Broken Wings

Chapter 20: The Great Harmony

Miku adjusted her ribbons in the show room mirror for what had to be the hundredth time that evening, smoothing the pleats in the skirt of her Vocaloids costume. She tried to take a few breaths to calm herself. 'I mean it's not like I'll forget the words... or trip on stage... or get blinded by a stage light or...'

She slapped her cheek.

"POSITIVE!"

"Oh boy, Miku's doing the cheek slap. Must mean she forgot to practice again."

Miku grumbled and turned to the ponytailed blonde boy leaning in her dressing room door frame. "Do you mind? I'm TRYING to make sure I have my opening number ready to go!"

She grabbed a brush and stroked her ponytails angrily for emphasis as Len laughed jovially. "Yea, wouldn't want to ruin the star attraction right before her debut!"

He grew slightly more serious. "Hey... it's not about him is it?"

Miku's hand shook as she stopped brushing. She fumbled for the words she needed to answer the question.

"... I'll take the long silence to mean 'yes.'"

Len never teased her about this subject. He was sharp enough to know how much it affected her.

After all, performing the first "Vocaloids" concert as five instead of six was hard enough as it was...

Miku laid on the futon in Kaito's arms, her bare body barely covered by the blanket. How wonderful it felt to be in her own home again... though the bed situation was going to have to be improved. Selling that loft bed and getting something bigger for Kaito's wingspan... did she even have enough space in her tiny bedroom for a bigger bed?

'Yea Miku... the BED is what you should be focusing on...'

She looked up into Kaito's face and took pleasure in his peaceful smile. The people who hurt him were all gone forever. The dissonant melodies that plagued him fallen silent. No more fighting, no more running, no more fear. She'd fulfilled her promise to protect him.

She stroked his cheek lightly. "I'm not going to disappear, Kaito..." she whispered to him.

"There's only one way to know for sure."

He pulled her in for a deep kiss...

"How's our little starlet?!"

As Miku left the dressing room, she laid eyes on Gumi. "See guys? I TOLD you I could introduce you to her!"

Standing behind the girl were a tall man with black hair and red-framed glasses as well as a green haired woman with tanned skin. "So this is Miku... she's shorter than I thought she'd be in person..." the woman said.

As Miku looked at the two adults with Gumi, the obvious question rose in her mind. "Are these your... parents?"

"Heck yea! Mom and Pop already bought your album!" Gumi said, "Made me promise I'd pull some super-secret strings to get them in here!"

Of all the people to have seemingly normal, living parents... "Wait... Gumi, if your parents are fine, why were you living in a bomb shelter?"

Gumi let out a snort. "Pfff, how do you think I was paying my food bills?"

Her father clapped his hands on her shoulders. "My daughter has always been so driven to change the world, what father wouldn't support her?"

He let out a broad laugh. "And she landed the biggest story of the century didn't she?"