(A/N: Hello again! Sorry, I've been busy with school and stuff. It's been really hectic over here for the past few months, but I'm getting used to it. Well, here you go! Please don't kill me! )

Into My Arms

Chapter Five

Believe Me

A few hours later, they were all sitting in the White Dove Hotel, in Arian's room, in a circle, on the floor. Kai watched the band. Brendan had a large bandage on his cheek where the strings had caught him. Rizyk was leaned back against the bed, he seemed nervous, for his fingers kept fidgeting. Tariel was tuning his bass, a serious expression on his features. Arian had her legs drawn to her chest; her head was leaned on her knees.

"What exactly happened up there?" asked Derren.

"It's a long story," replied Bren, taking new strings from a pack and putting them on his guitar.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Kai said, "Well, since Derren and I don't have a way of getting home on our own, we seem to have all night for you to explain."

Bren and Ari glanced to each other, worry was quite evident. Rizyk closed his eyes, as if he were expecting something to blow up. Tariel, for once, was no longer calm seeming. He was alert and tense.

"Did I say something wrong?" Kai asked.

"No," replied Arian, a stressed friendliness present in her voice.

"Then what's wrong, sheila?" questioned the Aussie.

Arian took another glance to Bren, who nodded, and she said, "Before I was the lead singer for RoughDraft, this was my sister's band. When she died, Bren was there, he heard her last words, which were to continue on with the band. So I was brought in. I'm not as good as her, but I try. Every time we play Starlight, something bad happens though. It was my sister's favorite song. But I guess I'm not worthy enough to sing it." Arian's eyes dropped to the floor.

"So are you saying that the ghost of your dead sister haunts you?" questioned Derren. When Arian nodded, Derren laughed and said, "There's no such thing as ghosts! That's the biggest pile I've ever heard."

"Believe it or not, it doesn't matter," said Ari, her voice cold.

"I believe you," said Kai. The vision he saw during the song, it hadn't been Arian who was on the stage, but it was some other woman.

"Thanks Kai," replied the singer. She stood and then said, "Hey, bro, I'm headed to bed... so keep it down."

"All right," said Bren, still tuning the strings of his guitar.

"Bro?" asked Kai.

"Yeah," said Ari. She looked at him a bit confused. "Bren's my brother..." she then added, "I thought you knew." Heading over to the only bed in the room, Arian, having already kicked off her shoes, lay down and curled up into a ball.

"Poor girl," said Rizyk, looking at Arian for a moment and then sighing. He then looked to Bren and said, "You think she'll quit?"

Bren shrugged. "There's a possibility."

"Arian would quit?" asked Derren.

Tariel replied, "If she thinks that Sam wants her to."

Shifting to where his legs were crossed before him, Kai said, "How'd she die?"

"Gunshot wound," said Bren calmly. "Died in my arms."

"I'm sorry," said Kai.

"Don't worry about it," said the guitarist.

Figuring he'd either be punched for saying it, or punched for not saying it sooner, Kai said, "When Ari was singing... I saw something."

The band members and the Aussie looked to Kai a bit confused. "Would you mind elaborating?" questioned Tariel.

Kai took a deep, nervous breath and told them what he had seen: A woman on stage singing. The same woman leaving the stage at the end of the concert and getting onto a white motorcycle. She had just started it up when the sound of a gunshot rang out. She fell forward and then off to the side, her leg being stuck under the bike. Then Brendan appeared, crying, cradling his fallen sibling. The female's lips moved, but no sound came out, but then again, then entirety of the vision had no sound except for the gunshot. Then there was the funeral, Arian was there, she was crying, but Bren, Tariel and Rizyk sat there, their heads simply bowed.

When Kai finished his story, Tariel seemed angry, as did Rizyk. "Good night, Hiwatari," they growled and left the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

"I didn't mean to offend anyone," said Kai, "I just wanted to let you know what I had seen." He looked to Bren. "You believe me, don't you?" he asked.

"I don't know," replied the guitarist, getting to his feet and silently leaving the room, gently closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Arian slowly sat up. When she caught the confused expressions on Kai and Derren's faces, she said, "Sometimes I have to fake that I'm asleep, it's the only way I'll get information." She smiled and then tossed Derren a blanket and one of the two pillows that were on the bed. Looking to Kai, she said, "Something compels me to believe you. I'm going to go with that and say I do believe you." She gave him a slight smile and then lay back down. "Good night you two."

Kai crawled over and pushed Derren's head off of half of the pillow. Arian turned off the light, but the movement didn't cease. For about three hours, the Japanese-Russian and the Australian fought over the pillow and the blanket. Arian, becoming tired of it, tossed her pillow at the two and for a few moments they shut up. Until there was a loud noise that interrupted the silence.

"It wasn't me!" shouted Derren.

Coughing, Arian said, "That is the foulest stench I have ever smelled!"

"Don't you go blaming that on me, Derren!" growled Kai.

"But it was you!"

"No, it wasn't!"

"Oh shut up and open the window!" Arian shouted.

The Aussie jumped to and went to the window, sliding it open. "Nice view," he said. He then walked back over to the blanket, deliberately stepping on Kai in the process. "That was an accident!" he said.

"I'll accident you," growled Kai, "in the face, with a brick."

"I'll accident you?" questioned Derren. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Will you two shut the hell up?"

(A/N: There's another chapter for ya! I'm trying to get the feeling of these stories again after my absence, but it feels like I've just kicked a puppy. Well, I'll get back into the groove, I promise! )