Ode to the Oak II

She was doing fine ... and she didn't say anything about the Great Oak...

It's all my fault ... I thought Granny would be alright... Surgeon Yue even reminded me to pay close attention yesterday...

Wait, Matvei and his crew probably removed the temporary barricades... Granny... Oh no, she might have found out...

Okay. I'll take you where Granny last visited. Perhaps we'll be able to find some clues...

Is this ... Granny's work manual? How...? I thought I kept it on the lowest shelf of the cabinet...

Oh dear, the manual has plenty of sections about the Great Originium Oak... Granny Jenner must have read them and...

This is Granny's water canteen... She really came to this place...

What should we do, Endmin...? Granny must have...

I know... But ... where could she go...?

Endmin, Alia, you're back.

Miss ... Jenner?

What happened, Alia? It's only been a little while, and you don't recognize Granny Jenner anymore?

No ... I mean... Yes, I ... I do, but...

Silly girl. I just ... woke up and suddenly felt like walking around. I hope I didn't scare you.

No, of course not! Oh, Granny Jenner, I'm just so glad you're back... You're finally back with us...

Apologies, Endmin. This old lady probably gave you more than a royal share of trouble... It's quite the embarrassment if you ask me...

Now I know you won't mind. You probably know there are certain things ... that eventually catch up with everyone...

But I still have hope — hope that I'll do everything I can ... and entrust my ongoing duties to responsible hands before that eventuality befalls me... Now that may leave people sad and sorry, but it's at least better than doing nothing at all.

Alia, I believe you have that ... work manual of mine.

Ah, yes, Granny Jenner. I —

Keep it safe.

The manual has growth records of the Great Originium Oak, as well as lessons and techniques I jotted down after years of cultivating the sapling.

You'll ... find it useful.

But ... I...

You pay great attention to details and you stick to your responsibilities. It'll set my mind at ease if I can entrust this to you, girl.

Endmin... Thank you. I actually wanted to say this when we met last time. I was hoping that you would return to Valley IV again — to the very place ... where you planted the Great Oak with your own hands.

Back then, the situation forced our hand... We did our best, but we couldn't keep the Great Originium Oak safe, nor protect the home you gave us — This incident ... remains the most painful event that countless crew mates and I have endured.

For years I've committed myself to tending these little saplings. My only wish ... is to see our Great Oak take root once more in the land and then reach up for the skies...

I hope the Great Oak will again become our "cradle", our ... "hope".

And now, I've finally caught a glimpse of a possibility...

So, if that day does come, can I ask you to ... visit Valley IV once again, Endmin? Could you please watch over the new Oak as well as these lands ... and see if they've grown and transformed into what you envisioned?

Granny Jenner... She's left us...

Happened this morning.

I knew... I knew it all along...

Granny left ... with a smile on her face...

I won't let her down... So I'll ... just sit in the sadness for a while... Just a little while...

She said … she felt really happy about having gone through so much with the Endmin this time... She had dreamed of that when she was young, but never imagined it would happen in this way.

She felt that the butter fowl was better than what she had in the past... And After Noon by The Bretts ... remained a beautiful song...

Finally, she hoped that ... we would not feel sad about her departure, 'cos ... 'cos she left her most important dream upon these lands ... and entrusted the Originium sapling, the vessel of her dreams ... to me...

Granny Jenner ... she ... she was also grateful to everyone in the camp for helping her remember the good old days...