Tinpla - Prince of Oz - Moon End

Tinpla - Prince of Oz - Moon End

Chapter 7 - Is There a Heart? 

The stars in the sky were twinkling in the calm night... 

Tinpla-san visited my room and earnestly talked to me.

Tinpla: This very critical malfunction that happened to me... But, what if this is an effect of a heart... MC. This malfunction, please tell me if it can create a heart.

MC: Tinpla-san... 

When I took a step towards him, I softly touched the prism on the left side of his chest. Between my fingers, a faint light was shining through... 

MC: ...It seems like my feelings have reached you. 

Tinpla: Your feelings...? 

MC: Yes. When I saw you all injured... Seeing you get hurt and in pain... It made me think of all sorts of things.

Tinpla: Is that so... 

MC: Yes, but even though you said that you can't get hurt like a human... It's probably because you felt how worried I was... and how troubled I felt.

Tinpla: ...

When he hung his head down from my words, he tilted his head to the side a little and placed his hand over mine. 

(This is... a pulse? Or maybe...) 

Thump... Thump... While making a slow ticking sound, his chest was moving faintly. 

Tinpla: You, getting worried... I, who cannot feel pain... This is... This vexing pain that's like another malfunction happening... 

MC: Um, what you call a "heart"... and what I call a "heart", I wonder if they're the same. To be honest... I don't know... 

When I closed my eyes, I thought about what he said again. 

-Flashback-

Tinpla: My heart... Where is it? But, when you were worrying about me earlier... I was... heating up... and trembling too.

-Flashback-

He looked at me with his mysterious pale eyes. 

MC: Wouldn't that pain be proof of my "heart" reaching out to your "heart"? 

Tinpla: ...!

At that moment, Tinpla-san's pupils deflated and emitted a faint light... 

Chapter 8 - A New Problem, Uneasiness

Tinpla-san blinked from my words as if he had realized something. 

Tinpla: My... heart... 

Although, the next moment, he showed a stiff expression. It felt as if he has returned to being a mechanical doll like the first time we've met. 

MC: Tinpla-san...? 

Just as I questioned him, he looked at the clock in the corner of the room. 

Tinpla: ...It's already this late. Thank you for staying up until this hour. 

MC: Eh, wait, Tinpla-sa-

Suddenly, he left the room just as I was about to reach out to him. 

Tinpla: ... 

He closed his mouth sadly. 

MC: What's wrong so suddenly? 

Tinpla: It's nothing. Thank you for listening to what I had to say tonight. 

Then, I stopped and he disappeared when he headed out the door. 

......

When I felt the sunlight against the back of my eyelids, I opened my eyes... 

From the window, the refreshing morning sun was shining. 

(It's already morning... When did I fall asleep...?) 

Last night, I was feeling so gloomy that I had some difficulty getting to sleep. The words that Tinpla-san told me in this room, it fogged up my mind. 

(Tinpla-san, why did it feel like he was running away...) 

......

When it became noon, what I've been dealing with hasn't disappeared from my mind... I went to look for Tinpla-san in the courtyard. 

Just as I arrived at the courtyard, I saw Tinpla-san among the plants. 

MC: Ah, Tinpla-san. 

I ran up to him as I called out his name, but... 

Tinpla: ...!

(Eh? Just now, it looked like his face had turned red...)

When he noticed me, he immediately turned his face away. 

Tinpla: ...Thank you for yesterday. 

MC: No, don't worry about it. 

Tinpla: ...Uh... 

As he avoided looking at me after taking a glimpse of my face, he awkwardly looked at the flowers in the garden. 

Tinpla: ......

(I wonder what's wrong...) 

I got the same uneasy feeling from when he ran off yesterday. 

(Even though it felt like I have gotten closer to Tinpla-san...) 

Underneath the blue sky, the plants were blooming into beautiful flowers... I was feeling pain from the distance that was forming between us... 

Chapter 9 - A New Wish

Just as I thought that I had gotten closer to Tinpla-san, I was feeling pain from how he was acting so awkwardly, so I spoke. 

MC: Um... Did I do something to make you uncomfortable? 

Tinpla: ...No, that's not it. 

When he made himself clear while trembling, he took a step away from me. 

MC: Then, why... 

Tinpla: ...Yesterday, what I talked to you about, I talked about it with Oswald once and yet... I talked about it with you yesterday. What they call a "heart" that's in me too... I finally understood it. 

MC: Really? That's good. 

As I felt myself overflowing with joy from what he said, I held his hand. Although... 

Tinpla: No...! Don't come near me.

MC: Eh... Why... 

He shook off the tip of my fingers that touched him. 

Tinpla: Ah... 

At that moment, he made a perplexed expression on his pale porcelain-like face. 

Tinpla: I want you to forgive me... I was bad, sorry. 

MC: Tinpla-san... 

I held my fingers that touched him just now with my other hand and then... 

Guard: Dispatch calling! To the center of the old Emerald City... 

We heard the guards' voices along with a loud siren. 

Tinpla: ...I have to go. A weapon... is needed. 

MC: Tinpla-sa-!

Tinpla: It's because I'm a weapon...!

When Tinpla-san murmured that in pain, he turned around and left. 

(Tinpla-san...) 

As he looked sad from behind, I felt pain in my heart. 

After that... He returned to the castle all beaten up by the time the moon was showing dimly past midnight... 

Last Chapter - The Heart That Wants You

3 days have passed since Tinpla-san started avoiding me... 

Even today, when he left his room in the afternoon... 

Tinpla: ... 

In the castle, Tinpla-san looked at me with a depressed expression. 

MC: ...Is your body all right now? 

Tinpla: My parts have been replaced. Nothing is wrong. Even you should know that. 

After looking at me and murmuring that, Tinpla-san disappeared. 

(I wonder if he hates me...) 

I sighed and looked outside the window. At that moment, the sound of the siren echoed throughout the castle again.

Announcer: "Emergency, emergency, an occurrence in the southern area of Oz, approaching the coast... Plan, capture. Initiating Order B, please head to urgent area, I repeat-"

(Again...!) 

When I looked outside again after hearing that announcement, I saw Tinpla-san leaving the castle with some guards. 

(Tinpla-san...) 

I gripped my chest as it tightened... 

...

I've continued to pray for his safety this whole time... As the sunset was shining in through the window, the force had finally returned. 

With a heavy atmosphere drifting, I saw Tinpla-san among the guards that have arrived. 

MC: ...Tinpla-san! You're hurt again-

Tinpla: ...MC, I've said it many times. Nothing's wrong, all that I need to do is replace some parts. 

MC: But...!

As his armor was coming off in several places, he made a pitiful smile. 

Tinpla: You know that I can get repaired easily, so there's no need to make such a pained expression. I'm fine... So, please... 

MC: In that case, why are you making such a pained expression? 

Tinpla: ...

Like when he was avoiding contact with me, his eyes were trembling greatly. 

MC: Ah... 

The next moment, I couldn't bring myself to look away from him. That's because... 

MC: Tinpla-san... Tears are... 

From his eyes on his half-mechanical body that's been reconstructed, huge drops of tears were falling. 

MC: Why...? 

Tinpla: Tears...? 

The moment when Tinpla-san touched his own tears on his cheek, he made a surprised look. Although, the clear drops wouldn't stop and began to overflow.

Tinpla: Despite... a body like this... Why... ...Even though I'm a machine... A weapon... I only cause you trouble... 

MC: Tinpla-san...? 

While wiping away his overflowing tears, Tinpla-san's face warped into a pained expression. 

Tinpla: I realized it on that night... That there was a heart inside me. The heart that you were searching for. MC... I love you. 

MC: ...!

After hearing that, my heart throbbed greatly. 

Tinpla: Although, I caused you trouble when you were searching for it in this body. I'm a weapon... This body that was made and you, they're probably not so different from each other. I... 

His tears that were made from his pure feelings made my chest tightened... 

Tinpla: That's why I kept my distance from you, but why do you worry about me? 

MC: That's... 

As I gripped my chest that was crying in pain, I looked away from him and suddenly, the sunset shined inside the castle, where it was just the two of us and there was no one around. 

Tinpla: I can't get any closer than this... I can't let myself love you. 

MC: That... I can't do. After all, I... 

(I'm sure that this pain in my heart is... Is because I have fallen for Tinpla-san too...) 

Tinpla: A heart is insatiable... Someday, when I receive a heart... I'll want to have the same human body as you... But, something like that will never come true...!

When he finally realized the existence of his heart, huge teardrops were falling as his pain showed. 

MC: Tinpla-san...!

Tinpla: Ah... 

Before I knew it, I hugged his body as tears fell. I knew what he wanted just from him telling me how he felt... 

(Don't cry...) 

MC: No matter what kind of body you have, I want to be with the current you.

Tinpla: MC... 

He placed his robotic arms around my back. 

Tinpla: I'm sure that I'm unable to make you happy. 

MC: That's not true. 

Tinpla: If you stay with me, I might end up hurting you. 

MC: Even so... I want to be with you. 

When he trembled from the fear of his own body, I gently stroked his back. 

MC: Don't cry... 

The suffocating embrace became even more intense. As he was gently engulfed by the sadness that was holding him... I continued to hug his mechanical body for a long time... 

Main Story

Sun End