Scenario:Caro - A "Caro" to All

A "Caro" to All

Caro tells Elta the story of how he got his name, beginning a thousand years ago when he was still known as Arte, a primal beast created to observe and communicate with the islanders. One day, he encounters a traveler who tells him to try writing lyrics to a song he had learned from them.

---

Some time has passed since Caro embarked on his journey.

Surrounded by clear skies, he enjoys a duet with Elta on the deck of the Grandcypher.

Caro: You really have a talent for playing along with others.

Elta: That's because low tones are often used in accompaniment. I have to say, I didn't expect you to play with such abandon.

Caro: Back on the island, I was always the one doing the harmonizing. But I suddenly had the urge to be a little adventurous.

Caro: I knew I could count on you to keep up, so I thought I'd string you along a little.

Elta: Hehe, you're really taking advantage of your newfound freedom, aren't you? I approve.

Elta: But aren't you lonely? The islanders' hearts don't reach you now that you're away from the island, right?

Caro: I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss them, but I have you all by my side. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Seeing Caro's contented smile, a look of relief spreads across Elta's face.

Caro: You know, it's kind of strange. Somehow I feel like I'm really becoming "Caro" now.

Elta: Speaking of which, how did you come to be called that?

Caro: Ah, I can see why you'd be curious. Since you're the one asking, I don't mind telling you. It's a bit of a long story though...

Elta: Don't let that stop you. I'm in no hurry.

Nodding happily, Caro sets his instrument aside and clears his throat.

Caro: If the legends passed down on the island are correct, I was born there nearly a thousand years ago...

Astral: The activation process seems to have completed successfully. Can you hear me, Arte?

Caro: Back then, the Astrals still ruled the skies.

Caro: One Astral with a deep interest in the hearts of skyfarers created a certain primal beast in a research lab under her jurisdiction. That was me.

Caro: I was no more than a disposable tool made using a defective core that would have been tossed out otherwise.

Caro: Before I had even been able to grasp my own existence, I was ordered to plant the necessary prerequisites for my creator's research into the hearts of the islanders.

Caro: And that was—the love of art. Though bewildered by their sudden change of mind at first, over several decades they came to develop a culture centered around the arts.

Domenico: I wrote a new song. Would you be willing to listen to it?

Renata: Yes, of course! I actually just finished a new sculpture as well. I'd love to show it to you!

Caro: Having formed a pact with the island, the residents' feelings were constantly flowing into me.

Caro: When I used my power to form critters and monsters from the emotions I observed, my creator was overjoyed. Being a tool, I carried out my orders without hesitation.

Caro: Considering I was created for the purpose of investigation, it should have been enough for me to act as an observer. But I was equipped with another function.

???: Wow, what a lovely song! Did you write it yourself?

Domenico: Huh? Who are you?

Arte: My name is Arte. Is this the instrument you were playing? How do you get it to make sound?

Caro: The other power I was given allowed me to communicate with the islanders.

Caro: My method of interacting with them was completely predetermined. If they were engaged in some form of art, I would praise them. Ask them their methods. Imitate them.

Caro: I was to smile at everyone, speak innocently like a child, and act like a mortal at all times.

Domenico: Hold on—you need to answer my question first. I've never seen you around before. Where did you come from?

Caro: My answer to this question was also preset.

Arte: Well, you see... I was abducted to be a lab rat for the Astrals.

Arte: I knew I had to escape, so I boarded a nearby airship and ended up on this island.

Arte: So you're right—I'm not from here. If it's an issue, I can relocate. I just don't think I can hide from them on a ship anymore...

Renata: That's quite an ordeal to have been through. I'm glad you made it out safely.

Renata: No one will judge you by your past. You can feel free to live out your life on this island as one of us.

Arte: Thank you so much! I must be blessed to encounter a soul as kind as you!

Caro: My own will didn't matter. Whenever I was with the skydwellers, my body moved on its own according to how it was programmed. Even my thoughts themselves changed.

Caro: What was the purpose of such a function? Every time something unexpected slipped out of my mouth, it chilled me to the bone.

Arte: So I hold down the second fret... and position my right hand like this...

Cloaked Man: Greetings. Practicing while walking, are we? That's some dedication.

Arte: ...

Cloaked Man: I've been observing you. You'll use any means at your disposal to get in good with artists and hungrily devour their techniques.

Cloaked Man: You're not even afraid of cranky customers that ordinary people would try to avoid. Honestly, your actions border on the point of insensitive.

Arte: I can't help how I was programmed. If you've come here to ridicule me, then please leave.

Cloaked Man: I'm complimenting you, actually. You support everyone's art, express your respect, ask them for instruction, and imitate them.

Cloaked Man: You managed to fit right in with the community as a stranger, and now you're the most popular person on the island. Isn't that right, mister wannabe artist?

Arte: ...

Cloaked Man: It must torture you that you can't improve, no matter what you do.

Cloaked Man: The islanders can learn a skill reasonably well in the span of a year, but not you. Your talent is laughable.

Arte: The reason for that is simple—I don't have the ability to create things. All I've been given is curiosity and an inquiring mind.

Arte: It's a complete contradiction. There's no logic behind it. Why would you force a primal beast to work so hard when we're incapable of either growing or declining?

Cloaked Man: The Astral who incorporated that setting must have had some absurd hypothesis that the stars have the potential to change.

Arte: And that's why I was turned into a guinea pig? What a hassle. It would have been so much easier just being an observer.

Caro: As though hoping to rid myself of my frustration, I unconsciously began to strum the instrument in my hands.

Cloaked Man: Oho. You're not half bad.

Arte: That's only because I've been practicing this one melody for ten years.

Cloaked Man: Wow, ten years? Are there any words to it?

Arte: No. Domenico's not good at writing lyrics.

Cloaked Man: Then why don't you try writing some?

Arte: Me? There's no way I could do that.

Cloaked Man: You're a test subject, aren't you? So do it. You have no right to refuse.

Cloaked Man: You literally have all the time in the world. If you learned to play a song in ten years, maybe you'll be able to create something in the span of a hundred.

Arte: That's true. I'll think about it.

Arte: By the way, who exactly are you? I don't think we've met.

Traveler: I have no name to give you. Let's just say I'm a traveler wandering aimlessly through the skies.

Arte: A traveler? I'm jealous. You seem as free as a bird.

Traveler: Not really. I just feel uncomfortable wherever I go, so I can't bear to stay in one place for very long.

Arte: Huh. Well, I hope you find it someday. A place to call home, I mean.

Caro: I had absolutely no hope that I'd succeed. I was sure that creating something would be utterly impossible for me.

Caro: But as I made my way back to the research lab, my hands continued to play the same melody, as though protesting my reluctance.

A "Caro" to All: Scene 2

Arte comes to truly care about the islanders, who at one point call him "Caro," a nickname meaning "beloved neighbor." Eventually, Arte is forced to leave town after they catch on to his true identity, and he is ordered by his creator to take away their love of art.

---

Domenico: Oh? You'll write lyrics for my song?

Arte: Yeah. I have no idea how long it will take, but I'd like to try if it's all right with you.

Domenico: Of course! I can't wait to hear them!

Caro: After thinking it through, I decided to try my hand at writing lyrics.

Caro: Whether or not my feelings were predetermined, if it was possible for me to create something of my own, I wanted to give it my best shot.

Caro: But I knew it wouldn't be that simple, so I started paying closer attention during the time I spent with the skyfarers, looking for some sort of hint.

Lorenzo: Look, Caro! I made a new drawing!

Arte: Wow, what beautiful flowers! It almost feels like I can smell them!

Arte: But what did you mean by "Caro"? You were talking about me, right?

Renatta: It functions something like a nickname. We use it a lot on this island.

Renatta: The word can mean a number of things, such as "family," "friend," or even "lover."

Renatta: But when used as an address, it's more along the lines of "beloved neighbor," I suppose.

Arte: "Beloved neighbor," huh? That has a really nice ring to it. Don't you think... Caro?

Renatta: In my case, it would be "Cara." "Caro" is used for men.

Domenico: You're more than welcome to call me Caro too!

Lorenzo: Ooh, me too!

Arte: Hehe, okay! I can't wait to try using it.

Caro: The fertile minds of skyfarers are capable of creating so many things.

Caro: Art such as paintings, music, and sculptures, not to mention cultural elements like languages and customs... Each and every one is precious and beautiful.

Caro: In the beginning I was simply acting according to my presets, but as I learned more about skyfarers, I found myself wanting to get closer to them.

Caro: Though my brushstrokes and tones had started out as mere imitations of others, they slowly but surely began to gain a color of their own.

Arte: Huh? Did you pass me up in height, Lorenzo?

Lorenzo: Yup, I'm going through a growth spurt! And I'm just gonna keep getting taller! Hehe.

Renata: I've got bad news! It's about Domenico...

Caro: That day, Domenico died. Evidently he climbed into bed to take a nap and passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Caro: As the town was still struggling to come to terms with the news, a funeral was held, and I went to the venue having no idea what was going on.

Caro: The others broke down as they approached Domenico's coffin to say their goodbyes. I was the only one who didn't shed a tear.

Renata: Arte, you can cry too, you know. It's not healthy to keep it all in.

Arte: Hey, what is "death"?

Renata: Huh?

Arte: Sorry. That must have been a weird question.

Caro: Apparently my creator had forgotten to equip me with a response to someone's death.

Caro: While searching for the right reaction, I lifted the instrument Domenico had left me and began to play his melody.

Renata: That brings back memories...

Lorenzo: I can't believe we'll never get to hear another of Domenico's new songs ever again. I've loved his music ever since I was little...

Arte: We can't hear his new songs anymore? Oh! Because he, er... "died"?

Arte: ...

Arte: Then...

Arte: Even if I am able to write the lyrics... I can never... share them with him?

Arte: ...

Arte: ...!

Arte: Sniffle... Ngh... Waaah!

Caro: Skyfarers change at a dizzying rate. Something there one moment can be gone in the next, like snow melting in the sun.

Caro: Blindsided by the suddenness of Domenico's passing, I cried aloud for the first time. But with every ending comes a new beginning...

Lorenzo: The baby's here at last! Can you believe it? I'm actually a father!

Renata: Congratulations, Lorenzo. I hear it's a healthy little girl.

Arte: You're a dad now? But it seems like no time since you were just a boy.

Lorenzo: That was decades ago!
Ahh, I can't wait any longer! I want to see my baby girl!

Caro: They're born, they grow, they get old, and they die.

Caro: In the short span of a few decades, they create life and works of art as proof that they existed, connecting them to the future.

Caro: What a magnificent way to live. I came to love skyfarers so much that I no longer cared whether or not my feelings were my own.

Traveler: Oho, a painting of fruit? It's surprisingly well done.

Arte: I've gotten a little better at painting what I can see, at least. My speed has improved too.

Traveler: That's good to hear. Speaking of, whatever happened with those lyrics?

Arte: Well... I decided to make the song about traveling, and I've been writing the lyrics bit by bit, but they're not finished yet.

Traveler: Traveling? Why did you choose that subject?

Arte: Don't you think skyfarers are a lot like travelers? They're born one day out of nowhere, and they eventually die and go far away.

Arte: Plus, they go out in search of all sorts of experiences and treasures, not knowing where they'll end up. Just like you and your journey.

Traveler: I see. Well, I think it's a fine theme. Keep up the good work.

Arte: Will do! Well, I'd better be going. Today is Renata's birthday!

Traveler: ...
Just like me, huh?

Renata: Thank you, Caro. You've gotten very good at this.

Arte: Hehe. I wanted you to like it, so I worked really hard. Happy birthday, Cara.

Lorenzo: ...

Arte: What's wrong? Your face is a little scary.

Lorenzo: Hey, Arte... How old are you now?

Arte: Um... Seventy-one, I think? Since I'm two years younger than Renata.

Lorenzo: How can you still look like that at seventy-one! I've always wondered—are you actually an Astral?

Arte: Huh? Me, an Astral?

Renata: Lorenzo! You mustn't—

Lorenzo: If you are an Astral, then that's a problem I can't ignore! My daughter just got married—I have to think about her future!

Arte: ...

Lorenzo: I heard everything from Renata. About how you came to the island fifty years ago and haven't aged a day since.

Lorenzo: If you're not an Astral, then what are you? Answer me, Arte!

Arte: ...
I'm not an Astral. But from your point of view... my existence is more or less the same.

Renata: Arte! Don't say anything more! Please!

Arte: Okay, Renata... I won't.

Arte: And I'll stop coming here... for all our sakes.

Arte: Thank you for being so good to me. My time spent with you all made me happier than you could ever know. I hope you'll believe that much, at least.

Caro: When you think about it, such an outcome was to be expected. Considering how short their lives felt to me, I can only imagine how long mine must have seemed in their eyes.

Caro: There was never any chance that I could be a "Caro" to everyone. It had all been one big misunderstanding on my part.

Arte: That concludes my report for today. I don't think I'll be able to go back to town anymore...

Astral: Then let's move on to the next phase of our research. I was just thinking it was about time anyway.

Astral: Take away every bit of the love for the arts that you gave to the skydwellers, Arte.

Arte: Huh? But why!

Caro: I had truly deluded myself. How could I have forgotten that I was nothing but a tool?

Caro: That day, helpless before the power of the Astrals, I was forced to rob the islanders of their precious feelings.

A "Caro" to All: Scene 3

Overwhelmed by the islanders' sorrow, Arte goes berserk until the traveler prompts them to pray for him to be saved. Before going to sleep in order to heal his damaged core, the traveler sings the song for which Arte completed the lyrics and titles it "Caro's Song." Back in the present, a content Caro begins to play his instrument and sing.

---

Renata: That's the last stone sculpture my best friend carved before passing away! Why would you remove it?

Lorenzo: Because it's in the way. This plaza should be put to better use, like as a training ground to prepare us to fight the Astrals.

Renata: Fight them? That's absurd! What in the skies is wrong with everyone?

Renata: They're all treating art as though it's evil. It's like everyone on this island lost their minds after Arte was driven away...

???: Unghhh...

Lorenzo: What's that sound? The wind howling?

Renata: Eek! Something fell into the town square!

Arte: Grrr...

Lorenzo: Wait, is that a person? But he's huge!

Renata: Is that... Domenico's instrument he's holding? No, it can't be!

Renata: Don't tell me that's... Arte!

Arte: Graaah!

Caro: My memories of the event end a short time earlier.

Astral: To think the skydwellers would start infighting just because you took away their love of art that you gave them in the first place! Hehehe. This is some valuable data!

Arte: Sniffle... Sob...

Astral: Show me more, Arte! I want to uncover all the mysteries of their hearts!

Caro: Having been placed in a cage as punishment for resisting, I manifested the emotions of the islanders that I had collected as ordered.

Caro: Though their feelings had for so long only ever become cute little animals, they now suddenly took the form of hideous monsters.

Caro: I wept, surrounded by beasts of my own creation. Filled with misery and resentment, I cursed not only my power, but my very existence.

Caro: My heart was overflowing with the islanders' sorrow. The world around me began to blur. Eventually, I could no longer hear even the laughter of my creator.

Arte: Gruuuh...

Astral: Wait, are you going out of control? No one mentioned any glitches like this.

Astral: There really is nothing worse than a defective core. Well, if you're going to rampage until you break, at least do it over there.

Caro: After being sent flying by a burst of Astral power, it seems I landed in the town square.

Caro: There, I began to wreak havoc far and wide. If the legends are to be believed, I brought forth enough disaster to destroy half the island.

Caro: With one wave of my enormous paintbrush, houses painted red were engulfed in flames, and mountains colored blue were frozen in ice.

Caro: The sound of my instrument shook the earth violently, while my voice became a howling storm that swept up everything in its path.

Caro: I couldn't see. I couldn't hear. All I could perceive was the grief of the islanders carried to my heart by my power.

Lorenzo: Nooo! My home!

Renata: Arte is angry... because we abandoned the arts!

Traveler: Huh, so that's how you see it.

Lorenzo: Who are you!

Traveler: Does that really matter right now? I've come to tell you the truth about that beast... the primal beast Arte!

Renata: Primal beast?

Traveler: Hear me, skydwellers! That is the beast that disregarded your own feelings and forced a love of the arts upon you.

Traveler: But now that he's given up his petty tricks and returned you to your senses, you're tormented by an unbearable sense of loss!

Traveler: Were those fleeting emotions he gave you a curse or a blessing? Was there truly no meaning to them in the end?

Lorenzo: A curse... or a blessing...

Traveler: It's up to you to decide whether to cower before the wrath of this rampaging beast or ease the grief of your wounded friend.

Traveler: Make your choice, skydwellers! Defy the stars, and seize a bright future for yourselves!

Arte: Aaahh!

Lorenzo: You can't expect us to decide so suddenly...

Renata: Arte was my friend... He called me Cara. I want to believe in him!

Renata: If what this man says is true, then Arte brought the arts to this island. Who could possibly call that a curse?

Lorenzo: You're right. I know full well that I'm not worthy, but if it's possible, I want to save Arte too!

Lorenzo: I'm sorry for what I said, Arte! Primal beast or not, you're our friend!

Lorenzo: I know you couldn't possibly want this! You're the one who's been hurt! Please, Arte—come back to us!

Caro: Everyone gathered in the square to pray. Their pure white feelings somehow managed to reach my eyes that had been blinded by darkness.

Caro: The light was glistening like a jewel, full of warmth like a newborn chick. Just as I reached out to grasp it...

Arte: ...!

Caro: As light and sound returned, I felt an intense pain. My entire body went rigid, and my attacks ceased.

Caro: I lost my buoyancy and crashed to the ground. As I lay there unmoving, I heard a great many footsteps approaching me cautiously.

Lorenzo: Hey... Are you really Arte?

Arte: ...

Renata: It's you, isn't it, Arte? Please say something.

Arte: ...
I...

Arte: I wanted to be... everyone's "Caro"...

Traveler: So this is where you flew off to. Are you conscious?

Arte: Barely. I'm in so much pain, I can't even more a finger. What's wrong with me?

Traveler: Your core's been damaged. That body of yours is as fragile as glass, unable to withstand the power of the weapons you possess.

Arte: So that's what it means to have a defective core... Am I going to die?

Traveler: "Die"? Listen to you describing it like a mortal.

Caro: Suddenly, I felt something touch my chest as I lay on the ground. I knew it was his hand when the power of the Astrals began to gently flow from it.

Traveler: I'm sorry. I was the one who turned you into a test subject.

Traveler: Although you were created as an observer, I asked my sister to give you a mortal form, as well as the ability to interact with skyfarers.

Arte: Why did you do that?

Traveler: I haven't been myself since coming to the Sky Realm. I've had this overwhelming sense of longing for the skies...

Traveler: I put you in contact with the residents here to see if I could uncover the reason why.

Traveler: The experiment was a great success. I've learned that the skies are capable of changing even the immovable hearts of the stars. In the end, there was nothing wrong with me.

Arte: I see. You've been suffering all this time...

Traveler: But you saved me. It's all thanks to you.

Arte: That hurts... What have you been doing to me?

Traveler: I'm repairing your core. If your senses had been any slower to return, it would have been too late.

Traveler: I was right to incite the islanders as a last resort when my power failed to reach you. You all share a truly powerful bond.

Arte: Then that light I saw in the darkness... was thanks to them...

Traveler: Your memory sector has been badly damaged. I'll need to disconnect it in order to clear the error.

Arte: Memory? You mean I'm going to forget everything?

Traveler: Your body will heal after a few hundred years of rest, but unless the damage to your memory is repaired, the error won't be cleared, and you'll be unable to function.

Traveler: You don't want to end up immobilized, correct? Then your memory sector will have to be disconnected and sealed away.

Arte: When... will it be fixed?

Traveler: In a millennium or so, I imagine. But this seal won't be easily broken. Unless you lose control again, that is...

Arte: I see. It's sad to think that I'll only remember everything when I'm on the verge of death...

Traveler: If the rampage is stopped before your core suffers too much damage, you'll survive. Though if you exhaust your energy reserves, you'll fall asleep for centuries more.

Arte: I'll wish for a miracle... so that I can pass your story on...

Traveler: You'd think of me even at a time like this?

Arte: By the way... I finished those lyrics. They're in my chest pocket. Could I ask you to tell me what you think?

Traveler: All right. Let me see your instrument for a moment.

Traveler: Traveling an endless road, stopping here and there.
Having new encounters, finding treasures everywhere.

Traveler: Never looking back, for there is nothing there to see.
Simply journeying to wherever your heart leads.

Traveler: If I could have but one wish, that's what it would be.

Traveler: That's a fine song.

Arte: Hehe... Well, it took forty years to complete. But I still can't decide on a title...

Traveler: A title, huh? Yes, that's important.

Traveler: Heh... What a terrible time for rain. The lyricist's name is smudged now. I'll have to rewrite it.

Caro: I later learned that he wrote "Caro" besides the tear-stained name "Arte" before placing the sheet back into my pocket.

Traveler: As for the title, how about "Caro's Song"?

Arte: "Caro's Song"... Perfect... That's what I'll call it...

Traveler: Keep singing your song. It serves as everlasting proof that you triumphed over the stars.

Caro: Enveloped in light, my body began to crumble away. Before I closed my eyes, I saw the traveler lower his hood.

Caro: The last thing I remember seeing is his gray-streaked hair glistening in the moonlight filtering through the trees.

Caro: When I at last awakened, my head was a blank slate. The only thing I could remember was that song.

Caro: I went into town, where I was shocked to find that I was revered as the primal beast of the arts. As I stared dumbfounded, I was approached by one of the islanders.

Caro: Instinctively, I uttered the word "Caro." Understanding what it meant, they all complimented my name.

Elta: ...

Caro: Hehe. Your mouth is hanging open, Elta.

Elta: And I don't think I'll ever be able to close it again. I had no idea you had such a past.

Caro: A lot can happen when you've lived as long as I have. Even a miracle or two.

Caro: Both Arte and Caro are important parts of me. I can't thank that traveler enough for giving me the ability to interact with everyone.

Elta: I'm sure he'd be happy to hear that.

Elta: Speaking of which, what happened to him after that?

Caro: I can't say for sure, but I like to think he found a place to call home and lived out the rest of his life there. That's just the feeling I get.

He begins to strum his instrument once more, singing softly as he thinks back on the many people who had considered him their "Caro."

His voice, refined over the centuries, is full of joy as he sings, wishing happiness upon those who live their lives full of hope and passion.

Reflecting on the friends behind him and the infinite possibilities before him, Caro soars on gentle winds across the endless skies.