Human blood.
Mr. Masaru!
Who is it?
-Narumi? -Narumi!
We saw it. I'm sure we did.
Narumi's disappearing back.
Before dawn, when the stars paint the sky
I am searching for the thing I lost
With a restless heart Under the sun yet in the dark
I patch together little prayers to light my path
I don't need anything, as my hands are full
My hands are full of emptiness
Please, just once, nod for me
Just once, reach out to me like the mirror
I will live for that single moment, that single second
All the rest can just burn away
What's right for me is for me alone
Whatever the path, I'll follow it to you
This feeling grows and grows, deep inside my heart
For one single reason
I continue to climb up on the stage
Narumi.
We have yet another new member in the Nakamachi Circus.
#9 Memories
His name is Guy.
We were helping plane crash victims, when...
Shirogane, look.
My teacher!
Teacher?
Are you okay...?
Éléonore.
Mr. Masaru.
What is the matter?
That Guy, who is he to you?
Mr. Guy is my teacher.
-Teacher? -Yes.
My first living memory is of traveling with Mr. Guy.
I was taken to a place in France called Quiberon.
There, I was told to become a puppet-handling puppet.
A puppet-handling puppet?
That's correct.
After much hard training, I lost all emotions and became a real puppet.
But Mr. Guy was always there for me.
I see. Sorry.
I just thought Narumi was the first person who showed you kindness.
I thought I saw Narumi after the plane crash.
And I haven't been able to get it off my mind.
Same with me.
Can you hear my heart beating?
Thump, thump.
Before, it used to go click, click.
Precise like a machine.
But someone taught my heart how to beat like a human's.
That someone was you.
And now, my heart beats fast and strong.
It's because of the man who still lives inside of you.
The first person to bring warmth to my cold, frozen life...
You like Narumi, don't you?
I really like you too.
Thank you.
It happened again.
He told me to live on strongly.
He even died to save me, but I...
I'm so sorry.
Shirogane is trying to overcome her tough past.
But I'm not even trying to face mine.
Why did my father leave his entire fortune to just me?
People are after my life for that, and it got Narumi killed, too.
When you realize that it's time to smile, don't cry.
I've made up my mind, Shirogane.
I have to go find out why.
We were deep in the mountains of China with only a small clue to guide us.
Our mission was to track down the Midnight Circus
and destroy it.
This is Mingxia.
The daughter of Master Liang, the man who taught me martial arts.
We had gone to Master Liang's dojo in search of clues.
There, we found out he'd contracted ZONAPHA syndrome
and left for his hometown in search of a spring of immortality.
Lucille said if we found him, we'd find the Midnight Circus.
Mingxia decided to come with us.
Master Liang's hometown is where the "Bai" family...
My name is Francine.
Is something wrong?
I'm fine.
I've been having strange dreams.
According to Lucille, the Aqua Vitae I was given was the last, thickest drop.
The soul of the man who made the Aqua Vitae was dissolved in it.
So it seems like the dreams I'm having are actually his memories.
You came.
-Master! -Father!
Father!
Are you okay?
What a riot.
You used to be so scary, and now look at you.
What's so funny? Watch your mouth!
Thanks, I feel somewhat better.
The strange disease that can only be eased by another's laughter...
ZONAPHA syndrome.
It is by divine retribution that I am afflicted with this disease.
What do you mean?
My ancestor created a certain something.
Something that should never have been created.
The water of life.
You mean, Aqua Vitae?
And before I knew it, I was telling him everything.
That I had become a shirogane by drinking the Aqua Vitae.
And how I was now fighting the automata.
That's enough! You really think we'd fall for such a lie?
She's right. There's no way he'd...
I see. You have been through a lot.
Forgive me, Master.
I have talked too much about myself.
I do not mind.
Rather, if what you say is true, there's something you must know.
Listen carefully.
It all began over 200 years ago.
There were once two brothers in the Bai family of puppeteers.
I know about this.
The elder brother was Yin, and the younger brother was Jin.
I want to be able to make this puppet move more like a human.
Me too, Yin.
No, it's the memory of the man who is dissolved within me.
The pair sought the answer in alchemy and set out on a journey.
After 8 years, they finally arrived at the home of alchemy.
Prague, the City of a Hundred Spires.
They became apprentices to an old alchemist.
Look, it's Mr. Yin and Mr. Jin.
They're so handsome.
They come from faraway Qing.
No wonder they have such mysterious eyes.
Yin, those girls are watching us again.
So? We have no time for women.
Really? I think learning about women may be another path to the Great Work.
Jin, leave me out of this.
You still can't talk to women, huh?
But the girls in town say that they like that honesty about you.
Stop teasing your big brother!
Forgive me.
You scared me.
You mustn't run out into the street like that.
-Sorry. -What's your name?
My name is Francine.
And you two?
I'm Bai Yin.
And I'm Bai Jin.
Oh, you must be foreigners.
What nice names. I like them.
The two studied hard and trained in alchemy.
They only had one goal.
To use alchemy to breathe life into puppets
and make them move like humans.
Apples, apples. Tasty apples.
Nice and juicy. Oh!
Yin, Jin!
Can I go buy an apple?
All right.
Look, it's Francine again.
Cozying up to Jin like that.
That thief.
Yin, there's a carnival today.
Let's go. There will be jesters.
We have no time for that.
Come on, just this once.
-Besides, that girl... -Let's go, Yin.
I love jesters and entertainers.
Come on.
Here Francine, have some.
Thanks.
She's saving them?
What next?
I want to see the puppet show.
Bro, puppets.
What?
We're from a family of puppeteers.
Huh?
Aren't you putting on the show?
Can't. The puppeteer is too drunk to do the play.
That's too bad.
Let's go, then.
Sir, you're in luck, these two are puppeteers.
Hey!
Now's your chance to make money. Why not let them do it?
Hey, we didn't say we would.
I'm sorry. I just wanted to see you two doing puppets.
Come on, why not?
Okay, fine.
Jeez, look at that smile on her face.
Hey, Jin.
He's had one too many Pilsner beers.
He's happy because the crowd loved it.
We're not here to put on a show.
But you got all this bread in return.
Moldy bread? Keep it if you want.
-Really? -Yeah.
-Then... -Take it all.
Thank you.
Bye then.
I'll take you home.
-You don't have to. -Let me.
I didn't know Prague had such backstreets.
Every city has them.
There are always more poor people than rich people.
I'm home.
Sis's back!
You're home!
Look what I brought you today.
Snacks and bread.
So that's why.
This man gave them to me.
Say thank you everyone.
Thank you!
R-Right.
-Smells so good. -I haven't had bread for so long.
I thought you'd sold your hair again.
Oh, shush. Not in front of the bread. Be happy.
Besides, I think I look good with short hair.
I'll be going out for a while, so eat up.
Yin, make yourself at home.
Where is she going?
Hey!
The mark of a thief!
You know now.
That I'm a bad person.
Why did you steal?
Oh dear.
You haven't eaten? But you had bread with you when you left.
I... I shared it.
Don't give your food away to strangers. Come on.
Where are we going?
To get your bread back.
See? I can go a day without bread.
I'm going home now.
Hey.
Who's there?
Our Lady Francine.
Our Lady?
Oh? Who are you?
I'm a friend of hers.
Oh, of Her Ladyship's?
Her Ladyship?
Could you tell me more about her?
She's an angel.
She escaped from a French slave trader and settled here in Prague.
She does odd jobs and sells her hair.
She uses the money to care for orphans and us poor people.
I heard she stole something.
One single egg it was.
A lonely orphan caught pneumonia.
She wanted to give the child nutrition.
But...
the egg never made it to the child.
Another poor man had ratted her out for a measly reward.
The child died, and she was locked up for a month.
You are her lover, are you not?
No, I'm just...
I beg you, make her happy.
She is our angel, our saint.
Starting that day, Yin began to think differently.
What's wrong, Yin?
You're not focused at all these days.
Alchemy is a discipline that allows one to seek the truth.
The knowledge helps nobody but ourselves.
Yeah, of course.
Jin, what light is there in a path that is not paved for another?
I have come to think like that because of a certain event.
An event?
You don't mean Francine, do you?
Wait a minute, what happened the night I got drunk?
Nothing, that's not what I meant.
Yin, you know I fell in love with Francine first.
You can't take her from me.
No freaking way.
Yin!
Jin hasn't talked to me since.
Francine.
Oh, Yin. Thank you for the other day.
What were you praying for?
It's a bit embarrassing.
I was hoping all illnesses would disappear from the world.
She thinks only of others, even though she's in distress herself.
How deep and wide her heart is.
What is it?
If it's with this woman... I could...
Francine, will you be mine?
But I was a thief.
It means nothing to me.
I can't leave those children.
I'll get a job and feed everyone.
But your alchemy...
I care for it no longer.
Francine, I beg you.
Marry me.
This is all I have now, but I'll buy you a better ring someday.
No, I like this one.
What's this?
I'm crying.
Fly up high, Marionette
Turn to ash, gracefully
My only purpose in life was to fight
Why am I so angry even I dump my humanity
Without you, I can't smile anymore
I assume that I am to be blamed
Like a puppet that can't smile naturally
I feel like someone is pulling my strings
What am I even living for?
I was hurt, and thought that nobody would understand
But you came along, and took me in your arms
I felt my tangled arms and legs
become free
Fly up high, Marionette
I think now I can reach you
Before I met you, I was empty
Now I have something I'd give my all to protect
You taught me how to feel, the feeling of sorrow too