Tsukiko looked around and realized that she seemed to be in an infinite void. The ground was a dark grey, and as she looked up, the top of this void was a lighter grey. Still, the place wasn’t dark.
The lighting was like that of a cloudy day, where the light of the sun is muted and scattered by the grey above. Looking dead ahead revealed an incredibly old looking grand piano.
"I never finished my lessons, y’know. It’s been years, I don’t remember a damn thing." Tsuki stood still.
"I know." Aurelia approached the piano.
"I don’t really have a couple hundred hours to spare right now." Tsuki shook her head.
"Please, sit." Aurelia looked rather serious.
"O-Okay…" Tsukiko sat down at the piano, shaking a bit.
The piano itself was like Aurelia. There was something odd about it. It seemed to be in working order, but it was definitely weathered.
The exterior of the piano itself was painted a very light and dull red. Some parts of the wood had been scuffed, revealing the grain of the wood underneath. The ebony and ivory keys had lost their glossy glow.
"Play." Aurelia instructed.
"Uhhmm… I wouldn't know where to start." Tsuki awkwardly laid her bare fingers on the ivory keys.
Aurelia looked her in the eye. "What do you care about?"
"Well, I--." Tsuki got cut off.
"No, play. Trust your own heart." Aurelia smiled.
"What, do I just bang on some keys?" Tsuki frowned.
"...something like that."
Tsukiko took a deep breath, before setting her fingers down on the keys. Her right hand began moving, and somehow, it created an actual song. Tsuki stared down at her own fingers in disbelief, but she did not have the courage to stop.
A smile stretched across her face as she started playing a happy tune. Her fingers traveled across the surface of keys with such grace that not a single note was out of place. She played as if she had spent centuries practicing.
The song started quiet and simple, but grew more and more grandiose and extravagant. As the song progressed, her breathing grew heavy. Her face became red before she finally stopped.
"Holy shit…" Tears formed in Tsukiko's eyes.
"What did you think about?"
"I-I dunno." Tsuki shivered.
"What did you see in your mind as you played?" Aurelia put an arm around her.
"I… I saw Fumi."
"Keep playing."
Tsuki wiped the tears from her eyes before setting her fingers down on the keys again. This time, the song was rather childlike. It was like a lullaby.
There was a strange darkness to the music that grew. The lullaby became a grand composition as the darkness enveloped each note. Chords became unharmonious as time went on, scaring Tsuki to her core.
What started as a slight grin on her face became tears, rushing down her cheeks as she played. Her tears rolled off of her cheeks, and down to the keys themselves, staining the ivory with her sadness. The sounds of Tsukiko choking on her own sorrows cut through the deafening tune.
There was a long pause, before the track started again. There was a very subtle move in tone.
This shift began as brooding with a hint of positivity. It transitioned to a more mischievous and fun pattern. Her fingers played another extravagant and passionate session before she stopped.
Tsuki sat on the bench, holding back wails. She stared down at the keys, the tears stinging her eyes and making it difficult to see. There was a dull aching pain that she felt all over her body.
She held her head down, as if ashamed. Tears stained her jacket as she tried to wipe her face with her sleeves. Her breathing was heavy and there was a shakiness to it.
As she exhaled, weakness slipped past, and her sobs became moans of pure emotion. Her tough façade collapsed, and she began to whine and mumble quietly. She put her arms on the keys, producing a loud jumble of notes, before she lowered her head down onto them.
Aurelia approached her. "Will you be alright?"
"Y-yeah…" Tsuki choked.
Aurelia wrapped her arms around Tsukiko and held her tightly. Tsuki turned and buried her face in the blonde's shoulder, still in pain over the melancholy song.
Aurelia sat closer, holding Tsukiko against her bosom. The blonde started stroking Tsuki's hair like a scared child.
The Knight regained at least some of her composure. Her shaking subsided and she could finally breathe normally again.
"I did not expect quite a reaction." Aurelia spoke quietly.
"That was intense…"
"Are you alright?" Aurelia asked.
"No, it didn't… I needed that." Tsuki muttered.
"What did you think about?"
"Ha--." Tsuki started before tears formed in her eyes once more. "Haruka…"
"Haruka?"
"…and Mom and Dad and--" Tsuki was interrupted by Aurelia squeezing her tight again.
Tsukiko pulled away, clearing her throat. "No, I'll be okay, I promise."
"I hope you understand why I brought you here." Aurelia spoke seriously.
"Yeah, I do. Still, I didn't expect that at all. It… really put things in perspective though."
"I'm glad." Aurelia's face returned to its usual gentle look.
"I feel… weird, too. I feel lighter. I feel like I can breathe better too." Tsuki sighed.
"I promised that I would teach you something." Aurelia nodded.
"Wait, what did you teach me?" Tsuki looked her in the eye.
"I took a weight off of your shoulders, and now you feel lighter. I taught you how to face your emotions. Try to play another song." Aurelia motioned for her to play again.
"I dunno if I can handle it, I…" Tsuki's voice weakened.
Aurelia leaned over and hit a key. "You know the rest."
Tsukiko took a deep breath and laid her fingers back on the black and white surface.
Another song started. It was unusual, with its tone being almost indecipherable at first. It sat somewhere in the mundane, somewhere between light and dark, strong and weak.
Strange patterns came together to form a somewhat bizarre song. Some parts were slow, some parts were fast. It then abruptly turned into a much more magical song.
High tones twinkled like fairy dust and there was a feeling of awe and grace. There was a sense of respect in each note. It was played cleanly, though with definite enthusiasm.
Her fingers hit the keys with some force and there was a powerful feeling behind each sound. When the song ended, she closed her eyes and Tsukiko took in a deep breath before exhaling.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Feeling better, Tsukiko?" Aurelia asked.
"Yeah… way better." Tsuki nodded.
"Who did you think about?"
"You." Tsuki blushed.
Aurelia chuckled. "Me? Am I that interesting?"
"You've taught me a lot. I feel like I should give back to my teacher, or something." Tsuki struggled to explain herself.
"I also taught you how to play the piano." Aurelia chuckled.
"Huh?" Tsuki looked at Aurelia with surprise.
"Yes, it seems the potential was within you from the very start." Aurelia looked at Tsuki’s hands.
Tsukiko held her hands in front of her face, wiggling her fingers. "…weird. Why don't you play a song?"
"The piano is a beautiful instrument, but I am more well acquainted with the sound of the harpsichord. I enjoy its sound."
"Harpsichord… sounds familiar."
Aurelia smiled. "No one ever quite remembers its name, but it's sound is remarkable."
When Tsukiko blinked, she noticed that the keyboard now had vanished. What sat before her was a rather similar looking instrument, with many black keys and a few white ones. There were two sets of keys, one on top and one below that one. This instrument was also very worn, just like the last one.
Aurelia motioned for her to move aside. She cracked her knuckles and put her fingers on the keys.
"This will be a simple song. It will help you understand why I love the sound."
One hand landed on one set of keys and the other on the other set of keys. When Aurelia began playing, her hands flew at speeds that were incredible.
Even when she slowed down, her fingers moved with such confidence and precision. Tsuki tried her best, but her eyes would get lost trying to follow her.
"Now do you understand?"
"Yeah… I knew it sounded familiar. It sounds really nice. Maybe a little out of tune, but nice." Tsuki stared down at the black keys.
Aurelia chuckled. "Part of me has always enjoyed seeing what this room brings out of people."
"Who else has been here?"
Aurelia paused to think. "Shizuka learned the bass here. Haruka is the finest flutist I have ever met. There have been a few others that you have… yet to meet as well."
"Yet?" Tsuki asked.
"Oh, I almost forgot, I have to meet with Lilith today." Aurelia stood up.
"Huh?"
"She has been waiting for us."
"Wait, really?" Tsukiko's face lit up.
--
Aurelia snapped a finger, and Tsukiko's eyes felt heavy. She blinked and when she opened her eyes once more, she was in a completely different location.
Tsuki stood in a rather large dark room with a massive semi circular window. It stood overlooking a dark and rainy grey city. It seemed to be a bit late in the day but not quite night. Tsuki approached the window and looked down.
She saw dark black automobiles that looked like they were the size of boats. People wore heavy coats with hats. They were all in dark colors that made them look like walking silhouettes. Businesses down at the bottom had neon signs in dim yellow colors.
It was difficult to get much more detail, as running rain rolled down the panes of glass. The only thing close to a bright color were the huge billboards. They were massive, advertising phosphates and cars from unknown, otherworldly brands.
"It is such a beautiful city." Aurelia stared out the window.
Tsuki turned around to see Lily running up to her. "Tsuki! Tsuki!"
Tsukiko kneeled down and caught the little girl, hugging her tightly. Had it been any other day, she would have let go soon, but she felt as if she owed it to Lily.
The room itself was several dull, dark shades. There was just enough light to see, but it was weak enough to fill the color of everything around them. The room would've been beautiful, had it not been abandoned.
It was full of dusty boxes and shelves, lining the sides. There was a chair next to the window, as if it was a place to sit down and watch the world pass by.
The far end of the room was a deep inky black, save for a shiny door knob cutting through the darkness like a beacon.
Tsukiko eventually let her go with a big grin on her face. "How's it going?"
"It's going great!" Lily's face was bright with joy.
"Aww, that’s good!" Tsuki planted her hand on the top of Lilith's head.
"Are you crying?" Lily stopped.
"No… I was… but…" Tsukiko hid her face.
"Are you okay?" Lily had a look of concern.
"Yeah… I actually feel really happy now that you're here."
"I would've come with you, but Claudia and I had stuff to do." Lily frowned.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo." Tsuki stood back up.
"Look, watch this!" Lily held out her hands and showed Tsuki a broken music box.
"Hey, wait, how’d you break--." Tsukiko stopped when she noticed Lily doing something strange.
Lilith wrapped her hands tightly around the damaged box. A weak rainbowy light flowed from her hands.
She opened them and the music box appeared to have been completely repaired. When she opened the box, the same small bird came out and sang, just like before.
"I… yeah, I'm not even gonna ask at this point." Tsuki sighed.
"It was Claudia’s idea to break it!" Lily complained.
"I’m not really sure what to say. I can’t really question this kind of thing anymore." Tsuki laughed.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
Tsuki dodged the question entirely. "What's it like down there anyway?"
"Rainy, and cold. Everybody's in a hurry, but the big signs are so pretty. It's kinda dark, but it's nice. I kinda like the rain. It's cold, but a good kind of cold. The kind of cold that makes you wanna hide under a blanket." Lily's hands fiddled with the music box as she spoke.
"Did you have fun?"
"Yeah, definitely." Lily sparkled. "Claudia's really nice too."
Claudia smiled from the corner of Tsukiko's eye.
"Get any souvenirs?" Tsuki scratched her head.
"Yeah, she gave me this hat!" Lily pointed at her head.
Lily wore a slightly too large, white cloche hat with a ribbon on it. It still had the tag hanging off of it.
"Lemme get that for you." Tsuki reached behind Lily’s ear and tore the tag off.
"She taught me that thing I just did too! She called it like… Muh… Mach… Mac--." Lily struggled.
Tsuki paused to look down at the tag. It wasn't a price tag, but a little doodle Claudia had attached to it. It seemed that Claudia herself had made the hat for Lily to replace her old damaged one.
"Mechanica." Claudia's raspy voice spoke a single word.
"Yeah, that! Mechanica!" Lily was almost a bit too excited.
"Teach me sometime, will ya?" Tsuki smiled.
"I'll try." Lily nodded.
"We should return home soon." Aurelia announced.
"Why so soon? This place looks nice." Tsukiko complained.
"We can return another time, if you would like."
"Definitely." Tsukiko nodded.
--
Once more, Tsukiko's eyes got heavy. She blinked and found herself in an empty version of the void with the harpsichord.
"What're we doing here?" Tsuki looked around.
"You know." Aurelia replied from behind.
"You sure about this, Aurelia?" Tsuki expressed some concern.
"Lilith has things she has to deal with. Maybe this could help her." Aurelia’s voice soothed her.
"…alright." Tsuki reluctantly agreed.
"What's wrong?" Lily grabbed Tsukiko's arm.
"Nothing… You'll see." Tsuki put her hand on Lily's head.
Claudia appeared, tapping Lily on the shoulder. She handed the little French girl a strange wooden instrument.
"Huh? What's this?"
"Play us a song." Aurelia smiled.
"I don’t know how to play the viola." Lily held the instrument and its bow rather awkwardly.
Claudia dragged her to the center, before backing away sitting down on the floor.
Tsuki tried to offer some advice. "Just think about something and play."
"I don't think that'll work…" Lily fidgeted.
"The point is to play something you don't know how to play, I think." Tsuki sat down next to Claudia.
"Why?"
"You’ll figure it out faster if you just play." Tsuki smiled.
"I don't think it works like that but…" Lily pressed the bow against the strings and began playing.
"If you believe in it, it’ll happen." Tsuki looked her in the eye.
"You’re right." Lily looked back at her.
"You have to think about something or someone first." Aurelia put her hand on Lily's shoulder.
"Oh… I shouldn't say it out loud, huh? Bad luck…" Lily placed the bow back against the strings and began playing a dark song.
For the most part, Lily seemed utterly focused, closing her eyes tight at emotional parts. She swayed with a rhythm only she could understand.
The song remained dark and slow, with only fleeting moments of joy. They came less and less as the song progressed, and the dark intervals became darker and darker.
Lily had held her eyes shut for most of the song, but even then, tears formed. Still, she stood strong, and played the song perfectly.
Tears came streaming from her eyes and she shuddered. She stubbornly refused to give up, playing the song till it ended. Lily handed the viola back to Aurelia, before wiping her face on her arm.
"You okay?" Tsuki looked up at her
Through it all, Lily looked back at Tsukiko with a straight face. "Yeah… I'll be fine."
"Who did you think about?"
"Mom and Dad." Lily sniffed.
"You were crying real hard there." Tsuki kneeled down and put an arm around Lily.
"I don’t really know how I’m supposed to feel. I guess deep down I’m sad, but…" Lily didn’t finish.
"You're tough." Tsuki chuckled.
"I shouldn’t cry in front of you, I wanna be strong." Lily smiled through her tears.
"It's okay to cry, Lily…" Tsuki subconsciously blushed in embarrassment.
"I felt good when I opened my eyes again and saw you watching me play. I love you, Tsuki." Lily hugged her.
The Guillemot girl's words struck Tsukiko's heart like an arrow. "I love you too, Lily!"
"Sorry for not warning you." Tsuki frowned.
Lily pulled away. "Nah, it's OK!"
"Yeah, Aurelia taught me piano like half an hour ago. It was pretty intense." Tsuki sighed.
"I took lessons a few years ago. I could have taught you if you really wanted to know!" Lily chuckled.
"Ehh?"