Authoress note: I am sorry for taking so long to post a new chapter, but I haven't felt really inspired in these last few months. Hopefully the wait will be worth it, and you will enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you!

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Chapter 5 – Tragic fantasy

With a small thud, the door closed quietly behind Michiru. It was dark, but she didn't bother to turn on the light; the cloud of numbness that had allowed her to get in the car with Elsa and face the ride home in silence, was finally wearing off.

She was halfway down the corridor when the full realization of what had happened hit her; she choked, no longer able to hold back a sob. Tears stained her vision as she recalled Haruka's indifference; her legs buckled and she slid her back down the wall until she was seated on the floor.

She was sobbing hard now, but she was beyond caring; now that her only hope had been shattered, nothing else mattered.

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Haruka closed her eyes in fatigue; she let her head fall back until it rested on the car seat. She did not know for how long she had been sitting in her car, in the empty parking lot, waiting for school to start, but the first students were only now beginning to arrive.

She had barely slept; the memory of what she had done had assaulted her relentlessly every time she allowed her eyes to close, and when she did fall asleep, it had been more out of exhaustion than anything else.

For the first time in a month, she had slept without the interruption of the nightmare, but she felt so miserable that its absence wasn't even a relief. The sun had not yet risen when she had sprung from bed, feeling guiltier than she had ever felt in her entire life.

She was not proud of what she had done to Michiru; she could still see her disappointment as clearly as if Michiru was still standing in front of her. The pain and confusion she had seen in those striking blue eyes were heartbreaking...

With a sharp intake of air, Haruka opened her eyes and squared her shoulders. She reached for her bag, which was on the passenger's seat, and then froze; her eyes had found a crumpled paper lying on the floor of the car.

With trembling hands, she reached out for it and unfolded it. Those same eyes she had been thinking about gazed up at her from the paper, not confused and lost now, but mysterious and enticing; it was almost impossible to look away.

This time, Haruka read the paper more carefully; it announced a violin performance by Michiru. Frantically, Haruka searched for the concert's date, and was relieved to see it was yet to come. First, she had to make sure to buy a ticket, and then she would have exactly two days to decide what to do next.

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The sun was pouring in through the curtains, lighting up a pale face framed by green hair. Michiru's eyes turned to the window, welcoming the warm sunrays, which seemed to chase away the cold she was feeling on the inside.

She had spent the night tormented by defeated thoughts, but now that the sun was up, she could feel them slipping away. Inwardly, she cringed at the way she had succumbed to tears the night before; it was very unlike her to despair in such a way.

"Just you wait, Tenoh Haruka; I will show you how persuasive I can be", Michiru muttered to herself with hardened resolution. The fate of the world hung in a balance, and she would not rest until she had Haruka on her side.

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A few stars glinted overhead as Haruka crossed her arms against her chest and inhaled the cold, salty air. The ship had been moving for about an hour, and now that dinner was over, people were eagerly awaiting Michiru's performance.

Haruka had been expecting to see her during dinner, but Michiru had remained mysteriously absent. When the meal was over, she had slipped outside to get some air and to rearrange her thoughts. She still did not know what she was doing there, or what she would say to Michiru once she saw her, but she owed it to the other girl to at least hear what she had to say.

She stayed outside until a voice announced that Michiru was about to step onto the stage. Letting go of a slow breath, Haruka uncrossed her arms and returned to her table.

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The moon cast an eerie, translucent light on the water's surface. From the small window on her dressing room, Michiru could only see a small stretch of water, but she had refused to go out on the deck to admire the view. Her absence had probably been noticed, but she needed a quiet atmosphere before she could pick up the violin to play. It was part of her ritual, something that gave her comfort before she had to face a crowd of strangers.

Reluctantly, Michiru looked away from the window and slowly made her way to the mirror which hung beside the door. She looked paler than usual, and the white dress she had picked probably wasn't helping; looking around, she spotted a vase with a bouquet of red roses.

Two minutes later, she was back in front of the mirror, applying the crimson flower to her dress with the help of a pin. Her lips curled upwards with a small smile as she stepped back to admire her work; the red rose made a beautiful contrast against the paleness of her dress and skin.

A sudden knock at the door startled her, but Michiru quickly regained her composure; stepping away from the mirror, she lowered herself onto the corner of a green sofa and called out softly: "Come in."

A young man wearing a black uniform peeked inside and announced it was time for her performance; Michiru thanked him and waited until he had retreated to let go of a shaky breath. She did not know why she was suddenly so nervous, but she could not shake off the feeling that something was about to happen.

Shooting one last glance at her reflection, Michiru picked up her violin and made her way out of the room.

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Haruka's breath came in a sharp intake of air as she watched Michiru walking onto the stage. The green-haired girl kept her eyes locked on the floor as she took her place, and when she finally raised the violin to begin playing, her eyes were firmly shut.

The room grew quiet as a beautiful melody erupted from the violin; Haruka leaned back on her chair and propped her chin on the palm of her hand. It was fascinating to see Michiru completely immersed on the music she was creating; the melody was so soothing that Haruka found her own worries and fears slipping away.

And then people began whispering around her, and the serene atmosphere was broken. Against her will, Haruka found herself straining to hear what was being said.

"She must be quite popular at school, don't you think?"

"I heard that she doesn't make many friends…"

"I wonder why… She looks like a wonderful girl…"

"Yes… I heard that she doesn't like people…"

Haruka shook her head in disbelief as the poisonous words reached her ears; feeling disgusted, she pushed the chair back and slowly made her way out of the room. Had she glanced back, she would have seen a sad pair of eyes following her.

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Michiru watched her as she left the room. She had felt her presence as soon as she had stepped onto the stage, and it had given her hope. Surely, if Haruka had come, it should mean that she was ready to embrace her fate… But then, why had she left so suddenly?

A voice of doubt crept into her thoughts, but Michiru quickly silenced it. She had to concentrate on what she was doing, and then… when the concert was over, she would look for Haruka; there was no getting out of the ship before it returned to the dock.

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Haruka didn't know where her feet were leading her to, but it didn't bother her; all she wanted was to get away. She was halfway down a flight of stairs when something caught her eye; slowly, she turned to her right and froze.

The wave of destruction… There, in front of her eyes, was one of the scenarios she had seen in her nightmares; a dark wall of water crashing down upon a city. The painting was so disturbingly realistic that Haruka could only stare at it, terror-stricken. She did not know for how long she stood there, just staring, but suddenly she knew she was not alone.

She could see her through the corner of her eye, though she hadn't made any sound as she approached. She was sitting farther down in the stairs, legs crossed, and her wrists were resting upon her knees. Haruka closed her hands into fists inside her pockets but her face betrayed no emotion, and her eyes remained locked on the canvas.

At last, Michiru spoke. "Did you find it to your liking?" When Haruka failed to respond, she continued, unfazed: "Thank you for coming here tonight, Tenoh Haruka, the prodigious racer."

Haruka narrowed her eyes as she said: "You seem to know quite a bit about me… this piece… did you paint it?"

The last question was ignored as Michiru replied: "You are rather famous; there are a lot of fans of yours at my school…" She paused, seemingly embarrassed, and Haruka saw her flipping her hair back nervously before she continued speaking. "One of them is a girl, but she says she still wants to go cruising along the beach in your car."

A small smile appeared on Haruka's lips as she heard those words, but she chose to ignore them. Her eyes focused on the painting again, reminding her of why she was really there. "The End of the World, huh? I am surprised that a well to do girl who can't even kill one bug can draw such a tragic fantasy." Her voice had not wavered, but her hands were hurting from the effort she was making to keep them from shaking.

"It is not a fantasy! I can see that scene clearly! Just like you…" There was an unusual catch in her voice, and when Haruka finally turned to face her, she could see something in the depths of those blue eyes, something she had seen before; a pleading, a desperate need for her not to turn her down again. But even as she rose to her feet, Haruka could see something else in them: an unyielding resolution.

Unable to sustain that scorching gaze any longer, Haruka dropped her own eyes to the floor. She did not want to hurt Michiru again, but still she heard herself saying: "This is stupid! I'm Tenoh Haruka, the first junior racer in Japan. Memories of my previous life or the end of the world have nothing to do with me. If someone has to do it, then you can do it. I would like you to stop investigating me like that, though."

"Don't say such selfish things!" Michiru snapped, and her eyes filled with moisture; embarrassed at her own weakness, she lowered her head to hide the unshed tears. "I don't want to do it, either… I also have a dream – to become a violinist…" Drawing a stabilizing breath, she gathered enough courage to look directly at Haruka. "I can't do something stupid like saving the world from destruction."

"What do you want from me?" Haruka demanded, her voice trembling slightly. "I can't just leave everything behind to- to-"

"We can do this, Haruka, together... Trust me, like you once did…" Haruka knew she was talking of their past lives, their lives as warriors. "This is our destiny…"

Haruka shook her head stubbornly; she refused to believe that. She refused to believe that she had no control over her life. "It might be your destiny, but it is not mine." She turned her back on Michiru and began climbing the stairs. When she was on the last one, she added: "Don't come looking for me again, we have nothing else to say to each other."

"This is not the end, Haruka", Michiru said softly, but with unmistakable firmness. "We will meet again."

To be continued…