Sora no Ato: Chapter 8
Growing Together: Memories of Family
Not many days later, while Noël and Mishio were working together on her box, conversation turned to Seiya and his adventure last year trying to protect the eggplants he was growing for Yumina.
``Are you going to grow some again this year?'' asked Noël. ``For her?''
``Yes, we want to. We already bought eggplant seeds and started them indoors like uncle Pierre said. We don't have much money, and the seeds were cheaper than the seedlings we bought last year. And Uncle Pierre told us how to start them and grow them into seedlings.'' Mishio explained their growing, then returned to her problem. ``But Yumina-onēchan found them and made us promise not to grow anything near the river like that. She said she doesn't want that risk for Kureha or any of the rest of you. We need to find someplace to plant them.'' Mishio's voice was a small pitiful wail. ``We can't keep plants indoors all year. They'll die.''
Noël thought for a bit as they continued quietly working on the box.
``Mishio,'' she said when they finished their work for the day. ``Let's go talk to Filicia. Maybe she has an idea on this.''
``Can she help?'' asked Mishio, unsure of adults' abilities.
``We can ask. She won't mind. She'll want to help.''
They found Filicia in the courtyard with Kanata, doing laundry. Noël and Mishio quickly explained the conundrum.
``I can see why Yumina would be worried if you were out by the river,'' said Filicia, returning her kind, motherly smile. ``She doesn't want anything bad to happen to you, or Seiya ...or anyone else, for that matter.''
``Yeah, even Rio-sempai was worried then,'' Kanata piped up, remembering rescuing Seiya, Kureha and Klaus from the raging, rain-swelled river. ``Though I now understand why better,'' she added under her breath. Looking over to Filicia, she asked, ``Is there anything we can do? I want to help.''
``Please,'' begged Mishio. ``Yumina really loves eggplants and we want to do something for her.''
``Well,'' said Filicia, rolling some ideas over in her mind. ``How many plants would you be growing? How much space do you need?''
``We can't afford many,'' said Mishio. ``Last year, before they got washed away, our garden was about that size.'' She pointed to the stone tub under the well now filled with laundry.
``That's not all that big,'' Filicia agreed. ``Kanata, you said you wanted to help?''
``Yes, Filicia-sempai. What can I do?''
``I think we can spare that much room in the fortress garden. If you can help with some of the heavier digging and show Mishio how we work the garden there, I think we could do this. Of course, we need to get Yumina's permission too.''
``Yay!'' Mishio bounded over to hug Filicia. ``Thank you Aunt Filicia!''
``Oh, good,'' said Noël, and her face grew to a quiet smile.
As Filicia returned the hug, Mishio buried her face in her hair. ``You smell like mama,'' she said with a quiet, contented sigh.
Filicia's smile grew even more tender, and her eyes filled with tears. ``Thank you,'' she said, continuing to hold the one who had given her this supreme compliment.
Kanata glanced over to Noël and smiled. She knew just how much those words had meant to the other two.
.
``Hello,'' called a voice from the entrance, interrupting this tableau. Yumina had come to pick up Mishio and see how things were going. Filicia disengaged herself from Mishio and lead the way to meet Yumina.
``Oh,'' exclaimed Yumina on seeing the entourage come to meet her. ``I hope Mishio isn't causing you any problems.''
``No, not at all,'' said Filicia. ``Why don't you come in and join us for some tea.''
``I'm not interrupting anything, am I?'' asked Yumina, noticing Filicia and Kanata's rolled up pants and sleeves.
``No. We need to let the laundry soak for a while anyway.''
The five came inside and sat around the table. Filicia brought tea for everyone but Mishio who got a nice glass of cider.
``Yumina-onēchan, Yumina-onēchan?'' Mishio almost bounced with excitement.
``What is it, Mishio? Is your work with Noël on your box going well?''
``Yeah. She's teaching me all about it and letting me help too. But we have to go slowly and be extra careful.''
Yumina looked over at Noël who nodded in agreement. A hint of a smile crept onto her face, as Mishio really was doing a good job learning and helping repair her box. She also showed a surprising degree of patience for a girl her age.
``But Yumina-onēchan,'' Mishio continued, ``I know you said we couldn't grow things down by the river anymore.'' Yumina nodded. She had told them that. ``But can we grow some things with our friends here in the fortress garden? Aunt Filicia said we could if you say yes. Please say yes.''
Yumina glanced at Filicia who nodded that she really had agreed to this, then turned back to Mishio. ``Is it just you, or is this a project with some of your friends from church?''
``Seiya also really wants to, and I think Claude and Alain do too. Please, Yumina-onēchan.''
``Well, if Filicia is really OK with this, then all right. But you need to make sure you don't bother your friends here when they're busy or get in their way. You know that they have real work to do here, they're not just here to play with you all the time. Filicia is being so kind; you should do something nice in return for her and your friends at the fortress here.'' She cocked an inquisitive eye at Filicia, then asked Mishio, ``Do you think they might like some help with the rest of their garden, maybe?''
``Aunt Filicia, do you want us to help with your garden too? We could...'' Her voice dropped off as she realized she didn't know much about gardening.
``Sure,'' said Filicia with a smile. ``We all work on the garden together, and more hands would be a help. Those of us who grew up in the country can help teach the ones who don't know so much about gardening. Right Noël?''
``Yeah,'' Noël quietly assented. She grew up in the city and at the Academy, so the fortress garden was her first real exposure to agriculture.
Filicia looked at Yumina and a few unspoken words passed between them.
``Mishio,'' Yumina began, ``Since you're coming over here regularly to work with Noël, do you think you could work out the detailed arrangements for gardening here with Filicia or whoever she says? Make sure Seiya and whoever else you bring with you understands and agrees to what they want you to do and whatever rules they have. OK?''
``Yes, Yumina-onēchan.''
The next day, Mishio and Seiya brought their eggplant seedlings over and planted them in the small plot which Filicia had designated and which they had prepared.
ooo OOO ooo
Mishio and Noël continued working together on her box. One day as they shared lunch together in Noël's workshop and waited for some glue joints to dry, they fell to talking. Mishio told about her parents: how her dad had gone off to war and never returned, how she and her mother had moved here from Bienenland, and how her mother had fallen sick and died soon after.
``I still miss Mom and Dad, but if that hadn't happened I never would have met Yumina-onēchan, or...'' Mishio blushed. ``...or made friends like you.''
``It's great that you can be so cheerful. Many people would just be angry, bitter.''
``But I met so many friends here. I didn't have many back in Bienenland. How could I not enjoy this?'' Mishio's confusion was genuine.
Noël envied Mishio's happy outlook on life. If only she could learn this from Mishio.
``Noël-onēchan.'' Mishio interrupted her thinking. ``Tell me about when you were little.'' When Noël didn't answer immediately, Mishio remembered what Yumina and her mother taught her of politeness, and added, ``Please.''
Noël's mind spun. She normally was quite a private person who shared little of her own emotions or past, yet Mishio was her friend who had just told of her own dear family. Yet Noël had done things she was now ashamed of, things that hurt many including Mishio, and she feared telling more might lose her Mishio's friendship. Yet Mishio already accepted her deeds before they started working on the box. Noël finally resolved that if she was to learn Mishio's cheerful outlook on life, she would need to start trusting more friends as she did. And if there was one to trust the way Mishio did, Mishio herself would not be a bad start.
``Mishio...'' Noël began, and Mishio picked up something different in her voice and listened with undivided attention. ``Ever since I was little, I've been fascinated with machines and science. My parents never really understood this. One of our neighbors did. He would talk to me about these things. He taught me what he could. That was a lot. He was a professor at the Academy.''
``Professor was really my only friend growing up. My parents...'' Noël changed the direction of her words. ``I envy people like you. People who have ...had good, loving parents.'' She paused, thinking how her father betrayed her family and ran off with another woman. Her mother wasn't much better, either. Colonel Hopkins was far from her first experience with people betraying her. She looked over at Mishio. ``We really should thank your mother and father ...for making you the good girl—and friend—that you are.''
Mishio's look turned serious as she watched Noël tell her this, but her eyes twinkled with a smile as she added, ``And Yumina-onēchan, too.''
Noël nodded in agreement. They should thank Yumina too, for she was effectively Mishio's parent now.
They finished lunch but continued talking, sharing stories of Mishio's parents and Noël's Professor which neither had ever told anyone before. And by this sharing their friendship grew stronger, even when Noël told more of her restoring the Bienenland bio-weapon plant that killed Mishio's mother. Mishio still forgave her.
Noël's spirits were buoyed for the rest of the day by Mishio's trust and acceptance. That night, she sat down at her desk, took pen and paper, and began another letter to Aisha. She also deserved to know of Noël's past, and Noël realized she should trust her to accept this the same way Mishio had. It would take effort, but she resolved to trust Aisha's love and understanding.
When Aisha's reply came in the post, her trust was rewarded in full measure.
ooo OOO ooo
Finally, one day, Noël and Mishio finished the work on the box. Noël had Mishio slide the final pieces together and then make sure it opened and closed the way it used to.
``You did it, Noël-onēchan.''
``No,'' Noël quietly contradicted. ``We did it. Let's go show Yumina.''
``Yeah.''
They headed over to the church where they found Yumina working on some more clothes for her orphans. It was a constant job. Between wearing them out through hard use and outgrowing them, the kids seemed to go through clothes at an impressive rate. It was good she enjoyed needlework.
``Look! Look, Yumina-onēchan,'' cried Mishio. ``We fixed the box.''
Yumina put down the shirt she was working on and took the box Mishio held out to her. She looked it over carefully. ``It does look completely fixed. Does it still open the way you showed me?''
``Of course.'' Mishio took the box back and proudly demonstrated opening and closing it.
``Wow,'' said Yumina, impressed. ``It took you a while but you did a really good job.''
``I couldn't have done it without Noël-onēchan. She's so good.''
``Yes, she is,'' agreed Yumina. ``Thank you, Noël. We owe you for this.''
``No,'' Noël contradicted. ``This is just what friends do for each other: working together, helping each other.'' She put her arm around Mishio's shoulders and smiled. ``Right, Mishio?''
``Right,'' said Mishio, smiling back at the friend she made.
Yumina had to smile back at the two. It filled her heart with joy to see these two both grow and open up. ``The Myriad Gods have blessed us all. May they continue to do so.''
.
Afterwards, the three returned to the Fortress to thank Filicia for the loan of Noël's time. ``I'm glad,'' Filicia responded. ``Even more so since it looks like you built a friendship at the same time you fixed the box.''
``Yup!'' Mishio agreed, and Noël gave one of her—now less rare—smiles.
Yumina and Filicia shared a knowing look, both pleased at the growth and happiness of their charges.
ooo OOO ooo
Filicia and Kanata cooperated in the kitchen to make a special dinner. Filicia had decided to celebrate Princess Iliya's birthday now that she knew how many ties Iliya had back here. She had been reluctant to suggest anything last year, as Rio was still keeping her heritage secret, and she hadn't known that Kanata had also met Princess Iliya.
Once they were all seated around the table, Filicia glanced up at Rio who silently indicated she should continue, so Filicia began. ``Today is Princess Iliya's birthday and many of us here have ties to her, even Shuko does,'' she added gesturing to their mascot who sat perched on the clock, watching them eat. ``Let's honor her by sharing our memories of her while we enjoy this meal. Rio, since she's your sister, would you mind starting with some memories you have?''
Rio raised an eyebrow at her, telling Filicia she saw through this attempt to manipulate her, but that she would go along with it anyway. ``Well,'' she said, gathering her thoughts, ``you all know Iliya was my half sister; her mother was Archduchess Josephine.'' A round of nods told her they did. Kureha had made sure everyone knew about Iliya after Rio declared her heritage in Nomansland. ``Iliya was the highlight of my childhood, often the only fun thing for me in the little town where I was raised. She came to visit my mother and I much more than our father ever did. We spent a lot of good times together when I was a child, and she's the one who taught me to play the trumpet. I really looked up to her.'' Rio went on to tell what it was like when Iliya came and visited, and how the three always had fun together. ``...after mother died, she was the one who made sure I was taken care of, ...and not by that corrupt priest.'' She paused, and her flinty expression said it was good that this priest was not within range of her. ``She was away on some exercise our father had sent her on when mother's last sickness came or she would have stopped that priest.'' She shook her head. ``But enough of that, she would want us to be happy, and I always was when I was with her.''
She smiled at Filicia and began eating. Two could play this game, and now it was Filicia's turn to talk.
``I first met Princess Iliya when she saved me in the battle for Bienenland,'' Filicia began, not even blinking at Rio's turning the tables on her. ``I was the only survivor of my unit, there. Princess Iliya saved me. She attached me to her own unit for a while so I would have someplace to belong and someone to look after me.''
Kanata and especially Kureha wanted to hear more of Filicia's adventures leading up to her rescue, but Filicia declined. ``That was a dark and hopeless time for me. I'd rather not think of it. And anyway, tonight we should concentrate on good memories of Princess Iliya.''
``I was also at Bienenland,'' Noël interjected in a quiet voice. ``I met Princess Iliya there. She was kind, ...not like...'' Her voice trailed off into darkness.
``Yes, she was very kind and caring,'' Filicia answered, hoping that good memories might help pull Noël from her pit of despair. If only Iliya had been able to keep Noël with her as well. At least she had been able to arrange Noël's assignment away from Colonel Hopkins' unit. Though she still wondered if Princess Iliya had later arranged for Noël to be assigned to Seize. ``She was glad to save those she could there and wished she had arrived sooner to save more. I'm glad I got to know her.''
``Me too,'' Noël added quietly.
A look passed between Filicia and Noël, each thanking the other for helping shut away the darkness that dwelt in the back of their minds. Filicia continued on. ``After that battle, Princess Iliya had to rush off with the Royal Guard to attend to another hot-spot on the front.'' She grinned at Rio. Was this a family trait Rio and Iliya shared? ``But she arranged leave for me to relax and recover and then return to a training camp for reassignment.'' Her grin turned to a pleasant smile. ``And it was at that training camp where I met Rio.''
The others nodded, Filicia had told them of this meeting just before Rio returned.
``Yes,'' Rio agreed. ``It took us a bit to become friends, but we did.'' Filicia nodded happily in agreement. Rio cocked her head and continued. ``Iliya also arranged for me to do my advanced training at that camp. I wonder if she also quietly arranged for us to be roommates and then assigned here?''
``I wouldn't put that past her; she really loved to take care of people.'' Filicia paused a moment thinking. ``Though I don't see there's any way we could find out now. Colonel Hara, who commanded that camp, was lost just before the armistice and of course we can't ask Princess Iliya either. Nonetheless, if she did arrange that, I'm grateful.''
``But does it hurt to think she did?''
Not at all,'' Filicia answered. ``Thank you, Princess Iliya.''
Kanata's eyes grew rounder during this telling. ``That's so wonderful,'' she exclaimed. ``Princess Iliya is a really nice person. I'm so glad I met her when I was little.''
``So why don't you tell us of meeting her,'' Rio prompted.
``Sure.'' Kanata was happy to. ``She's the reason I'm here.'' When the others looked at her quizzically, she continued. ``When I was little, maybe about four years old or so, I had wandered off, away from my family and gotten lost exploring some ruins outside our town.'' She grinned at Rio; getting lost seemed to be her special talent. ``Anyway, it was raining, and I was cold and scared. Princess Iliya—though I didn't know who she was, then—found me and played the Sound of the Sky for me. It was so beautiful, the sound carried right to my heart, and I wasn't scared anymore. That's when I knew I wanted to play the trumpet. I joined the Army so I could learn how.''
Kureha looked on, surprised by Kanata's tale. ``I'm jealous, you actually got to meet Princess Iliya. I wish I could have.''
``But I didn't know who she was, and I was only a kid,'' Kanata replied.
``But she gave you a dream that you followed,'' Rio pointed out. ``And, Kureha, I know she would be proud of you for studying medicine so you can save people. She always spoke highly of the medics in the army. I wish one of them had been around when mother was sick and dying.'' Her voice momentarily grew hard as her anger at the corrupt priest who refused to help her mother bubbled up, but she suppressed that. ``Please hold tight to your dream,'' she told Kureha in a calmer voice. ``I think you'll make a good doctor.''
Kureha glowed at these words of praise and approval from her adored Rio.
``I heard that it was Princess Iliya's wanting to save others that was her undoing.'' Kureha wanted to contribute to sharing memories of her, even though she had never met the princess herself. Filicia motioned for her to continue. ``Here's what I heard. She was visiting Quatre with the Royal Guard when it happened. They were all helping put up sandbags against the river that was trying to overflow its banks and swamp the town. A boy from town was playing on top of the makeshift levee. He shouldn't have been there, but maybe that was part of the appeal for him. Anyway, he slipped and fell in, and the river took him and swept him off downstream. Princess Iliya saw him swept past her and jumped in to save him. She was able to grab onto him and pass him to rescuers on the bank, but before she could climb out herself an uprooted tree came rushing down in the river, tore her from the bank and carried her on. Everyone rushed to help, but the tree kept her pinned under water long enough to drown.'' She paused. ``They say Princess Iliya didn't even stop to think, she just jumped in to save that kid she didn't even know. That's how much she cared for people.''
They all paused for a moment of silence, supporting each other in their shared loss.
``Yes, I don't think she hesitated at all when rescuing me, either,'' Filicia finally added.
``But I wish she had thought a little more for her own safety,'' said Rio, holding back tears.
Filicia looked at her. ``So this is why you were upset last year when we were looking for Seiya and rescuing him from the flood?''
``Yeah,'' Rio responded after a brief pause. ``That gave me bad flashbacks. Thankfully everyone ended up safe that time.'' She looked over at Kanata. ``And that's why I was upset when you almost pitched over the edge of Naomi's balcony the day you arrived.''
``I'm sorry I made you worry, Rio-sempai.'' Kanata's expression was contrite. ``But that bell was precious to you...''
``But not worth your life ...or the effort you went through to get it back.'' Rio pulled out the bell she still wore around her neck and looked at it. ``But thank you. Our father gave a pair of these bells to Iliya and I several years ago. I liked it then because Iliya and I matched.'' She declined to add that it being from her dad meant little to her. ``And now, I continue to wear it as it reminds me of my ties to Iliya and also to my friends here.''
Kanata was pleased to hear that the bell really did mean something to Rio. She was glad she had rescued it that first, eventful day.
Filicia decided to steer the conversation away from Iliya's death and their loss. After all, this was supposed to be a celebration, and they should be happy. ``You know, I was able to spend a few days with Princess Iliya and her Guard after she rescued me and before they had to rush off to the next hot-spot.'' She dropped these words into the pool of silence at the table, and a ripple of interested smiles came back to her. ``In those few days we talked a lot. I think she was trying to help me heal from the trauma of losing the rest of my unit. It turned out that she knew Captain Yukiko, my tank commander, from their days together in training. We talked about her, and how she ran our unit, and also about the rest of the gals in the unit. Looking back, I see that she was not just helping me heal, but also teaching me about command. It turned out that she and Captain Yukiko had similar views on the art of command: they both cared for their troops and wanted them to be both safe and happy.'' She sighed quietly. ``I hope I've been able to follow their teaching.''
``You have,'' said Rio.
Filicia looked up at her, half surprised by the air of authority in her voice.
``Yes,'' Rio continued in explanation. ``You have run this platoon the way Iliya would. She tried to teach me some of that as I grew older, though I'm not sure I really understood those lessons until this past year.'' Her eyes grew distant as she remembered. ``And also, I had time to talk about her with the Royal Guard as we traveled along the Helvetian border. What they told of her matches your command style here, too. Many members of the Guard have served in it since the days when Iliya was their commander. After they discovered I enjoyed talking about her, they told me a lot.'' She grinned wryly. ``I guess their initially hesitated as they were worried that talking about her might bring up bad memories for me.''
``I'm glad it doesn't,'' Kanata piped up. ``Princess Iliya is a such a wonderful person. What else did they say about her? Please tell us.''
``OK. Some are just silly stories, but if you really are interested...''
All the eyes around the table begged Rio to continue, so she did, talking on into the evening as they shared their meal, their memories, their joy and their sadness. Filicia smiled happily over them all, glad to see them enjoying life and companionship, and especially to see Rio growing more comfortable leading. Iliya would be proud of them, she thought. I certainly am.
Dinner wound down as they finished their dessert. Filicia poured a glass of calvados for each of them, a small one as it wouldn't do to get drunk. Their experience last summer was not something to repeat this evening. She picked up her glass and raised it in a toast to finish this celebration. ``To Princess Iliya, best of friends and commanders. May she continue to bring us together and be an inspiration to us all.''
``To Princess Iliya,'' came back the chorus of voices.
This brought back to Kureha's mind a book on protocol and customs, and gave her an idea. She stood, raised her glass and formally intoned, ``To Princess Rio, a truly worthy successor to Princess Iliya.''
``To Princess Rio,'' they all answered, save for Rio, who simply sat in her place, blushing.
Rio was less embarrassed than she would have been in the past. Perhaps she was getting used to being a princess, or at least accustomed to dealing with people treating her like one. Something from Iliya, and possibly from Franz Leopold as well, echoed in her mind, so she stood. ``This is a toast I know my sister Iliya would agree with, and might well wish to make were she here.'' She raised her glass. ``To Peace!'' she declared, and drained her glass.
``To peace,'' they all answered, draining their glasses in turn, responding to the royalty in her voice.