Tsubasa threw on a jacket as he headed outside that evening, able to feel the chill in the air, and surrendering his right to go barefoot. Under his arm was a notebook and he wondered if Les had a jacket.

Les did have his jacket, a woollen Navy one. He was singing a soft song that Tsubasa had never heard before anywhere.

Don't you surrender your right to go free

There's a million things that this world can be

A castle, a prison, a cloud in the sky

Or a place to fly high,

fly high

Don't you surrender your freedom of thought

There's things that you are and there's things that you're not

But there's thousands of things you can become

Grit your teeth spread your wings and look up to the sun -

"Oh, hey, son."

"Hi, Les."

"Pull uppa chair. This sidewalk ain't doin us no favours tonight."

As the sun went down, Tsubasa grabbed a couple of chairs from the cafe next door and sat down next to Les.

"How was yer day? Didja remember what I told ya?"

"Yes. I brought you this. It's to write down your songs in."

Les took the leather-covered notebook with a sense of awe, laying it across the centre of the guitar.

"Thanks, son, but these songs ain't mine."

"I know. I mean, like the one you were just singing."

Les chuckled. "That ain't mine. That's Cindy's. She's mah granddaughter and ah swear she was born a-singin'. She's meant ta be in a music school by now."

His face fell. "Instead, she's a-workin' the gen'ral store counter back in the states cause she don't have enough money ta go ta college. That's why I'mma here on this corner when ah should be retired, gittin' money fer her music. Nobody'll hire me cause I'm too old ta work proper and so ah'm makin' money fer her tha only way ah can. Music runs in tha family, nah."

"I can see that."

"Someday I'mma gonna collect 'nough money ta get her through a fine arts academy and then I'll be able ta die in peace. She'll have her future out fer her and I'll have fulfilled mah big purpose in life, an' it's a-gonna be soon that ah gits enough money. I'mma nearly there."

"That's a noble purpose, Les. But you're not going to die anytime soon."

Les shrugged. "Gonna happen to one o' us sooner or later. If it ain't me, it'll be you, or the guy next door or your nephew or my great-aunt. Come to think of it, she's dead already. Nevermind."

Tsubasa laughed softly as the last of the sunset disintegrated over Metal City, and looked up into the stars, tracing the familiar symbol of Gingka's pegasus. The legendary blader of autumn had his brand across the sky now, always reminding Tsubasa that he had been the one who got the title of hero...

He shook the angry thoughts from his head and asked Les if he had a place to sleep.

Les laughed. "Don'tcha go losin' no sleep over me, son. Ah've got ma path set fer me and ah'm okay with lodgin's fer now. Not that I ever go there no more. Don't know when was the last time I slept. I don't sleeps much nohow. Ya better be gettin' home. Ah reckon tomorrow's gonna be a big day fer you anyhow."

"How do you figure that?"

"Don't know. Just it's a busy day fer mosta tha world so it might's well be one fer you too."

"I see your point."

As Tsubasa rose and walked back to his apartment, Les called after him, "Ya need a song ta cheer ya up or just somebody ta talks to, I'm herer most'the time. Jus' come see me and, uh, no stealin' mah business. This here's mah street corner, not yers."