Shadow of You

"Mm… Michiru?"

"Sorry, it's only me."

Haruka slowly brought her surroundings into focus. She was in a hospital room. Her body was weighed down with bricks and her eyes seemed to glide in their sockets. She looked to the right and saw who had spoken. "Katsuro."

"There are a lot of drugs in your system right now," the man said. "Don't try moving too fast."

Haruka laughed; it came out as an uncharacteristic giggle. "I bet the car's ruined, huh?" Katsuro nodded. "You okay?"

"I suffered some bruises. But you…" His dark eyes fell to her leg where she found a thigh-length cast enveloping it.

"There goes the season," she sighed, "and probably next season too, huh?"

Katsuro steepled his fingers. "Most likely. Depending on how you recover you might need physical therapy, but luckily you got hurt in a city with great medical care."

"So they don't want me flying home?" He nodded again and Haruka shrugged. "Not like I had anyone to go back to." She sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "How's the crew?"

"Worried about you, of course. They wanted to leave flowers but the doctor didn't want them cluttering up the room."

"Flowers just wilt and die, anyway." Haruka looked at her navigator again. "I'm sorry, Katsu. If we'd been further away from the tree neither of us would've gotten hurt."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you're taking the blame for Mother Nature?"

"Umm… yes?"

"Your quick reaction saved both of us, Haruka." Katsuro placed his hand atop her own. "If you hadn't turned us sideways we would have crashed head-on."

Haruka hummed thoughtfully. "I bet the footage looked really awesome, huh? Even better since we were both able to walk away." She cackled as Katsuro shook his head at her drug-induced sense of humor.

"Get some rest, you crazy kid." He gave Haruka a smile, grateful that their accident hadn't taken away his ability to see his wife and three children again.

Haruka sighed after a few minutes; it was too quiet in the hospital. Even the beeps and whirrs of the machines seemed muted, and there was no thrum from the rain outside. She wondered if she'd sustained some kind of trauma to her eardrum. Maybe it was just a side effect of the morphine, which she'd never had before. A different sense informed her that someone was coming and she faced the door just as the person stepped into the room. "Michiru. So it wasn't a dream."

Michiru tucked a strand of wavy dark hair behind her ear, her expression a combination of relief and sheepishness. "I'm so glad you're alive," she said in a small voice.

Haruka couldn't quite bear the look and turned to stare out the window. "Well, go on. Say 'I told you so'."

"I would never." She sat down in Katsuro's chair, knotting her fingers. "I will say I'm sorry, though. I'm sorry I didn't believe in you."

"Right now I don't believe in myself much, either," Haruka flatly replied.

Michiru reached for her hand. "Don't say that! You've worked so hard to get where you are. What happened today was nothing more than a fluke!"

Haruka turned toward her. "How do you know I've been working hard?"

"I kept an eye on you, obviously." Michiru tutted before meeting her gaze. "I've been watching since you dropped out of Mugen."

"Oh really? Then you know this wasn't my first wreck."

"It was definitely your worst, though," she replied. "Much scarier than when you went off the road in Nanjing last year."

The memory made Haruka smile. "That looked way worse than it was."

"This wreck was just as bad as it looked." Michiru withdrew her hand, clenching it. "I was so scared I couldn't move. Most of my friends ran down to your car but I just stood there uselessly. I couldn't bring myself to go to you, because if you really were dead…" A single tear rolled down her cheek. "I felt so much regret for letting things end the way they did, for never getting the chance to apologize. What would be the point in asking forgiveness from a corpse?"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Michiru." Haruka steeled herself to look her in the eye. "Your concern for me was valid, and still is. I felt invincible back then. Even now I feel like I can't really acknowledge this injury 'cause if I do it means I won't be able to race next year." Her countenance dimmed. "But I guess I have to grow up and face the truth. I'm not indestructible and I'm not as good as I think I am. It really hurts to admit those things."

"But the fact that you can shows you've changed since high school." Michiru tilted her head a bit. "The doctors told me you have a long recovery ahead, and since you'll be in Seattle all that time… it'd really mean a lot to me if you could come to my concert in December."

Haruka half-smiled while raising an eyebrow. Her ex had become so bashful in the three years they hadn't seen each other. "You know I love listening to you play, Michiru. That's one thing that hasn't changed since high school."

"I'm glad to hear it." Her cheeks flushed. "The concert is called 'The Spirit of Yule'. I'll be performing at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on December twentieth."

"I promise to be there even if I have to drive myself in a wheelchair." They shared a laugh and conversed until a nurse came in, commenting on the glimmer in Haruka's eye. It was that kind of spark, she said, that helped people heal quicker.

Mamoru arrived at the hospital not long after Usagi and Michiru caught a ride with one of Haruka's crew members. He found them in a sitting area with tears in their eyes. "I heard there was a bad accident at the rally. What happened?"

Usagi wiped her cheeks and breathed deeply, but her voice still wavered. "A tree almost fell on one of the drivers, Tenou Haruka. Her car kind of… rolled over it. She has a concussion and broken femur at the very least, so she's in the ICU."

"But why did you two come to the hospital with her?" As an answer, Usagi looked at Michiru. Mamoru made the same deduction Makoto had: Haruka was the source of her automotive interests. He sat down with them until Haruka's navigator, Katsuro, told them she'd been moved to a recovery room. By then it was quite late in the day. Usagi kept urging Michiru to go see Haruka at the very least, but she was too conflicted.

Usagi stood up to stretch and winced as her stomach growled. "I'm going to get something to eat, Mamo-chan. Can you stay with Michiru?" The boy nodded and she followed the signs to the cafeteria. She bumped into someone while rounding a corner on the third floor, releasing a surprised gasp as hands reached out to steady her. "Nia!" she exclaimed.

The tall girl smiled down at her. "I was hoping to find you here. Come with me for a minute." She led Usagi into a silent alcove. "What happened to Haruka was no accident. The dark ones targeted her."

"So Haruka's a guardian." Usagi removed the remaining amulets from her purse. "Which one should I give her?"

"That is for you to determine. You will have to get close to her." Nia leaned against the window with a sigh. "I am sorry I could not stop them. It was very difficult tracking them through the wilderness. The terrain is harsh in the Cascade Mountains."

"It's okay, Nia," Usagi reassured. "You managed to save Ami and Minako-chan, so I'm thankful for that." She looked at the gemstones again. "That means there are only three guardians left. I promise I'll find them before anyone else gets hurt. Mamo-chan said he might be able to help me."

"How so?" Nia queried.

"Well, he said that he's been having strange dreams lately and he feels like the people from his dreams exist in the real world." Deep brown eyes widened at that. "He said he can sense them, kind of… But wouldn't he have been drawn to Tenou in that case?"

"Not necessarily. She was overseas until coming here for the rally." Nia put a finger to her lips. "The barrier encompassing the five of them… Could it be possible?" Usagi tilted her head. "It may be too early to tell what their exact roles are, but I would venture to guess that those men are involved in our destinies as well." Nia squared her shoulders. "If Mamoru has offered to help you locate the remaining guardians, take advantage of him. All will become crystal clear once they are found. For now, return to Haruka. Her dreams should be unveiled once she has an amulet in her possession."

They parted ways. Usagi went back to check on Michiru and Mamoru, all notions of filling her stomach gone. She discovered the boy sitting alone in the lobby. "Tenou's awake. Michiru went to speak with her," he explained. "Nicholas also texted that he and Makoto will have spaghetti waiting when we get back, if you want to have dinner with everyone."

Usagi beamed. "That sounds nice." She went to collect Michiru, entering the room as quietly as possible. Haruka's eyes were closing as she succumbed to her painkillers, so Usagi slipped the amethyst necklace into her left hand and closed her fingers over it. "I hope this helps," she whispered.

Kaelan pulled into the visitor parking lot at UW, receiving intrigued glances as he exited his vehicle. There were convenient signs all over campus so it was relatively easy to locate Hansee Hall and even easier to find the room since there were name plaques outside each. He smiled when Ami greeted him, though she looked flustered at the fact that he'd caught her in lounge attire and not one of her usual polished outfits. "Have I come at a bad time?" Kaelan inquired.

"No, I just… umm… It's just me here, you know. Mina is in class."

"I know. I wanted to talk to you." Ami hesitated before stepping aside to let him in. Their room seemed rather spacious; there was a full-size bed against each wall and a wide window between them. Each girl had a desk and shelves, and they appeared to share a closet. The décor was an odd mixture of modern minimalism and color à la Lisa Frank. "I made a mistake," Kaelan said. "I mucked up things with Mina pretty well."

Ami had guessed as much. Yesterday her friend came downstairs and immediately asked Rei to take her back to UW. Everyone wondered what was wrong but she didn't say anything, but with Ami she didn't need to. She could read people, especially Mina, as easily as she read and analyzed books. "I can't help you win her back if that's what you were hoping."

"I know that's for me to do on my own. I just want to understand where her assumptions come from," Kaelan said.

"What did you say?"

He licked his lips. "That I wanted to stop hooking up and get to know her better."

The girl nodded sagely. "I see." She patted the foot of her bed, leaning against the headboard while Kaelan sat down. "Minako-chan truly is one in a million where we're from. We met in our first year of high school. We had both swam in junior high and made the swim team, but as soon as the season began her grades started slipping. The older girls didn't have time to tutor her so I offered, and that's how we became friends. I had no idea that Mina had established a bit of a reputation. She was that girl who always had a boyfriend, jumping from one to the next as soon as she got bored with them, and everybody thought she was a gyaru because of her hair and eye colors. Gyaru are perceived as vapid and promiscuous by society so it wasn't a good association for her. From what I learned, Mina was just very confident in herself. I think most people were jealous of that confidence so they belittled her to make themselves feel better. It seemed like nothing fazed her, that all the rumors and mean remarks just slid off her, but then I noticed that people were talking about me, too. No one could understand why a girl like me would voluntarily hang out with Mina."

Kaelan pictured it easily. They were total opposites now so the contrast must have been even more severe when they were establishing identities in high school. "But no one said the same things about you that they did Mina," he deduced.

Ami nodded. "Right, she was the target of all the bullying. After the swim team made it to nationals, she told me that if we won it would give her the courage to profess her feelings to the most popular boy in our year, Sakai Yousei. He was practically a celebrity– good grades, handsome, student council, class leader, basketball star… When we returned to school with a trophy from nationals, Mina took me with her for moral support while she tracked down Sakai. She just went up to him and told him how much she liked him, right in public with tons of students around."

Her countenance grew gloomy as Kaelan said, "I can't imagine that went over well."

"It really didn't," Ami muttered. "Sakai just laughed at her and everyone else began laughing with him. Mina managed to hold her head high until he replied, 'I can't believe you think you're worthy of someone like me. Don't you know what everyone says about you? Mizuno-san, though… She's the kind of girl I'd want to be seen with'." Ami hid behind her knees. "Mina and I didn't talk for a long time after that. She still studied with me but we barely said anything to one another. I didn't blame her. I kept scolding myself for remaining silent, for not stepping up to defend her and telling Sakai off. I didn't agree with everyone else that he was too good for her, that Mina wasn't good enough for anyone, but I just couldn't articulate it."

She fell into a prolonged silence. "Then what happened?" Kaelan urged.

"We had a fight." Ami looked up, eyes shadowed. "She said the only reason I started tutoring her was because the swim team had sent me to learn her weaknesses. She said I had to be studying her like some kind of science experiment. We had almost nothing in common so why would a girl like me willingly become friends with a girl like her, someone with only beauty and no brains? She got so angry, screaming at me for answers, but just like before I only stood there in silence. I finally spoke up when she began walking away." A warm smile turned Ami's lips. "Minako-chan is like a star, don't you think? She's always radiant, always shining from within. When we met I was in a really dark place. The only reason I was able to crawl out of that void is because she shone down on me. She cried when I told her that."

Kaelan sighed deeply at the story, now realizing how awful his words had sounded to Mina's ears. "So she thought I was pushing her away with thinly-veiled excuses because I feel she's not good enough for me. That couldn't be further from the truth, Ami. Can you tell me where she is so I can talk to her?"

She regarded him for a long moment; it was the most judgmental stare he'd ever received. Ami felt conflicted about helping Kaelan and Mina get back together. To her, he was just another male in a long line of those who didn't appreciate Mina for the amazing person she really was, just another male who saw a pretty woman to conquer. But at the same time, Mina's relationship with Kaelan had been different from all the others. Maybe it was because he was an actual adult who had his life all figured out, a stable figure for her to hold on to when times got rough. But it might be best for Mina to be on her own for a while. No men, no drama.

"Mina is in her anatomy class right now…" Ami eventually answered, "but I think it would be best if you left her alone. She needs space to breathe. Once she's calmed down I'll give you her schedule, but I can't make her listen to you."

Kaelan's expression only fell a little, knowing Ami was being a good friend with the best intentions at heart. He sighed and stood to leave. "I appreciate you taking time away from studying to speak with me." The girl frowned at his business-like tone. He paused with his fingers around the door handle to look back over his shoulder. "I don't know what's going on with you and Zach, but I suggest keeping your wits about you. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye."

Ami's brow furrowed as he closed the door. Why did everyone keep acting like she shouldn't trust Zach? They were oblivious to his deepest secret and she wasn't. Since he had that level of trust in her, it was only fair that she reciprocate.

Mina was stopped by one of her acquaintances while leaving biology class, a sophomore named Julie who also worked in the sports clinic. "Hey!" the redhead called, "A bunch of cheerleaders are throwing a girl's night out at this club downtown. Do you want to come with us?"

"Yes," Mina agreed without hesitation. This was the perfect opportunity to focus on something other than Kaelan breaking up with her. She was told to meet up with the group outside the football stadium by six o'clock. It was 16:30 now so she had plenty of time to get ready. "I'm going dancing tonight," she announced as she entered her room. Ami looked up from her laptop. "Is there a chance you want to come with?"

She smiled ruefully. "I really need to perfect this final paper."

"Okay," Mina shrugged. She opened the closet and stood back to appraise its contents.

"But…" She turned to Ami, whose voice had gone soft. "Thanks for always inviting me even though you know it's not my thing."

Mina half-smiled. "You're my bestie. Maybe one day you'll surprise me and say yes."

"Maybe I will," Ami replied. She returned to her essay while Mina rifled through their wardrobe, discovering an aqua sweater dress hidden in the back. It still had the tags on so she asked where it came from. "Express, maybe? Or Macy's? I think Usagi picked it out. You could wear it with those white boots you can never find a use for." For someone who claimed not to be artistically inclined, Ami sure had a good eye for color. Mina struck a pose once she was dressed and made-up and her friend smiled approvingly. "Have fun and be safe." She was used to hearing that, but then Ami added, "Let me know how the selection of hot guys is."

"Of course! I'll call you if anything happens. Bye!" She made the long walk across campus and arrived to find only five girls, Julie among them. "Is this everyone?"

"Yes," the redhead huffed. "A bunch of those bitches bailed on us!"

"Nice alliteration," a girl named Aruna commented.

"Thank you. But seriously, thanks for coming, Mina. I hate it when people don't follow through with plans. It's like, what, you found something better to do? You're too cool for us or something?" She scoffed.

The only cheerleader who had actually shown up placed her hands on Julie's shoulders and steered her toward the parking lot. "It's whatever. We need to get a move on so you can dance out this aggression!"

"Be aggressive, B-E aggressive!" someone else called as they piled into Shannon the Cheerleader's SUV. She pursed her lips, unamused. After the giggling died down Mina was introduced to Sophie and Vera. The former worked on the sports section of UW's newspaper and the latter was dating a football player. When Vera inquired if Shannon knew Nicholas, Sophie jumped into the conversation.

"Are you talking about Nicholas Meyer? I'd love to write his player profile. So far I've only managed to snap his photo a couple times. He's so elusive."

"I can ask Matt to tell him the paper wants to interview him," Vera offered. "Nicholas is really nice and friendly, so I'm sure he'll go for it."

"I bet he's great in bed," Julie commented, earning stares. "What?"

"Are you ovulating or something?" Aruna asked. "Is that why you wore those hooker heels?"

"These are my man-catching shoes." She brought one of her boots onto the center console, earning a swat from the driver. "Hopefully these babies will take me home with a hot guy from the club, preferably to a place he has all to himself so I don't have to hold back."

Sophie snickered as Vera rolled her eyes. "I definitely don't miss being single."

"You have your own mountain of football-playing man meat, so leave those who want to fantasize about Nicholas alone!"

"I think you're the only one," she returned.

"No, she's not," Shannon and Sophie chorused. Aruna said that skinny nerds were her type. Then they looked at Mina who hadn't chimed in since she was too busy staring out the window.

She held up her hands defensively. "Oh, no… I mean no, I don't think of Nicholas like that. He was one of my first friends here!" She received some "awws" and "yeah right's", and then Shannon parked outside the club where a big banner hung above the entrance. "Julie, you didn't tell me this was a grand opening!" Mina exclaimed.

Julie grinned. "Oh yeah, it's brand-new. This place is cool 'cause it's only open to people ages sixteen to twenty!"

"So it's a youth club?" Sophie asked disdainfully.

"No, it's a dance club for young adults."

"So they don't even sell alcohol?" Julie shook her head and Sophie groaned in dismay.

The group of six walked to the back of the line which was rather long but moved quickly, ushering people out of the cold. Mina felt a surge of excitement once they got in. So what if there were boys a couple years younger than them? At least there wouldn't be any pervy older men slipping strange substances into their drinks. They lingered in the lounge, examining their surroundings. The bar on one side served finger foods and mocktails while the bistro opposite dispensed heartier dishes. The silver walls were angular like the faces of a polyhedron, perhaps to help with acoustics, and ropes of LEDs snaked around the booths, cycling through every color of the rainbow. Speakers hidden within the furniture filled the huge room with ambient music.

The club was four stories tall with the top two floors reserved for offices, the VIP lounge, and a guest DJ stage. The main floor and basement featured amateur DJs starting their residencies, but Mina discovered they weren't half bad when she and Julie ventured downstairs. The energy in the room was phenomenal, likely due to the drum 'n bass tracks commanding the crowd to bounce around. During a break in the set, Mina and Julie found Sophie in the lounge with two large gourmet pizzas on her table. "Eat, drink, and be merry," she said kindly. They devoured several slices and emptied an entire pitcher of lemonade.

"So…" Julie said, reclining, "where'd you learn that funky line dance? Is that a thing in Japan?"

Mina blinked in confusion. "Oh, you mean para-para? It's part of the Eurobeat music scene. There are some pop groups who choreograph specific routines for their songs but it's dying out."

Julie grinned. "It looks like it'd be good for aerobicize. Can you show me some moves?"

Sophie wasn't the only one watching. Several people had turned in their seats to see the routine unfold, and a few even asked to join the lesson. Mina led with a smile on her face; this was almost like being at a para-para club back home, except the one she used to attend had been destroyed in the Tomoe Laboratories explosion. Perhaps she could start a dance club at UW.

Shannon, Aruna, and Vera finally showed up, the first sporting an autograph from the special guest DJ on her shirt. "This is the best day ever!" she exclaimed in a squeaky voice. "Thanks so much for inviting us, Julie." The other girls echoed the sentiment, then they finished off the pizzas while watching the TV nearest their booth. It was tuned to a local news station and nobody paid much attention to the broadcast until Vera released a loud gasp.

"Guys, look! They're about to do a live segment from here!" She pointed at the screen and they all fell silent. The station was about to go live to Club Trillium's grand opening and conduct an interview with one of its owners, Kaelan Burke. Mina nearly choked on her drink, coughing.

Aruna patted her back. "Who's that? Do you know him?"

"Yes," she croaked. "Nicholas and his old roommate Zach live with him, plus two grad students I know."

Julie indicated a camera crew setting up along the far wall where Kaelan chatted with a female reporter. Mina experienced a slight flutter as she gazed at him. He wore black slacks, a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a burgundy tie. She always thought those jewel tones looked good on him. "Wow, he is fine," the redhead remarked. "You really know him?"

Mina swallowed. "Not really… I mean, I know who he is, but he's just my friends' landlord."

"I don't think he's 'just' anything," Shannon said, licking her lips.

Sophie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Come on, guys. Don't you read the Times? Burke is an angel investor. He's been sticking his hand into lots of projects around the city." She left the booth and made her way toward the news crew, merging with the small audience. She looked back and motioned for everyone to join her.

Julie clung to Mina's arm, wobbling a little as they entered Kaelan's proximity. "Oh, he's so handsome! He's way hotter than Christian Grey!" Mina wrinkled her nose at the comparison, then another member of the crew shushed the audience and gave the reporter a countdown.

"On the outside, Club Trillium seems like just another hotspot for people who love music and dancing. But once you step inside it's clear there is something very different about this venue. We're here with Kaelan Burke, co-owner of Seattle's only youth-oriented nightclub, to celebrate its grand opening." She turned to him; Mina noticed how at ease he looked in front of the camera. "As I understand it, Mr. Burke, you've been making quite a name for yourself as a patron of the arts. What made you want to invest in a project like this?"

The people gathered around collectively leaned forward to hear his answer.

"I'm sure there are a lot of parents wondering what a place like this has to do with art," Kaelan began. Julie and Shannon shared a look of infatuation upon hearing his accent. "But I thought it was obvious that music and dance were forms of art. Trillium is only a club in aesthetic. Really, it's a safe place for young adults to express themselves in a healthy, creative manner." He paused to take a breath, relaxing a little more. "As art programs continue to be cut from school budgets, it becomes increasingly difficult for teens in high school and their early college years to feel like they have something that caters to them, someplace to escape when they need a break from academics." He said that last bit while pulling a sheepish face. "I don't mean kids should slack off and spend all their time here!"

Everyone laughed; it was hard not to when he was so charming. Kaelan just had a presence about him, an almost regal air that made people listen when he spoke. His platinum hair and grey eyes also contributed to the fact that people saw him as a sagely leader. They were drawn to the wisdom he might possess, and given the fact that hundreds of eyes were now upon him, he seemed to be dispensing it properly.

"Excuse me for saying this, Mr. Burke, but you're practically a kid yourself! At least compared to all of us at the station." The crew chuckled amiably. "I think it's safe to say that any other twenty-three year-old who inherited a fortune like yours would not be spending it as selflessly."

"For the record, I'll be twenty-four in February," he said, then traced his facial hair in the manner Mina found rather adorable. "I think the question you're getting at is why I support projects like this, and the simple answer is it's because people deserve a helping hand in achieving their dreams. Who's to say a young person won't walk through these doors and be inspired by the music they hear? Who's to say they won't buy some equipment and start creating their own music? Who's to say they won't then be the genius behind the score of this decade's greatest film? That could happen because someone found inspiration here, in this place, and it's just the idea…" Kaelan paused to clear his throat, getting caught on his emotions. "The idea that someone could be inspired by something that wouldn't have existed if I hadn't given it a chance is worth much more than the number in my bank account. It's worth more than all the money in the world."

Utter silence greeted his final statement. The reporter didn't even move until Kaelan angled his head downward and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well then…" she breathed while facing the camera, "I don't think I'm alone when I say I can't wait to see what other changes you'll bring to Seattle. Thanks so much for your time, Mr. Burke."

A smile played at the corner of his lips as he nodded. "It was my pleasure. Goodnight." He stepped out of frame so the reporter could make a few more closing comments, and he hadn't taken five steps before his audience began to descend upon him. Security guards moved quickly to form a human shield but Kaelan brushed by Mina just before they made it impossible to reach him.

"You are so full of shit," she hissed into his ear.