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“Haha, take that!” Emu cheered as Nene landed a critical hit on Tsukasa during their vicious (read: mildly competitive) post-dinner fighting game tournament. Emu was nestled next to Nene while they sat on her bed, with Tsukasa lounging nearby on the beanbag.
Tsukasa managed to sneak in a combo hit on Nene next, earning a resounding cheer from Emu.
“Hey, I thought you were supposed to be on my side,” Nene muttered.
“Hehe ~✩ It’s just fun to play like this! I’m on everyone’s side!!”
“That’s not how sides work, Emu,” Tsukasa said. “Though, I guess it is fun to have someone cheering on my natural prowess… oh, that reminds me! I forgot to say this earlier, but thank you for the dinner and games, Nene! It was an honor to meet your parents for the first time.”
“Yeah!! Your mom’s all fuwafuwa and kzzrt-krrt, and your dad is super ~hmmmmmmm~!” Emu explained, flailing her arms all around and nearly knocking Nene’s controller out of her hand.
“It was good to see her again. I’m glad she’s been doing well,” added Rui, not looking up from the broken controller he was fiddling with in the middle of the room. (Nene’s been meaning to have him fix it up for a while, but he’s not allowed to take them back to his garage anymore. Not after The Incident.)
“Oh, that’s right! Rui, you’ve known the Kusanagi’s for a long time now. Did you ever have dinners like this as kids?” asked Tsukasa.
Rui nodded. “Every once in a while, though usually over at my house.”
“Hey, hey, Rui-kun, what are your parents like?” Emu asked, now upside-down with her head hanging off the bed to look at him.
“My parents? They’re great people. My mother is a biologist, and my father a roboticist. Both of them are incredibly kind and passionate about their interests. I’ve learned much from them over the years,”
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH I wanna meet them!!! Rui-kun, let’s have dinner at your house next!!!”
“Fufu, I'm sure they’d love to meet you both. I'll have to ask. You’ll have to be patient, though, since they travel for work quite often and are rarely home at the same time.”
“That’s ok ✩ We can have dinner at Tsukasa-kun’s in the meantime then!!”
Tsukasa whipped around, dropping his controller in the process. “Hey, don’t go inviting yourself over to other people’s homes!!”
“You would have said yes anyways,” Nene pointed out. Tsukasa growled, knowing full well she’s right.
Emu rolled back upright and excitedly clapped her hands. “Hehe, we can have dinner at my house too!!! You already know Keisuke-onii-san and Shosuke-onii-san and Hinata-onee-san, but maybe you could meet Dad!! Ooh, and maybe Mom will be on break from one of her service trips and you could meet her, too!!! And-”
Emu suddenly paused, an unreadable expression crossing her face.
“Hey, Emu, is something wrong?” Nene asked, putting down her controller to look her in the eyes.
Emu shook her head. “Nah, I was just thinking that it would have been nice to have you all meet Grandpa, too. He would have really liked you all,” The corners of her smile drooped just a bit before immediately perking back up. “Aah, but it’s okay!! Don’t worry about it!!”
The room fell uncomfortably silent. Nene, Tsukasa, and Rui turned to each other, concerned. They know Emu well enough to know when she feels the need to say that, they should, in fact, worry about it. Rui nodded slightly, a silent promise to talk later.
“POW!” Emu yelled as Nene’s video game character crushed Tsukasa’s with a frankly comically oversized hammer, even for a finishing move. He hadn’t noticed the next round had started in the midst of their conversation, giving her the perfect opportunity to steal Nene’s controller and set up an OHKO.
“Hey, no fair!! I wasn’t ready!” he cried.
“And who’s fault is that, chatterbox? Besides, I would have won anyways,” Nene taunted.
“You don’t know that!”
“Yeah, I do.”
Tsukasa growled before resetting the game. “I’ll make you eat those words!!”
Emu was awoken by a beam of sunlight shining down on her face. She squinted tight, wholly unprepared for the blinding intensity. Groggily, she rolled over in her fluffy covers, arm aimlessly slapping her bedside table until it hit her phone. She poked her eye open just a smidge to check the time.
9:02.
That's… pretty late. Usually, she’s up with the first calls of the morning birds, eager to start the day. There’s so much to do, so much to see!! She can go race down and eat something sweet for breakfast, and then she can go see all her friends at school, and then practice with Tsukasa and Nene and Rui at the Wonder Stage, and even though the sun sets after it all, she gets to do it all again the next day! Why wouldn’t she want to spend as much time as possible up and about?
Except…
Below the time, her phone also displayed the date.
It was Grandpa’s birthday.
Emu threw off her blankets the second her eyes opened, unable to wait even a second to get started with the day. Giddily, she snuck down to the kitchen, relying solely on muscle memory to navigate the dark hallways of her house while the sun (and everyone else) was still sleeping.
Luckily, one of the kitchen staff came in early, so Emu asked if they’d help her make the most fluffiest, super-sweet waffle the world had ever seen. The two worked together to whip it up, and despite the staff worker’s pleas, Emu dumped an entire bottle of rainbow-colored sprinkles over a mountain of whipped cream afterward with barely-contained laughter. She waved the nice worker thank you and farewell, a dollop of stray whipped cream on the corner of her smile.
Carefully, Emu made her way back upstairs, tiny hands holding the plate as steady as she possibly could. She made sure to hold it extra-tight as she hopped over that one creaky stair. Her socks pitter-pattered across the hallway floor as she started to run on her tippy-toes, straight to the big door at the end of the hallway.
Emu gently set the plate down as she slowly, slowly, slowly rotated the handle and carefully, carefully, carefully cracked the door open. She picked the plate back up and tip-toed over to the side of Grandpa’s bed. Emu held the waffle close to her chest, and just barely above a whisper, began to sing him a happy birthday song she’d made up just for him.
After the final note, Grandpa suddenly shot up, smiling ear to ear. “How lucky am I to wake up from such a lovely song from you, Emu!” he said (though the mischievous glint in his eye suggested he’d been up for a long time already). “Oh, is that waffle there in your hands for me?”
Emu nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! Me and the nice kitchen person made it together ~✩” She handed over the plate to him. He opened his jaw, pretending to take a massive bite from the top, before Emu suddenly threw her arms out. “Ah! But don’t eat it quite yet!!” She reached into her hoodie pocket to pull out the box of candles she’d hidden there the night before.
The two worked together to fit the entire pack of candles onto the waffle. By the end, the amount of wax decorating it nearly rivaled the amount of sugar. “And now we have to light them so it’s all kirakira-fwowowowo!!” Emu cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
Emu stared at the waffle for a moment before Grandpa started to laugh. “Hm hm hm, forgot something, did you?”
“Aaaagh, I don’t have a lighter!!” Emu visibly deflated. She dug her hands into her pockets, ashamed, before realizing, “or a fork!!!”
Grandpa laughed even louder. He fondly smiled at his granddaughter before picking out one of the candles, scooping a heap of whipped cream and sprinkles with it, and sticking it in his mouth with a grin.
He then scooted to the side and patted the now-empty space on his bed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this one solo. Care to help me, Emu?” She giggled and hopped next to him, grabbing a whole handful of candle spoons.
Once the two successfully devoured the waffle, Emu hid the plate under her hoodie as the two walked out to greet the rest of the family, who almost certainly had the real healthy birthday breakfast ready.
Emu couldn’t help but smile over the memory. They’d done that ever since she was five years old.
She really loved celebrating with him.
But. She can’t anymore.
Today, the sun’s already high in the sky.
Today, she doesn’t have a waffle to share.
Today, she’s in her own room.
Today, she’s alone.
Emu turned her phone over and slid back under the covers. She knows she should get up. It’s already so late in the day. She should do something. She should get some breakfast. She should get some waffles and put a little whipped cream on top. She should get something else. She should get up. She should just get. up.
But… the blankets are so soft… Mr. Taiyaki is still snuggled up in her arms… and she’s so cozy right here…
Just. Just a little bit longer. That’s alright, right?
Emu’s phone buzzed in her hand. She doesn’t remember falling asleep again, but the time now read 10:37. Under the date, a new notification was displayed.
ᵎᵎ( ๑˃̶ ꇴ ˂̶)♪ ⁺｡o NENE-CHAN!!!!! ✩°｡🎮🐚
hey emu
wanna meet up at that coffee shop on main street today
the new one a few blocks down from the arcade
Emu was a bit surprised. Nene’s never the one to ask to meet in such a crowded place like this. Usually, she wants to hang out in her room, or maybe at the arcade, and sometimes they even go to the park. This could be fun!
heehheeh yes yes that sounds sooooooooooo wonderhoy!!!!!!!!!!!! .o(≧∀≦)o
ᵎᵎ( ๑˃̶ ꇴ ˂̶)♪ ⁺｡o NENE-CHAN!!!!! ✩°｡🎮🐚
k cool
meet there in an hour?
✧ദ്ദി( ˶^ᗜ^˶ )
Emu stared at the message for a moment longer. Finally, she mustered up the will to roll out of bed and get ready for the day.
Though she’s made this walk a thousand times before, Emu still can’t help but love the path to Main Street. It’s such a beautiful day out- how could she not? The birds are dancing together on the wind, and the clouds look so fluffy as they drift on by, and the sun makes her skin feel all warm. The people she passes are chatting and laughing and there’s so many smiles all around! Grandpa wou-
Emu shook the thought out of her head. No thinking of sad things when she’s going to see Nene!
It was only a few more moments before Emu arrived at the cafe. Nene was already there, idly playing on her phone while sitting at one of the outdoor tables.
Emu barreled over to her beloved friend. When she noticed her coming, Nene smiled just a little bit brighter. Emu pulled out the chair next to her. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting!!!!”
“No worries, I got here early on purpose so I could order,” Nene assured her. She gently slid her a mug of hot chocolate, complete with extra whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles, before taking a sip of her own can of grapefruit juice.
“Woah, my favorite!!! Thanks, Nene-chan ~☆” Emu took a big sip of her drink. When she lowered the mug, a huge dollop of whipped cream got stuck on her nose. Nene laughed and brushed it off with her napkin.
The chime of the cafe’s door rang, announcing the exit of two patrons. To her surprise, the pair walking out was none other than-
“Tsukasa-kun, Rui-kun!!!!!!” Emu stood up and waved her arms around so they would see her.
“Ah, Emu! You’ve made it!” Tsukasa waved back with a smile. The two joined them at the table with their own orders. Tsukasa got a creamed coffee with a little star drawn on top, and Rui got a chocolatey iced drink with some whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
“Hehe, we all decided to come to the same place at the same time!!! What a fun coincidence~~”
Rui tilted his head slightly. “Did Nene not tell you we would be coming as well?” he asked. Emu shook her head.
“Hm? I thought I said that…” Nene scrolled through her phone to check the message quick. “Oh. I guess I forgot. At least I didn't forget what day it was and almost got here late,” she sharply added, glaring at Tsukasa.
“Hey!! I did remember eventually!! Besides, a star such as myself needs to look his very best for this, so forgive me for taking a little longer to get ready!” He struck one of his signature poses to show off his outfit, making Emu laugh.
She did have to agree, though. He does look super extra-sparkly today! She’s pretty sure he’s wearing his favorite sweater with the fishie on it, and he smells really nice, like the ocean! And his hair looks super extra fluffy. She wants to reach up and ruffle it, but he might get mad at her for messing it up.
Rui looks nicer than usual today as well. He’s still wearing one of those sweaters that’s just a little too big for him, but it’s a solid-colored, knitted one instead of a bright, patterned one that he usually likes to wear. He’s also wearing a swishy long black skirt that almost reaches his ankles (and when he stepped, she could just barely see platypus socks she’d gotten him as a gift underneath).
And, now that she's really looking, Nene’s wearing her very favorite dress today too, the nice one with the seashells hidden in the laces and the cute bow in the back. Her hair looks extra shiny today as well, even though she knows Nene doesn’t like brushing it herself because it takes so long. She’s even put in a headband that matches her dress!
She could chalk up one or two of them dressing up a little nicer as just having fun, but all three of them at the same time? “Is there something going on today that I forgot about?” she asked.
Tsukasa and Nene both tried to hide it, but she could see the way they suddenly tensed up at the question. Rui, however, gave her a soft smile before asking, “Would you be so kind as to join us on a little adventure today?”
The four wandered around the city streets for a little while, idly chatting. Emu tried asking where they were going a few times, but they kept managing to dodge the question. Eventually, she decided to let it be. She can’t lie, she’s still super curious, but if they want to leave it as a surprise, then that’s fine! Whatever they have planned is sure to be super duper fun!
Eventually, Rui led them inside a little shop on the street corner. Immediately, Emu was hit with the overwhelming scent of petals, pollen, and soil. The warm, humid air tickled her skin as she took in the rainbow of flowers lining every inch of the shop. “Waaa, Rui-kun! It’s like a jungle in here!!”
“Isn’t it? If only we could hide a small speaker in the back to play some wild animal calls, or add some extra foliage to the ground to imitate the feeling of trudging through a forest path… Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Emu-kun, would you like to accompany me in choosing some flowers?” he asked, rolling his wrist into a dramatic bow before extending the other hand to her.
“Sure~❀!” she giggled, taking his hand. “What are you going to use them for?”
“Let’s call it a surprise for now. All you need to worry about is choosing flowers that speak to you. I can tell you a little about them too, if you’d like,” he smiled.
Emu hopped in excitement. “That would be super awesome!! Let’s go, Operation: Flower ❀ Search!!”
Emu began poking her head around the entire shop, examining each individual flower carefully. She brushed her fingers along the velvety petals, sniffed the most fragrant ones, and even poked the thorns of a rose despite Tsukasa’s warning. (They do, in fact, hurt.)
Eventually, she stumbled upon a bright yellow flower, about the size of her palm. Its multitude of small petals all arced into the center, giving it the appearance of a miniature sun. It was soft to the touch, and when Emu pulled her hand back up, a hint of pollen stuck to her fingers. “Hey, Rui-kun, what flower is this?”
“A chrysanthemum, if I’m not mistaken. Named after the Greek words for “gold” and “flower”, they really are beacons of sunlight, are they not? They’ve been cultivated right here in Japan for centuries, and often symbolize nobility. Yellow ones in particular can represent life, virtue, joy, and-” He hesitated for a second, just barely enough for her to notice. “Well, in my opinion, it’s the perfect flower for our dear Emu-kun.”
“Woah… its so cool!!”
“Why don’t you take a few of the cut stems so we can make a bouquet?” Rui asked, gesturing to a small cone of flowers prepared for that exact purpose. Emu chose a couple at random.
“Oh, Emu! Some of the flowers you grabbed have bent and missing petals,” Tsukasa pointed out.
“Yeah, they do!” she cheerily replied.
The two stared at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time. Eventually, Tsukasa awkwardly asked, “... aren’t you going to switch them out for the nicer flowers?”
“Nope!” she confidently said, shaking her head. “I like these ones. Besides, I didn’t want them to feel lonely not getting chosen, and they don’t need to be perfect to still be full of smiles!”
Tsukasa immediately went silent out of embarrassment. Nene desperately fought back the instinct to tease him so as to not ruin the innocently sweet atmosphere Emu had created.
Emu wandered over to a larger, orange flower next. It had two sets of three drooping petals with long filaments poking out. Rui told her they were called alstroemeria, and that their most common meaning was “a connection so strong words couldn’t possibly describe it”.
When he had said this, Tsukasa laughed and called it perfect for her. Emu had to agree. ‘Proper’ words can be so klank-klonk and hard to find sometimes; if something’s kyaaaaa~~~pow! or kirapipi✩kirapika, then that’s all you have to say! So, she took two of the flowers and added them to her handful.
Emu decided to add one more to her collection. A circular, pale purple flower with a large yellow center caught her eye. She gently brushed the underside of the flower before turning to Rui for an explanation.
When he recognized the flower, Rui’s gaze turned slightly somber. “A shion, a member of the genus Aster, itself named after the Greek word for stars.” He crouched down to place his own hand under Emu’s, which was still stroking the ends of the petals. “The flower of remembrance.”
After breakfast, Grandpa asked Emu to join him in the garden. He’d said it was so they could digest their food properly with a bit of light exercise, but Emu was pretty sure he just wanted to avoid doing the dishes.
The two wandered the winding paths of the garden, basking in the warmth of the sunshine and the songs of the birds in the trees. After a moment, Grandpa asked, “Have I ever told you about the fairies who live in this garden?”
Emu laughed and shook her head. “Fairies aren’t real, Grandpa!”
“Sure they are! Have you ever looked out here at night and seen all those twinkling lights?”
“Shosuke-onii-san said those are called fireflies! I wanted to go out and catch some the other day, but he said it was too dark out,” Emu replied, pouting.
“Your brother is correct- partially. Some of them are indeed fireflies, but the rest are the fairies! They make their homes in the flowers,”
Emu bent over to look under the nearest bed of flowers. “You’re lying! There’s no houses under here!”
Grandpa laughed. “None that we can see, at least. Most fairy houses are invisible to people. They’re a bit scared of us, so they cast a magic spell to hide during the day. At night, the magic wears off, so we can see them shine like stars!”
“Whoa…” Emu gasped, before suddenly shaking her head again. “But wait, then how do you know all this?”
“That part’s a secret,” he said as he winked.
Emu playfully crossed her arms. “Well, then you should tell me everything you know about fairies!!!”
The two resumed their walk as Grandpa told all sorts of tales of the fairies, like how they ride the frogs like we would horses, how they string dewdrops from spiderwebs to make sculptures, how they heal butterfly’s broken wings with their magic, and so much more. At the mention of magic, Emu asked about the fairy houses again.
“Each fairy likes to choose a flower that matches their personality,” Grandpa explained. “The loud, brash fairies like to make their homes in the circular crevices of those yellow tulips, the kind, gentle ones like the deep centers of the lisianthus, and the lonely, creative ones like to hide in the small buds of the erika shrubs.”
Emu giggled. “Tell me more, tell me more!”
She promised she wouldn’t make herself sad by thinking of him today, but she couldn’t help but remember how much he’d love this. Even though he’s not… he’s not here. He would have liked this adventure. He would have loved to wander around this little shop and hear Rui ramble about all the different flowers and their meanings, or admire Nene as she carefully held up her favorites, or laugh whenever Tsukasa freaked out over a bug in the leaves. He would have created a giant bouquet of all the flowers he could find, and then they would go home and plant some in their garden.
But he’s not here.
He won’t ever be again.
She’s not going to cry about it. Even though she can feel her throat closing up, and the humidity is starting to feel uncomfortably suffocating, and-
Rui moved his hand to gently rest on her shoulder.
She’s not going to cry.
Not when her friends are right here.
Rui handed her four shion flowers for her bouquet. She carefully slid the stems between the other flowers.
“Hey, Rui-kun,” Emu asked, careful to not let her voice crack, “can you tell me all about your favorite flower?”
Rui led them a few pots down to a white and magenta flower on a long stem with so many stamen poking out it looked more like a firework than a plant. “This is an astrantia, specifically of the rubus variety. It’s a member of the same Aster family as your shions,” He held up a solitary stem between his fingers and examined it for a moment. “Sometimes known as the ‘melancholy gentleman’, it represents both innocence and bravery.”
He turned to Emu and bopped her in the nose with its petals. “A wonderful specimen, is it not?”
She didn’t even have to force herself to giggle in response. “What other friends will go with your… as.. tur.. as-tarantula!!”
“Fufu, astrantia. Let’s go look for some, shall we? Tsukasa-kun, Nene, don’t forget to choose some for yourself as well,” he said with a wink.
They continued their adventure through the shop, Emu skipping in front while the others nearly had to sprint to keep up with her. Tsukasa picked her up so she could touch the hanging blue orchids Rui was explaining, and Nene showed her a stem of lavender that smelled super duper fuwaaaa~~~. She also found a peony that was as super pwoosh blue as the ocean. Tsukasa liked a colorful group of hydrangeas (to which Rui tried explaining some sciencey-stuff about acid and colors, but he didn’t really get it).
“HA HA HA!” Tsukasa’s echoing laughter nearly shook the building as he turned to his companions. “Look at this star-shaped flower over here, Emu! Is it not perfect for a shining star such as myself?”
Rui identified the flower with a knowing smirk. “Ah, myosotis, known in the West as a forget-me-not.”
“A fitting name for a guy like him,” Nene replied, totally not ripe with sarcasm.
“H-hey! What’s that supposed to mean!?”
Emu laughed as she took one of the stems from the bucket and jumped up to slip it behind his ear. “A kirakira star for you!!”
“Thank you! At least someone understands my true value here!” He gave her hair a quick ruffle as a thank you.
Once everyone had a bouquet that satisfied them, Rui snuck a small, drooping pink flower into each of their selections that smelled super strongly of mornings and wonder. He called it a “sweet pea”, but its meaning was one she’d have to wait to understand. She didn’t really get what that was supposed to mean, but she trusts him!
Rui offered to check out for the group. He approached an old lady sitting behind a counter with a bow and wave. She couldn’t really make out what they were chatting about, but the lady seemed really fond of Rui. He got a bit embarrassed by something she said, and then her face got a little fwummmmm↓↓ for a moment, but also a bit ~hwamumumu at the same time.
After a moment, Rui turned around and waved his hand, beckoning her over. She sprinted to him, stopping with a little hop.
The little old lady leaned over the corner. “Hello there, little one. You must be the darling Emu-chan that’s been appearing in so many of dear Rui-kun’s stories as of late. It’s so very nice to finally meet you,” she said, a little slowly and oh-so-very warm. Emu gave her a big wave.
“Indeed she is.” Rui patted her head. “Emu-kun, this is Sumika-san, the owner of this shop. I’ve known her for a long time now. She’s been helping me prepare seeds for my garden projects ever since I was little,”
“Woah ✩” Emu gasped, starry-eyed. “Hello, Miss Sumika-san!! Your shop is super-duper-wonderhoy!!!”
Sumika laughed, gently rocking back on her stool. “I see why Rui-kun speaks of you so highly now. You’re certainly a little bundle of joy!” She leaned back over to rest her elbows on the counter. “You’re the one who loves that Phoenix Wonderland so dearly, correct?” Emu nodded vigorously. “I thought you would find this story interesting, then. Back when that park was still being built, the owner, Rakunosuke-san, had come here to find some flowers to decorate with.”
Emu froze.
“Grandpa came here?” she quietly repeated.
Sumika nodded. “Even though that was some time ago now, I still remember him clearly. He was a very kind man with grand, imaginative dreams. I see many pieces of him within you, dear,” she added, giving her a sympathetic smile. She then stood up from her stool, rummaged through a nearby drawer for a small pair of clippers, and snipped a single flower, which Emu immediately recognized as a shion.
“You know, I’d always meant to share my gratitude to him for asking me, a lonely little lady with a struggling flower shop still in its infancy, for help with something as wonderful a project as his.” Sumika carefully tucked the bud behind her ear. “I hope my remembrance will reach him through this gift to you, dear Emu-chan.”
Grandpa turned to her. “Emu, if you were a fairy, which flower would you make your home?”
“Hmmmmmm…” Emu hopped up on a nearby stone bench to get a better view as she scanned the garden. She eventually pointed at a circular flower with a ton of thin, pale, pinkish-purple petals and a bright yellow center. “That one!”
“Oh, an aster! Those flowers are full of love and memories. You would get along with those fairies very well!” Grandpa laughed. “Emu, can you pick one and hand it to me?”
“Eh? But what if a fairy lives in it? I don’t want to destroy their home!!!”
“It’s okay, I always make sure there’s more than enough flowers in here for them!”
Emu nodded and hopped off the bench. She picked out the very pinkest of the flowers and handed it to Grandpa. He tucked her hair behind her ear and slid the stem between the strands. “What a lovely fairy that lives under this flower now!”
Emu reached up to touch the shion in her hair. For once, she wasn’t sure what to say. She looked up at Sumika, tried her best to hide her watery eyes, and smiled as bright as she possibly could, hoping it was enough.
After they finished up in the flower shop, the four headed back to the streets. Emu was still not allowed to know where they were going next. After about fifteen minutes of aimless wandering, Tsukasa abruptly stopped the group. From seemingly out of nowhere, he whipped out a small cloth with bravado and tightly tied it around Emu’s face to act as a blindfold. He then took her left hand while Nene took her right, and the both of them led her all around in a bunch of zig-zaggy paths. She guessed it was probably to disorient her, but it was also a little silly.
After all, she’d know the feeling of this cobblestone under her feet anywhere.
She’d know the smell of sweet popcorn and cotton candy from a mile away.
And she’d certainly know the sound of the roaring laughter, and the smiles that surely accompanied them, all around.
After all, nobody knows Phoenix Wonderland as well as she does.
Once she was pretty sure they’d just entered through the secret staff entrance, Emu dropped her friend’s hands and raced ahead, ripping the bandana off as she spun around.
“Wha- Emu!! You were supposed to wait to take that off until our dramatic reveal!” Tsukasa yelled, reaching out towards her.
Nene sighed. “I mean, it's not like it was that hard to figure out… anyways, Emu, will you play with us here for a bit?”
Emu nodded enthusiastically.
Rui smiled. “I’ll meet up with you all in just a moment, then,”
“Whagh, wait wait wait!!!” Emu cried, sprinting over to her friend to cling to his sweater’s arm. “Why are you leaving? Where are you going? Can’t we all go together?”
Rui laughed softly and gently un-pried Emu from his arm, careful not to damage the four bouquets he was holding. “It's just for a moment, Emu-kun. I just need to put these flowers somewhere safe. I’ll be back before you know it.”
She didn’t really want to watch him leave, but she knew she had to, so she reluctantly let Rui go.
“C’mon, Emu. Let’s go have some fun, shall we?” Nene offered her hand out for Emu to hold as they headed towards the main section of the park.
Tsukasa walked slightly in front of them. “Emu,” he called back, “what would you like to do first? Whatever your wish may be, I shall happily oblige!”
Emu spun around in a circle, looking at all the wonderful attractions. There’s the old roller coaster over there that goes whoooooooosh!!!!, and the spinny-spinny tea cups, and and the train that used to be Grandpa’s favorite and-
“Ah, let’s go over there!” she pointed, facing the opposite side of the park as the train. “Why don’t we, ah, go jump around on the Trampoline Dome!! That sounds like so much fun!!!” She immediately started running over there.
“Waa- wait, Emu! That thing is for little kids!! I’m not-” Tsukasa growled. “Well, I did promise… alright Emu, lead the way!”
Emu had a ton of fun running around the park with her friends. She got to double bounce Tsukasa so high he almost became a star ✩, and she got to ride next to Nene on the fish coaster, and even went through the haunted house! Nene screamed so loud in there, she might have even beaten Tsukasa’s volume record. After a bit of wandering, though, the lines started to get pretty long, so they went over to play some of the stall games.
Tsukasa confidently approached an ocean-themed shooter-style game. “Watch this, Emu! I’ll win you that pink fish plushie up there!” He nodded at the booth attendant, who handed him a small air rifle decorated with sea shells. He leaned his elbow on the counter, squinted one eye, aimed at the very center target, pulled the trigger, and-
missed completely.
“Haaah?” he cried out before shaking his head. “This time for sure!!” He took aim again. This time, the shot just barely grazed the side of the target, close but just barely too far to count for anything.
Nene sighed. “Give that to me.” She took the air rifle right out of his hands and pushed him to the side, taking his place. She confidently aimed, fired, and struck the target directly in the middle. Without batting an eye, she moved to the next, and the next, and the next. It wasn’t long before every target in the stall was down.
“Woahhhh” Emu gasped, starry eyed.
Tsukasa smiled. “That’s our Nene for you!”
The attendant, slightly terrified, handed Nene the pink fish plushie. “Can I play again?” she quietly asked, not making eye contact with him. He nodded immediately and reset the targets. Nene ended up winning a yellow starfish, green octopus, and purple squid before the attendant managed to muster the courage to cut her off.
After Nene shoved her earnings into her purse, the trio continued on. Emu excitedly looked around all the wonderful stands. There was so much they could do, and so many cute prizes!!! Maybe they could try winning some more sea creatures to be friends with the ones Nene won, or maybe matching Phenny keychains, or-
A Phenny plushie hung from the ceiling of a ball-toss game. He was giant, so big Emu wasn’t sure her arms would wrap all the way around if she hugged it. His body was a bright orange, with red and yellow accents on his tummy and beak. He had a small brown hat on his head, and a matching scarf with an orange-to-yellow gradient.
He… he kind of looked like. That was Grandpa’s favorite scarf.
She didn’t really want to look at it anymore. Yet, she couldn’t take her eyes off it.
Tsukasa must have noticed her staring, because he immediately turned towards the stand. He got six balls from the attendant to match the six pins lined up, then handed three to Emu. “Think we can hit all the pins and win it together?”
Emu hesitated for just a moment before nodding. “Ah, y-yeah!! Let’s go, Team Win the Giant Phenny-kun Plushie!!”
Tsukasa wound up and threw the first ball. Luckily, he’s much better at this than shooting games and cleanly knocked over the leftmost pin. “Hahaha! As expected of me!”
Emu took her first ball, spun her arm round and round in circles, and launched it at the rightmost pin. The pin went flying into the back wall on contact with a loud smack. “Hehe~”
Tsukasa and Emu managed to hit their next pins as well. However, on Tsukasa’s last throw, his hand slipped, and the ball struck the backboard instead of the pin. Tsukasa immediately dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness.
Nene sighed. “Will you get up? People are staring…”
Emu licked the sides of her lips. The last two pins had a small gap in the middle, so she likely can’t hit both at once… but if she really believes, then just maybe…
She wound up, scrunched up her eyes in focus, and launched the ball. It hit the inner edge of one of the pins, knocking it off to the side. The ball ricocheted up into the air, arcing up, up, up, hung there for a moment, and then fell back down, down, down, right into the last pin. Emu caught her breath as it teetered left, then right, then finally fell.
“YAY!! ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )” she cheered, jumping up and down in excitement. Both Tsukasa and Nene stared at her in disbelief. The worker, equally stunned, took nearly a full minute to collect herself enough to grab the Phenny plushie. Emu hugged it tight in her arms with a grin. “Thanks, Tsukasa-kun ~✩”
Tsukasa proudly placed his hands on his hips. “Why, of course! Where should we go ne-” before being rudely interrupted by the growling of his stomach, causing him to turn bright red.
Nene snickered condescendingly, much to Tsukasa’s growing embarrassment. Emu simply smiled and cheered, “Sounds like it’s snack time!!”
“A most wonderful idea!” he replied. “Let’s get some popcorn from that stand over there!” pointing to a small dining plaza a few hundred feet away.
Nene nodded. “That sounds good. I can go order for us all, since I know what Rui likes. He just let me know he’s all done with his thing, so he’ll join up soon.”
“Okie-dokie! Thank you, Nene-chan!!”
Emu led Tsukasa over to a nearby table while they waited. Emu placed the giant Phenny plushie on the seat next to her. A short moment later, Nene came back with an extra-large popcorn for Tsukasa, a small lemon one for herself, another small soda-candy flavored one for Rui, and…
“They had a seasonal taiyaki one for sale, so I thought you’d like it,” Nene explained, setting down a medium bucket in front of her.
Emu wandered up to Grandpa, who seemed to be writing something at the table. She hopped onto the chair next to him and peeked over, surprised to find him working in his journal. “Grandpa, why are you doing work stuff right now?” she asked. “It’s your birthday!! Shouldn’t you be out playing?”
Grandpa laughed, hearty and full of life. “When you truly love what you do, work is the fun! Emu, why don’t you join your grandpa in a game of ideas?” He turned the journal around to Emu. “I’d like to add some new treats to our stalls over in this section of the park. What do you think we should put here?”
Emu thought for a moment, bringing her hand to her chin. Suddenly, she perked up and yelled, “Popcorn!!”
“Oh ho ho! And why do you say that?”
“Mmm, because popcorn sounds super yummy right now!! And because the popcorn stands are all soooooo tasty at Phoenix Wonderland,” she replied, licking her lips at the thought.
“The popcorn is quite good, isn’t it?” he nodded in agreement. “However, I’d like to take that idea a step above. What can we do with the popcorn to make it even more magical?”
Emu raised her hand as high as she could. “Oh, I know, I know!! We should make the popcorns look like little fishies, just like taiyaki!!!”
“Ha ha, now there’s a wonderful idea! Though, I’m not sure if we’d be able to do that fast enough for everyone to enjoy it while it’s still warm.”
“Aww…” Emu sank back down in her chair.
“But! What if we added a red-bean paste flavor coating on top, and then added small fish-shaped batter crumbs in? Now that would be a fascinating taiyaki popcorn!”
Emu shot forwards in excitement. “Yeah!!!!! Oh, and maybe instead we can have the bucket have a picture of Phenny-kun eating a taiyaki!! Or we could…”
Emu rolled one of the fish crumbs around in her fingers. Out of all the ideas Grandpa let her help with, this one was definitely her favorite. They were only able to make it a special seasonal flavor, but that didn’t stop her from coming here every day when it was available for a snack. It got to the point where the stand workers would have a special bucket waiting for her after school. And, on the weekends, she’d come with Grandpa, and they’d get a bucket of it and go watch a show at the Wonder Stage, right in the front center seat they’d always reserved for her. They’d be lucky if there was anything left in the bucket by the time the curtains rose.
Emu popped the fish crumb in her mouth. It was delicious.
It was more delicious when Grandpa was eating it with her.
“Looks like you had some fun in my absence. I hope I didn’t miss anything important,” a familiar voice sounded behind her.
Emu shot around to find Rui approaching with a small wave. “Rui-kun!! You’re back!!”
“Took you long enough,” Nene muttered.
“Fufu, hello Emu-kun,” Rui replied, ignoring Nene. He grabbed his popcorn off the table and popped some into his mouth.
Tsukasa stood up. “Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s head to our next stop!”
“Waaa, but I didn’t finish my popcorn yet!!” Emu cried.
Nene laughed under her breath and handed her bucket to her. “We can eat on the way, silly. We’re just heading to the other side of the park.”
“Ah, ok then!” Emu hopped out of her seat, hugging her popcorn bucket tight. She went to pick up her Phenny plushie, but soon realized she didn’t have enough space in her hands to hold them and her snack.
”Allow me,” a robotic voice called. Nenerobo suddenly appeared from behind Rui and picked up the plushie for her.
“WAAAAGH!! Nenerobo-chan’s here!!!!” Emu cried out, surprised. She hadn’t noticed the bot following him before.
Rui chuckled. “Nene had left her at the Wonder Stage the other day, so I thought she’d like to come join us on the next leg of our quest. I hadn’t expected her to be so useful right off the bat, however.”
“Hehe, thank you so much, Nenerobo-chan!!”
“You’re very welcome, Emu,” she replied.
A short walk (and four emptied popcorn buckets) later, they arrived at the base of the ferris wheel. Tsukasa gestured for them to enter one of the orange-colored carts. (Nenerobo stayed behind, offering to return their popcorn buckets for sanitation and eventual re-use. She also handed back Emu’s Phenny plushie before leaving.)
Emu rested her head against the cool metallic window as the ferris wheel began to lift them up in the air. From here, she could see across almost the entirety of the park. There were so many people wandering about, enjoying the rides, and laughing with their friends. So many people who came to enjoy Grandpa’s greatest dream.
Emu glanced over at her friends, each also quietly looking out the window. A small smile was etched on each of their faces. They looked so happy and peaceful up here.
About halfway up, Tsukasa eventually broke the silence that had fallen over them. “It really is beautiful up here, isn’t it?”
Emu nodded. It was as if the whole world was bathed in sparkles and smiles.
“You know, every time we’re up here, something big seems to go down. I keep half-expecting some impactful heart-to-heart to occur, but sometimes, it’s nice to just take in the scenery,” he added.
Emu squeezed the Phenny plushie in her lap a little tighter.
It’s so beautiful out there.
Grandpa put so much love in this place. All his dreams and hopes and smiles and memories, right here.
And yet, he’s still gone.
She misses him.
She misses him so much she can’t even stand it anymore.
It was fine, maybe, at the beginning of the day. Maybe it wasn’t super sparkly, or all that exciting, but it wasn’t all bad. But, every new experience, every place they’d gone today… she couldn’t help but see him in everything.
Wouldn’t he be happy that she still loves him even when he’s gone?
Wouldn’t he be proud of her for fighting so hard to protect his dream, even when everyone told her it was pointless?
Wouldn’t he be proud of them, those three who chased the stars with her?
He would have loved them. He would have loved them so much. He would watch Tsukasa’s performances every day, and listen to him ramble about Saki, and cheer him on as he chased stardom. He would boast about Nene’s singing skill constantly, and learn how to play all sorts of fun video games with her, and take her to see so many pretty musicals. He would ask for more as Rui rambled about his latest interests, or admire the robots he works on so tirelessly, or marvel at the magical performances he creates.
He would’ve loved them just as much as she does.
She knows they would want her to open up, to be honest with them and herself, to not hide her sadness. They wouldn’t be mad at her for missing him, even though they put in all this effort to make her happy today.
Did they even know it was his birthday? Was the whole point of this day to make sure she wasn’t lonely?
How did she ever get so lucky as to find friends like them?
Emu knew if she tried to talk, or even look at them right now, she might not be able to hold it all in.
She thought she was doing better than that. She’d been so good about not crying about it after he left.
Why is it all coming back now? Why?
It’s not… it’s not fair to them. It’s not fair to him. She should be able to smile today. She wants to, so, so, so badly. She loves them all so much, why isn’t that enough to make her smile? It always has been. Yet, the more she tries to remind herself of that, the harder it gets to hold herself together.
Emu looked out the window.
The sun has already begun to set.
Grandpa said goodbye for the last time at sunset.
She took a deep breath in, and out.
She needs to stop thinking these sad thoughts. She needs to let it out. She needs to do something.
She kept staring out the window.
Eventually, their ride reached the end. They all thanked the cart operator as they exited and re-joined with Nenerobo. Emu didn’t miss the nervous glances the three passed to each other, or the bittersweet sparkle hidden in their eyes. They nodded and turned to her.
“Emu,” Nene asked, “there’s one last thing we’d all like to do with you. Please, won’t you come watch a special show?”
While the other three prepared backstage, Nenerobo guided Emu to the front of the audience seats of the Wonder Stage. She gestured for her to sit down in the very front center seat. Right where she’d always sit with Grandpa.
As she waited, Emu dangled her legs over the side of the bench. Though there’s a lot weighing down her heart, she can’t help but feel giddy right before a show. Especially one from her friends.
After a brief moment, the buzzer sounded, and the curtains rose.
Nene walked out to the front center of the stage to begin the narration. Tsukasa and Rui stayed in the back of the stage to mime out the action.
“Once upon a time, there lived a traveling troupe consisting of a prideful showman, an energetic clown, a shy songstress, and an eccentric alchemist. The four performed wonderful plays together, putting smiles on the faces of all they came across. They were happy, and all was well.”
“One day, the troupe ended up in a small coastal village- the hometown of the songstress, next door to the alchemist’s forest. The songstress decided to bring them home for a feast, and they all got to meet her family, and the fish she’d swim with, and the sirens she’d learned to sing with. The four had fun playing around together, but as all things do, the day eventually had to end.”
“While discussing the fun adventures they’d had, the clown wondered, just for a moment, what it would be like to bring her troupe back to her own village, just like this, to meet her grandfather. He had once been a powerful sorcerer capable of creating grand, wonderful things to make people happy.”
At this moment, Nenerobo’s wrist compartment opened up, revealing a clear bracelet with an LED hidden inside. Emu’s eyes instantly lit up with recognition. She grabbed the old Project Wonder bracelet from Nenerobo and slid it around her wrist.
”The rest of the troupe agreed. They’d heard stories of this great man, and knew just how much he meant to their dear clown. Sadly, the great sorcerer had departed this world before they had all met.”
“Though the clown hadn’t mean to make them worry, the showman, songstress, and alchemist saw the heaviness the clown tried to hide in her heart. After she had gone to rest, the three had snuck out to ask for a bit of help from the clown’s siblings. During this meeting, they learned that the sorcerer’s birthday was soon approaching, so they developed a plan in secret.”
Nene bowed slightly and turned backstage, trading places with Rui. He took up the narration from where Nene left off.
”On that fateful day, the songstress sent the clown a message, asking for a surprise meeting at a nearby cafe. The clown enthusiastically agreed to meet up soon after-”
“Giving the songstress just barely enough time to get the alchemist out of that hideous sweater that makes me question if he’s secretly trying to camouflage with an arcade carpet or just get on my nerves,” Nene interrupted, glaring at Rui. He grinned mischievously while continuing the story.
”There, the songstress greeted her with her favorite drink before the four troupe members embarked on their journey for the day.”
“The alchemist first brought the clown to a mystical flower garden, filled to the brim with diverse magical flora. As they wandered through the field, he told the clown the mysteries of all the wonderful buds they crossed, helping her pick out a personalized bouquet. The alchemist also introduced the clown to the garden tender, a kind old druid and former acquaintance of the sorcerer. Once satisfied with their pickings, the troupe wished her and the field a farewell before continuing on their journey.”
Rui took a bow and returned to the back of the stage. Tsukasa now took his place as narrator.
”The showman and the songstress led the clown back to her homeland, where the monuments her grandfather had built all those years ago still shine on, as brightly as the day they were first conjured.”
Emu smiled and held up her wrist. The bracelet glowed as brightly as a star, just like it did on that night.
”The showman and songstress led the clown around the various games and attractions while the alchemist prepared a special show in secret. They won wonderful prizes, so many that they could barely carry them around as they walked. Eventually, they stopped for a special snack, another of the sorcerer’s creations, while waiting for the alchemist’s return.”
“Once the troupe was reunited, the showman led them to the great sky wheel, an imitation of the grand tree that once stood. From it, they gazed out upon the wonders below them. And though the three had never gotten to truly meet him, they could feel the love and happiness bestowed in each spell.”
“By the time the troupe landed back on the ground, the sun had long since begun its descent. However, their adventure still had one last stop. The showman, songstress, and alchemist led the clown to her very favorite stage, the one where their adventure had first begun all that time ago. This stage, built and cherished by the sorcerer, where the clown had first fallen in love with the world. Where she continues to love, earnestly and unapologetically.”
Tsukasa smiled softly at Emu. “And, where the three of them had fallen in love with her.”
Emu tried to fight back the tears. She really, really did. They went through all this trouble for her! The least she could do is be happy about that. She should be smiling and so happy about this play and this super fun day they all had together and-
Tsukasa hopped down from the stage and wiped a tear off her cheek. Through misty eyes, she looked up at him. His face was all scrunched up, and when she tried to smile at him, he enveloped her in a massive hug.
Emu buried her face in Tsukasa’s chest. She balled the fabric of his sweater into her fists, desperately clinging on as everything in her heart finally started rushing out. She forgot how much it hurt to cry like this, how hard the sobs make her bones ache, how gross her whole face felt full of snot and salt, how she could barely even remember to breathe. She hopes Tsukasa doesn't mind that his sweater is getting all wet. She squeezes him even tighter anyways.
Eventually, Tsukasa lets her go. Nene’s standing to his left now, nervously rubbing her thumb against her forearm. Rui and Nenerobo were to his right, each holding two flower bouquets neatly tied together with ribbons that match their favorite colors.
Rui and Nenerobo began handing each person their respective bouquets. “We know how much your grandfather means to you, Emu-kun. We, too, wish we could have met him in person. Unfortunately, time travel is currently beyond my capabilities,” Rui laughed slightly, trying to lighten the mood just a touch, “so we, ah, decided to try the next best thing.” He traced the petals of the sweet pea in his bouquet. “A greeting and goodbye at the same time.”
Emu giggled slightly through her tears. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen Rui this nervous before.
Rui gently placed his purple-ribbioned bouquet on the audience bench. Tsukasa and Nene followed suit with their yellow and green ones.. Emu set her pink bouquet down last and re-arranged them all to form a heart.
Emu rocked back and forth on her feet for a moment before rubbing her eyes dry. She took a deep breath in and began to speak.
“Hey, Grandpa!” she started, trying to sound as cheerful as she could muster. “I hope you’ve been having fun, wherever you are! I know I have. I, ah, I wanted to introduce you to the rest of my troupe! They all make my heart go all dokidoki and kirakira and want everybody to smile, just like you did.” Emu sniffled as her voice broke, and she wiped her nose with her sleeve.
Noticing the momentary pause, Tsukasa took a step forward. “天馬! Written as the pegasus who soars the sky! 司! Written as the one who rules the world! I am Tenma Tsukasa, the one who is destined for stardom!” he proudly declared, fist pressed over his heart. He paused for a moment, letting his words echo across the stage.
He then dropped his proud showman smile in favor of the softer, genuine one he so often wore in their company. “By choosing me on that fateful day, Emu has provided me with the most wondrous opportunity of my life. I am forever in her debt. It has been an honor performing at this stage with her, and I vow to protect her smile for the rest of my life.”
Tsukasa took a step back and gave Emu’s hand a light, reassuring squeeze.
Rui stepped forward next. “It’s a pleasure to meet you at long last. My name is Kamishiro Rui, director of Wonderlands x Showtime and a dear friend of Emu-kun’s. It has been both an honor and a pleasure working with her. I have never met someone with a grander imagination and the creativity to bring those dreams to life.”
Rui smiled, then turned to face Emu. “I am truly a fortunate person to have been able to meet her. I promise I will do everything in my power to make her smile.” Rui took a small bow before returning to his original position.
Nene took a deep breath before stepping forward, absently twirling her hair around her finger as she spoke. “He- hello there. Umm… I’m not really, uh, not really that good at sentimental stuff like this… but um, I just wanted to say. It would have been-” Nene shook her head. “No. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for taking such good care of Emu. I’ll make sure to take care of her from now on.”
Shakily, Emu grabbed Nene’s hand in her left and both Rui and Tsukasa’s in her right. “It’s thanks to the three of them that Phoenix Wonderland still carries the same dream you did, Grandpa. They saved this stage, and the old attractions, and the whole park!” Emu gave their hands a tight squeeze. “Y’know, in a way, they saved me, too. I’m not sure where I’d be right now if it weren't for them.”
Emu felt the tears starting to roll down her face, wet-hot and thick. Still, she continued on. “We’ve been able to put on all sorts of magical shows right here at the Wonder Stage ever since then! We did a dokidoki one about zombies, and a kirakira one for Christmas, and even a super fwaaaaa!!! one using all of Phoenix Wonderland as a stage!”
Emu had to drop Nene’s hand quickly to wipe her eyes. “I- ah- know you really would have loved all of our shows. I wish you could have seen them.” She started awkwardly laughing. Or sobbing. She couldn’t really tell. “Or, I guess, maybe you already have! Have you been watching over this stage from wherever you are? I don’t- I don’t know. I hope you have. I miss you, Grandpa, and I wish you were here with us and it’s really hard not having you around anymore and it’s scary but-”
Her body forced her to take a deep breath in, and out, and in, and out again. “But, things will be okay.” Though she could barely see through the tears, she tried her best to look all her troupe members in the eye. She’s pretty sure they were all tearing up with her, though she couldn’t really tell anymore. “I have them right beside me now.” Emu threw their hands down and drew them in for a massive group hug.
They stood there for a moment, safe in the other’s arms. Emu felt Tsukasa’s hand gently rubbing her back, and Nene gave her arm a gentle squeeze. Rui whispered sweet nothings every so often, but she couldn’t really hear him over her own tears. Her breaths were shaky, and she was starting to get a bit wobbly on her feet, but she couldn’t help but feel so overwhelmingly warm surrounded by the three of them.
“Thank you, everyone. For everything. I love you,” she cried out between shaking breaths.
They hugged her even tighter.