-Kakyuu-

Haruka had fallen asleep, next to the Shogi board that had been set up between her and Shohei, and Kakyuu put a light blanket on the sleeping blonde before resuming her medical tasks.

Jade walked in just a few moments later as Kakyuu was checking on the old man's vital signs.

The woman didn't say much but just sat down next to her father and looked and him thoughtfully as Haruka started to stir and sit up.

"You should go and spend time with your daughter." Jade suggested to Haruka and the tall blonde only nodded.

"Let's go Kakyuu" Haruka just mumbled as she took Kakyuu's hand and led her out of the room.

Once outside she stretched and looked a bit forlorn out of the window that faced the ocean.

"He seems more lucid by the day." Haruka commented.

"Haruka…." Kakyuu started with a sullener tone and the intend to curb Haruka's optimism because she knew that, while Haruka kept a stoic face in front of everyone, deep inside the blonde hoped that the old man would recover after all.

"I know…" Haruka just interrupted her and turned to face her. "Is he at least truly comfortable?" Haruka asked quietly even though no one was in the hallway with them and Kakyuu just nodded.

"I'd imagine as comfortable as one can be in his condition." Kakyuu added for comfort.

Suddenly Haruka's phone vibrated and she took it out of her pants' pocket.

'Ready, when you are. It's done.' Were the only words that flashed on the screen when Haruka opened Seiya's message.

Without another word but with a grim expression Haruka kept holding the phone in front of her as if in anticipation and, as if being conjured by Haruka's stare, the phone started to ring.


-Setsuna-

Setsuna was sitting in her newly furnished office and overlooked the city being washed over by the light of the setting sun. Minako and Rei would be coming into her office with special reports that could not be transmitted digitally any moment now and she would need to decide between having a good night's sleep and asking herself why this world deserved saving at all.

The anticipated knock on the door echoed through the silent room and Setsuna sighed as she could hear that the door was opened before she turned her head to welcome her workers, to her surprise though, it was Takashi Tenoh who stood in the door and let himself in.

"How do you like your new office Meioh-san?" The old man asked as he sat down opposite to her, before she could even offer him a seat, and looked out of the window that she had just turned away from moments ago.

"It is very functional." Setsuna replied prompt.

"Like a true Meioh…" Takashi seemed to be chuckling inwardly before he went silent and both just looked out of the window wordlessly for a short while.

Takashi seemed to have aged significantly in the few days that she had been gone but the sharpness in his eyes was a constant reminder that he was not to be underestimated and that vigilance was not just a concept to him but the backbone of how he conducted himself, his entire existence.

Another knock could be heard at the door that broke the silence but Setsuna didn't react.

"I better let you get back to work," Takashi finally broke the tension between them. "I will be gone for a few days from the headquarters. Just remember, we are only here to watch, not to interfere. I trust you to man this post in my absence." Were his last words before he got up to leave and opened the door to face a surprised Minako and a composed Rei.

The two young women bowed as the old man walked past them and then rushed inside.

"Everything ok Setsuna?" Minako asked concerned.

"Everything is fine, Minako, well as fine as can be. I am sure if you only have good news for me, it could even get finer." Setsuna tried to ease their mind with a bit of humour, but Rei was not so easily distracted and stayed stern.

Setsuna held out her hand to receive the reports and both women handed over their tablets.


-Kakashi-

He was sitting outside in front of the house and was about to light a cigarette when Shinobu came his way.

"Kakashi-sama, have you seen Haruka-sama?" Shinobu asked him.

"I think the last time I saw her in the tea room. Is there something I can help you with in her stead?" Kakashi offered.

"There is someone who is asking for access to the house, Kakashi-sama…" Shinobu informed him slightly hesitantly.

"Oh, who is it?" Kakashi asked casually.

"Takahashi-sensei" Shinobu replied cautiously.

Suddenly his stomach turned and his hands turned cold like blocks of ice. The cigarette in his hand felt heavy and the sweat that was soaking it felt like the run off of a glacier.

Out of nowhere a warm hand was placed on his shoulder.

"I am here, Shinobu-chan." Haruka's voice sounded as if it was really far away but the weight and warmth of her hand assured him that she was close by.

"How about you go and take Hotaru with you to grab some freshly baked cookies in the store down the road, Kakashi-ji" Haruka continued, that snapped him out of his freeze up and he turned around to face Haruka and Hotaru.

"What cookies do you want Haruka-papa?" Hotaru asked while she was still holding onto Haruka's hand.

"I take the ones with cinnamon, but you taste them all and you grab your top three cookies. Ok?" Haruka suggested as she handed Hotaru over to him.

As the small warm hand was put into his and he slowly started to feel steadiness in his legs again and his stomach settled.

He looked down into the wide-open innocent eyes that looked up at him with excitement that turned into concern.

"Alright, cinnamon cookies for the big cookie monster and this little cookie monster gets three different picks." Kakashi tried to say cheerfully as he picked up Hotaru, his voice getting steadier with every word he used.

"Thanks, Kakashi-ji, I see you two for tea time. I am counting on you both choosing awesome cookies. You make sure that Kakashi-ji finds the store and gets back safely Hime-chan." Haruka said before she ruffled Hotaru's hair and followed Shinobu to the car that was waiting at the main gate for them.


-Michiru-

She was laying alone in her apartment on her couch and was starting to feel antsy. Elsa had left to write a ton of articles, Riko was still busy somewhere in Europe and here she was, 'busy' preparing for her next recital and yet she had not even touched her beloved violin.

Usually having a day off was a treasure trove for her inspiration but today was not one of those days.

Paradoxically exhausted from laying around and being unproductive, she decided to go out for a walk around Ginza. If she was going to continue her unproductivity, she might as well give inspiration the best chance to snap her out of it.

She wasn't sure on where exactly she would go and what she would do, so she decided to head out to peruse for possible presents for her parents.

Walking through the main street and passing a store that sold glasses, she remembered how she spotted Haruka with Hotaru playing with her sunglasses just months earlier. It was a bitter sweet memory for her that she did not want to dwell on further and so she took a turn into a smaller street to get away from the crowds that were busy bustling the streets.

Before she knew it, she came across a big and brightly lit store that didn't fit the usual side street stores. It was a big bright jewellery store that was almost obnoxious with its blaring music.

Annoyed she crossed the street and came across a small store with a refined moon crescent crest on the midnight blue curtains.

With her curiosity piqued, Michiru entered the small store.

The store had a tasteful furnishing that accentuated the jewellery that was on display. Delicately crafted earrings in one display, various necklaces and chains in others.

"Welcome." An elegant lady with long flowing silver hair greeted her and Michiru nodded politely in return.

"Is there anything that I may show you or help you with?" the woman continued.

"I am looking for a present for my mother. Is there anything that you could recommend to me?" Michiru enquired in return as her eyes skimmed through the store and stopped at a beautifully crafted hand mirror that lay on the workbench of the jeweller behind the counter.

A knowing smile went across the other woman's face.

"That is not for sale, Kaioh-san, it is already yours." The women stated with mirth.

"How do you know my name?" Michiru asked surprised.

"It was the hair and only a Kaioh would look at this item with such reverie. I am going to assume that you are Kaioh's youngest member. Michiru-san? Isn't it? I am Tsukino Sumiko, the proprietor of this establishment and the person who has the joyful task to restore your heirloom to its full beauty." Sumiko explained.

"Indeed, I am Kaioh Michiru." Michiru confirmed.

Sumiko looked at Michiru thoughtfully for a moment and then gestured for her to follow her behind the counter to the workbench.

"I take it that you haven't had a chance to hold it yet. Maybe it will inspire you to find the right thing for your mother." Sumiko suggested as she carefully handed Michiru the mirror.

It felt right in her hands as if it had always been hers.

"You seem to know my family very well Tsukino-san."Michiru noted as she looked at their reflection in the mirror.

"You could say that your grandmother and I are very close friends, and just call me Sumiko. There is no need for formalities." Sumiko offered. "After all, my daughter has told me a lot about you."

"Oh, Tsukino, you must be Usagi's mother then." The penny finally dropped for Michiru.

"Indeed. That I am. I was actually about to have a lunch break, care to join me?" Sumiko offered.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose…" Michiru replied hesitantly.

"You wouldn't impose at all and I would get the chance to get to know the legendary Kaioh Michiru that my daughter and granddaughter keep telling me about, not to mention your grandmother loves telling me about your music." Sumiko chuckled as she waved Michiru's concerns off before she locked the entrance to the store and guided Michiru into the back.


-Haruka-

After a short exchange, she had led her grandfather to his brother. She had noticed that her grandfather was very uncomfortable with the many guards that were posted around the grounds of the house, but this was the only way to prevent them defiling the house of her childhood memories with the sight of heavy built guards. She always had to remind herself that this would not be normal anywhere and that her grandfather probably disapproved of it heavily, but this land and this house were hers and so she called the shots.

While Katsuo was now sitting with his sleeping brother Shohei, Jade and Haruka decided to sit outside in front of that room and to have tea.

"Sorry that the house is so small." Haruka said apologetically as she brought the tray with the tea pot and two tea cups. "I promise you, when I was five, it was as big as a castle." Haruka tried to lighten the mood.

"I have seen photos of you being a five year old, even a bucket of water would have seemed like an ocean to you." Jade chuckled.

"Hey, between then and now, someone just tumble dried this world on extra hot, and that is why everything is smaller than I remember." Haruka chuckled as she poured them each a cup.

"Please tell me that this is not how you explain global warming to Hotaru." Now Jade finally laughed.

They were alone in the adjacent room, with not a single other person in sight, and Jade seemed to finally let a bit of her guard down.

She moved closer next to Haruka and rested her head on Haruka's shoulder.

"I am losing him, aren't I?" Jade asked rhetorically into the room and Haruka stayed silent.

"I know that I have actually lost him a long time ago when the dementia started to blur his sense of time and time leaps turned from days into months into years, but I always had this hope that I could stop it, or even reverse it….." Jade continued, the small choking noise at the end went uncommented by Haruka, who didn't exactly know what to do but to sit there and to offer an open ear to talk to and a supportive shoulder to lean on.

No matter how deep the sorrow, Jade wouldn't let herself succumb to it. That was not how she was made and she confirmed that view that Haruka had of her when she suddenly straightened up again and reached for the cup of tea that Haruka had made for her.

"Just so you know…your tea is nowhere close to as good as Myamoto's" Jade tried to sound light hearted.

"What can I say…I am just not housewife material." Haruka just shrugged.

Moments later, Hotaru's light steps could be heard echoing through the house followed by two sets of steps, one heavier than Kakasi's, which unnerved Haruka lightly.

"Look Haruka-papa, look who gave us a lift home." Hotaru announced as she opened the door, revealing her stern looking grandfather and a half frustrated and half apologetic looking Kakashi.


-Taiki-

He was rushing after a tall thin man with flowing white hair through the rainy streets of London. The rain was pouring incessantly, blurring his sight. The floor was slippery and the wind was whipping him from all sides. He could not explain it to himself how the man could have escaped in the first place but before he could think more about it or even catch him, the fugitive had disappeared in the masses that entered the underground.

Seiya finally caught up to him and was totally out of breath.

"Let him go, we still got her." He panted next to Taiki.

"But we assured Haruka that we would take care of this." Taiki replied frustrated.

"Wrong, that I would take care of it." Seiya corrected him while leaning on his knees and catching his breath. "I will take all responsibility. We still got her. Let's get back to Joy. We won't be able to do anything now anyway." Seiya concluded.

Hesitantly Taiki nodded and followed his brother back to the Kings.

"I take it you didn't manage to catch him after all. He won't get far. I already informed Belinda and she will keep an eye out for him." Sam welcomed them back. "I took the liberty to call Haruka and keep her updated. She told me to send you both back with the first flight out of here and for you two to take this with you." Sam handed them a nice black lacquered box which Taiki opened to inspect its contents. A long black ponytail was laid out nicely inside, tied together with a crimson spotted hairband and a small golden pendant with the Chiba seal prominently displayed on it.

-Haruka-

It was before dawn when Haruka was up and stepped towards the window facing the sea. The weather had turned and it was raining hard all around. It was like an upcoming flood, but Haruka knew better. This, too, would pass as it had passed so many times before. Under all the noise that the storm made outside, Haruka could hear sleeping Hotaru's steady breathing and Haruka wondered how many sleepless nights her parents had while Haruka and her brother were sleeping tight.

A quiet knock at the door pulled Haruka out of her reverie. She quietly walked over to the door and slipped through it. Kakyuu looked at her gravely.

"The time has come…" her friend started quietly, the knot in her throat audible to anyone who knew her well.

"I understand. Let's go." Haruka only replied and followed Kakyuu through the quiet Hallway to the room in which Shohei was resting.

Jade, both of her brothers and Katuso were by his side as the heart monitor's signals slowed down.

Jade had more or less had them kidnapped and brought them here for their father to say his goodbyes. Her brothers were less than happy about that, but you could tell that they were glad to be here after all.

It was rare that Haruka was witnessed a peaceful parting, or at least a natural one in a peaceful setting and so she was not sure what to do, but a glance at Jade signalled to her that it was not the time to overthink things but just to ensure that the world would stand still for a moment, even if it was just this one moment.

They stood quietly around Shohei who was awake but quickly running out of strength.

Jade was holding his left hand as he was reaching out to Haruka with his trembling right. Haruka stepped up to him and leaned down to hear the quiet words that he was mumbling.

"Your father would be proud of you Haruka, I can see that… I know this is much to ask of you even though I could not give you much in my life time…but please keep an eye out for them as I kept an eye out for you…." Shohei wheezed laboriously.

"You have my word." Haruka replied calm.

"Also…keep Tomo safe…they are after Tomo…" Shohei repeated.

It seemed that Shohei was losing his lucidity again, Haruka thought to herself and just nodded. The end was near and this was not the time to tell him that her mother had gone ahead of him a long time ago.


-Michiru-

She has had a very pleasant afternoon in the small jewellery Tsukino Jewellery store and had been invited to return with some of her own designs to try her hand in jewellery making. This suggestion by Sumiko had been so inspiring that she had hardly slept and worked tirelessly on various pieces that she couldn't wait to turn into worked out objects that she almost ran to the small store.

"Ah, welcome Michiru-san." Sumiko greeted her immediately the moment she stepped through the entrance.

"Excuse my intrusion Sumiko-san" Michiru replied with a genuine smile, her heart filled with genuine excitement that she had not felt in a while.

"Let's go straight to the workshop." Sumiko gently ushered Michiru to the back of the store when a courier came and delivered her a sealed envelope. Sumiko signed for it quickly and sent another envelope, that she had ready in her jacket, immediately back with the courier before joining Michiru.

"Sumiko-san, if you have business to attend to, please do not let me hold you back." Michiru motioned for the unopened letter in Sumiko's hand.

"Oh, this is not urgent." Sumiko put the envelope in her pocket and started to look through the designs that Michiru had put on the work table. "Oh, this pendant looks very intricate." Sumiko said as she pointed out a pendant with an ocean design with interweaving waves.

"Oh, my creativity got away with me there. I was thinking more of starting with something as simple as this." Michiru smiled a bit embarrassed and pointed at a ring that was a bit more solid with intricate side patterns and space for a seal. "I thought this would give me the chance to try all the different techniques that you had shown me yesterday." Michiru explained and Sumiko nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's get started then." Sumiko said smiling and laid out the needed materials and tools needed for the task at hand.


-Kitae-

He was standing in front of a trembling man who had just reported to him that he had lost his mistress.

Kitae was so angry he struck the man for him to fall onto his knees, clutching his cheek and cowering in preparation for a well deserved beating, but before Kitae could strike him again, his companion put a strong hand on his shoulder and stopped him which made him stiffen, half in fear, half in dread what to come next. Determined not to let his apprehension show on his face he looked coldly over to the other man.

"Enough. This might not be as bad as it seems." His aged face with the deep wrinkles on the forehead seemed to relax, as he was still holding his phone to his ear.

"But Edelstein-san…" Kitae replied defiant, fully aware that it might anger the other man but he only lifted a finger to indicate silence.

"….ok…wait.."Edelstein took his phone off his ear and turned it to the man who was cowering in front of him.

The man that was crouching on the floor looked up fearfully into the small screen on which an old lady with grey and red hair looked back at him with cold green eyes.

"Tell me what happened." The command came from the speakers of the phone icy cold and the man on the ground looked confused up to Kitae.

"Answer her." Edelstein enforced the command and Kitae nodded to affirm.

"I…I …was picking up Chiba-sama at the airport and… immediately called headquarters to confirm her safe arrival as instructed by her…and just…when we were about to leave the hangar, the two Kou brothers overwhelmed us and … the next thing I remember is waking up tied up in an adjacent box to Chiba-sama who was being interrogated by the one of the Kous…." He stammered at the screen while the woman watched him without blinking, which was unnerved Kitae slightly.

"How did you escape?" the woman asked coldly.

"I had found a weak panel in the box that I was held in….and waited for the Kous to go to their coffee break…" the man said becoming ever quieter.

"Why didn't you rescue Chiba-san as well?" the interrogation continued with the same even cold tone.

"She…she was unconscious…I didn't know how to break her out….and…the Kous were coming back…" He admitted while averting his eyes with shame.

"You have done well." The woman suddenly declared which made the cowering man look up with surprise and hope. "Eliminate him, Shirou" were his next words and before Kitae could react, Edelstein had taken out his gun and shot the man in the head.

Kitae tried his best not to flinch.

"This is better than I expected." The icy cold voice continued as Edelstein turned his phone back to himself. "Let the Tenoh child do the dirty work. The less of the weak exist, the closer your son gets to take his true place in the family and the closer you, my son, get to take your true place in the family." The woman said with cold satisfaction lacing her words.

"Indeed. I will call you later again, mother." Edelstein replied with a darkness in his voice that, on the one hand, excited Kitae and, on the other, terrified him.

"For a stronger tree you need to cut off the weak branches, don't you…Kujakuseki-san…?" Edelstein asked him rhetorically.

"To regain our reign, the ends justify all means." Kitae replied without batting an eye.


-Jade-

The funeral was finally over and after ensuring that her brothers would be taken safely back to their homes and having seen off all the people who had come to pay their respects. Only her uncle and Haruka's grandfather were still on the premise. One to carry part of the ashes to their family grave, the other to finish off the official paperwork with her tomorrow in regards to the position she had held with the hand and the council.

Jade was laying on the couch of the living room, staring at the blank ceiling and feeling exhausted.

"Can't sleep?" Haruka's all too familiar voice called out to her as the blonde entered the living room.

"I am not sure if it is a matter of ability." Jade mused. "I…." she tried to string words together to some coherent thought but nothing wanted to come of it.

"Yea, I could use a drink now, too. Preferably something stronger than tea." Haruka finished that thought for her and walked over to one of the walls of the living room, revealing an in-built bar.

"You didn't have to hide the good stuff." Jade chuckled as she sat up.

"I wasn't hiding it, just no one had asked for it." Haruka smirked. "So, what may I get you?"

"What do you recommend?" Jade asked in return.

"And you said that you did not have any Japanese trades, if this question was not utterly Japanese, I don't know what is." Haruka chuckled.

"I guess so…but I really don't know what you have, so what would you recommend me to have?" Jade asked again.

"A good night's sleep and a few weeks of vacation." Haruka replied with an unrepentant grin.

"Yea, I take whatever comes close to that but fits into a low ball." Jade just smirked.

"A double cognac it is then." Haruka poured them each one and brought it over to her. "To your father" Haruka raised her glass and Jade returned the gesture.

They each took a sip of the smooth dark amber liquid as they sat side by side on the couch and enjoyed a moment of absolute silence before Jade resumed the conversation.

"What exactly will happen now?" Jade asked while swivelling the drink in her glass. She knew that that had been all that they had talked about the past days, but right now, she could not recall any of it for the life of her. Her mind was fuzzy and her heart felt empty. Enquiring about this might just jump start her brain again into functional mode, or at least that is what she hoped for.

"I will call the necessary meeting to announce your father's passing, which will be confirmed by the IIA and then your seat will stay open for one hundred days for every potential applicant to prepare themselves for the selection process. That includes you, if you want to continue this job." Haruka replied pensively. "Don't answer me now, either way you will stay with me for the next few weeks. There is plenty of space in the tower for you and all your closest people. Your brothers and their families are welcome, too if they want to join you, or even if they want to apply." Haruka said calmly, without sounding snarky, condescending or even patronising.

"They are better off at home, doing what our parents wanted for us. They are living their lives with their only obligation being their own families." Jade sighed and emptied the glass with one big gulp. The drink was smooth with a lightly sweet aftertaste that made it easy on the palate, but the heat that started to radiate in her indicated to her that it was by no means a benign drink that should be underestimated.

Haruka finished her own drink and refilled both of their glasses.

"I should be better with this. It is not like I did not go through this before. Mum has been gone for so long and I feel like I have barely learned to cope with that and now …" she couldn't even put it into words the ache that she felt in her chest. "What am I even complaining about, you lost your parents when you were a lot younger and they died too early. My father watched us grow and lived a long life…" the knot in her throat suddenly grew so big, she almost feared to choke to death on it.

Haruka looked at her pensively before the blonde focused on her own drink in her hands and started to speak with calm and measured words.

"I think, no matter when, it will always be too soon to lose a beloved parent. Even if they would live to one hundred or a thousand years, it would be always too soon for every child, but it is our duty as children to see our parents off. We cannot leave this world before them and have them bury us as well. That would be too selfish, don't you think?" Haruka swivelled the drink in her hands and watched the droplets on the side of the glass crawl down slowly.

"You lost them sooner than I did, how did you get rid of this pain? How did you get over it?" Jade asked, her mouth reacting faster than her brain and immediately regretting the blurted-out question.

"I never got rid of it or got over it. I don't think we can ever get over a loss in the family or any loved one for the matter. I just learned to move on with the pain. It is my constant companion, my constant reminder on how precious life is and that I need to do everything to cherish it. My parents gave me life to live to the fullest and I intend to do that and provide that to Hotaru." Haruka just smirked melancholically.

There was a comfortable silence in which neither spoke but just sipped on their drink as suddenly Haruka's phone rang. The blonde looked at her apologetically and Jade gestured for Haruka to take the call.

"I see….no… you come back, Seiya stays. It is his mess to clean up. I need you in the tower. I see you there soon." Haruka instructed clear with not a hint of an emotion while Jade was still struggling with the knot in her throat.

"Something wrong?" Jade asked as she finally managed to regain power over her speech and thoughts after Haruka had hung up.

"You know how it is, a problem rarely appears on its own, but no business talk tonight. Your mum was half Irish, which makes you a quarter and so we should have an Irish wake for your dad now." Haruka changed the topic and topped up their drinks.

"Wakes are usually held before funerals Haruka." Jade couldn't help but point that out.

"Well, that just means we have to double down on the drinking and the celebrating of your father's life. To Shohei, a great man and an even better father." Haruka grinned and raised her glass before downing it in one swift move that Jade did as well.

The drink went down fast and suddenly all the emotions that she had bottled up over the decades seemed to come up and for the first time in months Jade could feel the tears, that she had been suppressing, well up in her eyes and overflowing, blurring all her vision and senses.

She could distantly feel Haruka taking the glass out of her hands and wrapping her strong arms around her, gently guiding her head to rest on the blonde's shoulder. It was just all too much and Jade started to sob like a little child in Haruka's arms.

"Dad is gone. He is really gone. I lost my dad." Jade sobbed into the soft shirt in front of her as the images of the funeral flashed through her inner eye and she was welcomed by soothing caresses.


-Michiru-

She entered the store early in the morning just around the opening time, but there was no Sumiko greeting her with her usual warm cheerfulness. She was probably still upstairs in her living quarters, at least that is what Michiru thought until she heard noises coming from the workshop in the back. She knew that Sumiko was not the type to ignore the bell from the front door and so she approached the workshop with caution. As she looked in, Sumiko was just dusting herself off and looked up with a slight look of surprise.

"Ah, silent as a quiet night on the ocean." Sumiko mused as she turned to Michiru. "Welcome, Michiru, ready to continue your work here?" She continued to asked unphased and Michiru nodded.

"I have brought us some breakfast." Michiru held up a paper bag with fine patisseries.

"Wonderful. I will make us some tea to go with it." Sumiko replied as she waked over to the small kitchen corner of the workshop.

Michiru noticed that Sumiko was very distracted as she made the tea, as she added more tea than necessary to the pot and added the water a bit too early, making the tea a tad more bitter than it usually was. She thought it was best to keep quiet and to wait for Sumiko to share her thoughts when she would be ready, but Sumiko kept rather quiet during their light breakfast and even during their work. Her eyes kept wondering the screen of the monitoring system that was installed in the shop and in front of it.

Suddenly it showed on one of the screens that a big black SUV pulled up in front of it and a mixture of apprehension and resolve showed in Sumiko's face before she turned to Michiru who was polishing the ring that she was working on.

"Michiru-san, go hide in here." Sumiko instructed Michiru as she got up and opened a secret panel opposite to the monitoring station with a tone in her voice that left no space for questions or rebuttal.

Michiru did as she was told and Sumiko pressed a key and a small package into her hand.

"No matter what, give this to no one and keep it safe for me until I come and get it. Don't open it, don't bring it to me, don't talk about it with anyone, don't even bring it up if you see me again. I will get it from you when the time is right. The key is for secret door in the floor where you saw me earlier. Leave when the coast is clear and do not come back here for the next few days. If anyone asks, you have not seen me today." Sumiko's words were hasty but clear as she was shoving Michiru into the small space. "This space is bullet and fire proof, but don't test it. I count on you. If I am not back by the weekend, come back the way you get out, get your family's mirror in the showroom and give it to Miyu. She will know what to do. Take care." Were her last words before she closed the panel again and left the workshop to go to the showroom.

She could hear someone bark instructions outside and steps of several heavy sets of boots coming and going before the faint sound of the bells at the door reached her.

She put the small package safely into her pocket and looked down at her watch and waited another 10 minutes before she emerged from her hiding spot. The workshop was empty and besides a couple of dozen boot prints on the ground, nothing looked different to what it looked before she was locked away. Michiru walked over to the monitoring system and checked out what happened in the last few minutes of her absence.

It looked like Sumiko got picked up by a few heavy-set men who were bossed around by a tall brunette who looked familiar. Sumiko left without any defiance and even locked the store before she was ushered into the car that sped away with her.

Michiru didn't need to make a note of the number plate to check out who it was that had come to pick Sumiko up, as the Chiba emblem was prominently showing on the roof of the car.

She made her way to where Sumiko had dusted herself off and looked around carefully to find a secret door on the floor which was well blended into the wooden floor panels that would have been invisible to anyone who didn't know what they needed to look for.

Michiru struggled for a while to find a way of opening it but eventually found a small slit into which the key that she held fitted and opened the door that lead to a small underground path. At the end of the path was a small train, similar to the one that Haruka had under her building, just a lot older. As she sat down on it and pressed the lever for it to start moving, she wondered where she would come out of. It was a long ride in the pitch black before the small train slowed down and Michiru half feared that it had broken down, but as she heard the safety click, she knew that she had arrived at her destination. She pulled out her phone to light up the place that she had ended up at and carefully looked for an exit. Eventually she found a door and tried to open it with the key that she had been given. The door opened smoothly and quietly, revealing the inside of a familiar temple.

"I didn't expect you to be back so soon Sumik..Oh….." Rei's grandfather greeted her with surprise in his face that quickly turned dark. "I knew it….I just knew it….You better go home now, Michiru-san. I have not seen you. Go quick." Youta ushered her out of the private quarters of the temple after he locked the door behind her again and pulled a wall scroll over it, leaving Michiru slightly confused, but determined to find out what was going on.


-Makoto-

She got back from the office and opened exhausted the door to her apartment, to be surprisingly greeted by her cheerful mother and the delicious smell of food.

"How was your day at work, sweet cheeks?"Mao Kino called from the kitchen.

Looking forward to a great dinner but still too tired to display any happiness, she slipped out of her shoes and walked to the kitchen whining: "I need more hours in the day if I ever want to finish what my boss sees as 'a day's worth'" when she noticed that Usagi and Chibiusa were there as well.

"Had a tough day at work?" Usagi asked concerned.

"What are you doing here Usagi?" Makoto asked in return, surprised by the additional guests.

"Oh, Mao-san has invited us to come by to practice a cake recipe that we wanted to try for Christmas." Usagi replied cheerfully

"Makoto, don't be rude and answer questions before you ask your own. So, had a tough day?" Mao reiterated Usagi's question.

"Sorry mum….Yea, my day was nowhere as tough as yours mum." Makoto smirked slightly.

Before her mum could chide her for the underhanded mocking that went right over Usagi's head, her father opened the door and joined them.

"I smell delicious dinner." Tetsuo called from the hallway as he was putting his shoes away.

"Welcome back, darling, wash your hands and help Makoto to set the table. We will have grilled mackerel and made beef stew with rice and as dessert Usagi and Chibiusa made cake with me." Makoto's mum welcomed Makoto's father warmly.

"Sounds great darling." Tetsuo confirmed as he joined them all in the tiny kitchen to grab the cutlery and dishes needed for dinner and left the kitchen with Makoto. "Did you check if that cake is edible?" her father whispered to Makoto as they were setting the table.

"Tetsuo! I heard that!" Mao called from the kitchen, making father and daughter twitch with a mixture of guilt and surprise.

"I was merely checking that no one had a snack to ruin their appetite for dinner." Tetsuo called back sheepishly as they finished setting the table.

"Are even more people coming?" Makoto asked as her father put three more sets of bowls and chopsticks down.

"Didn't your mum tell you? The Aino's are swinging by as well since we wanted to reinstate our usual family Christmas vacations before we would separate again for New Years to our main family branches." Tetsuo said with an air of matter of fact that slightly unsettled Makoto, since she remembered that those family vacations where never really that relaxing but that there was always an underlying sense of tension that accompanied them.


-Haruka-

It had gotten cold and the wind was whipping mercilessly around her as she was standing on top of her tower. The trees in the distance had already lost most of their leaves and, once again, Haruka had missed the changing of the leaves. Another missed opportunity to make normal childhood memories with Hotaru. They had finally relocated to the Tenoh tower and Jade was settling down in the guest quarters, so Haruka chose to take some time to herself in the safety of her home. Haruka looked around as Tokyo had gotten ready for Christmas with all the lighting turning on as the sun was setting. Millions of lives, millions of fates, millions of choices happened right in front of her eyes, invisibly shaping millions of destinies.

"Time to get inside Haruka, you will freeze to death up here." Kakyuu warned her as she exited the elevator and came towards her with a heavy coat.

"I can't keep dragging Hotaru with me like this. I need to give her a more stable home." Haruka blurted out before she could stop herself as Kakyuu put the coat over her shoulders.

Kakyuu stayed silent for a moment next to Haruka and looked over the skyline of Tokyo that glittered like a jewellery box that had come to life in the darkness.

"You know, that is not really possible when you keep doing what you are doing." Kakyuu noted pensively. "At least not on your own."

"Hmm, yea…I should try harder to be home for her, but if it comes to it, a safe world benefits her more than me being there every other day." Haruka sighed but her soul still felt heavy.

"I doubt that Hotaru will see it that way, but as adults we need to make the hard choices." Kakyuu replied consolingly. "Don't let your mind run away from you now. One issue at a time. If you tackle them all at once, you will miss what's crucial."

Haruka turned around to lean on the balustrade while gazing up the cloudless skies. "Is the plan that I have chosen the right one?" Haruka asked, more herself and the stars rather than Kakyuu but her best friend understood and turned around as well.

"Only one way to find out." Kakyuu chuckled as she looked up. "The stars cannot predict your future, but they can be in your favour."

The phone in her pocket started to ring and she pulled it out slowly to check it. An unregistered number. Dread spread throughout her body as she looked onto the display, the finger hovering over the display, hesitation in her bones about what she would hear.

Kakyuu gave her a quizzical look and she noticed that the frown in her face had grown deeper than usual. She straightened up and looked Kakyuu straight into the face as if it held an answer to the many questions that were swirling in her head, but only found slight confusion which was outweighed by unconditional support.

"Don't worry. I got this." Haruka said graver than she intended before she picked up and faced the world head on again.


-Taiki-

He found his brother sitting on the roof of the Kings' main house and looking down the dark streets of London. It was quiet, and the cold November drizzle was slowly soaking him, weighing him down, making him look like as if he was the last man standing in an apocalyptic world. Taiki pulled up his coat and went to sit down next to his brother.

"I am flying home now. Don't take too long to clean up or Yaten will have eaten all the treats at home without you." He tried to cheer his brother up who looked like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders, but Seiya only nodded with empty eyes.

"Still upset about the fight you had with Haruka before she left?" Taiki tried to pinpoint the source of Seiya's worries.

"What?" Seiya replied puzzled.

"Yaten told me you two had a big fight before she left. Is that what is worrying you?" Taiki got more specific.

"It was nothing. That is nothing of his concern." Seiya replied back curtly.

"It can't have been nothing if even I heard the shouting." Taiki replied, to show that he knew that it must mean something to Seiya to get so worked up to the point of shouting.

Seiya's eyes turned to slits. "What exactly did you hear?" he asked Taiki, not averting his eyes from the street that he was watching.

"I mainly heard loud gibberish. When you two get into it, no one ever understands anything through the onslaught of loud screams and growls that you two exchange." Taiki sighed and for a moment thought that he saw a flicker of relief flicker in Seiya's eyes, but it was very hard to tell in the dark and the drizzle that had turned into rain. "Let's get inside or we will catch death out here." Taiki urged his brother to get up as he got up himself but Seiya stayed still in his position.

"Death…." Seiya only mumbled distant before he stood up. "It was nothing, you know me, we just got into each other's' hair about the way she treats the equipment and my hair is just so much better than hers." Seiya just waved off casually with a melancholic smirk and went ahead to go inside.


-Michiru-

It was finally Saturday morning when she stood in front of the Tsukino jewellery store, the small round package, neatly wrapped in a dark indigo cloth with a small moon stitched on top of it securely stashed in a hidden compartment of her violin case that she had on herself. The store seemed quiet and Michiru cautiously reached for the door when a limousine pulled up behind her, out of which Sumiko stepped unharmed but very tired looking.

"Thank you very much for dropping me off" Sumiko addressed, the other passenger in the back of the vehicle, who swiftly said his own goodbyes, but Michiru could not identify the figure before the car sped off again.

Michiru eyes followed the car, carrying the Chiba emblem, as it drove off while Sumiko unlocked her store.

"I apologise for being late to open my store, Kaioh-san." Sumiko greeted her cheerfully as if nothing had happened and beckoned her into the store.

"Su..Tsukino-san…." Michiru started, but thought better and stepped into first before she turned to the store owner again.

Sumiko's eyes quickly flickered over Michiru's violin case as she let Michiru pass her on the way in.

"I am glad you could make it back so soon to pick up the mirror, I hope your grandmother will be happy with the restoration work that I have done." Sumiko said without missing a beat as she walked over to the armoured display case and took out the mirror and moved to pack it into a nice box.

"Thank you for the wonderful work, Tsukino-san." Michiru replied as she took the sealed box.

"I know your grandmother is awaiting this wistfully." Sumiko continued, with an undertone of urgency, when the bell at the door indicated that another customer had joined them and Sumiko straightened up again her gentle smile back on her lips as if nothing was amiss.

"Welcome." Sumiko called out with a cheerful voice to greet the next customer.

The familiar clicking of a cane could be heard echoing lightly in the store as the other person entered and Michiru's gut lurched slightly in her abdomen, tying a knot in her throat.

"Tsukino-san, I am glad to find you well" Haruka's husky voice replied and Michiru slowly turned around to acknowledge Haruka with a nod.

"Kaioh-san" Haruka nodded back and stepped up beside her at the counter.

"Tenoh-san" Michiru replied in a neutral manner.

"I see you are recovering quite well yourself. Is there anything specific you are looking for today, Tenoh-san?" Sumiko asked the tall blonde mirthfully.

"I was wondering if it would be possible to have another look at the seal designs that you make. I was thinking about having a new one made for the new year." Haruka mused aloud.

"Please wait here, I will go and get the samples for you to choose from." Sumiko excused herself to the workshop in the back.

"Kaioh-san, what a pleasant surprise to meet you here." Haruka turned to face her with a smile that never reached the blonde's almost melancholic eyes.

"A surprise indeed." Michiru concurred politely.

"I see you are working hard for your upcoming concert." Haruka motioned towards the case and Michiru gripped it tighter for some reason.

"I am trying my best to deliver the best I can." Michiru replied.

"I have full confidence in you that it will be a full success." Haruka smirked. "The concert is happening on Christmas Eve, isn't it? If I am not wrong, it has been sold out since over a year now, or am I wrong?" Haruka asked casually.

"It is. Would you like to attend? Then I could reserve you a special ticket for the part in the concert hall that is reserved for my personal disgretion." Michiru offered.

The blonde stayed silent for a long moment while she looked Michiru deep in the eyes. The turmoil in Haruka's eyes looked like a storm was raging behind that mesmerising teal they were sporting, but her lips didn't move. They stood so close to one another, Michiru could smell the familiar cologne that she had learned to associate with the blonde, but she didn't dare to inhale deeply in fear that it would disappear. Seeing the pain and conflict that was hiding behind the stoic demeanour that Haruka was displaying, Michiru was about to reach up to cup the soft cheek to comfort Haruka but Haruka suddenly turned away and stared into the direction of the workshop, gripping her cane hard. Before Michiru could react, Sumiko had joined them again with a big wooden show case that held a collection of seals and stamps made out of precious metals and stones that Haruka immediately poured all her attention over. She quickly chose a small platinum design that suited her and Sumiko took the box back where she got it from.

"Would you still give me a ticket, if I could not guarantee you that I will come?" Haruka asked her the moment Sumiko had disappeared again.

Now it was Michiru's turn to be silent. Would she be able to bear the view during the concert of an empty seat in the honorary lounge, knowing that the blonde would be in there if she could be, but wasn't due to circumstances that Michiru couldn't or wouldn't even want to imagine. She swallowed hard. "Yes." She managed to reply calmly.

"Then I would like one." Haruka replied.