Haruka waits for Silhouette (for Kelsea)

Haruka waited in the middle of the well-lit practice ring. The idol girl wore a pink blouse and dark blue skirt. Masato stood behind her as her faithful shadow.

They had picked one of the compoundâ€s gyms as the rendezvous place. Silhouette seemed to like to come out of the darkness. Their choice of location deliberately made it easy for the Blood Moon Child to approach any way she liked.

* * *

Haruka bunked at Shizuku Yatoriâ€s apartment on the night of Silhouetteâ€s debut. Masato didnâ€t like the thought of his ward alone in her apartment. Neither did he agree to Haruka watching ringside. His fears were proved by Silhouetteâ€s creepy action at the end of the match.

“She bit her…” Yatori grimaced at the sight of what were definitely fang marks on Cheryl Harris†neck. The Mafiosi was on hiatus, still recovering from her concussion-induced coma. “Is she supposed to be a vampire?” she commented upon sighting the fang peeking from Silhouetteâ€s lips.

“I think itâ€s a prop, Yatori-san,” Masato mumbled. “If so, sheâ€s very in character…” Worried, he glanced at Haruka.

She stared at the TV screen as if sheâ€d seen and heard a ghost. "(You should have come... Haruka-chan...)" she heard over and over again.

She remembered when they first met and fought. “I have to destroy you to ensure my first victory here,” she had been told, which unnerved her for a while. She recalled every blow she took and gave in that match. In the end it proved to be her first win– but at what cost?

But she could not remember the last few decisive minutes of their fight, when she half-consciously strangled Silhouette for the victory. She only woke up when it was all over.

And this was the result. Silhouette ‘diedâ€, and then came back as… someone else.

The old Silhouette fought because she had to. The Blood Moon Child fought because… because of Haruka.

It was her fault. She hadnâ€t been strong enough to finish Silhouette properly. And now this had happened.

“Haruka?”

“I need to talk to her.” She stood up to look at her friends. Her heart-shaped face was filled with sympathy. “I need to talk to Silhouette-san.”

“Itâ€ll be dangerous-”

“But I have to help her!” she desperately pleaded.

“-so Iâ€ll be accompanying you,” Masato finished with a smile.

Haruka blushed.

“You wonâ€t be satisfied unless you talk to her, right?” he asked her.

“Yes…”

“Iâ€ll leave Haruka to you, then,” Yatori told Masato.

“Thank you, Masato-kun,” Haruka bid.

Silhouette-san…

* * *

“Silhouette-san,” Haruka murmured. “Are you still there?”

The place was completely empty and no one answered Haruka, however after a while the lights in the gym flickered and then went out. Although there had been no one there a TV outside the ring suddenly clicked and turned on to spill out the only light in the room presently. The picture was flickery and static filled, but it slowly focused on a single sleepy looking red eye in close up.

"Haruka-chan..." Silhouette's voice beckoned from over the television set

Both Haruka and Masato whirled on the TV. Then Masato remembered he was supposed to be guarding Haruka's back, so he turned around again, scanning the darkness for any warning whatsoever.

"Silhouette-san?" Haruka bravely began. "I want to talk to you. I'm sorry for not attending your match. I wanted to, but I couldn't. Is that why you're not here?"

The red eye of Silhouette blinked slowly but Silhouette herself said nothing, after a couple of moments of silence the screen flickered to static and then another image was replaced... The tv was now showing the AFW arena, in the ring in front of all the crowd was Silhouette huddled down in one of the corners was Silhouette. Haruka couldn't see her face.

"Only you can come to me..." Silhouette voice spoke hauntingly "Only you..." And then the TV switched to darkness and turned off by itself. It seemed like Haruka had gotten her invitation to go to the ring where Silhouette currently was now.

A chill ran down Haruka's spine despite her best effort at steeling herself. She swallowed before looking at her companion.

"Masato-kun?"

"Be careful."

"I will... thanks..."

* * *

Minutes later, Zankoku yo Kibō to Nare signaled Haruka's arrival. Masato was notably nowhere to be seen as the determined idol marched towards the ring where Silhouette waited.

Once inside the ring, she would stand before Silhouette, out of range of any immediate surprise attacks. "Silhouette-san," she said. "I came alone as you asked. Can we talk now?"

When Haruka came out to the ring Silhouette was still huddled down in one corner facing the turnbuckle pads with her head down... Could it be that Silhouette was crying? she always seemed sad, but never actually shed any tears... Also there was no sound from the haunting girl.

When Haruka spoke, Silhouette lifted her head a couple of inches... That was the last thing Haruka saw before the whole arena was plunged into a chilling darkness. Only a second or two passed by before the lights came back up, however Silhouette was no longer huddled down in that corner of the ring... No... she was standing right in front of Haruka. Her blood red eyes were dry and as solemn as ever and Haruka would notice that Silhouette was standing close enough into her personal zone that she could feel the blood moon child's breath against her lips.

"Haruka-chan..." She spoke... "You came this time..."

Silhouette's woeful countenance immediately dropped Haruka's guard. "Silhouette-san..." She immediately made for the haunting girl, but not two steps past the whole area went dark, stopping her in her tracks.

"Ah!"

The return of the lights briefly blinded her. Haruka squinted, blinked- and saw Silhouette right in front of her!

"Kyah!"

Startled, the idol girl stumbled backwards, lost her footing and fell on her butt. "Silhouette-san," she stuttered. "You startled me..."

Remembering why she came here, she got back on her feet at once. "I'm sorry I couldn't go watch your match. But I'm here now. I want to talk to you..."

Silhouette remained standing like a statue, her arms down by her sides and blood red eyes following Haruka with sad curiosity but not surprise as she was so startled that she end up falling on her butt before stumbling back to her feet.

"Your absence made me frown..." She commented when Haruka appologized with a distinct lack of a frown or anything else on her face for that matter, "A chair is always left empty inside of my cold heart..." Upon hearing that Haruka wanted to talk to her, Silhouette cocked her head slightly to one side and slid fluidly forwards a couple of steps.

"What is it you would talk about with me, Haruka-chan...?
What sleeps within the shadow of the moon?
Or what it is that goes 'bump' in the night and darkest recesses of your mind...?
I have seen both, Haruka-chan..."

The stark lack of emotions on Silhouette's face belied how heavy her words weighed upon Haruka's small shoulders. But now those same shoulders squared themselves. The idol girl thought she understood what Silhouette was saying. She knew what to say.

At least she hoped she did.

"You're right, Silhouette-san. I've been worried for you." Anyone, she thought, could guess that Silhouette indeed haunted her dreams. "I know I'm partly to blame for what happened to you. I... I put you to sleep," she stammered. "How can I make up for it? How can I help you return to normal? Please tell me. Please."

"But why would I want to return, Haruka-chan? Can't you see how happy I am now..." She said, sounding oh so very sincere in her somber voice.

"So fond of changing things you are... You want to change me like you wanted to change Cerbera-san...? Like you did change Cerbera-san? Don't you know that what has been done can not be undone...?""