofa and looked up at all the little kids. Fourteen eyes were locked on to him expectantly. Giving a little chuckle, he picked at the strings of the guitar.
"Okay, this song I'm gonna play was your guys' grandmother's favorite song." The toddlers watched fasanated as Naota picked carefully at the strings, the melody of Drops Of Jupiter playing out across the room.
As Naota reached the last note, he realized how bland the song actually sounded without Canti to plug into. He too had disappeared without saying goodbye.
"That was really good."
Naota looked up to his three eldest grandchildren. All three of them were adopted. They were calm and pretty much secluded themselves from the rest of the family. Ordinary for thirteen year olds.
"Hey Grandpa, I heard a rumor today." Said Kamusa, the eldest boy.
Naota looked towards him. "About what?"
"A person called the Vespa Woman. She rides a cool Moped bike. My friend says that there is a legend about her. That all of whatever happened in your time, when you were a kid. Do you know the legend?"
Naota closed his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Of course I know the legend." He looked at all seven of the toddlers, who immediately screamed, "Tell it!" all at once.
Naota laughed and settled himself into the chair, pulling the guitar onto his lap.
"It all started many years ago, when all the children of Mabase were living here."