(Just a note before I start this chapter, the song enclosed was NOT, I repeat NOT written by me. It happens to be a beautiful song that was on Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon… er whatever that movie was called. It's called "A Love Before Time" imagine that, and is a very very good download. I suggest getting it so you know exactly how it goes with the story, make sure you get the English version although the Chinese is good too. Anyway, on with the show.)

Serena was up and gone before Mamoru had woken the next morning, a first for her but she had been having problems sleeping that entire night. Quietly as possible she tucked the bed, folded up the blankets and left his folded clothes on top of that. IN the kitchen she found a notepad with which she could leave a note. On it she just apologized for leaving without saying goodbye but left their hotel and room number in case he needed her for anything, such as validating the tickets she'd given him. Then before she managed to do something that would rouse him she left locking the door behind her.

In all honesty Serena never expected to hear from any of them again and was both shocked and amazed when the concierge at the front desk phoned up to the room during the middle of a rehearsal that there was a young gentleman who wanted to see Serena in the lobby. Amanda cracked a couple of jokes along with the boys as Serena told them off and left to go meet him. At the lobby she looked around for a dark haired man but was disappointed to see him no where in sight and at first thought it had been a joke. The concierge waved her over then tapped on the shoulder of a person who had their back to them both.

"Miss Haruka!" Serena exclaimed and the concierge blushed when he realized his mistake. Haruka nodded her head and walked away from the desk expecting Serena to follow which she did. Once out of hearing range of the man she stopped and held out her hand to Serena. In it was a roll of money, her winnings from the race.

"I wanted to apologize for the race, you're right it was a dirty trick. You and your foster family handed themselves extremely well and I wanted to tell you that." That said the girl turned on her heel and headed for the door. Serena looked at the money she'd taken then at Haruka's back.

"Hey!" She called after her. Haruka stopped and turned halfway to look back. "You race pretty good for a girl." She said with a grin, one Haruka caught and returned.

"So do you." She called back before leaving. Serena waved and went back to their practice.

Despite the last minute changes made to their program everything was going exceptionally well for the Copper Moons and the Silver Star, although they decided that if they ever sang anywhere again they would have to change the name. The day of the concert dawned bright and hot but the heat didn't dampen their spirits as they all trouped over to the Tokyo Dome for some last minute rehearsing. They practiced their moves and where they would stand on stage until they could take up the little colored pieces of tape they'd originally put on the stage. Before heading out to dinner Serena looked out over the space that would soon begin filling with people and was awed by how many people would be coming just to hear them sing. Well, not just them but still it was a lot.

"Don't let it get to you." One of the stage crew caught her looking and came up next to her on the stage. It was a small young girl with unruly blond hair and a Brooklyn accent. Serena smiled happy to recognize someone from America. "Even if they don't like you they'll clap." She joked and gave Serena a thumbs up and Serena laughed.

"Well that's reassuring." It wasn't really but it would do no good to think about it. They had three hours until they took their opening spots, three hours for her to turn herself into a nervous wreck.

"Serena breathe." Amanda of all people was trying to calm Serena down half an hour before the show. They were all backstage in the portioned off area for them changing and putting on the final touches. Those of course had to be approved by Amanda who insisted on glittering Serena within an inch of her life. "Serena, it's going to be fine, just breathe." Serena was breathing, but not much else.

"Serena look at me." Adam came over and put his hands on her shoulders so that she was focusing on him entirely. "Remember when we were back in California and we sang in front of all those people?" She nodded, of course she did that's what ended them up here. "Remember how easy that was? We had no problems singing in front of all those people and they actually knew what we were saying. Half the people in that audience out there," He gestured to where they could hear the crowd beyond the stage, "do not speak English and even more of them are tone deaf, they'd have to be to stand the speakers the Offspring use." Serena smiled at that, those speakers were very loud. "It's in the bag girl, we just gatta stand up there and make noise." He said which was partially true. But then again he wasn't doing the final number. Even so she still took it to heart, straitened up and nodded taking a deep breath.

"It's in the bag." She repeated and tried to settle her nerves. Amanda came back with another blush brush loaded with glitter and she started dusting Serena's hair again since she'd shaken most of it out. After another fifteen minutes of Amanda's ministrations Serena decided that she'd rather be out there on stage in front of all those people than being drowned in glitter. What did she do buy the industrial size?

"Ten minutes, places everyone." Someone came back to tell them before scurrying on their way. Serena could look up over the stage and see the lighting people climbing up to where they would control the lights. Yes it was time. As she and the others made their way to the far side of the stage she felt a calm fill her, just like before a race. That was something she could identify with, this was just a different sort of race.

The crowd was deafening as illuminated by black lights they made their way on stage. Amanda and Serena waved why they made their way to their spots and Serena ran her fingers over the keyboard making sure she remembered how to play. Happily she did, the hundreds of faces looking up at her hadn't made her forget, thank GOD! As they started up their first song, and the stage lights almost blinded them, Serena quickly began to feel better. She and the others played better than they had ever before spurned on by the approval of all those who had pay to come. They made their way through the first four songs so quickly Serena almost forgot to move when the last song came up.

Now weeks before they had been scheduled to leave on this trip she had started dreaming again of those blue eyes that she had never really forgotten. Those had been the inspiration for a song that the others had insisted that she sing by herself with them as backup singers during only part of the song. Now as she made her way up the mike in the center of the stage she looked over the crowd and tried not to be frightened as for the first time she was alone. Someone else had taken her spot at the keyboard and someone else that had been hired by the Radio company came out with a cello.

Once everyone had been arranged the first opening strains hit the air and the crowd quieted to hear what Serena had to sing.

If the sky opened up for me,
And the mountains disappeared,
If the seas run dry, turned to dust
And the sun refused to rise

I would still find my way,
By the light I see in your eyes
The world I know fades away
But you stay

And here Amanda and the others began to sing the backup. During the small pause that Serena had she closed her eyes and imagined those blue eyes that she kept seeing in that recurring dream. In her minds eye they looked so real, like she could reach out and touch them but as she stood there on the stage looking at those blue eyes she knew that they were to far away.

As the earth reclaims it due
And the cycle starts anew
We'll stay, always

Serena was on her own again yet she barely noticed as those eyes were still in front of her almost like they were listening to her words wanting to hear what she had to say.

In the love that we have
Shared before time

            There was another long pause while the music played before the final part of the song during this she closed her eyes to look at those blue eyes again but she found that she had a harder time seeing them than when they were open. The rhythm of the music moving her she swayed and opened her eyes to find that those blue eyes were out there again watching her.

If the years take away
Every memory that I have
I would still know the way

That would lead me back to your side

The north star may die
But the light that I see in your eyes
Will burn there always

Lit by the love we have
Shared before time

It had taken her almost the whole song to finally realize that those beautiful blue eyes that she was seeing, that in truth she was singing to, where not just in her minds eye, but she was looking right at them. As the music died down for a few moments Serena stood there frozen on the stage looking strait at none other than Mamoru Chiba. Of the near thousand people tightly packed into the Tokyo Dome, of all the people there who could possibly have the same deep blue eyes in her dream, she had manage to spot him in the crowd without even realizing it and keep complete eye contact during the last half of her song.

But now the music was starting up again and she had to look away to move to where the spotlight was going to move. Gliding, as though in a half dream, she did so and lifted the microphone back up to her mouth. Again she sang the song but this time in Japanese so that all those who had missed out on it the first time could benefit from the words and the meaning. She and the others had practiced so that the words lined up with the music and Serena found that it was almost easier to sing the song in this language than in English. Again halfway through the song she found herself seeking out those blue eyes to which she sang the rest of her song.

The roar was even more deafening than before as they exited the stage waving to the crowds. Amanda was almost uncontrollable with her happiness and she dragged Adam and Serena by the necks back to their section of the back stage. Serena, who was now cold to the core and still slightly in shock, had to feign the same happiness that Amanda emitted by fireworks but she could barely phase that when the news came that they'd been asked to join the members of the Offspring at a party after the concert. Serena knew that she wouldn't be able to handle it if she went, she was so lost as it was now a party would only make it worse.

Using the excuse that she had a headache and needed to wind down she managed to let the others let her go back to the hotel, but that was where the party was being held so she had to promise Amanda that if she was feeling better she would try to go. Serena would have agreed to almost anything at that point just to get out of there and escaped out the back to where her bike was parked. Mercifully she had not ridden with the others in the car that had been sent for them or she wouldn't have had this perfect way of getting out of there.

When she arrived at the hotel Serena thought better of going up to their hotel suite and lying down. She decided instead that some fresh air would do her better and asking the concierge the way to the pool she decided to walk that direction. Thankfully it was an outdoor pool and even better closed for the night. Serena walked over to the far side and took her boots and socks off so she could dip her feet in the cool water.

How was it possible that she had seen his eyes from on the stage? Even better how was it possible that she had been dreaming of those eyes for over a year when she'd never met the man before in her life? The song had come to her in a dream or at least most of it had, and she'd quickly gotten up at three in the morning to right it down before she forgot it, but it was almost as though it had been meant for her to sing that night, for her to sing to those eyes.

Footsteps rang out against the concrete made louder by the echo over the water. Serena looked up quickly taking her feet out of the water lest she get in trouble for being near the pool. She froze, honestly she thought that her heart stopped, as she saw the eyes in question looking down at her from where the walkway came out of a small copse of trees. Getting up to her feet she resumed breathing and thinking but had a hard time coming up with something to say.

"Mr. Chiba what are you doing here?" She asked much to quickly forgetting her boots by the side of the pool and taking a couple of steps around the pool. He did the same on his side.

"It's just Mamoru, Serena." He said softly and Serena remembered the name that the other girls had used for him at the arcade.

"Mamoru-chan, what are you doing here?" She asked again moving just a little bit closer before stopping. He had come to stand besides the pool at the opposite end while looking at her. Serena looked back and nearly lost her breath as she looked deep into his eyes that were lit from within. She couldn't tell if it was the light from the pool reflected back at her, or the light from his eyes themselves but the effect was just as she'd described not and hour earlier at the concert.

"I was looking for you." His words seemed to hold a meaning that was much more than him just searching for her after she'd left the Dome but what it was she couldn't tell. There was something about him tonight, something weighted that made him seem all that more real and fairytale like at the same time. He stood there with pale rippling light from the pool washing over his body showing every muscle and curve of his body and highlights in his hair. Half his face was illuminated and half was dark but even on the dark half she could see his eyes and they both held the same light.

"Well you've found me." She whispered softly not scared but at a lack for any understanding of what was happening. She knew she was missing something, something important but what? She wanted to know what it was desperately.

"So I have." He whispered back in the same tone. Then looking around he shook himself visibly and frowned for a moment. "Wanna get out of here?" He asked turning halfway towards the entrance. There was no doubt in Serena's mind as to an answer.

"Of course." She went back and stuffed her feet in her boots forgetting entirely about socks then followed him out to the entrance of the hotel where his bike was parked besides hers.

"Follow me." He said heading for his own bike while she picked up her jacket and helmet that were on hers. More glitter fell of her head when she shook it out again before putting the helmet on and revving up their bikes they were off.