Thunderbolt
By DrummondType2
There was a buzzing in Ran Mitake's ears, and she felt dizzy. There was a sharp pain in her head, and her back and ribs ached as she tried to draw breath. She tried to open her eyes, only to see an afterimage in her field of vision.
"Ran, don't move," she heard a frantic voice through the buzzing in her head, but she couldn't tell who was speaking.
"Wha…?" She managed.
She felt a pair of hands firmly pin her shoulders to the ground, and the stern voice of Yukina Minato broke through the swirling discomfort.
"Hold very still, Mitake. You could hurt yourself further if you try and move. An ambulance is on the way."
"Everything hurts," Ran managed. She heard sobbing, "Is that Tsugumi? Is she alright?"
"It's Aoba," Yukina said, "Don't worry about that, right now. Your job is to hold still."
"Found it!" someone else said, "Someone plugged the mic and the amps into different sockets! There was an imbalance between the two, so when Ran touch the mic stand with her guitar strings… The same thing happened to Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 1965."
"Thank you, Yamato-san," Yukina said flatly, "Please make sure to tell CHU2 what you found. I'm sure it will interest her to learn that her staff came very close to killing Ran Mitake."
That's right, Ran reflected, CHU2 invited us to her new club to try to make amends for all the crap she pulled.
"My arm hurts," Ran said.
"I imagine it does," Yukina said, not unsympathetically, "You took a hefty dose of 220 off of your mic stand. But worse than that is the fact that you were flung into Udagawa's drum set. I'm fairly sure you have a concussion, Mitake. So don't move. Here's the paramedics, now."
Ran was gently placed on a gurney, and wheeled off. CHU2 came out on stage, apologizing to the crowd, "But due to technical issues, the rest of tonight's event has been cancelled. Please, accept our apologies again, and present your ticket stubs below for a full refund."
As soon as the crowd filed out, CHU2 turned on the technicians, "WHO SET UP THE EQUIPMENT?! These girls are here as my personal guests, a means of fostering goodwill between a variety of bands. So, who among you is responsible for nearly killing Ran Mitake!? Any IDIOT knows you don't put the amp and the mic in different sockets!"
"CHU2," Yukina said flatly, "That's enough. You have security cameras. They'll tell you who did it. But it was the job of the bands to verify the setup. We were careless, and Mitake paid the price for it.
"From now on, I think it wise if we all make sure to double check the equipment. Certainly, that's a lesson that Afterglow and Roselia will be taking to heart."
"Were you hurt at all, sis?" Ako asked Tomoe. Tomoe had been sitting at her drums when the electrical jolt had thrown Ran back into the drum kit.
"I caught a cymbal to the head, but it's just a scratch," Tomoe said, "I was more worried about Ran. I damn near had a heart attack when she got flung like that. Moca, you okay?"
Tsugumi was holding Moca, who was still crying, "Do you think…she'll be okay?"
"I think that Mitake will be fine," Yukina walked off the stage, "Nothing seemed broken, and she didn't appear to be bleeding from any injuries. I suspect that she'll be restricted to bed rest, which, knowing her, will irritate her far more than being hurt to begin with."
"Should we all go see her?" Lisa asked. She'd already seen the worried faces on PoPiPa, Pastel Palettes, and Hello Happy World in the break room.
"That won't be necessary," Yukina said, "Or even pragmatic. Twenty-four girls crowding into Mitake's bedroom to check up on her? I think we'd cause more problems than we'd solve.
"I fully expect that all of Afterglow will drop by to check up on her. One representative from each of the other groups can go to look in on her while she recovers."
Lisa smiled, "Did you want that honor for yourself?"
Yukina shook her head, "Ako knows Mitake better. After all, her sister is one of Mitake's closest friends. Let her look in on her for Roselia."
"I'll represent Hello Happy World," Misaki Okusawa said, "I don't know that Ran would want to contend with Kokoro, and I'm worried that Kaoru would try to spirit her off somewhere."
"I'll handle Pasupare," Hina chimed in.
"I'll represent PoPiPa," Sayaa said, "She's always in our shop with Moca, anyway, so I know her from outside the band."
888
"You have a mild concussion, bruised ribs, a minor laceration just below your left shoulder blade, and a first degree burn along your right forearm.
"I realize that it doesn't feel like it, but you were most fortunate. At least, in terms of how severe your injuries are. It could have been much worse.
"We'll prescribe some pain killers, but mostly, I recommend four or five days of bed rest."
Ran sighed, "Seriously, Doctor?"
"Yes. I mean it. You've received a serious shock to your system. You need to rest and give your body a chance to heal, young lady. That being said, I don't believe any of the damage is permanent…provided you follow my instructions."
"Let's go home, Ran," her father said, gently, "I imagine your friends will want to hear how you're doing."
"Dad, listen, I…"
"I won't try to use this as an excuse to ask you to quit your band," her father smiled at her, "I told you before, I understand your passion for it, and so I won't oppose it. Still, I think you'll have to be a bit more cautious with your equipment. One of your friends explained it to me. I didn't know things like that could happen."
Ran gave a snort, "Yeah, it's not all that common, but there are a few well known incidents. George Harrison of the Beatles had it happen to him. And Ace Frehley of KISS. In my case, someone plugged the mic and the guitar amp into different outlets, and there was a power imbalance. So, when my guitar made contact with the mic stand…POW!"
"Well, You know what happened, so that should make it easy enough to avoid in the future," Her father then surprised her by turning and hugging her, "Just don't scare me like that again, Ran. Your father's poor heart couldn't take it."
She surprised herself by hugging him back, "Yeah. Well, I wasn't too happy with it, either."
She woke the next morning to find Moca in her room. She was standing up, but her eyes were closed, and she was snoring. Ran sighed, smiling. She rose, painfully, from her bed, and scooted Moca over to the edge of the bed. She tapped her until Moca fell over into the bed. Then Ran climbed in behind her and hugged her from behind.
"Troublemaker," Ran sighed contentedly at her friend, closing her eyes.
"Yours for as long as you'll feed me," Moca returned.
"Yeah, yeah. Shush, now. I'm supposed to be resting. Doctor's orders. Besides, I have a feeling we're going to have company before too long."
She was right. It was about an hour later when the rest of Afterglow showed up in her bedroom. Tsugumi looked like she was on the verge of crying.
"I'm going to live, Tsugu," Ran chuckled.
"She's just being Tsugulicious," Moca yawned, "It's fine."
"Ran…" Tomoe began. Ran noticed a bruise on the top part of Tomoe's forehead.
"Sorry about your drums, Tomoe," Ran looked sheepish, "I guess I kinda trashed them?"
"S'cool. CHU2 paid for a new set, already. I hear she also paid the medical bills, too. She can be surprisingly generous when she wants to be."
"She's just feeling bad because I got hurt," Ran yawned, "It's fine. She'll be the CHU2 we all know so well in a day or two.
"Oh, hi, Ako."
"G-good morning, Ran," Ako Udagawa looked oddly shy.
Ran smirked, "It's okay to be in character, Ako. I'm not dying. Seriously."
"Told ya," Tomoe nudged her sister with a grin.
Ako perked up, "Hail and well met, Ran Mitake, who hath stared the Reaper in the face and lived to tell the tale. In days to come we shall speak of your glimpse beyond the veil."
"Seriously though, you're okay, Ran?" Himari asked.
"And she's being Hii-tastic," Moca muttered from under a pillow.
Ran met Himari's smile, "Same as always."
"Mistress Yukina sends her regards," Ako handed Ran an envelope with black lace on violet pattern. Ran tore open the envelope. A neatly written letter and an SD card fell out on the bed covers.
Mitake,
Since Ako is probably on one of her tangents again, undoubtedly at your insistence of maintaining normalcy, I want you to know that the whole of Roselia wishes you a swift recovery.
We may have different philosophies when it comes to music, but finding a stage without you on it to challenge me doesn't even bear thinking of.Also, tell Moca it didn't count. You'll understand what I'm talking about later.
Sincerely,
Yukina Minato.
P.S., I've included an SD card with a song inspired by you. I hope you like it. It's called PASSIONATE ANTHEM and we were going to debut it last night, but your well-being took priority.
Ran folded up the letter, smiling.
The members of Aftergow had left, save Moca, who was fussing about her room. Tidying, of all things. Moca Aoba, tidying.
I'm going to have to undo all of that, later, if I ever want to find anything, Ran thought to herself.
Still, it wasn't that she didn't understand. Moca was her closest friend in a group of close friends. She was more than that, in fact. And she was filling her time with busywork so that she could keep an eye on Ran. Basically, the ivory-haired girl was worried about her after last night's close call.
It was shortly after lunch when a group consisting of members of the other bands arrived to check on her.
"If you see Kokoro, please tell her Michelle came to cheer you up, too," Misaki pleaded.
Ran chuckled at that, "Will do."
"I brought some goodies from Yamabuki Bakery," Sayaa said, "With a couple of extras in there for Moca, since I figured she'd be here doting on you."
"Sayaariffic," Moca shot her a thumbs up.
"Anyway, Kasumi says she hopes you're doing alright. Tae says that you've just survived every guitarist's worst nightmare…"
"Well, actually, my worst nightmare is finding myself naked on stage and Roselia in the audience," Ran said flatly, "But yeah, mic to amp electrocution is up there, for sure."
"…And Rimi bought a huge arrangement of flowers for you from your Dad's school."
A huge bouquet of flowers was brought into the room, "And then the other members of the other bands added to it, and then the students at the school pitched in with their own well wishing, so…"
"It's beautiful," Ran said sincerely, "Thanks, guys."
"And Pastel Palettes all wish you well, Ran-chan," Hina glomped her, but gently, "That was so scary. And Maya is working with CHU2 on a new stage design to make that sort of thing's impossible at her club ever again. And you got a sympathy card from LAYER and MASKING, and Rokka is coming by later to check on you for Raise A Suilen's own satisfaction. PAREO sends her best, too. At least…I think that's what she said through all the crying."
"Wow, Ran, you've actually got a lot of friends, these days," Moca smiled at her.
"Yeah," Ran agreed, "It's a good feeling."
She made sure to let the representatives of each band know that she was fine, that her injuries weren't that serious, and that she'd definitely return as soon as she was cleared.
"You fall off the horse, you get right back on, right?" Ran said, then looked absolutely panic stricken for the first time since the whole thing began, "My Les Paul!"
"Maya is checking it over," Hina said reassuringly, "It doesn't seem like anything was shorted or fried, though there was a contact burn on the strings from where they touched the mic stand, so she's replacing those for you. Hang on."
Hina texted May on her phone, then gave a sigh of relief when the reply came through, "She says none of the internals were damaged, and the strings have been replaced. She'll drop it off for you tomorrow."
"Thank goodness," Ran sat back in relief, "Looks like we both weathered the storm."
They took their leave, and Ran relaxed back in her bed. Moca continued to fuss about the room.
"Moca," Ran sighed, "I'm alright. Really."
"But…"
Ran patted the bed beside her, and Moca came and sat down. Ran leaned over so that her forehead was resting on Moca's shoulder.
"I'm okay. I survived this, and I'm going to get better."
She felt something fall on her hand, and looked up to see Moca crying.
"When…when you flew across the stage, I thought….I thought for sure you were dead."
Ran smiled, shaking her head, "Not my time. You were there."
"I was useless!" Moca protested, "I was an absolute panicked mess! When it happened, it was Yukina Minato who took charge. Ran…there was a moment when you weren't breathing. Just a short moment. Yukina…she…She did mouth-to-mouth on you, and…"
Suddenly the line in Yukina's note made perfect sense, and Ran, despite her injuries and pain, started laughing. Loudly and longly, "Moca! Mouth-to-mouth doesn't count as a first kiss. Yukina said as much in her letter."
"But it was still her who saved you, Ran! And bless her for doing it, but…I felt so useless. So helpless!"
"Moca Aoba may not have saved my life," Ran hugged her, "But her being here by my side IS a life-saver. Don't worry about it, Moca. I'm sure the others are just as upset that they don't get to tell me that they're the ones who saved me. Though, out of all of you, I'm surprised it wasn't Tomoe who did the mouth-to-mouth. She's got a kid sister, after all. I figured she learned all that stuff."
"She was sorta out cold for a second, too," Moca admitted, "She took a Ran to the head. She came to pretty quick, but Yukina was already doing what needed to be done, by then."
"Sounds like I need to thank Minato when I see her again."
Moca smirked, "She was awfully cool when she took charge. But I guess that's what she does naturally.
"Still, we're all grateful that you're alive, Ran. We all thought we lost you, last night."
"I'm not going anywhere. And I'm not wasting this opportunity, either. Hang on…Moca, have you seen my writing pad, anywhere?"
"Here's one," Moca handed it to her, "What's up?"
"I just had a near-death experience. I'm doing what any singer/songwriter would do! I'm putting it to song!"
She scribbled furiously with her pen at the paper, flipping the page at one point, and then writing with quiet intensity, the only sound the pen scratching on the paper.
"Done!" Ran said triumphantly, passing the pad to Moca to read.
ThunderboltI faced down the Reaper and lived to tell
But I'll never say what I saw behind the veil
Brought back from the edge by a rival's embrace
Look up to the sky and wipe the tears from your face
Death, He tried to claim me
But He couldn't tame me
Too many people need me here right now!
I'm not going anywhere
So long as you're still there
Not even the grave would hold me down!
I rode a Thunderbolt and fell
But my friends dragged me back from hell
Thunderbolt struck me down
But I can't die with you around
Walking the line 'tween life and death
Brought back to life on borrowed breath
Death, don't you take me for granted
My feet are firmly planted
You can't take me from my friends
That's not how the story ends.
Moca looked at Ran, and smiled, "We can revise it later. You've just been through a shocking experience."
She leaned over, and kissed her gently, Ran knew it was coming, and embraced Moca, accepting the kiss. There was a warmth and tingle between them, which Ran hesitated to think of as "electrifying".
"Now that," Ran's scarlet eyes glimmered, "counts as a sacred first kiss."
"Wow. Super Ran-tastic. Totally rock-and-roll, y'know. Get some rest."
It was a week later that Ran bumped into Yukina at school.
"Mitake," Yukina nodded curtly.
"Minato," Ran nodded back.
"Glad to see you still among the living."
"Yeah, Moca says I have you to thank for that."
"There's a shortage of talented musicians in the world," Yukina shrugged, "And I simply can't have you dying on me before you see me reach the top."
"You'll find me and Afterglow waiting for you there," Ran grinned. Yukina allowed herself a smile.
"Will I? Well, I'll let you have it for a day, seeing as how I gave you enough wind to make the climb."
Ran blushed, and Yukina smiled a little more broadly.
"I liked your new song," Ran said, "We're doing a gig at Galaxy tonight to celebrate my recovery. I have a new song, too. You're welcome to come hear it."
"I may at that," Yukina smiled, "See you there, Mitake."
The two of them parted, and Ran met up with her other bandmates, Moca throwing her arms around her.
"Let's stop by Yamabuki on our way to Galaxy," Moca suggested as they walked off.
"Yamabuki isn't on the way to Galaxy from here," Tomoe pointed out.
"That's alright. Call it a roundabout trip," Moca said, "The chocolate coronets are calling."
"Yeah, yeah," Ran grinned, "Same as always. Just like how we're gonna play tonight."
"Yeah," Tomoe leaned on Ran, "Only this time, find a different way to light up the stage."
They all laughed as they walked along into the light of the setting sun.