The Ash-Covered and the Journey-Bird

Ex eventually makes his way back to the Story Zone he has born in.
There, he meets Cinderella - a Cinderella different from the girl he grew up with.
She recognizes his name and tells him that he is a common topic of gossip, as the
"Journey-bird of the Pumpkin Field" who supported the young Cinderella of two generations ago.
She leads him to a stone monument that the Cinderella of two generations ago created
in the village the two of them grew up in.
On the stone monument, the following was written:

―――拝啓、懐かしき親愛なる渡り鳥さん
あなたはいま、どんな空を飛び回っているのでしょうか
優しいあなたのことだから、また悲しみにくれている誰かに手を差し伸べているのでしょうか

いまでも時々不思議に思うのです。どうして私とあなたの出会いは『運命の書』に記されていなかったのだろうか、と
子どもの頃、あのかぼちゃ畑であなたと出会ったこと、いまでも覚えています
お母様を亡くして、これから訪れる運命に怯えていた私にあなたは声をかけてくれましたね
それからずっと、運命が変わったあの夜まで、あなたは孤独に押しつぶされそうだった私を、励まし続けてくれた…

本当はね、こんな空想をしたこともあったの
じつは渡り鳥さんが本当の王子様で、あの舞踏会で私を待っていてくれる
もしそうだったら、どれだけ素敵だったでしょう
でも、わかっていました。あなたがいずれ、遠くへ飛び去ってしまうことは
だって、あなたの目はいつも“ここではないどこか”に向けられていた。あなたは自分で気づいていなかったようだけど
そして舞踏会の夜、私を見送ったあとあなたは誰にも行き先を告げず、遠くへ飛び去ってしまった
渡り鳥さん。きっとそれが、あなたの選んだ運命だったのでしょうね

私はずっと、フェアリー・ゴッドマザーとの出会いがこの運命を変えると信じていた
でも、ちがう。そうじゃなかった。私の運命はあのかぼちゃ畑であなたと出会ったときから、変わっていたの
あなたがいてくれたから、私はこの道を迷わず進むことができた
渡り鳥さん。あなたはいま、どんな空を飛び回っているのでしょうか
きっとそれは、こことは違う輝きを秘めた空なのでしょうね
もしもいつか、あなたがこの地に舞い戻ってきたときのために、この言葉を贈ります

私に素敵な運命をありがとう
どうかあなたの進む運命に幸いがあらんことを…
----
To my journey-bird, beloved and missed--
In what sort of sky might you be flying about on this moment?
Perhaps your gentle soul has once again lent a helping hand to someone lost in sadness.

Even now, I sometimes think it strange, why it was that the meeting between you and I was not written in my Book of Fate.
I still remember how I met you, in our childhood days, at that pumpkin field.
You called out to me who had lost my mother and cowered before my approaching destiny.
And ever since then, until that night when destiny changed, you continued to encourage me even as I thought I would be crushed by loneliness.

In truth, there were times when I had this fantasy.
That my journey-bird was in fact my true prince, and would be waiting for me at that ball.
How wonderful would it have been if it had been so?
But i already knew. One day, you would take flight and go far, far away.
After all, your eyes were always gazing towards a place that was not here. Though you yourself don't seem to have realized.
And then, on the night of the ball, after seeing me off you took flight and left, not telling any where you were to go.
My journey-bird. I'm sure that that was the fate you chose.

I had always believed that by meeting Fairy Godmother, my destiny would change.
But no. It was not true. The moment my destiny changed was in that pumpkin field, when I met you.
It was because you were there for me that I could continue down this path without wavering.
My journey-bird. in what sort of sky might you be flying about on this moment?
I'm sure it's a sky that holds a different kind of shine from here.
If there ever comes a time when you come back to this land, for that day's sake, I will give you these words.

Thank you for giving me such a wonderful destiny.
I pray for there to be fortune and joy in the path your destiny takes.