"Every moment was sacred and mystic
We were near to the shore of eternity
The days are gone and will never come back."
Yuki Kajiura—"Sweet Song" (Xenosaga II)

Recommended Music:
Scene 6: "Sweet Song," Xenosaga II

Black Wings
Chapter Seven: "Twilight of Mnemosyne"

Sora sat in her new bedroom, dressed in sleeveless white pajamas with a red sash around the neck opening. Though it was barely twilight, she was exhausted and ready to go to bed right after dinner. With the help of her father, she'd gotten everything in order, but it had tired her greatly. She lay down on her bed, stretching out a little bit so the legs of her pants would slip back down to calf-length. But as she turned her head, she saw the purple teddy bear sitting next to her.

Jun had suddenly shown up at the Takenouchis' apartment, thrusting the bear into Sora's unsuspecting arms. The younger girl stared blankly in confusion before managing to voice the most intelligent thought she had:

"Huh?"

"Going to leave just like that?" Jun had asked. "Well, I'm not letting you."

"Jun, but…"

The other girl's serious expression broke into a grin. "Not without that, anyway. It's one of my favorites, so you'd better take care of it."

"Your favorite?" the flustered Sora repeated.

"Mm-hmm," Jun replied, nodding.

"Then why give it to me?"

Jun's smile shrank a little bit, but it was still there as she answered, "Because we never got a chance to be friends, and I hope this can help us start."

Sora began smiling as well. "Thanks, Jun. And can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Take care of Yamato and Taichi for me."

"Of course. Just as long as you promise to take good care of my Kuma-san."

Sora had smiled even more. "Don't worry. I will."

And now she let the memories settle, trying to ease her mind into a twilight sleep.

I wonder how everyone's doing back home, she mused as she closed her eyes.

The Ishidas' apartment had always smelled of cigarettes, but now beer added to the odor. Taichi felt like he was in a cheap bar as he stood beside the melancholy and hung-over form of his best friend, who sat with his head resting on the table, drowning in his own pathetic existence.

"God, Yamato, that was fucking stupid," Taichi swore. "This isn't like you. Get up!" But Yamato refused, making Taichi groan as the doorbell rang. Exasperated, he walked to the door and let in Jun.

"So how is he?" she checked. Taichi pointed his thumb in Yamato's direction.

"It's just as I told you. I can't even get him to budge."

Jun flashed an evil smile that sent chills up and down Taichi's spine. He'd faced Devimon, Etemon, Vamdemon, and the Dark Masters, but none of them had ever scared him as much as she did just now. "Don't worry about anything, Yagami. I'll take care of it."

Casually, she walked over to the table and fiercely slammed her hands down on it. Yamato jumped out of his stupor to see the furious glare of Jun Motomiya right in front of him.

"Get up!" she ordered, but unlike with Taichi's command, he listened. She then began picking up the beer cans and crumpled composition sheets off the table and shoved them in his hands. "Throw these out. Honestly, you live like a pig!"

Taichi stared in frightened awe as she made her rounds around the kitchen, shaking her head in disappointment while Yamato threw out the trash. But then Jun spotted the brunet and called, "And what are you doing standing there? Come over here and wash the dishes so I can start cooking!"

"Er, yes, ma'am," Taichi replied awkwardly. Even his courage and stubborn leadership were dwarfed in the face of an angry woman!

Taichi started washing out bowls, plates, and chopsticks under Jun's strict supervision. When she was finally pleased with his work, she opened the fridge and started looking for dinner items.

"That's hardly enough rice to feed three people!" she declared, staring at the container in the nearby pantry. "And how old is that meat? It belongs in the garbage!" She threw out said meat and removed the meager portion of rice from the pantry before turning to Yamato. "Head to the store and pick up the ingredients for chicken tempura." But then her nose crinkled up, and she sniffed his clothes. "Ugh, forget what I said. Before you do anything, go take a shower. Yagami, you'll let me know if he disobeys my orders?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Then I'll be off. Make sure everything's clean by the time I come back!" And as cheerfully as she'd entered, she left.

Taichi shook his head in amazement as he rinsed off a plate. "Forget the Kaiser, that was…" He then looked at his dumbfounded friend. "Yamato, do us both a favor and never piss her off again."

"I'm going to go take a shower," Yamato decided, still in shock.

"You do that." Taichi exhaled and continued washing the dishes. At least there was no chance of Yamato getting depressed again as long as Jun was around. But of course, as long as Jun was around, there was no guarantee that he'd come out of it alive either.

It was the same old same old. Kouji was in his usual depression when he came in from clearing out debris in the woods of Hokkaido, so Osamu was coaxing him to eat, trying everything benign he could think of. Even his patience was on the verge of breaking.

"I know you're not feeling well, but you have to eat even a little bit to regain your strength," he urged. "Come on, Kouji." He took a glance to his right. "Your parents are right here with me. They can't stand to see you like this. Please, for them." He wasn't sure if his words made any impact in the boy's broken mind, but nevertheless Kouji took the spoon and began to eat. Osamu sighed in relief while the spirits of Kouji's family knelt in silent, intangible support.

"He's refusing to eat?" Renamon questioned, phasing in.

"I've taken care of it," Osamu informed. "The air is thinner here, and it's making it harder for him to breathe. He'll probably get better when we get back to Honshu—hopefully. With his depression, he's getting sick a lot more easily. I'm doing all I can to boost his immune system, but it's draining me." He rubbed the space just above his eyes. "But what does any of this matter to you?"

"Why do you try so hard?"

"What?"

"Why is it that you do so much to help him?" she asked. "Even when the outcome is hopeless, you still give so much of yourself. Why is that?"

"Can we talk about this outside?" he requested.

Renamon's ears twitched in confusion. "Why? He doesn't comprehend what we're saying."

"I'd rather not talk about someone while pretending he's not here," Osamu answered.

"And talking behind his back is politer?"

"Please?"

She sighed and nodded. He was so much like a child this way—sincere, innocent. One could say he was almost naïve. But at the same time, he had the wisdom of the ages.

Just like her Kaiser.

The two took refuge behind a Buddhist temple, where no one could disturb them. The beautiful Zen gardens around them imposed calm, and the scent of distant flowers drifted upon the warm air. Osamu could feel his Light Tree body draw strength from the peace and slowly regenerate. He marveled at the strangeness of it all. In the midst of an ugly war, there were still places of beauty where life was the center of the universe.

"Well, are you going to answer my question?"

Osamu's glasses caught all of the sun's glare, masking his eyes from Renamon as he responded, "Why do I spend so much time helping him? I never really gave anyone a straight answer before. I guess most of it has to do with my brother."

"Go on," she urged when he paused.

"My brother, Ken, is the same age as them, and Kouichi reminds me a lot of him. Not just in physical appearance, but in personality too. They're both a little timid around their friends but can turn into fierce leaders when the need arises."

"You still haven't answered how it relates to the younger twin."

"Call him by his name!" Osamu shouted, startling Renamon. He forced himself to become calm and apologized. "Sorry. It just irritates me to no end to hear people refusing to call a person by name. We have them for a reason."

"Names are extremely important to humans," Renamon observed. "I do not understand. We Digimon all share the name of our kind, much like your family names. In a clan, if we need to refer to a specific person, we say, 'Please, daughter, fetch the elder,' or 'Cousin, please assist me.' even those not related to a certain family are regarded as cousins, elders, daughters, and sons."

"That's much of the way I see Kouichi and Kouji," he related. "To me, they are my brothers, and I treat them as such." He was quiet for a second. "I guess sometimes I forget they're not really related to me. There are even times when I forget that Kouichi isn't Ken, and that's usually when I'm angriest at him."

"It seems I've finally gotten a straight answer out of you," she noted with some amusement. He cracked a half-smile.

"Heh, guess you did. So what about you?" he questioned. "I couldn't help but notice that you have a more devoted loyalty to Kouichi than most."

"He is not the monster you and the Resistance seem to think he is," she explained. "Otherwise he would not have done so much good."

"Good?"

"The world is better and safer than in previous years, with people honestly caring about what happens to one another."

"Then explain the slaves and how he'd go so far as to murder his own family."

"That was not his doing. I know it."

"How?"

"He'd kept them alive that long."

"He tried to kill his own brother!"

"Out of a fit of rage. Tell me, you yourself have not done regrettable actions against your own brother?"

He bit his tongue in order to keep himself from yelling anymore. He had done things he was not proud of but not on the same level of cruelty. Then again, it had been his outbursts and temper that first planted the seeds of hatred in Ken that made him so perfect a candidate for the Kaiser. That meant that everything thereafter had been his fault.

"All right," he surrendered. "I see your point. But if it wasn't Kouichi's idea, then whose was it?"

"I do not know. But I am investigating the matter."

"Any suspects?"

"None, unless you have suggestions?"

"I do." His serious face made him look far older than eleven living years, she noticed. This was a young man who had seen true evil and knew its name. "Colonel Reiyama."

Her ears twitched in surprise. "Reiyama has always been a devoted follower. He owes my Kaiser a great debt for saving him from the death penalty."

"I know. And it's that very thing that frightens me. If he can't even maintain a life debt, then it proves he has no morals at all. You've seen what he's done, what he's capable of. How can anyone like that be trusted?"

"As much as it pains me to say, my Kaiser is naïve. He does not quite realize that even among his most loyal, he is in danger. That is why I must protect him so. And I will keep your suggestion in mind. Anyone else?"

"None right off the bat."

"Then I will take leave. But before I go…" She held a paw in front of the opposite shoulder, creating a single Fox Leaf Arrowhead, far harder and brighter than any normal one. She then handed it to him. "A token of my respect."

"Thank you," he responded, but as she turned to leave, he shouted, "Wait!" He folded his fingers over his palm in a loose fist. He then closed his eyes and let the Light Seed bloom. When he opened his hand, there was a flower resting in his palm. The white blossom resembled a hybrid of a rose and a magnolia, but its scent rivaled both. He handed Renamon the strange and beautiful flower, warning, "Don't be too worried if it dies. It has many seeds. You can plant them wherever you like whenever you like. It doesn't take long for the trees to grow. And they can adapt to their surroundings, becoming bonsais if the must."

"Thank you," she replied, taking the flower. "And now I must go." She faded away in front of him.

"And so must I," he murmured, doing the same.

A man parked his Vespa in his designated space and practically ran inside, holding a plastic bag. Iori watched this from his window as he finished the last of his reading homework. His tutor would be administering a test the next day, so he needed to study. But the further the year went, the harder this home schooling became. He was tired of isolation, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if he was ready to return to a public school environment, with children all around him that had no idea what he'd seen and done. He didn't ask for sympathy, but he needed someone to understand. He sighed and closed his book. He needed help, but he wasn't sure if he could get it from doctors and schoolwork.

Shin knocked on the door, getting his attention. The boy left his desk and let in the intern, who was carrying a plastic bag.

"I'm sorry if it looks bad," Shin apologized, revealing a cake in the bag. The icing was starting to liquefy, but other than that, it was fine. "The butter cream started to melt in the heat. I tried to get it here fast enough, but I'm not sure if I made it in time."

"It's okay," Iori assured.

"Well, happy birthday."

They pulled out a table Iori and Upamon used for dinner and placed the cake atop it. While Shin sliced three pieces, Iori retrieved his chair and an extra for Shin. The first slice went to Upamon, who pounced on it eagerly.

"You'd think he hadn't eaten at all today," Shin commented in amusement.

"He likes sweets," Iori half-heartedly offered.

"Well, I figured your mom and grandfather already got you one with fruit, so I took a chance with butter cream and candy pieces," he explained. "It looked good when I bought it, so…"

"I understand," Iori replied. "Let's eat."

Though the cake was good, he kept breaking it into little pieces with his fork, feeling far too full to eat whole pieces. Shin considered informing him that he wouldn't be offended if the boy couldn't finish, but he held his tongue. He'd learned not long ago that the late Hiroki Hida had instilled some very strong ethics in him that governed every action he made. One of them had something to do with eating everything on his plate. And Shin didn't want to sidestep any morals when it came to Iori's fragile spirit.

"I'll put the rest away for now," he offered. "That way you and Upamon can have cake for the next few days."

He walked over to the mini-fridge Iori had been given and started to put the leftover cake inside when he saw the fridge's contents. In addition to a few drinks and snacks the Chosen Child and his partner shared, there was another large cake inside, with six portions cut out. Four would have provided the Hida family, but the other two disturbed him. There should have been more gone of that cake.

"Mom and Grandfather came by with Miyako and Poromon this morning," Iori explained.

"Only them?" Shin half-shouted.

"Please, Shin, understand," Iori pleaded. He was too close to tears for comfort, and Upamon bounced into his arms to offer consolation. "Jyou had a test in cram school today, so he called to let me know and wished me a happy birthday. He promised to be here later. Sora moved away, and Yamato got sick, so Taichi and Jun were helping him recover. Daisuke was left home alone, and I think Hikari was grounded after she snuck away to the other world. Koushiro stopped by quickly, but he was going to visit his birth parents' graves. Takeru's mother's birthday was today too, so he had to stay home."

"And Ken?" Shin questioned.

"He and I didn't get along until around Christmas," Iori confessed. "I don't think he knows my birthday was today."

Shin finally calmed himself down and apologized. "I keep forgetting that our lives are just as chaotic as mine—maybe even more so. I'm sorry." He then casually took note of a few wads of wrapping paper in the wastebasket. "So, did you get any good gifts?"

"Mom and Grandfather got me a new camera so I can take pictures of the Shinsengumi actors at the Aizu festival this fall. Miyako got me a CD, Koushiro bought me a couple of books, and Jyou said he's bringing my present later."

"Sounds good," Shin replied. "Sorry I couldn't get you anything…"

"It's okay. This is more than enough."

A nurse suddenly entered with a small package wrapped in colorful paper. She handed it to Iori, informing, "A young man left this for you, but he asked me not to tell you who it was."

"Why?" Shin asked.

"He said he'd figure it out on his own," the nurse answered, leaving.

Puzzled, Iori tore open the paper to find two manga volumes. One was Peacemaker Kurogane, and the other was Yahikono Sakabatou. Lying atop them was a note:

I skimmed through these to be sure that nothing in here might offend you, but I think they're okay. Have a good birthday.

It was signed by one Ken Ichijouji.

Koushiro knelt down and placed an offering of carnations at the feet of the graves. There they were—the people he'd been wondering about for so many years. He'd almost felt ashamed by asking to see them, but he knew he had to do it at least once in his life. But what was he supposed to call them? "Mom" and "Dad" were two completely different people. He supposed formality was best.

"Hello, Mother, Father. I'm sorry I took so long to visit. I was never sure what I wanted to say."

Good start, good start. But for all the genius he was, he still didn't know what to do. And so, just as he had when logic failed him in the Digital World, he put his trust in his heart. His Crest-trait was Knowledge; if his head didn't know what to say, his heart would.

"It took me four years to gather the courage I needed to do this. l was always afraid that if I asked, I would alienate my new parents, your cousins. They've let me see pictures of you from family gatherings. I look a lot like you, Mother, with your red hair and build, but my face is more like yours, Father. I wish I could have gotten to know you. And I wish you had known me. I've done a lot in the past few years. I've even saved the world. I hope you're proud of me." He stood up and stared at the names for a moment: Koushiro and Saeko Sasaki. Then he bowed and returned to his other parents.

The car ride home was silent. Koushiro sat in the back, still feeling somewhat guilty.

I don't mean to cause them any pain, he reflected. I just had to know. I hope they understand.

"Koushiro?" interrupted a voice.

"Yes, Dad?"

"We're going to make another stop before we go home."

"Where?" he asked.

"Another graveyard," his mother answered. "Near Hikarigaoka."

"My brother then?"

It wasn't often that Mr. and Mrs. Izumi mentioned their first son, the one that had died as a baby and spurred them further to adopt their cousin, Koushiro. But hearing him refer to the baby as his brother was a comfort beyond words. More than anything else, it reassured them that he would always consider them his parents.

"Yes," she replied. "We're going to see your brother."

As he walked down the beach, Yutaka decided that he liked Okinawa. Something about the neutral island had brought happiness to the Chosen after half a year of depression. Maybe it was the calm surroundings. Maybe it was the way Imperials and Resistance alike could just enjoy themselves and were forbidden from fighting. Maybe it was just the fact that they were finally having a vacation. But whatever it was, he liked it.

Maybe I should look into moving here when everything's over, he mused.

"Hey, Himi!" Kage shouted. A fire burned under the bright blue stars, and teenagers in bathing suits and T-shirts sat around it, ready to eat. "The lobster's boiled."

"Great," he replied. "I picked up dessert."

"What'd you buy?" Takuya questioned. Himi held up a couple of bags of candy.

"I've got fruit drops, candy stars, assorted chocolates…"

"Think you can pass me the fruit drops?" Kage asked.

"Sure." He handed over the bag and watched Kage take two lemons and a strawberry and drop them in his water bottle. He then began shaking it, mixing the candy with the water while everyone watched. But soon, Yutaka began to laugh.

"Underground Railroad my ass," he declared. "You got that from Grave of the Fireflies!"

"Huh?" Izumi questioned. Having grown up in Italy even for a few years, she hadn't had the chance to absorb as much of Japanese culture, such as classic anime.

"Grave of the Fireflies is a World War II movie made my Studio Ghibli," Kage explained.

"In it, two children try to live on their own in a bomb shelter built in the side of a hill, a lot like the Railroad," Yutaka added. "There's a scene where, finding they're low on fruit drops, the older brother adds water to the tin to make juice from the last few candies. I'm surprised he'd remember that."

"I didn't know you liked Studio Ghibli movies, onii-chan," Tomoki commented.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Tomoki," he answered. "I was ten when you were born, so by the time you were in school, I was in the middle of high school. We never really had a chance to talk."

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry," Takuya announced. "Let's eat!" With a round of approval, they took the lobsters out of the pot and started eating.

But after dinner, Yutaka lay back on the warm sand to stare at the stars. They were brighter than he'd ever seen living in the city. The taste of oranges slipped around his mouth as he sucked one of the hard candies. Meanwhile, the others were searching through the bags for their candies of choice and promising to stock up on some when they got home.

Home. Home was where all the craziness was. For now, he wanted to forget home and just try to enjoy himself. But unwanted memories of a spoiled little boy kept haunting his mind. He could see this boy crying as he lost fights to schoolyard bullies. He had to watch the boy cling to his parents because he was too afraid to make friends. But this boy was no Tomoki. He was Yutaka himself. And it had always disturbed him at how the past seemed to repeat itself.

There was one difference. He'd had Masahiro and Arisu. They'd befriended him when he was about seven and had shown him what it was like to have nothing. They were orphans supported by a local temple in exchange for a vow of servitude. They had remained his friends through college, and the last time he'd seen them, they were an apprentice priest and assistant priestess respectively.

Tomoki had to learn the hard way, he realized. He had to be taken away from everything he knew. But then, he came out of it for the better, I think.

"Got any thoughts you'd like to share?" Kage checked, sitting down and drinking his makeshift strawberry lemonade.

"Just wondering what happened to our parents," he lied.

"They're safe. Kae saw to it before she was captured and we got her to Odaiba. Now that your lie is out of the way, what's really going on?"

"How'd you know there was more?"

"As far as I can tell, Osamu is the master of bullshit." He shrugged modestly. "I've had to learn to tell when he's telling the truth or not. It helps. So what's up?"

"Just not really sure I want to go home."

"I don't blame you. I don't want to leave either. It's so peaceful here."

"But at the same time, if we want to preserve this peace and neutrality, we have to fight."

"Exactly. Ironic, isn't it?"

"So what's on your mind?" Yutaka questioned. "I doubt you came here just to ask me what I was thinking."

"When we do have to go back, we don't need to keep on high alert like we used to. And with Osamu being able to keep an eye on the Kaiser all the time, we're going to have a lot of free time."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Something that we wouldn't have the chance to do if we'd gone to the Digital World. We need to go to school. And it's not just starving off ignorance—we need to learn the math, history, and science of war. We have one fighter already who's made a huge mistake with his knowledge of biochemistry—"

"I know."

"You know better than anybody. If that sort of thing ended up in the Kaiser's hands, just think of the damage it could cause. We need to know how to prevent or cure that."

"Education is a matter of life or death now."

"Exactly."

"But I'm in college. I don't think there are any universities as Mt. Fuji—none that I've seen anyway."

"Then we'll started a new one," Kage decided. Yutaka looked at him as if he was crazy. "We can get professors and everything at the settlement—Resistance University, Mt. Fuji campus. What do you think?"

"I think you're an absolute lunatic."

"Runs in the family."

"But if you can make it work, go for it."

Kage grinned at his lieutenant's comment. Yutaka showed him a similar one. It seemed that maybe there would be something worth going back home to after all.

It was just another day full of hard labor for the slaves. They had frankly gotten sick of Hokkaido's treacherous rocky countryside and all the dangers that came with it. Four workers had already hurt themselves slipping on the uneven ground, as had six Imperials. The Kaiser had promised everyone that they'd leave soon, as even he was getting sick of the constant accidents. In fact, Kouichi was already discussing with Renamon other ways to rid themselves of these accidents.

"The mines have caused almost as many injuries off the battlefield as on," she informed him.

"I know," he replied. "I never meant for those things to cause so much damage—that's why I ordered so little explosive material in them to begin with." He sighed. "We're going to have to get rid of them immediately."

Suddenly, there was a great commotion on the mountainside. Apparently, someone else had slipped.

"Who now?" Kouichi breathed in exasperation as he and Renamon hurried to the site of the accident.

There were a few people crowded around, but the duo managed to push through to see why everyone was so interested. In the center of the throng was Kouji, sprawled out on the ground and bleeding. Osamu clutched the young man's ankle, trying to prevent the damage yet to come. His face showed his strain, and Renamon guessed he'd used too much of his Light Seed's strength. She pulled him away, being sure not to touch his blood-covered hands.

The wound looked bad. Sharp rocks had torn open the skin and left it only almost as a flap over the cut. Sighing, Kouichi hefted his brother onto his back and carried him out.

When the crowd had lost interest and left him alone in the wild, Osamu stared at his bloodied hands. This wasn't right; he should have changed form!

Light reacts to its source, he remembered from Qinglongmon's warning.

Only there wasn't enough light in one of them to react.

And the problem didn't lie with Osamu.

It was time to get answers.

The Koushiro scene was something I've been wanting to settle since the end of season one. They had a great subplot going on, and it just got forgotten with his smaller part in the second season. And the lighthearted scene with Yutaka and Kage…that's what I call a "Markie and Chinny" scene (from The Sh33p's "New Age" saga), where the characters act a lot lighter in order to keep the series from being too dark, kind of like the Flash's role in the older Justice League episodes. The names Masahiro and Arisu came from the D.N. Angel manga and Serial Experiments Lain anime respectively (Masahiro being Saehara's friend and Arisu/Alice being Lain's closest friend). And, yes, everything mentioned about Grave of the Fireflies was true, though I had the idea of the Underground Railroad before I watched it. I figured that might as well be the source of Kage's inspiration.

Now, for the Shinsengumi references in the Iori scene: Peacemaker Kurogane is a manga and anime series about two boys, Tetsu and Tatsu, becoming apprenticed to the organization in Tetsu's naïve desire to avenge their parents' deaths. Tetsu, however, learns the hard way that he's not cut out for the constant killing of the Meiji Restoration, which works well with Iori's similar situation. Yahiko no Sakabatou is a special chapter of the Rurouni Kenshin manga detailing an incident in which a grown Yahiko must try to peacefully solve a hostage situation without even drawing the sakabatou Kenshin gave him. And there are several Aizu festivals annually, but I found the Shinsengumi reenactments listed in the autumn ones.

And in case you're wondering, Mnemosyne is the River of Memory in Greek mythology. I got it from the Sailor Stars manga where Sailors Lethe and Mnemosyne confront Sailor Moon, Princess Fireball, and the Starlights.

Till the next!

Chapter Eight: "Sing the Crescent Moon"

Sometimes waiting is the hardest thing you have to do. Trying to keep up the image of a normal life, all you can do is bide your time until something happens. When adventure calls, answer. You never know what you'll find.