Track 2: Für Elise

Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

I have been changed for good

- "For Good" by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth

Light filtered through the recently polished glass windows and a warm breeze rustled the olive green curtains. Elise had asked to have the door left open because it made her feel a little less isolated.

She reread the letter in her hands for a fourth time. She'd finally gathered up the courage to write it and her brother had readily agreed to mail it for her. Before it would have never occurred to her to send a letter to a famous person, much less an idol, she admired. But Xiao-Mei Lin had made her smile at her lowest point and, as silly as it sounded, given her the determination to continue on. Even if she never saw the letter, Elise had always been firmly taught her manners and she felt she should, at the very least, give her thanks in return.

She tucked a strand of short blond hair behind her ear. Elise was painfully aware of the brevity of life. That was why she'd made up her mind to at least try to contact the girl who'd unknowingly given her so much. There was no harm in trying and the worst that could happen was she would simply not receive a reply. She carefully folded the paper and slipped it back in its envelope. Despite the odds, she couldn't help but feel a warm flame of hope flicker within her weak body.

Just once, she'd like to meet the girl whose spirit had inspired her to live.

.

.

Mei sat by the window in the back of a recording room, absently flipping through pages of lyrics. She looked up as someone tapped lightly on the door of the room. Kiku entered quietly, a stack of mail in his hand.

"There's something for you, Miss Lin." He handed her a small square envelope. She turned it over curiously. Most of her letters were from fans and were usually delivered by the company to her dormitory where she could go through them on her own. The pale blue paper was adorned with neat script and Mei recognized the studio address. She squinted at the sender address.

.

Dear Miss Xiao-Mei Lin,

My name is Elise Vogel, and I am a fan of yours from Liechtenstein. Your music has inspired me more than that of any other singer's, and it has been your voice that has pulled me through so many hard times. I'm so excited to be able to come to Taipei this year to see this wonderful city…

.

Mei grinned to herself as she finished the letter. "Mr. Honda, she says she wants to meet with me!"

Kiku looked stunned for a moment. It was any fan's dream to meet their idol, but Mei had never said anything about meeting them outside of the designated fanmeets and concerts. "But Miss Lin, your schedule is packed for the next entire month—"

"I know that," Mei cut in impatiently and pushed the pile of lyrics aside. "But I don't have a very large fanbase at this point, so wouldn't it make sense to meet with those who have contacted me at this point? I would love to get to know Elise better."

Kiku paused. "Yes, I suppose it would help with your relationship with the audience. Allow the public to get to know you better." He pulled out his phone. "I'll get in contact with Miss Vogel for you. But please use this time to practice the new songs, Miss Lin."

.

Within a week, Kiku met with Mei with a list of details about Elise Vogel, as well as a time window when the two could meet.

"I got in contact with her adoptive brother, Basch Zwingli, who's in the country for an international collaborative project. He brought Miss Vogel with him after she kept on insisting, but the girl is in a very fragile state of health."

Fragile state of health? Mei glanced up at Kiku. "What do you mean by that?"

He continued. "Miss Vogel is in the terminal stages of leukemia, and is undergoing intense chemotherapy. Mr. Zwingli says that she has about a year left, eighteen months at the most." He looked up and met Mei's eyes, shocked with horror. "I'm sorry, Miss Lin."

"I see." Her response was barely audible. "What's her hospital, Mr. Honda?"

.

After a week of raking her mind on what to say and what to bring for her fan, Mei was finally standing at the door of Elise's room. She shifted her guitar case on her back and clutched a small potted orchid in her hands. She mentally drilled herself through what to say to the girl in order to avoid the taboo phrases that could offend a sick person, and all the possible permutations of allusions to death that could slip up.

The nurse opened the door, and she stepped into the room.

The sterile smell of chlorine flooded her nose.

Elise Vogel sat in the bed, an IV attached to her arm and a smile bright on her face.

.

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little later than usual! I may post the next chapter earlier this week to make up for it ^^

Rather than using 'Lily' for Liechtenstein, we chose 'Elise' since that's inspiration99's (the co-author) headcanon human name for her :D We both thought it sounded more Germanic. We did our best to research leukemia for the rp, but we are no experts so please forgive us if some of the elements are unrealistic.

This Track will be short (2 chapters if I remember correctly) and then we'll introduce a new arc, but Elise will show up frequently(ish?) in future chapters as well!