Archive of Our Own

Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
7:15 AM ET, November 11, 2016

"We're going downtown."

Everybody looked at Rob. Kuroko was the first to ask, "Who are you speaking to?"

Rob looked startled for a moment, then realized that nobody in the room other than himself had been in Ottawa for even two months yet, and thus probably didn't know what was special about the day. "Sorry, I thought everybody already knew. There's a memorial service at 11 AM."

Minako looked up from her breakfast. "The eleventh hour? I thought the service was on the Sunday nearest the eleventh," she commented.

"In the U.K. it is, but in Canada it's on the actual day."

Minako nodded in understanding, then frowned. "Are you sure you want to take Japanese people to the service, though?"

"Ano..." Kazari raised her hand, essentially asking permission to speak. "What service are you talking about?"

"The memorial service on the anniversary of the end of the First World War," Minako replied.

"Armistice Day," Mamoru added as he suddenly realized what Minako and Rob were discussing.

"That's an old name for the day," replied Rob. "We call it Remembrance Day now. And in Canada, at least, it's become a memorial for everyone who died in uniform, in the service of his country. Or her country, nowadays."

Minako smiled at that... but it was a sad smile. "I hope you really mean 'everyone' there, Rob-san. When I was in England, everybody remembered just who Japan fought during the Asia–Pacific War."

"What I'm remembering," Mikoto interrupted, "is that we've missed too much school already because we're 'mysterious transfer students' who enrolled late. We can't afford to miss any more school."

Downtown Ottawa
11:46 AM ET

"I can see why you wanted to bring us here today," Mamoru said as the group from Blossom waited their turn to place their poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

"It is humbling," Ami added. "All these people, remembering the people who died for freedom."

Mii noticed that there wasn't anyone directly in front of them. "It's our turn."

Mamoru, Chibiusa, Mii, Ami, and Rob quietly removed the poppies from their coats and placed them with the others that had already been left, then got out of the way of people who were still waiting to take part.

Once they were far enough away from the crowd to talk, Chibiusa asked, "Are we going home now?"

Rob shook his head. "The buses will be packed for at least an hour. Let's go take a look at Parliament Hill instead," he said while gesturing toward the Peace Tower less than a half-kilometre away.

"I'd like to," replied Ami, "but I have a class at 1pm. Where can I get a bus?"

"Today, it'll be faster to walk. Go south on Elgin to the far side of the National Arts Centre," he pointed at the building that was in the opposite direction to Parliament Hill, "turn left, walk across the bridge over the canal, go another block, and you'll be at Hagen Hall."

"And I know my way from there. Thanks, Rob. I'll see you after school." And she headed off to her university classes.

Glebe Collegiate, Ottawa
12:13 PM

Ruiko Saten had just finished her sandwich when she received a text from Hikari Horaki.

Shinji's making lunch today. Want to talk?

I'm in school. Too noisy to talk here, but we can text. Usagi and the gang say "hi"! Did you know it's Remembrance Day?

"Hi" to everybody! It's called Veterans Day here, and we got the day off school for it. Canadians are weird. 😃

It's Americans who are out of step here, girlfriend! 😀 Everybody else calls it Remembrance Day.

Good thing we're both Japanese, then!

Did you have to go find a veteran to be nice to, too?

No, it's more "remember the people who died so we could be free" up here.

Anybody mention who they were fighting?

Hey, I'm not in the "the Showa emperor did no wrong" camp. It's because Japan lost that we're free to be equal with the guys.

I guess.

Kaji sent me this clip. Tl;dr, the guy who just got elected President doesn't like another guy because the other guy was a POW.

Wow. That's harsh.

Grownups can be weird sometimes. Harley said I shouldn't waste my time watching stuff like what Kaji says I should watch. I don't know who to trust.

Yeah, that's weird. The whole Internet's like that here, so you have to trust yourself.

I don't have a choice, do I?

You doing anything special?

Wish I could go to the beach, but there's big crowds there today.

You should have gone earlier, since you have the day off.

I didn't have time to make breakfast and go play at the same time.

Get your roommate to make breakfast some time!

Have you tried Rei's cooking? She's a vegan!

Oh, you poor meat-eater, you! 😋

Talk to you again after your classes?

Sounds good!

Make it a video call. I want to see your apartment.

Come visit! We have a portal system now.

I don't have a passport yet.

Get Harley-san to ask HAL for one. And then I'll make sure Rob-oji invites you up here during the winter. He says we're almost guaranteed snow for Christmas!

Lucky you! I've never seen snow. I'm jealous.

Don't be! It's only 4C here. 😢 You're still nice and warm.

World Exchange Plaza food court, Ottawa
12:56 PM

Once they got tired of wandering around the grounds of Parliament Hill, Rob brought Mii, Mamoru, and Chibiusa to the food court of the second floor of an office tower nearby. "I hope we aren't too late to get something good," he commented while walking over to Soup Guy Plus. "This is one of the best places to get something to eat in this food court."

They were in luck. Rob got a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of chowder, while the others chose to have just soup (and nobody else had the chowder). And with the lunch hour almost over, they didn't have any trouble finding a table in the middle of the food court.

Because the lunch hour was almost over, there weren't any crowds for them to blend in with. Partway through their meal, they started hearing comments from two tables away.

"Who let them in here?"

"They probably snuck in with the crowds earlier. They always do."

"Wanna bet they're Japanese?"

"No bet. That's just like them to make a mockery of our ceremony. What would the soldiers who died fighting them think?"

"Should have left them in the camps. Or never let them into the country at all."

Mii put her hand on Rob's arm, keeping him from standing up. "They're not worth it," she whispered.

"And one of them's hot for one of us. Or not us, 'cause he probably can't find a real girlfriend."

Rob gritted his teeth as Mii's grip on his arm suddenly strengthened. She really didn't like that comment.

"You think maybe he can't hear us telling him what's wrong with his life? Bringing those kind to our ceremony, dating the wrong coloured girl..."

At this point, Mamoru, Mii, and Chibiusa could hear Rob whispering, "Better people have called me worse and they were wrong too. Better people have called me worse and they were wrong too. Better people have..."

"Maybe we should make it obvious we're talking to him." They stood up and started walking toward the table where Mamoru, Mii, Rob, and Chibiusa sat.

Somebody at a farther table stood up and headed toward the mall's security office.

Then Chibiusa stood up. "If you want to hurt him because he's helping us, you're going to have to hurt me first!"

Everybody within five metres turned to look. A few of them got out their cellphones and pointed the cameras at the altercation.

Then...

slowly...

without anyone saying another word...

the loudmouths realized that they were being watched.

They turned tail and walked away.

Rob let out the breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Prying Mii's hand off his arm, he said, "Thank you, Chibiusa. Please never do that again."

"Why not?"

"They might have taken you up on your offer." He gestured toward one of the decorative overlooks that showed the pedestrian mall's ground floor. "And if they pushed you off of that, you would have been more than just hurt."

Her reply made him both proud of her and ashamed of himself.

"Two hours ago, we were at a service for people who died for what they thought was right. What's a little bit of pain compared to what they gave up?"