Full Moon Wo Sagashite Fan Fiction ❯ Finding the Gateway to Heaven ❯ To Find Takuto, of course... ( Chapter 2 )

…Chapter 2 - To Find Takuto, of course…

Mitsuki's gloom was evident past the smile on her face as she trudged up to the group of friends with which she had so nearly collided not so long ago. The three were standing, talking excitedly, at the street corner near her house, and as she sauntered innocently into their view they began chatting lightly as if no Mitsukis had recently flown past them at incredible speeds.

"Hi, Mitsuki," called Wakana as Mitsuki approached the group, her glum expression lightened by the sincerity of their friendship.

"Hello," Mitsuki remarked back to all three of them.

"What were you in such a rush for?" asked Tomoe.

Mitsuki was startled by this question as it refreshed the pain of Takuto's rejection. She could barely utter, "I was going to meet someone, but he wasn't really there."

"Ooooh" "Mitsuki has a boyfriend" "Who? Who!" the trio spoke all at once, forming an arc around her.

Bewildered, she held her arm behind her back in a karate chop, a teardrop forming at her temple as her eyes closed into pigeon claws. The three pressed, however, and soon Mitsuki was forced to think about Takuto again, causing her a heavy sadness felt distinctly by the others.

"I guess things didn't go well, maybe we should leave her alone," whispered Kumi just too loudly, and Mitsuki apologized profusely as they walked off, bowing low, her gaze averted. Soon they were gone and she was left alone to continue her walk home, a gentle breeze soothing her spirits as she stepped through the gated entrance.

Wakamatsu Madoka was sitting in the living room chatting with Mitsuki's grandmother, and to Mitsuki's immense surprise, she could hear Madoka humming a tune to which her grandmother was tapping her fingers!

How people can change, thought Mitsuki to herself, and stood just inside the doorway listening for a time to the odd melody, before finally walking inside the room. Madoka sprang up, abruptly cutting the flow of music.

"Mitsuki! I didn't know you were here!" she exclaimed, and in spite of her evident initial dismay, she hugged Mitsuki tightly and showed her the vase of flowers which she had brought.

"Are you feeling any better, Mitsuki-chan? I brought these for you. Can you cheer up so you can cheer for me?"

Madoka seemed so exuberant about some mysterious something, she practically goaded Mitsuki to ask her, "What was that tune you were humming, Madoka-san?"

Madoka pouted and a slightly exasperated sigh expelled along with her breath, "Oh, so you heard it, huh?"

Finally, Mitsuki's grandmother, who had been quietly sitting back until then, spoke up, "Madoka, weren't you here today to give Mitsuki a present?" obviously indicating whatever was hidden between them. Even Tanaka seemed in on things, smiling broadly as she peered into the room from which she was carting the now empty teapot.

"Ok, well, I guess I'll give it to you now, but I had hoped to surprise you with it." Madoka fumbled inside a purple backpack she had evidently just bought for herself, and finally extracted a small white box wrapped with a tricolor ribbon of orange, blue and gold.

Orange, blue, and gold? Mitsuki thought to herself, trying not to let her amusement at the color choice show. She graciously accepted the gift and put it aside as she had always been taught so as to be polite until she could open it away from the eyes of the giver.

"You can open it now if you want," spoke her grandmother to Mitsuki's surprise, and somewhat to her dismay, as she was slightly nervous of opening it in front of Madoka.

Here goes, she thought as she carefully removed the ribbons and wrapper, out of the corner of her eyes noticing Madoka's eager smile, hands on her knees waiting patiently for the present to appear.

"Wow!" exclaimed Mitsuki, "Wow! This is so neat! You're so beautiful, Madoka-san!" for on the cover of the CD she held in her hand, Madoka stood wrapped in color swaths of orange and gold, greens and reds, and blues which somehow complemented her silvery shimmering long hair and sparkling eyes.

Mitsuki looked up with a smile on her face, causing Madoka to blush, "Thank you, Mitsuki! It's my new CD, I wanted you to have it before anyone else. Do you think the title is good?"

Falling into Grace was emblazoned on the side panel in dazzling gold letters. "Wow, it's so cool!" Mitsuki said.

"I thought the title was appropriate, because I changed so much. Besides, Takasu-sensei said it fit my new image. I don't know though, I don't think I've established one yet, especially since Full Moon disappeared," Madoka said, the last bit with more than just a hint of sadness, which tugged at Mitsuki's heartstrings for more reasons than just Madoka's lamentation.

"I'm sure she'll be back one day," Mitsuki said, though she doubted the possibility herself, the thought leading her to think of Takuto once again. Her sudden sadness caught Madoka by surprise, though she misinterpreted Mitsuki's dismay as simply her missing Full Moon. How true it was, though once again for far more reasons than Madoka might think.

"I hope so, Mitsuki. You know, I really liked listening to her sing. She has such a beautiful voice," and paused, "You know, you sound like her sometimes," Madoka thought out loud, startling Mitsuki again.

"Oh, me? No, I don't think…"

"No, it's true! I hear you singing out back by yourself sometimes when I come over, and you have a really pretty voice! Maybe when you're better you can audition and can become an idol, too. I know! I'll set up an interview with Takasu-sensei!"

Mitsuki trademarkedly put her hand above her head and squinted her eyes again, laughing as the tear formed in the corner by her right temple. "Oh, umm… I… ummm."

Madoka laughed, and suddenly got up as she noticed the time on her watch, "Oh no! I have to get to the studio, I have a shoot tonight! Bye Mitsuki!" and bowing, "farewell, grandmother, I'll see you soon! Thank you!"

Madoka's leaving the house created a sudden void where her presence had been, and made the house seem unnaturally quiet. Mitsuki only sat staring at the CD for a time.

Finally, her grandmother got up and gently took the CD from Mitsuki. "Tanaka-san, could you please bring us your radio?" she asked, causing no small amount of shock to run through both Mitsuki and Tanaka-san.

"Yes, yes, of course, ma'am," was the reply, and little time passed before she rushed into the room with her little portable music box and plugged it into the wall. "What would you like to listen to, ma'am?"

"Why, this new CD of Madoka-chan, of course, please put it in for us, and," she said, pausing slightly before finishing, "you can finish cleaning afterwards, if you'd like to listen with us."

"Thank you, ma'am, of course," came the excited reply, and it was but moments before they were listening to Madoka's rather sad, slow opening song, My Falling Tears.

Finally the last song came to a close, an upbeat melody more in line with Madoka's former style entitled Coming Back to Me. "… will I just be the same even though I've come so far, or will there be a new person staring through the mirror?" asked the song.

Full Moon, Mitsuki thought wistfully to herself as the song played through. I wonder if I'll be able to keep our promise to everyone.

Her grandmother noticed her sudden sullenness, "Mitsuki, do you have any homework?" she asked in an attempt to lighten her granddaughter's mood.

"I finished it earlier, grandmother," replied Mitsuki, her eyes focused on nothing as they gazed at the table in front of her. Her thoughts flew back to Takuto yet again, slid gently by Eichi-kun, and came back to rest on Madoka's songs. "I really liked Madoka's songs, did you like them, too?" she asked.

"They were pleasant. It was kind of her to bring it here. You must find something to give her in return."

"Yes, grandmother, I will."

"Full Moon has a more soothing voice. And… you do sound like her," her grandmother trailed off, as she gazed pensively at Mitsuki's downcast eyes, before rising and heading to her bedroom. "I wonder what became of that girl."

Mitsuki's eyes watered slightly as her grandmother left the room, nearly forgetting Tanaka-san until the maid rose from nearby to finish her household duties. Before leaving, she turned to ask, "Mitsuki-chan, I can't find your bunny and cat, did you lose them somewhere?"

At first Mitsuki was too surprised by the question to respond. Eventually she sobered slightly and simply said, "I.. let them go. Thank you."

Tanaka raised her finger and was about to inquire further, but seeing Mitsuki's expression decided against it, and went off about her chores, leaving Mitsuki alone in the living room.

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Grrr, thought Takuto to himself as he glared angrily at the ceiling above his bed, why do I keep thinking about that stupid girl. What was wrong with her, anyway?! Just grabbing me like that…

Frustrated though he seemed to be, Takuto still felt the warmth of Mitsuki's hug. Mitsuki… Full Moon, why did those names seem so nearly familiar to him? Try as he might, Takuto could find no answers in his room, radio, or the ceiling.

As thinking about it was getting him nowhere, Takuto turned his mind to other pertinent issues, and eventually decided to begin looking for means to support himself in this city. The funds from his time as a singer were nearly depleted, it had been quite a relief and surprise to have recovered them at all. And he knew nobody here.

Takuto began questioning his decision to have come to the city in the first place. And another thing tugged at his mind not at all gently… what had happened in the two years since he had left! Perhaps he had met this little girl, and Wakaoji… now there was a name he could sink his teeth into. So this girl was somehow connected to that pianist. Takuto wondered for a bit what had happened to Wakaoji after Route L broke up, and the thought crossed his mind that perhaps he could find out while in the city, though he was not certain that he really wanted to know…

Shaking his head, Takuto got up out of his bed and walked down the thin staircase past the flower shop, waving to the owner as he left. It seemed that night had fallen some time ago, and though Takuto searched the sky, dark clouds blocked star and moonlight that he somehow knew would have comforted him. Without any direction, Takuto began walking off down one of the nearest streets, eventually ending up outside of a nearby nightclub.

Though nearly 24, Takuto looked young, and was stopped at the entrance by a rather large doorman, "Excuse me, kiddo, we don't allow …" the big man suddenly paused, "wait a minute, aren't you Takuto Kira? Oh, man, I used to love Route L, you're him, aren't you?"

Takuto's surprise was only heightened by the sound of one of his band's songs emanating from inside, though the voice was female, and the rhythm had a strange, sloping beat to it.

"That was Wakamatsu Madoka's Eternal Snow, now… get ready for… Full Moon!" shouted the DJ, emphasizing Full Moon as the large crowd's cheering became intense enough to drown out his final words.

Sure enough, Takuto could tell that this was Route L's song, sung beautifully by this Full Moon.

That name again! he thought to himself in a daze, not noticing as one of the bulldog's coworkers reached the DJ's station.

As the song came to a close, Takuto began to feel uneasy from some of the people staring at him, when suddenly the bulldog man grabbed him by the arm and said, "Come on!" and proceeded to lead him to the large tables at which sat the DJ, who was pacifying the audience with his soothing voice, "… back five years ago," he droned on, "Originally sung by Route L, and… oh wow! It really is him! Hey, everyone, looks like we have a special guest here tonight, it seems my friend Nisson has just brought to the stage, none other, than the LEAD SINGER from Route L, everyone give a huge round of applause for Takuto Kira!!! Maybe he'll sing for us if we all ask!"

Takuto suddenly found himself gazing at a mass of hands banging together, fists waving in the air, and calls and cheers louder than any he remembered during his time singing.

"Sing for us!!!" shouted more than a few people in the crowd, and soon the cheer became like a chant as the voices rose together, saying, "Takuto! Takuto! Takuto!"

Every fiber of Takuto's being longed to pick up the microphone and fulfill their request. The DJ even began playing his version, Route L's version, of Eternal Snow, in the background, but Takuto vividly remembered his last attempt at song, and his grisly hacking in front of Mitsuki earlier in the day.

Mitsuki, he thought. Full Moon means Mitsuki, doesn't it…

He accepted the microphone, but only bowed and said in a sad voice, "I honestly wish I could sing for you tonight, but I can't. I'm truly sorry!" he finished, tears welling up inside him and threatening to break his composure.

Takuto ran through the crowd as the people turned to one another and wondered aloud in hushed tones. Some began calling his name again, some sadly, some saying farewell, others with hints of anger. Reaching the door, the bulldog stopped him before he could run outside, "Aww, man, I didn't mean to put you on the spot, I'm sorry."

"It's just that… I can no longer sing," replied Takuto, the sad edge strongly tinting his voice, "it hurts too much."

"I always wondered what happened to you. You know, the piano player lives pretty close to here, I hear, though he's some sort of doctor or manager or something, now. Rumor was that he was backing Full Moon. Maybe you two could form a band, or something, because man, you guys were just awesome. Heh, maybe Full Moon could even be in it, now that would be something!"

"Full Moon, huh," Takuto said thoughtfully, suddenly becoming aware of the large number of eyes turned towards their conversation, "sorry I couldn't…" he said, and turned and left hurriedly through the door and back towards his apartment.

Weeks passed, and Takuto began helping at the florist shop where he lived, earning rent and a small bit extra which he began putting towards his guitar. Perhaps I can play this instead, someday, he hoped to himself.

Mitsuki's classes continued, lessons a mix of dullness and excitement as her body continued to heal itself. She frequently visited Wakaoji-sensei, who now seemed more involved with Ooshige-san, as the two always seemed to be talking when Mitsuki inquired.

"Oh, Ooshige is doing very well, she has a new talent that she's promoting who may just become the biggest sensation since Full Moon! Not that anyone could ever sing like you, though," Wakaoji smiled as he said this, though Mitsuki could only smile for a moment as the memories filled her mind, and her aching desire loomed further and further away. Several times she had returned to the small strip of beach near her house, and none of those times had she encountered Takuto again.

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"Wakaoji-sensei, could the procedure that cured me also help Takuto?" Mitsuki asked one day, as he placed the depressor in the waste bin nearby.

"Takuto's illness was different than yours, Mitsuki. If he were here, I think it just might have been possible."

"Where could he be?" Mitsuki asked, and paused, "Do you think he thinks about me?"

Just then, Takuto sneezed, "The chrysanthemums always do that to me…"

"I'm sure of it, Mitsuki," Wakaoji said, sincerely.

"But he had to take a moon flower to erase his memory, so that he wouldn't disappear. I wonder if he will ever remember me again."

Mitsuki was silent for a moment as Wakaoji gently felt her throat, kneading it with his fingertips. When he finished, she spoke again, "I saw him a few weeks ago…"

"Saw him? I thought the Shinigami were gone."

"He was alive, Wakaoji-sensei. Meroko appeared and led me to him!"

"Takuto? Takuto Kira? Was alive? What happened? Where did you see him?"

"It was down by the beachfront at Shinzaho, he was sitting on a bench. He even had a little kitty figure with him. But he didn't recognize me, Wakaoji-sensei, he didn't want to speak to me at all!" turning her large eyes to Wakaoji, Mitsuki finally began releasing the tears that had been building up over the past month. Through her schoolwork, through classes, through the visits to Wakaoji, and countless dinners with her grandmother, suddenly she found herself able to speak, and in doing so…

"Mitsuki…"

Mitsuki only continued crying as Wakaoji enveloped her in a warm hug.

"He was here, huh. You know, about a week ago, a friend from The Stinger Pit said that someone was looking for me. I wonder if it was Takuto." Suddenly he stood up, determination in his voice "Well, Mitsuki, let's get going!"

Wakaoji began putting away the files on his desk into the gray metal cabinet nearby. Pressing a button on the phone next to his computer, he said, "Nurse, please page me if an emergency comes up, otherwise I am out for the rest of the day."

"Yes, sensei," came the reply, though Wakaoji was already standing by the door, hanging his lab coat on the brass rack to its right.

Mitsuki, however, was still sitting, puzzled, on the chair where she had been left, and asked, "Wakaoji-sensei, where are we going?"

"Why, to find Takuto, of course!"