so ra no wo to
The brilliant glow of this sky, does it carry right into your heart?
The melody you heard in your dream, it plays like the silence
Even if your hands are still far from that dream,
Come now and remember that kindly voice,
Someone was there singing for you, singing those chords of happiness
Sound of the sky, echo on high, break through that overwhelming sadness
Everything that shines in your eyes
Is part of the real world
Even your tears can't leave you here to stay forever
In this light pouring down onto you, play tomorrow's song
Rio!
Good work!
The parts?
We were able to get them!
You can find them if you look hard enough!
It's so warm.
Like coming back to life.
Wait...
Was it your turn to clean the yard, Rio?
There was something I wanted to burn.
So it's been half a year since Kanata came to the fortress.
She's gotten pretty good.
She has a good teacher.
Ouch.
Looks like I can put away those old earplugs.
Madame, don't you think you should stay in town this winter?
Don't need to.
I won't die that easily.
I've been alone on this mountain for fifty years.
Departure - When the Snow First Falls
Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.
Stop!
It's starting to look like a real tank now.
Are you sure you sure you can do the rest yourself, Noël?
Yes. Happiness.
How about taking some tea?
Okay.
Actually, Kureha...
That's weird...
Where is it?
It's supposed to be here...
My, why are you two here?
You kept the military annuals here, right?
Kanata wanted to know more about Princess Iliya.
I'm sorry.
I don't know where it would be other than there.
Miss Naomi might have a copy!
I'll ask next time I see her.
Okay.
Princess Iliya was the first daughter of the current Archduke Arkadia.
I think I told you before, but she was an amazing tankman.
Klaus said something like "if she were still alive" when he was here, right?
Yeah. She passed away. I think it was two years ago.
In the war?
No.
Her Highness was assigned to the royal guard,
but she took to wandering the country encouraging national pride.
And as she was traveling between cities, she tried to save a drowning child.
To tell the truth, I'm relieved.
It was just a rumor, but...
Iliya...
Miss Kanata!
Sister Yumina?
And this is...
Rio, it's Kanata.
Um...
Sister Yumina...
She brought Yuuko here - oh, Yuuko is Martin's daughter.
But actually, an old lady named Jacquotte - she lives alone in the mountains -
sometimes I buy vegetables from her in the morning -
oh, right! Didn't you say you liked those pickled vegetables?
Madame Jacquotte grew those vegetables.
But no one has seen Madame Jacquotte recently...
And she hasn't looked very healthy, either, so they're worried...
And she lives pretty deep in the mountains, so...
I got it, I got it!
I'll listen to whatever it is. Give me a minute.
Thank you!
They said that Princess Iliya was going to marry the emperor of the holy city, Rome, to improve relations with them.
But then she would be the third consort!
The third one! Third!
Unbelievable, right?
Practically a bargaining chip!
But that fell through when she passed away,
so we kept fighting until we struck a truce this year.
Good grief.
So we're finally here.
A half-built house?
Didn't you say she lived alone?
That's what I heard.
Madame?
I see. So Yuuko sent you.
Right.
She's such a nice girl.
Too good for that bratty little Martin.
This is a wonderful house.
Thank you.
I built this house myself.
Amazing!
But...
What about that one?
That one is for my son.
Is your son coming?
He lives in a city far away now,
but I'll keep it ready for him.
So he and my son can feel at home anytime.
I have to keep it ready.
And when will this son of yours come home, Madame?
He'll come home soon.
Winter will come home soon.
You'd better leave the mountain before the snow starts falling.
I can't do that.
You know,
I have to finish that house. I have no intention to move until I do, or die.
But...
Enough with this absurd act!
Are you prepared for winter? Firewood? Food?
You haven't prepared anything!
It'll work out somehow. Thank you for worrying about me.
You're such nice girls.
Madame!
Seriously, what a stubborn old lady.
You're just so similar, I'm sure.
Don't give me that. How am I similar to...
Sometimes you don't say or listen to what you want
Oh, shut up.
You know, that letter...
Why did you show it to me?
There was a report in last week's regular communications.
It looks like
Roman forces on the eastern borders have been mobilized.
Sound of the Skies
Oh really? For Madame Jacquotte?
Alright!
Take these to her too!
Thank you very much!
By the way, have you heard anything about how the conferences are going?
Sorry... I haven't...
If only Princess Iliya were still alive...
Oh, wait, Martin. Didn't Princess Iliya have a sister?
And here's ¥4,000,000.
First I've heard it.
Well, she wasn't exactly legitimate, so it was never made public,
but she's third in line for the throne or something.
Um... Is her sister-
Bye!
Thanks again!
Sorry!
How about a little walk?
Hey, Kanata...
What was your village like?
It was just a normal country village.
There were plenty of fields and cows and goats,
but not many people.
It was... a bit different from here.
But it was a nice place.
And you had good parents too.
I can tell just by looking at you.
What kind of place did you grow up in, Rio?
I grew up in a small village near the capital,
surrounded by beautiful lakes and forests.
I lived there with just my mother.
A peaceful, boring life where nothing happened.
My only consolation was that my sister -
she was born from a different mother - would come to see us sometimes.
I admired her more than anything.
She was brave, kind, and accepted her fate without a word.
I learned the trumpet from her.
But she... was too kind.
She was too kind and gave her life because she was.
When I first came here, I thought this town was a labyrinth.
When I was lost, I came upon this place. I thought I reached some sort of goal.
But later I realized.
That this was just a dead end.
This isn't a dead end.
I tend to get lost on the road.
But I like being lost.
That's okay! Even if you're lost! Even if it's a dead end!
That's how I met you!
Sometimes I'm jealous of you, Kanata.
If only I could be as honest as you.
That should do it.
Why are you so concerned about me?
You're just like her. You're just like my mother.
I don't remember bearing a beautiful daughter like you.
She had a forbidden love and bore me.
She was always waiting for him.
A man who might never come.
And living that nightmare, my mother passed away.
Why did you decide that it was a nightmare?
Think about it!
I'm perfectly happy.
He promised me that he would come back someday.
That he would come back for me. I'm content with a promise like that.
Like that?
What else could I have done?
That's right. If there were anything else, I would have done it.
But you see...
And you're content with that?
Are you truly happy with that?
Because I remember loving him.
Because I have my memories of him. Because I have hope to meet him again.
With that, I'm content.
I am content.
Just when you think it's cold...
When I first met you, it was snowing like this, too.
When the Madame was still young, Seize was a thriving resort town.
She fell madly in love with the son of a merchant.
And she became pregnant with his son.
But the boy already had a family.
Blessing or curse, the boy's wife couldn't bear children.
So the boy took her child and left for home.
Promising her that he would come back for her one day.
Madame! Madame!
Now that I'm this old, sometimes I think
if only, back then...
Madame Jacquotte!
Life, you see,
is just a cycle of loss.
But you must find something to lose it.
And when you do, the pain of loss grows as much as that little happiness.
But if you have memories of that happiness -
because you have memories -
man lives on.
Oh, right. Sorry it's at a time like this, but I found those pictures of Princess Iliya.
Miss Naomi!
Filicia. It's okay.
I think it was five years ago.
It was when the Princess came to Seize.
Is that Shuko?
Rio!
Actually, I think my parents wanted me
to find a husband and succeed the family.
But I fell in love with the sound of that trumpet.
I just couldn't forget it.
She was Iliya, wasn't she?
You really did meet her.
It's all so wonderful. Iliya's sound echoed through me...
Then you and I met.
I think I might have run away. To this city.
So at first, I didn't care.
I thought I would leave this place one day.
But I honestly don't want to leave this place now.
That's why I must leave now.
Because I can do it.
Because it's something only I can do.
I have no intention to say goodbye.
No matter how far apart we are,
the sound will surely echo.
Surely echo...
and reach.
Kanata. Did I make a good role model?
Yes.
And so, Rio left us.
She left, echoing within me forever,
the wonderful, wonderful sound of the sky.
Love and friendship - put these feelings together
And sing of how important they are
I was so happy that I cried
It hurt so bad that I laughed
But that all just goes to show that I'm alive
Let's just walk it slowly
Everybody singing!
Just tell me a bit of what you think
You're just my friend!
Love and friendship - even though they might waver
I know, you know, little happy
I want us to echo on forever
Can you hear my precious note?
All these words that there are can't even describe it.
Our harmony
Can you hear it? Our harmony
Next time: A Visitor - A Snowy Field of Fire