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     1.2 +++ b/stories/loversdreamers.txt	Fri Feb 19 06:24:59 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,898 @@
     1.4 +Lovers and Dreamers
     1.5 +By the Amazoness Quartet
     1.6 +
     1.7 +The song in the story is ChibiUsa’s Stars singles song, ‘BaiBaitte Itta’. 
     1.8 +The translation for
     1.9 +the song was done by William Braell and a friend found it at
    1.10 +http://sailormusic.tripod.com/lyrics/BaiBaitte_Itta.html
    1.11 +
    1.12 +This story takes place right after ‘Family Ties.’ We hope you all enjoy it. 
    1.13 +^-^ Please e-
    1.14 +mail us at amazonessduo@hotmail.com and tell us what you think. ^-^
    1.15 +
    1.16 +
    1.17 +	"C’mon, Taru," ChibiUsa said, waving to her from the curb. She wore a
    1.18 +mischievous grin that fit her older appearance well. It made her look a bit 
    1.19 +like her evil
    1.20 +self, Black Lady.
    1.21 +Hotaru sighed and followed her lover towards the karaoke bar. She still 
    1.22 +wasn’t
    1.23 +sure this was a good idea. ChibiUsa had borrowed the Luna Pen from Usagi to 
    1.24 +make
    1.25 +them look older. Hotaru watched as ChibiUsa’s now much longer hair swayed 
    1.26 +back and
    1.27 +forth as she walked, brushing up against the back of the short dark crimson 
    1.28 +dress the pink
    1.29 +haired girl was wearing. Hotaru felt herself smiling as ChibiUsa walked 
    1.30 +along. The pink
    1.31 +haired girl always managed to affect her deeply, whether or not she was 
    1.32 +pretending to be
    1.33 +older. Hotaru found herself wondering which way she liked ChibiUsa’s hair 
    1.34 +better. It was
    1.35 +pretty when it was long, like her mother’s. But it was cute when it was 
    1.36 +shorter and
    1.37 +fluffier like ChibiUsa normally had it.
    1.38 +	"Taru?" ChibiUsa asked quizzically.
    1.39 +Hotaru blushed. She must have been lost in thought. ChibiUsa took her hand 
    1.40 +and
    1.41 +brought her closer.  Hotaru felt ChibiUsa’s warm breath against her cheek. 
    1.42 +"Usa," Hotaru
    1.43 +said softly as she looked into the other girl’s crimson eyes. Her heart beat 
    1.44 +faster, almost
    1.45 +stopping when ChibiUsa’s long fingers stroked her warm cheek.
    1.46 +"You ready?" ChibiUsa asked, motioning behind her. "You seemed to be out of
    1.47 +it for a second."
    1.48 +	"I get like that when I think about you," Hotaru whispered to the pink 
    1.49 +haired
    1.50 +girl. "You make it hard for me to think about anything else." She smiled, 
    1.51 +fingers
    1.52 +intwining in one of ChibiUsa’s long pink pigtails.
    1.53 +	"Taru..." ChibiUsa’s soft red lips inched anxiously closer to Hotaru’s. 
    1.54 +Hearing a
    1.55 +car screech by, she shook herself out of it. Her long hair flew about, some 
    1.56 +hitting into
    1.57 +Hotaru’s head. "Gomen," ChibiUsa said, embarrassed.
    1.58 +	Hotaru couldn’t help but laugh. "I think I like your shorter hair better."
    1.59 +	Running her hands through her hair to straighten it out, ChibiUsa turned 
    1.60 +back to
    1.61 +Hotaru. "How’s that?"
    1.62 +	Hotaru paused for a moment to take in the pink haired angel before her. She 
    1.63 +was
    1.64 +absolutely stunning. She was the most beautiful thing Hotaru had ever seen. 
    1.65 +She heard
    1.66 +ChibiUsa call her name again, but she just smiled. "Gorgeous," Hotaru said 
    1.67 +breathlessly.
    1.68 +The faint blush and the pleased look on ChibiUsa’s face told Hotaru she’d 
    1.69 +said the right
    1.70 +thing. Taking ChibiUsa’s arm, she headed inside.
    1.71 +	"I meant my hair," ChibiUsa finally got out, still smiling.
    1.72 +	Hotaru glanced at her and smiled back. "I know. But I meant what I said."
    1.73 +	Taking a table near the front, Hotaru and ChibiUsa took their seats. Hotaru
    1.74 +helped ChibiUsa get her long hair out of the way while she sat. "I don’t 
    1.75 +think I’ll ever
    1.76 +know how mom does it," ChibiUsa sighed.
    1.77 +	"I bet it’s probably with practice. When I was younger, I really wanted to 
    1.78 +play
    1.79 +the violin like Michiru-mama, but I was horrible at it whenever I played. 
    1.80 +But she taught
    1.81 +me how. It took a long time, but I really wanted to learn."
    1.82 +	"And you play beautifully," ChibiUsa complimented. Hotaru had played
    1.83 +specifically for her on several occasions.
    1.84 +	Hotaru smiled. "Thank you. Haruka-papa offered to teach me how to drive, 
    1.85 +but
    1.86 +if its anything like learning how to play the violin, I’m not sure I want to 
    1.87 +go through that
    1.88 +again," Hotaru joked. "I’m sure if you keep it long enough, you’ll do just 
    1.89 +fine with long
    1.90 +hair. In the meantime, though, I like it short. It’s..."
    1.91 +	"Cute," ChibiUsa finished for her, grinning. Despite her dream she’d 
    1.92 +harbored
    1.93 +when she was younger about being ladylike, Hotaru was quite intent on making 
    1.94 +sure she
    1.95 +knew the raven haired girl liked her the way she was.
    1.96 +	"Well it is. And I like it." Glancing over at the pink haired girl, Hotaru 
    1.97 +looked at
    1.98 +her curiously. "Why did you borrow the Luna Pen?"
    1.99 +	ChibiUsa thought for a moment. "I thought it would be fun to go out a 
   1.100 +little
   1.101 +differently tonight. I heard about this place from Mamo-chan. He and his 
   1.102 +friends come
   1.103 +here every once in a while, so I thought we might want to look a little 
   1.104 +older if we came so
   1.105 +everyone didn’t just think we were kids."
   1.106 +	"That’s what you wanted it for? Then why are we here?" Hotaru asked, 
   1.107 +raising
   1.108 +an eyebrow.
   1.109 +	Smiling, ChibiUsa responded, "I just wanted to sing."
   1.110 +	"Sing?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow. She did love ChibiUsa’s sweet, lilting 
   1.111 +voice.
   1.112 +The pink haired girl did sing quietly from time to time, but Hotaru loved 
   1.113 +hearing her sing
   1.114 +when they were together in the shower or when it was only the two of them at 
   1.115 +one of
   1.116 +their homes. A smile formed across her lips. It would be nice to hear 
   1.117 +ChibiUsa sing here.
   1.118 +	Looking up to confirm that the stage had finally been vacated, ChibiUsa 
   1.119 +quickly
   1.120 +stood up and took Hotaru’s hand. "Let’s go, Taru."
   1.121 +	Hotaru glanced up at the stage. "I’m not sure, Usa. Not in front of 
   1.122 +everybody."
   1.123 +	"But you’ve been playing your violin in front of people for a while now,"
   1.124 +ChibiUsa argued.
   1.125 +	"That’s different."
   1.126 +	ChibiUsa tugged at Hotaru’s hand again, trying to bring the dark haired 
   1.127 +girl with
   1.128 +her. "How’s that?"
   1.129 +	"Because I don’t have to sing when I’m playing the violin. Usa-chan, if you
   1.130 +want to sing together, can’t we do that at my house? We can wait until 
   1.131 +everybody else is
   1.132 +gone, like when Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama, and Sestuna-mama and Seiya go 
   1.133 +out.
   1.134 +We’d have the whole house to ourselves, so we could sing a duet, or I could 
   1.135 +accompany
   1.136 +you on the violin. Whatever you want. I just don’t want to sing in front of 
   1.137 +all these
   1.138 +people." Hotaru looked nervously up at ChibiUsa. She never did feel 
   1.139 +comfortable with
   1.140 +large groups of people. It just reinforced how shy she already was.
   1.141 +	The pink haired girl finally gave a defeated sigh. "Alright." Winking to 
   1.142 +Hotaru,
   1.143 +ChibiUsa continued up to the stage.
   1.144 +	Hotaru stared on as ChibiUsa took the microphone. ‘What’s she doing?’ 
   1.145 +Hotaru
   1.146 +asked herself. She admitted to herself that ChibiUsa had been acting a bit 
   1.147 +strange tonight.
   1.148 +And she didn’t think the other girl was telling the whole truth about why 
   1.149 +she wanted them
   1.150 +to look different. Maybe so no one would wind up recognizing them. But why?
   1.151 +ChibiUsa’s voice over the speakers shook Hotaru from her thoughts. She kept 
   1.152 +her eyes on
   1.153 +the pink haired girl, wondering what she was thinking.
   1.154 +	"Hello, everyone. Before I start, I’d like to dedicate this song to the 
   1.155 +beautiful
   1.156 +girl up front." Smiling mischievously, ChibiUsa pointed to where Hotaru was 
   1.157 +sitting.
   1.158 +"Taru, you make everyday a dream. A dream that I never want to end. I love 
   1.159 +you, Taru-
   1.160 +chan."
   1.161 +	Hotaru sat in stunned silence, her normally pale cheeks blushed a deep red.
   1.162 +What had gotten into ChibiUsa? The other girl was usually rather shy and 
   1.163 +reserved about
   1.164 +their relationship in public. After Hotaru’s harsh life the first time 
   1.165 +around on earth and
   1.166 +her more loving second time growing up, she tried not to care what other 
   1.167 +people thought
   1.168 +about the two of them being in love. With how ChibiUsa had been acting 
   1.169 +lately, maybe
   1.170 +she was coming to understand how Hotaru felt about their relationship. That 
   1.171 +there wasn’t
   1.172 +a need to hide it.
   1.173 +	ChibiUsa continued to sing, directing it to Hotaru. Hotaru received some 
   1.174 +odd
   1.175 +stares, but she didn’t notice. She was to intent on the future princess on 
   1.176 +the stage. She
   1.177 +may not have been the best singer, but that hardly mattered to Hotaru. She 
   1.178 +felt like
   1.179 +everything the pink haired girl sang was directly to her.
   1.180 +	The pink haired girl’s eyes met Hotaru’s, her sweet voice ringing forth.
   1.181 +
   1.182 +        "No good! No good! No good"  you said,
   1.183 +                                   When your spirits were low, but
   1.184 +                                   I am now at your side, so
   1.185 +                                   It's surely, surely, positively all 
   1.186 +right!
   1.187 +
   1.188 +                                   Even if we're nothing but failures,
   1.189 +                                   We won't just be downhearted NO! NO!
   1.190 +                                   We just lost by a little bit...
   1.191 +                                   Forget all about those meanies!
   1.192 +                                   If we believe in pleasant things, then
   1.193 +                                   Even if night comes, we won't be afraid 
   1.194 +of it;
   1.195 +                                   We know morning, morning, is getting 
   1.196 +near, and so
   1.197 +                                   It's not at all a big deal, right?
   1.198 +
   1.199 +                                   Now, even if we're a pair of fraidycats,
   1.200 +                                   Don't be worried at all, NO! NO!
   1.201 +                                   I'm giving a kiss to those eyelids
   1.202 +                                   Brimming with tears (smack!)
   1.203 +                                   Tomorrow, our wishes certainly will come 
   1.204 +true!
   1.205 +                                   The things we'd like so much will happen,
   1.206 +                                   We'll say BYE-BYE to failures like these.
   1.207 +                                   I've said it! I've said it!  It'll 
   1.208 +absolutely be all right!
   1.209 +
   1.210 +                                   As for being down-hearted and moping,
   1.211 +                                   Giving in to these feelings too easily
   1.212 +                                   Is obviously a big mistake;
   1.213 +                                   Don't give up on our important dreams!
   1.214 +                                   If we believe in cheerful things,
   1.215 +                                   Even if it gets cold, it will not be 
   1.216 +painful;
   1.217 +                                   We know spring, spring, is getting near, 
   1.218 +and so
   1.219 +                                   It's not at all a big deal, right?
   1.220 +
   1.221 +                                   Now, even if we're a pair of crybabies,
   1.222 +                                   Don't be worried at all, NO! NO!
   1.223 +                                   I'm giving a kiss to those cheeks
   1.224 +                                   Dripping with tears (smack!)
   1.225 +                                   Tomorrow will be much more wonderful!
   1.226 +                                   The wishes we most desire will be 
   1.227 +granted,
   1.228 +                                   We'll say BYE-BYE to anxieties like 
   1.229 +these.
   1.230 +                                   I've said it! I've said it! It'll 
   1.231 +absolutely be all right!
   1.232 +
   1.233 +Finally, the music ended and ChibiUsa made her way off the stage. Hotaru
   1.234 +threw her arms around the other girl as soon as she was down. "Odango-chan, 
   1.235 +I love you,
   1.236 +too." They nearly stumbled, but ChibiUsa managed to lean against a table for 
   1.237 +support.
   1.238 +She smiled and returned the embrace. "But why did..." Hotaru’s question lay 
   1.239 +unfinished
   1.240 +as ChibiUsa’s soft lips delved upon Hotaru’s. "Let’s go, Usa," Hotaru said 
   1.241 +after they
   1.242 +broke the kiss. She noticed some of the attention they were getting and 
   1.243 +didn’t want to
   1.244 +stick around for too much longer.
   1.245 +	"Hai," ChibiUsa agreed. The two quickly headed around the side and to the
   1.246 +entrance, careful not to attract any more attention. Finally exiting the 
   1.247 +building, ChibiUsa
   1.248 +released a deep breath. "Next time we’ll just sing at your place."
   1.249 +	Hotaru smiled warmly at her lover. "Good idea." Her arm went around
   1.250 +ChibiUsa’s waist as they began to walk along.
   1.251 +
   1.252 +	While strolling slowly through the park, the two women held each other
   1.253 +lovingly. Neither seemed to notice the cold night air or the dark clouds 
   1.254 +forming overhead.
   1.255 +They looked at each other, the silence around them only broken by the sound 
   1.256 +of
   1.257 +breathing. ChibiUsa’s arms went to Hotaru’s sides, drawing her close, 
   1.258 +exactly where
   1.259 +ChibiUsa wanted her. Hotaru gave an ‘oh’ of surprise before putting her own 
   1.260 +hands on
   1.261 +ChibiUsa’s shoulders.
   1.262 +	"Are you mad?" ChibiUsa asked concernedly.
   1.263 +	"Why would I be?" Hotaru blinked in confusion.
   1.264 +	"Well, what I did back there. I shouldn’t have embarrassed you in front of
   1.265 +everybody. I just wasn’t thinking," ChibiUsa said apologetically.
   1.266 +	Hotaru brought her hand up to ChibiUsa’s warm cheek. "Odango-chan, don’t
   1.267 +worry about that. I was... shocked, but I was happy. I never thought you 
   1.268 +would do
   1.269 +something like that in front of anyone."
   1.270 +	ChibiUsa could see Hotaru smile in the dim light. "They didn’t know us
   1.271 +anyway. Why worry what they think, right?" she asked a little awkwardly as 
   1.272 +if still a bit
   1.273 +unsure herself.
   1.274 +	Hotaru shook her head. "No reason to worry about them. I love you and you
   1.275 +love me. That’s all that matters."
   1.276 +	ChibiUsa nodded. "Hai. I think I learned something tonight, too."
   1.277 +	Hotaru’s heart rose. Maybe ChibiUsa finally had learned that it was okay 
   1.278 +for
   1.279 +them to be in love, that she didn’t need to hide it from everyone. "What’s 
   1.280 +that?"
   1.281 +	"I learned that its alright to embarrass you in public as long as we kiss
   1.282 +afterwards," ChibiUsa gave the dark haired girl a wink.
   1.283 +	"Odango-chan..." Hotaru stared at the pink haired girl, a sweatdrop 
   1.284 +forming.
   1.285 +"That’s not what I wanted you to learn."
   1.286 +	ChibiUsa giggled. "Oh well. At least I’m prepared for next time."
   1.287 +	"If.." Hotaru began.
   1.288 +	"When.." ChibiUsa interrupted.
   1.289 +	"there’s a next time," they finished.
   1.290 +	Hotaru sighed and brushed some of ChibiUsa’s long pink hair back. "What did
   1.291 +you and your mom talk about after Rei and I left?"
   1.292 +	"Oh, this and that. I’m feeling a lot better now that she knows. I may not 
   1.293 +say it
   1.294 +often, but I really can see that she’s my mother. I kind of miss not having 
   1.295 +been able to see
   1.296 +her in so long, so I’ve been thinking of Usagi as her more and more, even 
   1.297 +though she
   1.298 +hasn’t had me yet." ChibiUsa looked thoughtful. "I really think my mom knew 
   1.299 +I’d fall in
   1.300 +love with you when she sent me back to train as Sailorchibimoon."
   1.301 +	"Maybe that’s why she sent you to train in the past in the first place," 
   1.302 +Hotaru
   1.303 +said, smiling.
   1.304 +	"I’m not sure. But I do think she already knew." ChibiUsa’s eyes widened as 
   1.305 +she
   1.306 +remembered something suddenly. "Oh yeah! Usagi said she was pregnant."
   1.307 +	Hotaru looked at the pink haired girl in shock. "She’s pregnant?" ChibiUsa
   1.308 +nodded. "Its you," Hotaru said joyously. "She’s pregnant with you, isn’t 
   1.309 +she?"
   1.310 +	ChibiUsa shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. Its strange. My mom’s pregnant with
   1.311 +me and I’m around to see it. It all happened so fast. I’d almost forgotten 
   1.312 +about going back
   1.313 +to the future, but its almost time for me too."
   1.314 +	Hotaru shook her head emphatically. "No, we can’t leave until after you’re 
   1.315 +born.
   1.316 +I want to see you as a baby.  I want to be here when your born."
   1.317 +	ChibiUsa laughed nervously. "Hotaru-chan, I can show you pictures of me as 
   1.318 +a
   1.319 +baby when we get to the future."
   1.320 +	"That’s not the same thing. And its only fair. You got to see me as a baby 
   1.321 +when
   1.322 +I was reborn. I want to be here to see you. I’m sure Usagi would be a lot 
   1.323 +happier if you
   1.324 +were here while she was pregnant," Hotaru argued.
   1.325 +	ChibiUsa was uneasy about the thought of staying around while her mother 
   1.326 +was
   1.327 +pregnant with her, but Hotaru did have a point. Usagi had a lot going on 
   1.328 +right now and it
   1.329 +might be easier for her if she stayed. Usagi was pregnant with her, having 
   1.330 +trouble with
   1.331 +Mamoru, and in the midst of falling in love with Rei. With Kousagi back in 
   1.332 +the past,
   1.333 +there were added problems. "Well, alright. Unless Puu says we need to go 
   1.334 +back. Or
   1.335 +my mom sends for me. Or.."
   1.336 +	Hotaru cut ChibiUsa off with a quick kiss. The small piece of heaven shared
   1.337 +between the two of them pushed back the other thoughts. "Thanks, ChibiUsa,"
   1.338 +Hotaru said quietly. The two girls ever so slowly started leaning towards 
   1.339 +each other.
   1.340 +Hotaru couldn’t think of anything other than the other girl’s soft, red 
   1.341 +lips. Barely inches
   1.342 +away from each other, a voice broke through the cloudy haze they were both 
   1.343 +in.
   1.344 +	"SO that’s what you two were up to." PallaPalla stood a few feet away, 
   1.345 +staring
   1.346 +at the two girls. She wrinkled her brow as she got a closer look of the two 
   1.347 +of them "Why
   1.348 +are you two dressed like that? It makes you look too old."
   1.349 +	ChibiUsa sighed. "You think anything over fifteen is too old, PallaPalla."
   1.350 +	PallaPalla just smiled. "Yep. That’s why PallaPalla’s here. PallaPalla 
   1.351 +wanted to
   1.352 +help both of you."
   1.353 +	Hotaru tilted her head to the side slightly. "You do? How’s that?"
   1.354 +	"Of course PallaPalla does. ChibiUsa is our princess. You’re starting to 
   1.355 +get older
   1.356 +than us, ChibiUsa-chan. We thought you’d want to be young forever like us," 
   1.357 +PallaPalla
   1.358 +explained.
   1.359 +	"’We’?" ChibiUsa asked. "The rest of the Quartet are in on this?"
   1.360 +	"Well, we all talked about you getting too old, but PallaPalla’s the only 
   1.361 +one
   1.362 +doing anything about it." The blue haired amazoness smiled proudly.
   1.363 +	"PallaPalla, we’re going to stop aging around twenty two already. That’s 
   1.364 +what
   1.365 +age my mom and all the other senshi stopped aging at," ChibiUsa said.
   1.366 +	PallaPalla shook her head in disgust. "Too old." She stuck both arms out in 
   1.367 +front
   1.368 +of her and a billiard ball formed between her hands. Energy swirled around 
   1.369 +it as she
   1.370 +started concentrating.
   1.371 +	"PallaPalla?" ChibiUsa said, pulling away from Hotaru and starting to walk
   1.372 +towards the amazoness.
   1.373 +	Too late. The ball shot out, whipping through the air. ChibiUsa gasped as 
   1.374 +she
   1.375 +saw it heading her way. She closed her eyes and held up her arms. She felt 
   1.376 +the wind as it
   1.377 +flew right past. Behind her there was a large flash of light before all was 
   1.378 +silent. ‘It
   1.379 +missed?’ ChibiUsa thought to herself. She wasn’t quite sure of what it would 
   1.380 +have done,
   1.381 +but she was glad she hadn’t had to find out. "PallaPalla, I don’t want you 
   1.382 +to stop our
   1.383 +aging. I’m fine with how things are going. Right, Hotaru?" ChibiUsa asked, 
   1.384 +turning back
   1.385 +towards the raven haired girl. She nearly lost her balance. Where Hotaru had 
   1.386 +been
   1.387 +moments before, stood a child roughly the same age as their twin daughters. 
   1.388 +Hotaru’s
   1.389 +dark purple long sleeved dress was draped around her. The little girl’s eyes 
   1.390 +were shut
   1.391 +tightly. "Hotaru?" ChibiUsa whispered breathlessly.
   1.392 +	Hotaru slowly opened her eyes. What happened? She felt a little strange. 
   1.393 +She
   1.394 +was dizzy from the energy ball hitting its target. Her dress felt way too 
   1.395 +big for her now,
   1.396 +though she remembered thinking it was a size too small when she and ChibiUsa 
   1.397 +had gone
   1.398 +shopping the week before. She could feel the cold grass under her bare feet, 
   1.399 +having
   1.400 +stumbled out of her shoes. She blinked several times, trying to clear her 
   1.401 +blurred vision.
   1.402 +ChibiUsa was staring at her wide eyed and PallaPalla was waving her arms 
   1.403 +frantically,
   1.404 +trying to apologize. Apologize for what? "ChibiUsa-chan?" Hotaru gasped as 
   1.405 +she heard
   1.406 +her own voice. Now that she thought about it, ChibiUsa and PallaPalla looked 
   1.407 +bigger,
   1.408 +too. What was going on?
   1.409 +	"Oh, Hotaru-chan.." ChibiUsa said disparately. She quickly turned back to
   1.410 +PallaPalla. "What happened?" she demanded.
   1.411 +	"PallaPalla doesn’t know!" PallaPalla said apologetically. "PallaPalla was 
   1.412 +trying
   1.413 +to stop her from aging so you two could stay this age. PallaPalla didn’t 
   1.414 +mean for that to
   1.415 +happen. PallaPalla’s so sorry, Small Lady."
   1.416 +	ChibiUsa took several deep breaths before saying anything. "Change her 
   1.417 +back."
   1.418 +	PallaPalla held her arms out helplessly. "PallaPalla can’t," she said 
   1.419 +quietly.
   1.420 +	"You can’t," ChibiUsa repeated. "You can’t?" she said again, the reality of 
   1.421 +the
   1.422 +situation dawning on her. "Why not?"
   1.423 +	"PallaPalla just can’t. It was supposed to stop all outside forces from 
   1.424 +aging you.
   1.425 +So PallaPalla can’t do anything to fix it," PallaPalla explained hesitantly.
   1.426 +	ChibIUsa turned back to Hotaru hopelessly. "Hotaru-chan," she said softly.
   1.427 +	"What’s going on?" Hotaru asked, getting angry that neither was telling 
   1.428 +her.
   1.429 +	"There is something PallaPalla can do," PallaPalla began.
   1.430 +	"What?" ChibiUsa asked eagerly. "What can you do? Anything."
   1.431 +	"I could complete the spell so she’s a baby."
   1.432 +	ChibiUsa stared at the blue haired girl. "What good would that do?"
   1.433 +	"Since Usagi’s pregnant with you, you’ll be born about nine months from 
   1.434 +now.
   1.435 +If Hotaru’s a baby starting now, she’ll only be about a year older than you. 
   1.436 +So when you
   1.437 +go back to the future, she’ll be just a little older than you." PallaPalla 
   1.438 +smiled, glad that
   1.439 +she’d come up with a solution. She’d been jumping along through the trees to 
   1.440 +meet up
   1.441 +with them, so she’d heard ChibiUsa talking about Usagi’s pregnancy.
   1.442 +	Hotaru trudged along towards ChibiUsa, the dress flailing around her. 
   1.443 +ChibiUsa
   1.444 +was starting to seem a whole lot taller than her. Bending down, ChibiUsa 
   1.445 +lifted her up in
   1.446 +her arms. Hotaru gasped as she felt the pink haired girl pick her up.
   1.447 +	"No! You can’t do that. We’ve got to find a way to make Hota-chan her 
   1.448 +normal
   1.449 +age again," ChibiUsa said worriedly.
   1.450 +	‘Normal age? Is that it? Oh no.. Am I a kid again?’ Hotaru asked herself. A
   1.451 +wave of sadness passed through her at the thought of having to grow up yet 
   1.452 +again.
   1.453 +"ChibiUsa-chan, how old am I?" Hotaru asked, looking directly at the pink 
   1.454 +haired girl.
   1.455 +	ChibiUsa looked back at her sadly. "I’m so sorry, Taru. I’d guess five or 
   1.456 +six."
   1.457 +	"Well, PallaPalla thought it was a good idea," PallaPalla said to no one in
   1.458 +particular.
   1.459 +	"I’m not going to let you make her a baby," ChibiUsa said angrily. "It was 
   1.460 +bad
   1.461 +enough she was taken from me the last time that happened. I’m not gonna let 
   1.462 +it happen
   1.463 +again."
   1.464 +	PallaPalla stared at the ground. "PallaPalla’s sorry Hotaru-chan, 
   1.465 +ChibiUsa-chan.
   1.466 +There’s nothing PallaPalla can do about it now."
   1.467 +	ChibiUsa felt her temper flaring. A mixture of anger, sadness, and 
   1.468 +hopelessness
   1.469 +coursed through her veins. "No, you have to do something," she continued 
   1.470 +desperately.
   1.471 +	Hotaru shook her head sadly. "No, ChibiUsa-chan. There’s nothing she can 
   1.472 +do."
   1.473 +	The blue haired amazoness paused for a brief moment before starting to walk
   1.474 +away. She felt bad about her mistake, but what could she do? She just hoped 
   1.475 +the other
   1.476 +three amazoness wouldn’t be mad at her. She’d already disappointed her 
   1.477 +princess and
   1.478 +Hotaru. She didn’t want everyone mad at her.
   1.479 +	"What do we do now?" ChibiUsa asked, her voice low.
   1.480 +	"Go home," Hotaru suggested. "We’d have to go eventually and we might as
   1.481 +well get it out of the way now."
   1.482 +	ChibiUsa nodded. "I’m so sorry, Hotaru-chan."
   1.483 +	Hotaru swallowed a lump forming in her throat. "Don’t be, ChibiUsa-chan. 
   1.484 +Its
   1.485 +not your fault."
   1.486 +	"Thanks, Taru." Setting Hotaru down, ChibiUsa pulled out the Luna Pen. 
   1.487 +Using
   1.488 +the pen she changed Hotaru’s dress into a much smaller dress for the now 
   1.489 +younger girl.
   1.490 +Picking her back up, ChibiUsa took off for the mansion where Hotaru lived.
   1.491 +	"Umm.. ChibiUsa, I can walk," Hotaru said after a minute.
   1.492 +	"Oh yeah." ChibiUsa blushed in embarrassment and set the younger girl down.
   1.493 +	Hotaru sighed as she had to reach up to hold the other girl’s hand. 
   1.494 +Something
   1.495 +she did so often was now so totally different. The two walked on in silence 
   1.496 +for a while,
   1.497 +both tormented by their own thoughts as they made their way to Hotaru’s 
   1.498 +house.
   1.499 +
   1.500 +	Hotaru shivered as the cold when began to blow across her exposed skin. 
   1.501 +Tiny
   1.502 +goosebumps formed from the chill. Tiny droplets of water had begun to fall 
   1.503 +from the dark
   1.504 +clouds overhead. Hotaru was cold, wet, and miserable. A dark pit sunk in her 
   1.505 +stomach
   1.506 +when she looked up at ChibiUsa. She had almost managed to forget how old she 
   1.507 +was
   1.508 +while they had been walking along. The realization that she could be stuck 
   1.509 +as a child
   1.510 +frightened her. Her small hand clutched ChibiUsa’s soft hand tightly, her 
   1.511 +fingers
   1.512 +trembling lightly. She knew she shouldn’t be scared. ChibiUsa would be there 
   1.513 +for her,
   1.514 +and Setsuna could probably find someway to fix things. But she couldn’t help 
   1.515 +it. She was
   1.516 +afraid. What would happen now? Would she have to grow up again, wait those 
   1.517 +long years
   1.518 +over again? The thought that frightened her the most was from what she’d 
   1.519 +heard
   1.520 +PallaPalla say. Would she have to wait and grow up all over  until she could 
   1.521 +see ChibiUsa
   1.522 +again? If she was stuck as a child, would ChibiUsa have to go to the future 
   1.523 +without her?
   1.524 +She would have to wait years to be together with ChibiUsa again if that 
   1.525 +happened.
   1.526 +	"Oh, Hota-chan," ChibiUsa said quietly, shaking the dark haired girl from 
   1.527 +her
   1.528 +thoughts. ChibiUsa was kneeling in front of her, rain droplets dripping 
   1.529 +across her
   1.530 +beautiful features, dripping off her chin. "It’s okay, Hota-chan. Please 
   1.531 +don’t cry." The
   1.532 +pink haired girl’s fingertips brushed away sad tears that had begun falling 
   1.533 +from Hotaru’s
   1.534 +large violet eyes. Hotaru hadn’t even realized they were there before that 
   1.535 +moment.
   1.536 +ChibiUsa’s soft touch sent a spark of warmth through the younger girl’s cold 
   1.537 +body. "I
   1.538 +promise it will be alright. Even if I have to go make PallaPalla do the same 
   1.539 +thing to me,
   1.540 +just so we can stay together, that’s what we’ll do." The pink haired 
   1.541 +princess smiled
   1.542 +lopsidedly. "We can go back to the future as little girls and grow up 
   1.543 +together." She
   1.544 +brushed some damp hair away from Hotaru’s eyes and kissed her forehead 
   1.545 +gingerly.
   1.546 +	"ChibiUsa-chan.." Hotaru said, her voice choked off by the emotions she 
   1.547 +felt.
   1.548 +She threw her small arms around the now taller girl’s waist, her head 
   1.549 +resting against the
   1.550 +other girl. Sobs wracked her small form as ChibiUsa held her close. The fear 
   1.551 +and sadness
   1.552 +she had felt were replaced by the warm feeling of love she had for her pink 
   1.553 +haired
   1.554 +princess. She was still saddened by the whole ordeal, but she knew that 
   1.555 +she’d be okay in
   1.556 +the solace of ChibiUsa’s arms.
   1.557 +	"I’d never leave you, Hotaru-chan. Even if it was to wait for you to grow 
   1.558 +up. If
   1.559 +it came down to it, I’d rather grow up with you." ChibiUsa sighed in relief 
   1.560 +as she finally
   1.561 +managed to coax a smile from the younger girl. "I love you, you know."
   1.562 +Hotaru nodded, the wind ruffling her dark hair. "I know. I love you, too."
   1.563 +"There’s nothing for you to worry about, Hotaru-chan. We’ll find some way to
   1.564 +fix this," ChibiUsa said, locking her crimson eyes with Hotaru’s violet 
   1.565 +ones. She took a
   1.566 +deep breath before continuing. "And if we can’t, don’t let it get to you. 
   1.567 +I’ll always love
   1.568 +you. We’ll always be together. Remember that."
   1.569 +Hotaru nodded again. "Hai, I will." She buried her face in the soft material 
   1.570 +of
   1.571 +ChibiUsa’s dress, the soft feel of the pink haired girl’s skin underneath. 
   1.572 +Warm tears
   1.573 +mixed with the cold rain on the dress, but the tears slowly trickled to a 
   1.574 +stop. Taking a step
   1.575 +back, Hotaru mustered a weak smile. "Thank you, Odango-chan."
   1.576 +	ChibiUsa returned the smile. "Anytime, Taru. Now let’s get you home. Its
   1.577 +freezing out here."
   1.578 +
   1.579 +	Unbeknownst to the two girls, two shadowed figures had been watching from a
   1.580 +distance. The two mysterious figures held each other tightly in the rain. 
   1.581 +Both appeared to
   1.582 +be around sixteen years old.
   1.583 +	"That was surprising," one of them said, her dark hair done up in odangos
   1.584 +getting rather soaked in the rain. She turned to her companion.
   1.585 +	"I had know idea that was going to happen. They had mentioned it before, 
   1.586 +but I
   1.587 +didn’t know it would happen while we were back here. Maybe we should have 
   1.588 +spent
   1.589 +more time researching everything," the other said. She pulled off her 
   1.590 +glasses with a free
   1.591 +hand, the raindrops blurring her vision.
   1.592 +	"We might be able to use it to our advantage," the odangoed one suggested.
   1.593 +	The other girl ran a hand through her own damp, shorter hair. She thought 
   1.594 +for a
   1.595 +moment. "Yeah, maybe we can. For now we’ll just have to watch. We’ll have to 
   1.596 +wait for
   1.597 +the right time before we begin."
   1.598 +	The girl with the odangos nodded. "Right. I can wait. I’m in no hurry as it 
   1.599 +is."
   1.600 +	Smiling, her shorter haired companion leaned closer, her lips almost 
   1.601 +touching
   1.602 +the other girl’s. "Neither am I, if it means waiting with you."
   1.603 +	The two girls continued to hold each other in the shadows as the rain 
   1.604 +poured
   1.605 +around them.
   1.606 +
   1.607 +	As a flash of lightening illuminated the area around them, Hotaru was sure 
   1.608 +she
   1.609 +saw two figures looking over at them. Before she could say anything, a loud 
   1.610 +thunder clap
   1.611 +hit, the sound ringing in her ears. Suddenly, she felt ChibiUsa’s arms 
   1.612 +encircle her,
   1.613 +drawing her near. Hotaru struggled to catch her breath as the older girl’s 
   1.614 +arms squeezed
   1.615 +her. She could feel the pink haired girl’s rapid heartbeat against her. 
   1.616 +Looking up, she saw
   1.617 +that ChibiUsa’s eyes were clenched closed. ChibiUsa’s normal warm complexion 
   1.618 +was
   1.619 +now pale. She knew ChibiUsa had a fear of thunder, but she’d forgotten all 
   1.620 +about it for
   1.621 +the moment. Hotaru felt awkward as she now tried to comfort the older girl. 
   1.622 +"Its okay,
   1.623 +ChibiUsa-chan. It’s only a noise."
   1.624 +	ChibiUsa took a shuddering breath, slowly opening her eyes. "I know.. Let’s
   1.625 +just hurry back to your place, alright?"
   1.626 +	"Sure. We’re almost there, ChibiUsa-chan," Hotaru said soothingly.
   1.627 +	ChibiUsa giggled nervously. "It’s really no big deal. It’s silly to be 
   1.628 +afraid of
   1.629 +that." Another clap of thunder had her dragging Hotaru close in a tight 
   1.630 +embrace again.
   1.631 +The pink haired girl shut her eyes as she waited for it to pass.
   1.632 +
   1.633 +	Over in the shadows, the girl with odangos shook her head. "Too bad she 
   1.634 +never
   1.635 +gets over her fear of thunder."
   1.636 +	The other girl laughed softly and put her glasses back on. "By then it’s 
   1.637 +just an
   1.638 +excuse to clutch onto Hotaru."
   1.639 +	"When you think about it that way.." the dark haired girl with odangos said
   1.640 +thoughtfully. Both girls stepped further back into the shadows as they 
   1.641 +followed Hotaru
   1.642 +and ChibiUsa.
   1.643 +
   1.644 +
   1.645 +	ChibiUsa and Hotaru sat on the bed in an uneasy silence. ChibiUsa wanted
   1.646 +desperately to comfort the now younger dark haired girl, but she didn’t know 
   1.647 +what she
   1.648 +could say or do to help.
   1.649 +	Hotaru looked helplessly down past her small feet to the floor. Everything 
   1.650 +was
   1.651 +so much bigger now. Glancing sidelong at her girlfriend, she felt a stab of 
   1.652 +pain in her
   1.653 +heart. The pink haired girl was so much older than her now. She was only a 
   1.654 +child.
   1.655 +"Odango-chan?" Hotaru’s small voice piped up.
   1.656 +	Turning at the sound, ChibiUsa’s arm went around the smaller girl, pulling 
   1.657 +her
   1.658 +closer. "Yes, Hotaru-chan?" She could see the hopeless look in Hotaru’s 
   1.659 +eyes, the
   1.660 +defeated slump of her shoulders. It crushed ChibiUsa to see the dark haired 
   1.661 +girl like that.
   1.662 +She took Hotaru’s small hand in her own, trying to comfort her.
   1.663 +	"Would you really have PallaPalla do the same thing to you if we couldn’t 
   1.664 +find a
   1.665 +way to fix this?" Hotaru looked up at the pink haired girl worriedly.
   1.666 +	ChibiUsa smiled and squeezed Hotaru’s hand gently. "Of course, Taru. You
   1.667 +shouldn’t have to go through this by yourself. And I wouldn’t mind the 
   1.668 +chance to grow
   1.669 +up with you. Besides, maybe it’ll help me be more ladylike when I get older 
   1.670 +if I have to
   1.671 +go through being a kid again." She giggled softly.
   1.672 +	"But isn’t it better this way? If I’m changed back into a baby, then I can 
   1.673 +grow
   1.674 +up. When Usagi has you, I’ll only be a year older than you." Hotaru tried to 
   1.675 +smile, but it
   1.676 +failed to reach her eyes.
   1.677 +	ChibiUsa shook her head firmly. "No. Either you get to come back with me to
   1.678 +the future or I’m staying here with you."
   1.679 +	"But you’re the princess of Crystal Tokyo," Hotaru argued.
   1.680 +	ChibiUsa smiled. Leaning forward, she softly kissed Hotaru’s cheek. "That
   1.681 +doesn’t matter. I love you. I want to be with you. No matter where it is. 
   1.682 +And if that means
   1.683 +as five year olds growing up again, then that’s fine."
   1.684 +	"Oh, ChibiUsa-chan!" Hotaru stood up shakily on the bed, hugging the pink
   1.685 +haired girl as tightly as she could. ChibiUsa’s arms wrapped around the 
   1.686 +smaller girl,
   1.687 +drawing her close. They stayed that way for a long time.
   1.688 +	ChibiUsa finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had once again 
   1.689 +enveloped
   1.690 +the room. "It doesn’t matter to me what age you are, Taru-chan. It hasn’t 
   1.691 +changed the fact
   1.692 +that I still love you. With all my heart." She added with a slight smile, 
   1.693 +"It was strange
   1.694 +enough to find out I was in love with my best friend, let alone a girl at 
   1.695 +that. Do you think
   1.696 +this would change things?"
   1.697 +	Hotaru’s head rested against ChibiUsa’s shoulder. She shook her head 
   1.698 +slowly. "I
   1.699 +was just scared. My body’s so different now. I’m a little girl. I’ll have to 
   1.700 +wait to grow up
   1.701 +all over again. I didn’t know what would happen with us. I know you’d still 
   1.702 +love me, but
   1.703 +I didn’t know if you’d leave for the future, when I’ll be older. Its got to 
   1.704 +be hard having a
   1.705 +girlfriend that’s ten years younger than you."
   1.706 +	ChibiUsa winked at the dark haired girl. "I’ll manage. I’m not the one who 
   1.707 +has
   1.708 +to grow up again. Yet, at least. Think about it this way, though. You’ll be 
   1.709 +able to
   1.710 +understand the twins better."
   1.711 +	Hotaru giggled softly. She sighed as she looked into ChibiUsa’s warm 
   1.712 +crimson
   1.713 +eyes. A small hand rested on ChibiUsa’s cheek. "Thank you, Odango-chan."
   1.714 +	"I want you to be happy, my Firefly. I’ll help you through this. I 
   1.715 +promise."
   1.716 +ChibiUsa brushed her hand through Hotaru’s dark, raven hair. She hesitated 
   1.717 +for just a
   1.718 +second before kissing Hotaru.
   1.719 +	Hotaru closed her eyes, pretending everything was back to normal, that
   1.720 +everything was right with the world. Her heart sang out as she kissed the 
   1.721 +pink haired girl
   1.722 +back. "I love you," she said quietly as she rested her head on ChibiUsa’s 
   1.723 +shoulder again.
   1.724 +Shortly afterward, Hotaru fell asleep in the pink haired girl’s arms.
   1.725 +
   1.726 +
   1.727 +	"I want to dream nice dreams..."
   1.728 +	Beautiful eyelids fluttered open, casting butterfly shadows across pale 
   1.729 +skin.  The
   1.730 +figure seemed
   1.731 +to clutch around her, praying for something to come into contact with those 
   1.732 +long fingers.
   1.733 +She
   1.734 +sat upright, fabric spilling away from her frame like silk, coming to rest 
   1.735 +near her waist.
   1.736 +Nightclothes clung to her, and she reached one hand to peel them away.  The 
   1.737 +other
   1.738 +reached up to
   1.739 +brush a wispy strand of green and brown hair from her face.
   1.740 +	"I want to dream nice dreams..."
   1.741 +She opened her eyes wider, as if astounded at the quiet whispering.  Green 
   1.742 +eyes
   1.743 +went wide, then
   1.744 +narrowed, as if suspicious of where the voice had originated from.  Small 
   1.745 +rosebud lips
   1.746 +parted,
   1.747 +then quietly said, "What?"
   1.748 +	"I want to dream nice dreams..."
   1.749 +	The whispering had become almost a pleading, and this small figure seemed 
   1.750 +to almost
   1.751 +jump from
   1.752 +her bed.  She searched with trained eyes over her surroundings, padding 
   1.753 +across the floor
   1.754 +with
   1.755 +bare feet almost noiselessly.  She turned at a small sobbing sound, long 
   1.756 +braids with
   1.757 +woven hair
   1.758 +swinging, almost deadly.  When she saw the almost pathetic figure swinging 
   1.759 +on a lone
   1.760 +circus swing,
   1.761 +her heart just about melted.
   1.762 +	"I want to dream nice dreams..."
   1.763 +	With barely an effort, the lean arms hoisted the figure up on the ladder.  
   1.764 +With a
   1.765 +cat-like grace
   1.766 +she climbed up to meet this sobbing figure that had caused her to rouse from 
   1.767 +a tormented
   1.768 +sleep.
   1.769 +She reached her, easing her out of the swing and onto the platform.  The 
   1.770 +girl before her
   1.771 +was
   1.772 +clutching her knees, rocking back and forth, eyes glazed over and unseeing.  
   1.773 +Her mouth
   1.774 +was
   1.775 +quivering, and so were the pale limbs of the body it was joined to.  
   1.776 +Suddenly, her head
   1.777 +shot
   1.778 +upward, turning toward this tall figure who had taken her from her 
   1.779 +sanctuary.  Blue eyes
   1.780 +were
   1.781 +questioning, quivering...but all she could utter from that perfect mouth 
   1.782 +was...
   1.783 +	"I want to dream nice dreams..." and she wrapped her arms around this 
   1.784 +figure
   1.785 +standing by her
   1.786 +side, pulling her down.  "Oh, JunJun, I want to dream nice dreams..."
   1.787 +	"I know," the savior said, wrapping thin arms around this petite 
   1.788 +blue-haired
   1.789 +child.  "I know,
   1.790 +PallaPalla."  The embrace tightened.  "I do too.  We all do."
   1.791 +	"Help me dream nice dreams, JunJun."  Oh, how those peircing blue eyes 
   1.792 +could
   1.793 +envelop all who
   1.794 +stared them.  "Please..."
   1.795 +	Baffled, she stared into the depths of blue, knowing she was trapped.  
   1.796 +"I...I don't
   1.797 +know how..."
   1.798 +	"I know I could dreams nice dreams, JunJun..." she continued on, as if she 
   1.799 +hadn't
   1.800 +heard a word
   1.801 +the other woman had said.  "If I had only one thing..."
   1.802 +	"What's that?"  The words themselves seemed heavy...
   1.803 +	"If I could just..." an embarrassed giggle.  "Have you."
   1.804 +A long moment of silence followed.  The words seemed to hang in the air, 
   1.805 +cling
   1.806 +to every shred of
   1.807 +dignity both girls possessed.  And the next noise was only a slight brushing 
   1.808 +of lips upon
   1.809 +lips,
   1.810 +and the next a breathless gasp.
   1.811 +	*Oh, if only we could dream nice dreams...*
   1.812 +The joy of sweet kisses, one following the other - so precisely placed on 
   1.813 +tender lips, as if
   1.814 +purely made for mounting pleasure upon pleasure.
   1.815 +
   1.816 +	It was still dark when ChibiUsa woke up the next morning. But that wasn’t
   1.817 +really a surprise. Even with all the lamps, Hotaru’s room seemed perpetually 
   1.818 +dark. The
   1.819 +pink haired girl didn’t mind. She found the room romantic. A long yawn 
   1.820 +escaped her lips
   1.821 +as she tried to sit up, but something seemed to be stopping her. She moved a 
   1.822 +little at first,
   1.823 +testing. Her arm brushed what felt like a leg, and someone was holding on to 
   1.824 +her other
   1.825 +arm. Looking down, she saw three young girls in the bed with her. For a 
   1.826 +moment her
   1.827 +mind froze, wondering what could be going on. Panic started to edge in on 
   1.828 +her sleep
   1.829 +blurred mind, but things slowly started coming back to her. These were her 
   1.830 +daughters, her
   1.831 +and Hotaru’s. They had come back from the future to spend some time with 
   1.832 +them. They
   1.833 +must have snuck into bed after she fell asleep.  But one of them was Hotaru. 
   1.834 +That
   1.835 +depressing thought woke her up fully. It took her a moment in the dim light 
   1.836 +to pick out
   1.837 +which was Hotaru, the dark haired girl holding tightly onto her arm. She 
   1.838 +smiled softly,
   1.839 +brushing back the girl’s raven hair before kissing her forehead.
   1.840 +	After a long moment, ChibiUsa noticed her vision still wasn’t back to 
   1.841 +normal,
   1.842 +even for the dim room. Reaching up, she giggled a little when she pulled 
   1.843 +away a note
   1.844 +from her own forehead. In it, Setsuna told her she knew all about what 
   1.845 +happened to
   1.846 +Hotaru and that she had explained it to Haruka and Michiru. The Senshi of 
   1.847 +Time told her
   1.848 +not to worry, that she should have faith that it would work out. It also 
   1.849 +mentioned that
   1.850 +Haruka and Michiru had left for the day and that she was going to have 
   1.851 +breakfast at
   1.852 +Seiya’s, so ChibiUsa should have fun watching the kids. For some reason, 
   1.853 +ChibiUsa was
   1.854 +sure the older Senshi had been laughing when she’d written that part.
   1.855 +	Realizing just how hungry she was, ChibiUsa took great difficulty in 
   1.856 +extricating
   1.857 +herself from the bed. Finally free from the tangle of bodies, she looked 
   1.858 +back at the bed,
   1.859 +trying to make sure that no one woke up. She sighed contentedly as she 
   1.860 +looked at what
   1.861 +would one day be her family. Even the fact that Hotaru was a little girl 
   1.862 +didn’t seem so
   1.863 +bad after a good night sleep. And she did make a cute little girl.
   1.864 +	The future princess yawned as she walked downstairs, padding along barefoot
   1.865 +across the carpeted floor. She was wearing one of Hotaru’s nightgowns, she 
   1.866 +noticed. Her
   1.867 +mind raced with the possibilities of what may lay in the refrigerator, what 
   1.868 +delicious
   1.869 +breakfast could be in store for her. She smiled to herself, deciding to make 
   1.870 +something for
   1.871 +the twins and Hotaru while she was up. She paused at the foot of the stairs 
   1.872 +when she
   1.873 +heard the doorbell ring. The sudden noise in the still, quiet morning 
   1.874 +shocked her. She
   1.875 +stood still for a moment, waiting. Glad that it must have been nothing, she 
   1.876 +turned to head
   1.877 +to the kitchen just as it rang again. She sighed, but headed for the door. 
   1.878 +So much for
   1.879 +breakfast.
   1.880 +	She stood in front of the door for a long moment, time seeming to freeze in
   1.881 +place. A pit formed in her stomach, as if opening that door might change 
   1.882 +everything.
   1.883 +‘That’s silly,’ she chided herself. Her hand nervously reached out for the 
   1.884 +door knob,
   1.885 +stopping at the cold metal. She swallowed nervously. Why was this getting to 
   1.886 +her? It was
   1.887 +probably just Setsuna or one of the others. The pink haired girl tried to 
   1.888 +get a grip on the
   1.889 +door knob, but her sweaty palm made it hard to turn it. Glancing back 
   1.890 +towards the stairs,
   1.891 +she wished Hotaru to be there with her for some reason. Well, other than the 
   1.892 +fact that she
   1.893 +-always- wanted Hotaru with her. She could hear the drizzling rain starting 
   1.894 +to pick up as
   1.895 +the knocking increased.
   1.896 +	Steeling herself for whatever lay beyond the door, hoping her nervousness 
   1.897 +was
   1.898 +unfounded, ChibiUsa finally opened the door.
   1.899 +
   1.900 +
   1.901 +To be continued in the next story. Ja! ^-^