I'm sorry. For what? For making this chapter so short. I had wanted it to be at least twice as long, but I'm getting impatient.

Oh, and for all unsatisfied Ren-fans; he will show up in the next chapter. I'm sorry he doesn't have much of an appearance right now but I really had to focus a little bit on Sho because... there has to be a reason he played with Kyoko instead of male friends!

And a slight warning for those of you who is losing interest because this story is just too dark; it's always the darkest before dawn.

Now, on with the story, happy reading and don't forget to review!

The falling star

Shoko waited in the car, not knowing exactly what to believe. This wasn't the first time Sho got an idea in his head and just went along with it, but it was certainly the first time he cancelled any work for it. That was both out of character as well as illogical. The only reason Shoko could think of that had caused this reaction was that Tsuruga Ren had made a move on Kyoko-chan. If that was the case then Shoko could somewhat forgive her charge. Somewhat.

But if Tsuruga Ren really had made a move on Kyoko-chan, how had Sho heard about it before Shoko? She always knew everything first. Kyoko-chan's appearances on TV, what's-new, updates… Shoko would always be first to know, because Sho was eccentric and didn't take the time to look at others than Tsuruga Ren, and occasionally Kyoko-chan, when she showed another new face in TV.

If Shoko was to be honest, Kyoko-chan frightened her a tiny bit. Not that Kyoko-chan was cunning or controlling or even the slightest bit bitchy like a lot… like near everybody in showbiz were. Kyoko-chan was like an innocent flower in this world, without thorns or hidden flaws. She was like a ghost.

The door to the passenger seat opened and Sho took his seat, sinking into it with his head low so that his bangs covered his alarmingly pale face.

"Let's go home," he said lowly after swallowing.

"Sho? What happened?"

"Nothing."

It was a whole new side to Fuwa Sho, one that scarred Shoko. This wasn't the cocky pop star she worked with. It wasn't the spoilt brat she took care of. His long body was almost curled into a ball in the seat beside her and his shoulders came all the way up to his ears.

An ashamed little boy.

Shoko shook her head. Better not put words to that thought when Sho looked so pitiful. If he had been his normal self he would have reacted strongly enough. How would he react now?

Kyoko-chan. Leave it to her to put Sho in moods Shoko had never seen him have.

As the car started and they drove away Sho didn't notice how an old, nervous habit suddenly kicked in. He started pulling at his sleeves and twisted them.

"You're no different from my mother!"

The words rung throughout his head, loud and hard.

'That's not true,' he defended himself weakly. 'I never shielded away from your touch. I took your hand and never pushed you away no matter what.'

"You're no different from my mother!" Kyoko's voice screamed at him again.

'I am different! She left you all alone, but I was your friend and took care of you…'

"You're no different!"

Sho's stomach clenched and he felt sick. He sank even deeper into the seat. His hand crawled up his arm and grabbed his elbow tightly.

Since Shoko had somehow managed to cancel some interviews and been forced to only postpone a few, Sho mainly had the day off since they didn't have a meeting with The dead Saints until later at night. Still Sho wanted to go to the studio where he could have some time alone with his guitar.

The pop-star pretty much got out of the vehicle before his manager had even parked it properly and ran into the building. He got all the way to the corridor outside the studio before he ran into the one person he really didn't want to see; Kilill-san.

Kirill could admit that pain wasn't the only thing surviving a war had caused him. There was a lot of anger simmering just beneath the surface too. Thanks to Yuni and Ivy that anger had been cooling down over the years, but now, after hearing Mogami's voice explode and die just like a grenade… Kirill kept his arms crossed so that he wouldn't ruin the younger boy's face by planting his fist in it.

"So…" the Russian man started darkly, his voice resounding in Sho's chest. "What happened?"

"It's got nothing to do with you," Sho snapped at him and tried to walk past the taller man.

Kirill wouldn't have that. His fist made more than one crack in the wall. "Do not walk away from me, Fuva."

The music studio; Sho's sanctuary. At least it used to be. Now that he was trapped in it together with Kirill and Malin Sho wished he was anywhere but here.

He sat on the couch, eyes stubbornly fixed on the floor and mouth shut. Kirill stood leaning against the wall beside the locked door and Malin sat leaned back in a chair with arms and legs crossed.

Malin was first to break the heavy silence "Start talking, Fuwa. The sooner you spill the sooner you'll get out of this."

"There's nothing to say," Sho snapped.

"There is much to say," Kirill stated, his voice hard and cold. "What happened with you and Mogami?"

"Nothing."

The Russian band members were quiet for a while, but Sho could feel their eyes on him, drilling holes in his skin on their way to his heart. He felt like a mouse trapped in a snake hole.

He really wasn't going to get out until he told them?

"I…" Sho started, hesitating. The tight feeling in his chest tightened even more. "Kyoko and I…" He glanced up and saw Malin sit in front of him. She had a face and eyes of patience. She would sit and wait until he told her what she wanted to know. "As kids, we were friends, because she… Kyoko didn't have anybody else."

"Nobody?" Malin pressed.

Sho shook his head. "She said it was because I spent time with only her that girls hated her. My popularity was really vast already back then."

The look on Malin's and Kirill's faces said they were not impressed. Sho should have known better. No matter how many fans he had here in Japan, now he was talking to internationally known rock stars.

"So you took pity on her?" Malin queried, probably without ill intentions, but to Sho it sounded like she dared him to say yes.

"No. Our mothers were friends."

It was the truth. There was nothing more than that. The fact that Kyoko's mother treated her badly and refused to touch unless it was to forcefully pull her along didn't have anything to do with the friendship Sho had shared with Kyoko as a child.

Or did it?

Sho nervously pulled at his sleeves. He had never thought he took pity on Kyoko. Not even after that woman up and left. Sure, Sho had spent a lot of time with Kyoko then and had hardly ever left her alone, except for in school. Because she had needed to be distracted or else she'd cry. Working in the inn didn't always help keep her mind busy. But Kyoko was strong and always made it through. Sho had figured she'd taught herself to dwell in her dream world even during the days to endure the pain of being left behind, or maybe to only hide it away.

"So…" Kirill drawled. "Mogami's relationship with her mother. How is it?"

Sho flinched. Kyoko's words from earlier resounded in his head again. "I don't know," he said. "I don't think Kyoko's mom even wanted to be a mother."

Kirill looked at Malin. The woman murdered in Russia all those years ago was mistaken for Mogami Sana and caused the couple to separate. With such a background and from what Sho said Kirill was surprised the woman had even kept the child. Maybe she had been hoping for a reunion when she could proudly show the proof of their love. If that was true, then the situation was tragic for more than one reason.

Why do good intentions backfire so often?

"I believe you," Kirill said slowly. "Now you say what happened between you and Mogami."

"I told you! Nothing happened!"

"Liar."

Sho flinched again. Why was Kilill-san pressing this matter so hard?

"You asked me if I know who try to kill Mogami," the Russian man started, as if he'd heard the silent question and was explaining his reason. "I told you I think Mogami is trying to kill herself."

Malin's head whipped around to face her partner, but she said nothing. Sho felt like he was going to be sick and clenched his stomach. He'd never felt like this. He was afraid. The thought of Kyoko, his friend, his best friend disappearing forever scared him more than he thought it would.

"I'm afraid a sister of mine is involved."

"Huh?" Sho looked up blinking. "Sister? You have a sister? Here?" He blinked a few more times. "Didn't you say your sisters are gone?"

"I might have," Kirill admitted but couldn't remember when that could have happened. "But before I knew two of them are alive probably."

"And what do your sisters have to do with Kyoko?"

Kirill gave him a look. "Me cousin with Mogami; sister mine cousin with Mogami, automatic."

"That's not what I asked for!" Sho yelled, and only then did he notice the anger he felt. He couldn't do this. Kyoko couldn't take up this much of his energy. He was Fuwa Sho; the forever cool and composed next Japan's-hottest-guy for crying out loud!

"Sit down, Fuva," Kirill said, his voice deep and heavy on Sho's head. He had no choice but to obey.

"The situation hasn't changed since we locked you up in here, Fuwa," Malin said and leaned on her knees. "Tell us what happened between you and Mogami and we'll let you go, I promise you."

He did want to get out. Sho really wanted to be anywhere but here, but it was about Kyoko. There were a few things Sho simply didn't share with anybody, and Kyoko was one of those things. He'd never shared Kyoko, and now wasn't a good time to start.

"You can't protect her that way."

"Eh?"

Kirill's blue eyes had softened considerably. "I hear you, Fuva. You protect Mogami. But keeping her from me will save her not. Rather, it might get worse if you not let me in."

Sho swallowed and looked back down to the floor. That's when Malin suddenly stood up, unlocked the door and left, but Kirill locked it behind her again.

"So, now only I can hear. Tell me, Fuva."

The pop star kept his eyes down and fiddled with his sleeves, but Kirill could hear how his heavy defence was cracking open.

"She told me she's going back to Kyoto."

Kirill blinked. Sho's voice was low and reluctant, but the Russian man was quite sure he hadn't heart him wrong.

"Going back to Kyoto?"

Sho only nodded.

"That's it? She said nothing more?"

The younger fidgeted. "We… we had an argument," not totally true but not a lie either.

"And what happened?" Kirill pressed further.

"What usually happen when you fight?" Sho snapped and refused to say anything else. This was his business. Kyoko was only his business.

Kirill lowered his head in understanding, trying hard to not let his anger boil over and make him strangle the younger. He had said something important. "Would Mogami lie to you?" he asked through his teeth.

"Huh?" Sho blinked. Kyoko? Lie? As far as Sho was concerned Kyoko couldn't lie to save her life… but she was an actress now… "I don't think so," he answered quietly.

The room fell silent again, before Kirill suddenly unlocked the door.

"You're free to go," was all he said, and Sho hesitated only a second before he was out of the room.

Malin came back inside. "Well?"

The tall man sighed. "Bad news… and good ones."

"Take the good one first."

"Mogami is not suicidal. Fuva said she plans to go back to some place that sounded like her first name."

"Kyoto?" Malin suggested.

"Yeah, that's it."

The dark-skinned woman took a deep breath. "And the bad news is that Miss Mogami didn't take drugs and poison herself."

Kirill just rubbed his forehead. There was no need in stating the obvious. "Let's find Ivy and Yuni."

Kyoko-san had locked herself up in her longue all day, ever since Fuwa Sho came to see her. Not only that. Once she had come back from that meeting a number of heart-piercing wails had sounded from her room along with fists banging against the walls. The cries and banging had stopped after a while, but Kyoko-san hadn't answered to anyone knocking on the door asking if she was alright. The director had actually given the order to break the bloody door open to get to the girl, and only then had Kyuko-san responded.

"Leave me alone!" she had shrieked, loud and angrily through the door, accompanied by a hard bang on it.

Amamiya Chiori had stood on guard outside the longue all the time, staring holes in the door. She had debated on whether or not to call for Kotonami-san, but had dismissed the idea due to the lack of a phone number. Well, she hadn't thought of asking for it since they didn't actually work together. She figured she could call around, but didn't know exactly who to call or where to find somebody who had Kotonami-san's number. It was really pissing Chiori off.

But she was more worried. Kyoko-san had never acted like this. By the way; who was the idiot who had done this to her? It could ruin the filming and they only had permission to use L.M.E's "ball room" set for tonight because another movie had booked the bloody place for two weeks forward. They wouldn't get off work till early morning for crying out loud!

Chiori was writing furiously in her notebook when suddenly the door to Kyoko-san's longue opened, and there stood Natsu, without make-up, hair tied back in preparation of becoming the queen of the night. How did Kyoko-chan manage to look like her role even without make-up?

It was only the state of her eyes that gave her away.

"Yumika. It's almost time for the ball. Why are you here?"

"I was worried about you, so I decided to wait for you."

Natsu smiled gracefully. "Wasn't that nice of you. Have you seen the make-up lady by any chance? She was supposed to be here half an hour ago."

"I'll go get her," Chiori hurried to say and stood to leave.

"Thank you, Yumika," Natsu called after her.

Love-Me's third member just waved over her shoulder. Kyoko-san had been crying. The tender skin around her eyes and the redness of the otherwise bright sunset eyes were dead giveaways. Chiori bit her lip. Was it really fine for Kyoko-san to get on stage like that? It would take more than just make-up to hide the ugliness.

Needless to say the director was relieved to hear Kyoko-san had finally opened the door and was ready to act and he rushed to her longue along with the make-up lady to check on her.

The room was in a state. There wasn't much in there except for chairs and Kyoko-san's personal belongings. Everything lay scattered everywhere. Dolls mostly. Though interested by the dolls that looked like nothing the director had seen before, he ignored them to focus on the actress who sat prepared for make-up in front of the mirror.

"Yes?" she queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Kyoko-san, how are you feeling?"

For a while the girl just looked at him with those eyes ruined by crying, before she smiled a true, Natsu-joyous smirk. "Like never before, director. Tonight you will see me like never before. So what do you say?" Her smile was almost innocent as she leaned her head on her hand. "Shouldn't we both start getting prepared for the show?"

The director nodded before he really understood the words. "Yes," he said then and waved the make-up lady to him to whisper in her ear. "Make sure to fix her eyes."

"I will, director," the woman promised.

Ivy was getting tired. Kirill had just gathered the band for yet another Mogami meeting to inform them of the latest news.

"And you believe Kirra is involved in the attempt at Mogami's life?" the blind woman asked as much as stated.

"I wish I only suspected it, Ivy," Kirill responded. "But I'm absolutely certain Kirra has a hand in the game. That's why she showed herself to me, that's why she left Zoya with Mogami when she abducted me. I can bet my boots she's had me dancing to her tune ever since I arrived in Japan."

Yuni stood and stopped the younger man in the middle of his pacing. "Calm down, Kirill. Remember what I told you about stress?"

"If you feel it rising, drink water, sit down and concentrate on counting the cracks in the roof," the man rattled from memory.

"That's right. And how are you feeling right now?"

Point taken. Kirill took a deep breath and at least sat down. "Kirra won't be found if she doesn't want to. I've tried to call her but she's blocked me. I don't know what else to do."

"Start with answering this question," Yuni stated, still standing in front of her younger friend in case he tried to start pacing again. "Why would you sister want Miss Mogami dead?"

"How would I know? I don't know Kirra like I used to," Kirill snapped.

"Kirill," Ivy said, voice heavy with authority. "Listen to Yuni. Right now she is saying something sensible."

Whenever Yuni's kind treatment failed, Big Boss Ivy's authority always pulled Kirill back to the ground, although it most of the time moved him into the corner of shame.

"I'm sorry."

"Repeat your question, fighter," Ivy continued, referring to Yuni.

"Why would Kirra want Miss Mogami dead? Whatever would she gain from that?"

Kirill let the words sink in, asking himself the same questions. Why would Kirra want to kill Mogami Kyoko?

"I don't think she would gain anything," he said slowly after a long while.

"And you don't think she's been hired by someone?" Malin suddenly asked.

The entire room fell silent as wide eyes turned to the Egyptian woman.

"Possible," Kirill mumbled. "But who would?"

"We don't know," Ivy stated and stood. Now she was really tired and they hadn't finished work for today. "We've hit another dead end and we've got a talk-show to attend."

Everybody sighed. "Yes Big Boss."

It had taken a bit of time and great effort, but it paid off when Natsu walked onto set, more charismatic and beautiful than ever. Fuchsia was definitely her colour, and the white pearls in her hair and soft pink ones of the earrings only highlighted Kyoko's creamy skin. "Princess Rosa", as the girl called her necklace, hung proudly around her neck. Unless you knew what to look at you'd never be able to tell she had been crying all day.

The director tried to be gentle with her while not showing it and hoping that Kyouko-san's sharpness wouldn't pick up on his carefulness around her. That girl always kept an eye on everyone around her when she was on stand-by. Why she did that was a mystery though, and Box 'R's director hadn't thought of asking about it.

Luckily though she seemed to still be quite distressed. When in stand-by her eyes glazed over and she appeared to be completely shut off from the world. Still, one word was all it took to have her snap back into reality, or more precisely; back into her role.

After the first scene where Marumi-san entered the party and Natsu greeted her was OK without trouble the director thought he'd be able to breathe a little easier. But halfway through the evening he felt himself growing stressed and nervous. He kept glancing at Kyouko-san and some re-takes were because he lost focus. It was like there was a ticking bomb in the room named Kyouko-san. Any minute now she would break down and cry and they could all say goodbye to the rest of tonight's filming.

"Director. Are you alright?"

Natsu's sunset eyes calmly stared at him. He had forgotten to signal the end of the scene again!

"Argh! I can't take this anymore!"

Everybody rushed forward to see what was wrong. The director was sea gently seated in his chair and a cup of hot tea was placed in his hand.

"Director."

Kyouko… no Natsu's voice. She once again stood before him, looking mature and superior in her beautiful costume and make-up. She smirked playfully and tilted her head.

"Are you going to miss me?"

"Huh?" What was she saying?

"This is the last night. After tonight you won't see us anymore. This stress you feel… are you feeling forlorn perhaps?"

The director blinked and opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, causing Natsu to giggle a little.

"Director," she said and leaned forward slightly, allowing a small show of cleavage. "This is the last night. Let's make it worthwhile."

The man in the chair at first couldn't answer at all. Kyouko-san; the reason for his collapse to begin with was doing the consoling! He so wanted to know how she did it. His focus returned. Obviously Kyouko-san was strong and professional enough to ignore her personal issues.

He chuckled to himself. "You're right, Natsu-san." His eyes lifted to meet her smirking face with his own determined one. "Let's make it worthwhile."

The clock showed the time 3.45 am when Kyoko sneaked through the back door of Daruma-Ya. She only had about four hours to sleep before she had to go to her next set. The last few scenes of Always a child would be shot today.

In her room Kyoko slowly changed into her pj and readied her futon. She was tired. Really tired. Still.

The daruma doll stared sadly at her from its place on the bookcase. It probably knew as well as Kyoko herself did. There would never be a second eye painted on it.

Kyoko pulled out the trashcan. Okami-san had emptied it recently it seemed, because there was nothing inside it.

The daruma doll became trash. "My dream."

Sho's poster was picked down from the wall and slowly torn into pieces. "My goal."

Kyoko had saved the empty make-up things Moko-san had gotten for her birthday. A secret she had also kept was a button from the rooster Bou's costume after Tsuruga-san had torn the hat off its head. Bridge Rock hadn't tried to contact her after their last encounter. No surprise really.

She threw away everything.

"My friends."

The poster of Tsuruga Ren was also taken down from the wall, torn to pieces and thrown into the trash, closely followed by the tear-shaped Princess Rosa.

"Why did you lie to me?"

Kyoko closed her eyes tightly and fought the feeling rising in her throat.

Corn lay quietly in his purse, waiting for his turn. Kyoko wordlessly pulled the minimal purse out of her bag and stared at it. She had bought this purse because it was so perfect for Corn to sleep in. It still was, but ever since Tsuruga-san's lips had touched it Kyoko had kept it in the purse to protect herself from the newly added magic.

Now Kyoko opened the purse and Corn fell out into her hand. Nothing happened. The stone looked black in the darkness, like everything else. The feelings didn't change. Corn possessed no magic. It was only stupid, gullible little Kyoko as always. Now that the memory of Corn had shattered into glass shards scattered all over the road she tried to walk with bare feet, the stone felt cold as ice in her hand.

"Everything that I believed in."

Corn joined the rest of the trash, dark and cold inside a minimal purse, and Kyoko silently cried herself to sleep.