As she lay, she could feel nothing but loathe. Loathe and the fresh bruises and cuts her father left her a few minutes ago. Her bed was uncomfortable. It was more spring than it was mattress. The mattress itself felt like cardboard. This is where she tried sleeping every night.

She stared at the collapsing ceiling. Watching a small trickle of water run from a leak, making a drip drip drip sound, over and over again. It drove her insane. If she wasn't already.

Her breathing was labored, her eyes puffy, her body burned, the wounds stung. It was just another night she was used to.

She felt loathe. Loathe for herself. Why was she so abused? Because, she was useless and worth nothing. She had become nothing but a broken and abused thing. Everyday in the mirror, a wounded, damaged, undesirable, thing. She was a pillar, reaching its end, about to collapse, due to the storms of raining abuse, striking her, again, and again, a never-ending torture.

She wanted to die. To be gone from this world. To disappear without a trail. No one would miss her. Luka? She would move on. No one would care. She'd become a nameless ghost to collect dust in the shadow of everyone's memory. She wouldn't be missed. No one would care. She could die in peace.

But this time was different. For once a small part of her pleaded to live. It promised hope. It promised happiness. It promised a future. But what good was it? The scars she had were far too deep, far too painful, unbearable. Everyone would see them, read right through her. Know how worthless she was.

But the voice insisted, slowly gaining volume, pleading and begging, imploring, asking for life. It told her to live, to have hope. But what hope did she have? Luka? Luka wasn't hope, she was just another person who would either ignore her or treat her like everyone did. Why did it hurt to think that, if she was just another person who wouldn't care? There were too many questions. No answers. The only answer she got was the silence of the night.

Night. Always dark, mysterious, and looming. Anything could happen at night, whether it be good or bad, it was up to chance. As she peeked out the filthy window and into the night sky, the moon hovering above. She had always admired the moon. It was so beautiful, elegant, and always cast a light in the darkest hours. But the light was reflected from the sun. The sun, shining, always. The moon was more shy, some nights. The moon would become less confident every night, until she disappeared completely, and then she would slowly gain confidence, and show herself again. Eventually she'd glow completely and fully, but after a while become shy again, and the cycle continued.

There was a knock at the door. She heard her father get up from doing things to her mother, and slur and curse at whoever was at the door. The person was insistent, knocking once, twice, thrice, and starting over. She heard him growl and slam the door open.

She recognized the voice immediately. But why was she at her door? She didn't understand. Especially at… she looked at her broken watch… ten in the night. Miku got curious and opened her door a crack. She was disgusted when she saw her father flirting and trying to seduce her fruitlessly. She had a perfect poker face, taking the words as if it were water.

When she asked for Miku, her heart stopped. Miku's father was confused. Why would anyone want to seek Miku out? He presumed it was for some prank of some sort. He couldn't think straight anyways. Too drunk to care, he stepped aside, wobbling over to his room, to continue to molest his wife.

Luka closed the door behind her and headed to Miku's supposed room. She saw a shy teal eye watching, and once Luka got close enough, Miku closed the door. A smile tugged at her lips, as she lifted her hand to knock against the creaky wood of her door. A bashful voice asked who it was, despite having seen her. Luka's smile only served to widen.

As Luka humored Miku, and told her who she was, the door creaked open slowly, the teal eye watching again. It widened a bit more, slowly revealing pale lips and an equally pale face. The door continued on its short trip, before revealing the girl on the other side.

The girl on the other side with bruises and cuts.

The girl on the other side with red eyes, from unshed tears.

The girl on the other side who looked ready to collapse into nothing.

Luka stared for not a minute longer and spurred into action, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around the broken child. She wanted to embrace her, tell her everything was okay, and assure her that she'd be protected.

She felt Miku tremble and stiffen against her, but Luka hugged her even tighter, as if by hugging all her problems would be gone. They stayed that way for a while, Luka eventually feeling what she guessed were tears on her shoulder. She closed the door, still hugging the smaller one in her arms. Luka heard the ominous noises coming from the room Miku's father sauntered off to, but didn't think much of it, her mind focused on comforting the fragile doll in her arms.

Miku finally looked up, with the most saddening eyes, which could move the most stoic person into tears, she asked silently, almost to herself, "Why am I so useless?"

She felt a pang in her chest at those words. Was it possible for a sentence to be uttered so painfully? Luka shook her head, assuring her she wasn't useless, letting her know that Luka cared about her, that she was all in all, beautiful, both inwardly and outwardly. That she was just damaged. Just hurt. That it could be healed. That she'd help. Trying to coax this girl out of her depression.

Miku asked another heart-breaking question, "Why do you care so much for me?"

The way she referred to herself, as if she was some disgusting thing. The way she thought of herself, as if she was useless. It hurt Luka to hear it. It hurt, so much. For such a truly wonderful child, hidden underneath layers and layers of masks and abuse, of pain, and tears, and bitterness, it hurt. This girl didn't deserve this.

Luka paused, looked out the window, and looked back at Miku, gently saying, "Even if your goal was to reach for the moon, and you fail, wouldn't you be content with being surrounded amongst the stars? A failure isn't a failure. It's telling you to try harder, not to give up, not to lose hope. The moon shines under the suns rays, but although it's not radiating its own light, it still shines, doesn't it?"

Miku stayed silent, pursing her lips, until she nodded. She looked up at Luka slowly, and as slowly as the door had opened, a smile slowly parted her lips. It was a broken, hurt smile, but a smile nonetheless.

That smile, no matter how painful, sent a smile to Luka's face. Miku looked down bashfully for a minute, before lifting her head, and doing an unexpected thing - she hugged Luka. But it wasn't a small, gentle hug; it was a hug with all the ferocity and emotion she could muster.

"Thank you… for caring… I still don't understand why you would but-"she was cut off.

"Because, you're worth it. I know it." Luka offered another smile.

Miku cried then. For her first time she cried not of the sorrowful pain she was so comfortable with, but from joy.

Miku offered to go to the rooftop, watch the moon they both cherished and admired, and simply feel. Luka agreed.

As they sat on the roof, ignoring the horrified, muffled noises from inside the house and the angry, slurred yells, they felt at ease. They felt relieved. They felt safe. They were with their only true friends.

The moon.

The stars.

The night.

They were with the ever mysterious and alluring night. The expanding and comforting darkness. The silence. Night.

A/N; Ugh. Sorry for the late update... and it's so short too! *Sigh* I'm sorry... please forgive me... On Thursday I got sick, and my mom got angry at me for being sick, so she lashed out at me. I had to take care of myself since she rarely does when I'm sick. Then my dad tried dominating my life when he's usually absent from it... The entire weekend I was enduring the verbal abuse of my mom. Ugh. My friends had to talk me out of my suicidal thoughts on Thursday. And Friday. I was really sick and weak, and felt like downright shit. And yesterday, I had an asthma attack at school, and I don't have my inhaler, since I lost it, and today was... ugh. I had cramps at a field trip today, and vomited what little food I ate.

Enough of the excuses... I guess? I really hate complaining. I feel better now. I guess. All in all it was a pretty shitty weekend and partial week. Oh well. I'm sorry this chapter was short... my writing just kinda went plop. But, yay! New chapter at least. Plus, I already know what the next chapter will be about more or less, just have to work out the kinks, so it should be up soon. And the seventh too.

So my friends and I were debating whether smut should happen, and it has been agreed there will be. So the rating will change soon. I'm still debating as to whether Miku and Luka should first, or Neru and Haku, since Neru and Haku are the second most important pairing here. I'll probably have them first, kinda experimental stuff, seeing as it'll be my first time writing smut, and I'll be smashing my head on the keyboard from embarrassment 90% of the time. xD

Ah... Okay, so Review if you have something to say, it could be what your favorite shade of grey is, or what you ate last week, or an actual opinion on this, tell me anything cx, Favorite if you like this, seriously, Favorites make me smile as much as Reviews, and Follow if you want to see how this story will progress. I love Follows too. Make my day better and Review, they always make me happy, ask my friends. C: