I don't sing... really, I can't even do karaoke. This panic enters me and I just can't utter a word. But that doesn't mean that I can't write about people that can sing. I don't know in English but in Spanish when Haruka is well, her; she has a deep voice and when she is Uranus her voice goes softer. So when I heard this girl Jackie Evancho singing on youtube I was like "that's Haruka's voice" (mostly, because someone else already had it on earth and it's not me); so to keep the green monster at bay… this is what it came out. You can find the songs and all in you tube. I'll put a list at the end of each chapter and hey! Let me know if you think that I got the right voice for them ;).
As usual I don't own anything (and I mean anything… my clothes aren't even mine)
PS: Let's play pretend that after the whole getting their talismans out they actually keep the same relationship that they did before Usagi learned that Haruka and Michiru where Uranus and Neptune. (Yup… anime based)
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I was about to enter to the pool room of the Centre when something in the board got my attention; there on all its glory; there was an invitation for a Singing Contest. I read the rules and I knew that I have to participate. So I went to find my one and only in her post.
Haruka was running, not surprise there. She came to the gym because the snow is so heavy outside that she couldn't go running outside. So instead she is killing one of those elliptical machines, you know those that have two things that you grab and seems like you are running and at the same time it looks like you are helping yourself with the arms… well, one of those. I really need to start learning running machines names, at least while my girlfriend expends as much time in those as I do in the pool. And by killing it I mean, she is running way faster that those things were planned for. I think she already broke a couple of those. Actually, she did… we have donated at least 5 of them just to be on good terms with the managers.
Anyways, since the reason I am here at the Gym and not downstairs at the pool is the simple piece of paper that I took from one of the many boards of the Center; I now just have to gather enough courage to walk to the object of my affections and step into the elliptical thingy right next to her so she will slow down for me. I'll do that and she side glanced at me and smiled automatically coming to a slower running pace.
"Hey, what's up?" She says. It is not often that I come up; unless someone asks me to come up to make her slow down. You'll see; when she is running the only one that can make her slow it is me running beside her. Just like she is the only one that can bring me back from my dream world when I paint and it is even worse when we play; until I met her I used to only hear me, even when playing on a group; then I was moved up to Mugen Gakken and she was the lead pianist. On my first day; we did the tuning and then we started to play. I was wildly surprised when I could hear sounds apart of mine. I opened my eyes and I saw "him" looking at me and I knew it was her. I know when she is there as much as she knows when I am there; and people at the gym has noticed this (because we come way to often here) so whenever someone needs her to listen they will try to get me up. Because is easier to wake someone that's on the water by throwing something at her head. Geez, I am thinking too much again. She doesn't say anything giving me the time to wonder in my mind.
"Nothing really" I said and she slows a little more.
"Just tell me, Michi. It's not like you won't tell me anything else" she says with a wink.
"Well, there's this singing contest"
"Singing Contest? I see… and you want to participate?" See, she knows me too well so I nod.
"I can play for you… but I won't sing"
"You will? Why wouldn't you sing?"
"Michi, tell me why on Earth you would want me to sing at a Contest? Never heard me before" she says between breaths; that's true, I've never heard her sing more just doing some silly singing along
"I have…" she raises and eyebrow "you know in the car. Sometimes you sign along"
"And that makes you think that I would sing on a contest? I don't even do karaoke; for all that you know I can really suck at it" well, she's got a point. Singing is not the same that singing along; there's no pressure on the later and you don't need to have a very musical ear you just go along an sing at a voice that you feel comfortable with. But I pout anyways…
"Oh, Come on! Don't do puppy eyes to me… I already told you that I will play for you"
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A shade of blue gets my attention and I can help to think 'oh, oh'
"Ami?"
"Haruka, MIchiru… hi" she says shyly; really someone need to show her how to fight her shyness. She could do it like me; by flirting it away. I smile and she turns a nice shade of pink and then I see it.
"Let me guess; you want me to join the contest too?" I say while trying hard no to roll my eyes.
"Wh.. what do you mean with too?" I nod my head to point to Michiru and Michiru smiles sheepishly. Ami smiles and nods; what is it with everyone wanting me to sing? "Michiru, will you join us? It says that the group can be from different schools too. So you wouldn't have any issues joining us"
"Yes" she says with a big smile and I can't help but groan. She knows that if she does it… I won't be far behind. Anyways I already agree to play, I just have to keep myself to doing only that.
"As I already told Michiru, I won't sing. But I will play for you" and look at her straight in the eyes hoping against all hope that she won't open her mouth and point to the world that I can actually sing; but when she is about to open her mouth a loud "Amiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" it's heard and with the blonde bon-bon's running towards us; we all know to whom the scream belonged to.
"Usagi" Michiru and I said at the same time.
"Haruka! Michiru! Just the ones that I was looking for" and guess what… she has the same darn paper in her hands.
"Oh no, not you too… you can't even sing Usagi. I know that! My ears are steel bleeding after helping you study for you music exam" She goes beet red and I wink at her. Yes, she can't sing but she is cute anyways.
"But but.. I could just lip sing … I would be one voice so we can add up and get as a group!" she says excitedly.
"And Haruka I know you can sing" Ami finally slips. Darn!
"You know?" Have I mentioned that Michiru never heard me sing?
"Uh, yes… I also went to Haruka for help for my music exam. She helped me to sing. I couldn't sing in public before but she showed me how and well, it's kind of funny. I got all angry and told her that she wouldn't know because she couldn't sing"
You know I had this feeling that this day wouldn't go calmly just when Michiru started to walk by my side. I sigh and Ami goes red again.
"I offered her a deal. You know I didn't want for this genius to fail just because she was to shy. So I told her that if I proved that I could sing; she would have to use my advice." You know running and talking… It's tiring.
"I'm sorry; I didn't know that you didn't know Michiru. You too know everything about each other…"
"Not a big deal, Haruka can help whoever she wants to and her skills are better for helping with singing than mine"
"It's not like that, Michiru." I say rapidly but she stops me
"I'm not angry or anything. I'm just pointing out the truth; a piano is more helpful than the violin. That's why I came up, remember?" I smile and look at her; you know, really look at her. She really is amazing; she is saying it because she really believes in it. I will never be able to understand who I ended up with her by my side.
When we come back from our private world, we realize that there's a huge fan's club near me now and by huge I mean, all the inners plus Mamoru and this friend of Usagi… Molly I believe it was.
"Are you all kidding me? I won't sing; I will play for you. Michiru will happily join your group." I say in what if feels like the umpteen times
They look at me as I just grow another head or like I am wearing a dress or something.
"Can we talk to you guys?" Mina says; I check my time.
"Listen, I still have 20minutes left so if you want to say something just say it or wait until I finish and we can talk calmly; if not bouncing Haruka it is"
"Well, we thought that if you two joined us; we could participate as a group. If all of us join we will be 8; so we will need 6 solos and 2 duets "
"I see, so I can sing, you can sing… who else?" Michiru says; she is actually agreeing with them
"Rei, Ami, you and I… we are still two voices short"
"Don't say it Ami" I warn her making my steps faster.
"Maybe Makoto can…" I cringe at that…she is even worse than Usagi. "Molly? Do you sing?"
"Well, I can't do it too well but I guess that if we have no other choice…."
"Haruka will you sing" and know I have 7 pleading faces looking at me.
"What about Mamoru? Does it say anything about age?" I say quickly and they all go through the rules again
"Haruka, there's an issue though" Michiru whispers all of the sudden
"What?" I fear the worse; you know the end is near and all that crap that comes to us…
"If we appear as ourselves, then we probably would be outing ourselves…"
"Well, I don't mind if you don't mind"
"But everybody knows that you two are an item" Usagi says out loud; we both roll our eyes. I don't even bother to answer her before getting back to Michiru
"Really, I haven't been him for the last four years. It's you that still is using it. So, if you are comfortable letting the world know you without her… then by all means"
"Or we could come up with alter ego's for all of us" says Ami. We stare at her. If someone could figure it out; it was her. "Don't mind us… we don't care who you are as long as you keep doing what you do best"
"And that's many things… " I wink.
"Except cook in your case" Michiru smirks
"yeah, yeah… we all need flaws to make us human but you all still love me as I am" I wink back.
"Don't worry… they don't know" Ami says again.
"What's for us to know?"
"Well, if we go and join your group we will need to create some alter-ego's"
"Why?"
"Because if we go out as ourselves then we will lose our freedom" Michiru stated.
"What do you mean? Are you going to jail or something like that?"
"No, we are going to groupies world. Not that I mind" I say and wink. Reality is that I do mind, it's not easy to go around doing things that no one should know about when you have a bunch of girls following you 24/7. As it is I already have issues with people knowing that I am the racer. Michiru smirks at me
"Yeah, sure; like I didn't hear you complaining about your overzealous fans after the last race"
"But what do your fans have to do with this?" Mina asks impatiently.
"Have you heard of …" Michiru starts and I nod "Neptune's King?" They all nod excitedly "and how about "Gaia" a.k.a "Uranus's Queen"?"
"We are fans of both of them… why? We love the most the ones in which Neptune's King and Uranus's Queen play together. The sound is unique; is like they've known each other forever"
Well, I had to stop running just to laugh at this. Sometimes I really get worried about the future of the future. Michiru cleans her throat and just point at us.
"Might be because we've known each other forever? Well, not really we just met for real two years ago, when we were 14 and all the senshi issue. But we both have being playing for the same records label since we had 7"
"But you have joined music that is from way before"
"Yes, we both were at different cities; different schools. So recording together would be a painful experience; so the label decided that we would do it separated and they would join them" I provide
"Even though it was nice, the public reacted differently when the music with both of us playing at the same time for real came out. But I am really surprised that you didn't know already"
"I had my doubts; but when I heard you too play at that ball. I knew for sure" Ami said
"at the ball? You mean the one where Usagi got drunk?"
"Yeah, and you were paying attention to every guy outside and fighting for a dance with Haruka that you didn't even noticed who was playing"
"Well, yes. He is one of the owners of our label. So if he wants us to play he just has to ask"
"Haruka…" Usagi says
"If you are you know 'Uranus' then why you are Neptune's King?" I really, really have to laugh at this
"Really?... Even a 7 years old me could figure that out"
"Why?" Michiru ask with concern in her voice; with make me laugh even harder
"I mean… Ur anus's King? Anybody? It's kind of a whole new level of gay declaration only that I am not a male. I just couldn't stop laughing when my dad came up with it. So my mom suggested Neptune since she was a Pisces"
"Oh crap!" I hear Michiru and turn to her and I can see she is all red and flustered
"What?"
"I am Ur anus's Queen" and then she starts laughing until tears are brimming her eyes and she looks at me and then we start again "Good think that I told them that I wanted to be Gaia"
The girls start to laugh but I can tell that Usagi is still trying to catch up. She is so darn innocent.
"Hey! I don't think it is funny. If you two are really together then those names are quite right. Since Michiru is Neptune; you are Neptune's King or Queen; whatever and since you are Uranus…Michiru is Uranus's Queen. Isn't that right?"
Well, she might be naïve… but she is right. I am Uranus and she is Neptune and we are together. Therefore, our parents on their eagerness to find us an alter ego just chose the history of our lives unknowingly. We look at each other with a look that says 'She is right, you know?'
"Ok, so back to this contest of yours" I say. I know that I am bringing this to me; but better there than openly discussing that we are Uranus and Neptune in the middle of a gym that is still having lots of people.
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Later that day…
"Haruka… will you sing for me?"
"I…"
"I don't want to put any pressure on you… but I am kind of jealous"
"Nani?"
"Well, you shared with Ami something that you never shared with me"
"I see… I'm sorry Michiru. I should have let you in before…I'll sing for you. Even though I am pretty sure that you heard me sing before"
"Why?"
"We work for the same record label."
"But you play piano…"
"Yes… but I was about to be a singer. Anyways… what would you want me to sing?"
"What about the last thing you sung before Ami"
"Hai… but I warn you; it was a long time ago."
She went to the piano black piano that sat in the middle of their music room. MIchiru recognized the music as soon as the first notes were played by Haruka's expert fingers.
"To dream the impossible dream" Haruka's voice was soft and sweet; Michiru heard awed
"To fight the unbeatable foe" and then it went deeper and sorrow filled the blonde's voice.
"To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go"
Haruka's breathe trembled; this song was so close to her heart that she couldn't help to pour her emotions into it. She still dealt with days when she couldn't help to feel drowning on sorrow. Especially those days when someone's crystal heart was out and the person was a friend or that sorrowful day when she saw Michiru die for her. She still would wake up in the middle of the night just to check that Michiru was alive.
"To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar"
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star"
Michiru smiled at this; she heard this song before but she never realized how close to home it actually was. They were fighting the unbeatable foe, and they did love each other from afar before actually doing something about it and they both sacrificed their own lives to get the talismans; so they knew what I was like to fight with weary arms.
"This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless" She opened her eyes. Michiru gasped at the sight.
" No matter how far" Haruka's eyes were dancing britght with unshed tears. The pain on her eyes was so big that Michiru had to close her eyes at the sight.
"I'm here with you…"Michiru said to Haruka; but Haruka just keep singing
"To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest" her voice was once again sweet; that was one of the things that kept them moving; the hope that one day they would be allowed to rest in peace.
"And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable
The unreachable
The unreachable… star"
She played to it from the top again since when singing the last lines she knew she was talking about Michiru and her; they both were that man… She opened her eyes again, this time she smiled sadly to her girlfriend.
"To dream the impossible dream
And to reach the unreachable star… "
As the last notes of the music came started to sound the tears that she held finally ran free on her checks. Michiru went running to her side; she hugged her.
"I'm not unreachable for you… and you aren't unreachable to me" Michiru whispered on Haruka's ear. Haruka just nodded.
"I know… you and I; we are that man; together. If you weren't here then I wouldn't have a reason to be that man"
They stood like that until they both were done crying, just clinging at each other as the lifeline that they were to their partner.
"Haruka? When did you sing this song the last time?" Michiru whispered; Haruka sighed.
"The last time that I've sung; I was 10. It was my parent's funeral… at that moment this song was describing what I was feeling… you know? I didn't know anything about fights or wars or the world coming to an end…. But my world, it came apart and I … I "
"You wanted to reach the unreachable star"
"Hai.. I couldn't sing anymore. They were the ones that wanted me to become a singer; I just wanted to play piano and run. After they died, I discovered motocross… because I was reckless; I wanted to reach them… until I found you, Michiru"
"When I was little and my dad passed away… my mom used to sing this song. I never understood the meaning until now; it is funny actually, because if I think back then this would have pictured my world too and now, it has even more sense being us, you know?"
"So what do say if we go for a ride, to get rid of all this dread?"
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The song is "The Impossible Dream" by Jackie Evancho. I don't own her either L