Important note: Wow, guys, it's been a while since I last updated! I had some trouble writing this chapter, because even though I wanted to follow what happened in the anime, I also wanted to give it my own personal touch. So you might recognize some things that happen in the future chapters, but I have to warn you I might have changed the dialogues a little bit. The essence of the scenes is still there, and hopefully you'll enjoy the emotions I try to put in. Thank you for reading!

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Chapter 4 – Moment of Truth

"Silence is approaching…"

As the first words echoed inside her head, Michiru opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. Nothing had changed; yet again, the voice had spoken directly to her mind. The wave hovered on the horizon, a silent threat that Michiru did not wish to gaze upon any longer. Inhaling, she allowed her eyelids to drop.

"The End of the World is near… it can be stopped, but only if you find the Talismans…"

Michiru shook her head, trying to sweep out the voice, but it did not disappear. The next words were spoken with rising urgency.

"Find the other chosen warrior, gather the Talismans and look for the Messiah…"

"Why?" Michiru whispered to the bodiless voice. "Why me?"

"It is your destiny…"

"But I don't even know what to do…"

"Embrace your fate as a warrior. Once you accept that, the path will be revealed to you."

"But I have dreams and hopes for the future", Michiru argued, but the voice did not reply. "Please… I can't leave it all behind…"

"Open your eyes…"

Michiru frowned. That voice… was not the same voice that had spoken to her thoughts. It sounded vaguely familiar, yet she was sure she had not heard it before.

"Open your eyes!"

This time, Michiru obeyed. Her heart squeezed out an extra beat as her eyes settled on a pair of blue ones that were fixed on hers with grim determination. "Haruka…"

"If we fail on our mission, this is what will happen…"

Michiru watched, terror-struck, as the wave began moving; it collided against the buildings with a deafening roar. Michiru crouched and covered her ears, all the while shaking her head, but she could still hear the voice saying: "The Wave of Destruction won't spare a soul. If you don't fight, there will be no future to hope for…"

At those words, Michiru risked a glance up. Haruka's eyes were pleading as she knelt in front of Michiru, hand held out. Michiru began reaching for it when the dream crashed down around her as though made of sand.

She was sitting on her bed and she was panting heavily. She blinked a few times, digesting what she had just seen and heard. Her mind refused to believe that the dream was a real warning, but her heart disagreed. She could feel something awakening inside of her, memories of a distant past that she could not fully comprehend.

"Embrace your fate as a warrior. Once you accept that, the path will be revealed to you." Michiru dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. Could she really do such a thing? Was she prepared to leave all her dreams behind? "If you don't fight, there will be no future to hope for…" Her eyes brimmed with tears as she recalled Haruka's words.

Haruka, the other chosen warrior… the one who shared her mission… She finally understood her obsession with the blonde girl and why she had refused to meet her so far. She had been waiting for something and now she knew what it was.

Hugging a pillow to her chest, Michiru eased back on the bed. Her mind was racing… Now that she knew that Haruka was the one, she felt strangely exhilarated.

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Haruka ran until her lungs ached. She was panting heavily and sweating profusely, but she didn't mind. She was too tired to think straight, and that was precisely what she needed. If she just focused on the beating of her heart and the rhythm of her breathing, she could block out everything else.

As she stood leaning against a tree, waiting for her breath to return to normal, her mind was blissfully empty of disturbing thoughts. She could just enjoy the soft breeze playing with her hair and the warmth of the sun tickling her skin. She almost felt… normal.

Long minutes dragged by and then Haruka started to feel the shadows creeping up from the depths of her mind. Not wanting to let go of this peaceful mood, she stubbornly buried them down again. She would have to face them eventually and make a decision, but not yet.

For the time being, she would just focus on being Tenoh Haruka, a normal girl who just now was running late for school.

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"Good morning, Kaioh-san."

Michiru looked up from her book only to find Elsa Gray smiling down at her. She acknowledged the greeting with a smile and a wave, and then gestured for Elsa to sit opposite her. "Thank you for meeting me at such an early hour, Gray-san."

"I had to wake up early because of my practice, so it was no problem at all", Elsa said with a reassuring smile. "Now, what is this subject that cannot be delayed?"

Elsa's question brought a warm flush to Michiru's face. She looked down at her entwined fingers and spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "I… hum… I've been thinking and… could you introduce me to Tenoh Haruka?"

Elsa cocked her head and grinned. "So, have you finally made up your mind?" Flushed, Michiru could only nod, while still staring at her hands. "What changed your mind?" Elsa asked, leaning forward and resting her chin on the palm of her right hand.

"I just think she would be a great model for one of my paintings", Michiru replied, shrugging. Her voice was huskier than usual, but she hoped Elsa wouldn't notice.

"Well, there is a track and field competition next Saturday, and Haruka will be there. I can introduce you to her then, if that is ok with you", Elsa suggested with a sly smile.

Saturday… that was three days away. Perfect. "Saturday it is", Michiru confirmed.

Elsa opened her mouth to ask another question, but as Michiru seemed somewhat reticent, she did not press the subject.

At last, intrigued by Elsa's silence, Michiru looked up and found the other girl observing her with a raised brow. "I am sorry", Elsa muttered, noticing her friend's discomfort. "It's just… I have never seen you behaving like this before. You always seem so… confident and in control."

Michiru shrugged noncommittally, even though she knew Elsa was right. Haruka affected her in a way that no one had before.

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The students' parking lot was almost empty as Haruka crossed it to get to her car. She was walking slowly, one hand clutching the strap of her bag and the other casually resting on the back of her head.

The morning had gone quietly. Now that the classes were over and she was getting ready to leave, she could not help but feel surprised at how little her thoughts had strayed. She didn't quite know how she had accomplished it, but she wouldn't dwell on it.

A student that was close to where her car was parked was handing out fliers, and Haruka sighed in annoyance. It would be rude not to accept the piece of paper, even though she knew it would probably end up crumpled on the floor of her car. As expected, the boy held out a flier and Haruka accepted it with a small nod, but without looking at it.

She reached her car and unlocked it, then climbed in and put the bag and flier on the passenger seat. And it was then that her eyes caught a glimpse of what was in the paper; a beautiful green-haired girl with a mysterious smile. Haruka closed her eyes briefly, exhaling. Everything she had managed to keep away during that morning came rushing in.

One, two, three seconds ticked by. At last, Haruka reopened her eyes. Kaioh Michiru, prodigious violinist, the paper read, will perform in a unique concert aboard- Haruka crumpled the paper and tossed it aside. She could not look into those unfathomable blue eyes. She could not deal with it. She just couldn't.

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Three days had passed. Michiru had changed her mind more than once during those days, but somehow, she had ended up at the sports complex, waiting for the competition to begin. A terrible cloud of uncertainty loomed over her, but she knew what she had to do.

She looked down at the track; Elsa's pink hair stood out from the group. The olive skinned girl was wearing blue shorts and a yellow top with the number 8 on it. As Michiru observed her, she took her place at the beginning of the track and then turned briefly to the side to exchange words with another contestant.

Michiru inhaled sharply. Haruka looked perfect in her orange shorts and green top. Her posture was relaxed now, but Michiru knew that as soon as the signal was given, those muscles would spring to life and propel her to victory. None of the other girls were a match for her.

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Silence is approaching. We must find The Messiah quickly. The ones who can do that are you, and I.

"That again…" Haruka whispered, raising a hand to her forehead, as if the gesture alone would be enough to slap the vision away. Of all places and times, it had to happen right when the competition was about to start.

"I hear you are fast." Startled, Haruka looked to her left side. The voice belonged to a pretty pink-haired girl with warm blue eyes. "But I won't lose."

Haruka found herself grinning, in spite of the dark mood she was in. "Well, I have no intention of losing either, so…" She shrugged.

The girl held out a hand. "Let us do our best, then."

"Agreed", Haruka replied as she shook the girl's hand. She was grateful for the interruption; it had allowed her to erase the disturbing vision from her mind, even if only momentarily. She could not wait to start running. She could feel the energy accumulating inside of her, yearning to be released.

"Contestants, please take your places!"

Haruka positioned herself, and waited for the signal. When it came, she was ready.

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The race began. Michiru's gaze locked solidly on Haruka, ignoring everything else. If she hadn't been so focused on the blonde girl, she might have seen Elsa struggling to keep up with Haruka and failing miserably. As the blonde girl ran around the track, Michiru's eyes never strayed from her.

Her heart was hammering from the adrenaline, but also from anxiety. When the race was over, she would go down to meet with Elsa, who would then introduce her to Haruka. She would know then if the dreams had been a real warning or a mere product of her imagination. Once she stared into Haruka's blue eyes, she would know the truth.

What would she do if those eyes showed no sign of recognition at the sight of her? She did not know and she hoped she didn't have to find out.

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Haruka smiled triumphantly as Elsa started falling behind; the girl was fast, but not fast enough.

The wind picked up, tangling her hair across her face. Haruka brushed it aside with sweaty fingers and breathed in, welcoming the refreshing breeze. This was what she enjoyed, running so fast that it felt as if she was part of the wind. With her eyes closed, it was as if she was gliding through the air, her feet barely touching the ground.

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Michiru clutched the notepad to her chest more tightly, her fingers itching to reach for the pencil on her bag, so she could draw Haruka as she was seeing her now. The blonde girl was running – no, she was soaring – through the air, eyes closed, hair billowing on the soft breeze. It was a mesmerizing image.

However, Michiru did not move. She continued watching Haruka as she ran the last meters towards the finish line, and when she crossed it, cheered with the crowd. All nervousness was gone.

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Now that the competition was over, Haruka couldn't wait to get out of there, get on her bike and drive aimlessly through the city. As much as she enjoyed running, nothing compared to the feeling of speeding up on her bike.

She had just finished putting on her jacket when a voice rang from behind her. "Tenoh Haruka-san!" Intrigued, Haruka turned to find the same pink-haired girl that had spoken to her before the race. "I had heard rumors about you", she said, smiling. "You really are amazing."

Haruka opened her mouth to thank her for her words, but she continued, "I have someone I want to introduce to you." Haruka followed the girl's stare and froze. "Come on over, Michiru."

Michiru… so that was her name. Haruka's eyes widened as the green-haired girl walked closer, clutching a notepad to her chest. Elsa was still speaking, but Haruka could barely hear her. "This is Kaioh Michiru. She is really intelligent and also a prodigious painter. She says she is interested in you."

Michiru was looking down, but when Elsa finished talking, she stepped forward and looked directly at Haruka's eyes. "You aren't sweating at all… Perhaps you were holding back quite a bit?" Her voice was serene but her eyes searched Haruka's face with the need to know that she was absolutely certain.

Haruka smirked; her stance was relaxed but her eyes were not. "What do you mean?"

Michiru smiled mysteriously and then said: "Can't you hear the sound of wind rustling?"

She knows, Haruka thought, bewildered. All of those horrible nightmares, all of those sleepless nights… they were only the beginning. Deep down in her heart, Haruka had known the truth since her first dream, but she had refused to believe it. Still now, she refused to. She was not ready to leave everything behind and believe in something she could not fully comprehend.

Michiru could see a string of emotions playing inside Haruka's eyes: recognition, reluctance, rebellion… When Haruka set her jaw and tilted her chin up, Michiru knew she had failed.

"You are strange", Haruka said at last, picking up her bag from the floor and turning her back on Michiru. She could not bear to look into those pleading blue eyes any longer. "So, what do you want with me?"

Refusing to give up, Michiru replied: "Will you be a model for one of my drawings?"

Still with her back turned to Michiru, Haruka said: "No, thank you. I don't really like stuff like that…" And without bothering to look back, she started walking away.

Michiru stood frozen in place, barely breathing, unsure of what to do next. Elsa laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Are you ok?" Not trusting herself to speak, Michiru could only nod. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

Numbly, Michiru allowed Elsa to lead the way back to her car. She had seen the truth in Haruka's eyes, yet she had acted as if she had never seen her before. Why?

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Can't you hear the sound of wind rustling?

Haruka could not sweep away Michiru's words and the way her blue eyes had gazed into hers, beseeching and demanding. But she had failed her. She had ignored those beautiful, distressed eyes because she was a coward.

She knew that if she allowed herself to believe, her world would change irrevocably, and she just wasn't ready for that.

To be continued…