Tree Fiddy

"Ehhh, I'm so embarrassed..." Tsuruko tented her fingers. "How couldn't I tell that you were grandpa?"

"Almost as embarrassing as the time you got your head stuck in a beehive on your fifth birthday, right?"

Tsuruko backed up a fair bit, stuttering in embarrassment again. "How do you know about that?"

"Anyway, I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now," Jonas rested his hand behind his head casually. "The reason I called you out here is because, well, you've been through a lot of crap lately, and I want you to relax. God knows that eventually your dad's side of the family will reveal their true colours soon."

"...Wait, what?"

"They're essentially the mafia."

"Ah." Tsuruko had a rather subdued reaction. Perhaps it was because she'd been through so much crap that she wasn't really fazed anymore. "If I hadn't heard about the whole Dzerve stuff, that'd be the most shocking thing I've heard this week."

"Anyway, I'm sure this is something you've wanted to ask for a long time—since I'm the exalt and I know everything, you can ask me any question."

There was a lot that Tsuruko wanted to know. But most of all...there was a certain somebody that she wanted to know the most about.

She spoke,

"What's the deal with Gary now?"

"What do you mean?" Jonas sighed; knowing that she'd ask this. "You and he 'broke up', and I can't really track him for some reason." His words were shaky. "What exactly do you want to know about the guy?"

"...What's the deal with him?" Tsuruko repeated her question. "He acted like he didn't know who I was and our time together, and then he suddenly said that he did and left. Something's up, I just know it."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course I do!" Tsuruko pressed her hands on her hips. "Even though everything between us, I still want to see him again."

"Very well. I..." Jonas Mercury simply stroked his stubble as he answered plainly, "...I'm not going to help you there."

"....EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"

Jonas grumbled, "This was honestly meant to get you to relax...damn, that's the opposite."

"You said I could ask you any question...!" Tsuruko's voice seemed to tremble as she looked like she was about to wrap her iron-cast hands around her grandfather's neck.

"But I never specified if I'd answer it."

Damn technicalities.

Tsuruko raised her small hand. "Can I ask another question?"

"Whatever moats your goat, kiddo."

"Who killed my father?"

The silence of her grandfather immediately alerted Tsuruko that maybe, no, she didn't want to know the answer.

"...Let me tell you a little story. Long ago, I had a tough choice. I had to let go of somebody I loved, or millions of people I cared about just as much. While the former would've been fine without me, the majority wouldn't have been. The needs of the many outweigh the few sometimes." Jonas sighed, having resigned himself to that decision. "Even if costs you personally."

"..."

"But," Jonas raised his hand. "I can give you some info on who did. I can't tell you exactly who they are, since that'd disrupt the time-space continuum. This person has a Soul Armour with red eyes."

"Is that—"

"No, it's not Kirika. Their belt is shaped like Gaiki's."

"...Huh." Tsuruko's suspicions were raised, though...

"Also, before you ask, your mother didn't kill your father after he didn't do what she told him to."

"R-Right..." Even though Jonas personally de-confirmed it, Tsuruko still thought it was plausible. After all, she did have a ferocious temper. "Also, I know you're pretending that it didn't happen, but I can read your mind. Your time at the orphanage and your first friend...you'll need to figure that out yourself as well."

Tsuruko's silence certainly made the whole conversation feel a bit moot. "So...you didn't really answer any of my questions."

"Shit happens." Jonas brushed her off. "Honestly, kiddo. You need to stop dwelling on the past and focus on your future. If you don't, well, look at your mother. Anywho," Jonas made a finger-gun gesture at his granddaughter, smiling while handing her three dollar notes and fifty cents. "...Here ya go. Consider it payment for all the birthdays I've missed. How 'bout you buy that Excellen girl some flowers, eh? ...Anyway, see ya round, kiddo."

Truly, three fucking dollars and fifty cents was the greatest present of all. It certainly made up for fourteen years of not knowing the guy.

"W-Wait...!" As Tsuruko attempted to try and get an answer out of Jonas, with a snap of his fingers, the Exalt of Earth Land manifested a swirling portal which enveloped her body.

Tsuruko Sejren wandered across the futuristic-looking city of Luin. The night was relatively young; though the starry lights shone brightly within the raven-dyed skies.

The slick, chrome-esque visuals of the city were a contrast with the natural beauty pinned up above; which, for all its pearly-white beauty, felt completely alien to this purple-haired youth; though it wasn't unwelcomed.

Her all-surveying optics spotted a flower cart; it seemed to be something as simple as selling roses. The man operating it looked middle-aged- rather homely looking.

Tsuruko sauntered over to the man, rummaging through her pocket to find her wallet; taking out the three fucking dollars and fifty cents that her grandfather gave her and handing it to the man, whom gave her a bouquet.

At this point, Tsuruko Sejren, formerly known as the Ringed Wizard and better known as Gaiki, decided that she was going to stay in her father's hometown a little longer. She still had much to see and do; and even though she hadn't ever been here until now, Luin felt slightly nostalgic.

It seemed that things were looking up for Tsuruko Sejren once more.