Archive of Our Own

“Happy 80th birthday, Grandpa!” Emu exclaimed to the dull-grey gravestone. Despite trying her hardest, she could not hide the slight waver in her voice. Still, her smile brightened the gloomy graveyard and her voice cheered the roaming ghosts. She gently settled a red velvet cake before the giant carved stone and sat down. The pink-haired girl pulled out two plates, two forks, and a knife, placing a fork and plate in front of herself and the other set in front of the gravestone. Cutting the cake generously, she put a slice on each plate.

“Let’s eat! I made your favorite, so I’m sure you’ll like it! You can eat as much as you want from beyond the grave. I’m sure you can figure it out!” Oh no! Her act crumbled slightly; her voice wavered and her eyes watered. The Wondershow actress quickly closed her two pink eyes and raised her lips. Muffling any unwanted sobs, she bit into the delicious homemade cake.

Emu chewed and chewed, the soft wind blowing in her short pink hair and the tiny local invertebrates around her acting as her only friends. She couldn’t see them, but the minuscule creatures roamed around the tall, uncut grass. They likely visited the cemetery for Grandpa’s birthday. He was so popular; thousands celebrated with them, buzzed ‘Happy birthday’, and created a cute little show by flying around. The creative high schooler imagined their awes and smiles, impressed at her grandfather’s age. Eight decades! Grandpa was so awesome!

The small teenager took the last bite of her homemade cake and opened her eyes, suddenly confident that the nasty water in them had disappeared. She plopped her small bubblegum pink backpack on the floor and took out a tiny red bag where neat light-blue tissue paper hid the inside. Emu put away the cake and her dirty plate and replaced them with the gift.

“I got you a gift! Oh, let me help you get it out of the bag.” The condensed ball of energy threw the tissue paper on the ground and grabbed the mysterious object inside. She revealed a small orange baby phoenix plushie with a jester hat. “Hehe, it’s Phenny! I got an orange one since it’s your favorite color! Here!” Emu stood up and displayed the plushie on a nice, smooth spot over the gravestone. “I hope you like it!” 

The wind answered her by blowing once more. The crickets chirped happily, and the leaves fluttered. Emu imagined Grandpa sitting next to her with his typical childish smile; he thanked her and patted her head. She really loved those head pats.

She missed those head pats.

Ah. The water in her eyes came back and burned. Water wasn’t supposed to burn! It extinguished fires, not fuelled them. She shut her eyes tightly, choking the flames in them, but they blazed. Why did the water in her eyes threaten to escape? Water should stay inside her body, or she might get dehydrated! Dehydration was bad!

Her arms trembled slightly, but she wasn’t that cold. The warm summer breeze passed through her hair. She sniffled, but she wasn’t sick. She didn’t need apples to keep the doctor away. A water droplet slid down her cheek, but no rain followed. The sun’s rays caressed her skin gently.

Emu was crying.

This would not do! Today was Grandpa’s birthday; a joyful day filled with smiles and laughter, not bad moods and crying. Grandpa always said that smiles were contagious, but what if tears were too? Would Grandpa catch her tears like a cold, shed a tear alongside her, and cry about the world’s injustices? That would be horrible! Emu aggressively wiped her eyes and forced her brightest smile.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa!” Oh no! Why couldn’t her smile stay still? Wasn’t she a talented WonderShow actress, on par with her other troupe members? “I-it’s your birthday and I’m ruining it. I know smiles are important to you and I should always keep smiling, but I’m failing. I-I’ll do better, I promise. No more tears, only smiles!” the sun-like girl cheered. 

Emu changed tactics and rambled about her adventures with her troupe mates. A few months ago, WonderlandsXShowtime had branched out of their mother stage to broaden their horizons. They had participated in a few shows with other professional troupes, helped in a movie as background characters, and slowly left their mark on the show business. The four members had gained mountains of useful knowledge to achieve their respective goals. Tsukasa had improved his acting and learned to create a backstory for his characters, minor as they might be. Nene now adapted her singing to better suit her characters and Rui had learned better directing techniques. Emu, well, simply spent time with her friends, even if, months before, their troupe almost disbanded. With the company of her friends, she enjoyed every new adventure and learning opportunities. 

While she sat on the long, dried grass in front of the silent, grey stone, the others rehearsed their parts for their next show, to which the curtain would rise on the next day. WonderlandsXShowtime had teamed up with Arcland once more, but, this time, they would perform on the other troupe’s stage. Asahi had reached out to them a month ago through email and stated that his troupe had enjoyed teaming up with them and wanted to collaborate with them once more. Despite the strange reaction this opportunity created, such as Rui reluctantly agreeing, the troupe enthusiastically agreed. 

This time, the story of Hansel and Gretel inspired their show. Grandpa would have loved their new interpretation of the old tale; the witch in their story didn’t want to eat the children, only befriend them. She simply lived a lonely life and acted socially awkward. Everyone misunderstood her actions and believed she wanted to eat the children. Instead of a grim lesson about distrusting strangers, their show was more of a comedy.

After explaining the story to the eerily still stone, Emu recited some of her lines to her silent audience. She played a villager role, a wary woman who hated the witch. The young actress imagined her grandpa sitting on the gravestone and cheering her on. He’d laugh at the witch's attempt at befriending the children, feel sad as the villagers shunned her to ‘protect’ the young ones, and clap as everyone finally accepted the witch despite her quirks. 

“Bravo!” he’d loudly exclaim in the end. “You did so well, Emu”

“Thank you, Grandpa! Did my show make you smile?” the ecstatic girl asked, but only the chirping birds answered. 

After performing her show, the warm feeling faded, leaving an odd churning in her stomach. Grandpa wasn’t sitting on the gravestone to watch her; he hadn’t even uttered a word. Despite the many sounds around her, the deafening silence suffocated her.

Grandpa…

She should have asked Nene to come with her.

The burning in her eyes returned with a vengeance. Before her throat closed, Emu leaped to her feet and cleaned up the area around the gravestone. 

“I-I’m sorry, Grandpa. I-I need to practice some more, so I have to leave. I-it was nice seeing you!” Emy rushed away as a few warm tears slid down her cheeks. “B-Bye bye!” she exclaimed cheerfully, yet her voice cracked. 

—

The audience left the show with laughter and happiness in their hearts. Another successful show. Despite feeling slightly less energetic, Emu played her role perfectly and hugged her troupe members when the curtain fell. Her exclaimed ‘Wonderhoi’ received a few fond laughs.

After cleaning up the stage and waving goodbye to the other troupe, WonderlandsXShowtime met in the SEKAI to discuss their next move. The Vocaloids asked them about their show, which Tsukasa and Emu loudly recreated for them. Rui occasionally chimed in and Nene laughed at their antics.  

After their small impromptu show, the theatre kids sat down near the SEKAI stage and brainstormed their next move. 

“If anyone has any request for what we should try next, I am all ears. I’ll figure out a way to make it a reality,” Rui started notebook in hand for some reason. With a huge brain like his, their director never needed to write anything down.

“Why do you have a notebook?” Tsukasa loudly exclaimed, probably unconsciously “And why are you the one asking that? I’m the troupe leader, isn’t that my responsibility?” The blonde star frowned.

“Fufu, I suppose it is, dear troupe leader. My bad, I’ll let you take the lead.” Their director chuckled at his boyfriend’s questions. “As for the notebook, it’s just to note down which of your suggestions could go well with my prototypes.” Her purple-haired friend’s words intrigued her and her eyes shone like little stars. 

“Prototypes? You have new invention ideas?!? Ooooh, can I see, can I see?” Emu skipped towards the two boys and sat next to her troupe leader. The sun-like girl leaned over the other’s shoulder to look at Rui’s notebook instead of sitting next to their director like a normal person. She basically put all of her weight onto the poor, unamused star’s side and he almost fell from his seat.

“Ack! Emu, get off!” Tsukasa tried shoving her off, but Emu, the strongest of the two, stood still like a brick wall. 

Rui chuckled and moved the notebook between himself and his boyfriend so the pink-haired leech could get a better view. Nene sighed and sat next to her childhood friend to look at the book filled with ideas, albeit in a calmer manner. The blonde star complained about something that fell on deaf ears as his boyfriend explained the different prototypes he had created. 

Their troupe leader shut up and tensed up, paling after every flipped page which showed different inventions. A drone that could make little stars fall from the sky, a rocket to launch Tsukasa to the moon, a mechanical dog that could survive in lava for some reason, a rocket that could launch Tsukasa to Mars, a teleporting machine, a rocket that could send Tsukasa to Jupiter, a rocket that could send Tsukasa to Pluto, a rocket that could send Tsukasa out of the Milky Way. Wow! Soon, Tsukasa would be the first man to go to a Celestial Body other than the moon and Earth, surpassing his star aspirations! Rui was amazing!

The notebook’s last page caught Emu’s attention. Unlike the other prototypes he had presented, the project looked oddly tame; simply a glitter-shooting hat. Rui had drawn it brown with a yellow line on its base. 

Grandpa’s hat with a different pattern, she thought, he would have worn this in another world.

Grandpa… 

She stared at the page as her heart sank. 

In another universe, Grandpa wore this hat and shot out glitter when he laughed. Seeing the shiny particles, her dad and brothers scolded him: ‘Making a mess like that, who will clean it now?’ Nonetheless, the old man laughed and created an even bigger mess, promising to clean up everything later. ‘What’s life if not to have as much fun as possible?’ he told her dad and ruffled his hair. Emu, running up to her grandfather and hugging him, asked him to shoot the glitter at her. She danced around as the tiny particles floated around her. He soon joined her and her brothers and father reluctantly smiled and laughed at their antics. One big happy family-

“Emu, is everything alright?” Rui asked with a concerned look.

Her troupe mates eyed her with worry, Nene especially, whose purple eyes stared intently at her, analyzing her every reaction. 

Oh no! She had gotten lost in thought for too long and her smile had disappeared. Emu quickly slapped a cheerful smile back on and racked her brain for an excuse. Luckily, she brimmed with ideas at all times of the day and the cold in her heart had already melted away.

“Everything is wonderhoi! I just had a super-duper awesome idea!” the cheerful girl exclaimed and stood up, finally letting Tsukasa breathe. She pointed at the three of them dramatically. “Let’s put on an original show! We can do it at the Wonder Stage, just like old times! We haven’t gone there in a while, so I can ask my brothers for permission. I’m abso-duper-lutely sure they’re gonna say yes!” 

Emu missed their mother stage. She loved going around and getting experience from other troupes, but nothing beat performing at the Wonder Stage. After all, it held a special place in her heart.

Plus, the location was crucial to her plan.

“The Wonder Stage, yes! Going back once in a while doesn’t seem like a bad idea, ha ha ha! Good idea Emu!” Tsukasa loudly complimented. 

“So loud.” Nene flinched and glared at their troupe leader. 

“Alright, we can do that. What show should we put on?” Rui asked, eyes shining in their usual excitement. The others opened their mouths to pitch in their ideas, but Emu cut them off.

“I want to take care of the script and story this time,” the candy-like girl swiftly declared, determined to bring her idea to fruition. The others looked surprised at her sudden request but did not seem opposed.

“I mean, alright. But are you sure? Usually, you pitch the idea, Rui and I make the script and Nene creates the choreography,” their troupe leader insisted. 

“Super-duper 10000% sure! I have a wonderhoi idea, so I’d like for us to act it out!” the pink-haired teenager jumped in place.

“Alright then, what’s your idea, scriptwriter Emu?” Tsukasa barely held back his excitement for their future show. His boyfriend, on the other hand, made no effort to conceal his eagerness. Rui was in serious mode, his pen’s tip touching the paper and ready to transcribe her every word.

“Hehe! It’s a secret!” she mischievously said.

“W-What?!?” the blonde loudmouth yelled, earning a slap on the back from Nene. Tsukasa cleared his throat and glared at the diva. “You can’t just leave us in the dark like that!”

“Don’t worry, Tsukasa! I’ll reveal my idea tomorrow during practice! I’ll write the whole script tonight and give it to you guys tomorrow.”

“T-tonight?!?”

“Emu… you shouldn’t push yourself too much, you know? Creating a whole script in one night… that’s a lot.” Nene’s skeptical eyes remained on her, skeptical ever since her smile faltered. Emu skipped in her direction, sat down next to her, and locked her in a tight hug. The greyish-haired teenager slightly flinched but shyly returned the hug. 

“It’s alright, Nene. I just have this wonderhoi idea that’s swooshing around in my brain like woosh, fwoosh!” The candy-like girl made an expressive hand movement in front of her to imitate a tornado. 

“If you say so…” her girlfriend hesitantly dropped the topic. Emu kissed her on the cheek to soothe her worries. 

“Hehe, I can’t wait to show you my wonderhoi script! Oh, Rui! Can that hat-glitter device be added to any hat?” she asked, suddenly remembering a crucial detail for her show.

“Hm? Yes, of course. Is there a specific type that you would like?” The tip of Rui’s pen grazed the page. 

“Yeah! I’ll bring you the hat tomorrow!” the pink-haired teenager exclaimed, a truly bright smile on her face. Her heart warmed as her friends excitedly smiled imagining what she would come up with. Well, not all of them. Tsukasa seemed a little tense.

“You… you won’t write something too absurd, right?” their troupe leader anxiously asked. “As in, you won’t make me do dangerous things, right?” He turned towards his boyfriend and glared at him. “And you won’t encourage her, right?” Rui gasped in shock at the accusation.

“Don’t worry, Tsukasa! My story will be 100% safe and fun, hehe!” Emu giggled.

“Tsukasa, I would never!” their dramatic director put his hand to his chest and acted hurt. “To think my beloved would accuse me of corrupting pure Emu to make you do ‘dangerous things’, how hurtful!” Rui fake sobbed. 

“That’s because you already have!” His boyfriend’s act didn’t sway the star actor. The eccentric inventor fell into the blonde-haired actor’s lap and sniffled pitifully.

“Tsukasa! Don’t be mean to Rui!” Emu scolded and puffed her cheeks. Nene rolled her eyes and decided not to get involved in their shenanigans. The three of them bickered and did silly things as their diva laughed with them, occasionally jumping in to tease Tsukasa. 

As they left the Sekai with laughter and parted ways, her girlfriend stared intently at her back.

—

The walk back home almost felt painful since she couldn’t immediately write down her show script. Finally, Emu sat down at her desk and word vomited unconsciously to her creativity’s desire. Her stuffy brain happily released her incredible idea onto the blank sheets of paper. Words appeared in her notebook out of nowhere yet still made sense. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. She printed out four copies and put them in her bag. 

The sun no longer shone and the house was quiet, not unusually since she usually caused most of the noise. Her brothers and father calmly worked in their home offices while Hinata chilled in her room. The bubblegum-haired girl lay in her bed despite vibrating from the residual sugar rush-like excitement from finishing her script. Somehow, her energy levels had doubled since impatiently wanted tomorrow’s practice to happen faster. Suddenly, she remembered her very important and secret prop needed for their show; her grandpa’s hat. The small entertainer wanted Rui to modify it similarly to his prototype. Grandpa would have wanted his hat used as a way to bring smiles to the people around him, so she would honor his legacy. 

Emu sprung out of bed, walked towards her closet, and opened its big doors. In a back corner,  an untouched box labeled ‘Rakunosuke’ hid behind a few other trinkets. She carefully opened the flaps and took out an old brown hat with a yellow strip of fabric sewn to its base. A few scratches littered its surface, indicating its cherished years of use, yet the Phenny fabric looked relatively intact. The edges were as solid as she remembered. The young entertainer passed her fingers over the piece of cloth and felt its softness. Despite the two years where it had sat untouched in her closet, the hat smelled of her grandfather’s shampoo.

Grandpa…

The heaviness in her chest returned. The feeling persisted even years after his death, but for some reason, it plagued her more often these days. The pink-haired girl stood up and walked out of her closet, running away from her sadness. She put the hat on her desk near her bag as a reminder to bring it to practice tomorrow. The always-cheerful entertainer flopped belly first onto her bed, her previous excess of energy having left her body. A strange heavy fatigue took over her previous emotion, yet her eyes remained open. She turned her head towards her desk and stared at her grandfather’s hat. 

Emu couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t worn that hat. Hinata had told her that Grandpa bought that hat before even she was born and wore it proudly every day. Her father had mentioned that it was custom-made and represented both his love for Phoenix Wonderland and his success. By some miracle, her grandfather had kept it as good as new. He always took good care of his things even if he had the money to replace them. 

Grandpa had taught her to never take anything for granted, even inconsequential objects like a sock. Someone out there had put time and effort into making it, after all. Even if most things were automated or made in factories these days, a creative mind had created or designed whatever she now owned. Grandpa had told her that he imagined that the person who had made his hat would be happy if he cherished it. After all, that person had been nice enough to create it for him and was likely proud of their work. What better way to honor them than to take care of their creation?

Her grandfather had always been a wise old man. A child at heart with the kindness of a sage; he had taught her many important lessons. Ever since her first day on Earth, Grandpa had been there for her. Emu had been born very early in the morning after countless hours of painful labor, a difficult birth despite her mother’s childbirth veteran status. The hospital only allowed close family such as the child's siblings and father to visit her during the first hour. Hinata had told her that, on the day that the last Ootori daughter was born, Grandpa had tried to sneak into the hospital room to see her and was promptly kicked out. Her grandfather had felt dejected as he had been excited to meet his last grandchild. 

After an hour on the dot, Grandpa rushed into the room and cried tears of joy. Her father was not amused; the old man had also overreacted over his other three grandchildren’s birth. Her grandfather slowly walked up to her and asked to hold her in his arms. Once given permission, he lifted her and wrapped her close to his chest. Newborn Emu opened her sparkling pink eyes and locked her gaze with her grandfather. A giant smile appeared on her face and that was when the old man vowed to protect her happiness. 

Although Rakunosuke loved his grandchildren equally, he spent most of his free time playing with baby Emu and making her laugh. The pink-haired child was the sun disguised as a human, or so he said. She rarely cried, only to communicate her basic needs as all babies did. Her brain was full of happiness and love, no wonder Grandpa had gotten so attached to her. And vice-versa. Rakunosuke often took her to the park, created puppet shows, bought her colorful toys, and much more. When she became old enough to walk and talk, the old man brought her to the Phoenix Stage to watch her first show. What a shame that she couldn’t remember it due to her very young age.

Emu rode her first carousel accompanied by Grandpa once she became big enough to embark on the fake horses. They had ridden every Phoenix Wonderland attraction many times together and their time together never failed to make her laugh wholeheartedly. Every time the Phoenix Stage put on a show, Grandpa and she watched them together. Her favorite show was a Cinderella adaptation where the evil stepmother and step-sisters felt guilty for their cruelty and redeemed themselves.

During her youth, her grandfather had been her main parental figure. Emu still had her mother and father, of course, and she loved them deeply. But Grandpa and her, their connection was incomparable. If given the choice, the cheerful girl stayed with her grandfather and did fun activities with him. Her parents hadn’t sent her to a daycare after she cried and insisted on staying with Grandpa. She promised to behave super-duper well and to stay as quiet as a mouse during the day. With the old man’s help and a lot of pleading, her father rolled his eyes and let them do as they pleased. 

Emu spent most of her childhood before her first day of school in her grandfather’s cozy office. As the owner of a large theme park, the old man had mountains of paperwork to complete, even if he detested every second of that task. For most of the day, he let his small granddaughter draw next to him as he numbly wrote away his brain cells. The room always felt cozy and safe. Many animal plushies sat on different shelves around the office; a lion, a bear, a cat, and many little Phennys. She had a bias for the giant pink Phenny Grandpa had put next to his desk. The tiny girl used it as a chair until she turned 6. As a toddler, she would sometimes nap on it, its soft body acting as a mattress. 

Grandpa’s study brimmed with life. Bright pink and baby blue painted the walls, show posters and pictures of attractions hung over the colors, cute animal figurines observed her grandfather doing his work, and lights that could change to any color of the rainbow decorated the ceiling. As Emu spent time in that room, her many drawings accompanied the other posters on the walls. Although many colorful drawings conveyed different little stories, more often than not, she drew some variation of herself and her grandfather doing something fun, mostly riding roller coasters. 

Eventually, the sun-like child grew up and started kindergarten. She had cried on the first day, unused to spending so much time away from Grandpa. Distressed, she believed her family hated her and wanted to abandon her strange place full of unknown people. Noticing her big emotions, her grandfather walked her to school and reassured her. They would see each other after school and ride her favorite roller coaster together, he promised. Although she liked that idea, Emu’s fear remained and she squeezed his bigger hand tightly. The old man changed tactics and taught her an important lesson. 

“Emu, I know it’s scary. Everything is new, right?” He smiled at her kindly. “But that’s what’s fun about the world. There are so many things out there waiting for us to discover. You shouldn’t be scared of change. You should welcome it. You’ll meet a lot of nice people and you’ll make friends. Besides, do you remember what I told you?”

“Um… that I should always try to make others smile?” Her eyes shone with expectation.

“That’s right!” Grandpa patted her head gently and his eyes looked at her with pride. “And by going to school, I’m sure you’ll get the chance to spread joy and laughter everywhere you go. And to many people too!”

His words convinced her and she confidently walked into her class. Her grandfather had been right, kindergarten was fun. She played with her classmates and laughed with them all day. The sun-like child also made many friends and got along with everyone. When she came back home, as promised, she rode her favorite roller coaster with her grandfather. As she told him about her happy day at school, he smiled proudly and encouraged her to invite her friends to Phoenix Wonderland sometime. They laughed genuinely as they spent the rest of the day running around the theme park.

Grandpa…

Emu missed those times. She wanted to ride her favorite roller coaster with him again.

With a heavy heart, the pink-haired girl forced herself to dream about better times before falling asleep.

—

Emu woke up early and prepared herself for school. Heaviness dragged her body down, but she willed it away by stretching and moving around. She quickly skipped towards the kitchen where her brothers were making breakfast for themselves. They always woke up with the sun’s first rays to start their workday as early as possible. Yet, despite their early start, the two men finished their day way after the sky turned dark. 

Her loud footsteps disturbed the brother’s peaceful routine and they looked at her in surprise. Usually, Emu would eat her breakfast after they had left for Phenny Land, but not today. The cheerful girl was on an important mission. She sat down at the table and smiled brightly.

“Good morning!!! The sun is shining in a wonderhoi way!” the pink-haired teenager exclaimed a little loudly, but not too much to not disturb her other family members. Keisuke lightly chuckled and Shousuke had a small smile on his face. 

“Good morning, Emu. You’re up early.” Her oldest brother raised an eyebrow.

“Yes! I wanted to get an early start!” The overly eager entertainer grabbed a plate and filled it to the brim. 

“Is that so?” Shousuke scoffed tenderly.

“That… and I wanted to ask something,” Emu hesitated.

“Go ahead,” Keisuke said.

“WonderlandsXShowtime would like to put on a show at the Wonder Stage again if that’s okay with you guys. I already wrote the script and all if you want to see.” She passed them both a copy of the script. Her brother read it carefully as they ate their smaller breakfast.  “We’d like to put on the show in exactly two months from today.” The two men silently stared at the script for a while, their eyes turning increasingly serious as they flipped through the pages. 

“Emu. This… Are you sure? And… What's this all of a sudden? A show like this on the day of grandfather’s death?” Shousuke put the papers on the table and approached her, locking his unnecessarily worried eyes with hers. That would not do! The youngest Otori had to wipe away the negative emotion in her brother’s eyes. Just because she wanted to put on a show on that particular day didn’t mean that something was wrong. If anything, the WonderShow entertainer wanted to spread laughter and create many smiles.

“Yes. I want to put on a show that Grandpa would like. And I’d like to make sure his legacy goes on so that people can smile because of him even on such a sad day. That’s what he would want.” Emu’s eyes burned with determination, surprising her second older brother. 

“If… you’re sure… I have no objections,” Keisuke hesitantly said, making the other sigh.

“I suppose… I can’t stop you. Just… be careful.” Shousuke awkwardly returned to his seat and finished eating.

“This might even be good for you now that I think about it,” the oldest Otori added, a kind smile replacing his worry. What did he mean by that? Before she had the chance to ask, he got up and washed his plate. “Well, we have work to do. Have fun at school.”

Both brothers left for their office where they would spend their day under a mountain of paperwork. A fiery rush of excitement overtook her previous confusion. She skipped her way to school while humming a happy tune under her breath. 

—

When Emu was six, she became fascinated with shows. The creative girl had always had a passion for storytelling, acting, and such. As a young elementary schooler, the sunshine-like child created little plays with her grandfather and her plushies from time to time. From her new hobby, her grandfather invested in a new, completely different stage in his theme park. The Phoenix Wonderland theater troupes worked indoors, but Emu preferred the outdoors. An idea popped into his mind as he thought of his granddaughter and her love for shows.

On her seventh birthday, Grandpa brought her to Phoenix Wonderland as usual and they rode a few attractions. Emu was happy; she ate yummy sugary foods and spent time with her grandfather. During the afternoon, the old man brought her to a secret corner of the park, a closed-off area that had recently reopened after a few months. The sunshine-like child had wondered about her grandfather’s secrecy and what the ‘Do not enter’ sign concealed. Perhaps they had built a new attraction? 

To her pleasant surprise, the sign had hidden a small outdoor stage with benches lined up in front. A few families sat on the bleachers and children excitedly waited for the mystery troupe’s show. Grandpa guided her to the bench closest to the stage.

The curtain rose and her life changed forever. Somehow, the show seemed livelier, more interactive, and twice as fun as those from the other stages. Through the actor’s performance and audience participation, Emu accompanied the characters on their adventure. She laughed, cried, cheered, and smiled alongside her grandfather and the crowd. Her eyes shone brightly even as the curtains fell. 

For a week straight, her excitement lingered and her family noticed her extreme happiness. Grandpa was delighted to see that she had liked the show and they returned to the small outdoor stage a month later. They watched the new troupe’s shows with little stars in their eyes and returned for the next one. And the next, and the next. The candy-like girl enjoyed almost every Wonder Stage performance and always sat in the front seat with her grandfather by her side. She sometimes watched the other troupe’s shows, but their plays couldn’t compare. The other stages were good, but the Wonder Stage was just better. 

She had fallen in love with that small outdoor stage. No, her grandpa and her small outdoor stage. 

To this day, ten years after its construction, Emu still adored the Wonder Stage. It never lost its charm, even after the original troupe left to pursue their individual careers. Even after the parkgoers forgot its existence. Even after Grandpa died.

Grandpa…

Again, a painful tightness suffocated her heart. Luckily, her troupe mates walked towards her and distracted her from that horrible feeling. The Kamiyama students eagerly asked to see her new script. Emu excitedly pushed Tsukasa onto the benches while the other two gracefully sat down next to him, and grabbed the four paper stacks. The ecstatic showgirl passed them around and kept one for herself. The others enthusiastically read the script, but the clear anticipation in their eyes turned oddly serious as they reached the end. 

“W-What is this ending?!?” Tsukasa exclaimed, breaking the tense silence. 

“Eh? What do you mean? Do you not like it?” Emu asked, disappointed. Was her hard work all for nothing?

“N-no, that’s not what I meant,” their troupe leader faltered. “It’s just not something I would expect someone like you to come up with.” The loud actor eyed her suspiciously. What did that even mean?

The story starred a young girl who had lost her sparkly imagination after her village shunned her for her ‘childishness’. While aimlessly walking in the forest and hoping to stifle the hurt from their rejection, she met an old man wearing a magic hat. The old man brought her on an adventure where she regained her creativity and learned that such a quality had no age. Despite fearing rejection again, the young girl befriended new people, a beautiful fairy, a quirky wizard, and a boisterous elf, and created a home in their company. 

A painful memory from long ago inspired her story. At the age of ten, her classmates turned on her, stared at her strangely, and rejected her. They mocked her high-pitched enthusiastic voice, her mannerisms, her quirky onomatopoeias, and everything they deemed ‘childish’. In her youth and to this day, Emu loudly spoke about her love for shows, taiyaki, and Phoenix Wonderland. Her peers, supposedly mature and ‘adult-like’, hated that she still ‘acted like a five-year-old’ despite their very glorious ten years of existence. Now ‘grown up’, children her age didn’t play with dolls or plushies nor created shows. As the year went on and the sunshine-like girl turned eleven, some people bullied her and spread nasty rumors, smearing her kind name. Her classmates didn’t associate with her because she was ‘immature’ and ‘annoying’. 

Her friends defended her and pushed back against the rumors. They loved her childishness and fun ideas. Her friends encouraged her to talk about her interests and millions of show ideas, ignoring those nasty people’s words.

Still, despite their words, Emu gave in and lost part of her childish wonders. She refused to accompany her grandfather to Phennyland, despite missing a few Wonder Stage plays. Her heart grew pained after every show she missed. The pink-haired child wanted to watch the shows and go to Phennyland, but grown-ups didn’t do such things. Grandpa figured out that something had happened to her and inquired about the sudden change. 

If anyone else had asked her about her problems, the cheery girl would have changed the subject or said that nothing had happened. But this was Grandpa, the person she trusted the most and someone who had always been there for her. So, she reluctantly told him everything about the bullying and rumors. 

Her grandfather angrily insulted her classmates and said that he would ‘put them in their place’. He wasn’t truly mad; only upping his reaction to cheer Emu up. The old man speculated that ‘a mosquito must have bit them and brainwashed them into being delusional’ and other crazy theories. Her grandfather’s over-the-top acting brought a small smile to her lips before she burst into laughter when he said that the students were aliens who wanted to suck the happiness out of Earth and that they couldn’t let that happen. He looked so serious and acted like a knight trying to save a princess from a terrible dragon. 

Once he heard her laugh, Grandpa smiled softly at her. He ruffled her hair and observed her intently to ensure she didn’t harbor any lingering sadness before telling her another piece of wisdom that she would never forget. 

“Emu, I think your classmates are just jealous of you. You’re such a sweet and bubbly girl who makes everyone around her laugh and smile. Who wouldn’t want to do something like that? Your bright smiles, funny little speeches, and imagination are what make you, you. I wouldn’t want any other person as my last granddaughter. You shouldn’t try to be someone you aren’t just because of what those people are saying. You’re my little sunshine. It would be a shame if a few clouds decided to hide you from the rest of us.”

Although she cherished those words, some time passed before she let them sink in and consume her. Her grandfather drilled that lesson into her skull, encouraging her to continue being herself and be ‘childish’. He told her that imagination had no age, that her quirks were a beautiful part of her, and that there was nothing wrong with liking things deemed ‘childish’. 

Eventually, his incessant speech worked. A few months after starting middle school, Emu ignored the rumors completely and retaliated when people bullied her by trying to make them smile. Seeing that their tactics to kick her down didn’t work, her peers stopped and just let her be. 

To this day, the cheerful girl still took Grandpa’s knowledge to heart and lived by his virtue. Without him, she wouldn’t have stayed the bubbly energetic girl that she was, perhaps becoming a husk of a person living her sad despicable life and regretting conforming to society’s standards. 

Grandpa…

That feeling, again. Twice today and in such a small amount of time. Couldn’t it let her be? 

Emu felt a light touch on her shoulder. She snapped out of her unwanted thoughts and noticed her beautiful girlfriend’s worried eyes. Oh no! Had she accidentally let that strange and uncomfortable feeling show?

“Emu, please be honest with me. Is something wrong?” Nene put both hands on her shoulders firmly, determined to discover her girlfriend’s woes and wipe them from existence. How sweet. Her heart always fluttered in her greyish-haired girlfriend’s presence. The future musical actress cared deeply for her troupe members and ensured her friend’s happiness. She loved all of them, even Tsukasa whom she teased constantly. 

But, nothing was wrong with Emu. She was happy with her troupe and would create another incredible show with them. Everything was just sunshine and rainbows, no clouds in sight. 

Yet, this strange heavy feeling persisted. It came and left and came and left, but never truly disappeared. Her heart clenched painfully every time she thought of a happy memory with Grandpa. It made no sense; those were precious memories that made her smile, yet her heart throbbed excruciatingly every time.

So no, nothing was wrong per se. And she wouldn’t make her troupe mates, especially her anxious girlfriend, worry about something so confusing.

“Hm? There’s nothing wrong, Nene. Why do you ask?” the sunshine-like girl said in her high-pitched cheery voice. Nene looked at her skeptically, yet undeniably nervously. 

“It’s because… you don’t usually have ideas like this. Making the old man disappear at the end and revealing that he was a ghost all along, that’s… such a sad ending,” her girlfriend hesitatingly revealed.

“Eh?” the pink-haired high schooler blurted out. What did that mean? The old man in the story wasn’t a ghost. He stayed with the girl and they lived happily ever after, creating stories and shows with their new friends. “What are you talking about, Nene? That’s not how the story ends.” Emu chuckled, albeit a little awkwardly. Her girlfriend was so silly sometimes. Nene blinked at her and her worry grew. 

“Yes! That’s how the story ends, Emu! That’s what you wrote!” Tsukasa loudly intervened. He looked like he was having an existential crisis and rethinking everything he ever knew about the world. The purple-eyed diva didn’t even scold him for destroying their eardrums. This was too strange; Emu nervously shifted in place. Were they pranking her? Did she accidentally swap the scripts with something she had seen online?

The scriptwriter glanced down at the papers in her hands and turned to the last page. She read through it and…

Narrator: The old man disappeared, leaving the young girl and her friends to grieve his loss.

Emu closed the script as her heart sank. She hadn’t written this. This wasn’t possible. She had given them the wrong script. That was the only explanation. She flipped through the other pages hastily. 

Unfortunately, without a doubt in her mind, the script in her hand was the same that she had written the day before. The pink-eyed girl read over the dialogue that she had created, the world that she had built, and the characters that she had invented. But how could that be? Emu didn’t remember ever writing such a tragic end to her tale. It didn’t make sense. Writing the script had been a blur, sure, and she hadn’t reread her work, but…

Had she unconsciously written this? 

But her unconscious was full of happiness and laughter, not tragedy. The candy-like entertainer wrote fluffy stories ending with a happily ever after for everyone, the old man included. 

The feeling reappeared. It grew and grew, leaving her chest and clawing its way to her throat. No, no! It needed to stay down. This wasn’t the time to let it out. There was never a good time to let it out. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.

Emu needed to rectify her mistake quickly.

“I’m so sorry, everyone! You probably don’t like it and that’s okay. I’ll change it!” the cheery teenager exclaimed, an unsure smile on her face.

“Emu, that’s not what I’m saying.” Nene sighed. Before she explained herself, Emu cut her off.

“I’ll make it so that the old man and the others all live happily ever after and create many stories together.” The slightly panicked entertainer took out a pen from her bag. 

“No.” Rui’s voice shocked all of them. He had stayed unusually silent during the whole exchange. Emu glanced at him; his eyes, locked on the script, were furrowed as he thought really hard about something. ”This ending is good.” Their director finally looked up at them, determined to put on such a tragic show. 

“But… wouldn’t it be better if they all had a happy ending?” the pink-haired scriptwriter insisted, uncomfortable at the thought of going through with this.

“No,” Rui simply said. Everyone waited for an explanation for a while. Their eccentric director really knew how to keep everyone on their toes. Before someone asked him to clarify, he finally broke the silence. “This seems like a nice challenge for all of us.” Rui stared directly at her, eyes brimming with ideas.

“How is this a challenge? We’ve already done a few tragedies. I mean, sure, it’s not our usual type of show, but it’s not that challenging,” Nene deadpanned. Her childhood friend grinned.

“Trust me on this. It is going to be a challenge.” His face conveyed ‘I know something you don’t’. 

“Ha ha ha! He’s right. I’m sure this will be a great opportunity for me to grow as a star!” Tsukasa proudly boasted, getting up and striking a self-satisfied pose. “Every show is a way for us to get better, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Rui’s right, let’s do this!” Their troupe leader eyed the three of them, encouraging them to go with Rui’s whims.

Emu awkwardly shifted in her seat. She didn’t like this ending; it felt too… real. Unfortunately, in this world, even if a person lived the best possible existence, smiled every day, and lived to the fullest, life always ended in tragedy; death. In shows, none of that needed to exist. Fiction made immortality possible, so why not give everyone a happy ending? After all, shows were fantastical, an escape from people’s mean words and the world’s cruelties. She wanted to keep it that way.

Nene examined her and decided to intervene.

“What if Emu doesn’t want to?” her kind girlfriend asked.

She likely deduced that the original ending wasn’t the intended ending. Her favorite diva allowed her to decline, and back away from something she clearly did not want. Yet, Emu mistakenly locked eyes with the two others and her resolve shattered. Tsukasa looked at her with excitement and anticipation, ready for the next challenge that would bring him closer to his dream. Rui sat quietly on the bench, staring at her as if he already knew her answer. Her troupe mates unknowingly thrust her into the spotlight, which she usually wouldn’t mind. She would embrace it and use it to make others happy. And to make others happy…

“Rui’s right! It’ll be a super duper wonderhoi challenge. Let’s do our best!” the pink-haired high schooler exclaimed, a determined smile on her face even as her heart clenched.

Tsukasa cheered, and Rui fetched his notebook. He spat out the gist of his decor ideas and lighting. All the while, Nene stayed silently by her side, analyzing her reaction. Emu chimed in her ideas and combined them with their director’s. Eventually, the purple-haired teenager announced the casting. He assigned the role of the fairy to Nene, the wizard to himself, and the elf to Nenerobot whom he would dress up differently than their diva. For the main characters, Tsukasa would play the old man, his reasoning being that their troupe leader in a white beard would look funny. As he cast the last character, the little girl, to Emu, the eccentric inventor gave her a kind smile that reminded her of the one Keisuke had given her that same morning.

Before the end of their practice, the cheery girl gave Rui her grandfather’s hat to modify. He inspected it curiously and hummed.

“Hm, that’s quite an interesting design. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected a simple black top hat or anything. The Phenny pattern is pretty cute. Any reason you want me to add a glitter compartment to this hat?” the cat-like director inquired.

“It was Grandpa’s hat! And I know he would have loved to sploosh out glitter whenever he wanted to. It’s gonna fit our show!” the pink-haired entertainer explained cheerfully. Rui raised an eyebrow.

“…are you sure you want me to use your grandfather’s hat?” the eccentric high schooler kindly asked.

“Yeah!” Emu exclaimed and jumped in place slightly.

“…I see.” His voice held a tinge of worry. “I’ll take good care of it. The modifications should be done tomorrow.” Rui carefully put the hat in his bag and stored away the rest of his machines before leaving the Wonder Stage.

—

At first, practice started without any problems. Since their show would debut two months from the day Emu pitched her idea, the troupe happily prepared for the show without feeling any stress. 

A month later, her other troupe members had finished their tasks relating to the show; Rui, Tsukasa, and Nene had created the lighting, costumes, and choreographies. Except for regular practice, only a few details remained to perfect their show. 

Everyone shone brightly in their roles. The fairy role suited Nene to a T since she would sing as usual. Her opera-like voice enchanted the whole ‘forest’  and its inhabitants in the play. Its softness created a lovely, warm atmosphere like a blanket enveloping the listeners and Emu’s knees weakened every time she heard her. Rui, the eccentric wizard, acted his lines like a socially awkward shut-in who clumsily stumbled through a conversation. Using his props, he created a magical illusion and became a powerful, yet kind sorcerer. His ‘spells’ impressed the pink-haired girl and she believed she was in some dream from their realism. 

Finally, Tsukasa reminded her of Grandpa. Depending on the scene, he expressed his lines with enthusiasm, wisdom, and softness and his mannerisms unknowingly mimicked her grandfather’s. As usual, Rui’s director's judgment was on point and their star fit the old man role like a glove, as expected of a future star. Every time they practiced together, Emu saw her late grandfather’s soul in her troupe leader. So eerily similar, had he known Grandpa back then? Or maybe Grandpa had reincarnated as Tsukasa and fate had brought them together again. Ah, but that was ridiculous! Their expressive star was his own person and Grandpa died only two years ago. If reincarnation existed, her grandfather would be a toddler.

Grandpa…

Tsukasa’s talented performance helped Emu act out her scenes in a natural way, encouraging her to become the same cheerful and happy girl that she was during her time with her grandfather. But…

She struggled with the ending because of that same reason. 

It was hard. To see Grandpa disappear over and over and over again. It was painful. To cry out as his ghost left her alone in the mortal world and she couldn’t stop him. It was impossible. For her to act as she had written in the script. The pink-haired teenager tried crying like she had written, reaching out to the old man in desperation, but, every time, she halted in place. For a split second, her act crumbled and the audience's immersion disappeared. Her performance sounded fake to her ears, the tears wouldn’t fall, and she weakly reached out to the old man’s ghost as he vanished in front of her eyes. How frustrating! Even if the others believed in her, encouraged her, and gave her advice, they worried from afar. Emu rarely struggled with her characters, especially not a character as similar to her true self, but the show’s last scene put her in a slump. 

She tried many things; detaching herself from the character, separating Grandpa from the old man, and forcing her tears out. Nothing worked. The others pitched ideas to create an impactful last scene and coached her on her acting. Nothing worked. Nothing. The cheery entertainer dragged the others down because of her stupid feelings and she felt like a disappointment.

Nene observed her from afar and constantly asked, after each failed scene, if Emu still wanted to keep this ending. Her girlfriend reassured her it was okay if she couldn’t act out such a sad resolution and that they change it if she felt too distressed. Her warm hands caressed her shoulder and her purple eyes shone with worry as she said those words. But Emu couldn’t let her troupe mates down because of a weak reason like her confusing feelings. Tsukasa had been excited for the challenge and Rui mentioned how it would be a good learning experience. So, she stayed firm in her decision and insisted on keeping the sad ending.

A week before the curtain rose, Emu still couldn’t act the last scene to perfection. Tsukasa gradually became more nervous after each failed attempt. After another subpar attempt at acting out the ending, Rui called for a break. The main actress apologized for her blunder and took out her water bottle. Nene shot her another worried glance.

“Listen… Emu. I know you keep saying that it’s fine, but are you really sure you want to do this ending?” her girlfriend insisted, gently taking her hand with an insecurity that reminded Emu WonderShow’s debut. Their troupe leader approached them before she had the chance to answer.

“She’s right. It’s clear that you’re struggling and that whatever the problem is doesn’t seem to go away. There’s no shame in changing the ending, you know? If the happier ending is better for you, we can do it. I can learn my new lines on time and we can put on an incredible show as always,” Tsukasa’s big brother voice addressed her. He stood in front of the two girls, stiff with uncharacteristic nervousness and eyes analyzing her moves. 

“I can see that something is bothering you.” Her girlfriend frowned. “When we practice that scene, you always seem like you’re holding back something and I can see that you seem a little less cheerful during practice these days. I’d like it if you told me what’s wrong, but if you don’t want to, it’s fine. But please, don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to. Especially not if it’s painful for you.” Serious purple eyes met unsure pink ones. Emu looked back and forth between her two friends and noticed Rui sitting afar, analyzing them with a soft smile.

The other’s unnecessary concern heightened her nervousness and guilt. The pink-haired entertainer’s performance determined their show’s success, she was the lead after all. The last scene was essential and impactful, even if she hated it. Just because Emu couldn’t act out the scene right now didn’t mean failing on the show’s debut. She needed a breakthrough. Soon. Very, very soon. The cheery teenager put on a bright and determined smile and reaffirmed her conviction. 

“Don’t worry, everyone! I’m sure I’ll figure it out! I can do this!” she exclaimed. Before her two troupe members could retort, Rui stood up and approached them. 

“Everyone. How about we go to the SEKAI? I wanted to show Tsukasa’s costume to KAITO and the others.” Their eccentric director turned to his boyfriend. “Can you put it on?” He looked at him with innocent eyes.

Emu had no idea why he interrupted their conversation to change the topic so abruptly considering the subject, but she wasn’t complaining. Tsukasa questioned his boyfriend’s random request, but Rui simply pushed him to the changing room and ignored his loud complaints. The sunshine-like high schooler chuckled at their antics and tackled her girlfriend in a hug, hoping to distract her from her worries. 

After a few minutes, Tsukasa came back costumed and grumbled about being able to walk by himself. Rui stood behind him with a cat-like smile and pretended to not hear him. The theater fanatics teleported to the SEKAI and greeted the Virtual Singers and plushies. The SEKAI inhabitants excitedly fired a million questions at them and impatiently asked for a progress report. Eventually, they quieted down slightly, or as much as they could, and admired the star’s costume. The blonde-haired actor boasted about looking good in everything, even a white beard and cardigan. Tsukasa activated the glitter mechanic on the hat and the younger singer’s eyes shone brighter than little stars. The sparkly plastic rained down around them and the plushies tried to catch them. Emu, Miku, and Rin cheered and joined the fluffy beings. Len, on the other hand, observed the hat itself.

“Wow! How did you make this, Rui?” the yellow-haired Vocaloid asked with a big smile on his face.

“Yes. It wasn’t complicated. I added a compartment with glitter and a spring to push out some of it when we activate this small button.” Rui pointed to the side of the hat as he explained his invention. “I had another prototype, but we are using this one for our show at Emu’s request.” He smiled at her.

“Really? That’s your hat, Emu? It's so cool! I didn’t know you wore things like this,” Miku enthusiastically said. 

“It’s my Grandpa’s!” the sunshine-like teenager cheered. Nene glanced at her worriedly but remained silent.

“Your Grandpa? Oh! The person who built Phoenix Wonderland!” Rin chimed in.

“How is it like to have a cool grandpa like that?” Miku asked and her cat ears perked up in interest.

“Super-duper wonderhoi!!! Grandpa is the bestest ever! He used to bring me to Phoenix Wonderland all the time and he would take care of me!” 

“He seems really kind and fun. I’m glad he lent you his hat for this. I’m sure the show will look wonderful because of it.” KAITO softly smiled. Why did his smile also look like Grandpa’s? A painful feeling appeared and her heart squeezed.

“A-ah… well, he didn’t exactly lend it to me. He left it for me.” Emu plastered on a forced smile.

“Left…?” Len inquired, having forgotten that her grandfather wasn’t of this world anymore.

“Y-yeah… Grandpa died two years ago, you know?” The SEKAI fell silent. KAITO’s eyes filled with regret at having brought up the subject. The younger Virtual Singers shot her a saddened look. A warm, tender arm wrapped around her waist, and a face buried itself on her shoulder. Nene squeezed her a little tighter, hoping that the dark subject didn’t ruin her mood. 

Dread washed over her as tension grew. The SEKAI was supposed to be a happy, cheerful place, not a quiet and sad one.

“I-it’s alright, everyone. It’s been a while, you know. A-and I’ve had a lot of fun times with him. And-“

Emu cut herself off. Her throat slowly closed off and the disgusting, ugly feeling that kept bothering her fiercely tried to claw its way out of her body. She concentrated on fighting it, pushing it down, down into the deepest pits of her mind.

“Hey, Emu?” Rui took over and flashed her a soft smile. “You’ve talked about all the fun times you had when your grandpa was alive, like how he built the Wonder Stage and you would watch shows there together… But I’m just curious about what happened when he died. Specifically, how you felt.” 

Nene unwrapped her arms and stomped towards their director. She slapped the back of his head and he flinched. 

“Don’t just ask that!” their diva exclaimed. Tsukasa glared at his boyfriend, though the director seemed unbothered. His eyes stayed on Emu, sharp and analyzing, yet kind and open. Despite her stomach squirming uncomfortably at the thought of remembering that day, she took a deep breath and plastered on a childish smile.

“Sure! I can do that since it’s to you guys.”

—

Autumn was such a fun season. Her classmates said that the season represented death since the leaves fell and decomposed, but she optimistically saw autumn as nature’s colorful show. Red, orange, yellow, green gracefully fluttered with the wind to create a beautiful rain-like illusion. Emu danced around a few piles of leaves as she walked to school and threw around nature’s colorful gift like confetti. 

The sunshine-like girl barged into her school and ran towards her friends. They smiled and laughed until the bell rang and they separated. Despite its dull nature, she enjoyed her classes and smiled after discovering the answer to every complicated problem. The creative teenager imagined the letters in her algebra problem dancing with the numbers eventually creating a solution. Because of her positive outlook on things, school and exams were fun. 

Every day, Emu ate dinner with her friends, went to class, and took part in her club activities. Then, she walked back home, barged into Grandpa’s office, and gave him a big hug. The bubbly girl recalled her day and asked about his’ as they drove to Phoenix Wonderland or somewhere else. As long as they were together, everything was fun.

That day, Emu wanted to go to Phoenix Wonderland since the Wonder Stage had announced a show. As their number one fan, this was a must. 

The sunshine-like teenager barged into an oddly quiet house. Carefree, she bolted towards her grandfather’s office only to find it empty. Emu ran around the house, loudly asking if anyone was home, and not even the wind answered her. The buzz of electricity and muffled car sounds reached her ears, but no Grandpa. Her excitement vanished, replaced by anxiety. She had never come back home to a quiet house before. Grandpa always waited for her in his office, and her other family members occasionally arrived home before her. 

Pondering, the childish girl wondered if the old man had created a treasure hunt for her, the prize being the Winder Stage’s show! Detective Emu snooped through her grandfather’s colorful office, hoping to find any clues. The bunny plushie on the shelf looked suspicious… hm… she furrowed her eyebrows  and-

A phone call shattered the house’s thick silence. She jolted and looked down at her phone. Her sister’s contact appeared and Emu answered. 

“Hi!!! What’s up?” the sunshine-like girl cheerfully exclaimed.

“Emu,” her sister started, voice unbelievably serious. The hair on Emu’s back raised and her body stiffened. Hinata had never sounded like that before; so to the point and distant. “Are you home?”

The pink-haired teenager clenched her phone and convinced her brain that everything was okay despite the thousands of alarm bells loudly ringing in her head. Nothing was wrong. Nothing at all. 

“Yeah!” Emu swallowed down her growing anxiety and acted innocent.

“I’m picking you up. I’ll be home in three minutes. We’re going to the hospital,” Hinata curtly said. Emu realized that her sister was driving, noticing the background noises and constant engine noises. Her heart fell and she shook, unable to contain her fear. Someone was hurt. No, maybe they were fine. Perhaps it was minor. Right?

“W-what happened? Why are we going to the hospital?” the worried teenager blurted out, voice uncharacteristically fragile. 

“It’s Grandpa.” The words resonated through her skull, pounding inside her brain as they slowly became coherent. Her phone fell from her hands and clattered on the floor, loudly shattering the house’s silence.

Grandpa was at the hospital. 

No, no, no! This couldn’t be happening! Not to Grandpa! He was the definition of health. He still had so much energy, even if he was 78. 

Grandpa died.

No! She was overreacting once again. He probably sprained his wrist by writing too much. His bones were old, so it was probably normal. Silly Grandpa. He should take better care of himself. Maybe he slipped on something and accidentally twisted his ankle. His problem was probably minor and easily fixable. Grandpa was fine. 

Emu internally repeated those words as she tied her shoes and left the house. Her sister drove them to the dreaded hospital. The second they parked, the pink-haired teenager bolted towards the entrance, but Hinata stopped her after a few steps. She trembled in anxiety as she walked to the waiting room. Her parents and brothers sat on some chairs and nervously awaited news from a doctor. For what, she didn’t know. 

The worst-case scenario seemed increasingly likely. 

If he wasn’t here for a minor injury, then maybe he was getting surgery. The doctors would help him and he would be back on his feet in no time. This was fine. Grandpa was not, but he would be. She just had to be patient and hope for a fast recovery. 

Emu approached her family warily and sat down next to them. 

“S-so, what happened to Grandpa? Is he okay?” the pink-eyed middle schooler almost whispered. Her mother heard her and her eyes filled with pity. She wrapped her warm, gentle arms around her, a motherly embrace Emu hadn’t received in years. 

“I… I don’t know Emu. He collapsed not long ago, I don’t know why. The doctors are fixing him. Let’s just hope we get good news soon, okay?” Her mother’s fragile and muffled voice reached her ears over the maddening heart monitor beeps and grumbling, incoherent voices around them. The youngest Otori froze, her heart shattering from the news. A strange uncomfortable feeling poisoned her insides and tears welled up in her eyes.

No!

She couldn’t cry yet! That was like admitting that the worst had already happened. Grandpa was fine. Besides, she needed to smile when he recovered, so no tears were allowed!

Emu waited in the waiting room for hours and stared at the blank, white wall. The bricks blurred into a homogenous surface and she didn’t notice the nurses passing in front of her. The heart monitors and loud breathing machines drove her insane and the calls from the intercom didn’t sound like words anymore. The solid, plastic chair uncomfortably supported her back, yet she couldn’t feel her body. Her family’s chatter turned into fog in her brain. Her head spun faster than the movement of the clock arrows. She shallowly breathed, the antiseptic smell replacing the oxygen in the air.

At that moment, she was not a person. She did not exist anymore. Her soul floated away from her body. She didn’t move, barely breathed, and blinked. A statue, frozen in time, awaiting a magician to cast a spell and make her human again. 

The doctor called their names and unknowingly thrust her soul back into her body. The family rushed to him and he ushered them to a private room. And he said it, the dreaded news.

My condolences, but Rakunosuke Otori sadly passed away after complications from heart surgery. 

Her soul screamed in pain as the doctor’s words crushed her heart into irreparable pieces. Her head throbbed and her legs gave out. The contents in her stomach swirled and threatened to spill out. The room shrunk and shrunk, the air becoming stuffier and stuffier. Sounds became too loud, lights too bright, smells too intense. Her arms shook uncontrollably. 

Emu ran away from the office. She lost control of her body, but her weak legs carried her to a secluded place where the air contained at least some oxygen before she fell to her knees.

Her soul screamed and screamed and screamed at the unfairness of the situation. N…o… A sob ripped out of her throat like bile. No… Poisonous tears ran down her soft cheeks and left a scorching path in their way. No, no… They attacked her eyes, leaving them red and watery. No, no, no. Her head pounded and pounded, a ruthless hammer ramming into her skull. No! Disgusting snot filled her delicate nose, preventing her precious oxygen from reaching her fragile lungs. No!! The news not only attempted to kill her from the inside but from the outside too.

NO!!!

Emu would see Grandpa soon again, her soul leaving her body permanently this time.

Warm arms wrapped around her and dragged her poor soul back to her body. She couldn’t process who, what, when, how, and why, only an all-encompassing pain. Every cell in her body, every molecule, every atom, and beyond ached impossibly so.

Things happened. She couldn’t say, she just assumed. Emu did not properly exist for a month, her body dragging itself out of bed and mindlessly doing whatever tasks necessary. The falling leaves lost their beauty and colors; they decayed. No more smiles and laughs before the school bell, much to her friends’ worry. Her face remained eerily impassive and her eyes scarily emotionless. She didn’t smile. How laughable. Emu, meaning smile, didn’t smile. She didn’t laugh either. 

How could she, when Grandpa couldn’t smile anymore? Couldn’t laugh anymore? Couldn’t move anymore? Couldn’t speak anymore? Couldn’t breathe anymore?

The numbers and letters on her worksheet refused to move, creating a vomit of insignificant nothingness. During lunchtime, she isolated herself and brooded, the cold wind licking her cheeks as her only companion. Her after-school activities became a tiring chore. More often than not, she returned home to an empty, eerily quiet house. The loud silence was unbearable, so she locked herself in her bedroom and wished a merciful deity would send her back in time to a few months ago. 

Emu stopped going to Phoenix Wonderland. The loud sounds of the rides and the endless smiles reminded her that Grandpa wouldn’t enjoy those with her anymore. The people’s laughter hollowly resounded in her head almost mockingly, sapping away at her remaining happiness. Of course, she also missed many Wonder Stage shows. Fine with her. She couldn’t imagine herself sitting down on those benches without Grandpa by her side. 

Frequently, she cried. Sometimes, she cried for no reason; sometimes because something reminded her of Grandpa; sometimes during the day, but mostly at night. A disgusting feeling constantly swirled in her stomach, making her feel sick. Her chest ached all the time as if the tiny, sharp pieces of her broken heart pierced her lungs as she breathed. Her eyes burned; a red, painful fire caused by the tears raging in them. 

They say that letting out your emotions is better than burying or ignoring them. Crying is good. A good cry can help you feel better. 

Then why was she unable to stop the tears?

Why did she still feel as if the world had crashed down around her?

Her sister often visited her to ensure she was okay. Hinata forced her to take care of herself and tried to distract her from her intense pain. The distractions didn't help her, but Emu gratefully ate the food. 

The day of the funeral did not exist in her memory. No matter how hard she tried to remember, she couldn’t and her head pounded with intense pain. It happened. She likely said some words, but she couldn’t say for sure. The youngest Otori received some of Grandpa’s things encased in a box which she hid deep in her closet without taking a peek. Emu could vaguely guess its contents, but she refused to look through it, the pain in her chest intensifying when she even thought about it.

Time, as dull and dark as it was, passed. It did not care if Emu had changed for the worse or if she became a shell of who she was. Her world greyed until colors lost their significance. Time, colors, smiles, laughs, shows, taiyaki, happiness, sorrow, anger, things. Anything. What was the point of anything anyway?

Time heals all wounds. But why was hers growing?

One day, a nasty storm hit the city. It didn’t kill anyone, but it caused a little damage in some places. A few old trees fell and destroyed some cars and hit electric poles or other structures. Emu dragged herself from her bed and let her legs carry her wherever likely the kitchen. Her brothers talked about the damages at Phoenix Wonderland at the table. They calculated the budget for the repairs of certain attractions. She continued her dull routine until they mentioned the Wonder Stage.

“The Wonder Stage was hit by a tree and part of the stage is unusable. What are the repair plans for it?” Keisuke read the report.

“I say we don’t invest in it. It’s not popular at all and the actors have expressed that they want to disband to do better things. I say we destroy it and replace it with an attraction. It could potentially increase our numbers,” Shousuke proposed. Her oldest brother hummed and wrote something down.

Emu froze, and her heart dropped. They would… destroy the Wonder Stage? That couldn’t be true, right? It was Grandpa’s and her stage. The one he built with her in mind and loved just as much as she did. Their precious stage was where they went on many adventures together. They had smiled and laughed countless times together. So many happy memories. And they were

Destroying

It.

Just like that.

Her heart screamed in protest.

Not their stage!!!

“No!!!” Emu screamed at them, unconscious tears streaming down her cheeks and her voice filled with distress. “You can’t do that to the Wonder Stage!!!” She charged at them and clung onto Shousuke who gazed at her with annoyance. “I won’t let you, I won’t let you, I won’t let you!!!”

Emu repeated her words desperately, praying that they would reconsider. Cruel, cruel, cruel. The idea was so, so cruel! How could they even think about replacing their stage?!? Their stage!!! Grandpa left that stage as his legacy!!! And here they were, spitting on his creation as if he meant nothing. Nothing at all!!! 

Emu wouldn’t allow that. She refused. She loudly refused!!!

“Emu. Stop this. Calm down and think about this rationally,” the younger Otori brother vilely said. Keisuke detached her from Shousuke’s arm and dragged her away from him. Her oldest brother frowned, unhappy that she dared disrupt their work. She glared at them, angry tears still pouring from her eyes. 

“The Wonder Stage is a waste of money. The customers rarely go to see it since it’s at an awkward place in the park and outdoors. Besides, the actors don’t want to remain in the troupe anymore. That’s why we are replacing it with something else,” Keisuke calmly explained.  Something in her ignited as if her building frustrations at the injustices of the world lit up a million tiny matches and created a gigantic forest fire. 

“You can’t do that!!!” the youngest Otori screeched, closing her eyes from the impact of her voice. “This was Grandpa’s stage!!! He loved that stage and had it built for us to enjoy! You can’t do this to him!!!” 

Emu had never been an angry or even confrontational person, but these past few months had changed her. She never raised her voice to this extent, especially not to her family. Ah, Grandpa would be disappointed, but she forgot to care.

Shousuke glared at her, and Keisuke badly hid his irritation. Her brothers looked down at her as if she was a little kid throwing a tantrum because they wouldn’t buy her her favorite candy.  

“Enough!” Shousuke snapped. “Not only are you just a kid, so you don’t understand the adult world, but you’re not in your right mind. You haven’t been for months.” He took a few deep breaths before gritting his teeth.

“Ever since the old man died, you’ve acted like the world doesn’t move on. You’ve been in this limbo that you can be in only because you’re a kid. You don’t have responsibilities, so you don't have to do the same as the rest of us: suck it up and move on.” His hands trembled slightly, and he closed his eyes to minimally contain his emotions. 

“I’m sick of it.” His voice cracked, oddly enough. “The others won’t do anything because they’re afraid to upset you, but I’m not. Move on! Grandpa’s been dead for months. Just because he isn’t here doesn’t mean time doesn’t continue on. It doesn’t mean that we don’t need to make the family business work. To do that, we have to make tough decisions like this. That’s how business works. If things don’t work, we scrap them and create something better. And the Wonder Stage isn’t working. We’re replacing it. That’s final.”

Emu stared at him in horror.

“No… no, please… Please don’t destroy it…” Her voice sounded weak to her ears. “I-I’ll do anything. I’ll pay for the repairs myself. Just… don’t destroy it.” Her weak knees gave out and she slumped. She squeezed her burning eyes shut and let the painful tears flood down her cheeks. 

“Grandpa built this stage with me in mind. He wanted us to enjoy shows together. It was important to him… and it’s important to me.” A long and tense silence settled over the siblings only broken by Emu’s occasional sniffles. The two brothers stared at each other, Keisuke’s usually unreadable expression turning sympathetic. 

“...Alright. We won’t destroy it for now,” the oldest brother gently said.

“But you have to pay for the repairs and find a way to make it useful. The troupe that did shows there wants to move on to other grander things, so we’ll let them.” Shosuke sighed.

“O-okay! I’ll work really hard to make sure lotsa people come to see the Wonder Stage. I’ll repair it and get other people to make the stage shine with me!” Emu forced her tears to stop falling. Her voice trembled, but her previous despair left her. 

“Is that so? Then I give you 9 months to restore the Wonder Stage to its glory. If you can’t do that and we keep losing money by having it there, then we’ll replace it with something else,” Shousuke added with disdain in his eyes. He expected her to fail, but Emu couldn’t care less. She had the chance to save Grandpa’s stage and she would achieve her goal. 

“Thank you.” 

For the first time in months, Emu smiled genuinely. 

For months, the pink-haired teenager worked tirelessly to gain enough money to pay for the Wonder Stage’s reparations. She worked part-time every day after school and even during weekends at a sports center and gave gymnastic lessons to little kids. The pink-eyed teenager bought supplies and, with the help of the mascot, repaired the stage with her own two hands. The results weren’t perfect, but the stage was stable enough to perform on it. She smiled brightly and hugged the mascot, thanking him for his help.

After finishing the first step of her plan, the cheery girl searched far and wide for actors for her new troupe. After far too long, things looked bleak and she feared never finding passionate performers to help her make her precious Wonder Stage shine once more. Luckily, a boy born for the spotlight auditioned for another stage at Phoenix Wonderland and was rejected. Emu noticed his shine and excitedly watched his audition. His funny mannerisms and loud voice convinced her that he was the perfect fit for her own little troupe. 

She was right.

Tsukasa was the perfect troupe leader, and he helped make the stage shine brighter than ever before. He even recruited an eccentric director and a shy singer to their small team of actors. Thus was born WonderlandsXShowtime and the myriad of happy memories that came with it.

—

The SEKAI was quiet, too quiet. Yet loud, too loud. Her skull pounded and her chest ached. Her breath, shaky and unstable, barely reached her lungs, intensifying the piercing pain in her head.

“B-but it’s alright!” A painful, cheerful grin carved itself on her face. “We saved the Wonder Stage and PhennyLand together! Grandpa’s park is okay!” 

Her friends’ stares filled with worry, sadness, and pity instead of their usual sparkle. Rin’s bunny ears and Miku’s cat ones drooped and Luka, awake for once, frowned. Somehow, the background music’s key changed from major to minor.

“Emu…” Nene yanked her right hand and wrapped her warm ones around it, creating a little ball of heat. “I’m sorry…”

“For what?” The cheerful girl's candy-sweet voice gave everyone’s ears cavities. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“That’s not…” Her girlfriend sighed and brought Emu’s head to her shoulder. “I meant to say… my condolences.”

Pain zapped through her heart.

“Haha, but Nene, it’s been a while. You don’t need to be so sad.” Her eyes remained closed but throbbed painfully. Her tears pushed against her eyelids, slowly cracking away the barrier with their heavy force.

“Even so…” the sweet diva whispered and caressed her pink hair. 

“That’s… that’s such a painful thing, isn’t it?” Tsukasa’s surprisingly soft and barely audible voice reached her ears. “Death, disease, and aging… it’s something we all have to go through.” Nene shifted, likely to glare at their troupe leader. The newly formed ball in her throat clogged her airways.

“We all grow old. Every second passed is one less left in the billions we’ll live through. We all get sick, a benign cold, or even deadly cancer; our health has its ups and downs. And death… we all end up the same.” Everyone’s eyes widened at Tsukasa’s out-of-character speech and, with it, a few tears slid down Emu’s cheek. Thankfully, with her face buried in her girlfriend’s shoulder, no one noticed and no one would notice. She already brought down the mood too much.

“It’s so scary. It hurts to think about someone close to me dying.” Their troupe leader’s voice cracked. “I can’t imagine how hard it was… and still is for you.” He joined them in the hug, squeezing Emu between the two of them. Tsukasa cried louder than her and she found herself giggling wetly.

“Tsukasa-kun, you sound like a trumpet,” the sunshine-like girl attempted to change the subject, her cheery voice sounding fragile.

“I-I don’t! And I’m being serious for once!” Their star squeezed her tighter. “I’m sorry for your loss. A-and now I understand a lot better why the Wonder Stage is so important to you and I’m so glad I accepted your offer when you asked me to join your troupe.”

A warm hand patted her head.

“Emu, thank you for telling us about what happened with your grandfather and how you felt. I’m glad you trusted us,” Rui softly said. “It’s a shame such a wonderful man died and I'm sorry for your loss.”

The pink-haired entertainer shifted uncomfortably in place as an unbearable feeling rose inside her. Too much sadness, pity, and gloomy auras in this SEKAI. She needed to change the subject fast.

“T-thank you,” Emu stuttered, unsure about how to lift the mood up. “But really, like I said, it’s fine. Everything is Wonderhoi and-”

Nene lifted her chin up and stared into her reddened eyes. With her brows furrowed, her girlfriend shut her up with a soft kiss. Her tears slid down her cheeks, adding a slight salty taste to their kiss.

“I already told you. If you want to cry, cry in front of us!” Her beautiful diva wiped away her stray tears and smiled gently. “And please don’t pretend that his death doesn’t hurt you. It’s okay to be sad for a bit, especially since we’ll be here to comfort you.”

“But it’s been so long! It’s been two years! I-it’s fine now. I shouldn’t be sad anymore!” Her voice cracked and her breaths came out shaky. Too many painful tears slid down her cheek, leaving a scorching red path as if her skin was ice and someone applied road salt on it.

Her troupe mates stared at her with pity and slight panic, unsure how to help her. Of course, they wouldn’t know how to erase her tears; none of them had experienced a loved one’s death. Tsukasa had feared his sister’s possible death for years during his childhood, but she had recovered. Their pain differed, so they couldn’t completely relate to each other’s experiences.

Besides, it wasn’t their job.

Emu couldn’t bother them with her relentless grief that never disappeared. They had problems of their own and, most importantly, had smiles to show her. Why did she bring the mood down again? Why did she keep bringing the mood down because she couldn’t get over her grandfather’s death? 

Besides, Grandpa would want her to stop crying about him. Stop remembering their time together somberly instead of happily. He loved her smile, her laugh, her dreams, her creativity, her joy…

But thinking of Grandpa…

It often brought her pain.

What a legacy to leave. Grandpa would feel guilty.

“Emu,” MEIKO walked up to the troupe members and crouched to her level. “I know it’s been a little while since he died, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be sad anymore.”

“B-but-”

“Grief is a complicated emotion. It’s extremely painful and it can last for a very long time. Sometimes it never truly leaves.” Emu’s breath hitched. She refused to feel sad forever. She couldn’t. Grandpa would-

“People will tell you to move on, and their intentions are mostly good, but it’s hard. I say take as much time as you want. You might sometimes see something that reminds you of him and you’ll feel a little sad. That’s fine. As long as you’re still the same Emu we love and you don’t stop smiling and laughing forever, you can cry as much as you want.” The brown-haired virtual singer caressed her hair. 

“It’s okay to miss him. It’s okay to feel sad that he’s gone. It’s okay to cry.” MEIKO kindly said. “But when you do, call Nene, or Tsukasa, or Rui. Or come to the SEKAI and we’ll be here for you. All of us,” she opened her arms and glanced at the Virtual Singers and her troupe members, “we will always be there for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s 3 pm or 1 am, we’ll be here.”

“So please, as Nene said, don’t hold back your pain anymore. Don’t hide it, ignore it, or pretend it doesn’t exist.” MEIKO smiled tenderly.

“Yeah!” Tsukasa exclaimed. “We’re here! Even if we don’t know exactly how it feels to lose a loved one, we can always listen to you and hug you!” Their troupe leader grinned and puffed out his chest. “I am the best hugger ever! I will for sure erase all of your sadness with my superior hugs and your life will be changed for the better.” Emu giggled wetly at his antics. He acted as if they had never hugged and she didn’t already know that his hugs felt warmer than a winter blanket.

“I can attest to this,” Rui added. “My star is indeed the best hugger ever.”

“What are you even saying?” Nene sighed. “This is ridiculous. Tsukasa’s hugs are mid at best.” She smirked when Tsukasa let out an offended gasp.

“Slander! Mid? Mid?!?” If a plushy slept on the SEKAI’s clouds, it would have jolted awake. “You have poor taste!”

“Hehehe!” Emu childishly giggled and tackled her troupe mates in a crushing hug. “Hug time!!!”

“Thank you for being there for me! And, this doesn’t only apply to me, okay?” The cheerful girl pulled away from the hug and shot them a determined look. “I want to be here for all of you too! If Tsukasa has a hard time with his role, I want to encourage him. If Nene feels anxious, I want to cheer her up.  If Rui is scared that others will reject his ideas, I want to hear them out!” 

Her friends smiled softly at her words.

“I’m so, so, so happy that I met you guys! I’m super, duper lucky to have such great friends!” The pink-haired entertainer beamed them a brighter-than-the-sun smile and Nene’s cheeks dusted pink. “I love you guys so so much!!!” She tackled them in another rib-crushing hug. Her friends laughed fondly at her enthusiasm.

“We love you too, Emu,” Rui said and glanced at the other troupe members. They agreed and hugged her back. “And we’re lucky to have you.”

They silently embraced each other for a few moments before their director broke the hug. He looked at them with excitement, a telltale sign of a new, incredible idea. 

“Everyone, I have an idea on how to improve our show,” Rui exclaimed with his usual slightly insane grin. Tsukasa shivered.

“W-wait! Don’t make us do something too crazy!” their star said with a hint of worry. “This is Emu’s story and it’s important to her! Don’t add stupid explosions or an underwater scene!”

“Fufu, don’t worry.” The eccentric inventor chuckled. “I know I said that we shouldn’t change the ending, but I think we forgot something important. I promise not to change the essence of the scene, only the wording of a few lines. Can I trust you two to learn them in a very short time?”

—

The curtain opened to a young girl walking through a dark forest, her head held low and her steps lazy. Tears pricked her eyes and she gritted her teeth but held her emotions in. The girl kicked a stone across the stage and sighed.

“Why is everyone so mean? I want to make everyone smile with my shows, but they tell me to grow up!” She hugged herself and stared at the moon. “Maybe… maybe they’re right. I should stop making shows and grow up. I should stop dreaming,” she whispered with a broken voice.

Suddenly, an old man with a long white beard and white hair appeared in front of her. She lifted her head up slightly at the change in the air around her and jumped back when her eyes met the newcomer’s orange ones. The man smiled kindly, almost grandfatherly. 

“Oh dear, are you taking a walk alone? It’s a little late. You should return to the village with your family.” He crouched to her level and the tension in the young girl’s body disappeared.

“I suppose… but I needed to clear my head a little,” the girl started, compelled to explain herself to the kind stranger.

“Really? Did something happen?” His eyes turned worried.

“It’s just… the people in my village don’t like that I’m imaginative and a dreamer. They say that my shows are childish and that I should become an adult.” The young one glanced at the ground.

“Is that so? I don’t believe shows are childish and I don’t see what’s wrong with being imaginative and having dreams.” 

“But adults don’t do those things…” she protested with a hint of melancholy. The old man patted her head and chuckled.

“That’s not true!” he exclaimed happily. “I do all of those things! I have a wide imagination, I love to dream and I create shows to make others smile. I’m pretty sure I’m still an adult, don’t you think? I might even be a senior, if anything!” The white-haired man chuckled and twirled around, beaming her a boyish smile. The child’s eyes widened and shone brightly.

“Y-you do those things? Really?” the girl uttered in disbelief, yet her heart soared. Was this old man just like her?

“Yeah! But, I’m sure you want proof, so let’s go on an adventure.” He held out his hand invitingly, holding his cane with his other one. Carefully and with a small smile, the young one took it and the old man dragged her on an adventure that changed her life. 

For months, she explored the world with her new friend, created a million shows, and regained the once-dimming creative light in her. Suddenly, her imagination burned brighter than the sun and created thousands of lovely laughter and beautiful smiles for both others and herself. The old man and she grew close and became best friends. The white-haired man always gave the best advice, turned her rare frowns upside down, and encouraged her dreams. No, he helped her make them a reality.

Along the way, they met a boisterous elf with golden hair whose voice rivaled a whale’s call. The young girl asked him to join them on their adventures, seeing his potential and passion for shows. He accepted and they quickly became friends. Not long after, a beautiful fairy that could sing like an angel and a quirky wizard with the ability to create anything also joined them. 

Their little gang created a billion shows together, formed thousands of unforgettable memories, and smiled like sadness didn’t exist. The cheerful girl loved her friends; her new family. She couldn’t be happier.

But one day, the old man and she went on an adventure alone. He guided them towards a beautiful, blue river and sat down, dipping his feet in the warm water. The imaginative child imitated him and kicked her feet in the water.

“There’s something I have to tell you, young one,” her best friend started, a small, melancholic smile on his lips.

“Mh? What is it, Grandpa?” she obliviously asked, the cheer in her voice still as obvious as every other day.

“This whole time… I was actually a ghost.” Suddenly, bright, white sparkles resembling smoke surrounded him. The young girl’s eyes widened and her heart stopped for a moment.

“W-what do you mean? Is this part of a funny joke or a show?” she inquired, her voice wavering.

“I’m sorry… Not this time, young one.” The old man patted her head and smiled sadly. 

“B-but… How? Why? Grandpa!!!” The heartbroken child tackled him in a hug and they fell onto the green grass. “You can’t be a ghost! That means… that means that you’ve… been dead this whole time…” Tears pricked her eyes and her throat clogged. Her breathing shook and her body trembled as her first sob ripped from her throat.

“You can’t be dead! Grandpa, please don’t be dead! We have a lot of shows to do together, smiles to put on people’s faces, and laughter to bring! You can’t leave me!” she screeched, her piercing, heart-wrenching voice reaching the farthest person in the audience. “Don’t leave me!!! Please!!!” 

Tears after tears slid down her face like a hurricane, creating a large wet spot on the old man’s shirt. The young girl cried until her high-pitched voice cracked and broke. She squeezed the old man until the force in her arms left her. Her best friend caressed her hair, kissed the top of her head, and whispered soothing words in between his ‘I’m sorry’s.

“What will I do without you?” she eventually asked when she regained her voice.

“You’ll be fine, young one. And… I won’t be gone. Not truly. Even if I’m no longer here physically, I’ll always be by your side. I’ll be here when you need me, right here.” Her friend pointed at her heart and smiled. “I’ll watch over you and laugh with you. I’ll smile while I watch your shows with your new friends. I’ll hug you when you cry, even if you can’t feel it. For I will always love you, young one.” He hugged her gently and caressed her hair. 

“I love you too, Grandpa.” And with her parting words, the ghost faded away. Sudden cold replaced her friend’s warm presence. The girl stared at her empty hands, missing the old man’s soothing smile that had helped her regain her imaginative spark. She couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face and cried once more, albeit less desperately. 

Despite her loss, the young girl continued creating shows with her friends. She confided in them about her grief and they consoled her with their warm hugs. No matter what, her friends would always support her and let her cry on their shoulders. Through the cloudy days and sunshine, they stayed by her side. Like the old man said, she was fine despite the obvious presence missing by her side.

From afar, the old man stood on the far side of the stage and observed the little girl with a grandfatherly smile.

The curtain fell as the audience cheered at their performance. Once she couldn’t see them anymore, Emu fell to her knees and sobbed with her face in her hands. 

Grandpa…

Grandpa, are you really watching over me?

Did you enjoy the show?

I miss you.

Her troupe mates dropped to the floor with her and three pairs of warm arms wrapped around her. The pink-haired entertainer clung onto them like a newborn to their mother and let her grief take over her, if only for a moment. A torrential rain fell from her eyes and her breaths came out like a staccato wind. Her friends held her through it all, offering her warmth and kindness as always.

She loved them dearly.

“You were amazing, Emu. Incredible.” Her girlfriend kissed the top of her head. “Your performance took my breath away and I almost cried with you.” Nene’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

“You almost outshone me, Emu! How dare you!” Tsukasa sobbed. “I-I’ll have to work harder so that I don’t fall behind!”

“Fufu, don’t worry, Tsukasa. You did stellar.” Rui smiled warmly. “You two brought a tear to my eye.” 

Slowly, her overwhelming emotion dwindled and Emu regained a normal breathing pattern. With her reddened eyes, she beamed them a shaky smile and squeezed them in a tighter hug.

“Thank you! Thank you guys for encouraging me to do this and thank you Rui for changing the ending slightly and making it a little more hopeful. You kept the essence of my ending and made it better.” The pink-haired girl sniffled, but her smile shone brighter than the sun.

“Fufu, you’re welcome. And thank you for going along with my idea.” Rui ruffled her hair and she giggled.

A few footsteps approached them behind the curtain. Her siblings and parents joined them on the stage and Emu bolted to her feet, wiping away her painful tears. Hinata and her mother seemed surprised at her reddened face while Shousuke and Keisuke smiled fondly. Her father’s expression stayed as unreadable as ever. Shousuke sighed with a smile and walked up to her before he wrapped his arms around her.

“You did a good job there, Emu.” His voice sounded uncharacteristically soft.

Hinata and her mother joined the hug and voiced their congratulations. Keisuke chuckled fondly and wrapped his arms around his family. Even her father patted her head, strangely enough.

Warmth and love engulfed her and a giant smile spread across her face. Her family, too, despite their different personalities, supported her.

Eventually, WonderShow cleaned up their stage and promised to meet in the SEKAI the next day to plan their next move. Emu bid goodbye to her precious friends and joined her family. As the Ootoris walked towards their limousine, the sunshine-like teenager happily rambled about her show and the countless hours of practice. Her family looked at her fondly, even her gruff father.

The wind blowing through her hair sounded oddly like Grandpa’s boyish laugh.