annotate stories/loversdreamers.txt @ 0:ed1308d04df2 moonlitnights

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author rlm
date Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:24:59 -0500
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rlm@0 1 Lovers and Dreamers
rlm@0 2 By the Amazoness Quartet
rlm@0 3
rlm@0 4 The song in the story is ChibiUsa’s Stars singles song, ‘BaiBaitte Itta’.
rlm@0 5 The translation for
rlm@0 6 the song was done by William Braell and a friend found it at
rlm@0 7 http://sailormusic.tripod.com/lyrics/BaiBaitte_Itta.html
rlm@0 8
rlm@0 9 This story takes place right after ‘Family Ties.’ We hope you all enjoy it.
rlm@0 10 ^-^ Please e-
rlm@0 11 mail us at amazonessduo@hotmail.com and tell us what you think. ^-^
rlm@0 12
rlm@0 13
rlm@0 14 "C’mon, Taru," ChibiUsa said, waving to her from the curb. She wore a
rlm@0 15 mischievous grin that fit her older appearance well. It made her look a bit
rlm@0 16 like her evil
rlm@0 17 self, Black Lady.
rlm@0 18 Hotaru sighed and followed her lover towards the karaoke bar. She still
rlm@0 19 wasn’t
rlm@0 20 sure this was a good idea. ChibiUsa had borrowed the Luna Pen from Usagi to
rlm@0 21 make
rlm@0 22 them look older. Hotaru watched as ChibiUsa’s now much longer hair swayed
rlm@0 23 back and
rlm@0 24 forth as she walked, brushing up against the back of the short dark crimson
rlm@0 25 dress the pink
rlm@0 26 haired girl was wearing. Hotaru felt herself smiling as ChibiUsa walked
rlm@0 27 along. The pink
rlm@0 28 haired girl always managed to affect her deeply, whether or not she was
rlm@0 29 pretending to be
rlm@0 30 older. Hotaru found herself wondering which way she liked ChibiUsa’s hair
rlm@0 31 better. It was
rlm@0 32 pretty when it was long, like her mother’s. But it was cute when it was
rlm@0 33 shorter and
rlm@0 34 fluffier like ChibiUsa normally had it.
rlm@0 35 "Taru?" ChibiUsa asked quizzically.
rlm@0 36 Hotaru blushed. She must have been lost in thought. ChibiUsa took her hand
rlm@0 37 and
rlm@0 38 brought her closer. Hotaru felt ChibiUsa’s warm breath against her cheek.
rlm@0 39 "Usa," Hotaru
rlm@0 40 said softly as she looked into the other girl’s crimson eyes. Her heart beat
rlm@0 41 faster, almost
rlm@0 42 stopping when ChibiUsa’s long fingers stroked her warm cheek.
rlm@0 43 "You ready?" ChibiUsa asked, motioning behind her. "You seemed to be out of
rlm@0 44 it for a second."
rlm@0 45 "I get like that when I think about you," Hotaru whispered to the pink
rlm@0 46 haired
rlm@0 47 girl. "You make it hard for me to think about anything else." She smiled,
rlm@0 48 fingers
rlm@0 49 intwining in one of ChibiUsa’s long pink pigtails.
rlm@0 50 "Taru..." ChibiUsa’s soft red lips inched anxiously closer to Hotaru’s.
rlm@0 51 Hearing a
rlm@0 52 car screech by, she shook herself out of it. Her long hair flew about, some
rlm@0 53 hitting into
rlm@0 54 Hotaru’s head. "Gomen," ChibiUsa said, embarrassed.
rlm@0 55 Hotaru couldn’t help but laugh. "I think I like your shorter hair better."
rlm@0 56 Running her hands through her hair to straighten it out, ChibiUsa turned
rlm@0 57 back to
rlm@0 58 Hotaru. "How’s that?"
rlm@0 59 Hotaru paused for a moment to take in the pink haired angel before her. She
rlm@0 60 was
rlm@0 61 absolutely stunning. She was the most beautiful thing Hotaru had ever seen.
rlm@0 62 She heard
rlm@0 63 ChibiUsa call her name again, but she just smiled. "Gorgeous," Hotaru said
rlm@0 64 breathlessly.
rlm@0 65 The faint blush and the pleased look on ChibiUsa’s face told Hotaru she’d
rlm@0 66 said the right
rlm@0 67 thing. Taking ChibiUsa’s arm, she headed inside.
rlm@0 68 "I meant my hair," ChibiUsa finally got out, still smiling.
rlm@0 69 Hotaru glanced at her and smiled back. "I know. But I meant what I said."
rlm@0 70 Taking a table near the front, Hotaru and ChibiUsa took their seats. Hotaru
rlm@0 71 helped ChibiUsa get her long hair out of the way while she sat. "I don’t
rlm@0 72 think I’ll ever
rlm@0 73 know how mom does it," ChibiUsa sighed.
rlm@0 74 "I bet it’s probably with practice. When I was younger, I really wanted to
rlm@0 75 play
rlm@0 76 the violin like Michiru-mama, but I was horrible at it whenever I played.
rlm@0 77 But she taught
rlm@0 78 me how. It took a long time, but I really wanted to learn."
rlm@0 79 "And you play beautifully," ChibiUsa complimented. Hotaru had played
rlm@0 80 specifically for her on several occasions.
rlm@0 81 Hotaru smiled. "Thank you. Haruka-papa offered to teach me how to drive,
rlm@0 82 but
rlm@0 83 if its anything like learning how to play the violin, I’m not sure I want to
rlm@0 84 go through that
rlm@0 85 again," Hotaru joked. "I’m sure if you keep it long enough, you’ll do just
rlm@0 86 fine with long
rlm@0 87 hair. In the meantime, though, I like it short. It’s..."
rlm@0 88 "Cute," ChibiUsa finished for her, grinning. Despite her dream she’d
rlm@0 89 harbored
rlm@0 90 when she was younger about being ladylike, Hotaru was quite intent on making
rlm@0 91 sure she
rlm@0 92 knew the raven haired girl liked her the way she was.
rlm@0 93 "Well it is. And I like it." Glancing over at the pink haired girl, Hotaru
rlm@0 94 looked at
rlm@0 95 her curiously. "Why did you borrow the Luna Pen?"
rlm@0 96 ChibiUsa thought for a moment. "I thought it would be fun to go out a
rlm@0 97 little
rlm@0 98 differently tonight. I heard about this place from Mamo-chan. He and his
rlm@0 99 friends come
rlm@0 100 here every once in a while, so I thought we might want to look a little
rlm@0 101 older if we came so
rlm@0 102 everyone didn’t just think we were kids."
rlm@0 103 "That’s what you wanted it for? Then why are we here?" Hotaru asked,
rlm@0 104 raising
rlm@0 105 an eyebrow.
rlm@0 106 Smiling, ChibiUsa responded, "I just wanted to sing."
rlm@0 107 "Sing?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow. She did love ChibiUsa’s sweet, lilting
rlm@0 108 voice.
rlm@0 109 The pink haired girl did sing quietly from time to time, but Hotaru loved
rlm@0 110 hearing her sing
rlm@0 111 when they were together in the shower or when it was only the two of them at
rlm@0 112 one of
rlm@0 113 their homes. A smile formed across her lips. It would be nice to hear
rlm@0 114 ChibiUsa sing here.
rlm@0 115 Looking up to confirm that the stage had finally been vacated, ChibiUsa
rlm@0 116 quickly
rlm@0 117 stood up and took Hotaru’s hand. "Let’s go, Taru."
rlm@0 118 Hotaru glanced up at the stage. "I’m not sure, Usa. Not in front of
rlm@0 119 everybody."
rlm@0 120 "But you’ve been playing your violin in front of people for a while now,"
rlm@0 121 ChibiUsa argued.
rlm@0 122 "That’s different."
rlm@0 123 ChibiUsa tugged at Hotaru’s hand again, trying to bring the dark haired
rlm@0 124 girl with
rlm@0 125 her. "How’s that?"
rlm@0 126 "Because I don’t have to sing when I’m playing the violin. Usa-chan, if you
rlm@0 127 want to sing together, can’t we do that at my house? We can wait until
rlm@0 128 everybody else is
rlm@0 129 gone, like when Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama, and Sestuna-mama and Seiya go
rlm@0 130 out.
rlm@0 131 We’d have the whole house to ourselves, so we could sing a duet, or I could
rlm@0 132 accompany
rlm@0 133 you on the violin. Whatever you want. I just don’t want to sing in front of
rlm@0 134 all these
rlm@0 135 people." Hotaru looked nervously up at ChibiUsa. She never did feel
rlm@0 136 comfortable with
rlm@0 137 large groups of people. It just reinforced how shy she already was.
rlm@0 138 The pink haired girl finally gave a defeated sigh. "Alright." Winking to
rlm@0 139 Hotaru,
rlm@0 140 ChibiUsa continued up to the stage.
rlm@0 141 Hotaru stared on as ChibiUsa took the microphone. ‘What’s she doing?’
rlm@0 142 Hotaru
rlm@0 143 asked herself. She admitted to herself that ChibiUsa had been acting a bit
rlm@0 144 strange tonight.
rlm@0 145 And she didn’t think the other girl was telling the whole truth about why
rlm@0 146 she wanted them
rlm@0 147 to look different. Maybe so no one would wind up recognizing them. But why?
rlm@0 148 ChibiUsa’s voice over the speakers shook Hotaru from her thoughts. She kept
rlm@0 149 her eyes on
rlm@0 150 the pink haired girl, wondering what she was thinking.
rlm@0 151 "Hello, everyone. Before I start, I’d like to dedicate this song to the
rlm@0 152 beautiful
rlm@0 153 girl up front." Smiling mischievously, ChibiUsa pointed to where Hotaru was
rlm@0 154 sitting.
rlm@0 155 "Taru, you make everyday a dream. A dream that I never want to end. I love
rlm@0 156 you, Taru-
rlm@0 157 chan."
rlm@0 158 Hotaru sat in stunned silence, her normally pale cheeks blushed a deep red.
rlm@0 159 What had gotten into ChibiUsa? The other girl was usually rather shy and
rlm@0 160 reserved about
rlm@0 161 their relationship in public. After Hotaru’s harsh life the first time
rlm@0 162 around on earth and
rlm@0 163 her more loving second time growing up, she tried not to care what other
rlm@0 164 people thought
rlm@0 165 about the two of them being in love. With how ChibiUsa had been acting
rlm@0 166 lately, maybe
rlm@0 167 she was coming to understand how Hotaru felt about their relationship. That
rlm@0 168 there wasn’t
rlm@0 169 a need to hide it.
rlm@0 170 ChibiUsa continued to sing, directing it to Hotaru. Hotaru received some
rlm@0 171 odd
rlm@0 172 stares, but she didn’t notice. She was to intent on the future princess on
rlm@0 173 the stage. She
rlm@0 174 may not have been the best singer, but that hardly mattered to Hotaru. She
rlm@0 175 felt like
rlm@0 176 everything the pink haired girl sang was directly to her.
rlm@0 177 The pink haired girl’s eyes met Hotaru’s, her sweet voice ringing forth.
rlm@0 178
rlm@0 179 "No good! No good! No good" you said,
rlm@0 180 When your spirits were low, but
rlm@0 181 I am now at your side, so
rlm@0 182 It's surely, surely, positively all
rlm@0 183 right!
rlm@0 184
rlm@0 185 Even if we're nothing but failures,
rlm@0 186 We won't just be downhearted NO! NO!
rlm@0 187 We just lost by a little bit...
rlm@0 188 Forget all about those meanies!
rlm@0 189 If we believe in pleasant things, then
rlm@0 190 Even if night comes, we won't be afraid
rlm@0 191 of it;
rlm@0 192 We know morning, morning, is getting
rlm@0 193 near, and so
rlm@0 194 It's not at all a big deal, right?
rlm@0 195
rlm@0 196 Now, even if we're a pair of fraidycats,
rlm@0 197 Don't be worried at all, NO! NO!
rlm@0 198 I'm giving a kiss to those eyelids
rlm@0 199 Brimming with tears (smack!)
rlm@0 200 Tomorrow, our wishes certainly will come
rlm@0 201 true!
rlm@0 202 The things we'd like so much will happen,
rlm@0 203 We'll say BYE-BYE to failures like these.
rlm@0 204 I've said it! I've said it! It'll
rlm@0 205 absolutely be all right!
rlm@0 206
rlm@0 207 As for being down-hearted and moping,
rlm@0 208 Giving in to these feelings too easily
rlm@0 209 Is obviously a big mistake;
rlm@0 210 Don't give up on our important dreams!
rlm@0 211 If we believe in cheerful things,
rlm@0 212 Even if it gets cold, it will not be
rlm@0 213 painful;
rlm@0 214 We know spring, spring, is getting near,
rlm@0 215 and so
rlm@0 216 It's not at all a big deal, right?
rlm@0 217
rlm@0 218 Now, even if we're a pair of crybabies,
rlm@0 219 Don't be worried at all, NO! NO!
rlm@0 220 I'm giving a kiss to those cheeks
rlm@0 221 Dripping with tears (smack!)
rlm@0 222 Tomorrow will be much more wonderful!
rlm@0 223 The wishes we most desire will be
rlm@0 224 granted,
rlm@0 225 We'll say BYE-BYE to anxieties like
rlm@0 226 these.
rlm@0 227 I've said it! I've said it! It'll
rlm@0 228 absolutely be all right!
rlm@0 229
rlm@0 230 Finally, the music ended and ChibiUsa made her way off the stage. Hotaru
rlm@0 231 threw her arms around the other girl as soon as she was down. "Odango-chan,
rlm@0 232 I love you,
rlm@0 233 too." They nearly stumbled, but ChibiUsa managed to lean against a table for
rlm@0 234 support.
rlm@0 235 She smiled and returned the embrace. "But why did..." Hotaru’s question lay
rlm@0 236 unfinished
rlm@0 237 as ChibiUsa’s soft lips delved upon Hotaru’s. "Let’s go, Usa," Hotaru said
rlm@0 238 after they
rlm@0 239 broke the kiss. She noticed some of the attention they were getting and
rlm@0 240 didn’t want to
rlm@0 241 stick around for too much longer.
rlm@0 242 "Hai," ChibiUsa agreed. The two quickly headed around the side and to the
rlm@0 243 entrance, careful not to attract any more attention. Finally exiting the
rlm@0 244 building, ChibiUsa
rlm@0 245 released a deep breath. "Next time we’ll just sing at your place."
rlm@0 246 Hotaru smiled warmly at her lover. "Good idea." Her arm went around
rlm@0 247 ChibiUsa’s waist as they began to walk along.
rlm@0 248
rlm@0 249 While strolling slowly through the park, the two women held each other
rlm@0 250 lovingly. Neither seemed to notice the cold night air or the dark clouds
rlm@0 251 forming overhead.
rlm@0 252 They looked at each other, the silence around them only broken by the sound
rlm@0 253 of
rlm@0 254 breathing. ChibiUsa’s arms went to Hotaru’s sides, drawing her close,
rlm@0 255 exactly where
rlm@0 256 ChibiUsa wanted her. Hotaru gave an ‘oh’ of surprise before putting her own
rlm@0 257 hands on
rlm@0 258 ChibiUsa’s shoulders.
rlm@0 259 "Are you mad?" ChibiUsa asked concernedly.
rlm@0 260 "Why would I be?" Hotaru blinked in confusion.
rlm@0 261 "Well, what I did back there. I shouldn’t have embarrassed you in front of
rlm@0 262 everybody. I just wasn’t thinking," ChibiUsa said apologetically.
rlm@0 263 Hotaru brought her hand up to ChibiUsa’s warm cheek. "Odango-chan, don’t
rlm@0 264 worry about that. I was... shocked, but I was happy. I never thought you
rlm@0 265 would do
rlm@0 266 something like that in front of anyone."
rlm@0 267 ChibiUsa could see Hotaru smile in the dim light. "They didn’t know us
rlm@0 268 anyway. Why worry what they think, right?" she asked a little awkwardly as
rlm@0 269 if still a bit
rlm@0 270 unsure herself.
rlm@0 271 Hotaru shook her head. "No reason to worry about them. I love you and you
rlm@0 272 love me. That’s all that matters."
rlm@0 273 ChibiUsa nodded. "Hai. I think I learned something tonight, too."
rlm@0 274 Hotaru’s heart rose. Maybe ChibiUsa finally had learned that it was okay
rlm@0 275 for
rlm@0 276 them to be in love, that she didn’t need to hide it from everyone. "What’s
rlm@0 277 that?"
rlm@0 278 "I learned that its alright to embarrass you in public as long as we kiss
rlm@0 279 afterwards," ChibiUsa gave the dark haired girl a wink.
rlm@0 280 "Odango-chan..." Hotaru stared at the pink haired girl, a sweatdrop
rlm@0 281 forming.
rlm@0 282 "That’s not what I wanted you to learn."
rlm@0 283 ChibiUsa giggled. "Oh well. At least I’m prepared for next time."
rlm@0 284 "If.." Hotaru began.
rlm@0 285 "When.." ChibiUsa interrupted.
rlm@0 286 "there’s a next time," they finished.
rlm@0 287 Hotaru sighed and brushed some of ChibiUsa’s long pink hair back. "What did
rlm@0 288 you and your mom talk about after Rei and I left?"
rlm@0 289 "Oh, this and that. I’m feeling a lot better now that she knows. I may not
rlm@0 290 say it
rlm@0 291 often, but I really can see that she’s my mother. I kind of miss not having
rlm@0 292 been able to see
rlm@0 293 her in so long, so I’ve been thinking of Usagi as her more and more, even
rlm@0 294 though she
rlm@0 295 hasn’t had me yet." ChibiUsa looked thoughtful. "I really think my mom knew
rlm@0 296 I’d fall in
rlm@0 297 love with you when she sent me back to train as Sailorchibimoon."
rlm@0 298 "Maybe that’s why she sent you to train in the past in the first place,"
rlm@0 299 Hotaru
rlm@0 300 said, smiling.
rlm@0 301 "I’m not sure. But I do think she already knew." ChibiUsa’s eyes widened as
rlm@0 302 she
rlm@0 303 remembered something suddenly. "Oh yeah! Usagi said she was pregnant."
rlm@0 304 Hotaru looked at the pink haired girl in shock. "She’s pregnant?" ChibiUsa
rlm@0 305 nodded. "Its you," Hotaru said joyously. "She’s pregnant with you, isn’t
rlm@0 306 she?"
rlm@0 307 ChibiUsa shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. Its strange. My mom’s pregnant with
rlm@0 308 me and I’m around to see it. It all happened so fast. I’d almost forgotten
rlm@0 309 about going back
rlm@0 310 to the future, but its almost time for me too."
rlm@0 311 Hotaru shook her head emphatically. "No, we can’t leave until after you’re
rlm@0 312 born.
rlm@0 313 I want to see you as a baby. I want to be here when your born."
rlm@0 314 ChibiUsa laughed nervously. "Hotaru-chan, I can show you pictures of me as
rlm@0 315 a
rlm@0 316 baby when we get to the future."
rlm@0 317 "That’s not the same thing. And its only fair. You got to see me as a baby
rlm@0 318 when
rlm@0 319 I was reborn. I want to be here to see you. I’m sure Usagi would be a lot
rlm@0 320 happier if you
rlm@0 321 were here while she was pregnant," Hotaru argued.
rlm@0 322 ChibiUsa was uneasy about the thought of staying around while her mother
rlm@0 323 was
rlm@0 324 pregnant with her, but Hotaru did have a point. Usagi had a lot going on
rlm@0 325 right now and it
rlm@0 326 might be easier for her if she stayed. Usagi was pregnant with her, having
rlm@0 327 trouble with
rlm@0 328 Mamoru, and in the midst of falling in love with Rei. With Kousagi back in
rlm@0 329 the past,
rlm@0 330 there were added problems. "Well, alright. Unless Puu says we need to go
rlm@0 331 back. Or
rlm@0 332 my mom sends for me. Or.."
rlm@0 333 Hotaru cut ChibiUsa off with a quick kiss. The small piece of heaven shared
rlm@0 334 between the two of them pushed back the other thoughts. "Thanks, ChibiUsa,"
rlm@0 335 Hotaru said quietly. The two girls ever so slowly started leaning towards
rlm@0 336 each other.
rlm@0 337 Hotaru couldn’t think of anything other than the other girl’s soft, red
rlm@0 338 lips. Barely inches
rlm@0 339 away from each other, a voice broke through the cloudy haze they were both
rlm@0 340 in.
rlm@0 341 "SO that’s what you two were up to." PallaPalla stood a few feet away,
rlm@0 342 staring
rlm@0 343 at the two girls. She wrinkled her brow as she got a closer look of the two
rlm@0 344 of them "Why
rlm@0 345 are you two dressed like that? It makes you look too old."
rlm@0 346 ChibiUsa sighed. "You think anything over fifteen is too old, PallaPalla."
rlm@0 347 PallaPalla just smiled. "Yep. That’s why PallaPalla’s here. PallaPalla
rlm@0 348 wanted to
rlm@0 349 help both of you."
rlm@0 350 Hotaru tilted her head to the side slightly. "You do? How’s that?"
rlm@0 351 "Of course PallaPalla does. ChibiUsa is our princess. You’re starting to
rlm@0 352 get older
rlm@0 353 than us, ChibiUsa-chan. We thought you’d want to be young forever like us,"
rlm@0 354 PallaPalla
rlm@0 355 explained.
rlm@0 356 "’We’?" ChibiUsa asked. "The rest of the Quartet are in on this?"
rlm@0 357 "Well, we all talked about you getting too old, but PallaPalla’s the only
rlm@0 358 one
rlm@0 359 doing anything about it." The blue haired amazoness smiled proudly.
rlm@0 360 "PallaPalla, we’re going to stop aging around twenty two already. That’s
rlm@0 361 what
rlm@0 362 age my mom and all the other senshi stopped aging at," ChibiUsa said.
rlm@0 363 PallaPalla shook her head in disgust. "Too old." She stuck both arms out in
rlm@0 364 front
rlm@0 365 of her and a billiard ball formed between her hands. Energy swirled around
rlm@0 366 it as she
rlm@0 367 started concentrating.
rlm@0 368 "PallaPalla?" ChibiUsa said, pulling away from Hotaru and starting to walk
rlm@0 369 towards the amazoness.
rlm@0 370 Too late. The ball shot out, whipping through the air. ChibiUsa gasped as
rlm@0 371 she
rlm@0 372 saw it heading her way. She closed her eyes and held up her arms. She felt
rlm@0 373 the wind as it
rlm@0 374 flew right past. Behind her there was a large flash of light before all was
rlm@0 375 silent. ‘It
rlm@0 376 missed?’ ChibiUsa thought to herself. She wasn’t quite sure of what it would
rlm@0 377 have done,
rlm@0 378 but she was glad she hadn’t had to find out. "PallaPalla, I don’t want you
rlm@0 379 to stop our
rlm@0 380 aging. I’m fine with how things are going. Right, Hotaru?" ChibiUsa asked,
rlm@0 381 turning back
rlm@0 382 towards the raven haired girl. She nearly lost her balance. Where Hotaru had
rlm@0 383 been
rlm@0 384 moments before, stood a child roughly the same age as their twin daughters.
rlm@0 385 Hotaru’s
rlm@0 386 dark purple long sleeved dress was draped around her. The little girl’s eyes
rlm@0 387 were shut
rlm@0 388 tightly. "Hotaru?" ChibiUsa whispered breathlessly.
rlm@0 389 Hotaru slowly opened her eyes. What happened? She felt a little strange.
rlm@0 390 She
rlm@0 391 was dizzy from the energy ball hitting its target. Her dress felt way too
rlm@0 392 big for her now,
rlm@0 393 though she remembered thinking it was a size too small when she and ChibiUsa
rlm@0 394 had gone
rlm@0 395 shopping the week before. She could feel the cold grass under her bare feet,
rlm@0 396 having
rlm@0 397 stumbled out of her shoes. She blinked several times, trying to clear her
rlm@0 398 blurred vision.
rlm@0 399 ChibiUsa was staring at her wide eyed and PallaPalla was waving her arms
rlm@0 400 frantically,
rlm@0 401 trying to apologize. Apologize for what? "ChibiUsa-chan?" Hotaru gasped as
rlm@0 402 she heard
rlm@0 403 her own voice. Now that she thought about it, ChibiUsa and PallaPalla looked
rlm@0 404 bigger,
rlm@0 405 too. What was going on?
rlm@0 406 "Oh, Hotaru-chan.." ChibiUsa said disparately. She quickly turned back to
rlm@0 407 PallaPalla. "What happened?" she demanded.
rlm@0 408 "PallaPalla doesn’t know!" PallaPalla said apologetically. "PallaPalla was
rlm@0 409 trying
rlm@0 410 to stop her from aging so you two could stay this age. PallaPalla didn’t
rlm@0 411 mean for that to
rlm@0 412 happen. PallaPalla’s so sorry, Small Lady."
rlm@0 413 ChibiUsa took several deep breaths before saying anything. "Change her
rlm@0 414 back."
rlm@0 415 PallaPalla held her arms out helplessly. "PallaPalla can’t," she said
rlm@0 416 quietly.
rlm@0 417 "You can’t," ChibiUsa repeated. "You can’t?" she said again, the reality of
rlm@0 418 the
rlm@0 419 situation dawning on her. "Why not?"
rlm@0 420 "PallaPalla just can’t. It was supposed to stop all outside forces from
rlm@0 421 aging you.
rlm@0 422 So PallaPalla can’t do anything to fix it," PallaPalla explained hesitantly.
rlm@0 423 ChibIUsa turned back to Hotaru hopelessly. "Hotaru-chan," she said softly.
rlm@0 424 "What’s going on?" Hotaru asked, getting angry that neither was telling
rlm@0 425 her.
rlm@0 426 "There is something PallaPalla can do," PallaPalla began.
rlm@0 427 "What?" ChibiUsa asked eagerly. "What can you do? Anything."
rlm@0 428 "I could complete the spell so she’s a baby."
rlm@0 429 ChibiUsa stared at the blue haired girl. "What good would that do?"
rlm@0 430 "Since Usagi’s pregnant with you, you’ll be born about nine months from
rlm@0 431 now.
rlm@0 432 If Hotaru’s a baby starting now, she’ll only be about a year older than you.
rlm@0 433 So when you
rlm@0 434 go back to the future, she’ll be just a little older than you." PallaPalla
rlm@0 435 smiled, glad that
rlm@0 436 she’d come up with a solution. She’d been jumping along through the trees to
rlm@0 437 meet up
rlm@0 438 with them, so she’d heard ChibiUsa talking about Usagi’s pregnancy.
rlm@0 439 Hotaru trudged along towards ChibiUsa, the dress flailing around her.
rlm@0 440 ChibiUsa
rlm@0 441 was starting to seem a whole lot taller than her. Bending down, ChibiUsa
rlm@0 442 lifted her up in
rlm@0 443 her arms. Hotaru gasped as she felt the pink haired girl pick her up.
rlm@0 444 "No! You can’t do that. We’ve got to find a way to make Hota-chan her
rlm@0 445 normal
rlm@0 446 age again," ChibiUsa said worriedly.
rlm@0 447 ‘Normal age? Is that it? Oh no.. Am I a kid again?’ Hotaru asked herself. A
rlm@0 448 wave of sadness passed through her at the thought of having to grow up yet
rlm@0 449 again.
rlm@0 450 "ChibiUsa-chan, how old am I?" Hotaru asked, looking directly at the pink
rlm@0 451 haired girl.
rlm@0 452 ChibiUsa looked back at her sadly. "I’m so sorry, Taru. I’d guess five or
rlm@0 453 six."
rlm@0 454 "Well, PallaPalla thought it was a good idea," PallaPalla said to no one in
rlm@0 455 particular.
rlm@0 456 "I’m not going to let you make her a baby," ChibiUsa said angrily. "It was
rlm@0 457 bad
rlm@0 458 enough she was taken from me the last time that happened. I’m not gonna let
rlm@0 459 it happen
rlm@0 460 again."
rlm@0 461 PallaPalla stared at the ground. "PallaPalla’s sorry Hotaru-chan,
rlm@0 462 ChibiUsa-chan.
rlm@0 463 There’s nothing PallaPalla can do about it now."
rlm@0 464 ChibiUsa felt her temper flaring. A mixture of anger, sadness, and
rlm@0 465 hopelessness
rlm@0 466 coursed through her veins. "No, you have to do something," she continued
rlm@0 467 desperately.
rlm@0 468 Hotaru shook her head sadly. "No, ChibiUsa-chan. There’s nothing she can
rlm@0 469 do."
rlm@0 470 The blue haired amazoness paused for a brief moment before starting to walk
rlm@0 471 away. She felt bad about her mistake, but what could she do? She just hoped
rlm@0 472 the other
rlm@0 473 three amazoness wouldn’t be mad at her. She’d already disappointed her
rlm@0 474 princess and
rlm@0 475 Hotaru. She didn’t want everyone mad at her.
rlm@0 476 "What do we do now?" ChibiUsa asked, her voice low.
rlm@0 477 "Go home," Hotaru suggested. "We’d have to go eventually and we might as
rlm@0 478 well get it out of the way now."
rlm@0 479 ChibiUsa nodded. "I’m so sorry, Hotaru-chan."
rlm@0 480 Hotaru swallowed a lump forming in her throat. "Don’t be, ChibiUsa-chan.
rlm@0 481 Its
rlm@0 482 not your fault."
rlm@0 483 "Thanks, Taru." Setting Hotaru down, ChibiUsa pulled out the Luna Pen.
rlm@0 484 Using
rlm@0 485 the pen she changed Hotaru’s dress into a much smaller dress for the now
rlm@0 486 younger girl.
rlm@0 487 Picking her back up, ChibiUsa took off for the mansion where Hotaru lived.
rlm@0 488 "Umm.. ChibiUsa, I can walk," Hotaru said after a minute.
rlm@0 489 "Oh yeah." ChibiUsa blushed in embarrassment and set the younger girl down.
rlm@0 490 Hotaru sighed as she had to reach up to hold the other girl’s hand.
rlm@0 491 Something
rlm@0 492 she did so often was now so totally different. The two walked on in silence
rlm@0 493 for a while,
rlm@0 494 both tormented by their own thoughts as they made their way to Hotaru’s
rlm@0 495 house.
rlm@0 496
rlm@0 497 Hotaru shivered as the cold when began to blow across her exposed skin.
rlm@0 498 Tiny
rlm@0 499 goosebumps formed from the chill. Tiny droplets of water had begun to fall
rlm@0 500 from the dark
rlm@0 501 clouds overhead. Hotaru was cold, wet, and miserable. A dark pit sunk in her
rlm@0 502 stomach
rlm@0 503 when she looked up at ChibiUsa. She had almost managed to forget how old she
rlm@0 504 was
rlm@0 505 while they had been walking along. The realization that she could be stuck
rlm@0 506 as a child
rlm@0 507 frightened her. Her small hand clutched ChibiUsa’s soft hand tightly, her
rlm@0 508 fingers
rlm@0 509 trembling lightly. She knew she shouldn’t be scared. ChibiUsa would be there
rlm@0 510 for her,
rlm@0 511 and Setsuna could probably find someway to fix things. But she couldn’t help
rlm@0 512 it. She was
rlm@0 513 afraid. What would happen now? Would she have to grow up again, wait those
rlm@0 514 long years
rlm@0 515 over again? The thought that frightened her the most was from what she’d
rlm@0 516 heard
rlm@0 517 PallaPalla say. Would she have to wait and grow up all over until she could
rlm@0 518 see ChibiUsa
rlm@0 519 again? If she was stuck as a child, would ChibiUsa have to go to the future
rlm@0 520 without her?
rlm@0 521 She would have to wait years to be together with ChibiUsa again if that
rlm@0 522 happened.
rlm@0 523 "Oh, Hota-chan," ChibiUsa said quietly, shaking the dark haired girl from
rlm@0 524 her
rlm@0 525 thoughts. ChibiUsa was kneeling in front of her, rain droplets dripping
rlm@0 526 across her
rlm@0 527 beautiful features, dripping off her chin. "It’s okay, Hota-chan. Please
rlm@0 528 don’t cry." The
rlm@0 529 pink haired girl’s fingertips brushed away sad tears that had begun falling
rlm@0 530 from Hotaru’s
rlm@0 531 large violet eyes. Hotaru hadn’t even realized they were there before that
rlm@0 532 moment.
rlm@0 533 ChibiUsa’s soft touch sent a spark of warmth through the younger girl’s cold
rlm@0 534 body. "I
rlm@0 535 promise it will be alright. Even if I have to go make PallaPalla do the same
rlm@0 536 thing to me,
rlm@0 537 just so we can stay together, that’s what we’ll do." The pink haired
rlm@0 538 princess smiled
rlm@0 539 lopsidedly. "We can go back to the future as little girls and grow up
rlm@0 540 together." She
rlm@0 541 brushed some damp hair away from Hotaru’s eyes and kissed her forehead
rlm@0 542 gingerly.
rlm@0 543 "ChibiUsa-chan.." Hotaru said, her voice choked off by the emotions she
rlm@0 544 felt.
rlm@0 545 She threw her small arms around the now taller girl’s waist, her head
rlm@0 546 resting against the
rlm@0 547 other girl. Sobs wracked her small form as ChibiUsa held her close. The fear
rlm@0 548 and sadness
rlm@0 549 she had felt were replaced by the warm feeling of love she had for her pink
rlm@0 550 haired
rlm@0 551 princess. She was still saddened by the whole ordeal, but she knew that
rlm@0 552 she’d be okay in
rlm@0 553 the solace of ChibiUsa’s arms.
rlm@0 554 "I’d never leave you, Hotaru-chan. Even if it was to wait for you to grow
rlm@0 555 up. If
rlm@0 556 it came down to it, I’d rather grow up with you." ChibiUsa sighed in relief
rlm@0 557 as she finally
rlm@0 558 managed to coax a smile from the younger girl. "I love you, you know."
rlm@0 559 Hotaru nodded, the wind ruffling her dark hair. "I know. I love you, too."
rlm@0 560 "There’s nothing for you to worry about, Hotaru-chan. We’ll find some way to
rlm@0 561 fix this," ChibiUsa said, locking her crimson eyes with Hotaru’s violet
rlm@0 562 ones. She took a
rlm@0 563 deep breath before continuing. "And if we can’t, don’t let it get to you.
rlm@0 564 I’ll always love
rlm@0 565 you. We’ll always be together. Remember that."
rlm@0 566 Hotaru nodded again. "Hai, I will." She buried her face in the soft material
rlm@0 567 of
rlm@0 568 ChibiUsa’s dress, the soft feel of the pink haired girl’s skin underneath.
rlm@0 569 Warm tears
rlm@0 570 mixed with the cold rain on the dress, but the tears slowly trickled to a
rlm@0 571 stop. Taking a step
rlm@0 572 back, Hotaru mustered a weak smile. "Thank you, Odango-chan."
rlm@0 573 ChibiUsa returned the smile. "Anytime, Taru. Now let’s get you home. Its
rlm@0 574 freezing out here."
rlm@0 575
rlm@0 576 Unbeknownst to the two girls, two shadowed figures had been watching from a
rlm@0 577 distance. The two mysterious figures held each other tightly in the rain.
rlm@0 578 Both appeared to
rlm@0 579 be around sixteen years old.
rlm@0 580 "That was surprising," one of them said, her dark hair done up in odangos
rlm@0 581 getting rather soaked in the rain. She turned to her companion.
rlm@0 582 "I had know idea that was going to happen. They had mentioned it before,
rlm@0 583 but I
rlm@0 584 didn’t know it would happen while we were back here. Maybe we should have
rlm@0 585 spent
rlm@0 586 more time researching everything," the other said. She pulled off her
rlm@0 587 glasses with a free
rlm@0 588 hand, the raindrops blurring her vision.
rlm@0 589 "We might be able to use it to our advantage," the odangoed one suggested.
rlm@0 590 The other girl ran a hand through her own damp, shorter hair. She thought
rlm@0 591 for a
rlm@0 592 moment. "Yeah, maybe we can. For now we’ll just have to watch. We’ll have to
rlm@0 593 wait for
rlm@0 594 the right time before we begin."
rlm@0 595 The girl with the odangos nodded. "Right. I can wait. I’m in no hurry as it
rlm@0 596 is."
rlm@0 597 Smiling, her shorter haired companion leaned closer, her lips almost
rlm@0 598 touching
rlm@0 599 the other girl’s. "Neither am I, if it means waiting with you."
rlm@0 600 The two girls continued to hold each other in the shadows as the rain
rlm@0 601 poured
rlm@0 602 around them.
rlm@0 603
rlm@0 604 As a flash of lightening illuminated the area around them, Hotaru was sure
rlm@0 605 she
rlm@0 606 saw two figures looking over at them. Before she could say anything, a loud
rlm@0 607 thunder clap
rlm@0 608 hit, the sound ringing in her ears. Suddenly, she felt ChibiUsa’s arms
rlm@0 609 encircle her,
rlm@0 610 drawing her near. Hotaru struggled to catch her breath as the older girl’s
rlm@0 611 arms squeezed
rlm@0 612 her. She could feel the pink haired girl’s rapid heartbeat against her.
rlm@0 613 Looking up, she saw
rlm@0 614 that ChibiUsa’s eyes were clenched closed. ChibiUsa’s normal warm complexion
rlm@0 615 was
rlm@0 616 now pale. She knew ChibiUsa had a fear of thunder, but she’d forgotten all
rlm@0 617 about it for
rlm@0 618 the moment. Hotaru felt awkward as she now tried to comfort the older girl.
rlm@0 619 "Its okay,
rlm@0 620 ChibiUsa-chan. It’s only a noise."
rlm@0 621 ChibiUsa took a shuddering breath, slowly opening her eyes. "I know.. Let’s
rlm@0 622 just hurry back to your place, alright?"
rlm@0 623 "Sure. We’re almost there, ChibiUsa-chan," Hotaru said soothingly.
rlm@0 624 ChibiUsa giggled nervously. "It’s really no big deal. It’s silly to be
rlm@0 625 afraid of
rlm@0 626 that." Another clap of thunder had her dragging Hotaru close in a tight
rlm@0 627 embrace again.
rlm@0 628 The pink haired girl shut her eyes as she waited for it to pass.
rlm@0 629
rlm@0 630 Over in the shadows, the girl with odangos shook her head. "Too bad she
rlm@0 631 never
rlm@0 632 gets over her fear of thunder."
rlm@0 633 The other girl laughed softly and put her glasses back on. "By then it’s
rlm@0 634 just an
rlm@0 635 excuse to clutch onto Hotaru."
rlm@0 636 "When you think about it that way.." the dark haired girl with odangos said
rlm@0 637 thoughtfully. Both girls stepped further back into the shadows as they
rlm@0 638 followed Hotaru
rlm@0 639 and ChibiUsa.
rlm@0 640
rlm@0 641
rlm@0 642 ChibiUsa and Hotaru sat on the bed in an uneasy silence. ChibiUsa wanted
rlm@0 643 desperately to comfort the now younger dark haired girl, but she didn’t know
rlm@0 644 what she
rlm@0 645 could say or do to help.
rlm@0 646 Hotaru looked helplessly down past her small feet to the floor. Everything
rlm@0 647 was
rlm@0 648 so much bigger now. Glancing sidelong at her girlfriend, she felt a stab of
rlm@0 649 pain in her
rlm@0 650 heart. The pink haired girl was so much older than her now. She was only a
rlm@0 651 child.
rlm@0 652 "Odango-chan?" Hotaru’s small voice piped up.
rlm@0 653 Turning at the sound, ChibiUsa’s arm went around the smaller girl, pulling
rlm@0 654 her
rlm@0 655 closer. "Yes, Hotaru-chan?" She could see the hopeless look in Hotaru’s
rlm@0 656 eyes, the
rlm@0 657 defeated slump of her shoulders. It crushed ChibiUsa to see the dark haired
rlm@0 658 girl like that.
rlm@0 659 She took Hotaru’s small hand in her own, trying to comfort her.
rlm@0 660 "Would you really have PallaPalla do the same thing to you if we couldn’t
rlm@0 661 find a
rlm@0 662 way to fix this?" Hotaru looked up at the pink haired girl worriedly.
rlm@0 663 ChibiUsa smiled and squeezed Hotaru’s hand gently. "Of course, Taru. You
rlm@0 664 shouldn’t have to go through this by yourself. And I wouldn’t mind the
rlm@0 665 chance to grow
rlm@0 666 up with you. Besides, maybe it’ll help me be more ladylike when I get older
rlm@0 667 if I have to
rlm@0 668 go through being a kid again." She giggled softly.
rlm@0 669 "But isn’t it better this way? If I’m changed back into a baby, then I can
rlm@0 670 grow
rlm@0 671 up. When Usagi has you, I’ll only be a year older than you." Hotaru tried to
rlm@0 672 smile, but it
rlm@0 673 failed to reach her eyes.
rlm@0 674 ChibiUsa shook her head firmly. "No. Either you get to come back with me to
rlm@0 675 the future or I’m staying here with you."
rlm@0 676 "But you’re the princess of Crystal Tokyo," Hotaru argued.
rlm@0 677 ChibiUsa smiled. Leaning forward, she softly kissed Hotaru’s cheek. "That
rlm@0 678 doesn’t matter. I love you. I want to be with you. No matter where it is.
rlm@0 679 And if that means
rlm@0 680 as five year olds growing up again, then that’s fine."
rlm@0 681 "Oh, ChibiUsa-chan!" Hotaru stood up shakily on the bed, hugging the pink
rlm@0 682 haired girl as tightly as she could. ChibiUsa’s arms wrapped around the
rlm@0 683 smaller girl,
rlm@0 684 drawing her close. They stayed that way for a long time.
rlm@0 685 ChibiUsa finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had once again
rlm@0 686 enveloped
rlm@0 687 the room. "It doesn’t matter to me what age you are, Taru-chan. It hasn’t
rlm@0 688 changed the fact
rlm@0 689 that I still love you. With all my heart." She added with a slight smile,
rlm@0 690 "It was strange
rlm@0 691 enough to find out I was in love with my best friend, let alone a girl at
rlm@0 692 that. Do you think
rlm@0 693 this would change things?"
rlm@0 694 Hotaru’s head rested against ChibiUsa’s shoulder. She shook her head
rlm@0 695 slowly. "I
rlm@0 696 was just scared. My body’s so different now. I’m a little girl. I’ll have to
rlm@0 697 wait to grow up
rlm@0 698 all over again. I didn’t know what would happen with us. I know you’d still
rlm@0 699 love me, but
rlm@0 700 I didn’t know if you’d leave for the future, when I’ll be older. Its got to
rlm@0 701 be hard having a
rlm@0 702 girlfriend that’s ten years younger than you."
rlm@0 703 ChibiUsa winked at the dark haired girl. "I’ll manage. I’m not the one who
rlm@0 704 has
rlm@0 705 to grow up again. Yet, at least. Think about it this way, though. You’ll be
rlm@0 706 able to
rlm@0 707 understand the twins better."
rlm@0 708 Hotaru giggled softly. She sighed as she looked into ChibiUsa’s warm
rlm@0 709 crimson
rlm@0 710 eyes. A small hand rested on ChibiUsa’s cheek. "Thank you, Odango-chan."
rlm@0 711 "I want you to be happy, my Firefly. I’ll help you through this. I
rlm@0 712 promise."
rlm@0 713 ChibiUsa brushed her hand through Hotaru’s dark, raven hair. She hesitated
rlm@0 714 for just a
rlm@0 715 second before kissing Hotaru.
rlm@0 716 Hotaru closed her eyes, pretending everything was back to normal, that
rlm@0 717 everything was right with the world. Her heart sang out as she kissed the
rlm@0 718 pink haired girl
rlm@0 719 back. "I love you," she said quietly as she rested her head on ChibiUsa’s
rlm@0 720 shoulder again.
rlm@0 721 Shortly afterward, Hotaru fell asleep in the pink haired girl’s arms.
rlm@0 722
rlm@0 723
rlm@0 724 "I want to dream nice dreams..."
rlm@0 725 Beautiful eyelids fluttered open, casting butterfly shadows across pale
rlm@0 726 skin. The
rlm@0 727 figure seemed
rlm@0 728 to clutch around her, praying for something to come into contact with those
rlm@0 729 long fingers.
rlm@0 730 She
rlm@0 731 sat upright, fabric spilling away from her frame like silk, coming to rest
rlm@0 732 near her waist.
rlm@0 733 Nightclothes clung to her, and she reached one hand to peel them away. The
rlm@0 734 other
rlm@0 735 reached up to
rlm@0 736 brush a wispy strand of green and brown hair from her face.
rlm@0 737 "I want to dream nice dreams..."
rlm@0 738 She opened her eyes wider, as if astounded at the quiet whispering. Green
rlm@0 739 eyes
rlm@0 740 went wide, then
rlm@0 741 narrowed, as if suspicious of where the voice had originated from. Small
rlm@0 742 rosebud lips
rlm@0 743 parted,
rlm@0 744 then quietly said, "What?"
rlm@0 745 "I want to dream nice dreams..."
rlm@0 746 The whispering had become almost a pleading, and this small figure seemed
rlm@0 747 to almost
rlm@0 748 jump from
rlm@0 749 her bed. She searched with trained eyes over her surroundings, padding
rlm@0 750 across the floor
rlm@0 751 with
rlm@0 752 bare feet almost noiselessly. She turned at a small sobbing sound, long
rlm@0 753 braids with
rlm@0 754 woven hair
rlm@0 755 swinging, almost deadly. When she saw the almost pathetic figure swinging
rlm@0 756 on a lone
rlm@0 757 circus swing,
rlm@0 758 her heart just about melted.
rlm@0 759 "I want to dream nice dreams..."
rlm@0 760 With barely an effort, the lean arms hoisted the figure up on the ladder.
rlm@0 761 With a
rlm@0 762 cat-like grace
rlm@0 763 she climbed up to meet this sobbing figure that had caused her to rouse from
rlm@0 764 a tormented
rlm@0 765 sleep.
rlm@0 766 She reached her, easing her out of the swing and onto the platform. The
rlm@0 767 girl before her
rlm@0 768 was
rlm@0 769 clutching her knees, rocking back and forth, eyes glazed over and unseeing.
rlm@0 770 Her mouth
rlm@0 771 was
rlm@0 772 quivering, and so were the pale limbs of the body it was joined to.
rlm@0 773 Suddenly, her head
rlm@0 774 shot
rlm@0 775 upward, turning toward this tall figure who had taken her from her
rlm@0 776 sanctuary. Blue eyes
rlm@0 777 were
rlm@0 778 questioning, quivering...but all she could utter from that perfect mouth
rlm@0 779 was...
rlm@0 780 "I want to dream nice dreams..." and she wrapped her arms around this
rlm@0 781 figure
rlm@0 782 standing by her
rlm@0 783 side, pulling her down. "Oh, JunJun, I want to dream nice dreams..."
rlm@0 784 "I know," the savior said, wrapping thin arms around this petite
rlm@0 785 blue-haired
rlm@0 786 child. "I know,
rlm@0 787 PallaPalla." The embrace tightened. "I do too. We all do."
rlm@0 788 "Help me dream nice dreams, JunJun." Oh, how those peircing blue eyes
rlm@0 789 could
rlm@0 790 envelop all who
rlm@0 791 stared them. "Please..."
rlm@0 792 Baffled, she stared into the depths of blue, knowing she was trapped.
rlm@0 793 "I...I don't
rlm@0 794 know how..."
rlm@0 795 "I know I could dreams nice dreams, JunJun..." she continued on, as if she
rlm@0 796 hadn't
rlm@0 797 heard a word
rlm@0 798 the other woman had said. "If I had only one thing..."
rlm@0 799 "What's that?" The words themselves seemed heavy...
rlm@0 800 "If I could just..." an embarrassed giggle. "Have you."
rlm@0 801 A long moment of silence followed. The words seemed to hang in the air,
rlm@0 802 cling
rlm@0 803 to every shred of
rlm@0 804 dignity both girls possessed. And the next noise was only a slight brushing
rlm@0 805 of lips upon
rlm@0 806 lips,
rlm@0 807 and the next a breathless gasp.
rlm@0 808 *Oh, if only we could dream nice dreams...*
rlm@0 809 The joy of sweet kisses, one following the other - so precisely placed on
rlm@0 810 tender lips, as if
rlm@0 811 purely made for mounting pleasure upon pleasure.
rlm@0 812
rlm@0 813 It was still dark when ChibiUsa woke up the next morning. But that wasn’t
rlm@0 814 really a surprise. Even with all the lamps, Hotaru’s room seemed perpetually
rlm@0 815 dark. The
rlm@0 816 pink haired girl didn’t mind. She found the room romantic. A long yawn
rlm@0 817 escaped her lips
rlm@0 818 as she tried to sit up, but something seemed to be stopping her. She moved a
rlm@0 819 little at first,
rlm@0 820 testing. Her arm brushed what felt like a leg, and someone was holding on to
rlm@0 821 her other
rlm@0 822 arm. Looking down, she saw three young girls in the bed with her. For a
rlm@0 823 moment her
rlm@0 824 mind froze, wondering what could be going on. Panic started to edge in on
rlm@0 825 her sleep
rlm@0 826 blurred mind, but things slowly started coming back to her. These were her
rlm@0 827 daughters, her
rlm@0 828 and Hotaru’s. They had come back from the future to spend some time with
rlm@0 829 them. They
rlm@0 830 must have snuck into bed after she fell asleep. But one of them was Hotaru.
rlm@0 831 That
rlm@0 832 depressing thought woke her up fully. It took her a moment in the dim light
rlm@0 833 to pick out
rlm@0 834 which was Hotaru, the dark haired girl holding tightly onto her arm. She
rlm@0 835 smiled softly,
rlm@0 836 brushing back the girl’s raven hair before kissing her forehead.
rlm@0 837 After a long moment, ChibiUsa noticed her vision still wasn’t back to
rlm@0 838 normal,
rlm@0 839 even for the dim room. Reaching up, she giggled a little when she pulled
rlm@0 840 away a note
rlm@0 841 from her own forehead. In it, Setsuna told her she knew all about what
rlm@0 842 happened to
rlm@0 843 Hotaru and that she had explained it to Haruka and Michiru. The Senshi of
rlm@0 844 Time told her
rlm@0 845 not to worry, that she should have faith that it would work out. It also
rlm@0 846 mentioned that
rlm@0 847 Haruka and Michiru had left for the day and that she was going to have
rlm@0 848 breakfast at
rlm@0 849 Seiya’s, so ChibiUsa should have fun watching the kids. For some reason,
rlm@0 850 ChibiUsa was
rlm@0 851 sure the older Senshi had been laughing when she’d written that part.
rlm@0 852 Realizing just how hungry she was, ChibiUsa took great difficulty in
rlm@0 853 extricating
rlm@0 854 herself from the bed. Finally free from the tangle of bodies, she looked
rlm@0 855 back at the bed,
rlm@0 856 trying to make sure that no one woke up. She sighed contentedly as she
rlm@0 857 looked at what
rlm@0 858 would one day be her family. Even the fact that Hotaru was a little girl
rlm@0 859 didn’t seem so
rlm@0 860 bad after a good night sleep. And she did make a cute little girl.
rlm@0 861 The future princess yawned as she walked downstairs, padding along barefoot
rlm@0 862 across the carpeted floor. She was wearing one of Hotaru’s nightgowns, she
rlm@0 863 noticed. Her
rlm@0 864 mind raced with the possibilities of what may lay in the refrigerator, what
rlm@0 865 delicious
rlm@0 866 breakfast could be in store for her. She smiled to herself, deciding to make
rlm@0 867 something for
rlm@0 868 the twins and Hotaru while she was up. She paused at the foot of the stairs
rlm@0 869 when she
rlm@0 870 heard the doorbell ring. The sudden noise in the still, quiet morning
rlm@0 871 shocked her. She
rlm@0 872 stood still for a moment, waiting. Glad that it must have been nothing, she
rlm@0 873 turned to head
rlm@0 874 to the kitchen just as it rang again. She sighed, but headed for the door.
rlm@0 875 So much for
rlm@0 876 breakfast.
rlm@0 877 She stood in front of the door for a long moment, time seeming to freeze in
rlm@0 878 place. A pit formed in her stomach, as if opening that door might change
rlm@0 879 everything.
rlm@0 880 ‘That’s silly,’ she chided herself. Her hand nervously reached out for the
rlm@0 881 door knob,
rlm@0 882 stopping at the cold metal. She swallowed nervously. Why was this getting to
rlm@0 883 her? It was
rlm@0 884 probably just Setsuna or one of the others. The pink haired girl tried to
rlm@0 885 get a grip on the
rlm@0 886 door knob, but her sweaty palm made it hard to turn it. Glancing back
rlm@0 887 towards the stairs,
rlm@0 888 she wished Hotaru to be there with her for some reason. Well, other than the
rlm@0 889 fact that she
rlm@0 890 -always- wanted Hotaru with her. She could hear the drizzling rain starting
rlm@0 891 to pick up as
rlm@0 892 the knocking increased.
rlm@0 893 Steeling herself for whatever lay beyond the door, hoping her nervousness
rlm@0 894 was
rlm@0 895 unfounded, ChibiUsa finally opened the door.
rlm@0 896
rlm@0 897
rlm@0 898 To be continued in the next story. Ja! ^-^