Work Text:
Six year old Emu sat cris-cross applesauce on her floor, pressing her back against her bed. Her grandpa sat above her, while his gentle, shaky hands ran through her hair, braiding it while he hummed mindlessly. He talked about a method he read in a book, the French invented a certain type of braid. Neither of them were capable of staying on topic for very long. His voice was lost in a dream, as he rambled about how people came from all over the world to see a giant metal tower. He talked about how yummy and warm the pastries were, how everyone there drove on the wrong side of the road, and how the citizens had a bad attitude.
Emu nodded along, messing up the braid. Her grandpa didn’t complain, happily starting over.
“Europe is such a strange place, you know. The people of England still have kings and queens,” Grandpa told her. He traveled the whole world and he made sure to bring back many stories for Emu to get lost in. Emu missed him every time, but the gifts of his tales made all the waiting worth it.
“Really? Ojiichan, do they have princesses? I wanna be a princess!”
“You don’t need to go to England for that, my dear, you’re already my little princess!” Grandpa cheered. Emu theorized that she and her grandpa had a telepathic connection. Her back was facing him but she could still tell he was smiling.
“But I wanna eat tea and crumpets and talk to those guys with the funny hats!” Emu whined.
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll bring you with me on my next trip. We can meet the Queen of England! I think you’d be her most esteemed guest.”
Emu didn’t know what esteemed meant, but her grandpa said it with so much pride her chest puffed out. She was esteemed!
“Let’s travel the whole wide world, Ojiichan! We can go to the arctic and play with penguins! We can ride in kangaroo pouches!”
“We can do whatever you want! We can start with Europe, the sights there are nothing short of magical,” He said with a laugh. “Yet, all the adults there lost their whimsy. I’ll finally get to be around someone who knows how to have a little fun.”
Europe was strange, she saw it on TV! The adults there talked with funny accents, and sucked on smoke sticks, and ate lots and lots of pastries. They wore silly berets and drank fruit juice out of fancy glasses in front of towers so tall, that they looked like it reached all the way to space. They had knights in heavy suits fighting dragons to save pretty girls. Emu didn’t speak a lick of European, but she knew the broad strokes. Bonjour, how are you, danke. She saw it all in her storybooks! It was so different from everything she’s ever known. Maybe it was another planet.
“Does the sun set in Europe, Ojiichan?”
Ojiichan didn’t answer immediately, but Emu was a mind reader. He pondered the right way to answer. His fingers kept losing their place in her braid. He started over again, as he continued to think.
“I’m afraid it does.”
Emu fought off a frown. If Europe was so magical, if it was like another planet, why did days have to end? Good days like this one. She turned 6 today. Her sister brought her so many colored pencils to bring her drawings to life. Her brothers got her a joint gift of a Barbie car, so she can drive around just like them. They complained about the price, but Emu promised to become a taxi cab driver. She’ll drive all kinds of people around Shibuya and make money to pay them back. She’ll absorb tales from her passengers, and when her grandpa comes back from his trips, she’ll tell him stories too.
The cake was chocolate, and Emu ate it all before anyone could even grab a slice. Her sister told her about the importance of sharing, so she promised to make them a cake too. The candle was covered with melted wax and chocolate. She offered Shousuke a lick so he could try the frosting, but he made a funny face and told her no.
When she closed her eyes to make her wish, she wished to be happy her whole life just like her grandpa. She wished she’d never lose her whimsy. She wished she got to travel the world like him, so she could pet a polar bear, or ride a giraffe, or climb the metal tower so she can reach space and touch a star. But the day was over. She learned in school that a new day begins at midnight, but that was way past her bedtime. The sun was down, and she’d go to sleep with braided hair. Tomorrow won’t be her birthday.
The day ends when the sun goes down and her Grandpa tells her stories about other planets until she falls asleep. A new day begins when the sun greets her through her bedroom window and the fluffy cotton ball clouds fly past her house to wave good morning.
“But you know, way, way up north,” Grandpa mused. “During the summer, the sun never sets. All the way in the north pole, where the polar bears play with reindeer and Santa’s on summer vacation.”
“Really?”
“I’ll take you to the north pole. There’s snow year-round and the sun never says goodnight.”
It sounded too good to be true. Emu closed her eyes and imagined making snow angels with her grandpa. She’ll personally give Santa a list of what she wanted for Christmas. She’ll pitch him present ideas for the rest of her family. Her dad would probably want a big box of thick, smoke sticks. Her brothers could get drones, so they can fly them over Phoenix Wonderland. She’ll give her sister an easy-bake oven, so she can make Emu cookies all day every day.
They’ll move to the north pole, and be neighbors with penguins, and build another Phoenix Wonderland in the snow. She’ll ask her grandpa to build a Ferris wheel that reaches the clouds so she can touch them, and he’ll do it because he’s her Grandpa and her Grandpa can do anything. He can read minds, make anyone laugh, and bring her a star right in his hands. It would be her birthday forever because the sun will never go to sleep.
“Ojiichan, is there a Queen of the North Pole?”
“Of course there is. Her name is Ootori Emu.”
Emu is 16 now, but she kept the same childlike whimsy she promised she’d keep. She loved everything around her. She’d be just like Grandpa. Just as eccentric and just as happy to be alive. On Emu’s 14th birthday, she visited Ojiichan and did most of the talking for once. She’d tell him everything and her vision became all misty when she never got a response. Emu hated crying. Her grandpa hated watching her cry.
It didn’t matter if it was because of something as small as spilled fruit juice she tried to pour into a fancy glass to pretend to be a European when she was 6, or something as big as her sister was leaving for school. It didn’t matter if she was 4 or 14; her grandpa responded the same way to her tears.
He’d wipe her tears and tell her when she cries, it rains on Mars, and all the Martians have to stay inside. But when she smiled, he would always emphasize, when she smiled, the sun would beam down on the copper red sand and the clouds would part. The little green men would leave their little green houses and build sandcastles out of the Martian dirt. They’d thank the sky for having such a happy Queen, so they can have a lot more sunny days than rainy days.
She was 14 when she held it together and wore the smile her Grandpa loved. She told him about the funny things her mascot friends did. She split taiyaki and placed it on the ground in front of his headstone. Its sweetness rolled around in the dirt. She was 14 when she tried to emulate the dream-like inflection her grandpa spoke in when he was lost in thought.
She talked about how Hinata was back from school, and the kids who come to Phoenix Wonderland loved the bouncy castles the best, and how she decided she wants a pet phoenix but they don’t sell them at pet stores. She was 14 when she told him she’d keep his spirit alive, when she promised to make people as happy as he did. She was 14 when Hinata waited for her by the car and told her that her smile looks exactly like Grandpa’s.
She’s 16 now and she still tried to keep his spirit alive. She skipped everywhere she went, and did backflips to impress crying kids, and had a litany of funny impressions at her disposal. She skipped to Kamiyama to spend her birthday with the people who share her whimsy. She’ll show Tsukasa her killer Will Smith impression. She’ll split a cookie with Rui. She’ll show Nene that she practiced the song she taught her.
Today was her birthday and it was going to be just as good as the 15 birthdays before. Her eyes catch a familiar face standing in front of the school door. Her smile grew impossibly wide as she sprinted towards her friend.
“Rui-kun?”
Rui turned his head and wore a confused expression. His head tilted and Emu noticed he had worn painted whiskers on his face, fuzzy cat ears, and the strangest pink spotted coat. He looked like a leopard if leopards were cute and pink.
“Rui-kun? Forgive me, I don’t know of a Rui. I’m the Cheshire Cat!” He spoke in the same theatrical inflection he used on stage. “I heard it’s a very special girl’s birthday. We have missions for you today!”
Emu jumped up and down, unable to contain her excitement. “Oh, oh! Is this a game? I wanna play!”
The Cheshire Cat bowed like he was under the stage lights. Emu loved those lights. When she purposefully unfocused her eyes, they looked like the brightest stars. The cat-ear headband made in an indent in the Cheshire Cat’s fluffy hair.
“It would be an honor to play with you. But unfortunately, there’s a mission we need to partake in first. I need you to find the evil king and convince him to change his ways.”
An evil king? No worries! Emu was a very convincing person, she managed to convince Tsukasa to work at Wonder Stage. It only took a little bit of roughhousing!
“Don’t worry, kitty! I’ll save you!” Emu cheered with pride. The Cheshire cat giggled at her earnest determination.
“But, first. What kind of subject would I be if I didn’t give our princess a birthday present? However,” the Cat cleared his throat. “It’s a bit dangerous, there could be spies. There’s a path that’s a bit of the way out, you’ll have to follow me.”
“Oh, no! Spies! I’ll protect you, don’t worry!”
Rui sprinted off, catching Emu off guard. Emu grinned, this was sort of like tag! She tailed him, right on his heels. Rui laughed like he didn’t have a care in the world. His laugh was contagious. Emu laughed too, carelessly. She fell head first into Wonderland at Rui’s guidance. She chased after him, looking out for any spies as the two circled the school. The school’s track grew bigger and bigger in her vision. The princess and the Cheshire Cat ended up at Kamiyama’s track. The smell of cut grass flooded her senses. And there it was. A giant dwarfed her, hiding underneath a tarp. She could make out the shape of a person, but they were impossibly tall.
“Here we are! Princess, my gift will help protect you if you’re ever in a dangerous situation against that tyrant.”
“What is it, what is it?” Emu asked. Her hair bounced up and down as she hopped with excitement. She was so high energy, she felt like she could jump high enough to touch the sky. “What is it, kitty?”
“Tada!” Rui cheered, yanking the tarp off with theatric flair. It was a giant her. A giant Emu, metallic and screwed together with nuts and bolts. Her chest was open, leading to an inner compartment. An inner world at her fingertips, large enough for Emu to sit in. It was covered wall to wall with screens. Joysticks sat in front of a throne, covered from top to bottom in pink gems.
“Your very own Emu-robo to pilot! She works exactly like a mecha! What do you think? I spent quite a while on it.”
“I love it! I love it so much, Rui-kun!”
They both broke character and neither of them cared. Their smiles mirrored each other, to the point where Emu didn’t know who smiled first.
“I’m so glad,” Rui sighed with relief. “There’s a lot of functions I think you’d like! She has laser vision, for starters. Oh! She can shoot fireworks out of her sleeves. And, most of all, she can fly!”
Emu felt her heart soar to the clouds. Her eyes widened. She always wanted to fly. Her grandpa would always tell her about how fast planes went, but you could only really feel the speed when you were close to the ground. When you’re high up, everything’s suspended. The whole world stopped up there, along with time itself. She could finally fly. She could stop time whenever she wanted. Maybe if she flew high enough into the sky, she’ll see her grandpa sitting on the clouds, waving at her as she flies by.
“Rui, can I fly right now?”
“Of course,” Rui cooed. He cradled her hand in his and guided her into the pilot’s seat. Emu felt like a real princess, a princess with the whole world at her fingertips. “Your destination was already decided. The king’s castle. Good luck, princess.”
The compartment door closed between them, sealing Emu inside. She waved at Rui through the glass. He took a step back, two steps back. Emu-robo burst to life and took off into the sky. Everything below her grew tinier and tinier, as the rocket soared into the sky. She watched the Cheshire Cat wave her goodbye. Grandpa was right, flight is fast. It’s so fast, mind-numbingly fast. She wasn’t scared, though. She was in something Rui made, she couldn’t be anywhere safer.
The clouds zipped past the window, as Emu-robo flew in a Superman position. The whole world was underneath her. She finally got to fly. Her seatbelt held her with complete security, but she opened her arms like wings. She closed her eyes and pretended she was the one outside, soaring through the sky herself. If Emu-robo could fly, so could she.
Emu-robo lowered her trajectory and approached the ground, before forcing herself to be vertical, before landing feet first. The rockets in her feet slowed her descent until she reached the ground unharmed. She never felt freer. Skipping everywhere was ruined for her. The door opened like a spaceship and Emu stepped out with ease.
Emu-robo landed right in front of the king’s castle, which suspiciously looked a lot like Tsukasa’s house. Emu puffed out her chest, bravery flowing through her veins, as she stomped up to the castle. When she knocked on the door, it swung open itself, revealing a dark room. The only light in the entire house was a single, flickering candle. The back of a chair faced Emu. The light and shadow danced, revealing someone was sitting in the chair.
“So, you’ve finally arrived to overthrow me.”
“Hi, Tsukasa-kun!” Emu innocently cheered.
The king ignored her greeting, the swivel chair spun around to face her, a flair of dramatics swerving around with him. His fierce glare burned into Emu’s eyes. His cape danced in the air, revealing a sword made out of pool noodles. He held it with a vice grip before he pointed it at her face.
“I’ll never give up my throne!”
“Are we gonna duel? I’ve always wanted to duel!”
“Where is your sword, peasant?” The king barked.
“I didn’t get one!” Emu exclaimed, still smiling.
“Hmph! I may be a tyrant, but I will never participate in an unfair duel.” Pride shook his voice, as he grabbed the sword from the couch next to him, tossing it to her across the room. Emu caught it by the blade, flipping the sword around to point the tip at Tsukasa’s face, mirroring him.
“En garde!” The king barked.
The pool noodle swords swatted back and forth before the two clashed against each other. Emu and Tsukasa’s faces were inches apart, separated by their blades. Tsukasa’s sword pushed back against her, forcing Emu to stumble backward. His sword cut and weaved through the air, trying to strike Emu. She dodged his attacks with ease, determination shining all over her face.
She jumped back several steps out of his range. The King glared at her, watching her catch her breath. He held his end of the deal. He refused to partake in an unfair duel, he allowed her to catch her breath.
Emu dove forward, catching The King off guard. She slashed and swiped, forcing him to defend against her strikes. He blocked each other of her jabs, but Emu watched him fall behind. She watched him grow tired against her strikes. Emu took advantage of his creeping exhaustion. With a single flick of the wrist, her sword knocked the enemy’s weapon out of his hands. Her sword brushed the King’s thigh and Tsukasa collapsed like he was actually cut. He had a single knee keeping him upward, panting uselessly.
“Are you done being mean, Mr. King?”
“Mean? Was I being mean?”
“I dunno! The Cat said you were!” Emu shrugged. “I had so much fun though, thanks for playing with me!”
“I see,” The King trailed off. “Your skill is enviable! The sword was controlling my mind, forcing me to be evil!” He spoke like he was delivering his speech to the audience. His voice echoed throughout his castle.
“Thank you, princess, for bringing me to my senses,” The King’s head bowed before her.
“You’re welcome, Tsukasa-kun!” Emu bent over to pet his hair, fluffy because of their combat. She met his eyes and grinned at him.
“Your smile melts the ice in my heart!”
It was cheesy, but Emu liked cheesy things. Cheesy things are simple, and Emu can’t help but smile when she was faced with them. The dialogue in their plays was cheesy, but Emu’s pretty sure they made the best plays in the whole wide world.
“Princess, it’s your birthday, isn’t it?” Tsukasa asked. “Here!”
He stood up, his thigh magically healed from their duel, before taking his crown off his head. He plopped on top of hers. He reached behind his back, taking the cape off in a single, dramatic motion. The cape wrapped around Emu’s shoulders, as the fabric absorbed her in its size.
It reminded her of the blankets her grandpa would tie around her shoulders. She’d play Superman and save him against burning buildings. She’d play a loving queen inviting her consort for tea. The cape was just as soft as her childhood blankets. The crown was a bit too big for her head, immediately tilting off the side of her head.
“You’re more deserving of the crown than I,” Tsukasa said, his voice surprisingly calm. He readjusted the crown for her. “Happy birthday, Emu!”
“Thank you! This really suits me, as Queen of the north pole!”
“…The north pole doesn’t have a ruling body,” Tsukasa pointed out.
Of course, he didn’t get it! It was a secret between her and Ojiichan. It was their own inside intel. The north pole had a Queen and now she wore a crown.
“Now! The fair maiden is waiting for you!”
“Really? Why?”
“To thank you, of course! You saved the kingdom and snapped me out of my tyranny!”
“Okay!” Emu cheered. “Where is she?”
Tsukasa guided her towards the front door before gesturing outside like the world was Emu’s oyster. The sun was setting. Emu fought off a frown. The day’s almost over. Today was the best day ever and it’s almost over.
“She’s at the park down the street! Good luck!”
Emu-robo approached the house, picking up Emu effortlessly. She sat on the mecha’s head and felt 40 meters tall. She even dwarfed Tsukasa from up here. Emu-robo marched off, as Emu looked back. She watched the King grow smaller and smaller as the distance grew. He waved at her. She waved back.
Emu shook up and down at Emu-robo’s powerful stomps. She walked mechanically, as the sound of each mechanism allowing her to walk filled Emu’s ears. She readjusted the crown that shook with each step. She pointed her sword forward, towards voyage and towards the fair maiden.
“Let’s go!”
The park entered her vision, before growing bigger and bigger. Before she knew it, Emu was absorbed in the trees of the forest. The setting sun peaked between each leaf, almost mocking Emu at what little time she had left in her best day ever.
“Is that the princess?” Someone gasped. That familiar, soft voice grabbed Emu’s attention.
“Nene-chan!” Emu cheered. She hopped off her mecha, landing on her feet. The fair maiden didn’t have a moment to greet her properly before Emu jumped into her arms. She heard the maiden yelp with surprise. She felt her relax in her arms. She felt her hug her back.
“—E-Emu. You’re embarrassing me.”
“But you’re still hugging me!” Emu giggled.
“Yeah, yeah,” The maiden dismissed. “Happy birthday.”
The two separated from their hug. Emu’s hands still rested on Nene’s arms. She watched her dear friend clear her throat before falling back into the character of the fair maiden.
“Thank you for saving us,” She said with a curtsy. “Now, please allow me to give you your reward.” Nene reached into her pocket before pulling out a tiny cupcake. In her other pocket, she pulled out a lighter. The candle rose into the sky, high above the frosting. The lighter flickered and sputtered before lighting the candle aflame.
Nene looked beautiful above the candlelight, the shadows dancing all over her face. Her cheeks were flushed red.
“Don’t tell them, but I got you this. It’s taiyaki flavored,” Nene offered, looking everywhere but Emu. Her face grew impossibly red. Her free hand wiped up and down her dress. Emu was a mind reader, she could read Nene’s thoughts perfectly. Her grandpa taught her that.
“I love you, Nene-chan!” Emu said it like it was nothing, like it was the easiest sentence in the world. It was. She loved Nene. She loved Tsukasa. She loved Rui. She loved her family. She loved her Grandpa.
“Just make your wish, Emu, before you kill me.”
Emu’s eyes tore away from staring at Nene, and focused on the dancing flame. The candle was so tall that it tilted in the pink frosting.
Her wishes revolved around similar topics every year.
At 7, she wished Phoenix Wonderland would stand tall forever, even when the world is completely empty.
At 8, she wished her Grandpa was a magician, so he could make all her dreams come true.
At 9, she wished she could fly.
At 10, she wished to breathe underwater, so she could find Atlantis and ask them for advice to make Phoenix Wonderland even more fun.
At 11, she wished her brothers would be nicer to her.
At 12, she wished her Grandpa would live forever.
At 13, she wished her Grandpa would come back to life.
At 14, she wished to keep the Wonder Stage, even if no one else believed in it like she did.
At 15, she wished to be able to grant her own wishes, because she had too many things she wanted to wish for now.
“What are you thinking about?”
“My wishes.”
“You look a million miles away. Do you want to tell me what your wish is?”
“Nene-chan, if I tell you, it won’t come true. This is the wish I want to come true more than anything.”
She had two sentences on her mind before she blew out the flame.
”I wish that me, and Nene-chan, and Rui-kun, and Tsukasa-kun will stay best friends forever. Let me take them to the north pole.”
The fire vanished at the wind of her breath. It was just her and Nene now. It was so dark. The melted wax dripped on her cupcake. Nene wiped it off the frosting absentmindedly.
“I hope your wish comes true. You looked really determined in whatever you were thinking about.”
“Nene-chan, can you read minds?”
“No, but I wish I could. It would make things a lot easier.”
The two sat down on a bench together, completely in sync, before Emu rested her head on Nene’s shoulder. She felt Nene tense up at the gesture. She felt it wash away as quickly as it came. Emu yawned. Her eyes grew heavy. Each blink grew longer than the last.
“Nene-chan,” Emu cooed, half asleep. “Let’s go to Mars.”
“Why? What’s over there?”
“Martians. Ojiichan. Dirt you can make sandcastles with.”
“What’s your grandpa doing all the way on Mars?” Nene asked, playing along.
“He was too cool to just go to that place in the clouds. He went somewhere even farther away, even higher in the sky. Let’s go to Mars, Nene-chan. You’ll love it there. You’ll love Ojiichan.”
Emu’s eyes are sealed closed, as she feels herself drift away.
“Emu?” She heard Nene call out as she drifts further and further into her land of dreams. A land where she’ll be with her friends forever, where she’ll never grow old, and where her grandpa waits for her every night.
The last thing she felt before falling asleep completely was a chaste kiss on the top of her head, right next to her crown.
When Emu began to dream, she was 11 again. Or maybe this wasn’t a dream. Maybe it was a memory she tried to forget. She was 11 again and she still wore the Hello, Kitty PJs her sister gave her before they got too small.
She remembered the night before her 12th birthday. She remembered her grandpa coming back from his last work trip. No one would tell her why it was the last. She laid in her bed, distracted, as her grandpa pulled the covers over her. Everyone was acting weird. Even her brothers seemed like they were on another planet. Maybe they were playing with the Martians.
Her grandpa tucked in her with a note of finality. Emu started to understand.
“Ojiichan, you’re dying, aren’t you?”
The words hung in the air uselessly. His smile didn’t waver. She closed her eyes, not wanting to look at his face. It was starting to hurt.
“You’re clever. Your brothers should give you more credit.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Ojiichan? Why are you dying?” Emu lost herself in her ramble. “It’s not fair. I don’t want you to die. Can’t you just stay with me? We need to go to the north pole.”
Emu kept her eyes wired shut. If she opened them, she’d cry. She didn’t want it to rain on Mars. She felt a hand comb through her bangs.
“Who’s gonna play with me? Who’s gonna have tea parties with me? Please don’t go, Ojiichan. I’ll be all alone.”
“Emu, I’ll never leave you. I love you so much. That won’t die with me. It’ll stay with you because you love me too.”
“No, no, no,” Emu shook her head desperately, trying to shake out all the bad thoughts, the totality of this conversation.
“Emu, can I ask one thing of you?”
Emu couldn’t respond. Just close her eyes as tightly as possible to try and pretend this conversation wasn’t being had. She didn’t know what to do without him. The only person who entertained her and played with her and had ideas as crazy as hers. If she closed her eyes hard enough, maybe when she opened them, she’ll wake up from this bad dream.
“Emu.”
“What?” Her voice cracked. She didn’t like how she sounded. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. Why did her Ojiichan have to die?
“Emu,” In his voice carried his age and his experience. It shook with each word he spoke, but he spoke with a gentleness as soothing as the hand that was brushing her hair. “Promise me one thing. Promise me you’ll enjoy your life. Live your life every day as happily as you can. Do that for me, okay? Promise.”
“I’ll make a billion promises!” Emu’s will echoed through her voice. “I’ll take care of the stage, and Phoenix Wonderland! I’ll take care of my sister and my brothers! I’ll take care of Tousan! I’ll take care of everything you’ve given me! I’ll write down every story you’ve told me, so I don’t forget them!”
“Emu,” His voice was impossibly gentle. “I appreciate that. But that’s not what I asked. Take care of all that for me, but most importantly, take care of yourself.”
Emu could predict the future, too. Her eyes snapped open, and tears came pouring down in seconds. Her grandpa raised his shaky hands to wipe her tears before they even fell off her cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” Emu began. “It’s raining on Mars. I ruined their fun.”
“It’s okay, my dear. They can handle one rainy day.” Her grandpa looked up at the ceiling, his face content.
“You know, when it rains, they put on their green rain boots, and they stomp around in the rain all day.”
Emu let herself believe it. “Do they kick puddles around?”
“Yes, and the sun never sets on Mars. So when the clouds part, when you get past all the hurt, they’ll still have a sunny day to play under.”
“Are you sure it’s sunny all day?”
“Have you been to Mars?”
Emu shook her head. She was sapped of energy. She didn’t like this either. She didn’t like being so tired it hurt. Everything hurt. It ached.
“I have. I’m not dying. I’m going to Mars to open a Phoenix Wonderland there. The little green men will love it. Mars has two moons, you know. So I’ll build a Ferris wheel that reaches the sky, so they can touch the Moons. And you know what else is on Mars?”
“What?” Her voice was weak.
“A North Pole,” Her grandpa never sounded more focused and attentive. Her brothers would always talk about how he was a permanent resident of La-La land, but Emu lived there with him.
“…Really?” Emu asked, her voice gathering strength with every word her grandpa spoke.
“I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Can’t you take me?”
“I’m sorry, I only have one ticket. But I lived a full life here on Earth. So when you live a full life, a happy life, and you reach this old bat’s age, you can visit me. And we’ll make the biggest sandcastle you’ve ever seen.”
“Pinky promise?”
Their pinkies connected.
“Pinky promise. Look up at the sky and I’ll know when you’re looking up at me. I’ll always wave back.”
Emu found the strength to nod. The strength to believe him. She didn’t let go of his pinky. Instead, she took his hand in hers.
“Ojiichan, I’m so tired.”
“Me too. Here, scoot over.” Her grandpa laid next to her. “You need sleep.”
“I don’t wanna sleep. If I wake up, you might not be here.”
“You think I’m gonna leave without saying bye to my favorite princess?” He giggled. She giggled too. He took her in his arms, holding his granddaughter like she was the most important thing in the world.
“I know an American lullaby.”
“You speak American?”
“English, my dear. And I know every language.”
Emu realized her Grandpa can truly do everything, except live forever. The one thing she needed most from him. When he sang, his voice was shaky, it cracked at every other note. Emu let herself close her eyes and listen to the words she didn’t understand.
When Emu woke up, it was in an unfamiliar bed. She rubbed her eyes, before groggily sitting up. She recognized the bickering coming from downstairs. This was Tsukasa-kun’s house! Nene and Emu-robo must’ve carried her all this way.
Three sleeping bags, color-coordinated to her bestest friends, laid on the ground at the foot of the bed. They had a sleepover and she slept through the whole thing!
She smelt burnt taiyaki coming from the floor below. She smiled. It felt natural.
“Ojiichan, I’m happy. I kept my promise. I’m so happy.”