The Name in the Dark

Come on, Aldo. It's time to go!

Go? Go where, exactly?

To find your roots, silly.

My roots?

Your beginnings, your origins. From whence you came. That's what I'd like to know most of all.

Our beginnings...? Uh, I don't think I follow...

Now's not the time for thinking, but acting! Let us be off!

Stop complaining and start moving.

Okay, fine. Then we may as well start by heading to Baruoki first.

It's mine and Feinne's village, where we were born and raised, Well, maybe not born, but...

Anyway, it's where I grew up.

Could call Baruoki my origin, I guess, and you wouldn't be entirely wrong.

Then we shall pay a visit to this Baruoki.

Welcome to Baruoki, Nilya. The village where Feinne and I grew up.

My, what an idyllic place. How delightful.

You know, I never remember how much I miss this place until I come back again. So many memories...

I see... By the way...

You said you grew up here, right? Therefore you started out rather smaller than you are now?

Um, yeah, of course... Hey, while we're here, why don't we stop by Moonlight Forest? That's where baby Feinne and I first met our grandpa.

In a sense, you could say that's where it all started.

Baby Feinne?

Yeah, and I was just a little kid who didn't know anything.

Okay, shall we get going? I'll lead the way.

See, the thing is, Feinne and I aren't actually from this time. We were actually born in the future. It's a pretty long story...

But the short of it is, we ended up crossing time and space and got stranded, or rather, fell, here. But I was still small at the time, and Feinne was just a baby, so we don't remember any of it.

A baby...

Right, and a newborn baby at that.

I can help, if you like.

Oh, hey, Riica.

I can use my data to generate a holographic recreation of the events.

Thanks, that'd be really helpful.

Understood. Initiating holographic genesis and playback.

Whoa! This is...

...?

What's happening? What is that curious little creature?

Creature? That's baby Feinne, Nilya.

Baby...? That's a baby?

Hmph. Not at all like I had pictured.

And this creature transformed into Feinne?

Um, that's not quite how I'd put it...

Riica, were you once a baby too? Did you undergo a similar transformation?

Androids like myself, and Synth Humans like Helena and Galliard, differ from humans. The form we have when created is unchanging. I'm afraid we do not transform, molt, or anything else of the sort.

Fascinating. This is all very educational.

I should also mention that babies are born when a man and a woman love each other very mu...

Thank you, Riica! I don't think we need to go into that much detail...

A man and a woman? Love...?

Correct. Love! And the baby, the fruit of that love, grows into a child, and later, an adult.

Is that so? Strange, I have no memories of being a baby myself.

That's totally normal, Nilya. Nobody remembers being a baby, or what happened before they were born.

Ah, I see. I do have questions about this love between men and women, though...

Okay, I think it's time we headed back to the village, don't you? I'll introduce you to my grandpa.

That would be wonderful, but before that, I'm still dying to know about...

I wonder how he's been doing. I'm sure he'd love to meet you, Nilya!

As would I, truly, but you haven't answered my...

Right, let's not keep him waiting. What with his age, he can be kinda short-tempered these days. Come on, Riica, let's go.

Understood.

Um, Aldo?

Come on, let's go!

......

Oh, Aldo, you're back! Have you been well?

You know me, Grandpa, I'm healthy and active as ever! By the way, I'd like to introduce you to some new friends of mine. This is Nilya, and her companion, Jilya.

Hello, sir, and nice to meet you.

It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mayor.

Nilya and Jilya, eh? It's a pleasure to meet you both.

Anyway, now that the requisite formalities are concluded, would you mind if I asked you a question about love?

Wha, ?!

Are you out of your mind, Nilya? Why would you ask that?

Well...from what you told me in the forest, it sounded as though you were created through an act of "love."

I-I mean, you're not wrong, but...

Hoh hoh hoh! What an interesting friend you've brought, my boy! You want to know about love, do you, Nilya?

I do.

How to explain? Hmm... Close your eyes and try to imagine... Everyone has a name they whisper in the dead of night. The name of someone they cherish, someone they will never forget. Over and over, they repeat this name...

That's what love is.

Grandpa...

Love is a concept that defies a simple definition. After all, there are so many different types of love in the world.

I see.

You want to know about love, do you?

Vares? What are you doing here?

Things have been peaceful of late, so I was simply making my rounds.

Nilya, was it? You want to know about love? Very well.

Allow me, Vares, the Bearer of Love, to teach you all you need to kn...

Dwaaah!

Are you trying to kill me or something?

Not at all. It was just an instinctive reaction. Consider it a greeting, if you like.

My granddaughter isn't the type to suffer any beetle-looking fools.

Please don't misunderstand. I was simply trying to teach you...

On a more serious note...

A parent would sacrifice their own life for the sake of their child. Well, any normal parent would. When you're willing to do anything for someone, even if it means sacrificing everything... That's an expression of love. It's simple, but that's what I believe.

How do we best live our lives for the sake of another? Isn't that where the joy of living, of loving, lies?

......

Now, allow me to guide you in the next steps of love's journey...

Perfectly put, Grandpa! Thanks!

Come on, Nilya! Let's go back to the Spacetime Rift.

Very well, if we must.

Take care now.

And you take care of yourself, Mayor.

Wait, don't leave yet! What about me? The Bearer of Love...

Someone whose name you whisper in the dead of night... I wonder if I'll ever meet such a person...

......

You know, I think I understand you a little better after today.

Oh? I'm glad to hear it.

Aldo...you're a solitary creature, aren't you? And you don't know all that much about love yourself.

No, I guess not.

But like Grandpa said, it's a difficult thing. Love is complicated.

Anyway, on a totally different note...

Welcome to the group, Nilya! I'm glad to have you with us.

Me too. I'm sure we're all get along swimmingly!

Hmph. You'd better watch yourself around my granddaughter, or you'll have to answer to me.