About ARIA * The Manga * The Anime * The PS2 Game * Characters * Aqua * People
ARIA the ANIMATION * ARIA the NATURAL * ARIA the OVA ~ARIETTA~
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Those Things We Want to Protect... その 守りたいものに...
It's morning. Akari has received another e-mail from Ai - she made creamed potatoes for her parents and they didn't turn out well. Akari tells her it's OK, because Ai made them with her love.
This morning, Akari is out practising with Alice, as Aika has gone on holiday. Suddenly, the sound of someone singing floats towards them and they look up in surprise. The singing gets louder, and another Orange Planet employee with purple hair rows past them without acknowledgement. Akari calls her song 'the angel's song' and gets very excited.
Alice, however, says that rowing is a more important skill for an undine and becomes very sullen. She tells Akari that the problem is her left hand - she feels that it is useless in comparison to her left, and proceeds in punishing it by pinching the skin hard. Akari and Aria-shachou are shocked, and Aria-shachou licks her hand while she explains to Akari that her right hand does everything and she hadn't done anything about it. She then tells Akari that she is raising a cat.
She takes Akari to Orange Planet headquarters, where Akari has never been before. She's very impressed by the castle-like buildings. Alice tells her it's great, except that undines there are not allowed to keep pets. Akari is shocked. They head inside and into Alice's room. Alice opens her wardrobe and lifts a small kitten out of a box, telling Akari that she named him 'Maa' as he makes this noise. Maa-kun was abandoned and Alice rescued him. However, there's a problem because of the rules at Orange Planet, and they discuss it. Suddenly they are interrupted by Aria-shachou's screams - Maa-kun has grabbed onto his belly with his mouth. His hobby of doing this means Akari can't keep him at ARIA Company. Alice puts Maa-kun back in the wardrobe.
Suddenly, the door opens and the purple-haired undine from earlier walks into the room, surprised to see Akari. Akari freaks out, but Alice tells her that this is Athena, her senior. She tells Athena to knock, and then Athena proceeds to pour herself some water, getting it on the floor and herself.
Nevertheless, Akari is overawed and introduces herself and Aria-shachou to Athena. Alice tells Akari that Athena is one of the three water spirits (the same Athena they talked about during the trip to Neverland). Alice suggests going downstairs, and gives Akari an Orange Planet uniform.
Outside, sunset is approaching. Aria-shachou makes himself at home in Alice's room, and Akari and Alice head into the grand dining room. Alice tells her that Athena wouldn't notice Maa-kun as she's really dumb. They get some food and sit down - their drinks are already on the table, and Athena joins them. Alice persists in using her left hand. Alice looks for tomato sauce, and Athena silently fetches some - Alice doesn't notice her. Athena then pours a whole jug of sugar syrup into her drink by mistake. Alice tells Akari that Athena is also very clumsy and forgetful despite her appearance. She compares Athena to her left hand, and Akari tells her off for speaking so disrespectfully of her senior. Athena ignores this exchange completely.
Night has fallen and Akari and Aria-shachou are staying in Alice's room. Alice asks Athena to take her bath, meanwhile Alice checks up on Maa-kun in the wardrobe. While Maa-kun and Aria-shachou are having their dinner (milk), Akari asks Alice whether it'd be OK to tell Athena about Maa-kun, but even she can't change the rules. Alice tells her that a few days ago, Orange Planet's shachou died, hence the rule. She returns Maa-kun to the wardrobe. Athena returns and Maa-kun meows at her, and Akari makes the same noise to hide him. Athena pets Aria-shachou - she hasn't noticed a thing.
Later, everyone is in bed. Athena is reading, and Alice is having a game of rock-paper-scissors with herself (her right hand keeps winning). Then her left hand wins, and she hits it. Again, Aria-shachou attempts to heal her hand. Akari wonders if Maa-kun is OK, alone in the darkness of the wardrobe. They go to sleep.
Later, Maa-kun's crying awakens Akari and Alice. They freeze - Athena's still awake and will definitely have heard him. They wonder what to do. Athena gets up and walks over to the window - she begins singing, to their surprise, and Alice quickly gets up and fetches Maa-kun out of the cupboard. She hurries back to bed, amazed at how lucky it is that Athena decided to get up and sing just then. Akari smiles - she's realised something. She tells Alice that her left hand may not be that useless after all. They all go to sleep.
Day breaks, and a very happy Alice gets ready for school. She leaves Akari behind, as Akari is having a day off. Akari wonders how long they can keep this up. In school, Alice remembers what Akari said and begins to notice what her left hand is doing - silently supporting her right hand. She recalls the day she first moved into her room at Orange Planet, and first meeting the clumsy Athena (she over-poured her tea). Back in the present, Alice stares at her left hand.
Back at Orange Planet, she finds her wardrobe open and Maa-kun gone. Worried, she begins to search for him. Hurrying outside, she meets Akari and Aria-shachou out on the canal, and the three search the streets calling Maa-kun's name. They can't find him, and Alice sinks down onto the pavement, believing that Athena discovered Maa-kun and told Orange Planet. Suddenly, two of Alice's classmates appear and ask her if she's found her cat - they heard Maa-kun mewing in her room and accidentally set him loose.
Akari tells Alice that Athena noticed Maa-kun a long time ago, but has been silently helping Alice to hide him all this time. Alice berates herself for failing to protect Maa-kun. They hear Athena's singing, and Athena appears on the canal. Drawn by this sound, Maa-kun appears from behind a sign and rushes into Alice's arms. Everyone is overjoyed to see Maa-kun back.
Athena's singing stops, and Alice looks up to see her standing further along the path. Athena is glad that she found Maa-kun, dropping all pretence. Alice asks if she really did sing to find Maa-kun and to hide him the night before, and remembers sleepless nights when Athena sang. She realises she did all that for her. Athena smiles and tells her songs are meant for people to hear. Alice gives Maa-kun to Athena.
Athena tells Alice that she did tell the company about Maa-kun - but that Maa-kun has blue eyes and will be Orange Planet's new shachou. Alice is overjoyed and tells her that left hands are great after all. Akari smiles, as Ai's voice is heard again with another e-mail. Ai's dad found the ruined creamed potato and ate it regardless, leaving her a note waiting for the next dish. Because of that, she's no longer sad, but doesn't understand. As she continues, the group are seen out on the water, this time with Maa-shachou pulling playfully at Alice's uniform as she rows. Akari tells Ai that everyone is supported by someone or something unknowingly in secret.
New characters met: Athena, Maa-kun, two of Alice's classmates.
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