Sora no Ato: Chapter 5
Morning Trumpet: Afternoon Chat
The next morning, Rio awoke before dawn. Training and purpose helped her wake up and dress, and she arrived at the top of the tower just as the sun rose and Kanata finished sounding the Morning Call.
``Good morning, Kanata. You've become a good trumpeter.''
``Rio-sempai!'' Kanata spun to face her. ``Thank you so much. If I have, it's cause you were such a good teacher.''
``No,'' Rio denied in embarrassment, then continued, trying to explain her denial. ``It was your talent, enthusiasm and drive that made you good.''
Kanata smiled back up at her, ``You really were a good teacher. Don't deny it. But for inspiration maybe we should both thank Princess Iliya, since she showed me the lovely Sound of the Sky.''
The smile Rio returned turned gentle from memory. ``Yeah... We probably should.'' She turned and looked up-river for a bit, then quietly added, ``Thank you dear sister.''
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After a moment of reflection, Rio turned back to Kanata. ``That's also why I came up here to see you.''
``Oh?''
``I... I wanted to thank you for playing Iliya's song back there in Nomansland: not just because you stopped the fighting—and I really want to thank you for that—but also because you reminded me of Iliya playing that same song when I was younger. You let me hear her once again. Thank you. That gave me the courage to face down two armies. Even though I had the signed treaty in hand, I feared I would not be able to stop them with just that piece of paper. But you showed me it was possible to stop them with just the Sound of the Sky, and once you made them stop and listen, I was able to keep them stopped with the peace treaty.''
``But Rio-sempai, you...''
Rio stopped Kanata, shaking her finger at her. ``Ah, ah ah. Didn't we agree to thank my sister, Iliya?''
Kanata nodded reluctantly.
``And I know she would be proud of you.'' When Kanata looked ready to argue, Rio continued in a quiet voice, ``OK, maybe she'd be proud of both of us, for taking her cause and seeing it through.''
``Yes,'' Kanata agreed with a smile, ``It does feel good to have been able to do something for Princess Iliya, after all that she has done for us.''
``I also know she'd be proud of your skill in making make beautiful music.''
Kanata wanted to politely deny this, but before she could open her mouth to do so, Rio continued.
``And while we're talking of that time, I've wondered if you were able to hear the cease-fire I signaled by bugle when we passed by? I hoped you would.''
``I did. I did!'' Kanata eagerly answered. ``I was up here to relieve Kureha on watch. She said she couldn't hear it, but I knew I did. Of course, right after that Colonel Hopkins escaped, and things went bad.''
``I'm so glad.'' Relief filled Rio's voice. ``I mean glad that you heard, not that Hopkins escaped,'' she corrected herself. ``Klaus was sure there was no way anyone could hear that bugle, but I had faith in your ears.'' Rio gently brushed Kanata's hair back from one of them. ``Please take good care of them, hearing like yours is a precious gift that should be treasured.''
``Yes, Rio-sempai.'' Kanata blushed at the compliment.
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The two looked out over Seize for a while, quietly enjoying the view of the town both had come to love.
``Oh,'' exclaimed Kanata as a thought occurred to her. ``I should give this back to you.'' She extended her trumpet to Rio, formally with both hands. ``Especially since this was your dear sister's. ...I found her name in the case. Also, it's wrong to take things that belong to a princess like you.''
Rio gently pushed the trumpet back to Kanata's chest. ``No, it belongs to you. It was a gift, and you've made it yours. You make such beautiful music with it; you did so well in Nomansland.'' Rio smiled, remembering Kanata's playing there. ``Iliya would agree with me. She would have wanted you to have it too. And since you're going to throw that `princess' thing at me, I guess I can always use that to get another trumpet anyway.''
``Are you sure?''
``Yes. I am.''
They stood there like this for a while. A smile grew on Kanata's face. ``OK, if you insist.'' She moved to hug the trumpet to her chest. ``Then I will promise to always love and treasure this trumpet, ...both for Princess Iliya and for you, sempai.''
Rio smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. ``Thank you. Thank you very much.''
``But,'' Kanata continued, ``even if you won't take this trumpet back, will you still play together with me?''
``Of course. I would love to.''
``And ...could you keep teaching me?''
``I'm not sure I have anything left to teach you.''
``Please,'' implored Kanata. ``I still have so much to learn from you: of music, ...and of your dear sister, ...and of life. Please, sempai.''
``All right.'' Rio's expression softened to show the kind, gentle girl she normally hid behind a gruff facade. ``But I think it may well be that I learn more from you instead.''
The two stood there, continuing to look over the town for a while longer, sometimes in silence, sometimes in conversation.
ooo OOO ooo
That afternoon, Rio poked her head into Filicia's office. ``You said you wanted to talk to me?'' Rio asked.
``Yes, thanks for coming by. Have a seat.'' Filicia smiled up at her, and Rio wasn't sure whether to be reassured or worried by that smile. When she had taken a chair, Filicia continued. ``It's getting to be time for the Water Sprinkling Festival this year. The Merchant Guild in town asked if one of us could again play the Fire Maiden in the festival. I think they might have noticed you've come back. They really enjoyed the job you did last year.''
``Wow, they didn't waste any time, did they,'' Rio observed.
Noticing her mild consternation, Filicia gave her a wry grin and added, ``If you were planning on avoiding the whole festival, I'd say you misjudged the time and came back a bit too early.''
``Filicia!'' Rio was ready to get angry, then noticed Filicia's teasing smirk and began to laugh.
Filicia couldn't hold back at this point and joined her laughing. ``I was just teasing you there ...at least in the last part about you planing to avoid the festival. I really am glad you came back here to us, even if it's only for a little while.''
``And what are friends, for if not to tease?'' said Rio, following Filicia's path back to seriousness. ``Are they serious about wanting me to play that part?''
``Yes, they are. The townspeople would be happy ...and honored if you would. I'm sure of that.''
``Really? But why?'' Rio might have an idea of why, but her mind shied away from it and threw up another. ``If it's because they're just a bunch of dirty old men...''
``That's not the way I'd describe Naomi.'' Filicia grinned at the incongruity. ``But no, that's not why at all. Seriously, they all thought you did a very good job last year.''
``Even with the disruption I caused responding to Kanata's call?''
``Especially with that.'' Filicia corrected her. ``They thought you not only handled the interruption well, but the way you did fit in perfectly with the play. You had good instincts there, Rio. Trust them.''
``But...''
``And think about it, who would be more appropriate to play a fire maiden who saved Seize from that ancient daemon than the Royal Maiden who saved Seize from the modern scourge of war.''
``Oh.'' Rio hadn't considered it in that light. ``Perhaps,'' she wondered, then thought, ``...But then, wouldn't Kanata...''
``True... she also helped save the town from war.''
``And with a `golden horn' no less, too,'' Rio pointed out, ``just like in the legend.''
They both paused, each thinking of Kanata and remembering how she'd grown over the past year.
Filicia's eyes twinkled at Rio again. ``You make some good points for Kanata there, but could you just be trying to get out of the part?''
Rio shook her head ruefully.
``But that doesn't mean they're any less accurate,'' Filicia continued. ``I could also point out that playing this part might be good practice for any public appearances in your new position as Princess and then Empress.'' Her expression grew more thoughtful, and then understanding, as she saw Rio realize she couldn't deny that even though she wished to. ``But seeing how you carried yourself in Nomansland, I'm not sure how much practice you need.''
Rio grasped at this idea. ``And the same practice could also be good for Kanata, though I hope she doesn't end up thrust into the same duties I have been. She's already grown a lot this past year.''
``Yes, it could,'' Filicia agreed. ``And she really has grown, thanks to your teaching.''
``And yours,'' Rio interrupted, emphasizing her point with a raised finger.
Filicia nodded, acknowledging her point. ``And if we're talking about how people have grown, so have you.'' She continued speaking over Rio's embarrassment. ``Perhaps Kanata is better suited to play the part of a `young maiden,' where you now can carry yourself well as royalty.''
Rio bit off her desire to argue Filicia's portrayal of her, as it pointed toward Kanata playing the maiden. ``And Kanata would also enjoy the part of the play where the villagers douse her and the daemon head with water much more than I did. She enjoyed the water free-for-all last year, even though she got soaked.''
``She certainly jumped into that with enthusiasm,'' Filicia agreed, then concluded. ``I suppose we can choose the same way we did last year.''
Rio sighed to herself. She knew it was almost impossible to dissuade Filicia if she had really made up her mind, and Rio still harbored suspicions about the straws they drew last year. ``Sure, I guess that would be fair.'' She fixed Filicia with a firm eye. ``Right?''
Filicia agreed with a smile, unfazed by Rio's look.
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So, how is your work on that ...balloon coming?'' Filicia asked, changing the subject.
``Very well, actually.'' Rio was half-glad to be distracted from worrying about the festival. ``I was pleased to find that the balloon envelope was just about done when I arrived back here. I expected that Lizette would have just stopped working on it when I left, but it seems she kept on working.'' Rio cocked her head and looked at Filicia. ``Did you have anything to do with that?''
Filicia gave a small laugh. ``You caught me, Rio. Not long after you left for the peace talks, Lizette stopped by the fortress with a few questions. When she wondered if she should keep working on it since you had left town, I asked her to. I figured that if you came back here, you might need something like this balloon to lift your spirits, and if you didn't you might need it even more and would be good to have it ready to ship to you. Then, after you passed back through to proclaim the peace, she was more eager to work on it. She really felt honored to be working on something for a princess, and a famous one too.''
``So it was you,'' Rio replied with an accusatory glint in her eye. ``How...'' She shook her head. Filicia rarely explained her methods or reasons, and was even less likely to do so when pressed. ``So did you also ask her for the pattern on the side?''
Filicia smiled at Rio's self-restraint here. ``Actually Lisette was the one who started that. After she found out you were a princess, she wanted to do something special, extra for you on the balloon. She came by and we talked it over for a while, quickly deciding on decoration but wondering what pattern would be best. I didn't think the Helvetian royal coat of arms would be your first choice, given what I knew of your feelings toward your father—but I told Lizette nothing of those reasons. I also thought that the Roman seal might have similar issues, as I had no idea what your opinion of the Roman Empire, and Emperor, would be after being coerced into this marriage. So, without telling either of these reasons, I suggested our unit insignia. After all an owl is also a creature of the air, and you were working on this together with at least some of us in the platoon. Lizette also felt she was making this balloon partly for the platoon as well, since we helped save the town. If it turned out that you ended up never receiving the balloon, having our unit insignia on it, especially if we ended up using it ourselves somehow, seemed reasonable.''
Rio nodded, understanding her reasoning.
``Plus, I figured you wouldn't mind this as a pattern. You never objected to wearing it on your sleeve, even if you didn't get along well with Shuko at first.''
They shared a laugh at this, remembering Rio's threat to eat Shuko when Filicia adopted her soon after Kanata's arrival.
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``But, how goes everything else?'' Filicia asked, returning to her original question.
``It's coming along fine. Noël says that the burner, the basket, and the rest of the system seem to be in good shape. She seems to be having a lot of fun working on this. I think she's glad to be working on something not designed to kill people. Even though she enjoyed the work on Takemikazuchi, she always was uncomfortable about his killing aspect.''
``Yes, she is. Noël was pleased that we were able to use Takemikazuchi to help stop war, not just kill people. You know, she really appreciates your pointing out that even killing machines like Takemikazuchi can be used to defend and save people's lives, not just take them.''
``I had that much effect when I talked to her back then?''
``You did. Thank you for all you've done for the girls here.''
Rio blushed at this and was rendered speechless. She didn't feel she had done much anything praiseworthy here.
After she had recovered her ability to speak, Rio continued the conversation in a different direction. ``By the way, Filicia. I only just heard the full story of how you stood up to Colonel Hopkins. Thank you for doing that. I'm really glad you were able to stop him
Filicia's face colored. ``But I...''
``I know it was hard on you, and you took quite a risk there. I didn't realize how forceful a counter you needed to use to stop him, especially there.'' She pointed over to the dining room. ``I'd heard how you used Takemikazuchi to stop his unit from starting a fight the Roman Army in battle before, but this was the first I heard of his ...adventures in Seize. That was quite a gamble you took, pulling a gun on an officer who outranked you and then arresting him. I'm glad Archduke Arkadia authorized your actions after the fact.''
``I'm glad, too.'' Filicia smiled with relief at her memory. ``I knew of Colonel Hopkins by reputation—after all I was involved in the battles around Bienenland—and could easily imagine what he would have done to Aisha if we turned her over. He directly said he intended to torture and kill her to taunt the Romans into attacking, and he openly criticized his orders to avoid combat. He seems to respect neither the laws of war nor the chain of command.''
``So I have heard. Unfortunately he has some strong political backing in the capital.''
Filicia nodded. ``So I figured, but I just couldn't let him threaten Noël.'' She steadied herself with a breath, then continued, ``After what he said about Aisha, and the way he saw Noël as merely a tool for his schemes, not a person, I had to stop him.''
``But still, firing a pistol past his ear was daring.''
``That was almost an instinctive reaction when he threatened Noël.'' Filicia paused as a thought came to her. ``Your sister was caring that way, risking herself for someone like myself when she merely heard cry for help. I'm not sure I can be that caring.''
``I think you are. After all, look what you did for Aisha having barely met her.'' Rio paused and smiled. ``I'm sure Iliya would have been proud of you. ...I certainly am.''
Filicia blushed at the compliment, then equivocated, ``And in some ways, I'm just continuing to look after Noël like Princess Iliya did. Friends ...people are precious and should be treasured.''
``Yes, and like you said last year, you're fighting for peace, so that none of the children you care for ever needs to have traumatic memories like those the war gave you.''