Arriving at the Western Continent to reach Wellgrove and sabotage the supply convoy as per the request of Kazan, the Brave Adventurers and Hikari decide to make a stop at Ryu along the way.

"Didn't think we'd be here again." David said.

"Indeed." Hikari said with his eyes closed in thought.

"Say, probably a dumb question, but why did we decide to stop at Ryu for the night? Isn't this like…way out of our way?" Magnamon asked.

"The convoy will have to pass through here to reach Ku. We might even see a few of Mugen's soldiers keeping the route secure." Leopardmon said.

"Yes, that is…" Hikari started, before the sound of music caught his attention. "Is that…ah, so it is. It's been too long since I've heard the melodies of a lute in the air."

"A lute? So someone is playing music out here?" Yoko asked.

"It's an instrument well-loved in Ku." Hikari said as he spotted someone near a campfire playing said instrument. "Shall we take a few moments to listen?"

"Sure. The night's still young." Craniamon said.

Meanwhile, not too far from the Warrior and his allies…

"So this is Ryu, eh?" ZS asked as Agnea and Team Chronicle walked through the sandy paths. "Not too bad of a place."

"I should certainly hope so. This is a well-known traveler's stop, after all." Double D informed the group.

"Speaking of stopping, it's getting pretty late. Why don't we stop here for the night?" Moltar suggested. "We can always find a ship to reach Toto'haha in the morning."

"Yeah, good idea." Mark nodded. "What do you think, Agnea…Agnea?"

The dancer had lost focus on the conversation, the group noticing the reason why: the sound of music was in the air.

"Do you all hear that?" Agnea asked, closing her eyes and taking in the music. "What a pleasant sound… I could listen to it all day."

"You're right about that, Agnea. Sounds like someone's playing a lute around here." Shirou said.

"(So, they have those instruments in this world…)" Mark thought. "Say, why don't we go check it out? We have a little time before we need to start looking for a place to rest."

"Sure, why not? Gotta be looking for inspiration everywhere." Eddy agreed. "Follow your ears, gang!"

At the campfire, several scattered onlookers watched a lone performer play her lute next to the small torch of light. The sparse area wasn't that way for long, however, as both Team Chronicle and the Brave Adventurers made their way in, the player wrapping up her song to take note of them.

"Alright, this is the place-" Mark started, before he did a double take. "Wait, is that-? David!"

"So, you guys decided to make a stop here too?" David asked.

"Yeah! Hey, it's great to see you guys!" Mark said with a grin.

"Oh, do you all know them?" Agnea asked.

"We've…been through some travels together." Mark explained. "Agnea, meet David Ishihara and the Brave Adventurers. Guys, this is Agnea, she's a dancer that Eddy's managing."

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you all." Agnea smiled.

"Another get-rich-quick scheme here, Eddy?" David asked with a chuckle.

"Hey!" Eddy said in annoyance.

"It's…a bit more complicated than that. Anyway, who's your friend?" Mark asked, referring to Hikari.

"I'm kidding. This is Hikari. We're trying to wrestle Ku away from his demented brother." David said.

"Oh, neat. Good luck with that." Mark nodded. "So…we all manage to hear the same lute. What a way to meet up, huh?"

"That song was beautiful…" Agnea sighed.

"Far and wide people speak of me in awe. Today, tomorrow, and the day after that… They call me Yomi of a Thousand Tones." the Lute player known as Yomi said.

"Wow, what a name!" Agnea said.

"Yomi… That's a name I hadn't heard in a while." David said.

"You have?" Trish asked.

"Yeah, but… It was a totally different one." Mayumi said.

"I've traveled to every corner of this world, taking in my fill of its music along the way. I have a song for every occasion, every place, every person." Yomi said.

"...You've piqued my interest. Let's have one, then." Hikari said.

"Gladly, provided you have the coin. My thousand tones were mastered at great effort, after all." Yomi said.

"Oh sure, I'll pay for…" Mark started, reaching into his pockets, only to find nothing. "Huh? That's weird, I could've sworn I had some set aside…"

"Um…would this be a bad time to mention that I noticed Ed carrying a few pounds of gravy out of a shop earlier today?" Fluttershy-2 asked

"…Dang it, Ed!" Mark complained, slapping a hand over his face.

"I'm sorry." Ed apologized.

"There is no cause for alarm. I shall provide the necessary payment." Hikari said.

"We conquered the arena in Montwise earlier today, so we were able to secure a lot of prize money in winnings." David said.

"David, you and your new friend are getting blessings from God." Mark sighed in relief. "I'll make sure of it."

"Is this enough, Lady Yomi?" Hikari asked, offering up 800 leaves.

"Of course. This shall buy you a song. One that will fit you as well as your finest kimono. However…" Yomi said before turning away. "I require time to make ready. Return to me tomorrow eve and you shall have what you paid for."

"Ah, behind every great show is hours of preparation!" Agnea said.

"Just so. Now, gird your hearts, for tomorrow they shall be moved as they never have been before." Yomi said.

Adhering to Yomi's request, the group spent the next day socializing about their adventures with Hikari and Agnea.

"So you guys have actually been helping Agnea realize her dream of becoming a star, huh?" Law asked.

"Yup. Back in New Delsta, a friend we made gave us a score of some really good music. We're traveling around the continents to find things that can be put into the song so Agnea can complete it." Connie said.

"We were thinking about traveling to the island village of Tropu'hapu next. But unfortunately, someone among us read the map wrong and our boat took us to Canalbrine instead." Pearl explained.

"It's not my fault they made that map so hard to read!" Amethyst said.

"Y'were holdin' it upside down." Applejack-2 pointed out.

"Okay, but none of you noticed until it was too late, so I'm not the only one who messed up!" The gem retorted.

"The map…isn't really all that hard to read." Sectonia sweatdropped.

"So, you just ended up taking the wrong ship?" Milo asked.

"So we did." Pearl sighed.

"Not to worry." Hikari said. "If you'd like, after Lady Yomi's performance, we'll head back to Canalbrine on the way to Wellgrove and I'll pay the fee to Tropu'hapu myself." Hikari said.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Princess Twilight asked.

"Not at all. Any friends of David's are friends of mine." Hikari replied.

"Wow, thank you so much, Hikari!" Agnea said with a smile.

"Man, you're so lucky you got partnered up with such a nice guy, David." ZS said.

"I know, right?" David asked, chuckling a bit. "(Indeed… Hikari really does seem like a kindred spirit, the more I think about it.)"

"Let's talk you guys, how is it traveling with Agnea?" Rinwell asked.

"Oh, it's awesome!" ZS said. "We fought a giant boar together, and we taught this Stage Manager a lesson when he was doing a racket!"

"We even met face to face with the best dancer across all Solistia, Dolcinaea Luciel." Rarity-2 said. "I tell you, she's magnificent! Truly someone to look up to!"

"Yeah, I agree. She was the one to make that stage manager back off when they went after our friend back in New Delstra." Mark added.

"I hope I can be like her someday… someone that can bring happiness to people everywhere." Agnea said.

"You don't say. Hikari's got the same dream. Somewhat anyway."

"I hope to become King of Ku like my late father, and rebuild our nation into one of peace, not bloodshed." Hikari said. "As you may have already seen, I'm different from the rest of my clan. I don't relish in conflict."

"Well, personally I'd think you'd make a great King, Hikari." Steven said.

"You'll get the throne back for sure, especially since David's with you." Connie agreed. "Hey, David… now that I think about it, this is the first time we've ever talked like this. Group to group, no others around…"

"Hey, yeah! We don't get paired up often enough. Guess there's a lotta reasons why though." Rainbow-2 remembered. "First time Mark and David ever spoke to each other, they had a little argument about divinity, and that's when we first teamed up against Galeem and Darkhon."

"To be fair, though. I didn't really like holier-than-thou talk, or…basically people who make every single decision based on a higher power." David said. "So… Yeah, we definitely didn't have the best chemistry over the time we were considered allies."

"Yeah…I really didn't make the best first impression." Mark said. "But I've grown since then. I'm not the same kid I was before. I don't have to lean entirely on my faith to keep going anymore. And, while I probably won't be able to put the past entirely behind me…I can still live with that pain, and be happy regardless of it."

"And you can finally admit you like Bernie." Eddy sniggered.

"Will you stop with that?!" Mark demanded.

"Never!" Eddy said.

"Oooh, a budding romance, eh?" Sectonia asked.

"Don't you start!" Mark practically pleaded.

"Oh, please do! We have to make it happen!" SE said.

"Guys!" Mark complained.

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad. Take it from me." David said.

"Look, I'm not…" Mark started.

"Hey, do you think Yomi will sing them a love ballad if we pay extra?" Frisk asked.

"…I give up. I'm going to bed." Mark said flatly as he walked away.

"Night, Romeo!" Amethyst called.

"Shut uuup!" Mark wailed.

"Y-You guys probably shouldn't tease him like that…" Bernadetta said.

"Yeah, but it's fun." Eddy said. "Besides, he'd let us know if we were really making him uncomfortable."

"Um, pretty sure we were." David said.

"Like you're one to talk. I mean, you are a friend to all felines." Gallantmon said.

"Well… Not exactly all felines, but I think I have a good track record, as far as I know." David said.

"And yet despite that, you and Sectonia still seem like a great couple despite your age gap being the longest. How do you do it?" Milo asked.

"Even we dont know. Maybe some things are best kept secret." Shionne said.

"Well, whatever the reason is, we certainly aren't complaining." Tenko said. "It also actually helped us out in the past, so… Maybe there really is some sort of magic to it, after all."

"Yeah, so David can take it all in stride. Mark, though… From the looks of things, not so much." Omnimon said.

"Well, it's not like we can exactly blame him for acting this way." Teepo said.

"Some scars just can't go away…" Double D said.

Night soon fell in Ryu as Yomi returned, well dressed and ready to play for the two groups.

"Welcome, welcome! My large audience has arrived. Now, listen well, and be carried away by my thousand tones!" Yomi said.

"Hey, she seem a little different to anybody?" Rainbow-2 asked.

"Yeah, her wardrobe changed. Guess we know where those 800 leaves went…" Law said.

"Yes..it appears she's already spent our payment on those fine clothes." Hikari said.

"..Alas, I must apologize, for I cannot carry you away just yet. I've come into a spot of trouble, you see.." Yomi admitted.

"Yeah, no kidding, a string on your lute's broken." Krillin noticed. "You cant play if you're down a string."

"Indeed. It is tantamount to asking a soldier to charge into battle with a broken sword." Yomi said.

"It's no problem. You just need us to fix that lute for you, right?" David asked.

"If I recall, lute strings are made from the hair of a horse's tail, yes?" Hikari asked.

"Oh no. I know what you guys are thinking." Kentaurosmon said.

"Easy now, partner. Ah don't think they're thinking of askin us for any of our tail hairs." Applejack-2 said. "Why don't we ask that fella with the horse nearby, see if he can spare one?"

"He doesn't seem keen for Yomi to ask him. Maybe you could give him a shot, Agnea?" Krillin asked.

"You don't need to ask! I'll see what I can do." Agnea assured.

Agnea then Entreated the Horse owner for one of his steed's tails, which he was able to part ways with. After that, it was easy enough to give it to Yomi so she could fix her Lute.

"Will this work, Yomi?" Agnea asked.

"Oh, I believe it will. This is finer than I could have imagined." Yomi assured. "I see you too can move the hearts of others."

"Hehe…you might be right about that." Agnea giggled.

"With this I can craft a string worthy of my skill. However, I fear the moment is not ripe for such a performance. Pray come tomorrow, and I promise that my melody shall lift all of you up to the heavens." Yomi said.

"Oh, come on!" Rainbow-2 complained.

"Somehow I'm not surprised…" Hikari sweated.

"Hey, that's David's line." Kaito said.

"Hey, these things take time. You can't rush perfection." David said.

"Come to think of it… isn't tomorrow night a full moon?" Lapis asked.

"Oh, I get it! A full moon is the perfect setting to be serenaded!" Peridot-2 realized.

"And quite romantic, under the right circumstances." Sectonia said.

"Sectonia, I swear to God…" Mark growled.

"You swear to God what?" David asked.

"...No. I sense I've made a mistake of some kind." Mark stopped himself.

"See? You're learning." Pearl said.

"More like he doesn't want to make David mad." Kaede said. "But in any case, we'll be looking forward to seeing your show."

"Yeah, the wait will make the music sound sweeter." Agnea said. "Be patient, Hikari."

"...If you insist." Hikari acquiesced. "You're generous with the benefit of the doubt, I see."

And so Agnea, Hikari and their escorts waited another day before the night of the full moon appeared. Yomi wasn't anywhere to be found in Ryu, so they ventured outside the village, and found her atop a nearby cliffside.

"So there you are! Gotta admit, this is a pretty good locale for music." Goku said.

"Yeah, but it's… kinda cramped…" Connie said.

"My sincerest apologies for the trouble. However, I had no choice but to go where I could best drink in the beauty of tonight's moon." Yomi explained.

"You're right. Tonight's full moon is amazing." Hikari said.

"Enchanting, even." Agnea added.

"I wanted its dulcet rays to alight upon my lute as I played your song. Tonight I perform on a stage like no other, with string and garb equal to the occasion." Yomi said.

"Oh I get it. You knew a full moon was coming a couple days ago, so you wanted Hikari to pay you 800 leaves so you could get yourself that outfit." Krillin said.

"And you wanted to restring your lute anyway to get the best sound, which is where Agnea came in." Alphen said. "So, will this be worth all the trouble?"

"It will be, I assure all of you. Now, listen." She said as she drew her lute and began to play.

As night heralds the end of day…

The Mirror beckons for your gaze…

A path revealed by a heart true…

To worlds end, it beckons you…

"I've never…I've never heard such a song before…"Agnea said in awe. "I think we were all moved, but somehow… we all feel so sad…"

Hikari said nothing, merely standing.

"By the Light of The Heart… a favorite of mine." Yomi said. "The clothes, the strings, the mood…They must be just so. It is the only way to perform this song correctly."

"But still, it was great. Thanks a lot, Yomi. You sure know how to put up a performance." David said. "(I should probably take some tips from her next time I hold a concert.)"

"I've heard this song before." Hikari said.

"Wait, you have?!"

"I had a friend who would play the lute for me. She always struck warm tones to match the warmth in her heart. Her name was Tsuki." Hikari said.

"Was, what does that…O-oh… Hikari, I'm so sorry…" Connie realized.

"Yeah… We couldn't save her. During Mugen's fire attack in the castle, there were civilians caught up in it." David said. "She was…one of the casualties."

"Oh man…" Rainbow-2 said.

"She always played the song for me. But you play it different than she does. You played it with melancholy." HIkari said to Yomi. The lutist stayed silent at that, before walking away, her job done.

"What's her deal?" Gohan asked.

"Dunno…" Piccolo said. "And why do I get the feeling her songs lyrics were more for just entertainment?"

"You on to something, Piccolo?" Goku asked.

"Call it a hunch, but the lyrics in the song Yomi played… it feels like they're clues to something." Piccolo said.

"Well, we're not gonna be able to figure that out right now. We'll just have to come back later." David said.

"Right. Why don't we all get some rest, and then we can head to Canalbrine in the morning?" Pearl said. "Thanks again for offering to pay for our ferry to Tropu'hapu, Hikari. We'll pay you back if we can."

"No need for repayment, I'm happy to do a favor to David's friends." Hikari said. "I hope you find another thing Agnea's looking for in her own song in Tropu'hapu."

"Okay…then let's make a promise. When you guys finally take back this Ku place…you gotta throw a party and invite the best dancer in the land!" Eddy said.

"I don't think we'd want it any other way." David chuckled.

"And we know who you're talking about, by the way." Alphen said.

"Yes. The day we celebrate reclaiming Ku… is the day you become the greatest dancer in Solistia, Agnea." Hikari said.

"Of course, Hikari! Me and Team Chronicle will come back to Ku when I've finally become a star!" Agnea promised.

On this night tonight in Ryu… The Brave Adventurers and Team Chronicle, thanks to a mysterious Lutist, Hikari and Agnea, became just a little bit closer in their bond.