000 [Phorni]
001 "At last, we say goodbye to this town."
002 [Chris]
003 "Yeah."
004 Phorni solemnly stared outside the window, as though pained to have to let it go.
005 The rain hitting the glass made it hard to see anything outside.
006 Paying no mind to that, Phorni simply let the scenery be burned into her retinas.
007 In the end, I had somehow managed to graduate from Piova Music Institute.
008 I had even prepared a letter of resignation, when I suddenly received a succinct letter from Ms. Cordell informing me of the news.
009 'Congratulations on graduating. Drop by at school immediately.'
010 She explained everything to me when I met her face-to-face.
011 My performance obviously had violated the regulations.
012 So when I asked her why it had been approved, she smiled, and said,
013 'They heard the voice of an angel. As stupid as I think that sounds.'
014 The majority of the appointed examiners had clearly stated that I had failed in their critique.
015 But a number of musicians, instructors, and even Ms. Cordell herself had apparently objected to the ruling.
016 The musicians claimed they had indeed heard an angelic voice, and, regardless of whether it was real or not, advocated that the performance itself be evaluated appropriately.
017 Apparently, the rest of the examiners had no choice but to concede.
018 And so, somehow, I had received my diploma, not to mention the many invitations to join various orchestras.
019 ---I felt a bit bad about rejecting them all, but from now on, my future wasn't entirely under my own jurisdiction.
020 In the end, I was unable to graduate from Piova Music Institute.
021 But then, I had thought I'd fail from the start, so I didn't feel too dejected about it.
022 The meaning was in the performance alone; not in the ratings we were given.
023 Soon after the graduation recital had ended, I received a single, thin envelope.
024 Inside were a few curt sentences that informed me that I had failed.
025 That same day, I took the letter of resignation I had prepared earlier to school.
026 I met Ms. Cordell there, and she said this to me:
027 'If you ever feel like taking up music again, come to me. I will support you until the end.'
028 I would probably never take her up on that offer.
029 But, the sentiment alone made me happy.
030 I stacked up words of gratitude to her, and when I apologized for what had happened, she just smiled at me.
031 I was heading back to the town we were born and raised.
032 And it was likely that I would never return to Piova again.
033 After all, regardless of whether the girl would wake up or not, I completely intended to stay by her side.
034 [Phorni]
035 "Lost in thought?"
036 [Chris]
037 "I guess."
038 [Phorni]
039 "About the future?"
040 [Chris]
041 "Yeah."
042 I gave curt responses so that I could buy myself more time to think.
043 [Phorni]
044 "... What will you do?"
045 [Chris]
046 "First, I'm going to see Ari."
047 [Phorni]
048 "And then?"
049 [Chris]
050 "We'll figure it out from there."
051 [Phorni]
052 "... I see."
053 Phorni returned her gaze to the window and flapped her wings.
054 [Phorni]
055 "Whoa!"
056 Having her field of vision suddenly go dark, she almost toppled over backward.
057 Since I constantly kept an eye on her, I was able to react quickly and prop her back up with my fingers.
058 [Chris]
059 "Be careful."
060 [Phorni]
061 "... Okay."
062 Phorni grasped my finger with her small hands.
063 She then spun on her heels and let herself fall backward.
064 With a plop, she dropped onto the palm of my hand.
065 [Chris]
066 "... Hey. I can't move my hand like this."
067 [Phorni]
068 "Oh, don't complain. This is comfortable."
069 [Chris]
070 "Are you sleepy?"
071 [Phorni]
072 "Just a little bit."
073 [Chris]
074 "Want to sleep?"
075 [Phorni]
076 "Yeah. Wake me up when we get there."
077 [Chris]
078 "Okay, okay."
079 Apparently, Phorni did require sleep after all.
080 She batted her tiny wings like a little bird, then fell into slumber atop my hand.
081 The warmth she transmitted to my palm made me feel sleepy as well.
082 [Chris]
083 "... Good night. I'm going to sleep for a bit."
084 I carefully moved the hand that was carrying Phorni - who was already fast asleep - to my lap, and sunk into slumber shortly after.
085 I slept until an announcement resounded through the car.
086 With my eyes still closed, I realized my consciousness had returned to me.
087 The back of my eyelids were suddenly painted red.
088 Relieved that there was still weight in the palm of my hand, I slowly opened my eyes.
089 Outside, a blue sky stretched out as far as I could see.
090 [Chris]
091 "... A clear sky..."
092 How many years had it been?
093 The nostalgic spectacle reminded me directly of Arietta.
094 Of her face, under the azure, rainless sky.
095 And of her voice.
096 [Chris]
097 "Phorni? The clouds are gone, see?"
098 [Phorni]
099 "..."
100 [Chris]
101 "It's no longer raining."
102 ... It was no longer raining.
103 [Chris]
104 "I see... So, you're going to sleep a bit more? That's okay,"
105 I said to myself, then glanced out the window.
106 The sky was a brilliant blue.
107 da07b_2
108 da07b_1
109 The train arrived in our town at midnight.
110 Since I didn't feel like seeing my parents yet, I stayed there until morning.
111 Phorni hadn't opened her eyes even once.
112 I protected her body by wrapping it in my hands, preventing it from catching a cold.
113 Before long, the entirety of the station was bathed in the morning sunlight. I stood up and headed for the hospital.
114 Arietta was supposed to be there.
115                       "... Phorni? We're almost there."
116 Phorni had probably reached a state close to that of Arietta herself.
117 And yet, I couldn't even think of the vaguest reason why.
118 In spite of that, I still believed it to be the truth.
119 I finally found her.
120 Arietta was there, sleeping, her body not stirring even in the slightest.
121 I timidly stepped closer. Holding Phorni with one hand, I caressed her cheek with the other.
122 Her body was warm - the sense of relief it aroused within me very nearly brought me to tears.
123 I began speaking to Ari, who showed no sign of opening her eyes.
124 [Chris]
125 "Arietta... I'm back."
126 [Chris]
127 "After three years, just as I promised."
128 I softly lay down the fairy who had always been by my side next to her pillow.
129 Phorni was Ari - and Ari was, without a doubt, Phorni.
130 She had been here forever sleeping, having never regained consciousness for three long years.
131 The doctor who had allowed me to see her had frankly informed me that it was possible she might never wake up.
132 Although only family members were supposed to be allowed to visit, it seemed he'd remembered my face from when I was hospitalized here three years prior, and so he treated me cordially.
133 ... I wouldn't even mind if that turned out to be the case.
134 Even if I had to spend the rest of my days in this confined hospital room, I truly felt that I wouldn't mind.
135 ---I hadn't expected a miracle to happen.
136 I simply came back to the place to which I had to return - to the person to whom I had to return.
137 That was all there was to it.
138 At least, it was supposed to be...
139 [Chris]
140 "... Ari? ... Phorni?"
141 It happened in an instant.
142 No glowing of her coincided with it---
143 No thick sound of a pipe organ accompanied it---
144 Phorni's body was just absorbed into Ari's like a sponge on water.
145 Nothing more.
146 There wasn't a trace of Phorni's existence left - all that remained was Arietta's emaciated body.
147 [Chris]
148 "... Arietta?"
149 Although I thought it meaningless, I still called out her name once more.
150 However, it had a most unexpected result.
151 Her eyelids opened, and her eyes stared out into space.
152 [Chris]
153 "... Ari?"
154 [Ari]
155 "... Chris."
156 I felt like I could break down crying at any moment.
157 Unable to shout out and pull her into an embrace, I simply quietly leaned closer to her, praying that this wasn't all just an illusion.
158 [Ari]
159 "I am sorry, Chris."
160 [Chris]
161 "... No. I'm the one who should apologize. I'm truly sorry... Arietta."
162 [Ari]
163 "But I was always pushing you away, trying to change your heart..."
164 [Chris]
165 "None of that matters anymore."
166 Ari's expression changed into one of pain, and she began coughing.
167 She hadn't moved her body in three years.
168 It was obvious she'd been severely weakened.
169 [Chris]
170 "Don't push yourself. Let's talk when you're better. We'll always be together from now on."
171 [Ari]
172 "..."
173 [Chris]
174 "I will never, ever leave your side."
175 [Ari]
176 "... Chris..."
177 Arietta went silent and began crying.
178 She probably didn't even have the strength to cry aloud.
179 I gently took her hand into mine, taking care not to put too much pressure on it, and stroked it - and stroked it.
180 To show her that I was here.
181 To let my warmth transmit to her.
182 Seemingly tired from crying, Ari closed her eyes, recovered her breath, then opened them once more.
183 [Ari]
184 "... Chris."
185 [Chris]
186 "Yes?"
187 [Ari]
188 "I have always been reading your letters to me - right next to you, as I listened to the sound of your Fortell."
189 [Chris]
190 "Yeah."
191 Finally, with a face contorted in anguish, she managed to form a barely detectable smile, and said,
192 [Ari]
193 "... Welcome home."
194 [Chris]
195 "... I'm home."
196 ---How many years had it been since then?
197 It had taken half a year for her just to retrain her severely weakened muscles.
198 Yet because we were able to be together, those too were times of true bliss.
199 [Ari]
200 "... Chris?"
201 We started working for all we were worth, saved up money, and bought ourselves our very own little house.
202 After remodeling it, we hung up a signboard outside that said 'Music Classroom' and began taking applications for students.
203 That was a year ago.
204 Fortunately - or perhaps unfortunately - a rumor about me having graduated from Piova Music Institute with excelling grades had spread, and as a result, we had no shortage of applications.
205 Fortunately - or perhaps unfortunately - we had no shortage of applications due to the simple fact that there was a teacher who could play the Fortell here.
206 Since we were serious about lessons and handled our individual students with care, our music lessons had become somewhat famous among the people of the town.
207 We were more than happy with our modest way of living together.
208 [Ari]
209 "... Hey, Chris."
210 [Chris]
211 "... Okay, okay."
212 Ari had become just a little bit more of a nag since then. Perhaps it was a habit that was carried over from the time she spent as Phorni.
213 But of course, I still loved every bit of her.
214 [Chris]
215 "Then let's begin rehearsing from Mark A."
216 [Ari]
217 "Ah... O... Okay."
218 [Ari]
219 "I have but one wish; I want to support you."
220 [Chris]
221 "... Okay, stop, stop!"
222 [Ari]
223 "U... Ugh..."
224 [Chris]
225 "I made this song just for you, so at least try not to sing it off-key."
226 [Ari]
227 "... Meanie."
228 [Chris]
229 "All right. Once more from the start."
230 [Ari]
231 "I want to become able to sing this piece well too, you know..."
232 [Chris]
233 "That's why you're practicing, right? I'll stick with you until you can do it, so let's try again, all right?"
234 [Ari]
235 "... *2Agrumble*2A"
236 [Chris]
237 "I will always be with you."
238 [Ari]
239 "... *2Agiggle*2A"
240 [Chris]
241 "All right, once more."
242 The first student of this music classroom---
243 Was that forever-lousy singer whom I loved so much.