A/N: I lived bitch. I got so fed up and frustrated with writing this chapter I finally just decided to cut it off where it ended and upload it, finally. I SWEAR I STILL WANT TO FINISH THIS

This chapter's song is "Treble Heart" by Anna Graceman! Kinda different from the other songs here but still good :D


A steady beat goes 1, 2, 3, 4

A steady heart goes "I Love You More"

I know sometimes it's confusing

Pick a moment when you couldn't make up your mind

And you think that your entire life is timed

You said "it's your choice" but who's choosing


I sprinted headlong towards Konohana's border, away from the mountain, for what was the sixth time since this whole mess began, my teeth grit together and my whole body sore from my last attempt – attempt number five. A low growl began building up in my throat – sixth time's the charm, right?

"Rrrrrrrr-AUGH!" My left ankle was surreptitiously yanked from beneath me, causing me to fall mere feet from freedom and instead face plant onto the dirt, landing with a thud and feeling the air whoosh out of my lungs. I gasped for breath, turning from my stomach onto my back, frowning teary-eyed at the almost-invisible cuff around my left ankle, connected to an invisible chain that lead all the way up the mountain, to the Goddess Spring. I spent the next few minutes catching my breath as the stillness of Konohana's border forest pressed in on all sides, a few leaves gently floating to the ground – as if my attempts at freedom inspired them.

I pushed myself to my feet, wiping my face free of the tears that threatened to spill. I took one whole step forwards, than another, than another, walking at a steady pace until I couldn't pull my left foot in front of my right. I tried kicking it forwards with a frustrated grunt, but all that did was cause me to become horribly imbalanced and fall backwards, landing hard on my butt, like Lucy ripped the football out from my grasp.

I knew doing all this was fruitless, but I tried anyway. Trapped in the same two towns for another three and a quarter years….I was going to go insane. A quote surfaced from the depths of my memory – "You heard what he said. Gypsies don't do well in stone walls."

Admittedly, my prison was much larger and greener than Notre Dame, but it could've been a wooden box for how confined I felt. In a way, I blamed myself. Before this mess started I was travelling, seeing the world – my world. I'd become drunk with wanderlust, and then it happened.

Again, I pushed myself to my feet. Ina was going to introduce me to Mikhail tomorrow, and I still had to unpack. And it was getting late – the sun was already half-set at this point, the orange glow from the last remaining rays making it look like the fall leaves were aflame. It hurt to breathe; I must have bruised my chest with that sixth attempt. It also hurt to put any significant weight on my left leg. Hopefully, it wasn't anything serious. I still had work to do.


You told me we were the perfect song

So I continued to sing along

But now that I know what this is all about

I'll stop talking and shout


I stood under the spray of warm water gushing forth from my showerhead, feeling all the muck I accumulated during my last two escape attempts slide off and splash on the bathtub floor. The hissing whine from the showerhead spewing water was a familiar sound to me now, although not exactly comforting. My eyes were squeezed shut, my hands sliding alongside the mini shelf thing on the walls of my shower for the bar of (apparently) organic lavender soap.

It rained most of yesterday, and was supposed to rain again tomorrow. I already had everything sown, so hopefully my seeds wouldn't wash away. I still had to ask Laney or Dirk about the haikus that kept showing up once every few weeks – some were more direct poetry or even letters, but they were almost exclusively haikus. More than once, I considered writing back, but decided not to. Instead, the notes were piled together neatly in the drawer of my desk. I re-read them once in a while. Sometimes bent over in confusion, examining every line, every letter, for some kind of clue. Other times, I… just liked to look at them. I didn't know why.

I shut off the water, shivering in the sudden cold that replaced the wet warmth of the shower. Tomorrow was another day. I'd get through this, even if it takes me three and a quarter more years.

Farming aside, I managed to order myself a refurbished laptop through the old public computer in town hall – a computer so elderly I was surprised it didn't wear a beard. It was…weird, seeing familiar places with unfamiliar faces. Trying to contact my family was a bust, and I knew it was, but I did it anyway.

My pajamas were soft, putting them on. When I first arrived here it seemed the HG was benevolent enough to grace me with a few pairs of outfits for both warm and cold weather, PJs included. I ran fingers through my damp dirty blonde hair, staring at the button-up, cow-patterned flannel shirt and baggy pants in my foggy reflection, going so far as to lean in and doodle a little smiley face on the mirror out of sheer habit. I knew I was in…a bit of a funk, but things would get better. They always did.


Hey! I thought we were the greatest symphony, melody, harmony

You talked about us like that, at the start

Hey! You said it's how it's supposed to be, destiny, I don't agree

You messed with my mind and tore me apart

And now it seems you've broke my heart.

My treble heart.


The steady, yet short, knocking on my front door caused me to look up from a cup of hot cocoa. What was – ooh, Mikhail. Right.

I stood, smoothed down the front of my shirt, and hurried over to the door. "I'm here," I grasped the handle, pulling it open to reveal Ina, looking the same as always, standing next to a wind-swept man I presumed was Mikhail.

He looked a few years older than I was, but still young. His silver hair was somewhat unkempt, shirt untucked, slight bags underneath his hazel eyes, – it was obvious he wasn't nearly as used to early mornings as I was. Well, either that or he suffered from jetlag. He straightened up and met my gaze, offering a small smile and pushing up his spectacles.

"Good morning, Diana," Ina gave me a curt nod, one I returned. "I hope I am not disturbing your morning, but since you are planning on volunteering for the music festival this November I had to introduce you to who you will be preforming with."

Mikhail outstretched a hand, and when I put mine in his to shake he instead put it to his lips, giving the back of my right hand a brief kiss. "My name is Mikhail Armastaja. It is an absolute honor to meet you, Miss Diana."

I, uh, wasn't expecting that. My hand fell back to my side, I could feel my face heating up. "O-of course, the same to you. I've heard a lot about your talents."

"Diana here will be your piano accompaniment for Moonsetter," Ina said. "She has been practicing for quite a while, is that correct?"

I looked back at Ina. "Of course. Every day since you gave it to me."

Mikhail smiled and gave me a once-over, as if he had some subset of standards for piano players. "You'll do wonderfully, my dear. We will, of course, be practicing together now, if your schedule allows?"

"I'm free most afternoons, if that's what you mean." I stood a little straighter, maintaining eye contact. Something about this guy gave me the heebie-jeebies. Well, that was a bit too strong. Intimidated me, perhaps? Something, something, tough nut to crack? This wasn't his first rodeo; that much, I could tell. I'd probably have to bring it up to Laney at some point.

Ina clapped once, causing both the violinist and I to jump slightly. "Wonderful! Of course, everything you need will be in town hall. That is where Mikhail will be staying, by the way," Ina's piercing stare punched a hole into my soul. "I expect you two will work beautifully together."

Mikhail offered me a short bow. "I'll be expecting you in Town Hall no later than three o'clock. We can work out those particularly messy details later, hm?"

"See you then," I waved at the pair as they left my property. "I guess."


A broken heart thinks everything is just fine

A broken metronome counts out the wrong time

People around say, I should let go

My mind is spinning and I desperately need a cure

I'm in a fantasy, blinded that's for sure

You used to love, that was awhile ago


There was no way I could get the Laney 3rd Degree on Mikhail and also make it to Konohana town hall in time, so instead of going to her for lunch I went to see the world's best grandma – Yun.

The teahouse was full of hustle and bustle when I first popped in, although until I took a seat at the counter I had the distinct feeling I was being ignored. More specifically, by Nori and Hiro, who were sitting quietly sipping tea with Kana out on the back porch's table. They'd been acting flaky ever since June, and I couldn't for the life of me find out why. Well, I mean, Kana didn't have a mean bone in his body–also I splurged and gave him some sick horse gear for his birthday–so it was mostly Hiro and Nori.

Mikhail was absent from the teahouse. Probably taking a powernap before practice – the poor guy looked exhausted. Wherever he came from, it was probably quite a ways away.

"Hello, dear," Yun walked over to me, offering a very kind grandma-smile. "What brings you here today?"

I grinned at her. "Well, I mean, lunch. Also…I'm practicing with Mikhail later, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about him?"

I could hear a distant yell of "YOU'RE WHAT?" followed by several stomps coming my direction. I turned to face the noise, squeaked, and slid off my stool as a very angry Kana stood just a bit too close for comfort.

Yun rolled her eyes and went back to wiping down an empty plate. Kana panicked. I pushed myself to my feet.

"Sorry!" Kana offered a hand, which I took just on principle. He went from enraged to awkward in like 3 seconds – a new record. "It's just, um, well, Mikhail…"

I brushed down my shirt. "What, is he a serial killer or something?"

"Worse," Kana said. "He's a tramp."

"A hobo?"

"No, I mean, like…a player." Kana rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. "So, I don't really, uh, trust you, y'know, being alone with him."

Nori and Hiro found their way into the scene. "What's going on?" Nori still held a teacup in her hands.

"Diana's the virgin sacrifice this year." Kana said, about as serious as I'd ever heard him.

Hiro rolled his eyes. "For goddess' sake, Kana, he's not that bad. Mikhail is an especially talented musician and we should all be glad he choose to perform in Konohana this year."

"No, you don't get it," Kana began pacing back and forth. "She's his piano player. They're practicing together almost every day. Alone."

Nori put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my," she said, immediately dropping the hand to her side. "You're over-reacting."

"I am not!" Kana stamped his foot on the floor. "You know what happened to-"

"What happened to who, Kana?" The temperature inside the tea house seemed to drop about twenty degrees Fahrenheit as Reina stepped inside, crossing her arms and lifting a brow at the pet shop owner. "Please, I'm certain whatever you have to say will be very informative."

Kana's mouth opened and shut several times. "I was- I was just-"

Renia's cold eyes landed on me. "I would speak with you, Diana. Alone."

"Uh…of course." As if I had a choice.


You told me we were the perfect song

So I continued to sing along

But now that I know what this is all about

I'll stop talking and shout


Konohana's side of the mountain was incredibly well-kept due to the joint efforts of Reina and Mako. The trees were tended in such a way that the leaves fell off the side of the path, and the autumn foliage all looked happy and healthy from what I could tell. I only just managed to see the tail of some furry creature as it escaped deeper into the wood. Other than that, all was still.

"So," I kicked a loose pebble, watching it skitter down the path. "It's been a while since we last talked."

"Yes," she replied. "It has."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. We're both busy, and we're talking now."

"I guess we are." I said. "So…what did you want to talk about?"

Reina stopped in the middle of the road, causing me to swivel around on my feet and backtrack. She kept her eyes on the ground. "Kana can't keep his big dumb mouth shut."

I put my hands on her shoulders. "Look, whatever happened, you're not obligated to tell me. If Kana brings it up again, I can change the subject. We're…we're friends, right? I'll…I can respect your privacy."

"It wasn't that bad, really," Reina didn't look up. "But with a community as tight-knit as ours, things can get out of hand rather quickly." I remained silent. Reina let out a huff and pushed my hands off her shoulders. "You should go. I'm sorry I wasted your time."

I swallowed. "Okay. I guess I'll…see you around."

"I guess you will."


Hey! I thought we were the greatest symphony, melody, harmony

You talked about us like that, at the start

Hey! You said it's how it's supposed to be, destiny, I don't agree

You messed with my mind and tore me apart

And now it seems you've broke my heart

My treble heart


The inside of town hall was alive with the sound of Mikhail playing the violin, a quaint, jolly little tune that put a smile to even Ina's face. I followed the sound into the large performance room, my eyes trailing along the array of traditional Asian instruments hanging from the walls as I walked down the carpeted path to the baby grand piano.

Mikhail had set up a small table and chair to its side, and was happily playing away standing next to the mahogany chair. His jacket was draped over its back, so I was able to see what the musician wore beneath it – a buttoned-up dress shirt and slacks. Dude looked classy, although a couple of his shirt's buttons were undone near the top, giving off a sort of "hot for teacher" vibe.

He looked up and abruptly stopped his violin playing. "Oh. Hello there, Diana. You're early."

"I am?" I glanced over at the analog clock hanging over the piano. The small stick is the hour one, right? "I…I guess I am. Sorry."

Mikhail shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no, it's no problem. This gives us more time together, does it not? Please, take a seat." He gestured to the empty chair but I decided on the piano bench.

"So," I idly stroked the white keys, familiarizing myself with the musical alphabet without actually pressing down. "What's the plan?"

Mikhail poured himself some sort of liquid from a porcelain pitcher into a glass teacup. "First, we must get comfortable with each other, then we will practice. Would you like some lemongrass tea?"

"Uh…no thank you." I scrunched up my face a little. "I was never one for tea."

Mikhail nodded. "Of course. Do you require anything else before warming up? I personally quite enjoy cracking open a window or two. There's nothing quite like uniting the sounds of nature to music, don't you think?"

"Uh…sure," I stood and began walking over to one of the windows. "Isn't it supposed to rain later today, though?"

Mikhail waved away the question. "A little rain will complement our symphony."

"I mean, you're the expert." I pushed open the window, having to wiggle it a little bit since it's been so long. "But…I'd hate to ruin Ina's floorboards."

Mikhail was hovering over my shoulder, having seemingly teleported from the other side of the room. "I see," He lightly brushed my arm, guiding me to the piano. "We shall be extra considerate then."

I took my seat on the piano bench, cracking my knuckles and preparing myself for what might lie ahead.

My fingers jittered across the keyboard, familiarizing themselves once again with the placement of the different notes and tapping together a few basic chords. Mikhail floated over to his violin and began plucking the strings, probably making sure everything was still in key. He lowered his bow. "Are you sufficiently warmed up, Diana?"

"Uh," I glanced up at him. "I guess so. From the top, then?"

Mikhail nodded and got into position. "Whenever you're ready."

I tried not to focus on the (admittedly, very attractive) musician as I sifted through the music sheets, putting everything in order. With one last quick glance at Mikhail, I began to play.


You were the bass I was the treble

We took life to a whole 'nother level

You'll never get there again, my friend

Cause it's the end

Though my heart is on fire and so are my tears

I will remember you through the years

Cause you're responsible for this light

That burns inside, and it's alright


Sure enough, it was raining pretty hard by the time Mikhail called it quits for the day. Hippie psychobabble about the rain or whatever aside, it was pounding down loud enough I couldn't hear the piano. We wiggled the windows shut, which helped, but the thunder and distant flashes of lightning meant it was time for me to go.

"This'll probably last throughout tomorrow." I looked up at the grey sky.

Mikhail carefully placed his prized possession back into its case. "I suppose you would know better than I," he moved to stand beside me, his glasses reflecting the clouds. "Goodness, but it's getting dark out there. May I walk you home? It is the least I can do."

"Nah, I'll be okay. The farm's not too far from here." I waved off his concern, walking over to the piano and shouldering my rucksack. "Besides, this isn't the first time I've had to walk myself home. I appreciate the offer, but these guns?" I exaggerated flexing my arms "They aren't just for show."

Mikhail smiled and shook his head. "So long as they keep you safe," He waltzed over to the little table by the piano and lifted a piece of paper I hadn't noticed before. Mikhail examined it with narrowed eyes, suddenly professional. "Now, our next rehearsal will be exactly one week from now. The festival isn't until November, so we do have plenty of time to practice. I expect you on time." He looked at me over his glasses. I saluted him.

"Sire, yes, sire! I suppose I'll see you around?"

Mikhail folded the paper and pulled his jacket back over his shoulders. "Of course you will. Please don't hesitate to stop by anytime for tea – or whatever beverage you prefer. I quite enjoy the company of a lovely lady such as yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll bet you say that to all the ladies."

Mikhail snapped the clasps shut on his violin case. "Only because I have yet to meet a lady who is not lovely."


You told me we were the perfect song

So I continued to sing along

But now that I know what this is all about

I'll stop talking and shout


"…So he had to be Conrad because he was too shy for any of the other major speaking roles." Laney took another delicate sip of hot chocolate. "Also because he had the best voice out of our class – uh, please don't tell Ash I said that."

I pressed a hand to my chest and lifted the other to eye height. "Scout's honor."

Laney gave a blithe smile and shook her head. "You're such a goofball, Diana."

"With pride! Hey, so, unrelated, but…I've been meaning to ask you about something." It was a clear, crisp autumn afternoon, and I decided to spend the day in Bluebell, because I missed everyone. Laney insisted on treating me to lunch, of course, which I didn't mind at all. She was an excellent cook, after all. I touched the petals on one of the flower napkins Cam had folded – today was the day. I was finally going to ask Laney about the haikus.

"Sure thing! What's up?" Laney gave me the fullest extent of her attention, which if I'm perfectly honest was a little…uncomfortable. I sucked in a breath.

"Well..."

"Diana! Hey!" Georgia leapt into the fray, clinging onto me like a koala. The position was rather awkward but where there's a will, there's a way. I almost tipped off my chair before Laney reached over and steadied us.

"Hey yourself!" I laughed, returning the hug. "Where you been?"

Georgia slumped into one of the empty seats and retold her adventures in the "big city" with a practically-minute-by-minute account in breathtaking detail. So much for that.


Hey! I thought we were the greatest symphony, melody, harmony

You talked about us like that, at the start

Hey! You said it's how it's supposed to be, destiny, I don't agree

You messed with my mind and tore me apart

And now it seems you've broke my heart, my treble heart


A/N: See you around for chapter seven, hopefully before the turn of the century! I'M OUTTA HERE

*punches through wall like kool-aid man*