A/N: This chapter by no means is meant to encompass all the messages between Ema and the Asahaina brothers. I just wanted to give a snap shot of what some of the messages were like and give a small overview of some of what happened during Ema's years abroad. Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter!

Chapter 2: Messages

Year 1

Wataru:

Hi Onee-chan! Masaomi is helping me write this email. Thanks for the pictures of the Great Wall of China. It looks really cool and I wish I was there with you. I started kindergarten and I'm doing really well. I already made new friends! I hope you're making friends in China.

Love,

Wataru

P.S. This is Masaomi, thanks again for sending us pictures like you promised. We love them and Tsubaki has the picture of you and your dad in front of the Great Wall of China hanging in his room. It was great to hear that you're doing well and having fun. Send us more pictures when you can!

Ukyo:

Ema, thank you for sending me the facts you learned about Chinese history and law. They were quite interesting to read. You should keep a journal of all the places you go and the things you learn. Having a record of everywhere you've lived might help you when it's time for you to enter college. Universities like to look for applicants with a variety of experiences who are willing to work hard and try new things.

Best,

Ukyo

Azusa:

Ema, thank you for the pictures. China looks amazing. Masaomi and Ukyo were saying maybe our family should take a trip there since it's not too far away, though you and your dad will have already moved on by the time we'd be able to make it (it can take a long time to get a passport and we'd have to get one for everyone in the family). Send me some recommendations of where we should travel and what we should do in case we end up going. Also, I'm sure Tsubaki has already emailed you this, but he told me to remind you to send him more pictures with you in them. He likes the scenery and historical buildings, but he'd prefer that you be in the pictures.

Sincerely,

Azusa

Year 2

Ema to Tsubaki:

Tsubaki, I hate to get involved in your family matters when they really don't involve me, but I have to say I think it's good you're not letting Ukyo's opinion sway your decision. I know that Ukyo only wants what's best for you, but being a voice actor has been your dream for as long as I've known you. I understand Ukyo feeling like going to a voice acting college next year is a risky decision, but you'll never know if you can succeed at it if you don't try. It would be terrible if you spent years regretting not trying to become a voice actor and always wondering what might have happened. I say good luck and best wishes! Also, the food in Mongolio is amazing. I wish I could send some of it to you. Maybe I'll send a few recipes to Ukyo for him to try.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Luis:

Luis, I'm glad to hear you liked the hairstyle photos I sent you! I thought you would find them interesting. It's sweet of you to say you'd like to try some of the styles out on me. Maybe I'd stand out a little less if I looked a little more like the people around me. Oh well. Dad says he never would have gotten to where he's at in his career if he didn't stand out, and that's true.

I do (hopefully) have some good news, though! There's another adventurer from Japan who the producer wants to bring in on the show for an episode. If the episode does well, this adventurer will occasionally be invited back to work with my dad for some episodes. This is good news because he has a daughter about my age and he's bringing her with him! I'm excited to meet her and hope we get along well.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Hikaru:

Hikaru, here's the pictures you asked for. But why did you want pictures of what normal women on the streets of Russia are wearing? Do you have a Russian girlfriend you're trying to buy a gift for?

Sincerely,

Ema

Year 3

Ukyo:

Ema, thank you for the recipes from Spain. Everyone loves it when we get to try something new, and I appreciate you sending me recipes that are easy to make for a lot of people. Since I've started law school I have a lot less time for chores around the house, so it's nice to have simple recipes. Every little bit helps. Tsubaki calls the nights we have your recipe International Dinner nights, and Wataru says it helps everyone to feel a little bit closer to you. Almost like we're eating next door to you instead of a few continents away. I hope you're still keeping up on your journal of all the places you've been.

Best,

Ukyo

Luis:

Chi, I'm happy to hear Tachibana has been a great success on the show with your father and that you've become such good friends with his daughter. Arisa sounds like a lot of fun. I understand you felt a little weird hanging out with a girl two years older than you, but you can find people all over the place you have stuff in common with or get along well with. Just look at us Asahina brothers. We're all kinds of ages and into all kinds of things, but you got along well with most of us. I've started taking classes outside of school for cutting hair. I want to be beautician when I graduate from high school. I'll have to do a little more school, but I don't think it will take me too long. I hope to have an opportunity to try out what I'm learning on you soon.

Also, I heard from Masaomi and Wataru that you're in the Mediterranean right now. It can get pretty humid there, so make sure you take extra care with brushing Juli's fur regularly. I'd hate for it to get tangled because of the humidity.

Love,

Luis

Hikaru,

Ema, darling, I was thrilled to hear your next stop will be in Italy. That's where I'm heading. We'll have to meet up. And since you'll be in Europe for a while and I'll be nearby in Italy, we'll have to make plans to meet up again while we're close. I'd love an excuse to visit France. Be a dear and send me the itinerary for your father's show, would you?

Ciao,

Hikaru

Year 4

Ema to Hikaru:

Hikaru, thank you for visiting us in Greece. I'm so excited I've gotten to see you two times within a year! And I'm happy you got to meet Arisa this last time. She's a really wonderful friend, and I'm grateful to have a friend with me on some of the adventures my dad does for the show. It's so nice to go to a new area and already know someone. I'm glad to hear your having such good luck passing as a woman in Italy. It sounds like you're getting great research for your book. Let me know when your second book comes out! I'm sure I'll love it as much as the first.

Also, about Carlos, you were right about him. He was a jerk. Maybe Dad was right and I'm too young to date right now.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Tsubaki:

Tsubaki, your new anime is amazing! It's so incredible that you just graduated from voice acting college last year and are already getting jobs (actually—it's not incredible, you're incredible and that's why you're getting these jobs!). I was so excited to hear your voice when you sent me your first anime that I screamed. Dad came running out to see what was wrong. We'll be in Canada next and my friend Arisa will be there. I'll have to show her your new anime. I think she'll like it (and be as amazed at your voice as I am).

Also, I plan to email Azusa as well, but let him know that his ending scene in episode three gave me chills! I love watching anime and hearing your guys' voices. I'll have to buy the game you guys have coming out in a few months.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Natsume:

Natsume, thank you for the game recommendation! World War Zombie is amazing! Though Dad feels like I'm staying up too late playing it, so he's not nearly as excited about the game as I am. It's so cool that you work for our favorite game company. I hope you're enjoying it. And it's cool that Azusa and Tsubaki voice some of the games you work on! Is it fun to work with the twins? They seem to be becoming popular quickly.

Have you heard of the MMORPG Fantasia Dawning? I don't know if you're into RPGs (because zombie games and stuff like that are more fun), but this one is pretty awesome. I started playing it a few months ago. You can choose to be a necromancer and raise an army of the dead! Maybe you should include that in one of your company's games down the line.

Sincerely,

Ema

Year 5

Natsume:

Ema, have you bought the new expansion pack in Fantasia Dawning? It really helped me get through the demon realm. I remember you said in your last email that you were struggling with that area. Let me know.

Best,

Natsume

Wataru:

Ema, I made the soccer team at my school! Ukyo told me that in the United States where you are they eat lots of peanut butter. I hadn't ever tried it, so we went to the store and got some. I like it! Have you tried peanut butter yet? Anyway, you probably can't be on a sports team since you're always traveling, but do you have a favorite sport? Masaomi promised he'd film me playing my first game so I could send it to you. Look forward to it!

Love,

Wataru

Ukyo:

Ema, I hope your using your time in the United States to develop your English. A lot of schools in Japan look favorably upon students who can speak English well (assuming you might want to return here when it's time for you to attend university).

Work at my law firm is going well, thank you for asking. I heard a rumor that one of my brothers told you I got into a less prestigious law firm because I was a mess after a bad break-up. I hope you know better than to pay attention to such a silly rumor. There's no truth to it all. You can send me your next email in English if you want to practice.

Best,

Ukyo

Year 6

Ema to Hikaru:

Erik is such a nice guy! I'm sad I'll be leaving the United States soon. He said he wants to try to keep our relationship up long-distance. He likes to travel and his parents promised to help him pay for a plane ticket to wherever Dad and I are. I'm not sure what Dad thinks of this since he told me it's up to me whether to keep dating Erik or not. I do think he likes Erik and his parents (Dad met them after Erik's and mine second date). Part of me wants to try it, but part of me feels like it won't work out in the long-run and prolonging it will just make the end that much harder. What do you think?

Also, I followed your advice and Erik kissed me on our date last week. My first kiss!

I'm excited to see you in Brazil. I hope Dad's filming in Mexico goes fast so I'll be able to see you sooner.

Ciao!

Ema

Ema to Miwa:

Hi Miss Miwa! It was great to hear from you. The traveling does get hard sometimes, but I've been able to have so many wonderful experiences, and I love being with dad so much of the time. I do miss going to a regular school. I never even went to junior high and it's sad to think I'll never go to high school. Who would think that anyone would miss not having silly things like lockers and taking the train to school? At least I'll have my pick of universities, as Ukyo likes to say. I could go to Europe, North America, South America, Australia…I'm still strongly considering Japan, though. I haven't been there since I was ten, but it still feels a little like home. It is where I've lived the longest, after all. Dad and I never stay anywhere for more than a few months. I hope everything is going well at work. Where do you travel next? It was really fun to meet up with you in Rio. It's too bad Hikaru had to return to Italy right before you came to visit us.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Kaname:

Kaname, Hikaru let me know he let slip to you that I had a boyfriend. So you see? I met a cute guy, and I didn't forget about you guys. I've been emailing you for a year while dating and you didn't even know it! Hikaru told me to expect an email from you asking about my boyfriend, so I guess I'll wait until I receive your email, but in the meantime here's a picture of the two of us standing in front of Mount Rushmore. It's kind of an old picture since it's from six months ago, but I think it's a pretty good picture of Erik (my boyfriend).

Sincerely,

Ema