Never in her life did Momo think that there would be an awkward moment between her and Toshiro. Both of them, plus Mio, have been close since they were kids. They have been through the best and the worst together, and through it all, their bond only got stronger.

She truly believed they would never have a reason to be uncomfortable with each other. Seems she was wrong.

For the last couple of minutes, the call between them was completely quiet. After exchanging greetings, Momo and Toshiro had gone mute. With neither of them knowing how to start the conversation.

She had a feeling that it was because of the distance she put between for so long.

Momo gulped. "So..."

Immediately after speaking, Toshiro interrupted her with a sudden outburst. "How did you know about what happened with Mio?"

Taken a little aback, she replied cautiously. "Kuchiki-san visited me today. He told me how Mio has carpal tunnel and that he needed to have the surgery."

Momo could hear him sigh on the other end. She had an image in her head of him pinching the bridge of his nose like he always did when he was frustrated.

"I can't believe he did that. I told him to hold it off."

"You didn't know he was coming?"

"I knew he planned to. We even agreed that I would go with him to deliver the news."

"Really?" Momo didn't want to sound so surprised at the thought of Toshiro coming to see her. They were friends after all. "I kind of wish he stuck to that plan. Would have made hearing all that a little easier."

"I am so sorry, Momo." The tone in his voice sounded so sad. It made her chest ache a bit.

"I know you are, Shiro."

She hadn't said she forgave him, but she did call him by his nickname. He took that as a good sign.

Things shifted again to an awkward silence. Toshiro didn't know how, but he could tell that she was in deep thought about all this. He wanted to insist that she could talk to him, but with the way things are, he didn't want to force it.

Finally, she spoke. "Kuchiki-san also told me about Mio's request."

"Request?"

"About me taking over for him while he was away."

He went silent. Over the line, Momo could hear him curse under his breath. She guessed that he wasn't aware of that either.

"Shiro?"

"I'm here. I just..." He took a long breath. "I can't believe Kuchiki went along with that."

Now that she thought about it, it was odd that that man who was such a stickler for rules would go along with a plan that broke a very important one.

"Why didn't Mio ask me himself?" She suddenly asked.

Toshiro sighed. "Well, things got complicated rather quickly. He had to rush over to the hospital before the press caught onto what's going on. He also didn't want to risk getting tracked, so he left his electronics behind."

Momo couldn't argue with that. The worst part about being famous is how far the press and media will go to get a juicy story. She's starting to think that that's the reason why her own business showed up on Gossip Celeb.

"I see." She paused. "I don't know if I can do it. I haven't played in front of an audience for a long time."

Singing had once been her passion. She used to think that there was nothing that could compare with the feeling she got when she was on stage. The rush and excitement of it all; it was like something out of a dream. She always thought that joy could never be taken from her, but she was wrong.

After losing her father and being betrayed by a man she once admired, the very thought being in front of an audience was just too frightening. She's lost her courage and motivation. And it was that new-found fear and anxiety that just made her feel completely defeated.

"Momo, nobody is forcing you to do this." He said softly. "It's a lot to ask, especially with what you've been through. Please don't think you have no choice in all this."

Momo suddenly realized that she didn't want to talk about this anymore. If anything, she just wanted to forget that Byakuya even came over today and go back to being oblivious about everything going on around her. At least then she wouldn't have this big decision weighing over her.

"I think..." She tried to hide the whimper in her voice. Pausing to regain her composure. "I just need some time."

'Funny,' She thought. 'I seem to be saying that to everyone today.'

"Alright." Toshiro sounded disappointed, but she knew he wouldn't push her. "Can I call you again tomorrow? Not to talk about this, but just to talk? I've missed you."

Momo knew she was blushing, yet she still tried to deny it. "Yeah. I'd like that."

She heard him sigh on the other end. To her, it sounded content.

"Thank you." He replied, relieved. "Goodnight, Momo."

Hearing him say her name again made her heart flutter. "Goodnight Shiro."

After she hung up, Momo found that her sleepiness had subsided. So she was left to ponder on what she could do now.

Glancing at Tobiume, which was still at the end of her bed, she decided she wanted to play again. For the first time in months, she wanted to play her guitar. That thought alone sent a small wave of excitement over her.

After she positioned it in front of her, she grabbed her headphones from her nightstand and connected them to her phone. Scrolling through the many playlists she had, she decided to listen to 'Shinigami'. She wasn't sure if it was because she missed her brother or because she finally talked to her best friend, but she just decided that she needed to hear their music.

So she pressed shuffle and settled back against her pillows. Then she started playing along with Mio's guitar solos on Tobiume and sang alone to Toshiro's voice.

You witnessed a sadness that you didn't have to see, and now
You're passing the time holding back tears that you don't have to hold back
Unable to live with just the truth
We're not that strong, we don't have to be strong
Alright?

Momo continued to play and sing along for hours. That is before she eventually felt her fingers becoming sure and her eyelids feeling heavier.

By the time midnight came, she was fast asleep. Headphones still in and music still playing.

Bright lights were shining upon the stage in front of them. Momo could hear the shouts of hundreds of people from the side of the stage, where her father had them.

He had explained the rules over and over again on their way here, yet he still thought they needed to hear them one more time just as he was about to take the stage.

Hatori was kneeling in front of his children with a hand on each of their shoulders. "No wandering off. No running on to the stage. Stay with Shunsui and Jushiro. If you need anything, just tell them. Okay? Do you think you two can do that for me?"

Both Mio and Momo nodded their heads. Never being the type to disobey their father.

Hatori smiled and pulled them in for a hug. "Thanks for being such good kids."

The three of them stayed like that until Shunsui called out to their father. "Hey, Hatori. It's time."

Momo heard her father sigh in disappointment. He pulled away from them and kissed each on the forehead before straightening up. Taking his guitar from Jushiro, he gave his kids one last look of content.

"See you in a bit."

The minute Hatori walked out, the crowd went crazy. Momo and Mio both rushed to take a peek and were able to get just a glance before the two men in charge pulled them back.

"Now, now kiddos. You don't want to break any of your daddy's rules, right?" Shunsui asked.

The twins looked at each other before nodding their heads in agreement. They were still in the phase where they would only talk to each other and their father.

Jushiro smiled when they stepped back to their spot. "They listen so well, considering they're only five."

Shunsui nodded. "Yep. Even though it was all unexpected, Hatori has turned into quite the father."

"Remember how nervous he was when they came along? He almost started hyperventilating."

"I don't blame him. He was only twenty-three and he hadn't seen," Shunsui paused to glance at the children, making sure they were listening. "You-know-who in a year. Then she suddenly drops two babies off at his door."

Jushiro quickly shushed him when notice Momo glancing back at them. They both smiled and waved at her, to which she just nodded and turned back to the stage.

The white-haired man waited until he was sure that she was only focused on her father. "It might have been a surprise, but I don't think Hatori regrets it. I can see how happy he is now."

Shunsui hummed in agreement. "The happiest I've ever seen him."

The twins, who were only half listening to what the men were saying, suddenly became entranced when their father opened the concert with his most recent hit.

Quietly, quietly, night's curtain is being scythed,
As a sapphire flare appears in the dawn of awakening

Both Momo and Mio watched in awe as their father played with such fervor. They had only seen a small glance of this side of him when they went to the recording studio with him or when they spied on him writing songs in his office back home. This though was completely different.

Their father played so naturally and so effortlessly. Like he was in his world, creating something so beautiful and mysterious. They weren't the only ones who thought so either. The audience had somehow gotten louder and was cheering their father's name over and over. Admiring him; worshiping him.

Momo was only broken from her trance when she felt her brother grab her hand and squeeze it too hard. She was about to tell him to ease up when she saw the look on his face. It was the first time she had seen her brother look so thrilled yet determined; like her about to burst from exhilaration.

"Mo-chan. I want to be just like dad when I grow up. I want to be a big star and share my own music with the world!" He yelled out. With all the noise, she seemed to be the only one that heard him. "We can do it together! Nothing could stop up if we're together! What do you say?"

She was shocked at his request. Glancing back at their father and seeing how elated he was from performing and hearing the cheers meant for him, she couldn't help but want the same happiness for both her and Mio. Turning back to him, she returned his grin with one of her own.

"Yeah! Let's do it, together!"

Mio then held up his pinky finger out to her. "Promise?"

She didn't hesitate to link her pinky with his. "Of course!"

Thus began Momo's and Mio's dream of wanting to become just like their father.

Momo's eyes slowly fluttered open just as her dream came to an end. Her voice was hoarse as she whispered out. "Mio."

As she tried to sit up, she saw that Tobiume was still on top of her and that the music was still playing from her headphones.

She put her guitar to the side and paused the music on her dying phone. The memory of seeing her first concert was still fresh in her mind, but she wondered why she would dream that at all.

Even though it's been a while since she thought about it, she could still remember everything that came after that concert. Mio and Momo had begged their father to teach them how to play and how to write sings, and their father didn't put up much of a fight about it. His one condition is that their grades at school had better not suffer because they were too focused on music. They held up their end of the deal quite easily.

As they grew up, Mio and Momo soon began writing their songs without the help of their father. By the time they were eighteen and had graduated from high school, Hatori had retired from performing and started working more behind the scenes. He managed them and produced their music, giving them the start they needed. Within a year, everyone had heard about 'Hinamori Twins'. The identical duo who would carry on their father's music legacy.

They had performed together for a couple of years before deciding to go in different directions. They hadn't fought, they just knew that their music styles and goals were too different. So Momo went on solo while Mio started 'Shinigami'. A band formed of all their closest friends.

Hatori had supported them through everything. However, not being able to manage them both and not willing to pick just one of his children he had a couple of his closest friends, Sousuke Aizen and Byakuya Kuchiki, take over in his place.

The three of them remained close. Always putting certain days aside to spend together, attending each other's performances, helping however they could when they were going through hard times. Everything was perfect.

Until it wasn't.

After Hatori passed and things started to crumble between the twins, Aizen betrayed the trust both her and her father put in him. The man she looked up to, the person who had always been so caring and supportive of her, went behind her back and nearly ended her career.

Momo still considers herself lucky that she was able to figure out what was going on before things had gone too far. However, she was still crushed that she had lost yet another important person in her life.

She suddenly felt something warm and wet roll down her cheek. It took her a moment to realize that she was crying.

"Not again." She said to herself. Quickly wiping the tears with her sleeve.

Not wanting to cry about all this again, she set her focus back on the dream she had. She remembered the promise she and Mio made, just as she remembers how hard both of them worked to make their dream into a reality. It got her thinking about everything from the day before.

She knew for a fact that her career was put on hold ad it was still unknown when, or if, it would continue. Could she do the same thing to her brother?

Things have indeed been rocky between them, but Momo knew she could never be the one to put all of Mio's hard work in danger. She couldn't accept that.

She knew now what her choice was; that it was never even a question.

When Shinji walked into Momo's loft, he was beyond surprised by several things.

First, the whole place looked spotless. Especially compared to how it looked yesterday. He was sure that he even saw some of the furniture sparkle.

Second, all the curtains had been opened. Bringing in a natural glow that lit up the entire loft. It had been months since he had seen so much light in here.

And lastly, the most surprising by far, Momo was up and dressed already. She was sitting on her couch, almost like she was waiting for him, with her guitar next to her. Another thing he hasn't seen in months.

"Momo?" He asked cautiously. "What's going on? You okay?"

"Hirako-san. I've made a decision."

Shinji froze on the spot. "Are you sure? It's only been one night."

She nodded. "If it's not too much trouble, could you please give Kuchiki-san a call? I need you to give him a message for me."

"And what would that been exactly?" Despite asking, Shinji already had an idea what it was.

Momo looked him straight in the eye and told him with a look of determination he hasn't seen in a long time.

"Tell him, I'll become Mio from now on."

The songs used in this chapter were (in order of):

- 'Velonica' by Aqua Timez
- 'Melody of the Wild Dance' by SID

I do not own any of these songs. They are the property of their respected artists.

I hope you enjoyed!

-GoddessOfImagination