The fan sign was a smashing success, with nearly every student in the school showing up to the auditorium. It was utter chaos, easily hundreds of dolls, maybe more, all clambering over each other just to get a fleeting moment with the singing sensation. It had been a mob scene unlike any other the gods had ever experienced in their lifetimes; humans were so strange.
But it was nothing compared to the big night. No, this was on a whole other level.
"Wow, wow, wow!" Apollon's shouts of excitement were nearly drowned out by the noise, the din of the massive crowd. After what felt like an eternity, the time had finally come. Doll students completely filled the area, transforming the entire courtyard into an endless sea of eager faces and brightly glowing stars. Near the front row, in the best seats in the house, sat the members of Class A, Hades, Takeru, Tsukito, Dionysus, Apollon, Loki, Yui, Balder, and Thor, in that order. Somehow, the human representative had gotten sandwiched between the two Norse gods during their seating after Balder insisted he be next to Yui and Loki followed right along with him, citing that he wanted a place at Balder's side. It hadn't quite worked out the way he intended, but he would take what he could get.
Now, Loki twirled his glow stick deftly between his fingers, looking around at the chattering students. He could almost feel the suspense radiating off of them, which quite frankly confused him. Luna was fascinating, he wouldn't deny that, but he still wasn't sure what the big deal was. He hoped to find out soon. In the meantime, he turned his attention to those around him, peeking at the other students, specifically the redheaded drunk who, at the moment, was surprisingly sober. More importantly, the utter lack of a particular human student sitting next to him.
Putting his feelings for the Greek god aside, he grew unsettled the longer they waited for the show to begin. From what he had learned, both sisters were avid Starlights, and had followed this artist since her debut. They had both fought through a literal army of students just for a few moments with her; it struck him as very odd that the older sibling would risk missing the actual performance. What was taking her so long?
"Oh, this is amazing! It's amazing! I wish Siren were here to see this…" Apollon, true to character, unwittingly voiced out loud Loki's private thoughts. "It's supposed to be starting soon. Where is she, Fairy? You said she was sick?"
"Y-Yes!" Yui nodded quickly, oblivious to the redhead whipping immediately in her direction. "She hasn't been feeling well since yesterday afternoon… she said she would try to make the showing if she could, but I guess she couldn't make it."
"But she'll miss the show. She'll miss it. This is her favorite musician, right? If she's ill, maybe I can use my power to heal her. I'm sure Zeus can make an exception for that."
"It's fine," she insisted. "Nari's a huge fan. Trust me, she's been to a ton of these things. She was even planning to attend one back in the human world a few weeks before we left."
Loki frowned, listening carefully to their conversation. The older Kusanagi sister was sick? Since when? He had spoken to her only days ago and she had been perfectly fine then. She certainly felt well enough to swing a four-inch book at his face. If she had been feeling off, she hadn't given him any indication. Stranger still was Dionysus' reaction. He would argue that the Greek god was just as surprised as he was to learn about Nari's condition, which struck him as extremely odd. Weren't they supposed to be seeing the show together? How had she possibly become so sick without him knowing?
"Hmm… Maybe I should check on her. I can't imagine she's happy sitting in her room while the entire school watches the performance. She might want some company." Dionysus made to rise from his seat when Yui leapt after him, grabbing his arm.
"N-No!" she blurted out, earning a series of strange looks from the gods. "I-I mean… it's fine. Don't worry about Nari. She'll be okay." Her classmate frowned at her, not looking entirely convinced. "I spoke to my sister yesterday when she told me she was sick. She said didn't want anyone to miss the concert for her sake."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. She said if she didn't make it to go without her."
"Hmm… that does sound like Siren…" Apollon mumbled, though his brother still looked displeased.
After a few moments, Dionysus finally gave in, reluctantly returning to his seat. "Alright. If that's what she wants…" He still didn't like the idea of leaving her to her own devices while literally everyone else was out enjoying themselves. But if she was that adamant about it, he would respect her wishes. He would just make a point to visit her first thing tomorrow morning.
"It is. Just enjoy the show. If we're lucky, we'll get to hear Luna's sky note."
"What the hell is a sky note?" Takeru asked, suddenly growing invested in their conversation.
"It's a very particular note in the higher registers, and it's really difficult to hit without using falsetto. Only a few musicians can do it."
"So, it's called a sky note because it's… high? Doesn't sound like much. What's so special about that?" He didn't look impressed.
"No, not exactly… it's —" Yui paused, trying to think of the best way to describe it. "It's not the octave itself. It's more so that Luna's is so unique. When her voice enters that register, it has this… ring to it."
"Not following."
"A ring…?" Balder asked. "What does it sound like?"
"I… um…" Yui paused. "Well, I've never actually heard it. She doesn't do it on any of her albums, and I've never seen her perform live. But people say it sounds… inhuman. Almost otherworldly."
"In… human?" Hades blinked, finally joining the conversation out of pure curiosity.
"Yeah. Like a wolf howling into the night sky. It's… difficult to explain. But I'm pretty sure we'll know when we hear it."
"Hmph. This better be worth it now that you've talked her up." Takeru crossed his arms.
Yui sighed. "I'm sure it will be. Just —" her voice was interrupted by the sound of music echoing from the speakers around them. It was a soft, gentle tone, a wooden flute accompanied by the twanging strings of a lyre. The tune drew the attention of the Greek gods immediately, being one that they recognized very well as music of their homeland.
A wave of quiet gasps rippled across the crowd, drawing her eyes forward. The back of the stage illuminated images dancing around across the massive screen. It was artwork in motion, paintings of a goat man, a satyr, wandering through the forest. The satyr met a man, draped in finery and gold. The two spoke no words, mouths moving in silent conversation. Apollon heard a sharp intake of breath from his brother beside him, eyes widening at the image before it shifted. "Silenus…"
The crowd watched the satyr smile and dance with the man, moving through scenery, from the forest to a feast in a grand hall. When the satyr finally disappeared, the robed man turned to a figure; someone off screen that the audience could not see. He looked pleased, mouth pulling into a smile as he walked toward the edge, hands raised in elation and joy… then, the air around them suddenly shifted. The music came to a sudden halt; all sources of light shut off simultaneously, throwing the area into a sea of silent darkness. The chatter of the students died down to dull murmurs as everyone turned their gaze forward to the blackened stage. Yui was right alongside them, staring unblinkingly. The audience barely breathed, watching, waiting, for any sign of movement. And there was none for a few moments, all growing completely still. Then, finally…
There was light.
Elevated high above the ground, a tiny golden light illuminated in the darkness, no larger than a bottle of water. Then, another appeared beneath it, a single step shimmering in a small circle. On the next step down, another appeared. Then, another. And another. As the silhouette moved carefully down the staircase, each step changed in its wake, lighting up as it passed. In the darkness, a small hand reached outward, dragging gently along a banister hidden in the night, and leaving a shimmering golden trail in its wake. The only sound that was heard was a quiet tap, tap, tap echoing across the silent courtyard as the figure reached the bottom, slowly making its way toward the center of the stage. Then, it came to a stop, halting the golden footsteps lighting up the ground.
"No way…" Dionysus whispered.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Apollon asked.
"Heh… She actually did it."
"Huh? Did what?" Though the two whispered quietly to one another, neither they nor anyone else dared move a muscle, watching as the figure slowly lifted a tall object into the air. It was only a dull shadow cast from the golden ground that shed a glimpse of light on it. But it was enough to draw Apollon's attention. "Wait… Di-Di, that's —"
Before he could finish his sentence, the figure brought it down with a crack, slamming the object against the ground. And with it came a burst of light. From the point of contact came a wave of golden glow, casting across the stage, over the audience, and lighting up the entire area. In the sudden light, stage props became visible, along with a group of doll students, all dressed in matching costumes off to either side. Costumes that were clearly designed using inspiration from Greece. And there, in the center of it all was Luna, staff in one hand, golden microphone in the other.
"Good evening, Starlights."
The crowd erupted into sound, voices rising in the sky. Now, illuminated by the spotlights, the gods had a clear view of her; the same woman they met at the fan sign. She had a completely different aura about her on the stage than she had sitting elegantly behind the table. But what really caught their attention was the staff in her hand. One that Dionysus and Apollon recognized immediately: Thyrsos. It was a replica, obviously, but the message she had sent with it was clear.
According to Greek mythology, it was King Midas that encountered Silenus in the forest following a night of frolic. For ten days he was treated as an honored guest to the feast of a lifetime. On the eleventh day, he returned to Dionysus. The god was so grateful for his kindness that he granted him a single wish: to turn all he touched into gold. Bearing his staff, utilizing the special effects, and putting together an entire ensemble inspired from his homeland, Luna had paid homage to the legend, turning all that she reached into that brilliant shade. When he had asked her to honor the Greeks — himself if possible — during the performance, he hadn't been expecting her to actually do it. But she had. She had listened, and she had delivered, all in a matter of days. He couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness, lifting an eyebrow when she smirked in his direction.
Handing off her prop to a member of faculty, she gave a beaming smile. "Are you ready?" An earsplitting roar was her answer, students screaming at the top of their lungs and waving their glowsticks in the air, lighting up the audience. That was more than answer enough.
"Then, let's… move."
Luna's gaze drifted downward, eyes locking for only a moment with her sister's. Then, she was in motion. The speakers blared, starting the music for her first song. It was one Yui recognized, having danced to it many times in her bedroom during the weekends. Move was one of Luna's most popular tracks, aptly named for its hypnotic effects on the listener. Just as everyone in the crowd bounced around, it was nearly impossible to hear without moving to the beat.
A bright smile adorned Yui's face as the gods joined in, all bouncing and clapping and waving alongside the other dolls. Even Loki couldn't help himself, rocking his body back and forth in time with the music as Luna began to sing. Her lyrics and dance moves were accentuated by the lights, her special effects only adding to the euphoria.
After finishing Move, her set alternated between styles, offsetting her explosive entrance with a slightly more tepid melody. Her fourth song, Here I stand, was a welcome change, bringing down the pace and containing the energy in the crowd. It gave the audience a brief respite; a chance to catch their breath, and hers as well, from the intense choreography. Then, she brought them back up again with another roof-raiser.
By her seventh song, Midnight Mamba, Loki was finally beginning to understand the idol's popularity. She truly was a rare talent, with a voice like an angel and beauty close to match. Her music was infectious, the sound waves worming their way into the listener's ear. It wasn't long before he found himself jumping up and down with the other audience members, finding himself stricken with an inability to sit still. But it was when the music started on her ninth song that Loki's movement came to a halt. The moment the track started to play; he felt every muscle in his body freeze.
He recognized this song.
Not from the doll students singing in the hallways over the last few days or playing over the human streaming service they had been forced to listen to for their class. No, this was a song that Loki had heard himself. Personally. Lockdown. The moment she struck her pose, his eyes widened. He had seen this routine before, or at least parts of it. He had watched his classmate practice in the studio relentlessly during afterschool hours, and this particular song came up often. Her choreography was a bit different, he noticed, but the carefully executed stomp and twirl was unmistakable. It was an Egyptian style move. Anubis' move.
'Is that…?' Loki's gaze never wavered, watching her movements and hearing the sound of her voice. When he was finally able to tear his eyes away, he looked quickly around the area, trying to take in his surroundings. What he saw was the human girl, the younger Kusanagi sister waving her star in absolute bliss. But there was something about her that drew his attention; it was something in her eyes and the look on her face. It was not only one of excitement and joy, but of pride.
Suddenly, the situation started to make sense to him. The older sister's musical talent and ceaseless repetition. Her obsession with her size and weight, even to the point of unhealthiness. Nari's extensive knowledge of the artist and her music, and her offense regarding his comments. And her mysterious 'illness' leaving her utterly incapacitated, conveniently on the night of the performance. When he lifted his head once more, locking eyes with the singer for only an instant, he knew. He was certain. So certain that he would stake his life on it.
Luna was no doll.
Then, the moment between them was shattered as she took a deep breath, lifting her head to the sky and belting out her sky note. The crowd went absolutely wild. He could see how it had gotten its name; its careful pitch and hollow tone truly was reminiscent of the sounds he had heard so many nights from the forests of Asgard. But Loki didn't have the time to be impressed or dwell on it. He was far too focused on the woman nearing the end of her set, and how he was going to find her when the concert was over.
. . .
When the show finally ended, the students hung around the stage to discuss the concert, still riding on the high of the music. Yui celebrated with them; a heavy weight lifted off her chest as she felt her heart swell with pride. Her sister was just as wonderful as she appeared on the television screen; no, far more so. Dionysus was right, her albums and images did not do her justice at all. She was an absolute marvel. The joy she felt for her was unmatched, finally seeing the results of all her hard work.
The gods shared in her mirth, giving their thoughts on the event, and expressing how much they enjoyed themselves. Unexpectedly, Takeru was among one of the most impressed. Apollon, naturally, wanted to hold another concert as soon as possible, and strangely, Hades agreed. Naturally, there was no way that was going to happen any time too soon, but Yui didn't have the heart to tell them. For now, she would join them in their merriment.
There was only one among them who was missing, slipping away while Balder was distracted by Thor.
Loki's search brought him to the roof of the school building, high above the ground. He could see the lights and the sea of students as they slowly left the venue, like little ants filing from the courtyard. But he wasn't concerned with them. Not when the object of his interest was there, resting against the railing with an exhausted expression. She seemed almost lifeless, as one who was fed up with the very world around them, a stark contrast to the living lightning bolt he had witnessed less than an hour ago. If he didn't know any better, he really would believe her to be just another doll. But Loki did know better. And now, he would finally confirm his theory.
"An idol masquerading as a high school student. Now, that is a surprise."
The woman flinched at the sound of his voice, shoulders sagging in defeat. Lifting from the railing, Luna turned toward him. There, in her scowl, he could see through her mask. She didn't even try to hide it, running a finger through her long violet locks. "Heh… You figured it out."
Loki smiled. "I gotta say, that's one hell of a disguise. Your false eyes and hair look very lifelike. And with all that face paint, you're almost unrecognizable. Even your demeanor was impossible to place. I'll admit, you almost had me fooled. You were very, very thorough. Just not thorough enough."
Nari gave a bitter laugh and shook her head. Of course, it would be him that would find her out. It was always him. "Oh yeah? What gave me away?"
"Many things… on their own insignificant, but together…" He strolled forward, taking note of her intense stare. "Your song caught my attention. The bouncy one with the…" Loki shifted his weight, lifting his arm in a makeshift imitation of her pose.
Nari snickered, shaking her head at his depiction of her. It was surprisingly accurate, so much so that it brought an involuntary smile to her face. "Lockdown."
"Yeah, that one. I noticed you practicing it in the dance studio with Anubis. I wouldn't have given it much more thought… but with the inclusion of his moves, there was no question." Nari's eyes widened. "Then, it got me thinking about all the other clues you've left all throughout the school. Your swimsuit, for one… the one on the magazine cover. It was the same one you wore to the beach the day of the ocean trip."
Nari was stunned. She hadn't expected such details to be noticeable. And, in fairness, they shouldn't have been, as it clearly hadn't caught the attention of anyone else. Which brought her to a fascinating conclusion. "Wow. I never realized you were paying so much attention to me."
"Mm-hmm."
"Right… well, you found me out. Great job… any reason why you followed me to the roof?"
"Why, certainly!" Loki exclaimed. "You see, I was hoping to speak to Luna more about her career. Those doll guards of yours made it veeery difficult to get to you."
"They tend to do that. That's their job."
"Maybe so. But I figured it wasn't worth the argument. I would just wait until the night of the performance. Why bother asking questions at a time-constrained fan sign when I can just speak to her… to you directly."
Nari sighed. "Depends on what you want to know… You want career advice? Sorry, but I just can't imagine you as an idol."
"No, not at all," Loki gave a devilish smile as he strolled towards her, clasping his hands behind his back. "You see, the other students… the humans talk, you know. Most of the time, they gush over Luna's beauty, the sound of her voice, the charm of her smile. But others talk about her more… interesting qualities."
Nari felt her entire body go rigid, narrowing her eyes at his playful tone. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit. He continued stalking toward her, like a cat cornering a mouse. "How she captured the attention of her audiences with her increasingly daring performances and bold costume choices. How she flew to the top of the top of the charts using not only her talent, but rumor has it, some more… unconventional methods."
"Loki…" her voice lowered in dangerous warning.
"You see, now it all makes sense. Why you were so defensive regarding the stories about her. I can't say I blame you. I'd be defensive too if people accused me of sleeping —"
"Stop."
"And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Substance abuse, eating disorders, even a murder." He could see her teeth clenching, eyes burning with rage as he deftly pressed her buttons. Served her right for swinging a book at him earlier, not to mention lying to him. Prodding her nerves seemed like adequate payback. "But my favorite one of all, Puppy… was the arson. Burning down the scene of the crime. Brilliant." Loki cackled with genuine amusement, coming to a stop behind the trembling woman. "Now, the only question is… which part of the rumors were true? Some of them? All of them? I'm particularly interested in the fire. I never pegged you as a pyro, Puppy."
"Please…"
"I suppose it doesn't matter. Who could turn down such a fun pastime? But I have to know what they did to earn your ire?" Loki took a step forward, then another, smiling coyly. He remained light on the balls of his feet, ready to dance away should she take a swing at him — which, quite frankly, it looked like she was about to do. "Did they get in the way of your success? Or perhaps they were the ones to spread such falsehoods in the first place. Or perhaps they were true… and they threatened to reveal your secrets to the world? To expose what you wished to remain hidden?" He was merely a step away from her now, taking note of her trembling shoulders. "Tell me, Puppy. Why… did… you do it?"
"It was an accident!" she shrieked.
Loki stepped backward, startled by the sheer volume of her voice. It seemed he had finally pushed her to her breaking point. But her reaction was very far from what he'd been expecting. Instead of venomous rage, he could see only desperation. And in place of a bellowing roar, there was now only a pitiful murmuring, voice cracking with every word. "It… it was an accident…" she whispered. Her fingers gripped her hair, twisting through her purple tresses. Before he could react further, she was in motion, pacing violently around; words tumbling out so quickly they could put even Apollon to shame.
The dam had been broken, and there was no stopping the deluge spilling forth.
"It's wrong… all of it, it's all wrong. None of this was supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to be like this! I-I didn't mean to kill him… I never wanted to hurt him. I've never wanted to hurt anyone."
Loki blinked, following her with his eyes as she moved back and forth, arms flailing wildly as she grew more and more hysterical. She was no longer muttering. She was falling apart at the seams, melting down like a nuclear reactor. "Whoa, slow down. I wasn't trying to —"
"But it keeps happening, over and over. I tried so hard to do everything right, but it wasn't enough. It's never enough! All I ever — I just wanted to be someone they could — everything happened — I couldn't stop it. But what was I supposed to do, I panicked! This wasn't supposed — I never wanted any of this!"
Now, he was growing concerned. She was barely formulating sentences anymore. Just broken snippets of jumbled thoughts as her mouth spat out words faster than her mind could parse them. Loki started to follow her, trying to stop her rapid pacing — especially as she moved dangerously close to the roof's railing — but she avoided him. "Puppy, calm down —"
"He was — I was just so tired! So tired of — of everything! I didn't want to do it anymore. I just — and then he grabbed me. And we were fighting, and then we were on the ground, with the bottles and the glass, and he wouldn't stop, and all I could think was —"
"Nari."
Loki's soft voice finally halted her rambling. In its place was dead silence as her body slowed. Turning, Nari regarded him with widened eyes, mouth falling open. Not once. In her entire time in the school, not once had he ever used her name. Insulting epithets and various forms of incorrect address, certainly, but never her given name. And in doing so, he had short circuited her brain, forcing her to shut down and do a hard reboot. She was finally still, chest rising and falling rapidly with hysteric heaves.
"Huh…?" Nari stared at him in utter confusion. Eyes blown wide, mouth twitching, he was looking back at her like she had grown a second head. He almost looked frightened of her. Or perhaps of the situation itself. Which seemed a bit excessive to her considering he was the one who had been prying in the first place.
And that was when she noticed them. And thus understood the look of abject horror on Loki's face. Tears had spilled, streaming down in long dark streaks, painting her cheeks with jagged glittery lines. At the realization, she gasped, lifting an arm to her face. She rubbed her cheeks trying to remove the tears. It didn't. It only worsened them.
Loki wasn't sure what to do. He had only been trying to have a little fun, he never meant to send her over the edge into a downward spiral. The fact that he had even managed to sent his own mind into overdrive, trying to figure out whether to apologize, to try and help her, or say nothing at all for fear of making the situation worse. In the end the only words that came out were —
"…Are you okay?"
Nari sniffed. "Yeah… It's — yeah, I just… I'm…" She tried desperately to get the words out, but she couldn't, each one getting caught in a giant lump in her throat.
Because she wasn't fine. She hadn't been fine for a very long time. She had been carrying her burdens for so long, all on her own; never complaining and never faltering. And now, they were finally too much to bear, and she was crumbling beneath their weight. With another sniff, she tried again to convince herself, to repeat the mantra she had spoken for so long. I'm fine. I'll be okay. Don't worry about me. Everything's alright. But still, the words wouldn't come. The only thing she could muster up was a pitiful whimper.
Loki wasn't sure what compelled him to move forward, nor what drew him to wrap his arms around her trembling form. From her startled breath, it was evident that she was just as confused as he was. That she didn't understand any more than he did why he wanted so badly to help this woman — this human woman — with every fiber of his being.
"It's okay, Puppy." He could feel her shaking within his embrace, every last ounce of her strength trying to keep it together, holding her steady. Perhaps it was habit; as the older sibling, she always did her best to be a pillar to lean on. So much so, that she had neglected to ever find one of her own. Thus, he resigned himself to being that for her, resting his head atop her own and squeezing her shoulders. "Let it out."
Those three words were all she could take. The cracks blew open, tearing down the walls and unleashing everything held within. In the next moment, she was leaning against him, sobbing uncontrollably. Her fingers grasped his jacket for dear life, like a piece of driftwood in the center of the ocean. Loki let her, holding her close to his chest.
. . .
It was nearly two hours before Nari returned to her room. After crying her eyes out, nearly suffocating from an anxiety attack, and then bawling again, she was completely drained. She had been in such awful condition by the end of it that Loki had actually offered to bring her back to her room. In fact, he had almost insisted; she had had to be quite persistent in finally convincing him that she would be alright. When she got back, she stumbled into the room and shut the door, clicking the lock into place. Much as she loved her sister, she simply couldn't face her in such a state.
She greeted Fuyu lazily before dragging her feet to the bathroom to begin the long and arduous process of removing her disguise. It was only at that moment that she fully realized the very serious risk she had brought upon herself by wandering all the way back to the dorm room as her persona. Luckily, she hadn't run into anyone; it seemed that the doll students all returned to their dorms at a reasonable time.
As the last of her glitter rinsed down the drain, Nari sighed, exhaling all the stress of the evening with it in a shuddering breath. She could still hear the shouting of the fans, see the waving of the lights. The image she used to dream of; a childhood fantasy come to life.
But it wasn't.
Her dream had turned into a nightmare from which she couldn't wake up. How had it all come to this? So many nights she lay awake wondering, asking herself that very question. All she had ever wanted was the same as anyone else. A decent life. To make her parents proud. To love and be loved. And, many would argue, she had. Nari lived very well, and she imagined very few would complain. As far as her parents knew, she had accomplished everything she set out to do. She had the love of thousands, millions of people, all chanting her name like a prayer.
But that was only on the surface.
In truth, it was all an elaborate lie. Her lavish life was enviable, but it had come at the cost of her soul. The pride her parents felt would shatter should they ever learn the truth of their daughter's success. And her legion of Starlights didn't love her. They had never loved her. They only loved who she had become.
"They love Luna… not you," she muttered to herself, gazing tiredly at her reflection in the mirror. And as she gazed back at her eyes, now lacking their contacts, she wondered if they even loved her persona. She had seen firsthand how quickly many of her so-called 'followers' could turn on her. Convinced of the lie, the story that had been told. No, they didn't love her at all. There was only one person in this world she knew for certain who loved her. Her sibling, her best friend and biggest fan.
But would she still love her if she knew the truth about her…? That the lies they told weren't so untruthful after all? Nari didn't even want to think about it. Splashing her face with cold water, she scoffed and stormed from the bathroom back to her bed. Flopping onto the mattress, she bundled beneath the covers, reaching for her familiar bottle. There was no way she was getting to sleep tonight. Not on her own. Tossing back the blue tablets, she swallowed them dry before thumping onto the pillow.
It was only five pills. Not the end of the world.