Full Moon Wo Sagashite Fan Fiction ❯ Finding the Gateway to Heaven ❯ Revival, the concert ( Chapter 10 )

[Lyrics translation copied from www.animelyrics.com then lightly edited. Love Chronicle originally created by Changin' My Life, and sung by Full Moon in the anime Full Moon wo Sagashite… same copyrights from chapter 1 apply, I hope]

...Chapter X - Revival, the concert...

Glancing up into the rafters, Mitsuki dropped her microphone in the middle of the song, her eyes and mouth gaping wide.

"Eichi-kun," she said, barely whispering his name, as a powerful wave of mixed joy and sorrow pulsed from her heart. The feeling spread from the tears in her eyes through to her entire being, and caused her to tremble as she suddenly seemed to struggle to support her own weight.

"Full Moon, are you ok…" began Takuto, covering the microphone with his left hand, but trailed off mid-sentence as he too looked up into the sky above the stage.

A figure hovered in the stands far away, red vest trimmed just above the waistline, red shorts covering white lace stockings, and gigantic wings spread far to the left and right of her body.

"Meroko…" he said, his arm falling limply to his side, still clutching the microphone, "That's… that's Meroko, isn't it," he faltered, forgetting himself, "Mitsuki."

But Mitsuki was far too gone to respond, gazing up at the eyes of her first love, his smile dazzling her with its brilliance, his wings reminding her of his being, memories rapidly coursing through her mind.

"Eichi-kun," she said softly, raising the fingers of her right hand to her trembling lips.

"Mitsuki, we came to listen to you sing," Eichi said, the smile brimming on his face, "Please sing for us, Full Moon."

Mitsuki nodded numbly, and slowly noticed apparitions appear, as the second crowd of onlookers to her performance became apparent to her. Mitsuki gasped, for angels filled the stadium's entire outer rim, talking to each other, many hand in hand, some cuddling outright, and nearly every one with fixed attention to the stage.

The hushed voices of the people in the crowd slowly became a loud hum as people wondered to each other what was going on. Most remembered L-I-V-E and the sudden halt in that show, and were asking each other if something similar was occurring here.

Mitsuki weakly gathered herself together and turned back to Takuto and the band, "Are you ready to continue?"

But seeing him fully, Mitsuki noticed that Takuto was far from ready, as tears were in his eyes and he had a dazed look as if he too were in another world.

"Takuto?" she asked, concern coloring her voice.

Fortunately the other band members had gotten used to the strange goings on with these two, and after playing the last notes of Sky's Wish, had been using the break to talk amongst themselves, have a drink of water, wave to their own friends and family, and relax. All of them were quite obviously giving Takuto and Mitsuki space, for they were averting their eyes, and in fact none were even glancing in the two singers' direction.

"Takuto?" Mitsuki said again, slightly louder.

His reverie intruded upon, Takuto gazed at Mitsuki, the same far-away look still pasted on his face, "It's all true, Mitsuki, everything you told me. I've found it so hard to believe, though I've forced myself, but finally, here, there is proof," and he looked up at Meroko again, who was smiling down at him.

"Meroko?" said Mitsuki, and searched the angelic crowd, struggling to find her friend amidst the masses of heavenly beings.

Meroko waved her arm high in the air, and Mitsuki's joy filled the stadium as she waved back, and shouted, "Meroko! Merokooo!!!!"

Meroko laughed, a contagion which spread to the angels around her, to Eichi, and finally, to Takuto and Mitsuki.

The human crowd was looking up at the sky where the two singers' gaze was focused, bewildered.

"Mitsuki, Full Moon, I…" Takuto began to say, I'm sorry for ever doubting, and I love you so much, but the expression on her face stopped him, "Eichi-san is here, too?" he asked seriously.

Mitsuki looked up, puzzled, at where Eichi was, so near to the stage, and said, "You don't see him, Takuto?"

"He can only see Meroko, Mitsuki. You're the only one that can see all of us right now," explained Eichi to her, resting his chin on his arms as Meroko landed gently next to him, "Don't you think it's time you started singing again?"

Mitsuki suddenly remembered that she was the center of attention of a hundred thousand and more, and glanced out towards the audience, the bright lights stinging her eyes as her vision passed through them.

Exuberant, she turned to Takuto, "Takuto, can we continue, please?"

Takuto seemed more than slightly recovered, and responded with an energy in his voice that Mitsuki had not felt since she had known him as a kitty Shinigami, "Full Moon, let's sing!"

Full Moon turned towards the audience and spoke into the microphone, "Everyone, we're ready to start again now, are you ready?"

The crowd cheered wildly in response, their voices startling the angels, who flapped their wings excitedly.

"She asked if you were ready, and we can barely hear you up here," goaded Takuto.

The intensity of the sound that emanated literally shook the stadium, though only those on stage and behind the scenes noticed.

Full Moon and Takuto looked at each other, smiling, turned simultaneously to the band, who seemed as electrified as they, and nodded.

A magnificent bass beat soon continued the concert, and the lights dimmed to a single spotlight on Full Moon.

Love Chronicle

"I've completely forgotten how to love. Meetings will come someday, with the beginning of parting. Somehow, I have decided upon that idea…" began Full Moon.

As the spotlight joined Takuto into the song, muffled cheering could be heard from the audience, "you tied the loose shoe laces of my dirty sneakers,"
Full Moon continued alone, "your shy smile suddenly shone in the sunlight"

The two turned to each other, singing
"it's not that I love for want of love, you gave me the courage to love straight-forward"

Full Moon continued staring into Takuto's eyes as she sang,
"the two swear to the journey from now,"
Takuto and Full Moon clasped their hands together and sang, "that no matter what occurs, the two hands will"
Full Moon concluded the verse alone, with "never part."

Full Moon turned to the audience of humans and angels as she began the next stanza, smiling, "it's weird, the everyday landscape begins to seem special,"
Takuto closed his eyes as he joined her, "the flowers, birds, the sea and the wind, the mountains, and the sweet sun,"

and allowed her to finish the verse alone, "when everything shines and gathers together"

As Takuto joined in the song again, the both of them turned their eyes to where Eichi and Meroko now hovered together on the rafters above the stage.
"I found the last piece to the unsolvable jigsaw puzzle,"
Full Moon reached out to Eichi as she sang, "your broad back protects me and I'll continue to follow you for eternity"
"until now, I've took the longer way around," she continued, turning back to the audience, then to Takuto.
Singing together again, they gazed into each other's eyes, "but I'm finally able to love straight-forward"
"the two will head to the dream of tomorrow, no matter what occurs, the gaze won't be shifted"
Takuto hummed, ha … la la la la la la la… for a brief musical solo, the bass and synthesizer framing his voice in the background

"it's not that I love for want of love," they continued, "you gave me the courage to love straight-forward"
The two turned towards the audience, simultaneously reaching their right arms out in a plea, "the two will head to the dream of tomorrow no matter what occurs,"
As Full Moon finished the verse, she bent her elbow and clenched her fist in a sign of determination, "the gaze will not be shifted"
"it's not that I love for want of love, you gave me the courage to love straight-forward", they held the final notes together for a short span, now back to back, feeling each others' warmth

"the two swear to the journey from now," [-oh -oh -oh sang Takuto] "that no matter what occurs, the two hands",
Finally, the song concluded, Full Moon pitching her voice up then down on its final word, "will never part", holding the note a full ten seconds. The two singers stood with their hands clasped and facing each other, reaffirming their emotions as they closed their eyes and drew their bodies together.

The lights dimmed until only Full Moon and Takuto were left glowing in a single spot on the stage. The vibration in the air remained as the music slowly faded, and the crowd was silent for several minutes as the power of the pair's emotion swept through the auditorium.

The main lights slowly came back up, and Full Moon said, "We're going for an intermission, but will be back in twenty minutes! Thank you!"

At this, the crowd could scarcely contain themselves, and released a monsoon of applause that lasted through the entire time Mitsuki and Takuto were offstage.

Back in their dressing room, Mitsuki and Takuto sat holding one another for a time, Mitsuki crying not at all gently, Takuto soothing her with soft words through his own numbed state, "Mitsuki, they brought all of their friends with them? How many…" he paused, no matter how many times the issue was brought up between them, he still felt that the whole thing must be unreal, even having finally glimpsed her.
"How many angels were there?"

Mitsuki's sobbing had stopped, at least, but she did not respond.

Takuto looked at her face buried in his chest, as a growing uncertainty clouded his mind. The crowd could still be heard from the stadium, and Takuto began to worry about their continued performance.

"Mitsuki…" he whispered to her.

"Takuto, why is he here now?" she finally said, sitting up to look into his eyes.

Takuto fumbled for a response before he decided there was none that he could give her.

A minute passed before she continued, tears again coursing down her face, "He told me he just came to hear me sing, Takuto. It's not fair. Why wait so long? Why now?!"

Her breath stopped short, and though her widened eyes were gazing at his, they were focused on the wall behind him.

Takuto turned around to find Meroko standing there. He could only guess that Eichi was there as well, though he was proven wrong by Meroko's words, "Mitsuki, he'd like to enter, too… if it is ok with you."

Mitsuki nodded, pulling away from Takuto on the couch. She felt like a little girl again, able only to nod her head, unable to speak at all.

Finally, Eichi stepped through the wall, making Takuto nearly jump back at the sudden apparition. Eichi smiled warmly as Meroko clasped his hand and helped him through the wall, and reached his other out to Mitsuki. Takuto sat numbly on the side, watching the two as they stared into each other's eyes, now hand in hand.

He was somewhat startled when Meroko sidled next to him, touching him gently on the shoulder. Though Takuto in most other situations would have been discomfited and even angry at being so handled by a stranger, her touch felt to him as a caress, and he found that he could only relax under the gentle pressure of her hands.

She whispered softly in his ear, "You are so lucky, Takuto. I miss you…"

Turning his eyes to meet hers, his composure fell, and tears began streaming down his face, slowly at first, then becoming a downpour as he buried himself in her jacket.

"What is going on in there," the director asked Ooshige, "they give the best performance of their lives… of anyone's lives! and go backstage to bawl? They're supposed to be on in five minutes!"

"Director-sensei, they will come out when they're ready," Ooshige said smoothly, "I don't think the fans will mind."

The roar from the audience was still going strong, fifteen minutes of fierce cheering and applause. It was, quite simply, unheard of.

"Well, should I prep Madoka, or… something?" he asked.

"I don't think she would want to interrupt the show, sensei, just relax, everything will be ok," and this from Ooshige.

The director walked off, his haste seemed only verbal judging by his stride as he calmly walked onto the stage. Indeed, the entire crew was acting far more relaxed than seemed possible under the tense circumstance, though everyone was alert and ready to return to their job. Ooshige noticed that the stagehands were simply kneeling quietly by the stage, the lighting technicians were sitting calmly in the rafters and at their boards gazing wistfully down, and as she glanced around, it seemed to be the same for every member of the crew, as if they had become possessed by the music and presence. Many were even humming or singing softly to themselves.

Ooshige smiled for a moment as she resumed her guard-post down the hall from the singers' dressing rooms. She had been dismayed by the wailing she had heard earlier, but this complete silence worried her even more. She turned to Wakaoji, who was by the stage, chatting with the director.

Wakaoji smiled at her, and waved, and after an initial blush, she waved back at him, though concern was evident on her face. So much so that Wakaoji made his way towards her.

"How are they?" he asked.

"I don't know," she responded, staring into his gaze for a while. "They were… loud, earlier, but I haven't heard anything in a few minutes now."

"Should we go check on them? The show is supposed to start in just one minute."

"I don't know, Wakaoji, but, I think they need to be alone."

Wakaoji replied by sitting at the wall by her feet. The intensity between the two became electric as Wakaoji gently wrapped his hand around Ooshige's leg, and she softly placed hers on his shoulder.

They could both hear the director's voice over the radio, "Thirty seconds to show, everyone, let's get ready."

With ten seconds to go, the entire backstage was so quiet that the crickets outside could be heard despite the audience's continuing roar. Wakaoji and Ooshige turned their heads to each other, and then towards the door behind which rested the stars of the show.

And suddenly, finally, the silence was broken as the door opened, and a strangely subdued Full Moon emerged, joined hand in hand by an extremely serious looking Takuto. The two turned towards each other, Takuto's expression a cry of concern, Full Moon searching his gaze for support, and walked out onto the stage, surprising everyone as they passed unlike ever before, with barely a glance to their entire crew.

Ooshige and Wakaoji jumped up as soon as they saw the duo emerge.

"Mits… Full Moon! Takuto!" they both shouted in unison, but the pair seemed to not hear them.

"Is everything ok?" asked Ooshige, as they sauntered past her and onto the stage, not even bothering to check if the crew was ready for them.

Fortunately, everything went into motion immediately. The moment Takuto set foot on stage, the proper lighting came up, and the next song's introductory music could be heard booming through the speakers.

Takuto was leading Mitsuki, or so it seemed to Ooshige and Wakaoji, who could only turn worriedly to each other as Mitsuki climbed on the stage and looked to the stars shining outside of the stadium. She seemed to be searching for something, and for the entire first two minutes of music, their voices were silent. Finally her eyes widened, the only indication that she had found what she was looking for, although it seemed that her gaze did not shift from the one direction throughout the entire song.

They had chosen to reemerge with their combined version of Eternal Snow, and to Ooshige and Wakaoji, it was the most powerful telling of the tale that they had ever heard.

"What do you think she sees out there, Wakaoji," asked Ooshige.

"It must be Old Man Winter," came the reply, for snow had begun falling from the lightly clouded sky, softly coating the crowd and auditorium with its fluffy whiteness.

Mitsuki reached her arms out with every chorus, and the ending once again found the singer breathless and in tears, the powerful release of emotion seeming to have drained her fiercely.

As soon as the lights were down, she buried her face in Takuto's chest, and for the five minute length of the blackout as the crew prepared the next set, the two stood together in a silent embrace, their eyes closed. Strangely, the audience also remained quiet, the snow muffling all but a few sobs, though all faces were turned to the stage, most moist from tears which mingled with the warm snow.

"It seems almost as if they are honoring her song," said Wakaoji thoughtfully in an undertone, unable to suppress a sniffling sob.

"I don't think I could clap right now if I tried, I think we'd be intruding," whispered Ooshige through her own light tears, backing up Wakaoji's words.

The stage lights returned to find Takuto and Full Moon yet embraced. The music started up immediately, and the upbeat rhythm The Sun's Rays began to slowly melt the quiet calm, and to everyone's amazement, the physical snow as well, which began to evaporate as soon as Full Moon sang the first verse.

"I guess Meroko came to the performance after all," giggled Ooshige.

Wakaoji nodded, looking out at the stage. He found it difficult to maintain his serious composure though, and soon, evidently along with most everyone else in the stadium, found his body swaying gently to the music.

"Let's dance!" exclaimed Ooshige, as she found herself unable to merely stand idly. Wakaoji eagerly agreed, and the two spun round to the amusement of the nearby crew.

Full Moon and Takuto seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage as well, and despite the strenuous act of singing, Takuto was twirling Mitsuki around as the two danced to their own rhythm.

The concert continued for several hours, Full Moon using up several of the songs which had become popularized in the past few months, improvising most to the delight of the musicians, even joined spontaneously by Madoka to duet her Lament at one point. Finally, the final song's stage was set to be prepared, although the crew found their instructions quite odd. As soon as Voices of the Angels ended, the director's voice came over the radio, "Ok, crew, just take a break, someone else is handling this last set. You've done an incredible job, now just relax and enjoy the music!" As most of the crew only looked at each other with puzzled expressions, his voice continued, "Yes, these are your real orders. Now go sit!"

The director came up to Wakaoji some time after, "Wakaoji! My radio went dead, and just before the final song!"

Slowly, the clouds in the sky parted. The beautiful, opaquely dark sky had served as the ceiling of the auditorium throughout the concert. To the delight and awe of the audience, the moon now shone full and bright directly onto the stage, creating a natural spotlight which glimmered amidst the twinkling of stars which seemed to congregate in its radiance. One particular star could be seen to shine more intensely than all of the others, and though none would know, it was a binary, formed from the joining of a pair of stars caught in each others' gravity. Indeed, Full Moon seemed to favor this particular star through the course of her final song. Takuto, in spite of his dazzling performance, ended up merely as a backup singer in this last piece.

As the darkness lifted, clouds parted, and the moon shone its spotlight down, Full Moon merely looked up as if she had expected all such events. The musicians, at first almost frightened at the supernatural feel of things, quickly relaxed and found their enjoyment in the song, as the drummer first, then the guitarist, and finally the synthesizer player joined their instruments into a harmonious appeal to the audience itself, to more. Full Moon slowly lifted her head,

A Star Up in Heaven

There's a star up in heaven,
I can see from below.
It shines so bright whenever I gaze,
It calls to me, so

The stars twinkled, and sparkled around Full Moon herself

Softly I whisper the words that I feel
Every day, for all of time, it seems so real
That the star is calling, singing to me

And indeed, it seemed as though her voice echoed and shimmered as the stars twinkled in the moon's light. A wave of peaceful emotion swept outward through the audience as Full Moon's voice reverberated in the air

For today…was the day
I saw my star.
Full Moon held the final note of this verse for quite some time, slowly increasing her pitch as the stars' light intensified, slowly bathing the entire stage with their radiance

Shining down, it lit up my sky

I sang to it a song,
and it responded so softly,
Twinkling, my star.
Shine for me!

As long as you're up there
I know that I can go on,
Shine…

And with this last word, Full Moon and Takuto vanished from the stage, the final note of the final song of the concert hanging in the air for a time as the lights from the heavens slowly dimmed.