Wolf: Ahh…my new story…inspired by music…yeah I don't have a lot to say. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai HiME…(sniff)…I also don't own Sum-41's song Pieces.

Play For Me

Chapter 1
Lonely Stand-Up


Lonely was a word to describe many. Lonely was used to describe those that walked the quiet streets of cities or crept down a deserted road by themselves. Lonely was a word to label those that kept their heads down, their gazes turned and their steps slow and solemn. Lonely was a word to name those with heavy hearts and crying souls. Lonely was just the right word to describe Kuga Natsuki.

Surrounded by several people, she was a single sorrowful soul amidst those whom were chipper and joyful, having a good time of night. Sitting in a wooden chair near the back of the bar, her slender fingers picked at the acoustic guitar. It wasn't the best of places and one she definitely would not have chosen to perform at. Yet the bartender was a friend and she'd called Natsuki over to "quiet down" the rowdier drunks of her bar.

Natsuki's icy green eyes lifted from her trusty guitar to sweep about the bar, searching for her friend. Midori usually didn't call her over unless the hype of the bar was really getting out of hand. Out of hand was an understatement. The stench of alcohol was heavy on her nose, which twitched in irritation, and the sound of loud and raucous off-key singing filled the crowded place. Empty and spilled glasses adorned the bar's round tables and men danced merrily. Their movements were clumsy and would have been comical had Natsuki not been in a bad mood. A bit of smoke lingered in the atmosphere and she coughed slightly, lifting her sleeve to press against her nose. Midori really needed to get a hand of this bar.

"Hehe sorry for the mess Natsuki, but I thought a bit of your playing would do the guys some good."

Speak of the devil!

Turning in her chair, the blue-haired woman caught sight of Midori swinging toward her. The bartender wore a somewhat goofy grin, half of her lips quirked up with dazed eyes. Her strangely tied chestnut hair was messy and several strands pulled from the odd-fashioned ponytail. Exhaustion leaked dark circles under her eyes and her hands clenched and unclenched by her sides. Despite her annoyance at being stuck in a bar with a bunch of wasted men, Natsuki felt a shred of sympathy curling toward her friend. Heaving a sigh, she grumbled back, "Don't worry about it. I was doing nothing at home. Just the usual."

Midori quirked an eyebrow at her and her grin faded. Natsuki was usually less forgiving when it came to free performances at her bar. Either she really was doing nothing or she pities me. No matter! Free performance hehe. Grin returning, the brunette fixed her rumpled black jacket and blue shirt before stepping onto the small wooden stage that stood at the center of the back of the bar, just a few feet from Natsuki. She grasped the microphone set and whistled into it, "Hey! All of you hammered buffoons! Pay attention to me!"

The bar was quiet in an instant. Natsuki's eyebrow twitched as she allowed a smirk to lift her lips. It probably wasn't because of the fact that Midori was the boss of the place, most likely it was the fact that she called them "hammered buffoons". Before any of the drunken men could lay a protest to the brunette's claim, Midori spoke up again, "I've got a treat for all of you! My friend, the lovely Kuga Natsuki, has decided she'd come down and play you all a song! Wouldn't you guys like that? A pretty song sung by a pretty lady?"

The blue-haired guitarist tried to hold in her snicker as Midori practically cooed to the ruffians. Her tone was littered with sweet honey yet there was mischief in her eyes. The men weren't complaining at all though. With distaste, Natsuki noted that most of them turned hungry eyes on her. Feeling her belly coil in anger, she turned her attention to pluck a few strings on her guitar. Midori once again continued.

"So let's all be a wonderful audience and welcome the lovely Natsuki! All of you idiots be quiet and listen!" she shouted a final time as she hopped off the stage and waved for Natsuki to step up. Fighting back her groan, the youth left her chair for the stool set on the stage. Seating herself, the woman cast a wry glance at the audience. The men's eyes were trained on her, heavy and dark and lustful. She ducked her head to her guitar. These men didn't mean a thing to her. Besides Midori, the only thing that mattered to her at the moment was the instrument dutifully resting against her chest.

Slim fingers rose and splayed in the air in a slow movement before descending to the strings of her acoustic. At once, a deep tune began to play. It was uneasy at first, just a warm-up for the guitarist to figure out where she stood on the notes. Then it gradually transformed into a rhythmic melody. Deliberately low and comfortable, Natsuki allowed her eyelids to blanket her icy eyes. The lousy air of the bar melted away from her and all there was left was her music and her soul. She only felt the heavy strum of her fingers and the even beat of the strings, the ramming of her heart.

The audience had gone deathly silent, their lust fading with the doleful tune. Midori stood behind the counter, a rag in her fingers as she had begun to clean when Natsuki started to play. Her actions slowed and then ceased as the song continued. Her lime-colored eyes began to glow in awe, fingers jerking slightly at the morose tune. It was beautiful and tragic and Natsuki's lonely expression made it all the more heartbreaking. This was a side the blue-haired woman showed only when she played her acoustic, lonely. Biting her lip so a tear couldn't swell past her eye, Midori tried not to let her hopelessly emotional side slip past and bawl like a baby.

And then Natsuki began to sing.

Her subdued and deep voice whispered into the bar's hushed surroundings. It wasn't the prettiest of female voices, not sweet and high nor fluid and soaring. Her voice was rasped and low, sometimes almost masculine. It was strong, but not imposing. Holding a low thrumming, it reverberated through the air and echoed against the walls. It was the voice she used solely for her acoustic, the voice of her solitary soul that was hidden by all of her rough exteriors, barred deep in her heart.

I tried to be perfect
But nothing was worth it
I don't believe it makes me real
I thought it'd be easy
But no one believes me
I meant all the things I said

If you believe it's in my soul
I'd say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I'm trying to let you know
That I'm better off on my own

Midori held her breath in as the crowd leaned in, all eyes set on Natsuki's figure. Back curved inward and cobalt strands spilling downward, caressing her alabaster face and slender shoulders and arms; the young guitarist was lost in a world of her own. The long-sleeved white cotton shirt glowed with the dim light from the lamp above the stage; her jeans creaked as she shuffled her feet. A knee was drawn in upon her chair and her expression was one of absolute solemn peace. Nothing could penetrate her fragilely constructed glass wall built by music around her form. Midori felt as if she was gazing at something far off; Natsuki was almost illusive.

This place is so empty
My thoughts are so tempting
I don't know how it got so bad
Sometimes it's so crazy
That nothing can save me
But it's the only thing that I have

If you believe it's in my soul
I'd say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I'm trying to let you know
That I'm better off on my own

Her singing amplified, compelling and brimming with unbridled sorrow. It flowed through the crowd and struck cords, a few of them losing the strength in their standing legs and seeping into their chairs. Midori's hands trembled at the strength in Natsuki's voice, her face composed of amity. A side so opposite of her brash nature, Midori was left near breathless and could only gaze at her friend as she strummed onward. Her eyelids twitched and her brow etched an unexplained misery on her young face. Icy emerald eyes fluttered open as the crescendo came.

I tried to be perfect
It just wasn't worth it
Nothing could ever be so wrong
It's hard to believe me
It never gets easy
I guess I knew that all along

If you believe it's in my soul
I'd say all the words I know
Just to see if it would show
That I'm trying to let you know
That I'm better off on my own

When the end came only silence met it. Natsuki's emerald eyes gazed thoughtfully at the crowd, arm still resting against her acoustic. Her icy eyes still glimmered with the somberness of her melody, her lips trembled a little. Easily, her eyes could have been mistaken for teary yet strength willfully flowed from her aura. With quivering fingers, she waited.

Midori exhaled. A brilliant smile slowly lit her face as she raised her hands and clapped. The men followed, still swept away by the blue-haired woman's performance. Their faces held the same awed expression and a few let out whistles, some calling for an encore. Natsuki's shimmering eyes cleared and she lightly smirked. Picking herself off the stage, she allowed Midori to come back up. The brunette flashed her a grin before speaking into the mike, "Let's all give a big hand to our beautiful musician everyone!"

Whoops and cheers resonated in the bar and Natsuki allowed herself to be pulled into the crowd, several bulky hands clapping her on the backs and appreciative yells surrounding her. She merely smirked at the crowd, icy eyes catching Midori's grin and thumbs up signal. Mumbling her gratitude, she wriggled free of the crowd as they tried to lure her into an encore. The youth only shook her head and grinned.

Giving Midori a single wave as a goodbye, the woman escaped through the back of the bar and sighed in relief, leaning against the door as the bar still resounded with the men's cries. Inklings of pride shivered in Natsuki's heart and she softly patted her guitar before making her way to the back parking lot. A black and navy Ducati waited dutifully for her there, resting in the shadows of the lot where drunks couldn't get their grubby paws on it. Natsuki lifted the black case that was propped by her bike and clicked it open. With rarely seen gentleness, she lowered her guitar into it and strapped the weight across her back. She was about to climb on her bike when a vibrating in her jeans' pocket stopped her.

Quickly pulling out the cell phone shaking in her pocket, she flipped it open and stared hard at the caller ID. The small bright screen flashed as her ringtone beeped. Tokiha Mai. Eyebrow arched, she pressed the cell against her ear and spoke, "Hello? Mai why are you calling this late at night?"

"Natsuki! I caught you! I thought you'd be sleeping…Guess what?!"

"What?" Natsuki grumbled into the phone, hard exterior quickly rising from the short release of her performance. Her slim fingers pulled back the sleeve of her shirt to bare her wrist, her watch glowing neon green numbers. 12: 45.

"Geez you sound so chipper…maybe I did wake you up from your beauty sleep but I doubt it since Heaven knows you sleep like a rock!" Mai quipped into the phone.

A miffed expression was starting to appear on Natsuki's face as her eyes darkened. Losing patience rapidly, she all but spat into the phone, "Mai get to the damn point!"

"Alright alright! No need to bite my head off. I only called you to tell you that I found another guy you can interview. He's really good and has a few good years of live experience. Natsuki, give this guy a chance. Don't chase him off like you did all the other eight," Mai chastised softly.

A growl was her only answer. Natsuki's eye twitched and her right hand tapped lightly on the handle of her bike's bars. Mai had called her for this? She really wasn't in the mood to talk about interviews and her eyes were starting to droop, but she had to answer the redhead, "Alright well…um…bring him over tomorrow afternoon. I'll be the judge of how good he is."

Despite Natsuki's none too cheery attitude, Mai's voice was enthusiastic as she replied, "Sure! I'll see you tomorrow then!"

"Yeah yeah," Natsuki mumbled as her friend hung up. Stuffing her cell back in her pocket, the musician climbed atop her bike and turned the engine on. Her icy eyes were clouded with thought as she drove onto the street. Mai had said this guy was good. Had she finally found a possible candidate to start what she really wanted to do with her life? Grip tightening around her bike's handle, she sped faster into the night. After interviewing eight different people, she wasn't so sure. I need to find someone good. Someone who knows how to play…I need to find someone whose heart and soul is into the piano…not just a good pianist…the right pianist.

Or else I'm better off alone.


Wolf: Ehehe. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Uhh…don't have much to say. Oh! Reviews are welcome! (shy grin)