And I still hold your hand in mine,
In mine when I'm asleep.
Chapter 5: Whispers In The Wind
Haruka walked through their suite, trying to get used to it since they had only arrived yesterday. They would be staying for only three days and then move on to the next city as the Three Lights and Kaioh Michiru were currently on their tour through Japan. The blonde opened the window in Sejya's room to let in the fresh air. Although he wasn't allowed to smoke inside their hotels to avoid unnecessary fire alarms, his room smelled suspiciously of old cigarettes. For a moment, she stayed at the window and marvelled over the fantastic view over Osaka bay. Even though this suite wasn't as luxurious as the one in Kyoto for it only had one big bathroom, the view justified the enormous bill.
The sun shone brightly from a cloudless sky and she could hear the sea gulls scream. The air was very warm as spring moved on and slowly, but definitely turned into summer. The Cherry Blossom Festival had been three weeks ago and all trees were green now. Even the evenings and nights weren't so chilly any longer and seldom Haruka wore her jacket, although she still insisted on her black jeans and a black t-shirt that showed the words Three Light Crew in white over her chest and listed the dates of their Japan tour on her back. A small ID card hang around her neck at all times, allowing her to move around freely in the hotel and in the backstage area. Not that it was really necessary, because Hashitzou and the other crew memebers knew her. Michiru tried to convince her to wear something different instead that didn't make her look so much like a bodyguard, especially with her sunglasses on, but she didn't want to change. She felt fine in dark clothes and didn't want to explain to every manager of a hotel or a concert hall who she was.
Haruka took a deep breath of the refreshing spring air, then she turned around and walked into Michiru's room. The young woman was in the hotel's swimming pool, swimming her daily lanes. Tahiki wanted to meet with someone important to discuss their probably upcoming America tour whereas Yaten and Sejya promised to rehearse in the opera hall to get used to it for their concert this evening. Tahiki and Michiru would join them within the hour. They were scheduled with two concerts, one today and one the day after tomorrow, and an important interview, tomorrow evening. The next three days were booked up and it was Haruka's task to see to the minor things.
Minor things…
Haruka shook her head as she saw the bathrobe lying on the messed bed, clearly forgotten. She picked it up and stopped on her way through the common room to pick up a small, but very important folder from the glass table. Absent-mindedly, she took the remote control and switched off the mute TV set. They hardly ever watched TV, howevever, Sejya always switched it on, turning down the volume. He never really looked at it, but it seemed like he needed some movements when he was alone in the living room. Or it was simply a bad habit Haruka was sure she wouldn't be able to break in a 22 year old celebrity. As long as it wasn't annoying the others the blonde didn't see a reason to do so.
Haruka emerged from the lift five minutes later, walking determinedly along the corridor. Since Michiru tried to swim her lanes every day as long as their tight schedule permitted her to do so, the blonde always located the swimming pool right after their arrival, because when the young violinist wasn't on the stage or in their suite she surely was in the water, provided that Setsuna wasn't around. In fact, the young woman stayed in Tokyo this time, even though her girlfriend still had some exams to do. Firstly, there were some more appointments with Hotaru's paediatrician and secondly, she decided to continue her new book since her manager had nagged her the past couple of months and Setsuna wanted to be left in peace again.
Sure enough, Michiru was in the water. The blinds of the huge windows were closed to hinder curious journalists to take photos. Therefore, the pool area was bathed in twilight. However, Haruka had no problems recognizing Michiru diving and returning to the surface in regular intervals. The young woman swam like a fish and reminded Haruka in her elegance of the mermaids her mother had told her about in her fairy tales at bedtime.
"Haruka-san?"
Michiru had reached the end of the pool and noticed the other's presence.
"Another 80 lanes or 100 today?" Haruka stepped closer to the water and put the bathrobe down on a chair on which already a big towel was. Obviously, Michiru had decided to sneak back to their suite in the towel when she discovered that she had forgotten her bathrobe. Time was precious and she didn't want to waste it in going back to their suite. Haruka, on the other, didn't want her to run around in her wet swimsuit, catching a cold or, even worse, a naughty journalist.
"Arigatou." Michiru stroked some wet strands out of her face and beamed up at her. Normally, nothing could bring Michiru down, but sometimes it did happen that her mood sank and then it was the swimming pool that helped her to recover. When she was in the water, there seemed to be no problems, no urgent appointments, no upcoming concerts, no stagefright. When the young violinst was in her element, she seemed to Haruka to be the happiest girl on earth.
I like that smile.
"100 lanes today, of course. Do you remember our last night's dinner?" decleared Michiru and pushed herself from the rim to swim the lane in what seemed to be record time. Haruka chuckled as she was reminded of the delicious rice balls and the fried fish they had devoured after a long day travelling to Osaka. She turned to leave the hall as she heard the young violinist's voice behind her.
"Don't you want to join me?"
It sounded tempting. Very tempting. Haruka hesitated, but the folder in her hand told her that she had other things to do and that it wasn't, unfortunately, not her job to swim with Kaioh Michiru, even if she was her secret bodyguard, at least according to Kou Tahiki.
"Thanks, but no. Tahiki-san forgot something important." She waved the folder in the air and shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "Besides, I don't own a swimsuit."
"Okay." Michiru waved at her, turned and plunged back into the clear water. Haruka checked her wrist watch, mentally making a note to check on the young woman again in half an hour so that she wouldn't be too late for her rehearsal. Then she made her way through the hotel, greeting the other crew members as they passed by. She needed only two minutes to find Tahiki in the lounge who was very happy to see her, or better, to see the folder she carried with her.
Mission accomplished.
dbdbdb
The last fans had left the opera hall an hour ago and even the crew members were slowly leaving. It had been a good concert and the audience in Osaka had liked it very much. One by one the lights were switched off and the computers administering all the equipment shut down. Haruka looked around in the backstage area, making sure that the others hadn't forgotten anything important, and was just about to go back to the hotel, as well, as she heard the soft music evolving from the long deserted stage.
What?She knew that the Three Lights already left for Sejya had proclaimed loudly that he wanted to use the suite's shower first whereas Michiru only wanted to creep into her bed and take a shower the next morning, or to swim some more lanes for that matter. But tomorrow. Not today. Not right after midnight.
Haruka slipped through the curtain and entered the stage. One spotlight was still on and it was centred on the piano. Yaten, who still wore his Three Light outfit, sat behind the black instrument, playing one passage again and again, missing the same note again and again. Finally, he stopped and heaved a sigh. He looked very tired and for Haruka suddenly very sad.
"Yaten-chan?"
Maybe it was his young appearance or his sometimes very childlike behaviour, but no one called him Yaten-kun or even Kou-san, at least none of the people close to him. And since Michiru always called him Yaten-chan, Haruka started to use this suffix, as well. The young man didn't seem to mind, because he didn't correct her or even frown.
He winced and looked wildly around, but relaxed as he made out Haruka who stepped from the opera hall's semi darkness into the light he was sitting in.
"Oh, it's you, Haruka-san."
"What are you doing here, Yaten-chan? It's past midnight."
"I rehearse." He lowered his head and played the same passage, again. Again, he missed the note and bit on his lip in apparent frustration. "Damn, it's never perfect!" He slammed his hands on the keyboard and the loud sound seemed to startle him for he drew them back as if he'd burned himself.
"Damn…"
It wasn't more than a whisper and the boy looked very lonely in Haruka's eyes with a sudden. Surely, his brothers didn't know that he was here, playing the piano after a long day and an excellent, but still very exhausting concert. Maybe they thought that he was already in bed, sleeping deep and tight, unknowing to the fact that he sat in the cold opera hall, risking to fall ill again, only because he couldn't play a passage perfectly. A failure his fans hadn't noticed, probably his own brothers hadn't noticed, because it had been an accompaniment to one of Sejya's solos and, to be honest, no one paid much attention to the other two Three Lights when the lead singer was acting his best playboy image, no matter how stupid Haruka thought that was.
"You won't improve in the middle of the night, believe me." She stepped closer to the piano, but there was no sheet music to look at. All the sheets were in a folder that laid closed on the ground next to the grand piano. Right now, Yaten played the music by heart. "Move a bit."
Yaten was too deep in his self-pity so that he obeyed. Haruka sat down next to him on the wide chair and looked at him, trying to ignore the keyboard in front of her, the temptation that arose in her, the twitiching in her fingers.
"You shouldn't worry too much. You're a great pianist, believe me."
I know what I'm talking about.
"I still have to improve so much."
"Of course you have." Haruka quickly fought with herself and then made up her mind. "The moment you think you're perfect is the moment you stop to be a true musician. There's always something new to learn, no matter how good you are." She smiled encouragingly and deciding to get his mind off his dark throughts, she produced a crumbled paper from her jeans' pockets. Carefully, she unfolded it and stroked over it to smooth it out. Then she put it in front of Yaten's eyes who frowned as he read the notes and the lyric written beneath.
"What's this?" he asked and his fingers automatically flew over the keys without really touching them, playing silently a music he had never seen before.
"Someone wrote it a long time ago." Haruka didn't have to look at the sheet; she knew the notes by heart. "I want you to have it."
Yaten's finger stopped abruptly, glancing at the blonde in astonishment, not understanding why she wanted to give him something so precious, because it was a moving melody and very poetic lyrics. He didn't know who wrote it, but obviously, he or she had known a lot about music, and about the feelings of the listeners.
"Why?"
Was all he could think of to ask her, already staring back at the black dots dancing on five parallel beams.
"Play it." Instructed Haruka softly, and hesitatingly, Yaten's finger returned to the keyboard, this time actually touching the keys, creating the sweetest melody he had ever heard. It sounded like a lovesong and a lullaby, at the same time happy and sad. There was a longing within those notes he couldn't define, yet it touched his heart deeply. The lyric was mysterious and it wasn't clear whom it was written for nor by who. Still, he crasped the main idea, the main feeling behind those words.
You're beautiful…His hands faltered for a moment, but the music didn't stop. Surprised, he looked up and saw Haruka sitting next to him, playing the incidental music. It took Yaten some moments to understand that she had played the music part written for the singer.
"You play the piano?" Yaten was more than astonished. Haruka only shrugged her shoulders, not at once glancing at the crumbled sheet of paper in front of them.
"A little bit." But the way she played the piano's keys showed that it was a huge understatement. No, she didn't want to talk about it. Actually, she never wanted to lay hands on that stupid instrument ever again, but the keyboard had looked at her in such a tempting way that she simply couldn't resist. The song sounded even better when she accompanied Yaten, playing the part of the singer.
It's to cheer him up.
Haruka tried to convince herself of that throught, not allowing herself to admit that she had missed the piano, had missed its sound, had missed the power to create so tender music. His music. No, her music.
She composed the music he played.
The music we all loved.
I loved them, still do.
Yaten seemed to recover and again joined her in the music. They played together and suddenly he wasn't nervous any longer to do any mistakes. It seemed that with her he didn't need to be afraid to miss a note for he didn't falter, didn't hesitate. He didn't need to search for their princess when he shared the keyboard and the music with her. She didn't know. No, Haruka didn't judge him by the success or better, the constant failure of their mission. She only judged him by his play and his music. With her he felt strangely, but wonderfully free.
That's truly a beautiful song.
Yaten smiled happily and the sadness and frustration he had felt merely minutes before were forgotten as were the reasons for these depressing feelings.
Maybe it would have been just like that if he'd been allowed to grow up.
Haruka turned her head to the young man sitting next to her and her eyes grew wide as she saw the young woman standing on the other side, leaning against the grand piano, watching the youngest member of the Three Lights fondly. It was the same woman she had seen only three weeks before. Haruka, who still had no idea who she was and why she had day dreams about a total stranger, would have recognized her anywhere, would have always recognized that bright red hair. She was still wearing the same red dress, but this time she wasn't crying; actually, she was even smiling a little bit. Haruka could see Yaten's reflection in her deep blue eyes and suddenly had the bizarre feeling that the woman loved him. Loved him deeply. No, not like lovers do, but more like a mother would love her child.
What?Haruka blinked confused and tried to think of a way to draw her attention to her, although it seemed fairly stupid to her wanting to distract an illusion. Since when had the creations of her mind ever responded to her will?
Why now?She had been watchful the past three weeks, always looking around and expecting the unexpected every waking and sleeping hour, for that matter, but there had been no trace of the young woman as if she had vanished into thin air. Haruka finally decided to blame her crazy mind, but now that she was seeing the same young woman again, she wasn't sure what it meant, not that she had had any clue in the first place.
Why now?However, before she could contemplate any longer about this question did the song end and the woman disappeared again, together with the music that hang in the air for another moment and then ceased. Only Yaten's presence stopped her from reaching out and grabbing for something that wasn't there, never had been there.
"Why?" Yaten's question startled her and she didn't understand its meaning. Silently, she looked at him and he fidgeted slightly under her stare. "Why do you want to give it to me?" He pointed at the sheet of music and slowly, Haruka returned from her world of craziness back into his, into the real one. She rose, not daring to look back at the spot where she had seen the young woman, a non existing woman, only moments ago, although she knew that she was gone and wouldn't return. Her mind's creations never lasted long in the presence of others, of sane people.
"Because your brother wouldn't be able to sing it the right way, would he?"
Yaten raised his eyebrows in surprise and stared at the sheet music for a long time in silence. Finally, he nodded and took it with cold hands.
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"You don't sleep much, do you?"
Haruka, who had been kneeling at the backside of the hotel, tieing her shoelaces, looked up and slipped her sunglasses over her eyes to be able to squint against the already very bright sun.
"Who threw you out of bed?" She glanced at Sejya who was also wearing a tracksuit, although his was a dark red whereas hers was plain black. His hair was tied together in his neck and plaited to one pigtail. He was smoking a cigarette.
"My older brother decided to squeeze a photo shooting between breakfast and lunch, therefore taking my jogging time." Sejya shrugged indifferently, stretching his arms and legs carefully. A mp3 player was hanging around his neck and Haruka wondered briefly what kind of music he'd listen to while jogging.
"Don't tell me you want to go jogging with that hanging in your mouth." Haruka and Sejya didn't actually dislike each other, but they enjoyed to tease each other. Especially Sejya liked it that Haruka treated him like a normal person and not like a half god the way his fans normally did.
"You don't look any more smarter to me with that stupid backpack."
Haruka rose and shrugged her shoulders.
"It's to transport your breakfast." With those words she started her daily sport programme. It was an old renmant from her teenage days. Back then, she had been in the athletic club and one of the fastest pupils in her school and therefore trained every morning to be able to win at the next competition. During the years that followed she kept that habit, mostly, to run away from her demons, even if it was for only one hour or two. To keep fit to be able to carry him if the need arised.
"I'll never understand why you can't order something from the hotel's kitchen. I mean, that's what a hotel is there for, after all." Sejya flicked off the cigarette and followed her. For a couple of metres they struggled for control until they found a tempo that suited them both.
"It's too complicated to explain what everyone wants every time we check into a new hotel." Haruka turned off left along a small alley that would lead them to the nearby park. Sejya followed without complaining. "Besides, this way I know that the stuff is fresh."
"You don't trust the hotel's chef?" Sejya sounded honestly amazed.
"I trust no one."
"Hm… it's your free time." Grumbled the lead singer, not knowing how true her words had been just now. Secretly, he was glad that Haruka decided to take care of their breakfast. Since then, it was truly much more delicious and somehow Haruka managed that the coffee was always hot and fresh, no matter when they finally woke up after a long concert or after an even longer night. Dinner was another affair, but mostly they no time for that anyway, because the next appointment, concert, photo shooting or interview already awaited them. There were times when breakfast was the only meal they had time and muse to eat all day and therefore it was important that it was sufficient and tasty.
They reached the park and for the next half an hour they were jogging silently side by side. Sejya's thoughts returned to the long day that lay ahead of him and what he should wear to their photo shooting, while Haruka simply looked at the green trees and the dancing shadows in front of them on the path, moving with the wind and the sun. Thankfully, they were almost alone in the park. It was six o'clock in the morning and therefore there was no one around except for some other joggers who didn't even glance at them. Although they probably wouldn't have recognized Sejya anyway. His long ponytail was hidden under his tracksuit's top and like Haruka he was wearing sunglasses and a cap that he had pulled deeply into his face. He looked like any other young man trying to exercise in the early morning before he went to university or to work.
Ouch!Sudden, searing pain flashed through Haruka's right ankle and the sun dazzled her. Blindly, she stretched out her hands and was able to prevent the worst when she stumbled and went on her knees which suddenly felt like rubber. Her palms stung and she was aware of the blood that covered her now dirty hands as she pushed her sunglasses into her hair. She jerked her head around to look at the hurting ankle, but there was nothing suspicious. No root behind her that could have caused her fall. No blood on her slightly exposed leg that could have caused the pain. She was happy to have worn long trousers, because otherwise her knees would now look as scratched as her hands.
Damn!Blaming her own clumsiness for her little accident, she raised her head to see if Sejya had noticed her fall and if he waited or even tried to help her. Sure enough, the young man stood right beside her, but he didn't look at her. He, too, had taken off his sunglasses, but his blue eyes stared into the direction where they had come from. His face was still flushed from the exercise, but beneath he was pale. Unconciously, he opened and closed his hands to fists and Haruka was not able to judge if he looked nervous or frightened.
"Sejya-kun?" she asked into the morning silence that was only disturbed by a bird courting another. Haruka tried to stand up, but her legs trembled too much and so she decided to stay there on the ground for another couple of minutes until her body recovered from the shock of the little accident.
"I've… gotta go." Stammered the singer and started to run back the way they'd come without looking back at her. Haruka didn't hold him back, because she knew that it would have been senseless. Whether he only remembered another important appointment of which she hadn't been informand or wether he simply wanted to be on his own and didn't know how to tell her, it didn't really matter. From her sitting position she wouldn't have been able to stop him, anyway. Besides, it hadn't been his fault that she stumbled. Maybe he didn't even see her fall. In any case, she hadn't expected his help.
Haruka shook her head and looked at her scratched hands, wiping the blood on her tracksuit's jacket, wondering where they had the first aid kit in the suite, because she didn't want to smear her blood on the others' breakfast rolls.
Simply great.
The wounds weren't deep, but she had managed to get some tiny stones under her skin which now stung. It didn't really hurt. No, she had endured much greater pain in her life, but it was very inconvenient.
"Don't be so lazy. Get up!" She whispered angrily to herself and clenched her fists to support herself on her knuckles to raise slowly, very slowly. Her leg's consistence hadn't improved much, but she forced her rubber body nontheless to make one step after another. Clearly, her jogging lesson was over for the day, but she didn't want to return to the suite empty-handed. The bakery wasn't too far, because she had already seen it on her discovery tour the day before. She was sure that she would make it to the small shop around the corner and if she still felt this dizzy afterwards, she could take a taxi back to the hotel and recover during the afternoon when there were two hours freetime in the Three Light's schedule which they mostly used to rehearse the next evening's concert or, as in today's case, interview.
Keep going, clumsy idiot!Haruka bit on her teeth and stared straight ahead. Therefore, she couldn't see the object lying next to her in the dew wet glass, sparkling golden in the morning sun's bright light.
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She never knew where they came from nor how they found her. One moment, Michiru was swimming her daily lanes in the swimming pool at an early hour due to a photo shooting scheduled this morning, the next moment, she was violently grabbed by strong, inhuman hands and literally thrown out of the water. Too surprised to react, she crashed into the next wall and was for a second strangely thankful that she'd missed the glass door, because it was easier to cover bruised skin than bleeding cuts.
Nani?Michiru screamed as she fell helplessly on the hard tiles and wondered fearfully if the cracking in her body had been caused by breaking bones. But she had no time to worry about such trifle things as a broken leg when her major concern was to survive. Michiru could hear them moving next to the pool, could hear their inhuman voices, their incoherent cries. She knew instantly that they were youmas, although she had no idea how they had found her and if they knew that she was a Senshi.
She raised her head to look at the four undefinable shadows looming over her and her searching hand found the familiar staff next to her on the cold ground. Of course, she didn't, couldn't carry her henshin around with her all the time, but whenever she needed her weapon it was there.
"Sailor Neptune…" she winced as she raised the henshin in the air. "… make up!" Her body was long used to the transformation. Her hair still pasted wet to her body, but her swimsuit had turned into her fuku. To throw her spell, she had to stand up, but her right leg gave in immediately as she tried to stand up. Quickly, she dared to look at it and saw the blood on her white sock. Deeply, she sighed and threw her spell, nontheless, knowing that it wouldn't unfold its full power when she was sitting on the ground, knowing that she had no chance against the four of them. Maybe she would have been able to defeat one, but not all four at once when she was injured.
I've been too careless!"Deep submerge!"
A huge water planet emerged from the swimming pool, although she knew that she'd been able to produce bigger ones before.
But I've never expected them to attack me in Osaka!"Deep submerge!"
Another planet splashed the youmas and one of them started to howl and disappeared in a scream of agony. His partners, however, remained and looked a lot angrier, ready to strike and to kill her.
They've only attacked in Tokyo before. What happened? What made Sailor Galactica change her mind?
Michiru didn't doubt for one second that they belonged to their worst enemy whom they hadn't been able to defeat, no matter how hard they had fought all those five long years. Not even the Three Lights didn't make a difference, although they were pretty strong themselves. During the past years, Michiru had pinned her hopes on Kakyuu. If she was as important to the Star Lights and their solar system as Sailor Moon was to them and the Milky Way, then the two princesses had to be strong enough to finally defeat Sailor Galactica.
Michiru didn't allow the thought to enter her mind that the reason for their constant inferiority was their incomplete team. They were missing one Senshi, after all. One of the Outers who were said to be stronger than the Inners.
What can I do?
How can I escape?
"Deep submerge!"
This time, the planet wasn't bigger than a football and the youma seemed to laugh at it as it destroyed it with its right paw. Michiru looked around in despair, but there was nowhere to hide and she knew that she wouldn't be able to get on her injured feet to run away.
Damn!As they loomed over her, ready to attack, she raised her henshin again, knowing that it was infertile. They would defeat her quickly and there was nothing she could do.
Damn!"Star Sensitive Inferno!"
Two of the youmas were hit by planets much bigger than her wretched version of a strong and mighty Neptune. They crashed into a couple of white plastic chairs, throwing Michiru's towel and bathrobe into the water as they skidded over the wet tiles.
"Star Gentle Uterus!"
Another two planets followed and another youma disappeared. One of the surviving youmas rose, turned around and escaped through the door. Michiru saw Sailor Maker and Healer glancing at each other, before they wordlessly decided that Maker would run after the fleeing youma in order to prevent attacks on the hotel's or the crew's staff, whereas his younger brother was ordered to take care of the last youma. Exactly this youma had remained silent and immobile during the last minute. But now, it remembered its task and turned towards the still kneeling woman. Michiru wasn't qick enough and crashed into the other wall as the youma hit her again. Her right cheek burned where the thing had slapped her and she hoped that her eye wouldn't swell. After all, they had a photo shooting and an interview scheduled this day.
The youma screamed in triumph.
Provided that they survived the next ten minutes.
It slapped Michi-neechan!
Healer froze and clenched his fists tighter around his own henshin. He stared in rage at the youma, but in his mind he saw Sailor Galactica. The one who was responsible for his flight five years ago, for leaving his parents and his friends behind, for singing these stupid, fucking songs again and again, in vain, not being able to find their princess. The one who sat their castle on fire, destroyed their family and took away their future. The one who had stolen this second chance from him. The second chance of beng a perfect son. Of being a little brother. Of being a happy person. Finally.
To be loved.
It hurt my Onee-chan!
Sailor Galactica was the reason why Tahiki searched in vain for his Kakyuu, why Sejya grew more and more distant and why he, Yaten, couldn't return to Lord and Lady Kou, the first and only true family he'd ever had.
You'll pay for what you've done!
Healer raised his henshin, not seeing his older brother enter and waving his hands at him. He didn't hear what Fighter was screaming. He didn't notice Michiru's shaking head. All he saw was the youma looming over the young woman and Sailor Galactica standing in its shadow, laughing madly at him, humiliating him.
Enough's enough!
"Stop, Healer! That's a trap! It's too strong! It controls the water!" Star Fighter launched out towards his little brother, but the youma was faster.
"Star Sensitive Inferno!"
Healer's planet bounced ineffectively off its body and both Fighter and Neptune realized that it was the group's captain and therefore stronger than the other youmas. Two water arms shot out of the pool and engulfed the youngest Sailor Star Light to pull him into the waves. Sailor Healer screamed in surprise before he was dragged under the surface.
"Healer!"
"Yaten!"
Sudden silence surrounded him at once and he had to cough as he involuntarily gulped some water. Instead of fresh air it was cold wetness that rushed into his mouth and into his lungs and made him choke. He struggled, but those two strong arms, now invisible in the wet element, held him mercilessly tight. No matter how hard he kicked with his legs or swung his henshin around in slow motion, there was nothing he could do. He turned his head, but the rim was too far away to grab and he had no idea how far away he was from the surface; it was out of reach, anyway.
Help!
His anger at Sailor Galactica fell flat and was quickly replaced by fear. He knew that their mission was dangerous, had seen what their enemy could do with only one wink of her hand, but he didn't want to die here and now. He wanted to go home, to see their parents again and to restore the castle. He wanted to survive long enough to be able to hear Kakyuu's gentle laughter again. He wanted to live to the day when Sejya wouldn't be so angry any longer, but be the big brother he had been in their childhood.
I don't want to die!
Sure enough, his body didn't want to die, too. It fought hard gasping for breath, but still there was no air, only water. Cold, wet, impenetrable water. His face felt suddenly very hot and the sight before his eyes blurred, although he wasn't sure if it was due to the lack of oxygen or because of the shifting surface above him. Obviously, there was some kind of fight going on. Healer hoped that his brothers were able to defeat this strong youma and to save themselves and Neptune, too.
Help!
Surely, they wanted to help him, but they had to defeat the youma, first. It depened on its strength how long that would take, but the young man knew that he had not much time left. His body still tried to gasp for breath, but there was only water and he was sure that his lungs were already filled with the wet element. There was no air anywhere and darkness descented. It came from the pool's rims and quickly spread over the surface. The light above was suddenly dimmed and he felt tired. His head hurt and his lungs still graved unsuccessfully for air. His entire body was jerking and he wished that he'd died another death, not fighting against a simple youma but against Sailor Galactica herself.
That he had died in Sejya's arms…
Shit!
The henshin slipped out of his hands and slowly sank to the pool's bottom. The steely grip around his waist disappeared, but he had no strength left to return to the surface. Instead, he was sinking, too. Helpless. Almost unconcious. No longer fighting to live.
Guess that's it…
He didn't hear the muffled sounds nor did he saw the sudden shaking of the water's surface. Two shadows loomed over him and then two strong arms grabbed him. But they were different from the grip he had been trapped in merely moments before. They brought him back to the surface. There was fresh air, he knew that it had to be there, because he was pulled out of the water and laid down on the hard underground, but still he couldn't breathe. Then, there were lips on his, but the touch wasn't romantic. It was pushing that precious, longed for air into his lungs. Again and again. Until he vomitted all the ugly water that had hindered him to survive. To live. Finally, he was able to draw a first breath and the fresh air was wonderful, even though it stung like thousand little needles. Someone turned him on his side and he sucked in another breath before he started to cough. There was even more water in his mouth and he spit it out. But he knew that he would survive.
They all would survive.
Till the next fight.
To the bitter end.
"Thank god…"
Healer recognized the voice immediately. He squinted into the morning light, wondering if it was still quarter to seven. Michiru was sitting right next to him, smiling, not caring to wipe the tears from her face. She didn't wear her fuku any longer and he could see that she had been badly beaten by the youma. Although her hair covered most of her face, he could still see her right eye black and swollen.
"Don't you scare me like that again."
That was his oldest brother. Healer slightly turned his head and saw Maker kneeling next to Michiru. Obviously, he had been able to defeat the youma without many bruises, but his face was abnormally pale and there were tears in his eyes, as well. He was also soacking wet and the dark leather uniform pasted to his trembling body.
"I told you to stop!"
Healer didn't have the strength to turn around to face his other brother. Right now, breathing was more important than telling Fighter or Sejya that his warning had been too late and that he really had wanted to kick that youma's ass. It was their mission to fight against those monsters, to fight against Sailor Galactica. They all knew that it could be dangerous, even fatal. But that was no reason to sound so angry.
Maybe he just needs another reason to fight.
Suddenly, Healer felt incredibly tired.
"Why can't you do as you're told? Just once!"
"Sejya! Let it be." Tahiki, who had transformed back into his true form, put down his henshin and looked warningly at his younger brother. But Sejya would have none of it.
"Let it be? He's just tried to kill himself! Fighting against a water monster all on his own is suicide!" The lead singer clenched his fists and shook his head, not caring that his wet hair slapped against his pale cheeks slightly redden from the rage he felt inside.
"There's no chance in ever finding Kakyuu or defeating Sailor Galactica when he's dead! But he seems to be pretty useless when he's alive, as well!"
Useless.
Sejya's words hurt more than the youma's fists or the water's deadly grip. Sejya hadn't rescued him because of himself, but because of what they needed him for. His Sejya.
"Kou Sejya! I didn't hear that!"
Tahiki seldom used Sejya's full name, only when he was clearly upset. Yaten didn't care whether his oldest brother defended him or not. He didn't care about anything at all. Not even how they had managed to defeat the water youma. He felt deeply hurt and betrayed, abandoned.
Useless.
He had heard those words before in his life, spoken by a man who had hardly been older, then. His father had been only 24 when his wife gave birth to a white child. A moon's child born on a desert planet where all people, including his parents, had dark skin to be better able to protect themselves against the hot burning sun.
Useless.
That's what he had been to his father all his childhood. And now that he grew up he had to find out that he was it again, this time to this family he had had so many difficulties to trust and to love in the beginning. But when he finally did, he had thought that he would belong to them for the rest of his life.
Useless.
Sejya knew all this. He would have never used those words carelessly. No, he truly was useless to them if he wasn't able to sing with them in search for their princess. If he wasn't able to fight against Sailor Galactica with them. If he wasn't exact the person they expected him to be. Who he had never been able to be.
Useless…
"But it's true!"
Yaten didn't see the fear in an ashen face nor the haunted look in blue eyes. He only heard the anger and wrath in a low voice and that was enough for him.
"Get out." Tahiki's own voice was cold and merciless. "And don't say anything else unless you're able to use that tiny brain of yours!"
"I wasn't the one who almost drowned."
"You could have been."
"But I wasn't!"
A door was slammed and Yaten closed his burning eyes. He didn't listen to the silent conversation developing between Tahiki and Michiru. All he heard were Sejya's angry words over and over in his mind, each time breaking his heart anew.
Useless.
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"What happened?"
The backpack fell on the ground and two rolls rolled out of it, unseen, as Haruka entered the suite and saw Michiru sitting on the couch. Tahiki was kneeling in front of it, rummaging in what must be the first aid kit, thus releasing Haruka from the task of searching for it.
"I could ask you the same."
Michiru's left eye grew wide as she saw Haruka's torn tracksuit trousers and her bloodstained fingers and forearms. Her right one couldn't, because it was black and swollen. She couldn't even look through it and was slightly irritated by the change of perspective her momentary handicap caused her. She was lucky to know almost all of her songs by heart so that she could play them with her eyes closed. If she'd pull some hair over her injured eye, maybe no one would notice… but then again, Haruka's reaction made it clear that it would be impossible to hide it from anyone, especially not from the curious reporters and their big cameras and object lenses.
"You look awful, Michiru-san."
"Thanks for the compliment." Michiru smiled and winced as this movement hurt, as well. But she was thankful for Haruka's honesty, although she had to lie to the blonde. She couldn't tell her nor their fans nor the press what really had happened. "I've been up early and wanted to play my violin. I guess I've been a little clumsy and fell down the staircase at the opera hall's backstage area." She shrugged her shoulders, thankful that this motion, at least, didn't sting. Tahiki quickly looked up, but said nothing. They had talked about an excuse to her injuries and it was the best they could come up. At least the people who knew Michiru would believe it.
Fell down a staircase?
She looks more like someone beat her up!
"Sorry to sound sceptical, Michiru-san, but how on earth did you manage to blacken your eye with the help of a staircase?" Haruka went over to the couch and neither Tahiki nor Michiru did notice her slight lameness. However, they both saw her scratched hands.
"I was holding my Stradivarius at that time." Retorted Michiru as if it would explain everything. To Haruka it did. She pulled a pained face and covered her eyes with her right hand, only to wince as she touched the sore flesh.
"Don't tell me that you value your instrument over your life."
It's only a small bruice, Haru-chan. As long as I could rescue it.
"Of course, Haruka-san. As long as I could rescue my Stradivarius, I'm prepared to wear those old war injuries with pride." Teased Michiru, but had to groan as Tahiki touched her right leg to look after her ankle.
"Okay, that's it, Michiru-san. I'll call a doctor, no matter what you say!" Tahiki raised his right hand's index finger to nip her protest in the bud. Then he turned around to use the telephone in his room to call Hashitzou.
"He's pissed off, isn't he?" remarked Haruka and bowed to get some plasters for her maltreated hands. It looked like Michiru needed them more, but the blonde was still determined to make breakfast and she didn't want to sully their rolls.
"Hai. He had to cancel the photo shooting and is still not sure if we'll be able to go to the interview, lest alone perform tomorrow." Michiru sighed softly. "It's not a problem for me, though. I can still play. Just give me a chair to sit down and I'll play. I don't even need to look at the notes, because I know the songs by heart."
"He shouldn't be angry with you. You didn't do it on purpose and believe me, every musician would have done the same." He smiled painfully, knowing again why she chose the piano over the violin when she was a little girl.
"Oh, he's not angry with me, don't worry." Michiru watched Haruka as she cleaned her hands and arms with disinfected handkerchiefs from the first aid kit, all the while pulling a face. "Sejya-kun and Yaten-chan had a huge fight and he's pissed off because of their childish behaviour." She shrugged her shoulders, knowing that it was better to tell her. Haruka would have found out, anyway. Sejya's face spoke volumes.
"Sejya-kun's been jogging with me this morning, but we separated before I reached the baker."
"Now that you know my heartbreaking story, what did you do to end up this way?" Michiru pointed at Haruka's hands that were now covered with plasters. She looked like she had desperately tried to sew on some buttons or had carelessly touched a hotplate.
"Nothing as exciting as your adventure, Michiru-san. I merely stumbled over my own feet and fell down." She chuckled and put the rest of the plasters back into the kit. "But at least I wasn't carrying our breakfast then, so it wasn't harmed."
"That's good to hear." The young violinist smiled, ignoring her hurting face and her limited visual range. "Because I'm quite hungry."
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Michiru insisted on them having their interview. The doctor bandaged her sprained ankle and gave her an eye patch to cover her eye on which he had rubbed a healing ointment. She was also given some pain killers and joked all the while during a late breakfast that she was now an infamous pirate and that they should give her all their treasures without protest. Tahiki wanted to cancel the interview, but Michiru told him that there was no way for her to miss it and that she would play the next day. She waved her fork around, threatening him to be a really dangerous pirate if he didn't obey her.
Seeing that Michiru indeed was serious and that her injuries weren't as bad as he had feared at the beginning, he finally agreed and didn't call the press nor the concert hall's manager. Coldly, he told his brothers to be ready at five o'clock and went down to Hashitzou to talk to him about the Japan tour. Michiru already hatched plans to escape Tahiki's watchful eye to swim some more lanes, because the water would support her ankle, while Haruka prepared two dishes and took them into the young men's rooms. Yaten had wrapped himself in his blanket, reading his favourite book while Sejya stood near the open window, smoking a cigarette. They both said nothing and Haruka sensed that it was best to leave them alone. Neither of them left their rooms all afternoon nor did they touch their food. But they were ready for the interview on time. Haruka helped Michiru walk, because she refused the crutch the doctor gave her. A pirate as strong as she didn't need one!
The interview was quite uneventful, only that the reporters took one look at Michiru's face and the next two hours the questions were all about the young violinist's accident and a little bit about their Japan tour. Since the Three Lights weren't in the mood for long questions about their music, anyway, they welcomed that Michiru took the lead and told her story down to the very last detail. Haruka, who stood silently in the backstage room, only hoped that they wouldn't twist the story and make Michiru the victim of a robbery while she was only a victim of her own passion, loving her instrument more than her own body.
In front of the town hall, where the interview had taken place, they met some of their fans and gave autographs to happy smiling girls. Therefore, the sun was already setting when they finally made it to their waiting taxi and started their ride back to their hotel.
"I'd like to eat dinner at a restaurant." Michiru's ankle might have been injured and her right eye momentarily blind, but her stomach was rumbling, nonetheless. Expectantly, she looked around, but the three brothers only stared out of the taxi's windows. It was no coincidence that Tahiki was sitting between his siblings.
"I'm not hungry."
"I don't want anything."
Clearly, neither Sejya nor Yaten were keen on food, not to mention to go into a restaurant where they had to behave. Where they had to face the other one.
"We can get some take away, Michiru-san."
"I only sprained my ankle, you know. I'm not dying, Tahiki-san." Michiru leaned forward and told the driver to stop. Hopefully, she glanced at Haruka who nodded immediately. "We'll take a taxi once we've eaten something nice, okay?"
Tahiki looked into pleading blue eyes and sighed deeply.
"Okay, Michiru-san." The taxi pulled over and they opened the door to get out into Osaka's night life. "Haruka-san?"
"Yes?"
"Take care of her."
"Of course."
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"That was delicious." Michiru put down her chop sticks and patted her flat stomach that was now filled with rice balls and other delicacies Osaka was known for. "The guys really missed something."
"Are you sure that you can perform tomorrow?" Haruka had listened to Michiru's stories about other interviews in silence, wondering if the young woman really was okay. Her face looked very painful even though Michiru teased more than once about her pirate outfit and that she should consider it for future excursions for no one had recognized her so far.
"I sprained my ankle, that's all, but thanks for the concern." Michiru put some banknotes on the bill and slowly rose. Haruka was immediately by her side and supported her. "As long as my fingers are fine I can play my violin."
"Still…"
"Half of tomorrow's proceeds are for the benefit of different charities helping disabled children. I can't back out now, Haruka-san." Michiru's voice grew serious and she glanced at the blonde, trying to drive her point home. "I was clumsy this morning, but it's nothing that won't heal soon and the less fuss everyone makes about it the quicker I'm able to forget it." She winked with her left, her uninjured eye and took her jacket. It was of a dark blue and together with her navy blue trousers and blouse did she indeed resemble the looming figure of an infamous pirate. All that was missing was the hat with the long feather and a parrot sitting on her right shoulder.
"You'll tell me if you need something, okay?" The real concern in Haruka's voice let Michiru falter for a moment and she was almost tempted to tell her the truth. About Sailor Galactica, about the youmas and the battles. And about Sailor Uranus, her partner by destiny who had decided to leave them all behind, to abandon her. But then again, the blonde wouldn't believe her. No one with a clear mind would believe such a fantastic story like hers. That's why Setsuna wrote quite successfully novels about it. Hell, Michiru wouldn't even believe it herself hadn't she seen all this madness with her own eyes.
"I promise." Michiru smiled sadly, then she turned around and headed, slightly limping, towards the door. "Let's board some ships!"
"Ah yes, the hook is also missing."
"Nani? Did you say something?"
"Nothing important." Haruka chuckled, but her face froze as they stepped outside and stood in pouring rain. They hadn't noticed that it had started to rain while they sat in a far away corner in order to avoid the other guests and not to be recognized by potential fans.
"You'll stay here while I'll get us a taxi." Haruka turned around and ran off into the night. However, it was soon clear that she had no luck. Three taxis didn't stop and then there was no fourth one she could yell at or trow the stone at she had stumbled over earlier in her desperate attempt to attract the other drivers' attention.
"Forget it, Haruka-san."
She wheeled around as Michiru stood suddenly next to her. The rain stopped and the blonde needed some moments to realize that the young violinist was holding an umbrella, even though it made no longer any difference for Haruka, because she was already soaking wet. But at least it would keep the younger woman dry.
"Where did you get that from?" She pointed at the umbrella and stroked wet strands out of her forhead.
"The owner of the restaurant was very kind and gave it to me. He was very sorry that he couldn't call us a taxi, but his telephone is broken and he's still waiting for the service to come and repair it." Michiru shrugged her shoulders and limped closer to Haruka so that the umbrella covered the both of them completely. And I've forgotten my mobile in all that chaos. "It's not that far away. Let's walk home."
"We don't have any other choice, do we?" Haruka took the umbrella from Michiru and let the younger woman grab her right arm in support. Then they started their still long and definitely very slow way home.
"Usagi-chan called yesterday right after we arrived."
Haruka still hadn't met the mysterious young woman, but she nodded nonetheless in recognition at Michiru's words.
"What did she tell you?"
"That they really good ultrasound pictures." Michiru's voice sounded excited and Haruka was sure that she would have performed a little dance of joy had her right leg been uninjured. "She wants to fax them as soon as possible."
"She's one of your close friends, isn't she?"
She's our princess, our future queen.
"Hai, and I'm very happy for her."
All Senshi are happy.
They fought their way against a gush of wind and walked on in silence for the next five minutes. All they could hear was the steady noise of the rain and a car passing by, although the traffic lessened, not only because of the late hour, but also because they came nearer to the park where Haruka had jogged only hours ago.
"She's still in the first trimester, isn't she?"
"Hai, although I have no real idea which week, but I'm sure that she'll tell me as soon as I'll call her again."
"Then, don't be disappointed if you won't be able to see anything on the ultrasound picture." Haruka looked straight ahead. She didn't want to oversee another root and fall down, because different from the morning she would hurt Michiru with her clumsiness this time, as well. "At this stage, you're happy to recognize the white dot as a child."
"Oh, right, you have a baby brother, sure you know a lot about this stuff."
I had.
"Not that much more, but my parents showed me the pictures and explained to me what the doctor had told them. They didn't see either the head nor the back at this early stage, but the doctor said that everything was alright and that was all that counted."
Only, that she was wrong.
While they were so proud…
"I wish I were an older sister." Michiru sighed silently, but put on a brave face. She didn't want sympathy, not from her friends. It was bad enough when her grandmother's guests found out and looked at her with false pity in their eyes that made her sick each time she had to endure it.
"Your parents didn't want to have other children?"
"No, they couldn't." Michiru winced as she put too much weigth on her right leg and her ankle cried out in searing pain. "They died when I was six years old."
Haruka stopped and for a moment all Michiru could hear was the steady beating of the rain drops falling on their umbrella.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Haruka's voice didn't sound polite as her grandmother's guests had nor did it sound uncomfortable. It sounded sincere and honest as if she understood her pain, even after all those long years.
"Oh, don't worry." Michiru laughed in embarrassment and made a declining gesture with her right hand. "They died a long time ago and I can hardly remember them. My grandmother brought me up and she's a very nice person."
"Still it hurts, doesn't it?"
Michiru raised her head, but Haruka's face was hidden in the umbrella's shadow and therefore she couldn't see the expression on it.
"I mean, to see all the other children with their parents and to be reminded that something, no, that someone is missing."
As much as it hurts to see other people with their little children…
"Well…" Michiru frowned, because those had exactly been her thoughts, although she never dared to voice them, fearing that she would sound ungrateful, because her grandmother really cared for her and did everything in her might to make her little granddaughter happy. However, no matter what the grande dame did, she couldn't fully banish the loneliness and the hopeful longing from that little child's heart whenever someone rang the bell, always hoping that her parents were finally coming to take her home.
Of course they never came. And each time broke Michiru's heart anew.
"Hai…" Her confession was very soft and Haruka squeezed her hand on her arm equally gently. However, whatever the blonde wanted to reply was quickly forgotten as the young violinist slipped on the wet ground and stumbled over her own feet. Her right ankle screamed in agony and Michiru in surprise as her right leg bend. She would have fallen on the ground if Haruka hadn't let go of the umbrella to hold her back.
"I should've gotten us a taxi." Whispered the blonde and helped Michiru to stand on trembling legs. It was obvious that the young violinist wouldn't make it to the hotel. "Are you alright, Michiru-san?"
"Right as rain." The young woman chuckled at the obvious pun, but shivered as the cold drops wetted her hair and her clothes, as well.
"Sure." Haruka bowed and picked up the umbrella which she pushed in Michiru's hands. Then she crouched before the young violinist and glanced back over her shoulder. "Come, climb on, I'll carry you back."
"Nani?" Michiru's eyes grew wide while her desperate ankle screamed at her to take the generous offer or to fuck off. "You mean… by pick a back?"
"Exactly."
He loved pick a back.
Haruka banned the throught from her mind and looked invitingly to the young woman who stared at her as if she were mad.
"But…" Michiru hesitated, but the rainfall grew stronger and colder and she really wanted to get back to their suite and take a nice hot bath. Haruka, who was again exposed to the wet drops, surely wanted to go back quickly, as well. No, this was not the time to feel ashamed. At least not in front of Haruka who had been so nice and so understanding the past months.
"Okay." Michiru grinned and carefully climbed on Haruka's back, stifling a groan as her right ankle protested in the movement. "Then, let's go, horsy." The young violinist felt Haruka rose and giggled as the blonde actually neighed. Now, the umbrella was covering the both of them again, although it didn't really make a big difference for they both were soaked. But the food had been worth it. The boys had missed a lot. Definitely.
Michiru wrapped one arm around Haruka's neck while the other was fighting with the umbrella and against the increasing wind. A rainy night in Osaka wasn't very pleasant, even in late spring.
Although they made slow progress, they were quicker than they had been before. Haruka didn't seem to mind Michiru's weight too much but was careful not to stumble over hidden roots or to slip in deep puddles quickly forming on the muddy ground.
"What about your hands? Do they still hurt?" asked Michiru after five minutes that had taken them to the park's edge, fully aware that exactly those hands were holding her now.
"Only some scratches, captain, nothing to worry about."
"Captain?"
"You're an infamous pirate. I'm sure that you're also a great captain of an evil crew, Michi-chan."
Michi-chan.
It was out before Haruka could bit her tongue. Too often had she heard Setsuna and Elza using this nickname when talking to the young violinist that she started to use it in her mind when referring to Michiru.
"I… mean, Michiru-san." Immediately, she corrected herself, knowing too well from her mother how important the right form of address was for a Japanese. A concept that her father had never fully understood.
"Michi-chan is fine." Whispered the young violinist after a long silence in which Haruka had entered the park. Some lamplights shone, showing her the way to the hotel. Maybe ten more minutes and they would be in a dry and warm place.
"Sure?"
"Of course. We're close friends, aren't we?"
Another moment of silence passed between them while Haruka walked over the muddy ground and Michiru listened to the falling rain.
Close friends.
Not only friends, but close friends like Setsuna and Elza. Like the mysterious pregnant woman, Usagi.
Haruka wasn't sure if she really deserved to be called a close friend, but it sounded wonderful in her ears. Tempting. Strangely right.
Close friends.
"Yes." Her answer was only a whisper, but Michiru understood her, nonetheless. Happily, she tightened her embrace for a moment to let the blonde know that she had heard and appreciated her response.
"So, how shall I call you, my prince in a shinning armour?"
"I thought I was your horsey?"
"No, you are my fiery steed."
"I'm not sure whether that's a compliment or not."
They both giggled, relieved that the tension of their serious conversation had disappeared.
"Be sure, from your captain it's always a compliment."
"Oh good, then I feel honoured."
Michiru smiled and laid her head on Haruka's shoulder. She felt exhausted and tired and hoped to not fall asleep to the luring rain and the constant up and down of the blonde's steps.
"So, is Ruka alright?"
"Of course."
As long as you don't call me Haru-chan.
"That sounds good." Michiru stifled a yawn and felt her eyes drooping. The pain in her ankle had turned into a steady throbbing which she could ignore. The warm body next to her kept the night's cold at bay and she felt herself being pulled into the dreamland. She hoped that Haruka wouldn't mind too much her falling asleep.
"Then it's Ruka…" she whispered and wasn't even able to finish the sentence as sleep took her. The blonde only smiled fondly as she noticed the regular breaths on her neck and Michiru's relaxing body on her back.
There's the hotel.
She could already see it in the distance, but she didn't worry any longer to find it quickly. Now, she was more concerned about how to get Michiru back into her room and into her bed without waking her up.
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That's the first part of chapter 5 „Whispers In The Wind". I had to cut it, because it turned out to be quite long. Expect the other 20 pages of this chapter next Monday.
I hope you liked it so far. Thank you again for all your lovely comments and I'm really sorry that I didn't have so much time the past week to answer to all your comments. My life's simply chaotic right now, but I hope it'll get better in October.
Don't worry, the story is already finished; I simply have to reread the last chapters again. Therefore, as long as the internet and work, I'll give you another chapter (or at least 20 pages) every Monday.
Because some people asked: There are 7 chapters all together and an epilogue. However, chapter 6 (Guardian Angel) and chapter 7 (The Moon And The Stars) are about 60-70 pages long, therefore I need to cut them in about 3-4 parts each.
Right now you've read chapter 5 – part 1. So there's a lot more to come (and a lot more storyline to tell :) ).