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No.6 History
Jan. 31st, 2018 05:02 pmA few hundred years before the start of the series there was a huge war that devastated the world, humans fought over resources and eventually a treaty caused six cities to be built.
No.6 is a 'perfect' city, its citizens have no need to complain. They swear allegiance to the city every day. Then maybe on a bad day they might complain to a sympathetic little old lady on a park bench and they disappear, never to be seen again.
It is very much a meritocracy, children are tested at an early age and those who are considered exceptionally bright are filtered into a special education system to become the future scientists and elites of the city. They live in Chronos.
Shion is one of these children. The story starts on his twelfth birthday. His friend Safu is teaching a presentation in class, she loses her temper at some of their classmates. They ride home to her house where she lives with her grandma, Safu gives him a jumper that her grandma knitted in the colour of the Aster flower after Shion's name.
There is a rising storm, Shion goes home and is quite excited by the storm. He is working on a report in his room when it hits. Something inside him makes him override the security and room control to open the window/door to the balcony and step out. He screams into the night, all of the frustration he feels and yet doesn't understand or feel able to put into words is screamed out and lost in the storm.
Yet somebody hears, as he goes to close the window once more a noise makes him turn round and there on threshold is a drowned rat of a child. He is barefooted and bleeding. Shion's mum calls him on the intercom to ask if he had opened his window, Nezumi attacks Shion and pins him to the wall. Shion lies to his mum saying everything is alright and that he has a lot of school work to do.
He stitches up Nezumi's arm and wonders at who shot him, as only members of hunting clubs have guns, Nezumi tells him that it is hunting, just with humans as sport.
Shion goes for dinner and receives a message through his identity bracelet about an escaped criminal. It is the boy in his room, he is supposed to answer such messages reaffirming his loyalty to the city, or giving any information he knows. He does not answer. He takes food to his room and quotes the prisoner number to Nezumi who attacks him with a spoon. Shion tells him he's not going to tell anyone he was there he gives Nezumi food and they fall asleep side by side. In the morning Nezumi is gone and there are government agents at the door.
Shion is kicked out of the Special education program and out of Chronos. He and his mum move to Lost Town where Karen becomes a baker.
The next time we see Shion is four years later. He works in one of the city parks looking after cleaning robots. One of the robots has found something strange and he and his co-worker go to investigate, what they find is a dead body. A man who seems incredibly old. That evening he meets Safu who has been chosen to go on an exchange trip to No.5. She questions him about what happened four years ago. He refuses to say.
Before they part Safu asks him to have sex with her, for children. She is very scientific about this. Shion flails and is awkward and eventually says that if she still wants to in a year after she returns from No. 5 he would.
A mouse jumps on Shion's shoulder and speaks with Nezumi's voice before running off, Shion chases it but is unable to catch it.
The next day at work Shion learns that the man who died was actually only in his thirties and his body has been taken away by government agents. He foolishly thinks out loud about the possibility of there being a cover up. Moments later as his co worker goes to get coffee Shion watches in horror as he deteriorates and dies in front of Shion's eyes. A bee breaks out of the dead skin of his neck and flies off.
Shion is questioned by government agents again who arrest him on suspicion of murder and also for questioning the government of No. 6.
As he is being driven away to the correctional facility they are stopped by one of the cleaning robots that is out on the middle of the road. Nezumi attacks the car and rescues Shion. They escape from No. 6 a task that involves Nezumi attacking guards, exploding a bridge, swimming (or nearly drowning in) a sewer and running lots. Nezumi makes Shion take off his identification bracelet and throw it away because it can be tracked. This is a big moment, a literal throwing away of his citizenship and everything that ties him to his life.
They arrive on the other side of the walls of No. 6. This is the West town, a slum community of outcasts, criminals and those that do not fit in the perfect city. Nezumi lives in an underground room full of books. Books are banned in No. 6 and to Shion this underground room is like a treasure cove. Shion meets Nezumi's rats, robots that gather information and go where Nezumi cannot.
Shion feels something on his neck and when he reaches up he feels a patch like what first appeared on those that died. He panics and begs Nezumi to cut it off him. They have the medical kit that Nezumi took from Shion four years ago but no painkillers or anaesthetic. Shion begs to die but Nezumi yells at him telling him he knows nothing and he should not be ready to end his life. He cuts the parasite bee larvae out of Shion. Shion's hair turns white and his eyes red, a red band appears on his skin starting on his face and swirling around his body.
When Shion wakes up and sees how he has changed he panics again, Nezumi yells at him some more and Shion agrees that all things considered it is better to be alive.
Shion realises that they have a larvae and they have him, someone who survived so they have a decent chance of making a serum, he figures if he lets No. 6 know peoples lives can be saved. Nezumi tells him that it is better at No. 6 is destroyed. Shion struggles to understand the idea of people being outside or inside of No.6's walls and why it matters when they are all people. His mum is in No.6. Nezumi tells him that he should cast off the links to the past just like he threw away his identification bracelet because people can only be used to hurt you. Shion asks to know the truth about the world.
They go to the hotel of West town. On the way Shion sees a wasp and realises that it is the start of winter, the bees will be hibernating but come spring they will be active and many people would die.
They meet dog keeper at the hotel. Dog keeper, or dog lender in some translations considers all their dogs family. They rent them out as heaters to the homeless who stay in their hotel. They mostly are an information gatherer, but they give Shion a job washing dogs.
Nezumi has contacted Karen, she gave a name of an old journalist who left No.6. Dog keeper gives them more information and the next day they go to track him down. This is Shion's first time being out on West town in the day when there are people. He is not used to such crowds and gets into trouble quickly. Most notably he gets approached by a prostitute and has to be saved by Nezumi, they are then threatened and Nezumi saves him again.
They find Rikiga- the newspaper journalist. He is part of the corruption of No. 6 dealing in black market goods and arranging West town prostitutes for No. 6 officials. He recognises Nezumi as 'Eve' his stage name for when he performs Shakespeare as he takes on the female roles. They tell him that Karen mentioned him and that Shion is Karen's son. He had loved Karen once, though she rejected him and he therefore becomes very protective of Shion.
During their conversation Rikiga suggests that Eve would earn more money in prostitution than he did on stage. Nezumi is mildly offended. Shion jumps over the table and tries to strangle Rikiga. Nezumi stops him before he can actually harm Rikiga properly. Nezumi tells Shion to only fight or cry for himself not others. On the way out Nezumi finds a photo, it is of Rikiga and Karen but there is a third man in the picture who Nezumi recognises. He will not answer Shion's questions.
Time goes on, Nezumi works on trying to unravel the mysteries of No. 6. Shion is mostly left in the dark though he tries to find out more about why Nezumi hates No. 6 so much and what he is not telling Shion. Nezumi often tells him that it is best they do not get to know one another so well as it will make it harder in the future, because of Shion learns the truth about No.6 and still thinks it worth saving then they will be enemies. Shion wonders if he can bring down the walls of No.6 so there is no inside the city and out. Nezumi calls Shion naive.
As a note time in the anime is a bit strange, Shion is in West town about three or four months (enough time for Safu to settle into No. 5, break out of her elite No.6 way of thinking, her grandma to die and for her to return to No.6 and for winter to pass and it to become spring) but there isn't any indication of how much time is passing between episodes and scenes.
However suffice to say Shion gets more used to No. 6. He reads to small children, slowly getting through Nezumi's book collection, he asks Rikiga (who becomes an ally mostly off screen) to help get science equipment because of he can't warn No. 6 about the bees then he can try and make a serum himself. He and Nezumi have a lot of debates about the nature of No.6 and destroying vs. saving the city and more arguments about caring for people or not. There is lots of them staring at each other intently, Nezumi being unnecessarily violent towards Shion to prove that He Doesn't Care and lots of Shion wanting to know the truth about things and struggling to put feelings into words.
One day Shion asks to go and watch one on Eve's performances, Nezumi refuses but Rikiga takes Shion anyways. Nezumi collapses on stage due to "the wind blowing" and him hearing a strange song that seems to take over him - over in No. 5 Safu has had a very similar experience. Shion worries that Nezumi has been taken by a parasite bee, but he recovers after Shion takes him back home. They talk again about the bees and how the city is danger come the spring and the Holy day festival that celebrates the founding of No.6. Nezumi announces they should celebrate and teaches Shion how to dance. Shion tells Nezumi that he is a person that he is terrified to lose, despite the fact Nezumi might tease him and look down on him it is how he feels.
Unknown to Shion Safu returns, investigates the city, learns that Shion has disappeared, pokes the wrong things and is arrested herself.
One of dog keepers dogs dies, Shion learns that Nezumi sometimes sings to the dying dogs to comfort them. Dog Keeper sees this as important and is one of the reasons they continue selling information to Nezumi. Dog keeper warns Nezumi that he is becoming too close to Shion and that Shion is dangerous.
Nezumi gets angry at Shion's plan to make a serum and they argue again, Nezumi cuts Shion with a knife to prove to him that his blood is precious, he should not waste it.
Nezumi learns from Karen (via robot rat letter courier service) that Safu has been arrested. Nezumi decides to keep the information from Shion but pays Dog keeper a lot of money to investigate. They claim that no amount of money is enough to poke at the correctional facility but agree to look into anything about Safu.
Meanwhile Shion has ignored Nezumi's warning about making a serum, as he still believes in seeking a middle way. Shion is with Rikiga, trying to organise science equipment when Rikiga decides that Shion seems too cold, he needs a new coat. He takes him to one of the dealers he works with who sells jumbles of clothes. A coat catches Shion's eye, not because he likes it but because he knows it. It is Safu's coat.
He demands that they tell him where they got the coat and they finally tell him the clothes come from the correctional facility, waste from those that have been arrested by No.6. Shion realises Safu is in danger and he has to rescue her. He also decides he has to do this alone as he has already been such a burden on Nezumi, he cannot add this to him as well.
Rikiga tells Dog keeper who tells Nezumi. That evening Shion buys food with his wages, Nezumi tries to question Shion gently to see if Shion is going to admit that he knows about Safu. Shion says nothing but does thank Nezumi for everything and says that there is nothing that scares him more than the thought of losing him. He kisses Nezumi and claims it a goodnight kiss.
Except it is not, it is a goodbye kiss. The next morning Shion sets off towards No.6 with the intention of rescuing Safu and absolutely no plan. Nezumi catches up to him and punches him. Telling him he should not go off on his own and should not have lied to him. He tells Shion that Safu has been arrested and that he has information from Dog keeper that give them a chance at rescuing her. Shion punches Nezumi back because he also lied and they promise no more secrets between them.
Nezumi then takes Shion down a quarry and tells him not to fight as they are jumped on and captured. They are taken into a cave where a voice speaks from the shadows asking why Nezumi returned. When Shion asks Nezumi who it is Nezumi says it is the man who named him.
Nezumi and the man speak, of No. 6 it being evil and Nezumi's wish to destroy it. There are others in the cave who laugh at Nezumi's declaration. The man says that No.6 cannot be destroyed. Nezumi asks if that is because he made it, or watch it become evil. He shows the man the photo, the man recognises the name Karen.
The man is carried into the light, he asks Shion to show him the marks on his body, Shion gets undressed and does so. The man says it is to do with parasitic bees and asks Shion to tell him everything that has happened so far. After Shion tells his story Nezumi is taken over by the wind and the song again and falls to the ground in pain. Shion rushes to his side, the man watches them impassively. Nezumi says he heard singing again. The man asks if Nezumi can sing what he heard.
Nezumi stands and begins to sing, as he does so the cave begins to glow, the water sparkles and the walls glow yellow. Everything is embraced by a golden light.
Shion asks the man for the truth. About the bees. About the song. About No.6. The man says it is not on him if Shion regrets asking.
Then says "Elyurius." As the city was first being built it grew quickly. "Like a monster surrounded by a shield."
Elyurius was a ruler, a force more powerful than humans. She was worshipped by the Forest people. A group of people who lived on land that the city of No.6 wanted to expand into. No.6 wanted her power for their own. So they burned the Forest People. Killing them all. Nezumi was the only survivor.
The man tells them that Nezumi is being invited by Elyurius for some purpose. However if Nezumi gives in to his wish of revenge he will be as bad as those from No.6 who killed his people.
He hands Shion a memory stick and tells him that it has all his research on Elyurius, the Forest people and the parasitic bees. He asks that after Shion rescues his friend that he interprets the information on it. When Shion takes it he sees the scars on the mans arm and realise he survived the bees as well.
They return to Nezumi's house and recruit Dog keeper and Rikiga to their cause. They gather information using very dubious methods. Shion memorises the maps and where the cameras are etc.
No.6 cleanses West Town before the Holy festival - they go in with tanks and sonic blasters, razing the town to the ground, killing anyone they can and rounding the rest up. Nezumi's plan is to get him and Shion captured during this as a way into the correctional facility. He doesn't quite inform Shion of this.
During the madness Shion rescues a small baby who he wraps in a coat and sends with one of the dogs in an attempt to save its life. He and Nezumi get arrested, whilst in the truck with all those that got rounded up Nezumi sings, this is his song of calm. The song he sings to Dog keepers dogs before they die. It calms people and brings them peace. Not just as Shion imagines, something to take their mind off things. But an actual effect. Magic singing. Nezumi tells Shion that it just lets people forget pain for a moment "A song could never save anybody"
Nezumi says he does not know anything about Shion but he will find out in the next second. He doesn't want Shion to change. They are tipped literally into the correctional facility.
There Shion learns all the truths. They are poured onto what is pretty much a heap of corpses. They climb it to escape from the panic of the dying towns people. They fight their way through the facility. Shion breaks, breaks again and breaks some more. But Nezumi keeps him moving, keeps him going. Nezumi is tough enough and so is Shion. Safu calls them, leading them to her.
Bees start breaking free from people in No.6. Killing them.
Shion has the maps memorised, Nezumi does the fighting. As they are nearly where they need to be there is an explosion, Nezumi fights in the smoke. He is shot. Shion shoots the man who shoots Nezumi. Shoots him and continues shooting him. Not raging but calm anger. Calculated. Shoots him even after he is injured, killing him.
He comes back to himself a moment later and is horrified that he killed but can hide his feelings once he realises Nezumi is blaming himself. Nezumi pulls him onwards, Safu is calling them. They get to the machine room. Safu is there. She says that she wanted to see Shion one last time. She calls the machine Mother and Nezumi realises she is Elyurius. No.6 have killed Safu and experimented on her mind, fusing it with the power known as Elyurius. She asks him as one of the Forest People to destroy the machine.
Taken by anger, hatred at everything he has seen Shion tries to take the bomb off Nezumi. He wants to destroy this place, destroy No.6. Nezumi asks him about his wish to make a middle way. Shion laughs and says it was a nice dream. Nezumi knocks Shion out and plants the bomb. he doesn't want Shion to change. He carries Shion out, the machine explodes.
Shion wakes up and screams that he has to save Safu. Can't leave her. He is despondent and asks Nezumi if he was always just using him to destroy No.6. Nezumi starts to say yes but they are found and Nezumi jumps in front of Shion and is shot.
This kick starts Shion into action and he grabs Nezumi, finding a medical room. He does minor surgery on Nezumi removing a bullet from his abdomen. He drags Nezumi onwards, trying to escape. The building is falling around them, destroying mother sets off all the self destruct modes, also Elyurius is wreaking havoc outside, the bees have stopped but she is destroying the walls.
As Shion is trying to pull Nezumi up into a waste disposal shoot, a way out- where they are meeting Dog keeper and Rikiga, he is shot. Nezumi grabs his hand and they both fall. Dog keeper and Rikiga pull them to a safe area but Shion is already dead.
Nezumi refuses to leave, dog keeper and Rikiga go without him after Dog keeper tells him that caring for people was always dangerous. Nezumi sings Elyurius' song and then lies next to Shion's body, crying.
Elyurius turns up in the guise of Safu. She sings and then transforms into a giant bee. She flies upwards breaking through the roof. She bursts into golden rain that falls healing Nezumi and bringing Shion back from the dead.
Shion says he heard Safu singing. They leave the correctional facility and stand looking on the fallen city. Nezumi says that he thought this is what Elyurius and Safu wanted Shion to see, why they brought him back. They watch as the people from outside go towards the city and those inside move to meet them. Shion clenches his fists and watches grimly. Nezumi begins to walk off, Shion turns and calls out his name, tears forming in his eyes, he looks down.
Nezumi walks back to him, raises his chin and kisses him. "You'll be fine." He says, Shion nods and Nezumi walks off into the wasteland. Shion stands alone watching the ruins. There is a bark and a dog arrives, carrying the baby in the coat. Shion unwraps the baby and picks him up, Hamlet the mouse climbs onto his shoulder. Shion drops the memory stick of information and crushes it under his foot before walking towards the city.
THE END
No.6 is a 'perfect' city, its citizens have no need to complain. They swear allegiance to the city every day. Then maybe on a bad day they might complain to a sympathetic little old lady on a park bench and they disappear, never to be seen again.
It is very much a meritocracy, children are tested at an early age and those who are considered exceptionally bright are filtered into a special education system to become the future scientists and elites of the city. They live in Chronos.
Shion is one of these children. The story starts on his twelfth birthday. His friend Safu is teaching a presentation in class, she loses her temper at some of their classmates. They ride home to her house where she lives with her grandma, Safu gives him a jumper that her grandma knitted in the colour of the Aster flower after Shion's name.
There is a rising storm, Shion goes home and is quite excited by the storm. He is working on a report in his room when it hits. Something inside him makes him override the security and room control to open the window/door to the balcony and step out. He screams into the night, all of the frustration he feels and yet doesn't understand or feel able to put into words is screamed out and lost in the storm.
Yet somebody hears, as he goes to close the window once more a noise makes him turn round and there on threshold is a drowned rat of a child. He is barefooted and bleeding. Shion's mum calls him on the intercom to ask if he had opened his window, Nezumi attacks Shion and pins him to the wall. Shion lies to his mum saying everything is alright and that he has a lot of school work to do.
He stitches up Nezumi's arm and wonders at who shot him, as only members of hunting clubs have guns, Nezumi tells him that it is hunting, just with humans as sport.
Shion goes for dinner and receives a message through his identity bracelet about an escaped criminal. It is the boy in his room, he is supposed to answer such messages reaffirming his loyalty to the city, or giving any information he knows. He does not answer. He takes food to his room and quotes the prisoner number to Nezumi who attacks him with a spoon. Shion tells him he's not going to tell anyone he was there he gives Nezumi food and they fall asleep side by side. In the morning Nezumi is gone and there are government agents at the door.
Shion is kicked out of the Special education program and out of Chronos. He and his mum move to Lost Town where Karen becomes a baker.
The next time we see Shion is four years later. He works in one of the city parks looking after cleaning robots. One of the robots has found something strange and he and his co-worker go to investigate, what they find is a dead body. A man who seems incredibly old. That evening he meets Safu who has been chosen to go on an exchange trip to No.5. She questions him about what happened four years ago. He refuses to say.
Before they part Safu asks him to have sex with her, for children. She is very scientific about this. Shion flails and is awkward and eventually says that if she still wants to in a year after she returns from No. 5 he would.
A mouse jumps on Shion's shoulder and speaks with Nezumi's voice before running off, Shion chases it but is unable to catch it.
The next day at work Shion learns that the man who died was actually only in his thirties and his body has been taken away by government agents. He foolishly thinks out loud about the possibility of there being a cover up. Moments later as his co worker goes to get coffee Shion watches in horror as he deteriorates and dies in front of Shion's eyes. A bee breaks out of the dead skin of his neck and flies off.
Shion is questioned by government agents again who arrest him on suspicion of murder and also for questioning the government of No. 6.
As he is being driven away to the correctional facility they are stopped by one of the cleaning robots that is out on the middle of the road. Nezumi attacks the car and rescues Shion. They escape from No. 6 a task that involves Nezumi attacking guards, exploding a bridge, swimming (or nearly drowning in) a sewer and running lots. Nezumi makes Shion take off his identification bracelet and throw it away because it can be tracked. This is a big moment, a literal throwing away of his citizenship and everything that ties him to his life.
They arrive on the other side of the walls of No. 6. This is the West town, a slum community of outcasts, criminals and those that do not fit in the perfect city. Nezumi lives in an underground room full of books. Books are banned in No. 6 and to Shion this underground room is like a treasure cove. Shion meets Nezumi's rats, robots that gather information and go where Nezumi cannot.
Shion feels something on his neck and when he reaches up he feels a patch like what first appeared on those that died. He panics and begs Nezumi to cut it off him. They have the medical kit that Nezumi took from Shion four years ago but no painkillers or anaesthetic. Shion begs to die but Nezumi yells at him telling him he knows nothing and he should not be ready to end his life. He cuts the parasite bee larvae out of Shion. Shion's hair turns white and his eyes red, a red band appears on his skin starting on his face and swirling around his body.
When Shion wakes up and sees how he has changed he panics again, Nezumi yells at him some more and Shion agrees that all things considered it is better to be alive.
Shion realises that they have a larvae and they have him, someone who survived so they have a decent chance of making a serum, he figures if he lets No. 6 know peoples lives can be saved. Nezumi tells him that it is better at No. 6 is destroyed. Shion struggles to understand the idea of people being outside or inside of No.6's walls and why it matters when they are all people. His mum is in No.6. Nezumi tells him that he should cast off the links to the past just like he threw away his identification bracelet because people can only be used to hurt you. Shion asks to know the truth about the world.
They go to the hotel of West town. On the way Shion sees a wasp and realises that it is the start of winter, the bees will be hibernating but come spring they will be active and many people would die.
They meet dog keeper at the hotel. Dog keeper, or dog lender in some translations considers all their dogs family. They rent them out as heaters to the homeless who stay in their hotel. They mostly are an information gatherer, but they give Shion a job washing dogs.
Nezumi has contacted Karen, she gave a name of an old journalist who left No.6. Dog keeper gives them more information and the next day they go to track him down. This is Shion's first time being out on West town in the day when there are people. He is not used to such crowds and gets into trouble quickly. Most notably he gets approached by a prostitute and has to be saved by Nezumi, they are then threatened and Nezumi saves him again.
They find Rikiga- the newspaper journalist. He is part of the corruption of No. 6 dealing in black market goods and arranging West town prostitutes for No. 6 officials. He recognises Nezumi as 'Eve' his stage name for when he performs Shakespeare as he takes on the female roles. They tell him that Karen mentioned him and that Shion is Karen's son. He had loved Karen once, though she rejected him and he therefore becomes very protective of Shion.
During their conversation Rikiga suggests that Eve would earn more money in prostitution than he did on stage. Nezumi is mildly offended. Shion jumps over the table and tries to strangle Rikiga. Nezumi stops him before he can actually harm Rikiga properly. Nezumi tells Shion to only fight or cry for himself not others. On the way out Nezumi finds a photo, it is of Rikiga and Karen but there is a third man in the picture who Nezumi recognises. He will not answer Shion's questions.
Time goes on, Nezumi works on trying to unravel the mysteries of No. 6. Shion is mostly left in the dark though he tries to find out more about why Nezumi hates No. 6 so much and what he is not telling Shion. Nezumi often tells him that it is best they do not get to know one another so well as it will make it harder in the future, because of Shion learns the truth about No.6 and still thinks it worth saving then they will be enemies. Shion wonders if he can bring down the walls of No.6 so there is no inside the city and out. Nezumi calls Shion naive.
As a note time in the anime is a bit strange, Shion is in West town about three or four months (enough time for Safu to settle into No. 5, break out of her elite No.6 way of thinking, her grandma to die and for her to return to No.6 and for winter to pass and it to become spring) but there isn't any indication of how much time is passing between episodes and scenes.
However suffice to say Shion gets more used to No. 6. He reads to small children, slowly getting through Nezumi's book collection, he asks Rikiga (who becomes an ally mostly off screen) to help get science equipment because of he can't warn No. 6 about the bees then he can try and make a serum himself. He and Nezumi have a lot of debates about the nature of No.6 and destroying vs. saving the city and more arguments about caring for people or not. There is lots of them staring at each other intently, Nezumi being unnecessarily violent towards Shion to prove that He Doesn't Care and lots of Shion wanting to know the truth about things and struggling to put feelings into words.
One day Shion asks to go and watch one on Eve's performances, Nezumi refuses but Rikiga takes Shion anyways. Nezumi collapses on stage due to "the wind blowing" and him hearing a strange song that seems to take over him - over in No. 5 Safu has had a very similar experience. Shion worries that Nezumi has been taken by a parasite bee, but he recovers after Shion takes him back home. They talk again about the bees and how the city is danger come the spring and the Holy day festival that celebrates the founding of No.6. Nezumi announces they should celebrate and teaches Shion how to dance. Shion tells Nezumi that he is a person that he is terrified to lose, despite the fact Nezumi might tease him and look down on him it is how he feels.
Unknown to Shion Safu returns, investigates the city, learns that Shion has disappeared, pokes the wrong things and is arrested herself.
One of dog keepers dogs dies, Shion learns that Nezumi sometimes sings to the dying dogs to comfort them. Dog Keeper sees this as important and is one of the reasons they continue selling information to Nezumi. Dog keeper warns Nezumi that he is becoming too close to Shion and that Shion is dangerous.
Nezumi gets angry at Shion's plan to make a serum and they argue again, Nezumi cuts Shion with a knife to prove to him that his blood is precious, he should not waste it.
Nezumi learns from Karen (via robot rat letter courier service) that Safu has been arrested. Nezumi decides to keep the information from Shion but pays Dog keeper a lot of money to investigate. They claim that no amount of money is enough to poke at the correctional facility but agree to look into anything about Safu.
Meanwhile Shion has ignored Nezumi's warning about making a serum, as he still believes in seeking a middle way. Shion is with Rikiga, trying to organise science equipment when Rikiga decides that Shion seems too cold, he needs a new coat. He takes him to one of the dealers he works with who sells jumbles of clothes. A coat catches Shion's eye, not because he likes it but because he knows it. It is Safu's coat.
He demands that they tell him where they got the coat and they finally tell him the clothes come from the correctional facility, waste from those that have been arrested by No.6. Shion realises Safu is in danger and he has to rescue her. He also decides he has to do this alone as he has already been such a burden on Nezumi, he cannot add this to him as well.
Rikiga tells Dog keeper who tells Nezumi. That evening Shion buys food with his wages, Nezumi tries to question Shion gently to see if Shion is going to admit that he knows about Safu. Shion says nothing but does thank Nezumi for everything and says that there is nothing that scares him more than the thought of losing him. He kisses Nezumi and claims it a goodnight kiss.
Except it is not, it is a goodbye kiss. The next morning Shion sets off towards No.6 with the intention of rescuing Safu and absolutely no plan. Nezumi catches up to him and punches him. Telling him he should not go off on his own and should not have lied to him. He tells Shion that Safu has been arrested and that he has information from Dog keeper that give them a chance at rescuing her. Shion punches Nezumi back because he also lied and they promise no more secrets between them.
Nezumi then takes Shion down a quarry and tells him not to fight as they are jumped on and captured. They are taken into a cave where a voice speaks from the shadows asking why Nezumi returned. When Shion asks Nezumi who it is Nezumi says it is the man who named him.
Nezumi and the man speak, of No. 6 it being evil and Nezumi's wish to destroy it. There are others in the cave who laugh at Nezumi's declaration. The man says that No.6 cannot be destroyed. Nezumi asks if that is because he made it, or watch it become evil. He shows the man the photo, the man recognises the name Karen.
The man is carried into the light, he asks Shion to show him the marks on his body, Shion gets undressed and does so. The man says it is to do with parasitic bees and asks Shion to tell him everything that has happened so far. After Shion tells his story Nezumi is taken over by the wind and the song again and falls to the ground in pain. Shion rushes to his side, the man watches them impassively. Nezumi says he heard singing again. The man asks if Nezumi can sing what he heard.
Nezumi stands and begins to sing, as he does so the cave begins to glow, the water sparkles and the walls glow yellow. Everything is embraced by a golden light.
Shion asks the man for the truth. About the bees. About the song. About No.6. The man says it is not on him if Shion regrets asking.
Then says "Elyurius." As the city was first being built it grew quickly. "Like a monster surrounded by a shield."
Elyurius was a ruler, a force more powerful than humans. She was worshipped by the Forest people. A group of people who lived on land that the city of No.6 wanted to expand into. No.6 wanted her power for their own. So they burned the Forest People. Killing them all. Nezumi was the only survivor.
The man tells them that Nezumi is being invited by Elyurius for some purpose. However if Nezumi gives in to his wish of revenge he will be as bad as those from No.6 who killed his people.
He hands Shion a memory stick and tells him that it has all his research on Elyurius, the Forest people and the parasitic bees. He asks that after Shion rescues his friend that he interprets the information on it. When Shion takes it he sees the scars on the mans arm and realise he survived the bees as well.
They return to Nezumi's house and recruit Dog keeper and Rikiga to their cause. They gather information using very dubious methods. Shion memorises the maps and where the cameras are etc.
No.6 cleanses West Town before the Holy festival - they go in with tanks and sonic blasters, razing the town to the ground, killing anyone they can and rounding the rest up. Nezumi's plan is to get him and Shion captured during this as a way into the correctional facility. He doesn't quite inform Shion of this.
During the madness Shion rescues a small baby who he wraps in a coat and sends with one of the dogs in an attempt to save its life. He and Nezumi get arrested, whilst in the truck with all those that got rounded up Nezumi sings, this is his song of calm. The song he sings to Dog keepers dogs before they die. It calms people and brings them peace. Not just as Shion imagines, something to take their mind off things. But an actual effect. Magic singing. Nezumi tells Shion that it just lets people forget pain for a moment "A song could never save anybody"
Nezumi says he does not know anything about Shion but he will find out in the next second. He doesn't want Shion to change. They are tipped literally into the correctional facility.
There Shion learns all the truths. They are poured onto what is pretty much a heap of corpses. They climb it to escape from the panic of the dying towns people. They fight their way through the facility. Shion breaks, breaks again and breaks some more. But Nezumi keeps him moving, keeps him going. Nezumi is tough enough and so is Shion. Safu calls them, leading them to her.
Bees start breaking free from people in No.6. Killing them.
Shion has the maps memorised, Nezumi does the fighting. As they are nearly where they need to be there is an explosion, Nezumi fights in the smoke. He is shot. Shion shoots the man who shoots Nezumi. Shoots him and continues shooting him. Not raging but calm anger. Calculated. Shoots him even after he is injured, killing him.
He comes back to himself a moment later and is horrified that he killed but can hide his feelings once he realises Nezumi is blaming himself. Nezumi pulls him onwards, Safu is calling them. They get to the machine room. Safu is there. She says that she wanted to see Shion one last time. She calls the machine Mother and Nezumi realises she is Elyurius. No.6 have killed Safu and experimented on her mind, fusing it with the power known as Elyurius. She asks him as one of the Forest People to destroy the machine.
Taken by anger, hatred at everything he has seen Shion tries to take the bomb off Nezumi. He wants to destroy this place, destroy No.6. Nezumi asks him about his wish to make a middle way. Shion laughs and says it was a nice dream. Nezumi knocks Shion out and plants the bomb. he doesn't want Shion to change. He carries Shion out, the machine explodes.
Shion wakes up and screams that he has to save Safu. Can't leave her. He is despondent and asks Nezumi if he was always just using him to destroy No.6. Nezumi starts to say yes but they are found and Nezumi jumps in front of Shion and is shot.
This kick starts Shion into action and he grabs Nezumi, finding a medical room. He does minor surgery on Nezumi removing a bullet from his abdomen. He drags Nezumi onwards, trying to escape. The building is falling around them, destroying mother sets off all the self destruct modes, also Elyurius is wreaking havoc outside, the bees have stopped but she is destroying the walls.
As Shion is trying to pull Nezumi up into a waste disposal shoot, a way out- where they are meeting Dog keeper and Rikiga, he is shot. Nezumi grabs his hand and they both fall. Dog keeper and Rikiga pull them to a safe area but Shion is already dead.
Nezumi refuses to leave, dog keeper and Rikiga go without him after Dog keeper tells him that caring for people was always dangerous. Nezumi sings Elyurius' song and then lies next to Shion's body, crying.
Elyurius turns up in the guise of Safu. She sings and then transforms into a giant bee. She flies upwards breaking through the roof. She bursts into golden rain that falls healing Nezumi and bringing Shion back from the dead.
Shion says he heard Safu singing. They leave the correctional facility and stand looking on the fallen city. Nezumi says that he thought this is what Elyurius and Safu wanted Shion to see, why they brought him back. They watch as the people from outside go towards the city and those inside move to meet them. Shion clenches his fists and watches grimly. Nezumi begins to walk off, Shion turns and calls out his name, tears forming in his eyes, he looks down.
Nezumi walks back to him, raises his chin and kisses him. "You'll be fine." He says, Shion nods and Nezumi walks off into the wasteland. Shion stands alone watching the ruins. There is a bark and a dog arrives, carrying the baby in the coat. Shion unwraps the baby and picks him up, Hamlet the mouse climbs onto his shoulder. Shion drops the memory stick of information and crushes it under his foot before walking towards the city.
THE END
