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In the collective mythos of the new world, the Intersection is often thought of as a single, instantaneous event that marked the true and forever fusion of two worlds: the Bionis and Alrest. The momentous occasion is celebrated to this day as the marker of the new year, reassigned both in honour of the event and to smooth over the different time keeping systems between the two nations. But though the assumption of its singular nature is pervasive throughout the general public, historians specialising in the Intersection era instead propose a surprising alternative; that there were two Intersections.
The first of these two is nominally the true Intersection in both name and function, a foreseen calamity that the twin worlds worked through together in order to survive. This much is well known and evidenced, from plans of Origin to the preserved devices used to bridge the universal gap for communication, but the second half of the story faces a much greater degree of vagueness and scepticism. Some accounts claim that after the two worlds passed safely through each other, they existed separately for an indeterminate amount of time before the two worlds were suddenly and joyously united. Others, meanwhile, claim that the two worlds simply merged at the moment they were meant to be destroyed, marking the separation of the two ‘Intersections’ as simply a delay in realisation as opposed to a cosmological event.
This theory does have a large number of detractors, born from the questions about why the monarchs of each world would fail to try to communicate in acknowledgement of their success and swiftly realise their devices needed to be recalibrated. But, despite the theory’s hardlined camps and recurring debates, one must remember that history is not psychology – neither party is more qualified to guess at their supposed reasons.
Regardless of the method by which the start of the Intersection was separated from its second stage, this separate event is acknowledged across the board and is known by a single name: the Union. Unlike the specifics of its origins, the existence of the Union is well evidenced by a recurring tradition, that being the aptly named Unity Day. Though it does not mark the exact date of the Union, to the frustration of scholars, its gap from the new year and well kept traditions are indicative of its original purpose – the problem it was created to solve.
~~~
“How remarkable…”
Dromarch’s quiet voice was unexpected in the march, leaving Mio to easily notice it amongst the chatter of the gathered crowd. Turning to her mother’s faithful Blade, she couldn’t help but satiate her curiosity.
“What is it, Dromarch?”
The tiger turned to her with an earnest smile; he had always held a deep fondness for his Lady’s daughter. “I could not help but feel the weight of this moment now that we have arrived in the Colony, little lady.”
Mio tilted her head, a little confused by his wordy admission. “The… weight?”
“Hm. I would best describe it as… the moment finally sinking in, so to speak. We have known of the Union before now, but now that I witness what once was another world for myself… I find it affects me.”
The young lady couldn’t help but notice his tone as he explained himself, surprise taking over. “You’re feeling emotional? I didn’t even know that was possible…”
Her mother couldn’t help but laugh at her earnest disbelief. “That’s because you don’t remember him when you were born! I swear, he was almost as emotional as your Da.”
Dromarch coughed in embarrassment at the memory, even if Mio was keen to reassure him that she found it cool. Quoting one of the Salvager’s Codes at the Blade who had definitely heard it already, she told him; “You can put on a brave face if you want, but forcing yourself will just hurt your heart!” She couldn’t quite remember the number it was, though, which Dromarch chuckled to himself about.
It wasn’t long before their levity was paused, however. As Mio was looking around the Colony with wonder, one of the marching guards turned to their Queen to inform her of their imminent arrival to the Rohan Auditorium. It was there where a welcome ceremony would be taking place as a “show of peace and unity”… though Mio was still a bit confused about what that meant, or why it was even necessary. They quickly rendezvoused with Queen Melia’s own guards, led by an intimidating lady with long wings on her head, and found themselves escorted past the crowds to the backstage of the venue, where the Queen herself awaited, dressed up in formal duds much like her mother.
It was rather awe-inspiring for Mio to see her in person, and not over through hazy communication with Nia during their long distance book club. And sure, her mother was Queen Nia, a very big deal in her own right, but she was also her mother! …Well, one of three mothers admittedly, but definitely the one she was closest to, and that meant that she never really saw her as this big important royal figure without a very big asterisk. But Queen Melia… she radiated an intense aura of regality and confidence, no strings attached.
Still, despite Mio being awe-struck at the sight of her, she also found herself unable to miss the way her focused expression faltered at the sight of them. It seemed the Bionis’s most important woman was feeling the weight of their meeting too.
“Queen Nia,” she greeted softly, slowly returning to her dignified persona. “It is wonderful to see you here, in person, safe at last.”
Nia briefly attempted to match her decorum, before giving up and jumping forward to grab Melia in a hug that made her fellow Queen squeak. “It’s so wonderful t’ finally be here, to be able to reach out and give you a big ol’ hug! How long I’ve waited for this day…”
The unrestrained gesture prompted the intimidating lady from before to scoff at the indignity, but she didn’t commit to the scowl enough to completely hide her own amusement. “Please have some decorum, Your Majesty. We’re about to try to convince two entire nations of our shared commitment to peace, but more than a few of our citizens would protest the mere idea of a stranger hugging their Queen. It would hardly help our chances for them to see this.”
A long haired older man next to her chuckled at her worries. “Come now, Tyrea. This is a momentous occasion for us as individuals too, not just for our nations. I think we should encourage this levity behind closed doors.”
“I think Dunban is quite right,” Queen Melia agreed as she was slowly released from Nia’s embrace. “After all we’ve been through, letting courtly procedure slip for a moment is inevitable. We shall be as grace incarnate on that stage, but in this quiet moment we should embrace the joy of the Union undaunted.”
“Oh c’mon, Melia,” Nia laughed. “You’ve managed to make it sound so stiff and procedural! We should be celebrating, dropping the act for a while!”
“Heh… I suppose it is a hard habit for me to break. Now then, before we discuss our plan any further, proper introductions are in order.”
With Melia’s suggestion, the two royal parties got themselves acquainted with each other. As she had gleaned from their conversations, the older man was Dunban, who was revealed to be a respected war hero, much to Mio’s surprise. The scary lady was indeed named Tyrea, but she also chose to describe herself as “the Empress’s Shadow,” before correcting herself to the “Queen’s Shadow” shortly after. That didn’t matter much to Mio though; what mattered instead was a burning question.
“Excuse me, Miss Tyrea?”
The lady raised an eyebrow at the young girl’s sudden question, but she ended up humouring her anyway. “Yes? Little miss… Mio, correct?”
“Uh, yes! I was just wondering… Can you fly with those wings on your head?!”
A couple of stifled giggles were the first thing to break the silence, but though Tyrea shot a dirty look at both Nia and her own supposed liege, she still turned back to Mio with a smirk, crouching down to her height. “Well, it’s not very often true of my people now… but I can indeed do just that.”
Mio’s eyes widened in delight. “You can?! Wow! Can I see it?!”
“Perhaps later, little princess. We have an important ceremony to do first, okay?”
“Okay! I’ll be good until then!”
Tyrea gave her a smile. “Good girl.”
After both Dromarch and Mio were properly introduced to everyone present, conversation drifted to another topic entirely; the decision to meet on the Bionis.
“Our humblest thanks for making the choice to meet us here in our nation, Your Majesty,” Tyrea bowed to Nia. “I fear the prospect of Queen Melia making the equivalent journey would leave our people with no end to their worry, so it is incredibly generous of you to make such a sacrifice on our behalf.”
“Oh, don’t mention it,” Nia dismissed. “I’ve got a big family to steer the ship in my absence. And besides… I think Shulk was looking forward to meeting my husband again.”
Melia stifled a laugh at the fair assessment. “Yes, I think he was. I hope in vain that he doesn’t get too distracted with your fascinating technology on his trip, though at least Fiora will be present to keep him in line.”
Tyrea snorted at the reminder. “Fiora does an admirable job of moderating that man, but I’m afraid her son is just as fascinated as his father. She will be kept busy with Nikol alone – Shulk will inevitably slip through the cracks at some point.”
“Surely such a storied hero could maintain his composure as a delegate?” Dromarch couldn’t help but question.
Surprisingly, Nia was the one to answer him. “Oh, he’ll last for a while. The problem’s gonna be after the formalities are over…. Rex will be all too keen to show him around. And then Pyra’ll probably end up focusing on letting Fiora and Nikol meet the kids, leaving Mythra to just encourage them!”
A wave of recognition passed over the Blade’s face as he pictured the scenario in vivid detail. “Oh… Now I understand. Can we at least hope for Roc to keep them on course, my Lady?”
“Heh. He’ll try, but time will tell if he succeeds…”
Now that the levity was over, it was time for the big moment. The adults had one last conversation on how they were going to do this before Queen Melia steeled herself into the monarch she needed to be. Then, through the now opened curtain, she walked out onto the stage, greeted by thunderous cheers.
“People of the Bionis!” the Queen began triumphantly. “We are gathered here today for a very important purpose. As you have all seen, the Intersection was not the end, but a precursor to a new beginning. Yet I have no doubt that in its wake, you have heard the rumours of our two worlds joining together as one, not in their destruction, but in true unity.”
The gathered crowd, filled with Homs, High Entia, Machina and Nopon, was abuzz at her words. Some had seen Queen Nia’s procession and already suspected this topic, but others were not aware of the purpose of this visit. To have their monarch acknowledge the rampant speculation was shocking… and her next words only intensified that surprise.
“These rumours are the truth! To the east of our land now lies a new continent, the land of Elysium, whose people we now share our one world with. I know this new frontier may scare you all. And as much as any of you, I understand this fear, born of our pasts on twin Titans. But fear of the unknown does us all a disservice. It is for this reason that I ask all of us to meet our new neighbours not with anxiety, but with acceptance; we cannot learn from our fellow humans if we meet them with a sword.
“In the interest of leading by example, I sent a very important invitation to the Queen of Elysium. And I am pleased to reveal to you all that she has joined us here, in this very Auditorium. Now, without further ado, I present to you… Queen Nia of Elysium!”
Turning towards the curtains behind her, Melia made a grand gesture with her left arm to signal her counterpart to step through. Right on cue, the curtains were pulled away just enough to reveal the Queen’s mysterious form, and after a moment of audible intrigue, Nia walked forward with purpose to meet her fellow monarch at the microphone. As Melia stepped aside to give her the reins, the air thick with anticipation, she cleared her throat before finally speaking.
“Good people of the Bionis… I thank you for your kind welcome. This day, the day I can set foot upon your lands with no fear of the end hanging over our heads, and with our desire fulfilled, has been a dream of mine for so very, very long. As your wonderful Queen has so gracefully introduced me, I am Nia, Queen of Elysium, one wing of our new world. The people of my nation are much like you – once scared of the approaching end, then relieved at its passing, now uncertain of what this new unified world holds for us all.”
There was a murmur that swept across the crowd at her words. It was a shared sense both of agreement with the foreign Queen’s assessment of them, and unease about those same sweeping assessments being lent to a group they had just learned of. Nia noticed this duality in their tones and made to assuage their concerns.
“But I implore you all to treat your neighbours with as much respect and hospitality as your Queen has shown me. Beyond the superficial, we are all only human; we will all have our doubts and our fears, and we will not be perfect. There will be much for us to learn from each other as we enter this brave new era, and I have faith that you will all strive to understand each other – my people will be encouraged to do the same. I hope that in the years to come, our once disparate nations will learn from each other, that our people will travel across our seas and be welcomed within each other’s borders… and most of all, that we never let our spirit of harmony fade.”
As her words rang out over the audience, there was a moment of quiet unease. But just as Nia was beginning to feel awkward in the strained silence, a single clap ran out. Then another… then another… then ten more. Before she realised it was happening, the auditorium erupted into applause of a volume the Queen was not expecting from an uncertain populace. Sighing in relief as she earnestly thanked the crowd, she stepped away from the podium to let her fellow monarch return to centre stage.
“Thank you, Queen Nia.” Melia turned to give her a kind smile before returning to her people. “It is an honour to have you as my counterpart in my role as monarch. And I urge you, my loyal subjects, to take heed of her words. I too wish for our two nations to coexist in harmony, and encourage us all to someday visit her wonderful land. There will be much for us to learn in the event that we do so, but that will be true even if we remain here in our homeland, for someday the people of Elysium will meet us here instead. And they will learn from us as well, for as much as I am sure we believe ourselves to be the norm, we will undoubtedly find much of our culture alien to them.”
The crowd had by this point been largely persuaded by Melia’s words, leaving the discussion amongst themselves to be mostly that of agreement and curiosity. However, in the midst of this buzzing, a significant portion of the audience missed the once Hero of the Homs emerging from behind the curtain. He walked forward with an ornate staff in hand, its white-gold handle giving way to a black and gold, wide and pointed head ornament flanked by blue wings. As he approached Melia’s side, Dunban presented the regal sceptre to the Queen, who's action to take it coincided with the audience realising who had emerged to join her.
“In recognition of this portentous moment, I have a gift for you, Nia. This Comet Sceptre was constructed by the finest artisans of Colony 6, using a stone that fell from the sky. To represent the sudden nature of our union, the mineral has been carefully machined and inset into the head. I hope this present marks the beginning of a long and prosperous relationship.”
Slowly handing the offering to her peer, Melia smiled as Nia took her gift with grace, curtseying to her with the sceptre in her hands. This ritual had been planned, of course, but the Elysian Queen was still grateful; she had not seen the gift until this moment, and couldn't help but be impressed by the artisanship on display. And still, there was more of this ritual to be performed, for as she took her place on the podium once more, Dromarch too emerged from behind the curtain, carrying a wooden stringed instrument to her side.
“My gratitude for this gift, Queen Melia,” Nia thanked her counterpart, ignoring the crowd’s confusion as a white tiger suddenly appeared on the stage. “I have brought something for you, as well, in thanks for your own generosity. This instrument is known as a Torigonda, and it has played the music of my homeland for generations. And now I present one such instrument to you, so that its melodies may be heard in your land as well.”
Receiving a nod from his Driver, Dromarch walked to Melia’s side, allowing her to take the Torigonda after a curtsy in silent thanks for his work. Though the Queen was hardly familiar with the mechanics of playing such an instrument, or any instrument for that matter, she gave its eight strings an experimental strum and found its folk tones pleasing. The crowd murmured in interest at the unfamiliar music, clearly eager to hear more of it, but that would sadly have to wait; even the Elysian delegates were not particularly learned with the Torigonda.
Smiling to herself as the notes rang out, Melia delicately handed the instrument into Dunban’s hands before taking the podium, one last time. “You have my most heartfelt thank-you for such a meaningful gift, Queen Nia. I will ensure a worthy soul has the chance to play those songs.”
After properly giving her gratitude to Nia, she returned her full attention to her people in the audience. What came next was the whole reason for this show of unity, for their demonstration.
“Now, my people, I have one last request for you. As I have already made clear, there will be much for us to learn from the people of Elysium, and much for them to learn from us. In order to facilitate this, I would have you each do something special. When you meet one of our new neighbours, either in our homeland or abroad, I would like you to give them a gift of your own. It does not need to be as extravagant or storied as what you have witnessed from us today, but you should give it your own meaning. Share a part of yourself with a new world that wishes to listen.”
The crowd couldn’t help but buzz once again at her words, talking to themselves of what they should give in the event they met someone from Elysium and speculating what they would actually receive in return. At the far reaches of the audience, four young children were having a discussion of their own… though with a far more juvenile mindset.
“We’re supposed to give these… Elysium-ian people gifts?!” Eunie scoffed in disbelief. “Where’s a bunch of 10 year olds supposed to get the money?”
“Maybe… we’re supposed to make them instead?” Joran suggested meekly. “I don’t think the Queen would say that for no reason…”
“Well that’s easy for you to say, you can just carve a gift! And Noah could just… I dunno, play somethin’ on his new flute? Anyway, point is, me and Lanz are still left high and dry!”
“Are you really that stuffed for ideas?” Lanz questioned, his arms folded. “You’ve had that obsession with tea lately, surely there’s something there?”
“Yeah, no, bud.” Eunie shook her head decisively, frowning at the thought. “If I’m still figurin’ out where to even get the leaves, I’d be hard pressed to make a gift out of it. Not that you’d be any better – what’s the chance you’d find someone who’d take weights from you?”
“Hey! I’m sure there’s someone in Elysium that’d be my workout buddy! Come on, you agree with me right? Noah?”
Noah, who was completely absorbed watching the stage, didn’t respond to his words before their Queen made to speak up once more, raising a hand to slowly silence the discussion. Once there was sufficient calm in the auditorium, she smiled.
“Once again, I give each of you thanks for your attendance at this momentous gathering. If we never forget to be kind to each other, and remember what I have told you all today, our nations will undoubtedly prosper together. I bid you all a fine farewell, and a good night!”
With her joyous proclamation at its end, she waved goodbye to her devout audience, whose thunderous applause resonated through the space. Waving farewell to her new neighbours as well, Queen Nia was the first of the four on stage to turn back and walk towards the curtain, shortly followed by her Blade. Melia lingered for just a moment longer in the collective cheers before she too turned back, Dunban in tow. As the noise of the people slowly died down, Eunie pulled Joran and Noah away from the Auditorium, leaving Lanz to go after them on his own.
“Hey, wait up!” the Machina protested as he followed. When she finally stopped, she had brought the three boys to a quieter area around the side of the auditorium. “What’s the hurry?!”
“We were right at the back of the crowd!” Eunie explained. “It was better to be out of the way quickly.”
“Still think you made a big deal out of it for no reason, mate! Ah, nevermind… More importantly, What had you so distracted back there, Noah?” When Noah declined to answer, Lanz mended his question slightly. “My bad. What I meant to ask was, what are you still distracted by?”
Leaning towards his friend with smirk and prodding him with his finger was finally enough to get Noah to respond to him, though only with a confused noise at first. “Wha? Um, sorry, I was lost in thought.”
“Yeah, we gathered that much. What we want to know is why?”
“Y’know, I’m curious too actually,” Eunie agreed, piling on the pressure for her friend.
“I don’t know… something about that event was distracting me, I guess.” He neglected to mention his strange sense of deja vu at seeing Queen Nia, believing it sounded ridiculous and embarrassing.
Eunie raised an eyebrow at his noncommittal answer. “Heh, really? D’you even remember what Lanz asked you?” When he awkwardly shook his head, she couldn’t help but sigh. “That lunk wanted you to back him up on believing his fantasy of finding an Elysiumian workout buddy.”
Ignoring Lanz’s indignant response, (“Fantasy?!” he cried out in disbelief,) Noah ended up surprising the quartet with his own answer. “I think the right term would be ‘Elysian,’ if I had to guess. And honestly, I think Lanz is right. There’s gotta be someone over there who’d enjoy it just like you do, right?”
Lanz couldn’t help but get pumped up for the little victory. “Hah! See Eunie, Noah agrees with me! Guess that just leaves you without a gift, huh?”
Eunie wasn’t exactly impressed with his celebrations, but the last part of his sentence caught Noah’s attention again. “Gift? What does this have to do with the gifts?”
“Oh, you missed that bit too,” Eunie mumbled, before clearing her throat. “I was gettin’ mad about the fact that the Queen wants us to give these Elysians gifts even though we’re 10 years old. Like, with what money, right?”
“Oh… Hmm, I’m not sure how you’d fix that. With your parents' help, maybe?”
“…Huh. That actually makes a lotta sense. Yeah, that must have been what she meant.”
In her eyes, that concept sounded quite reasonable, and Joran was quick to concur. But Lanz didn’t quite agree with the concept of pleading to his parents just to give some foreign girl a gift (though he wasn’t sure why he jumped to that). He was about to chime in again when a new voice interrupted him… one that sounded strangely familiar.
“Well then… It sounds as though we’ve missed something in our planning after all.”
Jumping at the regal voice, the quartet of children turned to see that Queen Melia had approached them, flanked by guards but at the forefront of a travelling party leaving the auditorium. Eunie just about passed out on the spot, with Lanz having to catch her, while Joran just looked rather stunned. Noah, meanwhile, remained surprisingly calm, though still rather surprised.
“Your Majesty?” he recognised. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Nonsense,” the Queen dismissed, offering him a kind smile. “You and your friends have simply pointed out something I’d be remiss to not consider. But, if you’d all be willing to hear it, I have an idea that I think you’d all enjoy. Is that alright?”
She received several delayed nods in response, including poor Eunie, who was still not quite able to process the situation she was in. Happy with their consent, she regaled them with her solution.
“Perhaps you may not have the money to buy a gift for your new friends, and perhaps you may not be able to find the materials to make a present instead. But one does not need to give something tangible to make someone happy. Perhaps there could be an experience you could show them instead? Maybe your favourite tree to climb, or your favourite game to play… these are all things that any new friend would enjoy learning from you, don’t you think?”
It took another moment before Noah realised she was still talking to him, waiting for his answer. “Oh, yes! I’m sure they would. Thank you, your Majesty.”
Melia smiled at his gratitude, holding back unwelcomed emotions as she gazed at the young Noah’s face and thought of all he’d been through. She was brought away from those thoughts when one of her guards called to her, reminding her of their arduous task of returning to Alcamoth and the prudence of moving quickly.
“You’re welcome, Noah,” she returned, subconsciously letting the name slip out. “Now then, we must continue on our way, so I shall say farewell for now.”
Three of the children eagerly returned her goodbye, waving at the Queen as she and her cohort continued away from the Auditorium. But in their midst, Noah was much more subdued, his brain racking at the feeling he was forgetting something… Until he made eye contact with a girl he hadn’t seen before. He definitely didn’t recognise her cream dress, and though she looked a bit like Queen Nia with her pretty silver hair and golden eyes, she definitely hadn’t been on stage; he would have noticed someone so much shorter than her peers.
Yet despite that, Noah couldn’t turn his gaze away… and neither could she. Something about her made him feel like he’d been reunited with an old friend, like a missing piece had finally been found to a puzzle he thought was solved. Most shocking of all, she must have been thinking something along those same lines, as she stubbornly maintained her gaze. Eventually she slowed to a crawl, unable to pull herself away from eye contact until a voice called her name specifically.
“Lady Mio, please. We mustn’t dawdle.”
Jolting away from looking at him to face that strange tiger, she quickly responded without acknowledging why she’d halted. “Oops. Sorry, I’m coming!”
She gave Noah one last meaningful look before she jogged back towards the safety of the guards.
“Mio…” he murmured, testing the name on his lips and finding it sounded just right. Young though he was, Noah couldn’t help but wonder to himself what that bizarre connection was to a total stranger… nor why it felt so inexplicably strong.
His friends were more invested in the Queen knowing his name.
~~~
With the original proclamations from the Queens in place (or relayed by her Consort and second Hero of the Homs in Elysium’s case), the citizens of the Bionis and Alrest both made good on their monarchs’ instructions, slowly disseminating knowledge of these brave new worlds through their gifts. This was how the new, united world thanked their new neighbours throughout that new year, as more and more people became curious about the new lands and went to see them, meeting many new faces along the way, just as was intended.
And then, almost one year after the Intersection that had first brought them together had come to pass, the new unified calendar was finalised. On it were two critical dates: the date of the new year, also known as Intersection Day for its place as an anniversary of the event, then shortly after it, the newly crowned Unity Day, commemorating the anniversary of those first meetings that shaped so much of the year that followed. Attached to this date was a holiday and a suggestion to consider giving a friend once from a separate world a gift much like those of a first meeting in the year that had passed.
To the monarchs’ surprise, this was even more successful than anticipated. Spurred on by the joy of both giving and receiving gifts, the people of both nations eagerly participated in the holiday as the years progressed, even as the amount of people being given gifts from a single person slowly rose with the passage of time. Within half a decade, Unity Day had become a cross-nation tradition.
~~~
A loud knocking at the door brought Noah to his feet, shouting “I’ll get it!” backwards towards his housemates as he did. He tried in vain to keep his feet calm and steady, but he couldn’t help but be a little excited for the chance to see them again. Especially… Well, nevermind. He didn’t want to play favourites too obviously.
Finally reaching the entryway, he pulled open the door to meet-
“Noah! Bring it in, bud!”
-the crushing embrace of Eunie, who briefly prevented him from actually seeing the group that had joined her. Once she finally released him, he could finally notice the presence of Taion with all their bags, as well as both Riku and Manana.
“Hey guys! Didn’t expect you all to arrive at once.”
Taion was about to greet him in turn before Eunie interrupted him, pushing past Noah with determination. “Now, where’s the rest of my boys?!”
Briefly flattened against the doorframe, Noah picked himself up before raising an eyebrow at Taion. “She’s certainly eager.”
The scholarly man chuckled lightly to himself. “I suppose our trip has been quite long. And absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder.”
“No doubt. I don’t think I’ve seen her so happy to see Lanz in my life!” After they shared a laugh, Noah made sure to greet him properly. “Happy Unity Day, Taion. It’s good to see you again.”
“And a happy holidays to you, Noah.”
Letting Taion inside, Noah turned his attention to his shortest guests with a smile. “I’m glad you two could make it. Honestly, I had imagined you’d both be too busy to find the time.”
“Meh?” Riku guffawed. “Riku does not work on Unity Day! Do not be preposterous!”
Manana declined to be as dramatic as Riku, but still shook her head. “Manana could have taken job today, but chose not to! Time with friends most important!”
“I’m glad to hear that. Come on inside – Lanz and Joran will be happy to see you.”
Closing the door behind them to keep the heat in, Noah followed them into the fire-warmed living room where Eunie had already made her presence known, now tackling Joran in a hug after letting Lanz go. Both Riku and Manana were quick to greet the boys as well, but Manana didn’t stay there for long; she was eager to get into the kitchen. As Taion too reconnected with the boys too, Riku attempted to sneakily pry the time of receiving presents out of Joran with false objectivity, but his act didn’t fool any of them.
They had made merry for a short while after that, discussing Taion and Eunie’s adventure (“Mister Survey Man here kept trying to do work, and I kept having to remind him to have fun exploring!”), and Joran’s latest artwork (“Désirée’s been collaborating with me on the project! It’s been wonderful to work with a sculptor like her.”). But with every passing minute, Noah’s impatience for their remaining friends to arrive only grew. When he heard that rhythmic nod at the door, hard as it may have been to make out among the chatter, he still sprung to his feet instantly, swiftly walking to the entrance in hope he’d see her again.
And finally, once he opened the door, his wishes were granted. Gazing into her eyes once more, he could well have missed the duo she’d arrived with if not for the fact he already knew to expect them.
“Mio! It’s so good to see you again.”
Her glowing smile was a gift enough for him already, but as she watched their display Sena couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow conspiratorially and turn to Miyabi. “Look at this hospitality! What are we, chopped liver?”
Noah laughed awkwardly at the call out, trying to hide his embarrassment. “Oh, I’m sorry, Sena, Miyabi. Happy Unity Day to all of you. I’m glad to have you all here.”
Mio laughed, seeing right through him no doubt. “Me too, Noah. Happy Unity day to you.”
Letting the trio in, their gathering was finally complete. Right on cue, as they swiftly greeted the rest of their friends after a time apart, Manana announced the completion of the day’s meal and instructed everyone to help move it to the haphazardly extended table. There was a veritable feast; miso soup in a big pot, boiled lobster, a Maktha salad, and the jewel of the menu, Manana’s special doodlenoodles.
“This looks absolutely mint, Manana!” Lanz complimented, holding back a watering mouth and empty stomach. “What a selection!”
“Indeed,” Taion readily agreed. “Even healthy options are well represented.”
“Manana should hope so!” the chef accepted with pride. “This meal is Manana’s gift to friends after all!”
Miyabi took one bite of the lobster before humming in delight. “Mmm! And what a gift it is! Thank you so much, Manana.”
“Miyabi very welcome! Now then, everyone… Dig in!”
And just like that, the feasting was underway. At first, nary a word was said beyond a stream of compliments to the chef. Once eating slowed down, the conversation ramped up once more with questions about Mio’s family (“I swear, you guys never quite got over who my mother is.” “Hey, can you blame me?”), and how Miyabi’s musical pursuits had been (“I’ve been asked to join the same orchestra Noah’s in… It’s such an honour.”). And yet, despite their continued efforts to indulge in the wonderful meal, the gathered friends still failed to finish the feast.
“Well… I suppose we’ll keep some leftovers as the second part of our gift,” Joran joked.
“We better,” Lanz returned with complete seriousness. “I don’t think I’m letting the rest of that lobster out of my sight.”
Now well fed and very tempted to nap, they all instead moved back to the living room. Grabbing some of the table’s chairs so everyone could actually sit, they gathered around the fireplace and began the giving. First came Lanz’s gift to Sena, a pair of new dumbbells that were even heavier than her last; Noah was shocked to see her almost struggle to lift them. Unsurprisingly, Sena returned the favour with a barbell of her own, though he had much more trouble with it.
“I can’t believe I joked about this at one point,” Eunie reminisced. “Suppose I should never have doubted you’d find a gym bud who’d actually want those.”
For as much as she claimed Lanz to be predictable though, Noah had seen her gift to Taion coming; the book collating Bionis’s tea recipes was right up his alley. And while Taion’s gift in response was further from expectation – the photo album was a wonderful idea but not one Noah would immediately think of – what truly caught his eye was the awkward way he gave it to her. He found Mio giving them a glance with much the same thoughts in her mind, and when he met her eyes, they shared in the curiosity together.
Riku made sure to give his gift next. As it turned out, he’d enhanced one Manana’s pots for improved cooking ability, but he also offered her some flowery words on its existence that confused everyone but him. Once his speech was finally done, it was Miyabi’s turn; her and Joran were markedly less familiar with each other than the other pairs of gifter and giftee, but thanks to their friends' help they’d each found gift ideas. For Miyabi this came in the form of a new chisel to replace his well-worn current one, while Joran gave her a book collecting various songs from across the Bionis.
While they exchanged their thank yous, Mio finally made her way over to Noah’s side, taking a seat next to him on the couch where Joran had once been. Though he could see a gift wrapped in paper behind her back, Noah preempted her with his own present.
“Happy Unity Day, Mio. I hope you like them.”
Handing her a somewhat irregularly shaped package, Mio eagerly took the gift and began to unwrap it. Upon finding its contents, she couldn’t help but gasp; the strange shape had been caused by a pair of white running shoes. Underneath them was the gift’s second portion, a white jacket perfect for wearing while going on a jog.
“Noah, these are amazing!”
“I’m glad to hear you like them,” Noah said, sighing in relief. “It’s not exactly the season for it, but I remembered how you said you wanted to run more, and I thought the shoes would be perfect for that. Then I saw the jacket, and… I thought it would suit you perfectly.”
Mio smiled at him as she placed them to the side. “I’m sure it will, and I’m sure the shoes will, too. Now then, Noah, your turn! Happy Unity Day.”
Noah took the gift she produced from behind her back gladly, but he felt that a strangely mischievous grin had appeared on her face as he did. Opening the present with swift but measured hands, Noah unwrapped the rectangular package to find… a music book, documenting several notable pieces from Alrest’s history.
“Ah ha!” Noah chuckled knowingly. “I see where Joran got his idea from.”
“Perhaps,” Mio coyly denied. “But that’s not the only thing I got you.”
“It isn’t? What else is… Oh!”
Mio was giggling now, and Noah couldn’t blame her. Underneath the book, in a peculiar symmetry with his own gift, Mio had placed a folded red jacket… a perfect compliment to her own.
“Wow, Mio, I… Thank you so much! I love it!”
Embracing Mio in gratitude, she responded almost in kind…
“And I love y-”
…before stopping herself partway. Noah couldn’t see her reaction at first, but once he’d pulled back to release her, he saw Mio’s face was bright red, clearly trying to maintain a ruse of calm despite her words.
Noah simply raised an eyebrow at the transparency. “Yes, Mio?”
“Oh, shut up,” she grumbled, turning away in embarrassment. “I was just going to say I love your… you know, your gift! As well!”
“Is that so? Well…” Leaning in a little closer, Noah couldn’t help but smile, his own face red and heart beating out of his chest. “I could add something else to your gift, if you’d like.”
Seeing him be so forward, Mio’s eyes widened and she scooted a little backwards on the lounge. After a moment, though, she narrowed her eyes at the perceived challenge, leaning in towards him to close the gap even further.
“Oh, you can? Well I… might have something for you as well.”
In their hearts, they both knew exactly what this moment was. Slowly drawing closer until their faces were almost touching, they tilted their heads just enough so that nothing would stop them… before indulging in a passionate first kiss. Somehow, someway, it was everything they’d both hoped it would be.
Noah and Mio both would later lament their friends’ decision to applaud the public display of affection, but they each treasured the moment regardless.
~~~
For a time, Unity day thrived in this form, acting as the perfect excuse for any long distance friends to see each other. And while that use case did not exactly diminish in importance, the people who could still use it in such a way slowly did; within a generation, an increasing number of children were born with a foot in each world, their concept of a ‘home’ now rooted in birthplace rather than blood.
This would soon reach the point where some would call for a form of reinvention, lest the day eventually descend into pointless obscurity. Yet despite that, it was no royal decree that helped morph the holiday into its modern form. Instead, the people of both nations slowly took initiative to decouple the holiday from the largely solved problem it was created for, and to re-centre it on family and friends from all walks of life.
Somewhere along the way, placing the gifts under a tree became a tradition, too.
~~~
The earliest Unity Day that Ghondor still remembered was the one where he asked his mother a very awkward question. She had just been placing their selection of gifts under the tree when he suddenly thought of it, his memories of recent school days ringing through his young brain.
“Mummy?”
“Yes, kitten?”
“Why do you give me presents for Unity Day?”
He distinctly remembered his mother taking a moment to answer, carefully considering her words. Perhaps she’d never really needed to explain it to anyone else. After a moment, she moved from a crouching position to a proper sit, patting the carpet next to her to beckon him to her side.
“Well, Ghondor,” she began her rationale. “You know how Unity Day came to be, right?”
Still being a young boy, it took him a moment to think of the words. “Um… It was because of the Bionians and Elysians coming together, right?”
His mother returned him a wise smile that Ghondor always cherished. “That’s right. But the reason they had to come together in the first place was because they were forced apart. Because of this long separation, some people were worried about what would happen when they met up again.”
“Really? Why?”
His mother had to think for another moment to find an answer, but he remembered being shocked by the direction she took it. “Do you remember those bullies when you first started at school?” When he gave her an apprehensive nod, she continued. “Why did they say they were picking on you?”
“They… said my ears were wrong.”
“Mm. Because they thought their ears were normal, they thought your Daddy’s ears weren’t, so they didn’t understand you… And they picked on you about it. Now imagine how they would have reacted to meeting a Machina for the first time.”
Ghondor didn’t remember exactly what he’d pictured, but judging by his response he quickly understood her meaning. “Oh, no! They would have been even more mean!”
“You’re right. And that’s exactly what the Queens were afraid of. So, to try and… nip!” His mother interrupted her history lesson by swiftly tickling her son when he wasn’t expecting it, sounded out by loud giggling. “...that problem in the bud, they held a very public meeting on the first Unity Day, calling for both of their people to show kindness instead of fear. And that’s where the gifting first came from.”
Once Ghondor had recovered from his laughter by rolling on the floor away from the tickle monster, he sat back up with a dumbfounded look on his face. “Really? It was to… make people nicer?”
“That’s exactly right. But when that initial fear was over, it became about keeping that goodwill alive, connecting with friends from different worlds… much like your Daddy and Mummy.”
Ghondor smiled at that description even now; he’d always been infatuated with the poetry of his parents’ connection, the deep love from across worlds that led to him being born. But it also reminded him of why he was asking questions in the first place, so back then his smile had soon softened.
“But Mummy… I still don’t understand why I get gifts now.”
Seeing his concern on his face, she immediately swept him up in a hug, pulling her son onto her lap. “I think I get why. You’re looking at our family and thinking to yourself that there’s no need for you to get gifts, because we’re the same, right?” Hearing him quietly agree, she continued. “And you’re absolutely right. But if that’s true… then who is supposed to give you a gift on Unity Day?”
At first, Ghondor really thought it was a question he could answer, but the longer he thought about it, the more he realised… there wasn’t anyone. If he was Bionian and Elysian… there was no-one for him to connect to. He couldn’t help the tears welling up in his eyes at the thought.
“I… I don’t know….”
“Oh, sweetheart…” Pulling him closer, then turning him around to face her, his mother gave him the kindest smile she could. “It’s so unfair, isn’t it? Why shouldn’t you get to be a part of the day too? And… that’s exactly what a lot of people think, nowadays.”
The sudden turn left Ghondor very confused at the time. “…Huh?”
His mother giggled a little at his response, but was quick to tell him exactly what she meant. “You see, while you are my perfect, gorgeous, handsome son…” He was rocked back and forth in a hug as she flattered him, “…you also aren’t the only child who came from both the Bionis and Elysium. After a while, people began worrying that there wouldn’t be a Unity Day for long. So, with a little bit of thinking, we’ve started changing it for the better. It’s not about one world or another anymore; now it’s about giving gifts to our friends, and of course, our family.
“And that’s why you get a gift every year.”
Her speech had stuck with him ever since.
“Granddad…”
---
“Oi, Granddad!”
Slowly opening his eyes, Ghondor found himself under the curious gazes of his two Grandchildren, Matthew and Na’el, as they sat before him. “Yes, Matthew? What has you so concerned for me?”
Seeing his martial arts master nonchalantly wake up, the pupil couldn’t help but sigh. “You conked out for a minute there! We were confused if nothing else!”
“Come now. Surely your Gramps can afford a nap at his age?”
“That was no ordinary nap, Granddad,” Na’el refuted. “Come on, what was on your mind?”
Seeing their inquisitive eyes refuse to waver, Ghondor could only sigh with a smile. “I suppose I can tell you that much. To tell you the truth, I was indulging in nostalgia, remembering a moment with my mother from a Unity Day many years past.”
Na’el couldn’t help but chuckle despite the sincerity. “Oh, this sounds familiar…”
“Sure does, sis…” Matthew readily agreed. “Next thing he’s gonna tell us ‘bout how people didn’t use to give gifts to family, and how there didn’t used to be a Unity tree for them.”
The elder Vandham crossed his arms in disbelief. “Is that really so hard for you young ‘un’s to believe? I may not remember those days, but I know for sure it wasn’t part of the old tradition-”
“We know, Granddad.” Na’el reassured him. “It does sound… rather unbelievable now, but there’s no reason you’d lie about it. Matthew just likes to rock the boat a bit.”
Her brother raised a very pointed eyebrow. “Oh, I do? Just me? Sure you’re not forgetting someone?”
“Nope. That is exactly right.”
“Oh ho… Now them’s fighting words! C’mon, sis, let's have a little spar-”
“You’re on, brother.”
Ghondor couldn’t help but sigh at their competitiveness. Experience told him this would be impossible to prevent, unfortunately… which left the next best option to be for him to referee.
“Let’s not get carried away, my Grandchildren… Lest you face your parents’ ire.”
“Aw, fine…” Matthew groaned exaggeratedly. “We won’t leave a scratch.”
“As long as you commit fully to that goal. If that is the case, then… Begin!”
~~~
“It is unclear exactly when the gift-giving figure became widely named in the collective mythos of Unity Day, but in a similar manner to the Elysian imagery of the World Tree and the Unity Tree, early writings suggest that said name was created through syncretism with…”
After 5 long minutes of staring at the same, unchanging page, Ghondor had had enough. Slamming her book shut and groaning in defeat, she rested her head upon the table in hopes of at least sleeping off her frustration.
“Oi, what’s got you in a huff?”
Slowly raising her head to meet her friend’s eyes, she found Shania looking partly concerned, but mostly confused. Taking a second to gather her brain power into usable form, she finally replied with the answer they both saw coming from a mile away.
“I can’t concentrate on this stupid report! Wish I could just think the bloody thing into existence…”
“I’m sure we all do, Ghondor. If no-one else, your language teacher would much appreciate your essays being submitted on time.”
“Hey, don’t ride on your high horse! You were supposed to be here to help me do it!”
Shania did not take the bait. “Ghondor, you said you’d ask Aggy and Oggy for help on your hellish report. When you asked me to join you, it was for an end of semester hangout. The hangout that you’ve spent lamely attempting to finish your report.”
“Alright, I know, but I got too busy to ask them! Are you gonna help me or not?!”
There was a brief staring contest, where Ghondor attempted her best puppydog eyes, before her friend finally relented. “…Okay, fine. But you’re gonna need to fill me in, I’ve got no idea what you’re doing.”
Her expression immediately softened back to her more standard resting-bitch-face-if-you-want-to-get-smacked, with a little more of a smile than her usual. “Thanks, gem… Hold on, did I really not tell you? I’m lookin’ at the history of Unity Day using my fam as a framing device. I’ve got all the testimonials, but the report’s not comin’ together…”
“Oh, I see… That’s pretty complex, though very in season… Wow, you’re not kidding, this sounds nothing like a report.”
“Oi, be a little gentle!”
“Aren’t you the one who always tells me to be true to myself?”
“Sheesh, you give one bit of advice…”
“You’ve got thicker skin than me, you’ll live. Wait, what’s that about syncretism and Zanza Klaus?”
“Uhm… What was it again... Aw, now I remember! Betcha won’t believe this, but, before Unity Day was even a thing…”