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1 Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity II Alternate
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2 'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter One
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3 by AmazonessDuo
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4 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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5
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6
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7 As the afternoon sun beat down, a lone girl made her way home. The
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8 dark stockings and midnight-black hair almost helped her blend into
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9 the shadows. But the lonely girl didn’t need them for that purpose.
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10 She was used to being ignored, used to fading away into shadows. It
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11 was so much better if to others if she didn’t exist. To exist meant
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12 for them to torment her, to hate her. Why did they hate her? Why did
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13 everyone hate her? What had she done? All she wanted was to be left
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14 alone. Why was this impossible to allow her? And so she hid. In plain
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15 sight, she hid. She was the quiet girl; the shy girl. The lonely
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16 girl. But only when she was lucky. When she wasn’t, she was the
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17 freak. That thing that was only to be hated, not pitied. A witch. No
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18 one knew her. No one cared to.
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19 Her eyes downcast, she walked slowly home, keeping to the shadows,
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20 wishing she could fade away into them. As she passed a group of
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21 students around her age on the sidewalk, she gripped the strap to her
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22 school bag nervously. She silently prayed to go unnoticed, and as the
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23 small group left her behind, talking and laughing happily, she
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24 sighed. But her relief was short-lived, as two girls walking to
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25 their next class spotted her and began to talk, just loud enough for
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26 her to hear.
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27 "That's the 6th grader, Tomoe-san," says one, as they catch up to
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28 her. "She's carrying her bag. Is she leaving early again?"
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29 "Isn't she really weak?" responds the other. "She's been wearing
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30 those long tights all year."
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31 Hotaru closed her eyes, hoping the two would just go away and leave
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32 her alone. "She's such a dark person," they continued. "Her
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33 expression is always so empty. It's well known that she's a bit
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34 strange."
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35 "Naturally. Her father's a mad scientist." This insult cut into
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36 her. She was used to being taunted and tormented herself, but
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37 resorting to attack her father..? The pain grew until it was almost
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38 unbearable. "Doesn't she have any friends?"
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39 The lonely girl collapsed, her bag and its contents spilling out
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40 onto the pavement. Coughing and trying to see through the haze of
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41 pain, the suffering girl reached out to gather her tin pencil case.
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42 The girls, seeing this as a perfect opportunity to torture her,
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43 quickly approached, one stepping on the pencil case to attract her
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44 attention. "What's wrong, Tomoe Hotaru-sempai?" she said, grinning
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45 down at the poor girl condescendingly. "You tired, need some help?"
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46 Hotaru simply pulled the pencil case out from under the girl's
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47 foot, and stood, having picked up everything else already. Glaring
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48 at the two girls, she holds up the tin pencil case and crushes it in
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49 her fist, dropping the now-useless scrap to the ground and continuing
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50 her walk home. As she left, she heard the girls behind her gasp in
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51 astonishment and continue talking: "W.. what?? She crushed it! Just
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52 like that!!" "She looked so mad.. like a completely different person!"
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53 Every day it was the same, and this was no different.. By now she
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54 had grown used to it. One lonely day to the next, she dealt with her
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55 classmates taunts, the emptiness inside of being truly alone even
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56 amidst so many people. She was an outcast, an outsider to which
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57 everyone, even other outcasts, looked down on her.
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58 The fact that the school day was over brought little comfort to the
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59 raven haired girl. The cycle would begin again the next day, or after
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60 the weekend. It was unending, a constant in her life that she
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61 couldn’t escape. She darkly contemplated what to do once she got
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62 home. Her father would probably be in his lab, as usual. She hoped
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63 his assistant, Kaolinite, would be as well. She would probably go
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64 back to her room, close the curtains and try to escape her painful
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65 existence in one of the many books she was reading. Maybe she could
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66 even forget, at least for a short time. Or maybe she could come up
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67 with a more permanent escape….
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68 The dark haired girl gasped and froze in place at the sight ahead
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69 of her. Her heart nearly stopped at the shock that washed over her. A
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70 girl with beautiful pink hair stood with her hands clasped in front
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71 of her near the front gate to the mansion Hotaru lived at with her
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72 father. Hotaru brushed some dark strands of hair from her eyes and
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73 blinked. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. No one would ever
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74 come see her. She knew that much. The pink haired girl couldn’t have
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75 come back to see her. Nothing like that had ever happened to her. No
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76 one cared that much to come see her. Her pulse raced as she stood
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77 nervously, completely unsure of what to think or do. She wanted to
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78 shrink back into the shadows, to disappear. Then this couldn’t
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79 confuse her like this. It wouldn’t be able to scare her as it did.
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80 But something deep inside stopped her from leaving.
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81
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82 ~~~~~~
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83
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84 ChibiUsa stood nervously in front of the imposing iron gate. She
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85 felt a knot in her stomach as she waited. And waited. And waited. She
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86 had been thinking more and more of the pale, dark haired girl lately.
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87 She had to see her again. She’d bought a new handkerchief to give
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88 Hotaru since the other one had been stained with the blood from her
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89 wound. Oddly enough, ChibiUsa treasured the cloth, keeping it hidden
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90 behind some of the bunny dolls she collected. She would take it out
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91 when no one was around, a reminder of Hotaru. She was a bit glad that
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92 it had been stained, both to remind her of the dark haired girl’s
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93 soft healing touch, and so she could keep the handkerchief for herself.
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94 Releasing a sigh of defeat, ChibiUsa turned to leave. She gasped,
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95 startled by the sudden appearance of the girl she’d been thinking of.
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96 She wasn’t sure what to do, whether she should go to the dark haired
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97 girl or stay and wait for her to walk up. ChibiUsa didn’t have to
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98 worry about that decision because her sudden shock had taken her mind
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99 from the task at hand. Her forward momentum kept her going, but her
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100 feet weren’t moving. Before she knew what had happened, she tripped,
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101 falling face first. She managed to land on her arm, the same arm that
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102 had been cut by the Daimon. Pain coursed through it as she collapsed
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103 to the ground.
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104 The pink haired girl could dimly hear Hotaru yell something before
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105 running over to her. It wasn’t so much the pain she felt as the
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106 embarrassment that really got to her. It wasn’t exactly the first
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107 impression she wanted to have on the dark haired girl when they met
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108 again. ‘Why am I always so clumsy?’ ChibiUsa asked herself angrily.
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109 ‘I’ll never be like my mother. Some graceful princess I am.’ Letting
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110 herself be helped into a sitting position, she met Hotaru’s gaze with
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111 difficulty, her cheeks still a flustered shade of red. One glance
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112 into the violet eyes looking back at her completely rid ChibiUsa of
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113 the embarrassment she’d felt seconds before. There was nothing but
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114 concern in those large beautiful eyes.
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115 “Does it hurt?” Hotaru asked, rolling up ChibiUsa’s long sleeves to
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116 get a better look at her arm. She gently ran her hands across the
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117 pink haired girl’s creamy skin.
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118 ChibiUsa sat silently for a moment. Hotaru’s fingers caressing her
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119 arm was sheer bliss. The dark haired girl’s soft touch pushed all
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120 conscious thought from her mind. She looked back at Hotaru, not
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121 saying anything, just enjoying the silence and the feel of her touch.
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122 Finally noticing the other girl’s concerned stare, ChibiUsa shook
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123 herself from that strange moment. ‘What just happened? I feel so
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124 strange. How does she keep making me feel this way? Even when she’s
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125 not there, she’s all I can think about. And now that she is here, I
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126 can’t think,’ she thought to herself. She smiled and laughed
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127 nervously. “Its nothing. I’m not exactly as graceful as I could be.
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128 I’m used to it by now.”
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129 A smile tugged at the corner of Hotaru’s lips. “Its cute,” she said
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130 quietly.
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131 ChibiUsa smiled broader. Hotaru thought it was cute? She’d always
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132 wanted to be graceful, elegant, worried that she’d never be. But the
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133 other girl actually thought her clumsiness was cute? She tried to say
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134 something but all that came out was a quiet, “Thank you.” Still
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135 feeling the gentle brush of fingertips against her skin, ChibiUsa
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136 brought her gaze down to her arm. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about
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137 that. I’m fi…” She winced as the dark haired girl’s fingers pressed
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138 against a small place on her arm.
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139 “You’re fine, are you?” Hotaru asked, starting to smile. “If you’re
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140 normally like this, then at least someone’s benefiting from my
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141 healing powers.” Her hands started to glow as she concentrated. The
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142 pain began to recede from ChibiUsa’s arm.
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143 The pink haired girl giggled as the warm glow healed her arm.
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144 “That’s why I’m not scared of you. I could use the help when I get
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145 hurt like that,” she joked. She noticed that though she hadn’t known
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146 this girl for long, she felt completely at ease with her. A warm
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147 feeling spread through her at the thought.
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148 A small laugh escaped Hotaru’s perfect lips. “I’m glad I could
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149 help.” Standing up, she offered her pink haired companion a hand,
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150 which the other girl eagerly accepted. Brushing the grass from her
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151 skirt, Hotaru looked sidelong at ChibiUsa. Now that the fall was over
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152 with, she was back to wondering why the pink haired girl was here. No
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153 one ever came to see her. What was going on? Was this a joke? No,
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154 this couldn’t be. She knew the pink haired girl was incapable of
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155 doing anything so cruel. As an uneasy silence set in, both girls
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156 laughed nervously. Thinking for a minute, Hotaru grabbed ChibiUsa’s
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157 hand. ‘Dad’s gone for at least a couple more hours and Kaolinite’s
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158 probably with him, so I should be able to talk to her.’ “Would you
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159 like to come inside?”
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160 Nodding, the pink haired girl flashed a smile at Hotaru. “I’d love
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161 to.”
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162 That sweet voice and those warm crimson eyes sent tingles down
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163 Hotaru’s spine. She couldn’t shake the feeling as she led ChibiUsa
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164 inside the mansion. “Come with me.” Finally, the two entered Hotaru’s
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165 room.
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166 ChibiUsa let out a small ‘oh’ as she glanced around the dark room.
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167 “There are lamps everywhere. Your room’s so romantic, Hotaru-chan.”
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168 The room was filled with lamps of every size and description. They
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169 were all placed around the room neatly keeping them from making the
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170 room look cluttered.
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171 Hotaru blushed, turning on a few of the lamps, though the room
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172 remained fairly dark. In the darkness the lights shined like
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173 fireflies, seeming to cast a faint glow on Hotaru. “I prefer
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174 obscurity.. The quiet and the dark.” She said softly. "Would you
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175 like something to drink?" the mysterious girl quickly asked, trying
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176 to get off the subject.
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177 The pink-haired girl nodded enthusiastically. "Hai, that sounds
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178 good." Hotaru silently slipped out, leaving ChibiUsa alone in the
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179 dimly-lit room. Ever curious, ChibiUsa couldn't help but wonder why
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180 the girl was so shy, so lonely.. so mysterious. Her wonderings were
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181 cut short when the door opened to reveal Hotaru, now clad in a simple
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182 black dress complete with tights, and carrying a tray with two
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183 teacups on it. “Do you like dark clothes, too?” she asked,
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184 indicating the dress.
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185 Hotaru nodded slowly. “Hai. I feel better in the shadows.”
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186 “Hotaru-chan… Why do you always cover up so much? I mean, with
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187 sweaters and long sleeves and stockings,” ChibiUsa asked.
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188 “I had an accident a long time ago. I have many wounds from it,”
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189 Hotaru said simply, looking away. To change the subject, she asked
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190 what had been on her mind all along. “Why are you here?”
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191 ChibiUsa smiled sheepishly, almost having forgot. She handed Hotaru
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192 the new handkerchief she bought. “I wanted to give it back to you,
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193 but the blood wouldn’t come out of the old one. So here’s a new one.”
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194 Hotaru blinked at the handkerchief in ChibiUsa’s outstretched hand.
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195 “You came all this way to see me… just to give me back my
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196 handkerchief?” She was astonished. This girl had come to see her over
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197 something as insignificant as a strip of cloth, something no one else
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198 would ever have worried about with her involved. Before she could ask
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199 the pink haired girl why she did it, she started coughing
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200 uncontrollably. Her heart beat faster as she slumped to her knees.
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201 The tray clanged to the floor, spilling tea and cups alike, forgotten
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202 by the two in this moment of crisis.
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203 “Hotaru-chan!!” ChibiUsa ran to her side as Hotaru suffered another
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204 of her fits. “Hotaru-chan!!!” she yelled worriedly, clutching onto
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205 the raven haired girl. The look of excruciating pain on Hotaru’s
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206 beautiful face tore through her heart like a knife. Her mind raced
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207 desperately to find a way to help.
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208 “My…medicine…” Hotaru barely managed to get out. A shaky hand
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209 reached towards her desk, too far out of reach.
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210 ChibiUsa’s eyes frantically searched the desk, but she couldn’t
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211 find the medicine Hotaru had mentioned. Hearing Hotaru say something
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212 about an amulet, she fumbled for her broach. “It’ll be okay, Hotaru-
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213 chan. I’ll help you, I promise,” she whispered soothingly.
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214 ‘You can’t help me. No one can help me,’ Hotaru thought sadly. Her
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215 eyes closed, trying to block out the immense pain. "No.. don't come
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216 closer... you shouldn't.. be near me.." she managed to whisper
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217 between gasps for breath, wishing she would pass out. Or worse…
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218 Finally getting at her broach, the pink haired girl pulled out the
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219 Silver Crystal, the one from the future that her mother had given her
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220 to take care of when she’d come back to train as Sailor Chibimoon.
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221 Her breath caught in her chest as she watched the dark haired girl
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222 writhe in pain. She brushed wisps of pink hair from her own tear
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223 streaked eyes, praying this would work. A soft glow slowly began to
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224 emanate from the crystal, quickly growing brighter.
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225 Hotaru gasped as a warm glow blanketed her body. The wonderful
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226 feeling spread through her. The pain ebbed away, her body once again
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227 her own. Her pain had never disappeared so quickly, vanished so
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228 completely in such a short time. The room was silent for a moment,
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229 the only sound was the breathing of the two girls. Hotaru could do
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230 nothing but look at ChibiUsa’s worried face. She had wanted to
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231 express her gratefulness, but her voice caught in her throat as her
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232 violet eyes gazed into ChibiUsa’s glittering crimson ones. ‘She looks
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233 so worried,' Hotaru thought to herself. A sudden realization shocked
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234 her. ‘About me? She’s worried about me? But how? No one worries about
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235 me…’ The raven haired girl’s pale cheeks flushed as crimson as
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236 ChibiUsa’s eyes. She tried to say something, but her mind was having
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237 trouble locking onto anything than the fact that this girl could be
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238 worried about her. “Thank you…” she managed quietly.
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239 ChibiUsa sat down on her knees in front of Hotaru. She smiled
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240 happily. “I’m just really glad you’re okay, Hotaru-chan. You had me
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241 so worried for a moment.” A strange feeling filled her as she looked
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242 into those lonely violet eyes. The intensity of the gaze, the way
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243 she was looking at her, part of it scared her. Yet an odd excitement
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244 coursed through her as their eyes met. She sat completely still, half
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245 scared of what might happen next, but anxiously hoping something
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246 would. She swallowed nervously as her eyes slowly traced Hotaru’s
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247 beautiful features. From her soft lips, down to her elegant chin, to
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248 her dark eye lashes, to the slight blush coloring her pristine
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249 cheeks. ChibiUsa’s lungs ached for air as she quietly waited.
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250 Hotaru slowly brought a hand up towards ChibiUsa’s. The pink haired
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251 girl started reaching for Hotaru’s hand instinctively, as if it was
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rlm@0
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252 exactly what she should do. Releasing her grip on the Silver Crystal,
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rlm@0
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253 it fell from her grasp. Time seemed to slow as the glittering crystal
|
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rlm@0
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254 dropped towards the ground. Hotaru barely caught the crystal before
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rlm@0
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255 it hit the ground. “Your amulet, it's wonderful,” the raven haired
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rlm@0
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256 girl said at last, breaking the silence.
|
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rlm@0
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257 ChibiUsa finally released her breath. She wasn’t sure if she was
|
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rlm@0
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258 glad or disappointed that nothing had happened. ‘What was I thinking
|
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rlm@0
|
259 might happen, anyway?’ she asked herself. Try as she might, she
|
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rlm@0
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260 couldn’t come up with an answer to that. Looking back up at Hotaru,
|
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rlm@0
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261 she couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and take her hand in her
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rlm@0
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262 own. The raven haired girl almost flinched at the sudden contact of
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rlm@0
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263 the warm hand against her skin, but ChibiUsa continued to hold her
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rlm@0
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264 hand gently. “Oh, that? Yeah, I guess you can call it my amulet.” She
|
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rlm@0
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265 laughed a bit, lightening the moment. “It used to be my mother’s but
|
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rlm@0
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266 she gave it to me, sort of as a going away present until I returned.”
|
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rlm@0
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267 “Return where?” Hotaru asked, as if picking up on the pink haired
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rlm@0
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268 girl’s thoughts of home. She started to relax, greatly enjoying
|
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rlm@0
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269 ChibiUsa’s gentle touch.
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rlm@0
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270 ChibiUsa laughed again, nervously this time. “Well, its kinda hard
|
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rlm@0
|
271 to explain.”
|
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rlm@0
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272 Handing the crystal back to ChibiUsa, Hotaru smiled softly. “I
|
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rlm@0
|
273 won’t tell anyone your secret, Chibimoon.” Her eyes widened as she
|
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rlm@0
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274 remembered something. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t even know your name.”
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rlm@0
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275 ChibiUsa grinned broadly. She felt good that the other girl wanted
|
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rlm@0
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276 to know her name. “I’m ChibiUsa Small Lady Tsukino. Well, my real
|
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rlm@0
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277 name's Usagi, but while I’m here everyone’s calling me ChibiUsa.”
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rlm@0
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278 Hotaru brushed some dark hair from her eyes, looking intently at
|
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rlm@0
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279 the other girl. She couldn’t help but giggle. “Little Rabbit. That
|
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rlm@0
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280 fits you perfectly.”
|
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rlm@0
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281 ChibiUsa couldn’t help but laugh as well. “You really think so?”
|
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rlm@0
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282 “Yes. It's cute. It really seems to fit you.” Hotaru blushed and
|
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rlm@0
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283 looked away.
|
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rlm@0
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284 Tilting to the side, ChibiUsa managed to catch Hotaru’s gaze again.
|
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rlm@0
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285 She wanted to see those beautiful violet eyes pointed her way again,
|
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rlm@0
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286 looking out from that gorgeous face. “Thanks,” she said, feeling her
|
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rlm@0
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287 own cheeks blush slightly. “Hotaru’s a really pretty name. Firefly.
|
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rlm@0
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288 It makes you sound kinda mysterious.”
|
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rlm@0
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289 Hotaru sighed and shook her head. “No. People want to know about
|
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rlm@0
|
290 the mysterious. I just frighten them.”
|
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rlm@0
|
291 Taking Hotaru’s hand with both of her own, ChibiUsa kept gazing
|
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rlm@0
|
292 intently into the mysterious girl’s dark eyes. “I want to know about
|
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rlm@0
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293 you. And you don’t frighten me. I don’t know how anyone could see you
|
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rlm@0
|
294 like that.”
|
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rlm@0
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295 Hotaru tried to look away, these new feelings threatening to
|
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rlm@0
|
296 overwhelm the poor girl, her mind already lost in confusion. Those
|
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rlm@0
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297 crimson eyes captivated her. Escape from them seemed impossible. This
|
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rlm@0
|
298 was too good to be true. She had never had a friend before, someone
|
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rlm@0
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299 who wanted to know about her, who cared for her. No one cared about
|
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rlm@0
|
300 her, right? Hadn’t life seemingly banned her from having a single
|
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rlm@0
|
301 soul that could be her friend? So why was this pink haired girl here?
|
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rlm@0
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302 She flinched away from the contact of the other girl’s hands against
|
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rlm@0
|
303 her own, but ChibiUsa held tight, not letting go. “But you don’t know
|
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rlm@0
|
304 me,” she said quietly.
|
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rlm@0
|
305 “I want to,” came ChibiUsa’s earnest reply. She looked pleadingly
|
|
rlm@0
|
306 into Hotaru’s violet eyes. “Please let me get to know you.”
|
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rlm@0
|
307 Hotaru was silent for a long moment. This caught her by surprise.
|
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rlm@0
|
308 All sorts of emotions ran through her. Happiness that ChibiUsa could
|
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rlm@0
|
309 care that much, fear that this might all be a dream or that ChibiUsa
|
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rlm@0
|
310 would change her mind when she did learn more about her, hope that
|
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rlm@0
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311 her loneliness could finally come to an end. “Thank you.” She slowly
|
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rlm@0
|
312 smiled, a broad genuine smile. “ChibiUsa-chan.”
|
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rlm@0
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313 ChibiUsa smiled happily. She had managed to see that beautiful
|
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rlm@0
|
314 smile again. “Hotaru-chan, you’re the most interesting, most
|
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rlm@0
|
315 beautiful person I’ve met since I came here. I really want to be your
|
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rlm@0
|
316 friend.” ‘That’s all I want to be, right? What else would I want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
317 be?’ ChibiUsa shrugs off the thoughts, leaning forward and hugging
|
|
rlm@0
|
318 Hotaru.
|
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rlm@0
|
319 The dark haired girl’s eyes went wide as she felt the pink haired
|
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rlm@0
|
320 girl against her. She relished in the sensation. She tentatively
|
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rlm@0
|
321 placed her arms around ChibiUsa, hugging her back.
|
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rlm@0
|
322 The two girls stayed that way for a long time, both enjoying the
|
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rlm@0
|
323 companionship and warmth. ChibiUsa glanced up from Hotaru’s shoulder
|
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rlm@0
|
324 and noticed how dark it had gotten. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.
|
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rlm@0
|
325 It’s getting late and I don’t want Ikuko-mama to worry." Releasing
|
|
rlm@0
|
326 the embrace, ChibiUsa frowned reluctantly. “I wish I didn’t have to,
|
|
rlm@0
|
327 but she doesn’t know where I am. I really want to see you again.”
|
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rlm@0
|
328 Hotaru blushed again, standing up as well. “You do? ChibiUsa-chan,
|
|
rlm@0
|
329 you’re sweet. I really hope I can see you again, too.” She smiled a
|
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rlm@0
|
330 little shyly at the pink haired girl.
|
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rlm@0
|
331 ChibiUsa grinned brightly, her hands placed behind her back.
|
|
rlm@0
|
332 “Really? Then you will. I’ll try to see you soon.”
|
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rlm@0
|
333 Brushing a few strands of dark hair from her eyes, Hotaru stood in
|
|
rlm@0
|
334 front of the pink haired girl awkwardly. She smiled softly. “I’d like
|
|
rlm@0
|
335 that.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
336 “Me too.” ChibiUsa gave Hotaru another hug before following her to
|
|
rlm@0
|
337 the door.
|
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rlm@0
|
338
|
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rlm@0
|
339
|
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rlm@0
|
340
|
|
rlm@0
|
341 ~~~~~~
|
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rlm@0
|
342
|
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rlm@0
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343
|
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rlm@0
|
344 It was near the end of the day at Minato Ku Juuban Elementary, and
|
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rlm@0
|
345 ChibiUsa's mind wandered from her teacher to hey shy, mysterious
|
|
rlm@0
|
346 friend. 'She's got such pretty pale skin..' she thought, tuning
|
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rlm@0
|
347 everything else out. 'Like new-fallen snow..' Momoko poked her,
|
|
rlm@0
|
348 whispering that she should pay attention to what her teacher was
|
|
rlm@0
|
349 saying as she explains that all the clay works they did recieved
|
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rlm@0
|
350 compliments from the other classes. "But, it's time now to take your
|
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rlm@0
|
351 sculptures home. Give them to someone important to you, like your
|
|
rlm@0
|
352 mom or best friend, in gratitude."
|
|
rlm@0
|
353 ChibiUsa took her jeweled chalice from the display, holding it up
|
|
rlm@0
|
354 to the light and silently cursing. 'Do I really have to give this up?
|
|
rlm@0
|
355 I worked so hard on it..' She turned to Momoko and verbalized the
|
|
rlm@0
|
356 thought. "Momochan, what will you do with yours?"
|
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rlm@0
|
357 "My mom's birthday is coming up in a few days," the other girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
358 replied. "I'll give mine to her." Just then, one of the clay cups
|
|
rlm@0
|
359 found its way to ChibiUsa's desk. It had a profile of Sailormoon
|
|
rlm@0
|
360 worked into the side. "That's a nice design, Kyosuke. But why are
|
|
rlm@0
|
361 you giving it to Chibiusachan?"
|
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rlm@0
|
362 The somewhat annoying boy put his hand behind his head as he
|
|
rlm@0
|
363 laughed nervously, blushing a little. "Well.. I've been a really bad
|
|
rlm@0
|
364 friend. So I thought this might make up. Kind of a sign of
|
|
rlm@0
|
365 friendship." Immediately upon those words, ChibiUsa's mind pops up
|
|
rlm@0
|
366 with a picture of Hotachan.
|
|
rlm@0
|
367 "A sign of friendship! That's it! I'll give it to Hotaru-chan!!"
|
|
rlm@0
|
368 Momoko groaned. "Isn't that the Mugen student?" ChibiUsa nodded
|
|
rlm@0
|
369 and began to explain. "Yeah! She's my new friend, and she's really
|
|
rlm@0
|
370 pretty, but she's kinda lonely, and mysterious too!" Momoko snorted,
|
|
rlm@0
|
371 replying semi-sarcastically. "You're so obsessed with her, what is
|
|
rlm@0
|
372 she, your girlfriend?"
|
|
rlm@0
|
373 The commotion of the class leaving as the bell rings served to hide
|
|
rlm@0
|
374 ChibiUsa's deep blush.
|
|
rlm@0
|
375
|
|
rlm@0
|
376 ~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
377
|
|
rlm@0
|
378
|
|
rlm@0
|
379 By the time she got home, Momoko’s comment had faded to the back of
|
|
rlm@0
|
380 ChibiUsa’s mind, replaced by much more urgent things. Like seeing
|
|
rlm@0
|
381 Hotaru again. The fact that it was starting to rain heavily outside
|
|
rlm@0
|
382 hardly seemed to matter to the future princess. The thought of seeing
|
|
rlm@0
|
383 her lonely friend was all consuming. ‘Is she okay? Does she miss me?
|
|
rlm@0
|
384 What’s she doing?’ she thought to herself as she dropped her book bag
|
|
rlm@0
|
385 on her bed and hurried downstairs. Her mind was hazy with the
|
|
rlm@0
|
386 thoughts of her new friend swirling through her mind. She wasted no
|
|
rlm@0
|
387 time in getting an umbrella and pulling on her shoes. There wasn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
388 any thunder, so she might be able to make it there despite the rain.
|
|
rlm@0
|
389 A cold pit formed in her stomach at the thought of thunder and
|
|
rlm@0
|
390 lightening along the way, but she pushed it aside. She’d see Hotaru
|
|
rlm@0
|
391 soon enough and then it wouldn’t matter what she went through to get
|
|
rlm@0
|
392 there. A sudden burst of cold, wet air made ChibiUsa look up towards
|
|
rlm@0
|
393 the opening front door.
|
|
rlm@0
|
394 Usagi stood there for a moment, her blonde pigtails glistening with
|
|
rlm@0
|
395 the raindrops from walking in the rain. She took in the scene before
|
|
rlm@0
|
396 her, her ‘cousin’ obviously ready to leave. Again. ‘Why is she always
|
|
rlm@0
|
397 leaving to see that girl?’ Usagi asked herself. ‘Hotaru Tomoe might
|
|
rlm@0
|
398 be part of The Enemy. Her father’s in charge of them. ChibiUsa might
|
|
rlm@0
|
399 be in danger and she doesn’t even realize it.’ Feeling herself begin
|
|
rlm@0
|
400 to get a bit angry at whatever ChibiUsa was keeping from her, she
|
|
rlm@0
|
401 demanded the smaller girl tell her where she was going.
|
|
rlm@0
|
402 "Hotaru-chan’s," ChibiUsa said simply, standing up and moving to
|
|
rlm@0
|
403 get past Usagi. Her future mother barred her exit. ChibiUsa frowned
|
|
rlm@0
|
404 as she pulled the umbrella up against her shoulder.
|
|
rlm@0
|
405 Usagi shook her head stubbornly, droplets of water flying about.
|
|
rlm@0
|
406 "Not on your own you aren’t."
|
|
rlm@0
|
407 "But..." ChibiUsa began indignantly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
408 "It's raining really hard and its already getting dark. I’m going,"
|
|
rlm@0
|
409 Usagi argued obstinately. "You’ve been going to see this girl for a
|
|
rlm@0
|
410 while now and this time I’m coming with."
|
|
rlm@0
|
411 "That’s not fair! She’s my friend!" ChibiUsa replied angrily.
|
|
rlm@0
|
412 "Well, if you want to see her this time, I’m going, too." The blonde
|
|
rlm@0
|
413 girl crossed her arms in front of her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
414
|
|
rlm@0
|
415 Earlier that day, Usagi had been with Luna and Artemis under the
|
|
rlm@0
|
416 Crown Arcade at the computer they used to gather information. They’d
|
|
rlm@0
|
417 been trying to find research on The Enemy in the hopes that they
|
|
rlm@0
|
418 could use it to their advantage. Nothing had come up on the two
|
|
rlm@0
|
419 mysterious Sailor Senshi and whether they were friends or foes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
420 Nonetheless, Usagi couldn’t help but wonder about the tall,
|
|
rlm@0
|
421 intriguing woman, Sailor Uranus. The kiss they’d shared in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
422 forest...
|
|
rlm@0
|
423 Luna’s voice shook her from her thoughts as an image of a white
|
|
rlm@0
|
424 haired man with glasses appeared on the screen. A star took the place
|
|
rlm@0
|
425 of where one of his eyes should be.
|
|
rlm@0
|
426 "The Delta Area is where all the abnormal energy has been coming
|
|
rlm@0
|
427 from. Especially the Infitity Zone. It seems all of our problems are
|
|
rlm@0
|
428 coming from there. The Enemy must be situated there. This has to have
|
|
rlm@0
|
429 something to do with their plan."
|
|
rlm@0
|
430 "That’s the guy who owns the Infinty Zone and Mugen Gakuen. He looks
|
|
rlm@0
|
431 suspicious," Artemis added.
|
|
rlm@0
|
432 Usagi sat down and began reading the data on the screen. His name
|
|
rlm@0
|
433 was Souichi Tomoe and he was indeed owner of the prestigious school
|
|
rlm@0
|
434 and the surrounding area. His field of expertise was genetic
|
|
rlm@0
|
435 engineering. He lived at the Tomoe Research Labs with his daughter,
|
|
rlm@0
|
436 Hotaru Tomoe. Usagi paused for a moment, rereading the name. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
437 sounded familiar, as if on the tip of her lips, but she couldn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
438 quite remember where she’d heard that name before. A small
|
|
rlm@0
|
439 description of Hotaru popped up on the screen next to the
|
|
rlm@0
|
440 Professor’s. Usagi’s eyes went wide when she saw the picture. It was
|
|
rlm@0
|
441 the girl who had healed ChibiUsa. That’s where she’d heard the name!
|
|
rlm@0
|
442 ChibiUsa had been mentioning her all the timelately. She gasped, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
443 hand going to her mouth at the implications. She very well could be
|
|
rlm@0
|
444 with The Enemy. "ChibiUsa’s been becoming really good friends with
|
|
rlm@0
|
445 her lately. She’s been going over to her house all the time for the
|
|
rlm@0
|
446 past few weeks to see her. I hope ChibiUsa’s okay..."
|
|
rlm@0
|
447
|
|
rlm@0
|
448 As the two girl’s entered Hotaru’s home at the Tomoe Research Labs,
|
|
rlm@0
|
449 Usagi berated ChibiUsa in a harsh whisper. “We can’t just barge in
|
|
rlm@0
|
450 like this! It’s rude. And who knows what they’ll do if we get caught?
|
|
rlm@0
|
451 You’re a princess, aren’t you?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
452 ChibiUsa stuck her tongue out at the older girl, her thoughts still
|
|
rlm@0
|
453 elsewhere. “I couldn’t find the intercom anyway. Besides, Hotaru-chan
|
|
rlm@0
|
454 probably already knows I’m here so she won’t mind.” After a moment’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
455 pause, the pink haired girl smiled politely and managed a “Hello.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
456 Usagi looked at ChibiUsa puzzled for a moment. The younger girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
457 seemed to be looking behind her oddly. Turning around, Usagi almost
|
|
rlm@0
|
458 jumped when she noticed the red haired woman in a lab coat watching
|
|
rlm@0
|
459 them both coldly. Her heart pounded worriedly in her chest. This
|
|
rlm@0
|
460 woman had to be part of The Enemy.
|
|
rlm@0
|
461 “What business do you have here? You’re trespassing. This is private
|
|
rlm@0
|
462 property. If you don’t leave now..” Kaolinite began before being
|
|
rlm@0
|
463 interrupted by a soft, but sweet voice.
|
|
rlm@0
|
464 “They are my guests,” Hotaru said, glaring at Kaolinite as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
465 walked out of one of the rooms. She once again was clad all in black,
|
|
rlm@0
|
466 her pale skin the only contrast against the tight black clothes and
|
|
rlm@0
|
467 her own raven hair. Her gaze shifting to the pink haired girl, her
|
|
rlm@0
|
468 deep violet eyes gained a sparkle to them. Her heart swelled as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
469 looked at her visitors. She almost felt sick from the sudden anxiety
|
|
rlm@0
|
470 that washed over her at their arrival. It was as if she could sense
|
|
rlm@0
|
471 some sort of great aura from the blonde haired girl, but her
|
|
rlm@0
|
472 attention was still riveted to the kind pink haired girl whose
|
|
rlm@0
|
473 crimson eyes smiled back at her. The aura might not be as strange,
|
|
rlm@0
|
474 but everything about ChibiUsa captivated her. Why had she rescued her
|
|
rlm@0
|
475 heart from its lonely prison? Why had she become her friend? Her head
|
|
rlm@0
|
476 swam in circles as she tried to answer these questions, but for now
|
|
rlm@0
|
477 she had to attend to her guests.
|
|
rlm@0
|
478 “Hotaru-chan!” ChibiUsa exclaimed happily at the sight of their
|
|
rlm@0
|
479 mysterious savior.
|
|
rlm@0
|
480 Kaolinite turned from the small group and left, thinking to
|
|
rlm@0
|
481 herself. ‘She has guests? But no one ever wants to see her. This is
|
|
rlm@0
|
482 odd..’
|
|
rlm@0
|
483
|
|
rlm@0
|
484 The pale wisp of a girl bent down ever so slightly to pour some tea
|
|
rlm@0
|
485 for the two visitors. She shyly brushed back some dark hair from her
|
|
rlm@0
|
486 eyes as she felt their eyes baring down on her. She wasn’t used to
|
|
rlm@0
|
487 this. Without knowing what to say, she asked the first thing that
|
|
rlm@0
|
488 came to mind. “Why did you both come here?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
489 ChibiUsa smiled broadly and set the chalice she’d brought with her
|
|
rlm@0
|
490 on the table. “I made this at school. Well, after school with Usagi
|
|
rlm@0
|
491 and Mamo-chan’s help. But I want to give it to you as a present. It’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
492 supposed to be the Holy Grail.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
493 Usagi’s eyes go wide as she turns to the younger girl. “What? But
|
|
rlm@0
|
494 Mamo-chan and I worked so hard on that for you to just give it away.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
495 The blonde girl frowned as she remembered all the time she and her
|
|
rlm@0
|
496 boyfriend had put into working on the chalice when ChibiUsa had come
|
|
rlm@0
|
497 to them for help on the art project. It seemed like such a waste for
|
|
rlm@0
|
498 her to give it to this girl who very well may be part of The Enemy.
|
|
rlm@0
|
499 ChibiUsa just ignored Usagi as if she weren’t even there. Her smile
|
|
rlm@0
|
500 grew warmer, her crimson eyes never wavering from the darkly dressed
|
|
rlm@0
|
501 frail girl across the room. She felt butterflies in her stomach as
|
|
rlm@0
|
502 she kicked her legs almost nervously. “We were supposed to give our
|
|
rlm@0
|
503 projects to someone special to us this week. To someone very
|
|
rlm@0
|
504 important to us. Well, I was just thinking about how much you mean to
|
|
rlm@0
|
505 me and I wanted to give it to you as a sign of friendship.” Why was
|
|
rlm@0
|
506 it so hard to tell the other girl she wanted her to have it because
|
|
rlm@0
|
507 of their friendship? It felt different somehow than with her other
|
|
rlm@0
|
508 friends. This girl was so…. so…. amazing, wonderful, pretty, kind,
|
|
rlm@0
|
509 sweet, mysterious, sad, and so much more. Hotaru intrigued ChibiUsa.
|
|
rlm@0
|
510 She’d never met anyone like her. The pink haired girl always felt a
|
|
rlm@0
|
511 warm feeling inside when she was with Hotaru. She felt safe with her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
512 Her homesickness for Crystal Tokyo and her parents always faded away.
|
|
rlm@0
|
513 The quiet raven haired girl was so shy, but it just made her want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
514 get through to her all the more.
|
|
rlm@0
|
515 “Why aren’t you giving it to Mamo-chan, then?” Usagi questioned the
|
|
rlm@0
|
516 pink haired girl. She still thought of ChibiUsa as her rival for
|
|
rlm@0
|
517 Mamoru’s attention.
|
|
rlm@0
|
518 ChibiUsa looked down at her kicking feet, her hands on either side
|
|
rlm@0
|
519 of her on the couch. Why did Usagi have to come with her? It just
|
|
rlm@0
|
520 made everything more difficult. Besides, she wanted to be alone with
|
|
rlm@0
|
521 Hotaru, not arguing the point with Usagi. “You and Mamo-chan helped
|
|
rlm@0
|
522 make it together, so I couldn’t give it just to him anyway.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
523 A tiny smile started spreading across Hotaru’s lips. She felt so
|
|
rlm@0
|
524 honored to be the one this cheerful pink haired girl thought was
|
|
rlm@0
|
525 important enough to give the chalice to. The shock and surprise of
|
|
rlm@0
|
526 the gift along with the other girl’s presence was a little
|
|
rlm@0
|
527 overwhelming. It was strange enough having a friend, but one that
|
|
rlm@0
|
528 thought so highly of her was such a foreign concept to her. It seemed
|
|
rlm@0
|
529 an utter impossibility. Everytime she saw ChibiUsa it seemed more and
|
|
rlm@0
|
530 more as if it had to be a dream. A wonderful dream. But the pale girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
531 hadn’t had any good dreams in years. That seemed almost as impossible
|
|
rlm@0
|
532 as if it were real. Whatever it was, she prayed it would never end.
|
|
rlm@0
|
533 “You made this for an important person, ChibiUsa-chan? But I… I
|
|
rlm@0
|
534 shouldn’t be the one to have this. You should be the one to keep it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
535 Thank you, ChibiUsa-chan,” she spoke up in her quiet voice. Glancing
|
|
rlm@0
|
536 at the Holy Grail ChibiUsa had given her on the table, she began to
|
|
rlm@0
|
537 think of where in her dark room to place it. It was already
|
|
rlm@0
|
538 significant to her. She wanted to make sure it had an important place
|
|
rlm@0
|
539 amongst her lamps. She smiled shyly as she turned back to the other
|
|
rlm@0
|
540 two girls.
|
|
rlm@0
|
541 Usagi leaned forward ever so slightly, her curiosity increasing
|
|
rlm@0
|
542 about this mysterious girl. Was she part of The Enemy? Was she using
|
|
rlm@0
|
543 ChibiUsa? What was she up to? She feels a cold chill run down her
|
|
rlm@0
|
544 spine as she gets a good look into those infinitely sad, dark eyes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
545 ‘Its like I’m being drawn in. Her eyes seem to know everything,’ she
|
|
rlm@0
|
546 thinks. The cold feeling grows worse before she realizes the room has
|
|
rlm@0
|
547 been utterly silent for a long moment. Laughing nervously, the blonde
|
|
rlm@0
|
548 girl stands up, eager for a moment’s respite to think. “Could you
|
|
rlm@0
|
549 tell me where the bathroom is?”
|
|
rlm@0
|
550 The dark haired girl turns and points out of the room. “Its right
|
|
rlm@0
|
551 down that hall.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
552 “Thanks,” Usagi says quickly, leaving the room, confused. The pale,
|
|
rlm@0
|
553 raven haired girl was even more of a mystery to her now. And her
|
|
rlm@0
|
554 seemingly mystical hold over ChibiUsa baffled her. She resolved to
|
|
rlm@0
|
555 get to the bottom of things, no matter what.
|
|
rlm@0
|
556
|
|
rlm@0
|
557 ~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
558
|
|
rlm@0
|
559 "Hotaru-chan!?" I watch as Hotaru collapses into a fit on the floor.
|
|
rlm@0
|
560 I run over, fear coursing through my entire body. I’ve only seen this
|
|
rlm@0
|
561 happen once before, but I kneel beside the dark haired girl, my heart
|
|
rlm@0
|
562 racing. "Hotaru-chan!?" I feel so helpless, seeing this happen to
|
|
rlm@0
|
563 her. Why can’t I do anything? Isn’t there some way I can help her?
|
|
rlm@0
|
564 Why did this have to happen now?
|
|
rlm@0
|
565
|
|
rlm@0
|
566 Clutching her chest, she looks up at me with pain-filled eyes. My
|
|
rlm@0
|
567 heart goes out to her. I want to go to her, to stop her suffering,
|
|
rlm@0
|
568 but I don’t know how. Her shaky hand slowly reaches out, touching my
|
|
rlm@0
|
569 broach.
|
|
rlm@0
|
570
|
|
rlm@0
|
571 "..it’s better.. when I touch your amulet... I’m being filled with
|
|
rlm@0
|
572 power..." she says softly. Her body seems to relax as the fit finally
|
|
rlm@0
|
573 comes to an end. Her breathing slowly returns to normal. She looks up
|
|
rlm@0
|
574 at me with a strange look in her dark eyes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
575
|
|
rlm@0
|
576 I smile slightly, relief flooding through me. "Really? Then I’m
|
|
rlm@0
|
577 glad, Hotaru-chan." It feels good to be able to help her. She’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
578 already healed me a few times, I’m glad to repay the favor. And to
|
|
rlm@0
|
579 see her in such pain… I’m just glad she’s alright now.
|
|
rlm@0
|
580
|
|
rlm@0
|
581 The dark, distant, pale girl echoes my smile, still looking up at me
|
|
rlm@0
|
582 with that odd look in her eyes. "Your amulet... it has great power..
|
|
rlm@0
|
583 what power is it..?" Something isn’t quite right… but does it matter?
|
|
rlm@0
|
584 She’s alright now, that’s all that matters. I sigh, relieved that her
|
|
rlm@0
|
585 pains gone, if only for now. I smile again, a hand going to my
|
|
rlm@0
|
586 broach. "It’s the Mystical Silver Crystal," I say, telling of the
|
|
rlm@0
|
587 crystal inside my broach.
|
|
rlm@0
|
588
|
|
rlm@0
|
589 "Mystical Silver Crystal.." Hotaru repeats. Everything about her is
|
|
rlm@0
|
590 different, somehow. The voice, its not the soft, sweet voice I’m used
|
|
rlm@0
|
591 to. Her eyes, seeming even darker than before. Its like she’s a
|
|
rlm@0
|
592 totally different person now. Suddenly the frail girl recoils in
|
|
rlm@0
|
593 horror, her eyes widening as she draws back from me, raising a shaky
|
|
rlm@0
|
594 hand to her mouth.
|
|
rlm@0
|
595
|
|
rlm@0
|
596 "Hotaru-chan?" I pull my hand from my broach, forgetting about it as
|
|
rlm@0
|
597 concern gets the better of me. "Are you alright?" I take a nervous
|
|
rlm@0
|
598 step forward. What happened? Why is she so scared? The frightened
|
|
rlm@0
|
599 look in her eyes chills me. I shudder, not knowing why. Is she afraid
|
|
rlm@0
|
600 of me? Did I do something wrong? I frantically want to reach out to
|
|
rlm@0
|
601 her, to make sure its okay, to know why she’s so scared. I don’t ever
|
|
rlm@0
|
602 want her to be scared again. I know that its probably foolish to
|
|
rlm@0
|
603 think that I could do something like that. But I can try.
|
|
rlm@0
|
604
|
|
rlm@0
|
605 Hotaru stays back from me, still seated on the floor. "I.. I... I’m
|
|
rlm@0
|
606 sorry.. I didn’t mean,,,! It’s like.. it wasn’t me..." Her soft voice
|
|
rlm@0
|
607 sounds almost desperate, pleading. Does she think I would leave? I’d
|
|
rlm@0
|
608 never leave her like that, not now.
|
|
rlm@0
|
609
|
|
rlm@0
|
610 I take another nervous step forward, smiling reassuringly at the
|
|
rlm@0
|
611 obviously grief stricken pale girl. I want to hug her, hold her
|
|
rlm@0
|
612 close, make her know that its all okay, but I’m afraid she’d run away
|
|
rlm@0
|
613 from me. She’s so delicate, so fragile, like a china doll. "It’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
614 okay, Hotaru-chan. Don’t worry," I says soothingly, trying to get the
|
|
rlm@0
|
615 mysterious girl to relax.
|
|
rlm@0
|
616
|
|
rlm@0
|
617 She grants me just a bit of a nervous smile. I feel relieved again.
|
|
rlm@0
|
618 I was so worried that she might flee her own room to get away from
|
|
rlm@0
|
619 me. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about, but she looked so
|
|
rlm@0
|
620 frightened. My heart flies just to see that hint of a smile. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
621 manages a tiny nod, not saying a word.
|
|
rlm@0
|
622
|
|
rlm@0
|
623 Seeing her visibly relax, I take a sigh of relief. This beautiful
|
|
rlm@0
|
624 girl in front of me should never have to be hurt again. "I’m just
|
|
rlm@0
|
625 glad you’re feeling better, Hotaru-chan. I hate seeing you in pain
|
|
rlm@0
|
626 like that. I want to help you." And I do. I just don’t know how.
|
|
rlm@0
|
627
|
|
rlm@0
|
628 "..thank you.. ChibiUsachan.." A small smile plays across her thin
|
|
rlm@0
|
629 lips. She looks more confident as she tries to speak. “..you’re the
|
|
rlm@0
|
630 only one who’s ever cared... it’s like..." her soft, whisper-like
|
|
rlm@0
|
631 voice trails off. Like what? What are you trying to tell me? She
|
|
rlm@0
|
632 seems to withdraw from me again, nervous.
|
|
rlm@0
|
633
|
|
rlm@0
|
634 I frown as I walk closer to her, closing the distance between us
|
|
rlm@0
|
635 quickly. There’s so much I want to know. There’s so much I want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
636 say. But what, exactly? I wish I knew. "I don’t know why I’m the only
|
|
rlm@0
|
637 one who seems to notice how great you are, Hotaru-chan. I can’t see
|
|
rlm@0
|
638 why anyone would ever be mean to you, why anyone would ever want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
639 hurt you." Because I can’t stand to see you suffer, firefly.
|
|
rlm@0
|
640
|
|
rlm@0
|
641 Her deep violet eyes gaze up at me, working their magic on me. How
|
|
rlm@0
|
642 can I hope to keep from losing myself in their depths? I find myself
|
|
rlm@0
|
643 being drawn further into those beautiful dark eyes. I see tears start
|
|
rlm@0
|
644 to form in those perfect violet spheres. Please don’t cry, firefly. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
645 don’t ever want you to hurt. "I.. don’t know.. but... It doesn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
646 matter.. as long as I have you..."
|
|
rlm@0
|
647
|
|
rlm@0
|
648 I feel my cheeks burning as I begin to blush. Had the raven haired
|
|
rlm@0
|
649 girl really said that? But… what did she mean by it? She didn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
650 mean... "I.. I... Thanks, Hotaru-chan." My mind swims in confusion.
|
|
rlm@0
|
651 Why would she say that? Do I really mean that much to her? I kneel
|
|
rlm@0
|
652 next to her, smiling. As long as she has me... but how does she have
|
|
rlm@0
|
653 me? I’m not so sure myself.
|
|
rlm@0
|
654
|
|
rlm@0
|
655 The quiet girl blushes as well, her pale cheeks darkening as she
|
|
rlm@0
|
656 looks at me. I look into those beautiful eyes for a long moment. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
657 just looks at me silently. This moment, so much like the last time.
|
|
rlm@0
|
658 It ended off so... I don’t know. What had I been expecting that time?
|
|
rlm@0
|
659 A kiss? I almost laugh aloud. But then what Momoko said comes back to
|
|
rlm@0
|
660 me as well. My girlfriend? A kiss? How did I really feel about this?
|
|
rlm@0
|
661 Her blush deepens and she looks away from me.
|
|
rlm@0
|
662
|
|
rlm@0
|
663 I tilt my head, trying to catch her gaze. A soft sigh escapes my
|
|
rlm@0
|
664 lips. Why won’t she look at me again? Did I say the wrong thing?
|
|
rlm@0
|
665 Please let me see those beautiful violet eyes again. I try to meet
|
|
rlm@0
|
666 her gaze, to see those dark eyes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
667
|
|
rlm@0
|
668 Hotaru quietly looks up slightly. Its obvious she’s nervous. Why?
|
|
rlm@0
|
669 Why are you nervous, firefly? Don’t you know I’d never do anything to
|
|
rlm@0
|
670 harm you? Her eyes look at me questioningly, almost as if she’s so
|
|
rlm@0
|
671 shy that she may flee from me at the hint of anything at all. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
672 silence envelops us. I want to break the silence, but my mind can’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
673 think clearly with this mysterious girl in front of me. She invades
|
|
rlm@0
|
674 my thoughts, making it impossible for me to think of anything but
|
|
rlm@0
|
675 her. But is that so bad?
|
|
rlm@0
|
676
|
|
rlm@0
|
677 "Hotaru-chan, you’re so pretty," I hear myself breath softly. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
678 smile at her, once again losing myself in those violet pools. It’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
679 the truth. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Yet so
|
|
rlm@0
|
680 timid. Please let me get close…
|
|
rlm@0
|
681
|
|
rlm@0
|
682 The dark haired girl blushes profusely, as if no one had ever said
|
|
rlm@0
|
683 that to her before. Is the world that blind? She’s,,, heavenly. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
684 seems like she’s trying to reply, but nothing comes out. She looks so
|
|
rlm@0
|
685 afraid still.
|
|
rlm@0
|
686
|
|
rlm@0
|
687 "I would never want to hurt you, Hotaru-chan. I want to be your
|
|
rlm@0
|
688 friend. I want to be.. I don’t know." This time, I’m the one to look
|
|
rlm@0
|
689 away. I don’t know what I had meant to tell her. That thought scares
|
|
rlm@0
|
690 me. "I just want to make you happy." And I know I do. Oh, how I want
|
|
rlm@0
|
691 her to be happy. To see another one of those beautiful smiles...
|
|
rlm@0
|
692
|
|
rlm@0
|
693 Though she smiles at me in relief, I can see disappointment in the
|
|
rlm@0
|
694 mysterious girl’s violet eyes. She seems to relax at what I said,
|
|
rlm@0
|
695 though. "..I.. I wish I could be half as good a friend to you.. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
696 don’t know... I’m not really good at it, ne.. inexperience..."
|
|
rlm@0
|
697
|
|
rlm@0
|
698 I gaze into those eyes, wanting to know what caused her
|
|
rlm@0
|
699 disappointment, but quickly losing myself in them. "No, you’re
|
|
rlm@0
|
700 perfect, Hotaru-chan," I whisper softly. Everything about her fills
|
|
rlm@0
|
701 me with wonder. I so want to tell her, but I don’t know how. I don’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
702 even know what I want to tell her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
703
|
|
rlm@0
|
704 A slight blush colors her pale cheeks as she looks back up at me.
|
|
rlm@0
|
705 She seems more sure about something now, but I can’t tell what.
|
|
rlm@0
|
706 "..no.. I can't be.. but... Chibiusachan... Chibimoon.. when did you
|
|
rlm@0
|
707 fall from heaven..? I want to know.. so I can give you a gift before
|
|
rlm@0
|
708 you have to return..." her soft voice whispers to me.
|
|
rlm@0
|
709
|
|
rlm@0
|
710 I blush hotly, looking down, averting my eyes. I laugh nervously,
|
|
rlm@0
|
711 trying to relax. I’m so happy she thinks of me that way, but to hear
|
|
rlm@0
|
712 her say it… "Oh, I’m no angel," I assure her quickly. "Your
|
|
rlm@0
|
713 friendship’s the best gift I ever could have received."
|
|
rlm@0
|
714
|
|
rlm@0
|
715 "..but.. you have to be... you're a magical soldier.. you had to be
|
|
rlm@0
|
716 from the gods... and.. you're the only one that ever noticed me, and
|
|
rlm@0
|
717 didn't call me a witch..." The words pour out, one after the other as
|
|
rlm@0
|
718 she tries to tell me it all.
|
|
rlm@0
|
719
|
|
rlm@0
|
720 "I... I'm glad you think that, Hotaru-chan. Thank you." I feel the
|
|
rlm@0
|
721 blush return, my cheeks burning even more as I replay her words in my
|
|
rlm@0
|
722 mind. I smile brightly at her. She’s sooooo sweet. No one’s ever said
|
|
rlm@0
|
723 something like that to me before. The smile disappears after a
|
|
rlm@0
|
724 moment. The only one, she said. How could the world be so cruel to
|
|
rlm@0
|
725 this beautiful girl? Isn’t there more I can do for her? I want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
726 make the whole world leave her alone. No, I want the whole world to
|
|
rlm@0
|
727 realize how great she is. "I could never call you that. And how could
|
|
rlm@0
|
728 I not notice you? You're so beautiful. And nice. And mysterious.
|
|
rlm@0
|
729 And..." I trail off, finding it far too hard to think as I look into
|
|
rlm@0
|
730 those endless violet orbs. That feeling… that same feeling I had the
|
|
rlm@0
|
731 first time I was in her room, the feeling that left unfinished, it
|
|
rlm@0
|
732 returns to me now. I don’t want to leave it this time. I want to see
|
|
rlm@0
|
733 it through. But what is this feeling?
|
|
rlm@0
|
734
|
|
rlm@0
|
735 The blush on Hotaru’s cheeks darkens as she looks less certain about
|
|
rlm@0
|
736 something. "Thank you.. for everything... ChibiUsachan.... I..." She
|
|
rlm@0
|
737 cuts off the words at that. Please tell me, Hotaru. I want to know so
|
|
rlm@0
|
738 badly. You can tell me anything, do you know that? I’d never judge
|
|
rlm@0
|
739 you, never berate you. I just want to hear. I want to help. I want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
740 know how you feel about me...
|
|
rlm@0
|
741
|
|
rlm@0
|
742 "You’re welcome, Hotaru-chan. You deserve it, though. I really want
|
|
rlm@0
|
743 to get to know you better. To be closer to you..." I sigh a little,
|
|
rlm@0
|
744 unsure of myself. I feel so confused. What do I want, exactly? To be
|
|
rlm@0
|
745 her friend, right? Then why is this all so awkward? Why do I want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
746 say something more? She’s so important to me, whether she knows it or
|
|
rlm@0
|
747 not. I want her to be there with me, always. I want… Why does this
|
|
rlm@0
|
748 have to be so hard? Why can’t I just tell her. I sigh inwardly. Tell
|
|
rlm@0
|
749 her what? I don’t know, but I want to. I know that much. She makes my
|
|
rlm@0
|
750 heart melt. I feel so warm inside just being with her. I want to hug
|
|
rlm@0
|
751 her close, to make all her pain disappear forever.
|
|
rlm@0
|
752
|
|
rlm@0
|
753 "..that's... that's what I want..." Hotaru says softly. She seems so
|
|
rlm@0
|
754 nervous, everything she says as if she can barely manage to tell me.
|
|
rlm@0
|
755 She blinks her long, dark lashes, blushing just a bit.
|
|
rlm@0
|
756
|
|
rlm@0
|
757 "You do?" I ask quietly, hopefully. It fills my heart with a warm
|
|
rlm@0
|
758 joyous feeling to know that she want’s to get closer to me, too. I
|
|
rlm@0
|
759 sit in front of her, entranced by this mysterious girl. I find myself
|
|
rlm@0
|
760 wanting to lean forward and… And what? I feel all anxious inside.
|
|
rlm@0
|
761 We’re both dancing around what we want to say, aren’t we? Neither of
|
|
rlm@0
|
762 us knows exactly how to say it, though. And I’m still not quire sure
|
|
rlm@0
|
763 what ‘it’ is. But I have a funny feeling that she does. "That's
|
|
rlm@0
|
764 great, Hotaru-chan. You already mean a lot to me. You're all I can
|
|
rlm@0
|
765 think about." It’s true. She’s been on my mind practically all the
|
|
rlm@0
|
766 time since I’ve met her. And this mysterious girl is already so very
|
|
rlm@0
|
767 important to me.
|
|
rlm@0
|
768
|
|
rlm@0
|
769 "..but.. you..." She blinks those dark lashes again and shakes her
|
|
rlm@0
|
770 head. I follow her gaze to the table where the chalice I’d given her
|
|
rlm@0
|
771 still sits. My sign of friendship. Right? I blush when I remember
|
|
rlm@0
|
772 what Momoko had said. I really did want Hotaru to have it, so I could
|
|
rlm@0
|
773 show her… What would it be like if she was my girlfriend? I’d been
|
|
rlm@0
|
774 thinking about it all afternoon after Momoko had said that. I’m a
|
|
rlm@0
|
775 princess, I shouldn’t be thinking about such things. But I don’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
776 care. "..only Himitsu knows how much you mean to me..." She turns
|
|
rlm@0
|
777 back to me, looking as if there’s more she wants to say, but she
|
|
rlm@0
|
778 keeps it from me, afraid. Why is she afraid of telling me? What could
|
|
rlm@0
|
779 it be? But… the way she said that, do I really mean that much to her?
|
|
rlm@0
|
780
|
|
rlm@0
|
781 "It makes me happy that I mean so much to you." I brush some pink
|
|
rlm@0
|
782 hair from my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush. To mean so much to this
|
|
rlm@0
|
783 beautiful girl, that’s wonderful. I smile nervously at her, so much
|
|
rlm@0
|
784 left unsaid between us. But what can I do? What can I say? If I
|
|
rlm@0
|
785 said.... Would this mysterious girl be happy? Or would she be
|
|
rlm@0
|
786 frightened?
|
|
rlm@0
|
787
|
|
rlm@0
|
788 A small smile crosses the dark haired girl’s thin lips. "..as long
|
|
rlm@0
|
789 as you’re happy.. I’m happy.." But her voice, there’s a sad tone
|
|
rlm@0
|
790 underlying it, as if she doesn’t truly mean it, as if there’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
791 something more. I want to coax it out of her, but I’m afraid she’ll
|
|
rlm@0
|
792 back away again if I try.
|
|
rlm@0
|
793
|
|
rlm@0
|
794 "Hotaru-chan..." I sigh as I look away from her again, confusion
|
|
rlm@0
|
795 threatening to overwhelm me. Does she really know just how important
|
|
rlm@0
|
796 she is? "You mean so much more to me. Since I met you, I haven’t been
|
|
rlm@0
|
797 able to stop thinking about you. When I’m away, I want to see you
|
|
rlm@0
|
798 again. When I’m with you.. its just perfect."
|
|
rlm@0
|
799
|
|
rlm@0
|
800 Hotaru shyly raises a hand up towards my face, but after she makes
|
|
rlm@0
|
801 it halfway, she seems to realize what she’s doing and draws back,
|
|
rlm@0
|
802 only making it about halfway between us. I wish she’d keep going. Why
|
|
rlm@0
|
803 did she have to stop? "..it's the same... I thought it was...." She
|
|
rlm@0
|
804 shakes her head slightly before continuing. "..but you're a friend of
|
|
rlm@0
|
805 a million.. so it couldn't be..." But it is, Hotaru. It is.
|
|
rlm@0
|
806
|
|
rlm@0
|
807 I smile softly, reassuringly at this beautiful frail girl in front
|
|
rlm@0
|
808 of me. Leaning forward, I bring my hand up to her pale cheek,
|
|
rlm@0
|
809 enjoying the soft feel of her skin. It feels so warm. So...
|
|
rlm@0
|
810 wonderful. "But you’re special, Hotaru-chan. I feel... differently
|
|
rlm@0
|
811 about you. You mean more to me than all those others," I try to
|
|
rlm@0
|
812 explain, feeling as though I’m failing miserably at it.
|
|
rlm@0
|
813
|
|
rlm@0
|
814 I hold my breath, waiting to see what she’ll do. She almost pulls
|
|
rlm@0
|
815 back at my touch. My heart stops. No! Please, just grant me this.
|
|
rlm@0
|
816 Finally, she starts to relax into it, blushing again. "..then... then
|
|
rlm@0
|
817 I wasn't wrong..? ..I thought.. that I was wrong... because...." She
|
|
rlm@0
|
818 stops, her soft voice choked up with emotions. I see tears beginning
|
|
rlm@0
|
819 to form in her eyes as she looks at me silently.
|
|
rlm@0
|
820
|
|
rlm@0
|
821 I shake my head emphatically, trying to get rid of that notion. Of
|
|
rlm@0
|
822 course she’s not wrong. How could she be? How could this shy angel
|
|
rlm@0
|
823 ever be? My heart aches as I see those tears in her gorgeous violet
|
|
rlm@0
|
824 eyes. "No, you weren’t wrong, Hotaru-chan. I just.. you..." I gaze
|
|
rlm@0
|
825 intently at her, trying to gather up my courage for what I want to
|
|
rlm@0
|
826 tell her, what I so want to say. "You’re very special to me," I
|
|
rlm@0
|
827 finally get out.
|
|
rlm@0
|
828
|
|
rlm@0
|
829 The frail girl looks taken aback at my words. Its true, firefly. You
|
|
rlm@0
|
830 are so special to me. How do you feel, my firefly? In a hushed,
|
|
rlm@0
|
831 almost fearful whisper, I get my answer. "..I love you, ChibiUsa..."
|
|
rlm@0
|
832
|
|
rlm@0
|
833 I blush deeply, her words running through my head over and over
|
|
rlm@0
|
834 again. Those lovely words, spoken by this lovely girl. I feel like a
|
|
rlm@0
|
835 veil’s been lifted. Everything seems clear now. I never thought about
|
|
rlm@0
|
836 those words, not like this. And I’ve certainly never, ever heard them
|
|
rlm@0
|
837 spoken of me. It fills me with a warm feeling to here her say that, a
|
|
rlm@0
|
838 warmth I’ve never felt before. I feel so fuzzy, so giddy. I feel like
|
|
rlm@0
|
839 laughing and crying and jumping for joy all at the same time. For a
|
|
rlm@0
|
840 brief second I wonder what my parents would think. I’m the Princess
|
|
rlm@0
|
841 of the Royal Family of Crystal Tokyo. But I shake it off. It doesn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
842 matter. I know in my heart of hearts that this is right. "I love you,
|
|
rlm@0
|
843 too, Hotaru-chan." I feel like a weights been lifted from my
|
|
rlm@0
|
844 shoulders. No more mincing of words, no more hiding our secrets. How
|
|
rlm@0
|
845 we felt was out in the open between the two of us now. This frail
|
|
rlm@0
|
846 girl... she truly means that much to me. That much and more. Gazing
|
|
rlm@0
|
847 over at the raven haired girl, seeing myself reflected in her violet
|
|
rlm@0
|
848 pools, before I know it I lean forward, ever so slightly at first.
|
|
rlm@0
|
849 Even I don’t realize it until my lips gently brush hers. I blush
|
|
rlm@0
|
850 deeper as I feel those warm soft lips against my own. It feels…
|
|
rlm@0
|
851 wonderful. My first kiss… Hers too, I realize. But that just makes it
|
|
rlm@0
|
852 all the more wonderful in this quiet moment.
|
|
rlm@0
|
853
|
|
rlm@0
|
854 The sad, shy girl looks at me sadly, apologetically. "I’m sorry…
|
|
rlm@0
|
855 I’ll only cause trouble for you..."
|
|
rlm@0
|
856
|
|
rlm@0
|
857 I shake my head quickly, not wanting her to ever have to worry about
|
|
rlm@0
|
858 something like that. "Even if you did cause trouble for me, I’d
|
|
rlm@0
|
859 gladly take it." Over and over again, forever, just so I could be
|
|
rlm@0
|
860 near her. To emphasize my point I lean forward, kissing her gently
|
|
rlm@0
|
861 again. It tastes better than the best candy I’ve ever had back home
|
|
rlm@0
|
862 in Crystal Tokyo, much sweeter than the best they could offer. I’d
|
|
rlm@0
|
863 give anything to just stay like this.
|
|
rlm@0
|
864
|
|
rlm@0
|
865 A small giggle escapes her lips, a smile gracing her delicate
|
|
rlm@0
|
866 features. "..I've never even had a real friend before.. and now I
|
|
rlm@0
|
867 have you... it's so wonderful, so perfect...." It means so much to me
|
|
rlm@0
|
868 to be that for her, to be that and more. I never want her to have to
|
|
rlm@0
|
869 suffer ever again. I don’t know if I can help it or not, but I’ll try
|
|
rlm@0
|
870 my hardest to keep her happy. Forever.
|
|
rlm@0
|
871
|
|
rlm@0
|
872 I find myself smiling brightly back at her, my hand still pressed
|
|
rlm@0
|
873 gently against Hotaru’s cheek. I giggle softly myself, glad to see
|
|
rlm@0
|
874 that smile on her face again. "Hai, perfect. Just like you, Hotaru-
|
|
rlm@0
|
875 chan. I want to be everything for you. I want you to be happy. I want
|
|
rlm@0
|
876 to be able to see your smile." I look deeply at her, wishing I could
|
|
rlm@0
|
877 just tell her everything here and now, but not knowing where to start.
|
|
rlm@0
|
878
|
|
rlm@0
|
879 "How can I not be happy... if I’m with you..?" she says in that soft
|
|
rlm@0
|
880 voice of hers that I can’t help but imagine whenever there’s silence
|
|
rlm@0
|
881 around me. A faint smile appears on her lips. "It’s like... like...."
|
|
rlm@0
|
882 She trails off, at a loss for words. But I know exactly what she
|
|
rlm@0
|
883 means. Everything about this is perfect, magical. Its too hard to put
|
|
rlm@0
|
884 into words. So why bother, when I can just be here with her?
|
|
rlm@0
|
885
|
|
rlm@0
|
886 ~~~~~
|
|
rlm@0
|
887
|
|
rlm@0
|
888 Usagi stared at ChibiUsa oddly as they made their way home. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
889 younger girl had been acting strangely all night and now she seemed
|
|
rlm@0
|
890 to be off in her own little world, barely noticing what was happening
|
|
rlm@0
|
891 around her. The blonde girl sighed inwardly. This whole thing just
|
|
rlm@0
|
892 seemed to be getting more and more confusing.
|
|
rlm@0
|
893 Had ChibiUsa heard those thoughts she would wholeheartedly agreed.
|
|
rlm@0
|
894 Her fingers absentmindedly went to her lips, her mind drifting back
|
|
rlm@0
|
895 to her first kiss just moments before. She felt a sudden wave of
|
|
rlm@0
|
896 dizziness wash over her as she relived the moment. What had happened
|
|
rlm@0
|
897 back there? She swallowed nervously as she walked along. That strange
|
|
rlm@0
|
898 feeling refused to leave her. She had never thought something like
|
|
rlm@0
|
899 this would happen. Her mother had told her to be ready for anything
|
|
rlm@0
|
900 when she came back to the past, but this was beyond anything she
|
|
rlm@0
|
901 could have imagined. Falling in love had not been one of the things
|
|
rlm@0
|
902 she’d thought her mother had meant. And with her… ChibiUsa’s cheeks
|
|
rlm@0
|
903 started to flush and her heart beat faster as the odd feeling in her
|
|
rlm@0
|
904 stomach increased in intensity. She felt like she needed to sit down
|
|
rlm@0
|
905 soon, but she didn’t want Usagi’s already paranoid mind to have
|
|
rlm@0
|
906 anything to work off of.
|
|
rlm@0
|
907 The mysterious dark haired girl had quickly drawn her in. Those
|
|
rlm@0
|
908 violet, pain filled eyes seemed to look deep into her soul whenever
|
|
rlm@0
|
909 she gazed into them. This almost deathly pale girl had invaded her
|
|
rlm@0
|
910 every thought. How could she have become so important to her? Did it
|
|
rlm@0
|
911 matter? The whole idea of falling in love this way had been so
|
|
rlm@0
|
912 foreign to her. The thought of falling in love with this girl was
|
|
rlm@0
|
913 almost frightening to begin with. But Hotaru needed her, didn’t she?
|
|
rlm@0
|
914 She wanted to do everything she could to make her happy. This whole
|
|
rlm@0
|
915 thing was so new to her. But it was exhilarating, the feeling that
|
|
rlm@0
|
916 encompassed her at the very thought of the raven haired girl. It
|
|
rlm@0
|
917 scared her a bit, but she pushed that to the back of her mind. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
918 wouldn’t let that get in her way. She couldn’t just run away from
|
|
rlm@0
|
919 Hotaru. The other girl had already woven a spell deep into ChibiUsa’s
|
|
rlm@0
|
920 soul. Maybe this was destiny. She had heard her mother say that so
|
|
rlm@0
|
921 many times about her father. This wasn’t quite the same, but it sure
|
|
rlm@0
|
922 felt like destiny had brought her to Hotaru.
|
|
rlm@0
|
923 “What are you daydreaming about?” Usagi asked after a long moment
|
|
rlm@0
|
924 of silence. “You haven’t said a word since we left Hotaru’s house.
|
|
rlm@0
|
925 What’s gotten into you? All thoughtful and dreamy all of the sudden.”
|
|
rlm@0
|
926 A sudden pang of worry spread through Usagi. Her suspicions about
|
|
rlm@0
|
927 Hotaru began to grow. The mysterious girl very well could be part of
|
|
rlm@0
|
928 The Enemy. And ChibiUsa would be completely unreasonable about things
|
|
rlm@0
|
929 if she mentioned the possibility to her. So for now it was best if
|
|
rlm@0
|
930 she just kept an eye on the younger girl. A silent sigh escaped her
|
|
rlm@0
|
931 lips. What would the pink haired girl do without her?
|
|
rlm@0
|
932 ChibiUsa almost didn’t hear Usagi’s question at first. Shaking her
|
|
rlm@0
|
933 head, she tried to clear her thoughts but found that nearly
|
|
rlm@0
|
934 impossible. “I.. Nothing. I’m just thinking about… home. And my room.
|
|
rlm@0
|
935 And stuff…” There. That sounded convincing enough, ChibiUsa thought
|
|
rlm@0
|
936 with a satisfied smile. She did get homesick a lot, so Usagi
|
|
rlm@0
|
937 shouldn’t get too suspicious over that.
|
|
rlm@0
|
938 Usagi seemed to consider it for a moment before finally deciding to
|
|
rlm@0
|
939 let it drop. ChibiUsa was acting strangely, but pushing her probably
|
|
rlm@0
|
940 wouldn’t get her anywhere. She knew how stubborn the pink haired girl
|
|
rlm@0
|
941 could be and she didn’t feel like arguing with her for once. There
|
|
rlm@0
|
942 was too much to think about after meeting the Professor and his
|
|
rlm@0
|
943 daughter. She had to see what the others thought.
|
|
rlm@0
|
944 Glancing sidelong at Usagi, ChibiUsa contemplated saying something
|
|
rlm@0
|
945 for a long moment. This woman would one day become her mother, the
|
|
rlm@0
|
946 woman she held in the highest regard. Her mother meant a lot to her.
|
|
rlm@0
|
947 And she dearly wished she could talk with her about what was going
|
|
rlm@0
|
948 on, about Hotaru. She bit her lip thoughtfully. Opening her mouth to
|
|
rlm@0
|
949 speak, nothing came out. The nervousness that overtook her was too
|
|
rlm@0
|
950 strong to quell. Usagi may be her mother in the future, but now…
|
|
rlm@0
|
951 Maybe this just wasn’t the time to say anything. She couldn’t bring
|
|
rlm@0
|
952 herself to bring it up now as it was. Finally deciding to tell the
|
|
rlm@0
|
953 blonde girl later, if ever, she turned her attention back to what
|
|
rlm@0
|
954 really mattered. Hotaru.
|
|
rlm@0
|
955
|
|
rlm@0
|
956 Hotaru gazed longingly out her window. How long had she been
|
|
rlm@0
|
957 sitting there? Minutes? Hours? She honestly couldn’t tell. The
|
|
rlm@0
|
958 conversation she had had with the pink haired girl kept playing over
|
|
rlm@0
|
959 and over again in her mind. It was too much to believe. How could
|
|
rlm@0
|
960 something so wonderful happen to her? That such a sweet girl would
|
|
rlm@0
|
961 actually care for her? Her? No one cared about her. Those that didn’t
|
|
rlm@0
|
962 hate her or try to actively hurt her saw her as an oddity, something
|
|
rlm@0
|
963 that had no real significance. But ChibiUsa was different from
|
|
rlm@0
|
964 everyone else. She had looked beyond everything and had stayed. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
965 hadn’t ran away or decided that Hotaru was an object of derision.
|
|
rlm@0
|
966 Instead she had come again and again to her, always as her friend. A
|
|
rlm@0
|
967 friend… Hotaru had never had a friend before. That alone seemed
|
|
rlm@0
|
968 inconceivable. But that the pink haired girl could love her?
|
|
rlm@0
|
969 Impossible. How could anyone? Yet ChibiUsa had been perfectly honest.
|
|
rlm@0
|
970 She had seen that in those beautiful crimson eyes.
|
|
rlm@0
|
971 Finally lying back on her bed, Hotaru stared up at the roof. Her
|
|
rlm@0
|
972 lamps lit her dim room like fireflies in the darkness. Romantic, the
|
|
rlm@0
|
973 pink haired girl had called it. She allowed herself a soft smile.
|
|
rlm@0
|
974 This was her only place of escape from the pain of the world. This
|
|
rlm@0
|
975 was her sanctuary. The atmosphere helped her try and forget
|
|
rlm@0
|
976 everything, much as her books let her attempt escape into the life of
|
|
rlm@0
|
977 another. But she was always brought back to reality, or taken from
|
|
rlm@0
|
978 the safety of her room. The cold harsh pain would always come
|
|
rlm@0
|
979 flooding back in after her short reprise. Her escape was always too
|
|
rlm@0
|
980 short. Much too short. There had never been anything in this life
|
|
rlm@0
|
981 worth returning to. Until now. There was something for her to hang on
|
|
rlm@0
|
982 for now. She had a reason to go on.
|
|
rlm@0
|
983 It had been so easy for her to fall for the pink haired girl. She
|
|
rlm@0
|
984 was so sweet and caring. There was never any doubt in ChibiUsa’s mind
|
|
rlm@0
|
985 that everything would turn out right in the end. Even with Hotaru.
|
|
rlm@0
|
986 That outlook on life was so different from Hotaru’s own. Everything
|
|
rlm@0
|
987 about her was like a bright light in Hotaru’s life, lighting up the
|
|
rlm@0
|
988 darkness that threatened to engulf her. The thought that falling in
|
|
rlm@0
|
989 love with the pink haired girl was wrong had briefly crossed her mind
|
|
rlm@0
|
990 on several occasions, but she couldn’t help it. And what was one more
|
|
rlm@0
|
991 mistake for someone like her?
|
|
rlm@0
|
992 The fear that this would all be snatched from her as quickly as it
|
|
rlm@0
|
993 had appeared to her was nearly overpowering at times. This could all
|
|
rlm@0
|
994 be some sick joke by the heavens. A way to taunt her with what she
|
|
rlm@0
|
995 desired with all her heart only to have it taken away. How could a
|
|
rlm@0
|
996 witch like her, a freak, be granted this? If ChibiUsa knew… her body
|
|
rlm@0
|
997 went numb at the thought. If ChibiUsa knew everything about her,
|
|
rlm@0
|
998 would her mind change swiftly? Would she decide that everyone else
|
|
rlm@0
|
999 had been right about Hotaru?
|
|
rlm@0
|
1000 The raven haired girl almost felt like crying at that. Hugging her
|
|
rlm@0
|
1001 pillow tightly to her chest, she wondered how this would all turn out
|
|
rlm@0
|
1002 in the end. Her life didn’t matter. She would let this play out the
|
|
rlm@0
|
1003 way it was intended. It seemed safer to keep things as friends, to
|
|
rlm@0
|
1004 not risk losing what little she had. But for ChibiUsa’s sake, and the
|
|
rlm@0
|
1005 yearning in her own heart, she would see where this took her.
|
