Spoiler Warning: This takes place after the ending, so beware of spoilers for the game.

AN: Special thanks to Rozteka for beta-reading several scenes throughout this story! Also, like all my works, this is cross-posted from AO3/Archive of our Own.

A beautiful melody in the distance; the smell of brewed tea; an unexplained urge to work out… After the Intersection, Noah, Eunie, and Lanz all begin to feel strange yearnings.

Childhood

The clock tower's sound rang in Noah's ears, and pigeons flew out across his field of vision.

"Huh?"

What a strange feeling; it was like time had frozen or something; he'd been running, and everything slowed to a crawl, and to a complete stop… But now just like before, there were other kids laughing and splashing in the water fountain; birds pecking at bread on the ground; bustling crowds of people chatting and walking around… Like nothing had happened. Did he just imagine that?

"Noah!" Lanz's voice called out from behind him, prompting him to turn. "What're you doing, man? They'll start the fireworks without us!"

"Get a move on already, or all the good spots'll be taken!" Eunie added, gesturing behind her.

Joran jumped and waved excitedly. "Exactly! So c'mon, move it!"

Noah shook his head. He'd gotten distracted, hadn't he? "Sorry! I zoned out for a sec. I'm coming!…" He raised his hand and waved back in acknowledgement, and they ran off, satisfied that he would follow them. Just in time too; another batch of fireworks whistled into the sky, and burst into color, and crackling snaps and booms. The really cool ones would be saved for later though—after the sun had set—so he had plenty of time!

He hurried towards where his friends were at for a better view— And then he heard…music?

Grinding to a halt, his head turned of its own accord, towards the flute music; a mesmerizing, haunting, yet beautiful tune that he knew he'd heard somewhere before. It played from somewhere outside the city, beyond the arch leading to the stairs, which themselves led into the woods.

A smile appeared on his face. The melody just spoke to something in his heart, though he didn't understand why. Who was playing? Why weren't they watching the fireworks and joining in on the celebrations?

Curiosity and a sense of joy filled him, and he walked slowly towards the city exit. The fireworks could be snuffed out for all he cared; he had to have a closer listen to this sound…

He ignored the crowds, pushing through them until he reached the stairs, and once the path cleared of obstacles, he rushed down, heading out of the city, and into the fields.

The music didn't seem any louder; had it moved further away? He gazed into the treeline only a few dozen feet away; it was coming from in there. Would it be okay to keep going? he wondered, turning back for a moment—glancing at where his friends would surely be. What would they think if he'd gone missing?

But then the music progressed into another phase, and the urge to find this mysterious flautist overcame all other worries.

He broke into a sprint, and in no time at all, he was amidst the sparse trees. His head twisted every which way while he pushed past branches and cobwebs, and stumbled over rocks and large roots.

The only time he stopped was after accidentally stepping in a thick chunk of mud, when he groaned to himself for a moment… But it was too late to not dirty them, so he kept on. It sounded so unbearably familiar, but he couldn't quite place it…

But no matter how far he wandered into the rather dark woods, the music never got any closer. It was like chasing a rainbow in that way, only more frustrating, because he just knew there was something better than a pot of gold waiting at the other side; something he was missing, and needed to have.

Eventually it got dark, and he wandered out of the trees to the edge of a cliff. Time for a break.

He sat down on a boulder overlooking the drop-off, staring at the city across the water. He listened to the distant bangs and ka-blams of the fireworks, and watched them explode into color. Some kept whistling after they popped, flinging out orange and blue lights in spiral patterns; others burst into clusters of light that lingered and flashed over and over, crackling each time they did; a few seemed momentarily weak, until they released one big flash and thundering boom that made the sky, world and his chest ripple with the force.

The music gradually died down. He hoped that meant the player was enjoying the display too, even if they weren't showing themselves.

Noah made his way back into the city hours later, legs aching from all his searching, and little scratched-up by a couple of branches he ran into. His clothes were a total mess as well, especially his boots! Caked in mud and twigs! Mum was totally gonna have a go at him… It was well worth it though.

Shortly after turning a corner near his house, all three of his friends came running towards him.

"Noah, there you are!" Lanz panted, taking a moment to catch his breath from the brief sprint. "Where'd you go, man?"

"Yeah, what happened?!" Eunie looked a mix of cross and concerned. "How could you miss the fireworks?! You're the one who told us they were gonna be awesome, and they totally were! What gives?!"

"I did see them!" he insisted, "I watched from the cliffs! I just, uh…"

Oh, it would probably be a good idea to keep his mouth shut about the music, wouldn't it? They'd think he's gone loony if he started talking about invisible flute players! He needed another excuse.

"I just… I thought I'd get a better view out there! Y'know, away from the crowds."

"Come on, you can't expect us to believe that!" Joran said. "It's way better up close! What were you really up to?"

"It's the truth, honest!"

Eunie just raised an eyebrow. Oh no, she was growing a familiar, troublemaking smile; the gremlin smile.

"Uh-huh," she said in the most teasy voice he'd ever heard from her. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward, grinning from ear to ear. "Sooo, is she pretty?"

Noah flinched at her evil accusation. "W-what are you on about?! T-there's no 'she'!"

Lanz laughed, and decided to join in on Eunie's attack, slapping him on the shoulder. "Aw, don't be like that, man. You don't have to hide anything from us. We won't judge."

"Come on, guys…" Noah's cheeks and ears burned. After his parents met Eunie, the 'aww, our little man's got himself a girlfriend' routine was embarrassing enough, but now his friends too? That was even worse! Kids were supposed to stick together against grown-ups teasing, not join in. Traitors, the lot of them!

Eunie twisted and turned in her bedsheets. She felt lonely, and bored, and kept shaking and shivering even though she wasn't cold. The air smelled of tea, like her mum and dad would drink; cozy and relaxing, more than usual even. For once, she really wanted to have some…

After deciding she wouldn't get to sleep while she was craving something like this, she hobbled out of bed, rubbing her eyes, and made her way to the living room. Lit only by a dim ether lamp, her mum was sitting on the couch, flipping through one of those books Eunie wasn't allowed to read; the cover was a pretty sharp-toothed lady drinking a glass of the red 'good stuff' Mum liked, which Eunie also wasn't allowed to have; they said she was 'too young' for even a little sip, which was total bollocks since she was basically an adult!

Mum slowly turned her head, revealing a sleepy smile. She whispered, "Hey sweetheart, what are you doin' still up? You're s'posed to be in bed."

While stumbling the rest of the way closer, Eunie finally managed to rub the sensitivity out of her eyes, and keep them open—even if she had to squint a bit. "I was thirsty…"

"Hm, want me to get you a glass of milk?"

Eunie stretched her arms up and yawned. "No, uh… I was kinda wonderin'… Could I have some tea?"

The question raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You've never asked to try it before. Sure you're not just tryin' to stay up even later, cheeky little bugger?" she said, grabbing Eunie's hair and ruffling it firmly.

Giggling, Eunie flapped her wings in the struggle to break out of her mum's grasp, and then shook her head. "No, Mum, promise! I could just smell it, and I felt like tryin' some…"

Mum blinked. "Wha? I didn't put any on tonight… Ah, whatevs," Mum briefly kissed the top of her head, "you go stick the kettle on, and I'll get the teabags and sort out the rest."

"Thanks, Mum," Eunie said, squeezing her mum's leg between her arms for a second, before letting her go free.

The pair made their way to the kitchen, and Eunie had to squint her eyes again when her mum flicked the light switch. It pierced into her eyes, but she managed by squinting and keeping her head low.

"So you better have meant the herbal stuff," Mum idly chattered as she opened the tea cupboard, "'cause there's no bloody way I'm feedin' you caffeine at this time of the night."

Eunie tapped on the side of the kettle, and now with the indicator glowing, she turned to watch her mum.

"Where the fu— flipping hell is it…" she muttered, rifling loudly through spices and nuts and canned soups and half-empty boxes of teabags; Dad was always saying she should organize them into sections, or even different cupboards, but Mum didn't wanna hear it—she'd complain, "But if you 'tidy' it all up I won't have a bloody clue where the fuck anythin' is!"

Meanwhile, the kettle slowly built up, hissing gently.

"Ah, there we go!" Mum pulled a single tea bag out of a green box, and took down a plain white mug from the dedicated tea-mug rack—they saw far too much use to hide away in a cupboard! She tossed the bag in the cup, and waited for the water to boil.

They watched and listened as the hiss grew louder and then was gradually drowned out by the rumble of bubbles, progressively growing louder and louder. The steam moved out faster; the kettle itself began to shake, and Mum flipped the knob off.

Eunie watched the steaming stream of water pour into the mug, in mere seconds filling the air with a planty, fragrant smell; almost right, almost overpowering the scent that first lured her out of bed to begin with.

She looked up at Mum expectantly. "Is it ready?"

"It has to brew first. And you should wait til it's cooled down a bit, I don't want your first cuppa burnin' your mouth." She nodded her head towards Eunie's room. "Go on, get your arse back to bed, I'll bring it over when it's done."

Eunie headed back to her room, and slipped under the covers, still sitting up. She tugged the cord on the bedside lamp, so its warm glow would let her see! She didn't want to spill it!

She lay there a few minutes, and soon enough, Mum's footsteps creaked over the floor from the other room, and reached her door, walking slowly. Mum had the mug in her hand, and set it in Eunie's eagerly reaching hands.

She smiled. "Thanks again, Mum."

Mum brushed Eunie's hair back. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

Taking it close to her face, she inhaled deeply; it smelled so warm and inviting, she almost felt like she could sleep right now! And with her mum right here… She didn't feel so lonely anymore; this must've been what she needed, even if it didn't feel quite enough somehow.

She sipped on the tea slowly, trying to do it the way she'd seen Mum and Dad drink tea, and she could see why; it was very hot!

The flavor seeping into her mouth, and scent filling her lungs—all of it warmed her heart, and calmed her shaking right down.

In a few short minutes she'd drunk it all. After giving another thanks, she curled up, content and warm as Mum pulled the duvet over her, and then pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Alright, nighty-night, my little angel…"

Lanz woke up the next morning, and he couldn't get back to sleep. Not that he'd slept very well to begin with—kicked the covers off more times than he could remember.

He sat up looked out the window—still dark outside. Bloody hell, after that late night, how was he not crawling back under the covers for warmth? He oughta be totally wiped out.

But for some reason he didn't feel right sleeping; something prodded and nudged, and his restless limbs urged him to toss the duvet aside and get up.

His body felt stiff, so he exercised his muscles out a bit, rolling his shoulders and stretching out his back… He didn't know enough stretches to do much more though; he'd have to do a bit of reading or something. For now though, he still needed to get moving. His body just didn't feel right staying still like this.

At a brisk but unhurried pace, pajamas hit the floor, and proper outdoor trousers and a vest and were lifted up from it.

He headed for the kitchen, and snatched a nice, big white plum from the top of the fruit bowl; he was gonna go out for a walk, and he'd need something to snack on. But he second-guessed his choice; white plums were delicious and tangy, but they made a right mess…

In the end he settled on a simple pair of bananas; they weren't messy, and made a lighter snack than meaty carrots.

He scribbled a note down for his parents telling them where he'd be going—a rule they had ever since that one time him and the others got lost exploring the caves by the coast—and went over to strap his boots on.

The door swung open, and he strolled out. Still dark, lit only by some street-lamps, and a bit chilly and foggy; he shivered, but there was something weirdly nice about the chill, and the quietness with nobody else about.

His simple walk soon enough turned into a brisk jog across the cobblestones. He felt full of life, listening to the crunch of the stones under his feet and feeling his blood pump; felt like he was doing something right. His old man always told him exercise felt good—maybe that's what was rubbing off on him.

Lanz couldn't imagine why this mood to start exercising had come onto him all of a sudden though, just this morning. Bloody hell, he even thought about doing research, not for school, but to learn stretches! Was there a ghost haunting him, egging him on over his shoulder? Would explain why he was jogging outside in the dead of…morning.

Still, whatever the reason, he enjoyed this a lot. He should make it a habit to go for a run every once in a while. Maybe invite his buddies too, so he'd have some company.

Hell, if they all kept it up, the lot of them could become unsurpassable!