Chapter 15: Soar

Oliver kept a hand to his earpiece as he delivered orders. "Remember. If any Seruva show up… taking them in is only a secondary goal. Taking them out is more important. Try to hang back and let the Herald fight first."

"Come now Oliver, I'm anxious to try out the new arms! Can't I just take a few warning swipes?"

He tapped his fingers on the desk. "Flower wants as much data on her new tool as she can get. Make sure she doesn't get broken."

He swallowed hard. "If anyone from Mystery Squad shows up, no matter who they are, don't let them escape. You don't get chem requisitions this time so… if they show up… do not kill them."

"Aww, listen to Ollie, he's still such a softie. Don't worry, we'll make you proud of us!"

As the boy's thoughts turned to his siblings, he hoped their last encounter had taught them to stay out of the way… to protect themselves…

… something he realized likely hadn't happened as the door to his office burst open, Mirror containment troops rushing inside. Oliver took a few quick swipes at his key board before putting his hands up as guns raised in his general direction.

"You've been keeping secrets, Oliver."

For the first time in almost three years… Oliver found himself face to face with his father. Leon Heart.

The older man brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. "You had a very specific job Oliver. Contain the Noise experiments, and keep the FX Units under control."

The boy clenched his fists but remained silent under his father's icy gaze. "You were not supposed to be interfering with Project Gemini."

"… you could at least have the decency to use your children's names, father."

Leon failed to take the bait. "Confiscate his equipment, let IT recover as much as we can. As for you, my boy…"

Oliver smirked. "You can't silence me mid-operation. Big Al and Sweet Ann don't take orders from anyone but me."

"Oh… that's not going to be a problem anymore, Ollie dear!"

Mayu's infuriating giggle pierced the air as the blonde scientist bounced forward.

Miku tried to control the scooter as she zipped through the Tsubasa City streets. The waves of Dark Notes kept clawing at her, trying to amplify her feelings – this time, of hatred. A difficult problem, because Miku had so many people to hate right now.

Kaito's calm voice on the back of the scooter helped her keep herself together. This would hopefully be a simple assignment… but not one of the Vocaloids had seen nor heard from Neru since her capture by Mirror.

And right now, she really hated Mirror.

As she grew closer to the tower, she jammed on her brakes as rows of stopped cars blocked her progress. "Oh come on, rush hour?!" she grumbled.

"Miku… they're unconscious! Look!"

Miku followed Kaito's outstretched hand to the windows of a nearby sedan. A woman lay slumped over the steering wheel in her vehicle, a black aura closing in around her body. Darting her head to a stopped truck, the driver was laying back in his seat, mumbling to himself. Even on the sidewalks, she could find children and teenagers on the ground, their discarded bikes lying on the pavement.

Miku hopped off the scooter. "Guess we'll just have to hoof the last mile… ugh… I don't suppose you've got any spells to help with that?"

Kaito laughed in spite of the danger. "As a matter of fact… yes."

Len gripped the handles of his scooters tightly. "Are they still behind us!?" he called out.

"Yup!" Gumi hollered.

"Len… just sing with me, okay?"

Lightning cracked behind him as he sang the zig-zagging melody of storms. He heard a swerve behind him. "Yea… they're done following us now."

His sister's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. His heart pounded. There was no way his parents hadn't found out about his powers now. But he wasn't going to let them take him or his friends out. Maybe this show of force would keep them away from him in the meantime.

But they could worry about that later. Right now, he still needed to save Kaito.

As if on cue, Rin's text signal went off. She grabbed her phone and checked it.

"Kaito-niisan! He's alive! He's safe!"

Another crisis averted. "For a bird, that guy's got more lives than a cat!" Gumi quipped.

As they grew closer to the downtown area, Len finally recognized a screeching noise in the air. "The heck is that?!"

"It sounds like… like when Neru was turning our phones against us!"

"Wait, what?! Then get rid of yours, Rin!"

Rin held her phone out. "It's fine though… she must not be in a cell tower anymore…"

Kaito was barely awake AND there was an active Herald. And they still hadn't heard from Gakupo and Luka since they'd left to track Meiko. Their troubles had yet to cease… "Wait, Miku just texted… she thinks they're in the Kotori Broadcast Tower! The signals are coming from the TVs!"

"Okay… you two do your superhero thing… I'd love to film it, but I got way too much data to sift through!"

Gumi gave a wave to the twins as she jetted off. "Stay safe you guys!"

The moment the Dark Notes reached Gakupo's ear, his relentless pursuers seemed to grow even more chaotic. "A Herald… now?!"

"Gakupo, try weaving through the skyscrapers!"

He followed Luka's orders, zooming between the many tall buildings as though they were trees. The screeching noise of the Dark Notes rattled in his head. He despised them so… The Noise had taken so much from him already, bent him into a blunt tool, and then spat him out when he served no further use.

"Gakupo! Are you okay?!"

He retained his grip on Luka as he realized what was happening to him. He flew straight up, trying to evade the Dark Notes. It felt as though the closer he were to the ground, the more powerful the signal… finally he alighted atop one of the buildings, quickly releasing Luka as he allowed his head to clear.

"Gakupo… I felt it too… it wasn't just you…" Luka reassured him.

"I… I know…"

Yet he still reflexively found himself examining his hands just to remind himself of his own sanity. The dissonant melody in his heart no longer existed. He would not change again.

Luka checked her phone as he knelt against the edge of the skyscraper, trying to survey the area below him. People collapsed all over the streets. Neru then. Hopefully this time he could fight her without Mirror's interference. But fighting multiple opponents at the same time…

"…. It worked! Kaito's alive!"

"What?! Miku did it by herself?!"

Luka started to wipe some tears from her face at the first piece of happy news they'd gotten this day. "Miku thinks the Herald is at Kotori… so… Kaito and Miku are heading there to stop the Herald…"

He heard a bird-like wail and prepared for battle, but he saw the possessed Seruva shoot right past him. He quickly realized they were being drawn to the tower. "… Meiko's Seruva are being led into a trap."

He spread his wings out. "I'll divert them."

"What?! By yourself!?"

As much as he'd much rather leave Luka somewhere safe rather than watch her suffer another mortal wound… he knew he couldn't fight them himself. "… I'll bait them back here."

If he kept close to her, he could protect her.

He heard Luka's melody in his ears as he felt his fatigue vanishing. Having been properly healed, Gakupo left from the skyscraper roof, preparing himself for yet another fight. He needed to keep the Seruva away from the tower long enough for Kaito to send the Herald away.

He disliked leaving Kaito and Miku to solve a problem on their own but he hoped that the twins were right behind them. And no doubt the wild Seruva would turn on Kaito quickly if they met him at the tower as well.

As the warrior closed in on his targets, he tossed out a mighty wave to force their attention. Immediately they changed their flight paths and closed on him. As he dove back towards the building, twisting through the air to avoid a few dark bolts of energy from their dissonant songs, he hoped Luka was prepared for the fight he was bringing back to her.

He smirked. For once, he was enjoying a battle again.

As Kaito approached the building, still singing his ballad of renewal to keep up his energy with Miku, he saw Len and Rin zooming up the sidewalk on their scooter. "H…hey! How did you pull THAT off!?" Miku shouted.

Len hopped off and laughed. "We uh… took the scenic route. Probably broke like 50 traffic laws but… the cops are unconscious, so what are they gonna do?"

Before Kaito could say another word, Rin ran towards him and sailed through the air as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. In seconds he found himself on the ground from Rin's enthusiastic greeting. "K… Kaito-niisan… I was so scared… I don't wanna lose any more big brothers!"

Upon hearing her shaking, panicked notes, he patted Rin on the top of the head and tried to reassure her. "It's okay, Rin… Miku saved me. I'm not going anywhere now."

Rin sniffled and released her "big brother", allowing him back up to his feet. Kaito brushed himself off, guilty that he'd so upset the people he counted as his friends but also cheered that they'd all cared so much about him. "Let's go take care of the Herald, and then we can find Luka and Gakupo!" he said.

The twins nodded and he followed close behind Miku as she entered the building. He kept maintaining his own ballad to try and keep the group standing as the intensity of the noise grew. Occasionally some of the people nearby him would jerk around or appear to notice Kaito's presence, but as he passed them they returned to their unconscious state. Having been plunged into the heart of the Noise, Kaito felt nothing but pity for them. If they suffered even a fraction of the suffering he'd experienced so deep within the malevolent entity…

Kaito vowed to end this today. Then he could focus on how to stop the Heralds from appearing anymore. Find some way to rescue the other Spirit Callers from the Noise as he'd rescued the first five. Just as he was going to save Neru...

Miku approached the elevator and pressed the button. "My best guess is… they stuck the generator on one of the observation decks. So as soon those doors open… expect a fight."

Len pumped his fists. "Oh, we're ready for it! Now that we got Kaito back, this is gonna be EASY!"

"Until next you soar."

Prima's words echoed in Kaito head as he sought some solution to his dilemma. He had wings no longer – "soaring" was not something he could accomplish. Even Haku seemed doubtful he could pull it off. But still they'd entrusted him with a powerful ballad. And a warning – the End was approaching.

'The end of the world?' he thought to himself.

As the four rode up the elevator and he saw the city grow smaller as he flew higher, Kaito finally understood why Luka loved coming up here. He pressed up against the glass, for a few moments imagining himself with wings and the first moments of flight of the earth being propelled away from him. The closest he could ever get to flying under his own power now.

Miku placed her hand over his. Something about her expression suggested she understood his feelings. Once, only once, she'd seen Tsubasa City from the sky, in the arms of the boy who saved her. Maybe she liked high places for the same reason.

He could just barely hear Rin whispering dreamily to herself.

"My oniisan… The fallen angel finding happiness with the earthbound songstress… so romantic…"

The color in Miku's cheeks indicated Rin was hardly any less audible to her either.

As the elevator doors opened, Miku held her sword hilt tightly, prepared for almost anything. When she made out two familiar figures on the lower deck, she realized they were the only two people she still didn't know how to prepare herself for.

Side by side they stood. Big Sweet. Singing in an eerie synchronous duet. Sweet Ann swept her arms to the right.

"Wanted to live her life in the spotlight… wanted to love a love of pure passion…"

Big Al dipped his partner as though holding her for a dance.

"Dreaded that day that life would grow boring. Happiness was a headline away!"

Rin and Len reflexively released a pair of golden arrows upon seeing them, taking no chances. Big Al spun his partner, elegantly allowing both of them to dodge them. Miku looked to the stairs leading up to the highest observation deck. "They're protecting Neru…" she growled.

"… then you and Kaito go get Neru. We'll take care of Big Sweet."

"Len, NO!" Kaito bellowed, "I won't let either of you do something so dangerous!"

"They won't kill us," Rin said solemnly, "They won't do that for you."

She glared up at Miku and Kaito. "Just fix everything quick, okay?"

Before Kaito could respond, Big Sweet began a thunderous charge, charging at the quartet like an oncoming train. Rin and Len threw up their shields as the two impacted. "GO! NOW!"

Miku didn't want to leave them behind... but she had to trust in them. "Now Kaito!"

She glanced back and worried that Kaito intended to stay behind anyway, but he turned and began to chase after her. The two bolted up the stairs.

"Happiness! Was a headline-"

Kaito got his next shield up so fast Ann nearly flew off the railing entirely from the force. Miku kept her hand on her weapon as the screeching sounds grew closer. Neru would be waiting for them… she would not let anything happen to Kaito again…

As Luka drew another arrow to keep her distance, she had just one thought in her head - why was Lily of all people so obsessed with fighting her?! She'd only met the commander of the warrior caste once. She had never wished to meet her again.

Perhaps the Noise knew their history and wished to torment them with it.

Meanwhile, Gakupo seemed to be performing better than ever with the skies open to him. She'd keep seeing him lead the trio of brothers around the skyscrapers, trying to force them to break formation and engaging with a straggler when he had the chance. Every time they closed around him, he'd use the terrain to disappear again.

The wretched Dark Notes vibrating through the city grated on Luka's ears. Every so often she'd feel the melody try to overwhelm her heart, trying to draw her wells of hatred out. An emotion she'd come to understand – the more she became exposed to the abuses of her clan, the more she hated herself for wanting to be so loyal to its leadership.

And now… now they were dead. Finally destroyed by one of their victims.

The only question on Luka's mind as she turned away another frenzy of claw swipes from her opponent was where they'd found the Noise in the first place. Had a rift opened in the Islands first? Surely it wasn't impossible… Meiko wouldn't have been able to drag Gakupo all the way to Earth just to… to…

Her strength wavered as she briefly succumbed to the Noise-induced hatred, allowing Lily to rake her talons along Luka's arm. She let out a shout, drawing her arm back and trying to prepare a shield. Lily broke the fragments and made another injury on her arm. This time Luka tried to restrain herself – she didn't wish to break her warrior's concentration as she bit her lip.

As Lily moved in for a third strike, Luka bit her lip and performed an acrobatic dance step, somersaulting over the Seruva's head and landing on her feet. Before Lily could get a fourth swipe at her, Luka tried to wield her force melody as if it were a moving wall.

She felt a brief moment of elation as Lily pressed against it, flung from the top of the skyscraper. Obviously not a major obstacle to a flying creature, but enough time for Luka to at least heal herself enough to stem the bleeding before Lily streaked back up again. As the Dark Notes tried to swarm Luka's focus again, she cleared her mind and thought only of how happy she would be to see Kaito alive and safe once more…

Rin felt her heart race as she and Len tried to repel their attackers one more time. The twins maintained their stances in front of the stairs, making sure to stop either Sweet Ann or Big Al from getting up there again. They hadn't gone through all that trouble to try and save Kaito's life only to lose him again!

Unfortunately, she and Len possessed a distinct disadvantage in song combat compared to their Seruva comrades – they possessed no second voice. All of their power meant they couldn't stop and talk and strategize. They needed to focus perfectly on every spell, every maneuver, reading each other without speaking to each other. All those years of practice, both as cruel experiments from their parents, and as Vocaloids who danced and sang in perfect harmony, paying off as they maintained their flashy spells.

Out of the corner of Rin's eye, she saw Sweet Ann latch onto the lattice work and start climbing the tower like a spider. Without even needing to tell him, Len synchronized with her and they summoned a bolt of lightning, tossing the woman back to the deck with a loud crunch as her body dented the metal floor.

"Curses, how ARE we supposed to get them if we're just pulling our punches like this?!" Big Al lamented, "He won't let us hit him hard enough that we might kill them!"

After everything Rin had discovered this afternoon… she had to know. She glanced at Len, and they watched a moment. But "Big Sweet" appeared distracted by their conundrum. "Who sent you after them? Why do they care so much about us?"

Like clockwork, Sweet Ann had a finger to her lips. "Classified~" she said in a sing-song voice, "But we are in QUITE the pinch… we can't let anything happen to the new birdy… but you're in the way…"

Big Al waved his hand. "Oliver puts them at a higher priority than any other directive… such a confusing situation! We can't stop the Herald… we can't stop them…"

"O… Oliver?" Len stammered.

Just hearing that name made Rin's blood freeze. No… he was dead. He had to be dead. They told her he died.

… and they were liars.

"Oliver would never work for awful people like you!" Rin shouted, tearing up at just the thought of her kind, protective brother performing such evil deeds.

At that, Sweet Ann huffed and stomped her foot, more like a child throwing a tantrum than a grown woman. "Now see here! We work for Ollie! Not the other way around! And he's always taken good care of us!"

"Indeed! The Masters never know what to do with broken tools… but Oliver did. That's why no matter how VEXING you two are, we listen to him!"

'No…. no!' Rin was screaming in her head, there had to be some mistake. A different person, a different boy, a coincidence. She grabbed Len's hand for strength… finding his shook as hard as hers. Beads of sweat ran down her brother's face.

"Did the Hearts do something to him!?" Len shouted.

Sweet Ann dramatically swept a hand to her forehead. "We told you… classified!"

Len's quivering hand grew stronger as Big Al made a flying leap, trying to sail over the twins. Rin banished the fear from her heart as they drew invisible bow strings. Whatever happened to Oliver… if he was her real brother… she would work to protect her dear 'Kaito-niisan' even if it meant fighting him.

As Kaito and Miku approached Neru, the source of all the wild Noise, Kaito felt his skin crawl as he got a good look at her. All over her body, metallic pieces were grafted to key joints and limbs, each one giving off a faint yellow light. As Neru turned to face him, he saw several more metal pieces forming a kind of makeshift tiara at the top of her forehead.

The humans thought nothing of a Seruva's sentience. The same humans that tortured him, trying to wrench every secret from his head, to claim his powers for their own. But even this… now Kaito worried about whether "Big Sweet" were once normal somehow before being turned into the monstrosities they were. For a second, he actually found himself feeling sorry for them, even knowing what they'd stolen from him.

"This… tower… is mine… this city… is mine…"

Neru's voice sounded forced and mechanical. As if every word required permission for her to speak.

"Kaito! The box! It's strapped to the antenna!"

Miku pointed to the tall broadcast antenna and Kaito spied the box, wrapped far too tightly for Kaito to easily dislodge it with a force wave. A ladder extended up part of it, but the rest Miku would have to try and climb herself… an easy task for someone with wings or super human strength, but neither he nor Miku possessed that.

"This tower… is mine…" Neru repeated.

In defiance, Miku began to step towards the antenna. Neru released a horrible shriek as she did so, moving into a battle position. "I'll take care of her… don't worry."

Miku nodded to Kaito and together they ran towards Neru. Her wings extended and the Herald took flight, releasing another powerful screeching wave. Kaito tried to keep Miku safe as he shot an arrow to Neru. "I'm the one you're looking for! I'm the Spirit Caller!"

"Spirit… Caller…"

She stared at Kaito with intense eyes, before diving at him like a hawk streaking towards a rat. "Spirit… Caller… enemy…"

Kaito gracefully kept out of the way of her assault. She extended her hands, releasing yellow beams of pure sound. Pulling up his shields, he tried to hold them back and not give away that he was watching Miku as she deftly climbed the ladder…

Miku gripped every bar with care, her eyes focused solely on the box. The closer she grew to the Noise Generator, the more it tried to pull her in. So many things for her to hate… the loss of her normalcy, the people that hurt Kaito, the thought of Mirror taking him again and destroying everything wonderful about him…

She felt her grip waver as her heart started to weaken and she tried to wipe her mind clean. Every time before they'd succeeded, they'd beaten every Herald. She'd been lost to the Noise twice… and twice she'd been pulled out. Just one more victory and they could finish their business with Mirror… she was so close…

As she ran out of ladder, she gingerly touched the lattice. To her relief, it didn't feel hot. Technically climbing a broadcast antenna could kill her… but so would Neru.

Miku could hear the sounds of scuffling below her, wishing she could be at Kaito's side to protect him. He'd only just woken up from the brink of death and here he was!? Fighting to save a city full of humans? Even humans that had done nothing but hurt him!?

But… that was something she loved about him. He never stopped fighting.

The box grew closer and closer… if Miku loosened it, she wouldn't even need to cut it… surely she could loosen the straps and the box would fly over the side, smash into the pavement, and the problem would solve itself… she slipped her sword back into his sheath and continued her dangerous climb…

Neru's fighting style felt so cold and alien. Not the fury she'd once possessed, when she flew freely. She'd been a tool then as well as now. All that changed… was her master.

"You're a victim, I know…" Kaito said in sorrow, "My heart grieves for what they've done to you…"

"This body… is… stronger…"

The Herald showed little emotion, even if Kaito had finally coaxed some words out of her. "I know what really happened to you, Neru!" Kaito continued, "I'm fighting to help you… I promise I'll end this tonight and send you to a peaceful rest."

"No… rest…"

As they continue to brawl, Kaito found himself overtaken by a different sensation than before. Sorrow. Neru, a Spirit Caller like him, a distant ancestor. Had she been as cruelly manipulated as he? His mother lived freely under the Elders influence… yet she too received the Sealing. Perhaps all his kind mother needed was the reminder that she gave of herself for all of the Seruva… perhaps just like him, not understanding the truth of what "giving all" meant.

Neru once carried the burdens and fears of his entire tribe. In life, she'd done everything she could to protect his people, to provide them safe guidance, and to grant them hope that they could continue to survive disaster.

"Neru… did they even ask you before they Sealed you? Did they tell you what they wanted you to do?"

For a moment Kaito even wondered if Neru understood him… when he thought he saw a teardrop form in Neru's eyes and fall down her face. "Neru…" Kaito said, his voice breaking.

Suddenly her body fell rigid and her neck craned up. Kaito saw Miku using her hands to undo the straps holding the box to the tower. Without warning, Neru launched herself back into the air. "NO! Miku! MIKU!"

Miku felt the box come loose and the second she touched it that awful rush of emotions flooded her heart. By the time she banished them enough to try and throw the box she barely became aware that Kaito was shouting to her.

And Neru was right in front of her.

Miku could only watch as the Herald reeled back and a forceful melody erupted from her throat. Miku tried to lean forward to keep her balance but she couldn't hang on… and she felt her body fly into the air.

Tumbling, freefalling down the tower… she released the box and tried to reach out for the railing… but it was just too far… the tower streaked past her as her body picked up speed...

"MIKUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Kaito ran for the railing and tried to hold out his hand and grab the falling girl… he barely felt her fingertips rushing past his as she fell past him…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Len turned as he heard Kaito's loud screams… only to see Miku sailing past. He couldn't reach the rail in time… he had no spell ready to pull her close…

Kaito watched as Miku's body fell to the ground, and it felt as though time stood still. She was falling. She was falling. In mere moments… her body would hit the pavement… she would most likely die immediately… all he could do…

… was watch.

'Until next you soar.'

Kaito took a deep breath. He had to fight. Even if it meant risking oblivion… he couldn't give up. He climbed atop the railing…

… and jumped.

He extended his arms as though he still had his wings, as though the air and the earth were once again the same to him and he tried to release his heart of fear and doubt. Though his body simply fell as Miku's did… he allowed himself the sensation of being airborne.

… and he began to sing.

At first the notes came slowly, unwillingly drawn from a place in the back of his head. But as he continued to fall, they finally spilled forth. A complete, solid melody…

As he allowed the notes to fill his heart and released them into the air around him, he felt power welling inside of him. At once he was nothing and everything. The world's creation and its destruction. And with the final note, his mind focused on only one goal.

He wanted to save Miku.

'So this… is how I die. The way… I was supposed to die.'

Miku screwed her eyes shut, hoping she'd die instantly. That she wouldn't feel the pain of every bone in her body shattering at once. She hoped Kaito wasn't able to see… she felt so sorry for him, living only to lose her…

When she heard it. She heard his voice. She dared to open her eyes and she screamed at first. Kaito had jumped after her! Why?! Did he seriously think her could save her?!

She began to cry… she'd doomed the both of them… she would die and he'd follow her. Yet selfishly… she felt glad she'd hear his voice one last time…

And then… she saw two glimmering lights. She quickly realized they were Kaito's eyes.

Light engulfed his body, until he completely glowed with silver. And… it seemed as though before her eyes Kaito was no longer there.

Whatever was left shot through the air towards her, far faster than she fell. And before she touched the ground… she found herself atop something soft. She turned her body over and finally became aware of two things.

One. She was flying. She was flying. The buildings and streets growing smaller as she flew further away.

Two… she was not doing the flying. She was atop a gigantic, sleek white bird with a golden beak.

She clutched the bird's long neck tightly, not knowing it was aware of their destination… but she knew. She knew.

Kaito had saved her.

Gakupo watched a brilliant light erupt in the direction of the tower. He grew startled – surely this was Kaito's doing but… that meant very little.

And then he saw it.

Streaking through the sky, he laid his eyes on a truly holy sight he'd never expected to behold in his lifetime.

"Sujata Hama…" Luka whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

And it was flying through the sky towards her. Even Lily had ceased her attack to stare at the creature as it circled the Kotori Broadcast Tower.

Len ran up the stairs, trying to get a better look at the miraculous sight. He heard Rin's quick footsteps behind him. He'd given up hope on Miku's survival but now he was certain he'd just watched Kaito leap to certain death and change into a bird…

The bird continued to circle the tower, singing the most wondrous ballad Len had ever heard. It was Kaito's voice emerging from its enormous beak. And resting atop the back… was Miku. Safe and sound.

"MIKU! KAITO!" Rin shouted, waving to the bird.

But either the bird couldn't hear her or it didn't understand. Len grew fearful… what if Kaito had sacrificed his humanoid form forever!? Did he truly love Miku so much?

"S…Spirit… Caller…"

He turned and gasped upon seeing the horrors wrought upon Neru. She twitched and shook, trying to reach out to the bird. And slowly… slowly her black wings turned white.

Rin ran over to the Herald, showing no fear. She held Neru tightly as the Herald collapsed yet refused to stop watching the white bird.

As her wings became pure white, peace overtook her face. "Thank… you…" she whispered.

Neru turned to light in Rin's arms, the only remaining indication of her presence the mechanical pieces clattering to the floor of the deck.

The bird flapped its wings and departed the tower, a massive wave of light shining over it as it flew away. "AH! Kaito-niisan! Come back!"

Gakupo tried to pursue the twisted Seruva as they ignored all signs of following orders to fly towards Sujata Hama. "No! I'll not let you lay a hand on him!" he called out, but the trio outraced him.

He tossed a few spells at them, but could not break their flight path. Like a beacon summoning them, the Seruva could not cease their trajectory. He turned to see Lily catching up to him and he prepared to fight her.

When Sujata Hama arrived, Gakupo realized quickly his caution was overzealous. The bird flew past them, beating its wings as a wonderful melody passed into his ears. Gakupo felt peace and tranquility as he'd never experienced flow into his body.

Before he could react to the bird or its pigtailed passenger, the feeling passed and Sujata Hama was gone, continuing its flight across the city.

"Ga… Gakupo?"

He turned to see his Commander hovering before him, her wings once more pure white, her features properly Seruvic. Not a trace of fury remained. "Commander… you're back…"

As he reached out to her, she flew backwards, as if frightened of him. Or possibly frightened of herself? Perhaps both at once…

"No… no I can't... I…."

She turned to see her comrades, once more men again and looking confused and scared. She nodded her head and the four of them flew away. Gakupo wished to chase them… to reassure them… but he let them leave. They needed time.

He needed time. For he'd witnessed a miracle.

Oliver stared at the monitoring station footage from the broadcast tower in utter shock. The Seruva had this kind of power?

Even the normally unflappable Leon beheld a look of surprise. "We had a Seruva that strong in our possession?"

He clicked his tongue. "No wonder he was the first one to actually escape. I'm starting to wonder how our retrieval teams ever captured him in the first place."

Oliver tried to run through all the facts about Seruva that he knew, but "they turn into birds" was not one of them. "The legends of the End always depict a white bird… and a black bird."

Apparently Leon finally knew something his son didn't. "I never did translate all of the text, but I know this much. If that monstrosity is flying around Tsubasa City… than the Seruva are planning another massacre."

Oliver pulled at the cuffs around his hands in futility. "You know we don't have a solider here that can stand up to him, right?" he said, "You need me to…"

"… fail to capture him yet again?"

Leon waved his hands dismissively. "Capturing him will be surprisingly simple, really. He's apparently a simple man if he's willing to dive off a tower to certain death just to rescue his girl."

Of course Leon couldn't understand an emotion so "base" as love.

The blonde executive pulled out his smart phone. "Flower? How close are you?"

"Al and Ann won't obey you!" Oliver howled.

Leon rolled his eyes, as if mildly annoyed. "Tell Mayu to input the following instructions into the Voice Synthesis engine…"

As Rin stared over the railing and watched Kaito flying away, she couldn't help but feel victorious. They'd scored an incredible victory… they'd beaten the Herald… they'd cheated Death… and surely Kaito was safe and when she found him again they could all finally be together as Vocaloids again!

Two loud thudding sounds announced the arrival of Big Sweet on the upper deck. Len grabbed Rin's hand. "Oh come on, give it UP!" he shouted.

The duo barreled forward and the twins prepared to blow them away for good. Lightning flew from their fingertips…

… and Rin felt the electronic pulses of a taser jolt through her. Their melody broken, she fell hard to the deck…

In seconds, Big Al had her pinned to the ground. "L… Len!" she gasped.

"Rin!" he coughed, similarly pinned by the wild Sweet Ann.

The twins heard several footsteps pounding up the stairs. Rin craned her head and immediately recognized the uniforms. They were Mirror employees, and every one of them was armed. She felt all of her confidence flee her… what did her parents want with her now?!

"Hold them," A disaffected, deep female voice ordered.

A woman in a black dress and white lab coat, her messy white and black hair fluttering over her hair, approached the pair. She lugged a massive suitcase behind her, the wheels squeaking as it dragged along the deck. She stopped in front of Rin, her eyes showing little engagement.

She popped open the suitcase and Rin's eyes grew wide as she spied all sorts of surgical equipment inside. She tried to pull away from Big Al, but the enormous man held her fast.

"So strange of Ollie to change his mind like this…" Sweet Ann whispered, "I thought they were 100% off limits…"

"The needs of the project supplant even familial love," the woman remarked.

Big Al let out a whistle. "Even Oliver!? Never thought he'd be the type to just throw anyone out like that…"

"Oliver…" Len choked, "Is he… is he really alive?!"

Rin was near tears. Oliver would never do this… Oliver loved them… Oliver would never hurt them and he would never betray them and he would never order people to hurt anyone…

"The Heart's son, yes."

"OLIVER WOULD NEVER DO THIS!" Rin shouted vociferously.

The woman pulled out a needle and a jar of liquid. "Oliver knows as well as I do. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"The needs… of the few…" Sweet Ann whispered, and her voice sounded shakier.

Rin thought she could hear a voice going through Big Al's headpiece, but she couldn't quite make it out. The grotesque man appeared satisfied with whatever he'd been told, though consternation remained upon his face.

Before Rin could utter another word, the needle was in her neck and she felt hazy. Not unconscious, but as though the world around her meant little. Scientifically, she understood this as a "twilight anesthesia"…

Rin's mind became a blank as she saw a scalpel move past her face, the woman's hands moving the collar of her shirt back and touching the skin at the base of her neck…

Kaito finally became aware of himself again as he lay on his back in soft grass. The setting sun cast myriad red hues across the summer sky. He pressed a hand to his forehead, checking to see that he still existed… that he was still here.

Then he remembered clearly the events on top of the tower and… "MIKU!"

He bolted up immediately, find her staring straight at him in stunned silence. "Miku… you're alive…"

He immediately reached forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. She returned it at once and Kaito just felt grateful he'd saved her life. He looked over her head and saw the rolling waves of the ocean. The two of them sat atop a pleasant hilltop, overlooking Tsubasa City from a position of tranquility. A tall tree rustled its leaves as the wind tossed it around.

... though something clearly seemed to still be bothering Miku. He pulled back and looked her over, inspecting for any lasting wounds.

"Miku… what's wrong?"

"You… you really don't notice?"

Now Kaito felt scared… had something happened to him? He checked his hands and patted his body down quickly, seeing no strange appendages or unusual features. He raised his head again. "No?"

He tried to recall what had just taken place… he'd dove from the top of the tower, trying to force his body to "soar" so he could sing the melody and save Miku's life. Yet the rush of power that filled him still made the last hour hazy… he remembered grabbing her… he remembered her being safe… the entire city blurring beneath him as he flapped his wings and…

'…wings.'

Finally… finally he noticed… the white feathers caught in the grass. Tumbling in the wind. He clutched at one in disbelief… then he turned his head and finally understood. He stretched two muscles he'd not been able to use in weeks and his silhouette changed in the shadow he cast on the ground…

Kaito had wings.

Miku began to cry for him, seeing him light up as he started to understand. He stood up, reaching his hand out and grabbed at the lost appendages as if he didn't believe they could be real. His face shifted from shock to jubilation and he swept Miku up in his arms. She felt her feet lift off the ground as he flew a few meters higher, laughing and crying with joy.

"Miku, I'm not… I'm not broken anymore…"

As the two of them landed, Kaito released the girl and started to walk towards the shade tree. He stared at it long and hard.

In the back of Miku's mind, she'd wondered why of any place in the city, he had taken her here. The site of the last happy day she had with her parents. An old hope sprung up in her heart as he surveyed his surroundings again.

Her heart pounded as she saw him placing his hands along the trunk, staring up into the boughs above. Kaito leapt into the air, disappearing into the branches for a few moments. She followed behind him, staring up into the trees and watching him sit along two thick branches.

"I'll be right here, even if you get older… Today and tomorrow, I'll keep on singing the continuation of your dream"

An old song Miku loved as a child, from a television drama she watched every week that summer with her parents…

Kaito was singing it from memory.

The memories felt so fragmented yet so clear in Kaito's mind as he tried to reassemble them… he'd curled up in the tree and cried to himself out of fear… he was alone, he'd been abandoned, and he was surrounded by humans… where could he go? He had to protect himself from the Elders… but he couldn't trust humanity!

He'd never felt so alone, weak, and frightened… he hadn't even told his mother goodbye…

"…Forever I'll keep watching the precious light once lit not to go out…"

As Miku sang another line from the phantom song in his memory, Kaito stared down the branches and saw her in an entirely new way.

A girl skipping up the hill, a basket in her hands as she sang to herself. At first he'd been terrified! What if a human saw him!? And how rotten his luck, she spread a blanket down and beckoned for her family to join her right at the trunk… just one look up and he'd be exposed…

He couldn't fly away without drawing attention… he'd stayed deathly quiet as the family ate lunch together. All the while, the pigtailed girl slipping into that song…

He'd learned that day that humans loved to sing.

Gradually his child self's fear receded as his curiosity overtook him. How close that family looked. He wished he could have had that…

Too soon the girl and her family packed their things up and left. Kaito remembered wanting to follow them… maybe if he talked to the girl by herself… maybe he could find somewhere safe! But shyness and fear prevented him from leaving the tree…

Until… Kaito heard a horrible squealing noise followed by a loud, heavy crunch in the direction she'd left in and he immediately chased after her…

Kaito leapt from the tree and gripped Miku in his arms without speaking. She trusted him and suspected she understood why he needed to do this. He took flight, holding her tightly. Miku didn't even trust herself to speak because she remembered this feeling, of being ferried through the sky by that person…

Kaito dove down the hills, and she remembered the sensation of falling… the fear and pain and expectation of death, but this time she didn't need anyone to catch her because Kaito's grip remained firm and steady.

And then suddenly he swung out of his dive, launching the both of them into the sky… singing his healing ballad though she wasn't hurt…

…carrying her over the city, past the buildings, across the sea, the scent of the salt spray dragging up her memories…

Then all too soon the flight ended and Kaito alighted atop the hill. The only difference being this time… Kaito didn't let go and leave.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save them," he whispered into her ear.

Miku buried her face in his chest as he uttered the same words his childhood-self had spoken to her. She wasn't wrong… it was Kaito… he was real…

"I… I finally found you…" she sobbed, "I spent my whole life searching and… I found you…"

"They tried to steal you from me, Miku… but I came back to you anyway…"

Kaito kissed the top of her head. "I'll never let them take you from me again…"

A/N:

So pretty much everyone guessed Kaito was the boy who saved Miku. I expected that – really now, we haven't met any other blue-haired Seruva and Kaito already had amnesia ;) Much like some of the other "easy" secrets I gave away, the game for the reader was never meant to be "Who's the blue haired boy?" since that's pretty obvious. The game is "why did he forget?" We haven't answered that yet.

These action packed chapters sure are shorter than the earlier ones. With so much less setup needed, it's a lot easier to barrel through the big scenes and not get overly wordy :)

Five chapters left guys. We're so close.

Song Credits: Sweet Ann and Big Al sing the original duet "Headline Love" by Koda-P.

Seemed appropriate to sing a song about fame on the top of a broadcast tower (the song itself uses a style to mimic the gimmicky intros of American headline news.)

Kaito and Miku sang "Continuation of the Dream"… a song Kaito actually doesn't sing, but I justify that with him singing it because Miku did ;)