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     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/eye-1.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,1005 @@
     1.4 +Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity II Alternate
     1.5 +'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter One
     1.6 +by AmazonessDuo
     1.7 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.8 +
     1.9 +
    1.10 +	As the afternoon sun beat down, a lone girl made her way home. The
    1.11 +dark stockings and midnight-black hair almost helped her blend into
    1.12 +the shadows. But the lonely girl didn’t need them for that purpose.
    1.13 +She was used to being ignored, used to fading away into shadows. It
    1.14 +was so much better if to others if she didn’t exist. To exist meant
    1.15 +for them to torment her, to hate her. Why did they hate her? Why did
    1.16 +everyone hate her? What had she done? All she wanted was to be left
    1.17 +alone. Why was this impossible to allow her? And so she hid. In plain
    1.18 +sight, she hid. She was the quiet girl; the shy girl. The lonely
    1.19 +girl. But only when she was lucky. When she wasn’t, she was the
    1.20 +freak. That thing that was only to be hated, not pitied. A witch. No
    1.21 +one knew her. No one cared to. 
    1.22 +	Her eyes downcast, she walked slowly home, keeping to the shadows,
    1.23 +wishing she could fade away into them. As she passed a group of
    1.24 +students around her age on the sidewalk, she gripped the strap to her
    1.25 +school bag nervously. She silently prayed to go unnoticed, and as the
    1.26 +small group left her behind, talking and laughing happily, she
    1.27 +sighed.  But her relief was short-lived, as two girls walking to
    1.28 +their next class spotted her and began to talk, just loud enough for
    1.29 +her to hear.
    1.30 +	"That's the 6th grader, Tomoe-san," says one, as they catch up to
    1.31 +her.  "She's carrying her bag.  Is she leaving early again?"
    1.32 +	"Isn't she really weak?" responds the other.  "She's been wearing
    1.33 +those long tights all year."
    1.34 +	Hotaru closed her eyes, hoping the two would just go away and leave
    1.35 +her alone.  "She's such a dark person," they continued. "Her
    1.36 +expression is always so empty.  It's well known that she's a bit
    1.37 +strange."
    1.38 +	"Naturally.  Her father's a mad scientist."  This insult cut into
    1.39 +her.  She was used to being taunted and tormented herself, but
    1.40 +resorting to attack her father..?  The pain grew until it was almost
    1.41 +unbearable.  "Doesn't she have any friends?"
    1.42 +	The lonely girl collapsed, her bag and its contents spilling out
    1.43 +onto the pavement.  Coughing and trying to see through the haze of
    1.44 +pain, the suffering girl reached out to gather her tin pencil case. 
    1.45 +The girls, seeing this as a perfect opportunity to torture her,
    1.46 +quickly approached, one stepping on the pencil case to attract her
    1.47 +attention.  "What's wrong, Tomoe Hotaru-sempai?" she said, grinning
    1.48 +down at the poor girl condescendingly.  "You tired, need some help?"
    1.49 +	Hotaru simply pulled the pencil case out from under the girl's
    1.50 +foot, and stood, having picked up everything else already.  Glaring
    1.51 +at the two girls, she holds up the tin pencil case and crushes it in
    1.52 +her fist, dropping the now-useless scrap to the ground and continuing
    1.53 +her walk home.  As she left, she heard the girls behind her gasp in
    1.54 +astonishment and continue talking: "W.. what??  She crushed it!  Just
    1.55 +like that!!" "She looked so mad.. like a completely different person!"
    1.56 +	Every day it was the same, and this was no different..  By now she
    1.57 +had grown used to it. One lonely day to the next, she dealt with her
    1.58 +classmates taunts, the emptiness inside of being truly alone even
    1.59 +amidst so many people. She was an outcast, an outsider to which
    1.60 +everyone, even other outcasts, looked down on her. 
    1.61 +	The fact that the school day was over brought little comfort to the
    1.62 +raven haired girl. The cycle would begin again the next day, or after
    1.63 +the weekend. It was unending, a constant in her life that she
    1.64 +couldn’t escape. She darkly contemplated what to do once she got
    1.65 +home. Her father would probably be in his lab, as usual. She hoped
    1.66 +his assistant, Kaolinite, would be as well. She would probably go
    1.67 +back to her room, close the curtains and try to escape her painful
    1.68 +existence in one of the many books she was reading. Maybe she could
    1.69 +even forget, at least for a short time. Or maybe she could come up
    1.70 +with a more permanent escape….
    1.71 +	The dark haired girl gasped and froze in place at the sight ahead
    1.72 +of her. Her heart nearly stopped at the shock that washed over her. A
    1.73 +girl with beautiful pink hair stood with her hands clasped in front
    1.74 +of her near the front gate to the mansion Hotaru lived at with her
    1.75 +father. Hotaru brushed some dark strands of hair from her eyes and
    1.76 +blinked. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. No one would ever
    1.77 +come see her. She knew that much. The pink haired girl couldn’t have
    1.78 +come back to see her. Nothing like that had ever happened to her. No
    1.79 +one cared that much to come see her. Her pulse raced as she stood
    1.80 +nervously, completely unsure of what to think or do.  She wanted to
    1.81 +shrink back into the shadows, to disappear. Then this couldn’t
    1.82 +confuse her like this. It wouldn’t be able to scare her as it did.
    1.83 +But something deep inside stopped her from leaving. 
    1.84 +
    1.85 +~~~~~~ 
    1.86 +
    1.87 +	ChibiUsa stood nervously in front of the imposing iron gate. She
    1.88 +felt a knot in her stomach as she waited. And waited. And waited. She
    1.89 +had been thinking more and more of the pale, dark haired girl lately.
    1.90 +She had to see her again. She’d bought a new handkerchief to give
    1.91 +Hotaru since the other one had been stained with the blood from her
    1.92 +wound. Oddly enough, ChibiUsa treasured the cloth, keeping it hidden
    1.93 +behind some of the bunny dolls she collected. She would take it out
    1.94 +when no one was around, a reminder of Hotaru. She was a bit glad that
    1.95 +it had been stained, both to remind her of the dark haired girl’s
    1.96 +soft healing touch, and so she could keep the handkerchief for herself.
    1.97 +	Releasing a sigh of defeat, ChibiUsa turned to leave. She gasped,
    1.98 +startled by the sudden appearance of the girl she’d been thinking of.
    1.99 +She wasn’t sure what to do, whether she should go to the dark haired
   1.100 +girl or stay and wait for her to walk up. ChibiUsa didn’t have to
   1.101 +worry about that decision because her sudden shock had taken her mind
   1.102 +from the task at hand. Her forward momentum kept her going, but her
   1.103 +feet weren’t moving. Before she knew what had happened, she tripped,
   1.104 +falling face first. She managed to land on her arm, the same arm that
   1.105 +had been cut by the Daimon. Pain coursed through it as she collapsed
   1.106 +to the ground.
   1.107 +	The pink haired girl could dimly hear Hotaru yell something before
   1.108 +running over to her. It wasn’t so much the pain she felt as the
   1.109 +embarrassment that really got to her. It wasn’t exactly the first
   1.110 +impression she wanted to have on the dark haired girl when they met
   1.111 +again. ‘Why am I always so clumsy?’ ChibiUsa asked herself angrily.
   1.112 +‘I’ll never be like my mother. Some graceful princess I am.’ Letting
   1.113 +herself be helped into a sitting position, she met Hotaru’s gaze with
   1.114 +difficulty, her cheeks still a flustered shade of red. One glance
   1.115 +into the violet eyes looking back at her completely rid ChibiUsa of
   1.116 +the embarrassment she’d felt seconds before. There was nothing but
   1.117 +concern in those large beautiful eyes. 
   1.118 +	“Does it hurt?” Hotaru asked, rolling up ChibiUsa’s long sleeves to
   1.119 +get a better look at her arm. She gently ran her hands across the
   1.120 +pink haired girl’s creamy skin.
   1.121 +	ChibiUsa sat silently for a moment. Hotaru’s fingers caressing her
   1.122 +arm was sheer bliss. The dark haired girl’s soft touch pushed all
   1.123 +conscious thought from her mind. She looked back at Hotaru, not
   1.124 +saying anything, just enjoying the silence and the feel of her touch.
   1.125 +Finally noticing the other girl’s concerned stare, ChibiUsa shook
   1.126 +herself from that strange moment. ‘What just happened? I feel so
   1.127 +strange. How does she keep making me feel this way? Even when she’s
   1.128 +not there, she’s all I can think about. And now that she is here, I
   1.129 +can’t think,’ she thought to herself. She smiled and laughed
   1.130 +nervously. “Its nothing. I’m not exactly as graceful as I could be.
   1.131 +I’m used to it by now.”
   1.132 +	A smile tugged at the corner of Hotaru’s lips. “Its cute,” she said
   1.133 +quietly. 
   1.134 +	ChibiUsa smiled broader. Hotaru thought it was cute? She’d always
   1.135 +wanted to be graceful, elegant, worried that she’d never be. But the
   1.136 +other girl actually thought her clumsiness was cute? She tried to say
   1.137 +something but all that came out was a quiet, “Thank you.” Still
   1.138 +feeling the gentle brush of fingertips against her skin, ChibiUsa
   1.139 +brought her gaze down to her arm. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about
   1.140 +that. I’m fi…” She winced as the dark haired girl’s fingers pressed
   1.141 +against a small place on her arm. 
   1.142 +	“You’re fine, are you?” Hotaru asked, starting to smile. “If you’re
   1.143 +normally like this, then at least someone’s benefiting from my
   1.144 +healing powers.” Her hands started to glow as she concentrated. The
   1.145 +pain began to recede from ChibiUsa’s arm.
   1.146 +	The pink haired girl giggled as the warm glow healed her arm.
   1.147 +“That’s why I’m not scared of you. I could use the help when I get
   1.148 +hurt like that,” she joked. She noticed that though she hadn’t known
   1.149 +this girl for long, she felt completely at ease with her. A warm
   1.150 +feeling spread through her at the thought.
   1.151 +	A small laugh escaped Hotaru’s perfect lips. “I’m glad I could
   1.152 +help.” Standing up, she offered her pink haired companion a hand,
   1.153 +which the other girl eagerly accepted. Brushing the grass from her
   1.154 +skirt, Hotaru looked sidelong at ChibiUsa. Now that the fall was over
   1.155 +with, she was back to wondering why the pink haired girl was here. No
   1.156 +one ever came to see her. What was going on? Was this a joke? No,
   1.157 +this couldn’t be. She knew the pink haired girl was incapable of
   1.158 +doing anything so cruel. As an uneasy silence set in, both girls
   1.159 +laughed nervously. Thinking for a minute, Hotaru grabbed ChibiUsa’s
   1.160 +hand. ‘Dad’s gone for at least a couple more hours and Kaolinite’s
   1.161 +probably with him, so I should be able to talk to her.’ “Would you
   1.162 +like to come inside?”
   1.163 +	Nodding, the pink haired girl flashed a smile at Hotaru. “I’d love
   1.164 +to.” 
   1.165 +	That sweet voice and those warm crimson eyes sent tingles down
   1.166 +Hotaru’s spine. She couldn’t shake the feeling as she led ChibiUsa
   1.167 +inside the mansion. “Come with me.” Finally, the two entered Hotaru’s
   1.168 +room. 
   1.169 +	ChibiUsa let out a small ‘oh’ as she glanced around the dark room.
   1.170 +“There are lamps everywhere. Your room’s so romantic, Hotaru-chan.”
   1.171 +The room was filled with lamps of every size and description. They
   1.172 +were all placed around the room neatly keeping them from making the
   1.173 +room look cluttered.
   1.174 +	Hotaru blushed, turning on a few of the lamps, though the room
   1.175 +remained fairly dark. In the darkness the lights shined like
   1.176 +fireflies, seeming to cast a faint glow on Hotaru. “I prefer
   1.177 +obscurity.. The quiet and the dark.” She said softly.  "Would you
   1.178 +like something to drink?" the mysterious girl quickly asked, trying
   1.179 +to get off the subject.
   1.180 +	The pink-haired girl nodded enthusiastically.  "Hai, that sounds
   1.181 +good."  Hotaru silently slipped out, leaving ChibiUsa alone in the
   1.182 +dimly-lit room.  Ever curious, ChibiUsa couldn't help but wonder why
   1.183 +the girl was so shy, so lonely.. so mysterious.  Her wonderings were
   1.184 +cut short when the door opened to reveal Hotaru, now clad in a simple
   1.185 +black dress complete with tights, and carrying a tray with two
   1.186 +teacups on it.  “Do you like dark clothes, too?” she asked,
   1.187 +indicating the dress. 
   1.188 +	Hotaru nodded slowly. “Hai. I feel better in the shadows.”
   1.189 +	“Hotaru-chan… Why do you always cover up so much? I mean, with
   1.190 +sweaters and long sleeves and stockings,” ChibiUsa asked.
   1.191 +	“I had an accident a long time ago. I have many wounds from it,”
   1.192 +Hotaru said simply, looking away. To change the subject, she asked
   1.193 +what had been on her mind all along. “Why are you here?”
   1.194 +	ChibiUsa smiled sheepishly, almost having forgot. She handed Hotaru
   1.195 +the new handkerchief she bought. “I wanted to give it back to you,
   1.196 +but the blood wouldn’t come out of the old one. So here’s a new one.”
   1.197 +	Hotaru blinked at the handkerchief in ChibiUsa’s outstretched hand.
   1.198 +“You came all this way to see me… just to give me back my
   1.199 +handkerchief?” She was astonished. This girl had come to see her over
   1.200 +something as insignificant as a strip of cloth, something no one else
   1.201 +would ever have worried about with her involved. Before she could ask
   1.202 +the pink haired girl why she did it, she started coughing
   1.203 +uncontrollably. Her heart beat faster as she slumped to her knees. 
   1.204 +The tray clanged to the floor, spilling tea and cups alike, forgotten
   1.205 +by the two in this moment of crisis.
   1.206 +	“Hotaru-chan!!” ChibiUsa ran to her side as Hotaru suffered another
   1.207 +of her fits. “Hotaru-chan!!!” she yelled worriedly, clutching onto
   1.208 +the raven haired girl. The look of excruciating pain on Hotaru’s
   1.209 +beautiful face tore through her heart like a knife. Her mind raced
   1.210 +desperately to find a way to help. 
   1.211 +	“My…medicine…” Hotaru barely managed to get out. A shaky hand
   1.212 +reached towards her desk, too far out of reach. 
   1.213 +	ChibiUsa’s eyes frantically searched the desk, but she couldn’t
   1.214 +find the medicine Hotaru had mentioned. Hearing Hotaru say something
   1.215 +about an amulet, she fumbled for her broach. “It’ll be okay, Hotaru-
   1.216 +chan. I’ll help you, I promise,” she whispered soothingly.
   1.217 +	‘You can’t help me. No one can help me,’ Hotaru thought sadly.  Her
   1.218 +eyes closed, trying to block out the immense pain. "No.. don't come
   1.219 +closer... you shouldn't.. be near me.." she managed to whisper
   1.220 +between gasps for breath, wishing she would pass out. Or worse…
   1.221 +	Finally getting at her broach, the pink haired girl pulled out the
   1.222 +Silver Crystal, the one from the future that her mother had given her
   1.223 +to take care of when she’d come back to train as Sailor Chibimoon.
   1.224 +Her breath caught in her chest as she watched the dark haired girl
   1.225 +writhe in pain. She brushed wisps of pink hair from her own tear
   1.226 +streaked eyes, praying this would work. A soft glow slowly began to
   1.227 +emanate from the crystal, quickly growing brighter.
   1.228 +	Hotaru gasped as a warm glow blanketed her body. The wonderful
   1.229 +feeling spread through her. The pain ebbed away, her body once again
   1.230 +her own. Her pain had never disappeared so quickly, vanished so
   1.231 +completely in such a short time. The room was silent for a moment,
   1.232 +the only sound was the breathing of the two girls. Hotaru could do
   1.233 +nothing but look at ChibiUsa’s worried face. She had wanted to
   1.234 +express her gratefulness, but her voice caught in her throat as her
   1.235 +violet eyes gazed into ChibiUsa’s glittering crimson ones. ‘She looks
   1.236 +so worried,' Hotaru thought to herself. A sudden realization shocked
   1.237 +her. ‘About me? She’s worried about me? But how? No one worries about
   1.238 +me…’ The raven haired girl’s pale cheeks flushed as crimson as
   1.239 +ChibiUsa’s eyes. She tried to say something, but her mind was having
   1.240 +trouble locking onto anything than the fact that this girl could be
   1.241 +worried about her. “Thank you…” she managed quietly.
   1.242 +	ChibiUsa sat down on her knees in front of Hotaru. She smiled
   1.243 +happily. “I’m just really glad you’re okay, Hotaru-chan. You had me
   1.244 +so worried for a moment.” A strange feeling filled her as she looked
   1.245 +into those lonely violet eyes.  The intensity of the gaze, the way
   1.246 +she was looking at her, part of it scared her. Yet an odd excitement
   1.247 +coursed through her as their eyes met. She sat completely still, half
   1.248 +scared of what might happen next, but anxiously hoping something
   1.249 +would. She swallowed nervously as her eyes slowly traced Hotaru’s
   1.250 +beautiful features. From her soft lips, down to her elegant chin, to
   1.251 +her dark eye lashes, to the slight blush coloring her pristine
   1.252 +cheeks. ChibiUsa’s lungs ached for air as she quietly waited.
   1.253 +	Hotaru slowly brought a hand up towards ChibiUsa’s. The pink haired
   1.254 +girl started reaching for Hotaru’s hand instinctively, as if it was
   1.255 +exactly what she should do. Releasing her grip on the Silver Crystal,
   1.256 +it fell from her grasp. Time seemed to slow as the glittering crystal
   1.257 +dropped towards the ground. Hotaru barely caught the crystal before
   1.258 +it hit the ground. “Your amulet, it's wonderful,” the raven haired
   1.259 +girl said at last, breaking the silence.
   1.260 +	ChibiUsa finally released her breath. She wasn’t sure if she was
   1.261 +glad or disappointed that nothing had happened. ‘What was I thinking
   1.262 +might happen, anyway?’ she asked herself. Try as she might, she
   1.263 +couldn’t come up with an answer to that. Looking back up at Hotaru,
   1.264 +she couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and take her hand in her
   1.265 +own. The raven haired girl almost flinched at the sudden contact of
   1.266 +the warm hand against her skin, but ChibiUsa continued to hold her
   1.267 +hand gently. “Oh, that? Yeah, I guess you can call it my amulet.” She
   1.268 +laughed a bit, lightening the moment. “It used to be my mother’s but
   1.269 +she gave it to me, sort of as a going away present until I returned.”
   1.270 +	“Return where?” Hotaru asked, as if picking up on the pink haired
   1.271 +girl’s thoughts of home. She started to relax, greatly enjoying
   1.272 +ChibiUsa’s gentle touch. 
   1.273 +	ChibiUsa laughed again, nervously this time. “Well, its kinda hard
   1.274 +to explain.”
   1.275 +	Handing the crystal back to ChibiUsa, Hotaru smiled softly. “I
   1.276 +won’t tell anyone your secret, Chibimoon.” Her eyes widened as she
   1.277 +remembered something. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t even know your name.”
   1.278 +	ChibiUsa grinned broadly. She felt good that the other girl wanted
   1.279 +to know her name. “I’m ChibiUsa Small Lady Tsukino. Well, my real
   1.280 +name's Usagi, but while I’m here everyone’s calling me ChibiUsa.”
   1.281 +	Hotaru brushed some dark hair from her eyes, looking intently at
   1.282 +the other girl. She couldn’t help but giggle. “Little Rabbit. That
   1.283 +fits you perfectly.”
   1.284 +	ChibiUsa couldn’t help but laugh as well. “You really think so?”
   1.285 +	“Yes. It's cute. It really seems to fit you.” Hotaru blushed and
   1.286 +looked away.
   1.287 +	Tilting to the side, ChibiUsa managed to catch Hotaru’s gaze again.
   1.288 +She wanted to see those beautiful violet eyes pointed her way again,
   1.289 +looking out from that gorgeous face. “Thanks,” she said, feeling her
   1.290 +own cheeks blush slightly. “Hotaru’s a really pretty name. Firefly.
   1.291 +It makes you sound kinda mysterious.”
   1.292 +	Hotaru sighed and shook her head. “No. People want to know about
   1.293 +the mysterious. I just frighten them.”
   1.294 +	Taking Hotaru’s hand with both of her own, ChibiUsa kept gazing
   1.295 +intently into the mysterious girl’s dark eyes. “I want to know about
   1.296 +you. And you don’t frighten me. I don’t know how anyone could see you
   1.297 +like that.”
   1.298 +	Hotaru tried to look away, these new feelings threatening to
   1.299 +overwhelm the poor girl, her mind already lost in confusion. Those
   1.300 +crimson eyes captivated her. Escape from them seemed impossible. This
   1.301 +was too good to be true. She had never had a friend before, someone
   1.302 +who wanted to know about her, who cared for her. No one cared about
   1.303 +her, right? Hadn’t life seemingly banned her from having a single
   1.304 +soul that could be her friend? So why was this pink haired girl here?
   1.305 +She flinched away from the contact of the other girl’s hands against
   1.306 +her own, but ChibiUsa held tight, not letting go. “But you don’t know
   1.307 +me,” she said quietly.
   1.308 +	“I want to,” came ChibiUsa’s earnest reply. She looked pleadingly
   1.309 +into Hotaru’s violet eyes. “Please let me get to know you.”
   1.310 +	Hotaru was silent for a long moment. This caught her by surprise.
   1.311 +All sorts of emotions ran through her. Happiness that ChibiUsa could
   1.312 +care that much, fear that this might all be a dream or that ChibiUsa
   1.313 +would change her mind when she did learn more about her,  hope that
   1.314 +her loneliness could finally come to an end. “Thank you.” She slowly
   1.315 +smiled, a broad genuine smile. “ChibiUsa-chan.”
   1.316 +	ChibiUsa smiled happily. She had managed to see that beautiful
   1.317 +smile again. “Hotaru-chan, you’re the most interesting, most
   1.318 +beautiful person I’ve met since I came here. I really want to be your
   1.319 +friend.” ‘That’s all I want to be, right? What else would I want to
   1.320 +be?’ ChibiUsa shrugs off the thoughts, leaning forward and hugging
   1.321 +Hotaru. 
   1.322 +	The dark haired girl’s eyes went wide as she felt the pink haired
   1.323 +girl against her. She relished in the sensation. She tentatively
   1.324 +placed her arms around ChibiUsa, hugging her back.
   1.325 +	The two girls stayed that way for a long time, both enjoying the
   1.326 +companionship and warmth. ChibiUsa glanced up from Hotaru’s shoulder
   1.327 +and noticed how dark it had gotten. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.
   1.328 +It’s getting late and I don’t want Ikuko-mama to worry." Releasing
   1.329 +the embrace, ChibiUsa frowned reluctantly. “I wish I didn’t have to,
   1.330 +but she doesn’t know where I am. I really want to see you again.”
   1.331 +	Hotaru blushed again, standing up as well. “You do? ChibiUsa-chan,
   1.332 +you’re sweet. I really hope I can see you again, too.” She smiled a
   1.333 +little shyly at the pink haired girl.
   1.334 +	ChibiUsa grinned brightly, her hands placed behind her back.
   1.335 +“Really? Then you will. I’ll try to see you soon.”
   1.336 +	Brushing a few strands of dark hair from her eyes, Hotaru stood in
   1.337 +front of the pink haired girl awkwardly. She smiled softly. “I’d like
   1.338 +that.”
   1.339 +	“Me too.” ChibiUsa gave Hotaru another hug before following her to
   1.340 +the door.
   1.341 +
   1.342 +
   1.343 +
   1.344 +~~~~~~ 
   1.345 +
   1.346 +
   1.347 +	It was near the end of the day at Minato Ku Juuban Elementary, and
   1.348 +ChibiUsa's mind wandered from her teacher to hey shy, mysterious
   1.349 +friend.  'She's got such pretty pale skin..' she thought, tuning
   1.350 +everything else out. 'Like new-fallen snow..' Momoko poked her,
   1.351 +whispering that she should pay attention to what her teacher was
   1.352 +saying as she explains that all the clay works they did recieved
   1.353 +compliments from the other classes.  "But, it's time now to take your
   1.354 +sculptures home.  Give them to someone important to you, like your
   1.355 +mom or best friend, in gratitude."
   1.356 +	ChibiUsa took her jeweled chalice from the display, holding it up
   1.357 +to the light and silently cursing. 'Do I really have to give this up?
   1.358 +I worked so hard on it..'  She turned to Momoko and verbalized the
   1.359 +thought.  "Momochan, what will you do with yours?"
   1.360 +	"My mom's birthday is coming up in a few days," the other girl
   1.361 +replied.  "I'll give mine to her."  Just then, one of the clay cups
   1.362 +found its way to ChibiUsa's desk.  It had a profile of Sailormoon
   1.363 +worked into the side.  "That's a nice design, Kyosuke.  But why are
   1.364 +you giving it to Chibiusachan?"
   1.365 +	The somewhat annoying boy put his hand behind his head as he
   1.366 +laughed nervously, blushing a little.  "Well.. I've been a really bad
   1.367 +friend.  So I thought this might make up.  Kind of a sign of
   1.368 +friendship."  Immediately upon those words, ChibiUsa's mind pops up
   1.369 +with a picture of Hotachan.
   1.370 +	"A sign of friendship!  That's it!  I'll give it to Hotaru-chan!!"
   1.371 +	Momoko groaned.  "Isn't that the Mugen student?"  ChibiUsa nodded
   1.372 +and began to explain. "Yeah!  She's my new friend, and she's really
   1.373 +pretty, but she's kinda lonely, and mysterious too!"  Momoko snorted,
   1.374 +replying semi-sarcastically. "You're so obsessed with her, what is
   1.375 +she, your girlfriend?"
   1.376 +	The commotion of the class leaving as the bell rings served to hide
   1.377 +ChibiUsa's deep blush.
   1.378 +
   1.379 +~~~~~~ 
   1.380 +
   1.381 +
   1.382 +	By the time she got home, Momoko’s comment had faded to the back of
   1.383 +ChibiUsa’s mind, replaced by much more urgent things. Like seeing
   1.384 +Hotaru again. The fact that it was starting to rain heavily outside
   1.385 +hardly seemed to matter to the future princess. The thought of seeing
   1.386 +her lonely friend was all consuming. ‘Is she okay? Does she miss me?
   1.387 +What’s she doing?’ she thought to herself as she dropped her book bag
   1.388 +on her bed and hurried downstairs. Her mind was hazy with the
   1.389 +thoughts of her new friend swirling through her mind. She wasted no
   1.390 +time in getting an umbrella and pulling on her shoes. There wasn’t
   1.391 +any thunder, so she might be able to make it there despite the rain.
   1.392 +A cold pit formed in her stomach at the thought of thunder and
   1.393 +lightening along the way, but she pushed it aside. She’d see Hotaru
   1.394 +soon enough and then it wouldn’t matter what she went through to get
   1.395 +there. A sudden burst of cold, wet air made ChibiUsa look up towards
   1.396 +the opening front door. 
   1.397 +Usagi stood there for a moment, her blonde pigtails glistening with
   1.398 +the raindrops from walking in the rain. She took in the scene before
   1.399 +her, her ‘cousin’ obviously ready to leave. Again. ‘Why is she always
   1.400 +leaving to see that girl?’ Usagi asked herself. ‘Hotaru Tomoe might
   1.401 +be part of The Enemy. Her father’s in charge of them. ChibiUsa might
   1.402 +be in danger and she doesn’t even realize it.’ Feeling herself begin
   1.403 +to get a bit angry at whatever ChibiUsa was keeping from her, she
   1.404 +demanded the smaller girl tell her where she was going.
   1.405 +	"Hotaru-chan’s," ChibiUsa said simply, standing up and moving to
   1.406 +get past Usagi. Her future mother barred her exit. ChibiUsa frowned
   1.407 +as she pulled the umbrella up against her shoulder.
   1.408 +	Usagi shook her head stubbornly, droplets of water flying about.
   1.409 +"Not on your own you aren’t."
   1.410 +	"But..." ChibiUsa began indignantly.
   1.411 +	"It's raining really hard and its already getting dark. I’m going,"
   1.412 +Usagi argued obstinately. "You’ve been going to see this girl for a
   1.413 +while now and this time I’m coming with."
   1.414 +"That’s not fair! She’s my friend!" ChibiUsa replied angrily. 
   1.415 +"Well, if you want to see her this time, I’m going, too." The blonde
   1.416 +girl crossed her arms in front of her.
   1.417 +
   1.418 +Earlier that day, Usagi had been with Luna and Artemis under the
   1.419 +Crown Arcade at the computer they used to gather information. They’d
   1.420 +been trying to find research on The Enemy in the hopes that they
   1.421 +could use it to their advantage. Nothing had come up on the two
   1.422 +mysterious Sailor Senshi and whether they were friends or foes.
   1.423 +Nonetheless, Usagi couldn’t help but wonder about the tall,
   1.424 +intriguing woman, Sailor Uranus. The kiss they’d shared in the
   1.425 +forest...
   1.426 +Luna’s voice shook her from her thoughts as an image of a white
   1.427 +haired man with glasses appeared on the screen. A star took the place
   1.428 +of where one of his eyes should be. 
   1.429 +"The Delta Area is where all the abnormal energy has been coming
   1.430 +from. Especially the Infitity Zone. It seems all of our problems are
   1.431 +coming from there. The Enemy must be situated there. This has to have
   1.432 +something to do with their plan."
   1.433 +"That’s the guy who owns the Infinty Zone and Mugen Gakuen. He looks
   1.434 +suspicious," Artemis added. 
   1.435 +Usagi sat down and began reading the data on the screen. His name
   1.436 +was Souichi Tomoe and he was indeed owner of the prestigious school
   1.437 +and the surrounding area. His field of expertise was genetic
   1.438 +engineering. He lived at the Tomoe Research Labs with his daughter,
   1.439 +Hotaru Tomoe.  Usagi paused for a moment, rereading the name. It
   1.440 +sounded familiar, as if on the tip of her lips, but she couldn’t
   1.441 +quite remember where she’d heard that name before. A small
   1.442 +description of Hotaru popped up on the screen next to the
   1.443 +Professor’s. Usagi’s eyes went wide when she saw the picture. It was
   1.444 +the girl who had healed ChibiUsa. That’s where she’d heard the name!
   1.445 +ChibiUsa had been mentioning her all the timelately. She gasped, her
   1.446 +hand going to her mouth at the implications. She very well could be
   1.447 +with The Enemy. "ChibiUsa’s been becoming really good friends with
   1.448 +her lately. She’s been going over to her house all the time for the
   1.449 +past few weeks to see her. I hope ChibiUsa’s okay..."
   1.450 +
   1.451 +As the two girl’s entered Hotaru’s home at the Tomoe Research Labs,
   1.452 +Usagi berated ChibiUsa in a harsh whisper. “We can’t just barge in
   1.453 +like this! It’s rude. And who knows what they’ll do if we get caught?
   1.454 +You’re a princess, aren’t you?”
   1.455 +ChibiUsa stuck her tongue out at the older girl, her thoughts still
   1.456 +elsewhere. “I couldn’t find the intercom anyway. Besides, Hotaru-chan
   1.457 +probably already knows I’m here so she won’t mind.” After a moment’s
   1.458 +pause, the pink haired girl smiled politely and managed a “Hello.”
   1.459 +Usagi looked at ChibiUsa puzzled for a moment. The younger girl
   1.460 +seemed to be looking behind her oddly. Turning around, Usagi almost
   1.461 +jumped when she noticed the red haired woman in a lab coat watching
   1.462 +them both coldly. Her heart pounded worriedly in her chest. This
   1.463 +woman had to be part of The Enemy. 
   1.464 +“What business do you have here? You’re trespassing. This is private
   1.465 +property. If you don’t leave now..” Kaolinite began before being
   1.466 +interrupted by a soft, but sweet voice.
   1.467 +	“They are my guests,” Hotaru said, glaring at Kaolinite as she
   1.468 +walked out of one of the rooms. She once again was clad all in black,
   1.469 +her pale skin the only contrast against the tight black clothes and
   1.470 +her own raven hair. Her gaze shifting to the pink haired girl, her
   1.471 +deep violet eyes gained a sparkle to them. Her heart swelled as she
   1.472 +looked at her visitors. She almost felt sick from the sudden anxiety
   1.473 +that washed over her at their arrival. It was as if she could sense
   1.474 +some sort of great aura from the blonde haired girl, but her
   1.475 +attention was still riveted to the kind pink haired girl whose
   1.476 +crimson eyes smiled back at her. The aura might not be as strange,
   1.477 +but everything about ChibiUsa captivated her. Why had she rescued her
   1.478 +heart from its lonely prison? Why had she become her friend? Her head
   1.479 +swam in circles as she tried to answer these questions, but for now
   1.480 +she had to attend to her guests.
   1.481 +	“Hotaru-chan!” ChibiUsa exclaimed happily at the sight of their
   1.482 +mysterious savior. 
   1.483 +	Kaolinite turned from the small group and left, thinking to
   1.484 +herself. ‘She has guests? But no one ever wants to see her. This is
   1.485 +odd..’
   1.486 +	
   1.487 +	The pale wisp of a girl bent down ever so slightly to pour some tea
   1.488 +for the two visitors. She shyly brushed back some dark hair from her
   1.489 +eyes as she felt their eyes baring down on her. She wasn’t used to
   1.490 +this. Without knowing what to say, she asked the first thing that
   1.491 +came to mind. “Why did you both come here?”
   1.492 +	ChibiUsa smiled broadly and set the chalice she’d brought with her
   1.493 +on the table. “I made this at school. Well, after school with Usagi
   1.494 +and Mamo-chan’s help. But I want to give it to you as a present. It’s
   1.495 +supposed to be the Holy Grail.”
   1.496 +	Usagi’s eyes go wide as she turns to the younger girl. “What? But
   1.497 +Mamo-chan and I worked so hard on that for you to just give it away.”
   1.498 +The blonde girl frowned as she remembered all the time she and her
   1.499 +boyfriend had put into working on the chalice when ChibiUsa had come
   1.500 +to them for help on the art project. It seemed like such a waste for
   1.501 +her to give it to this girl who very well may be part of The Enemy.
   1.502 +ChibiUsa just ignored Usagi as if she weren’t even there. Her smile
   1.503 +grew warmer, her crimson eyes never wavering from the darkly dressed
   1.504 +frail girl across the room. She felt butterflies in her stomach as
   1.505 +she kicked her legs almost nervously. “We were supposed to give our
   1.506 +projects to someone special to us this week. To someone very
   1.507 +important to us. Well, I was just thinking about how much you mean to
   1.508 +me and I wanted to give it to you as a sign of friendship.” Why was
   1.509 +it so hard to tell the other girl she wanted her to have it because
   1.510 +of their friendship? It felt different somehow than with her other
   1.511 +friends. This girl was so…. so….  amazing, wonderful, pretty, kind,
   1.512 +sweet, mysterious, sad, and so much more. Hotaru intrigued ChibiUsa.
   1.513 +She’d never met anyone like her. The pink haired girl always felt a
   1.514 +warm feeling inside when she was with Hotaru. She felt safe with her.
   1.515 +Her homesickness for Crystal Tokyo and her parents always faded away.
   1.516 +The quiet raven haired girl was so shy, but it just made her want to
   1.517 +get through to her all the more.
   1.518 +“Why aren’t you giving it to Mamo-chan, then?” Usagi questioned the
   1.519 +pink haired girl. She still thought of ChibiUsa as her rival for
   1.520 +Mamoru’s attention. 
   1.521 +ChibiUsa looked down at her kicking feet, her hands on either side
   1.522 +of her on the couch. Why did Usagi have to come with her? It just
   1.523 +made everything more difficult. Besides, she wanted to be alone with
   1.524 +Hotaru, not arguing the point with Usagi. “You and Mamo-chan helped
   1.525 +make it together, so I couldn’t give it just to him anyway.”
   1.526 +A tiny smile started spreading across Hotaru’s lips. She felt so
   1.527 +honored to be the one this cheerful pink haired girl thought was
   1.528 +important enough to give the chalice to. The shock and surprise of
   1.529 +the gift along with the other girl’s presence was a little
   1.530 +overwhelming. It was strange enough having a friend, but one that
   1.531 +thought so highly of her was such a foreign concept to her. It seemed
   1.532 +an utter impossibility. Everytime she saw ChibiUsa it seemed more and
   1.533 +more as if it had to be a dream. A wonderful dream. But the pale girl
   1.534 +hadn’t had any good dreams in years. That seemed almost as impossible
   1.535 +as if it were real. Whatever it was, she prayed it would never end.
   1.536 +“You made this for an important person, ChibiUsa-chan? But I… I
   1.537 +shouldn’t be the one to have this. You should be the one to keep it.
   1.538 +Thank you, ChibiUsa-chan,” she spoke up in her quiet voice. Glancing
   1.539 +at the Holy Grail ChibiUsa had given her on the table, she began to
   1.540 +think of where in her dark room to place it. It was already
   1.541 +significant to her. She wanted to make sure it had an important place
   1.542 +amongst her lamps. She smiled shyly as she turned back to the other
   1.543 +two girls.
   1.544 +Usagi leaned forward ever so slightly, her curiosity increasing
   1.545 +about this mysterious girl. Was she part of The Enemy? Was she using
   1.546 +ChibiUsa? What was she up to? She feels a cold chill run down her
   1.547 +spine as she gets a good look into those infinitely sad, dark eyes.
   1.548 +‘Its like I’m being drawn in. Her eyes seem to know everything,’ she
   1.549 +thinks. The cold feeling grows worse before she realizes the room has
   1.550 +been utterly silent for a long moment. Laughing nervously, the blonde
   1.551 +girl stands up, eager for a moment’s respite to think. “Could you
   1.552 +tell me where the bathroom is?”
   1.553 +	The dark haired girl turns and points out of the room. “Its right
   1.554 +down that hall.”
   1.555 +	“Thanks,” Usagi says quickly, leaving the room, confused. The pale,
   1.556 +raven haired girl was even more of a mystery to her now. And her
   1.557 +seemingly mystical hold over ChibiUsa baffled her. She resolved to
   1.558 +get to the bottom of things, no matter what. 
   1.559 +
   1.560 +~~~~~~~~~
   1.561 +
   1.562 +"Hotaru-chan!?" I watch as Hotaru collapses into a fit on the floor.
   1.563 +I run over, fear coursing through my entire body. I’ve only seen this
   1.564 +happen once before, but I kneel beside the dark haired girl, my heart
   1.565 +racing. "Hotaru-chan!?"  I feel so helpless, seeing this happen to
   1.566 +her. Why can’t I do anything? Isn’t there some way I can help her?
   1.567 +Why did this have to happen now? 
   1.568 +
   1.569 +Clutching her chest, she looks up at me with pain-filled eyes. My
   1.570 +heart goes out to her. I want to go to her, to stop her suffering,
   1.571 +but I don’t know how. Her shaky hand slowly reaches out, touching my
   1.572 +broach. 
   1.573 +
   1.574 +"..it’s better.. when I touch your amulet... I’m being filled with
   1.575 +power..." she says softly. Her body seems to relax as the fit finally
   1.576 +comes to an end. Her breathing slowly returns to normal. She looks up
   1.577 +at me with a strange look in her dark eyes.  
   1.578 +
   1.579 +I smile slightly, relief flooding through me. "Really? Then I’m
   1.580 +glad, Hotaru-chan." It feels good to be able to help her. She’s
   1.581 +already healed me a few times, I’m glad to repay the favor. And to
   1.582 +see her in such pain… I’m just glad she’s alright now. 
   1.583 +
   1.584 +The dark, distant, pale girl echoes my smile, still looking up at me
   1.585 +with that odd look in her eyes. "Your amulet... it has great power..
   1.586 +what power is it..?" Something isn’t quite right… but does it matter?
   1.587 +She’s alright now, that’s all that matters. I sigh, relieved that her
   1.588 +pains gone, if only for now. I smile again, a hand going to my
   1.589 +broach. "It’s the Mystical Silver Crystal," I say, telling of the
   1.590 +crystal inside my broach.
   1.591 +
   1.592 +"Mystical Silver Crystal.." Hotaru repeats. Everything about her is
   1.593 +different, somehow. The voice, its not the soft, sweet voice I’m used
   1.594 +to. Her eyes, seeming even darker than before. Its like she’s a
   1.595 +totally different person now. Suddenly the frail girl recoils in
   1.596 +horror, her eyes widening as she draws back from me, raising a shaky
   1.597 +hand to her mouth. 
   1.598 +
   1.599 +"Hotaru-chan?" I pull my hand from my broach, forgetting about it as
   1.600 +concern gets the better of me. "Are you alright?" I take a nervous
   1.601 +step forward. What happened? Why is she so scared? The frightened
   1.602 +look in her eyes chills me. I shudder, not knowing why. Is she afraid
   1.603 +of me? Did I do something wrong? I frantically want to reach out to
   1.604 +her, to make sure its okay, to know why she’s so scared. I don’t ever
   1.605 +want her to be scared again. I know that its probably foolish to
   1.606 +think that I could do something like that. But I can try.
   1.607 +
   1.608 +Hotaru stays back from me, still seated on the floor. "I.. I... I’m
   1.609 +sorry.. I didn’t mean,,,! It’s like.. it wasn’t me..." Her soft voice
   1.610 +sounds almost desperate, pleading. Does she think I would leave? I’d
   1.611 +never leave her like that, not now. 
   1.612 +
   1.613 +I take another nervous step forward, smiling reassuringly at the
   1.614 +obviously grief stricken pale girl. I want to hug her, hold her
   1.615 +close, make her know that its all okay, but I’m afraid she’d run away
   1.616 +from me. She’s so delicate, so fragile, like a china doll. "It’s
   1.617 +okay, Hotaru-chan. Don’t worry," I says soothingly, trying to get the
   1.618 +mysterious girl to relax.
   1.619 +
   1.620 +She grants me just a bit of a nervous smile. I feel relieved again.
   1.621 +I was so worried that she might flee her own room to get away from
   1.622 +me. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about, but she looked so
   1.623 +frightened. My heart flies just to see that hint of a smile. She
   1.624 +manages a tiny nod, not saying a word.
   1.625 +
   1.626 +Seeing her visibly relax, I take a sigh of relief. This beautiful
   1.627 +girl in front of me should never have to be hurt again. "I’m just
   1.628 +glad you’re feeling better, Hotaru-chan. I hate seeing you in pain
   1.629 +like that. I want to help you." And I do. I just don’t know how.
   1.630 +
   1.631 +"..thank you.. ChibiUsachan.." A small smile plays across her thin
   1.632 +lips. She looks more confident as she tries to speak. “..you’re the
   1.633 +only one who’s ever cared... it’s like..." her soft, whisper-like
   1.634 +voice trails off. Like what? What are you trying to tell me? She
   1.635 +seems to withdraw from me again, nervous. 
   1.636 +
   1.637 +I frown as I walk closer to her, closing the distance between us
   1.638 +quickly. There’s so much I want to know. There’s so much I want to
   1.639 +say. But what, exactly? I wish I knew. "I don’t know why I’m the only
   1.640 +one who seems to notice how great you are, Hotaru-chan. I can’t see
   1.641 +why anyone would ever be mean to you, why anyone would ever want to
   1.642 +hurt you." Because I can’t stand to see you suffer, firefly.
   1.643 +
   1.644 +Her deep violet eyes gaze up at me, working their magic on me. How
   1.645 +can I hope to keep from losing myself in their depths? I find myself
   1.646 +being drawn further into those beautiful dark eyes. I see tears start
   1.647 +to form in those perfect violet spheres. Please don’t cry, firefly. I
   1.648 +don’t ever want you to hurt. "I.. don’t know.. but... It doesn’t
   1.649 +matter.. as long as I have you..." 
   1.650 +
   1.651 +I feel my cheeks burning as I begin to blush. Had the raven haired
   1.652 +girl really said that? But… what did she mean by it? She didn’t
   1.653 +mean... "I.. I... Thanks, Hotaru-chan." My mind swims in confusion.
   1.654 +Why would she say that? Do I really mean that much to her? I kneel
   1.655 +next to her, smiling. As long as she has me... but how does she have
   1.656 +me? I’m not so sure myself.
   1.657 +
   1.658 +The quiet girl blushes as well, her pale cheeks darkening as she
   1.659 +looks at me. I look into those beautiful eyes for a long moment. She
   1.660 +just looks at me silently. This moment, so much like the last time.
   1.661 +It ended off so... I don’t know. What had I been expecting that time?
   1.662 +A kiss? I almost laugh aloud. But then what Momoko said comes back to
   1.663 +me as well. My girlfriend? A kiss? How did I really feel about this?
   1.664 +Her blush deepens and she looks away from me.
   1.665 +
   1.666 +I tilt my head, trying to catch her gaze. A soft sigh escapes my
   1.667 +lips. Why won’t she look at me again? Did I say the wrong thing?
   1.668 +Please let me see those beautiful violet eyes again. I try to meet
   1.669 +her gaze, to see those dark eyes. 
   1.670 +
   1.671 +Hotaru quietly looks up slightly. Its obvious she’s nervous. Why?
   1.672 +Why are you nervous, firefly? Don’t you know I’d never do anything to
   1.673 +harm you? Her eyes look at me questioningly, almost as if she’s so
   1.674 +shy that she may flee from me at the hint of anything at all. The
   1.675 +silence envelops us. I want to break the silence, but my mind can’t
   1.676 +think clearly with this mysterious girl in front of me. She invades
   1.677 +my thoughts, making it impossible for me to think of anything but
   1.678 +her. But is that so bad? 
   1.679 +
   1.680 +"Hotaru-chan, you’re so pretty," I hear myself breath softly. I
   1.681 +smile at her, once again losing myself in those violet pools. It’s
   1.682 +the truth. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Yet so
   1.683 +timid. Please let me get close…
   1.684 +
   1.685 +The dark haired girl blushes profusely, as if no one had ever said
   1.686 +that to her before. Is the world that blind? She’s,,, heavenly. She
   1.687 +seems like she’s trying to reply, but nothing comes out. She looks so
   1.688 +afraid still.
   1.689 +
   1.690 +"I would never want to hurt you, Hotaru-chan. I want to be your
   1.691 +friend. I want to be.. I don’t know." This time, I’m the one to look
   1.692 +away. I don’t know what I had meant to tell her. That thought scares
   1.693 +me. "I just want to make you happy." And I know I do. Oh, how I want
   1.694 +her to be happy. To see another one of those beautiful smiles...
   1.695 +
   1.696 +Though she smiles at me in relief, I can see disappointment in the
   1.697 +mysterious girl’s violet eyes. She seems to relax at what I said,
   1.698 +though. "..I.. I wish I could be half as good a friend to you.. I
   1.699 +don’t know... I’m not really good at it, ne.. inexperience..."
   1.700 +
   1.701 +I gaze into those eyes, wanting to know what caused her
   1.702 +disappointment, but quickly losing myself in them. "No, you’re
   1.703 +perfect, Hotaru-chan," I whisper softly. Everything about her fills
   1.704 +me with wonder. I so want to tell her, but I don’t know how. I don’t
   1.705 +even know what I want to tell her.
   1.706 +
   1.707 +A slight blush colors her pale cheeks as she looks back up at me.
   1.708 +She seems more sure about something now, but I can’t tell what.
   1.709 +"..no.. I can't be.. but... Chibiusachan... Chibimoon.. when did you
   1.710 +fall from heaven..?  I want to know.. so I can give you a gift before
   1.711 +you have to return..." her soft voice whispers to me.
   1.712 +
   1.713 +I blush hotly, looking down, averting my eyes. I laugh nervously,
   1.714 +trying to relax. I’m so happy she thinks of me that way, but to hear
   1.715 +her say it… "Oh, I’m no angel," I assure her quickly. "Your
   1.716 +friendship’s the best gift I ever could have received."
   1.717 +
   1.718 +"..but.. you have to be... you're a magical soldier.. you had to be
   1.719 +from the gods... and.. you're the only one that ever noticed me, and
   1.720 +didn't call me a witch..." The words pour out, one after the other as
   1.721 +she tries to tell me it all.
   1.722 +
   1.723 +"I... I'm glad you think that, Hotaru-chan. Thank you." I feel the
   1.724 +blush return, my cheeks burning even more as I replay her words in my
   1.725 +mind. I smile brightly at her. She’s sooooo sweet. No one’s ever said
   1.726 +something like that to me before. The smile disappears after a
   1.727 +moment. The only one, she said. How could the world be so cruel to
   1.728 +this beautiful girl? Isn’t there more I can do for her? I want to
   1.729 +make the whole world leave her alone. No, I want the whole world to
   1.730 +realize how great she is. "I could never call you that. And how could
   1.731 +I not notice you? You're so beautiful. And nice. And mysterious.
   1.732 +And..." I trail off, finding it far too hard to think as I look into
   1.733 +those endless violet orbs. That feeling… that same feeling I had the
   1.734 +first time I was in her room, the feeling that left unfinished, it
   1.735 +returns to me now. I don’t want to leave it this time. I want to see
   1.736 +it through. But what is this feeling? 
   1.737 +
   1.738 +The blush on Hotaru’s cheeks darkens as she looks less certain about
   1.739 +something. "Thank you.. for everything... ChibiUsachan.... I..." She
   1.740 +cuts off the words at that. Please tell me, Hotaru. I want to know so
   1.741 +badly. You can tell me anything, do you know that? I’d never judge
   1.742 +you, never berate you. I just want to hear. I want to help. I want to
   1.743 +know how you feel about me...
   1.744 +
   1.745 +"You’re welcome, Hotaru-chan. You deserve it, though. I really want
   1.746 +to get to know you better. To be closer to you..." I sigh a little,
   1.747 +unsure of myself.  I feel so confused. What do I want, exactly? To be
   1.748 +her friend, right? Then why is this all so awkward? Why do I want to
   1.749 +say something more? She’s so important to me, whether she knows it or
   1.750 +not. I want her to be there with me, always. I want… Why does this
   1.751 +have to be so hard? Why can’t I just tell her. I sigh inwardly. Tell
   1.752 +her what? I don’t know, but I want to. I know that much. She makes my
   1.753 +heart melt. I feel so warm inside just being with her. I want to hug
   1.754 +her close, to make all her pain disappear forever.
   1.755 +
   1.756 +"..that's... that's what I want..." Hotaru says softly. She seems so
   1.757 +nervous, everything she says as if she can barely manage to tell me.
   1.758 +She blinks her long, dark lashes, blushing just a bit. 
   1.759 +
   1.760 +"You do?" I ask quietly, hopefully. It fills my heart with a warm
   1.761 +joyous feeling to know that she want’s to get closer to me, too. I
   1.762 +sit in front of her, entranced by this mysterious girl. I find myself
   1.763 +wanting to lean forward and… And what? I feel all anxious inside.
   1.764 +We’re both dancing around what we want to say, aren’t we? Neither of
   1.765 +us knows exactly how to say it, though. And I’m still not quire sure
   1.766 +what ‘it’ is. But I have a funny feeling that she does. "That's
   1.767 +great, Hotaru-chan. You already mean a lot to me. You're all I can
   1.768 +think about." It’s true. She’s been on my mind practically all the
   1.769 +time since I’ve met her. And this mysterious girl is already so very
   1.770 +important to me.
   1.771 +
   1.772 +"..but.. you..." She blinks those dark lashes again and shakes her
   1.773 +head. I follow her gaze to the table where the chalice I’d given her
   1.774 +still sits. My sign of friendship. Right? I blush when I remember
   1.775 +what Momoko had said. I really did want Hotaru to have it, so I could
   1.776 +show her… What would it be like if she was my girlfriend? I’d been
   1.777 +thinking about it all afternoon after Momoko had said that. I’m a
   1.778 +princess, I shouldn’t be thinking about such things. But I don’t
   1.779 +care. "..only Himitsu knows how much you mean to me..." She turns
   1.780 +back to me, looking as if there’s more she wants to say, but she
   1.781 +keeps it from me, afraid. Why is she afraid of telling me? What could
   1.782 +it be? But… the way she said that, do I really mean that much to her?
   1.783 +
   1.784 +"It makes me happy that I mean so much to you." I brush some pink
   1.785 +hair from my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush. To mean so much to this
   1.786 +beautiful girl, that’s wonderful.  I smile nervously at her, so much
   1.787 +left unsaid between us. But what can I do? What can I say? If I
   1.788 +said.... Would this mysterious girl be happy? Or would she be
   1.789 +frightened?
   1.790 +
   1.791 +A small smile crosses the dark haired girl’s thin lips. "..as long
   1.792 +as you’re happy.. I’m happy.." But her voice, there’s a sad tone
   1.793 +underlying it, as if she doesn’t truly mean it, as if there’s
   1.794 +something more. I want to coax it out of her, but I’m afraid she’ll
   1.795 +back away again if I try.
   1.796 +
   1.797 +"Hotaru-chan..." I sigh as I look away from her again, confusion
   1.798 +threatening to overwhelm me. Does she really know just how important
   1.799 +she is? "You mean so much more to me. Since I met you, I haven’t been
   1.800 +able to stop thinking about you. When I’m away, I want to see you
   1.801 +again. When I’m with you.. its just perfect." 
   1.802 +
   1.803 +Hotaru shyly raises a hand up towards my face, but after she makes
   1.804 +it halfway, she seems to realize what she’s doing and draws back,
   1.805 +only making it about halfway between us. I wish she’d keep going. Why
   1.806 +did she have to stop? "..it's the same... I thought it was...." She
   1.807 +shakes her head slightly before continuing. "..but you're a friend of
   1.808 +a million.. so it couldn't be..." But it is, Hotaru. It is.
   1.809 +
   1.810 +I smile softly, reassuringly at this beautiful frail girl in front
   1.811 +of me. Leaning forward, I bring my hand up to her pale cheek,
   1.812 +enjoying the soft feel of her skin. It feels so warm. So...
   1.813 +wonderful. "But you’re special, Hotaru-chan. I feel... differently
   1.814 +about you. You mean more to me than all those others," I try to
   1.815 +explain, feeling as though I’m failing miserably at it.
   1.816 +
   1.817 +I hold my breath, waiting to see what she’ll do. She almost pulls
   1.818 +back at my touch. My heart stops. No! Please, just grant me this.
   1.819 +Finally, she starts to relax into it, blushing again. "..then... then
   1.820 +I wasn't wrong..? ..I thought.. that I was wrong... because...." She
   1.821 +stops, her soft voice choked up with emotions. I see tears beginning
   1.822 +to form in her eyes as she looks at me silently. 
   1.823 +
   1.824 +I shake my head emphatically, trying to get rid of that notion. Of
   1.825 +course she’s not wrong. How could she be? How could this shy angel
   1.826 +ever be? My heart aches as I see those tears in her gorgeous violet
   1.827 +eyes. "No, you weren’t wrong, Hotaru-chan. I just.. you..." I gaze
   1.828 +intently at her, trying to gather up my courage for what I want to
   1.829 +tell her, what I so want to say. "You’re very special to me," I
   1.830 +finally get out. 
   1.831 +
   1.832 +The frail girl looks taken aback at my words. Its true, firefly. You
   1.833 +are so special to me. How do you feel, my firefly? In a hushed,
   1.834 +almost fearful whisper, I get my answer. "..I love you, ChibiUsa..."
   1.835 +
   1.836 +I blush deeply, her words running through my head over and over
   1.837 +again. Those lovely words, spoken by this lovely girl. I feel like a
   1.838 +veil’s been lifted. Everything seems clear now. I never thought about
   1.839 +those words, not like this. And I’ve certainly never, ever heard them
   1.840 +spoken of me. It fills me with a warm feeling to here her say that, a
   1.841 +warmth I’ve never felt before. I feel so fuzzy, so giddy. I feel like
   1.842 +laughing and crying and jumping for joy all at the same time. For a
   1.843 +brief second I wonder what my parents would think. I’m the Princess
   1.844 +of the Royal Family of Crystal Tokyo. But I shake it off. It doesn’t
   1.845 +matter. I know in my heart of hearts that this is right. "I love you,
   1.846 +too, Hotaru-chan." I feel like a weights been lifted from my
   1.847 +shoulders. No more mincing of words, no more hiding our secrets. How
   1.848 +we felt was out in the open between the two of us now. This frail
   1.849 +girl... she truly means that much to me. That much and more. Gazing
   1.850 +over at the raven haired girl, seeing myself reflected in her violet
   1.851 +pools, before I know it I lean forward, ever so slightly at first.
   1.852 +Even I don’t realize it until my lips gently brush hers. I blush
   1.853 +deeper as I feel those warm soft lips against my own. It feels…
   1.854 +wonderful. My first kiss… Hers too, I realize. But that just makes it
   1.855 +all the more wonderful in this quiet moment.
   1.856 +
   1.857 +The sad, shy girl looks at me sadly, apologetically. "I’m sorry…
   1.858 +I’ll only cause trouble for you..."
   1.859 +
   1.860 +I shake my head quickly, not wanting her to ever have to worry about
   1.861 +something like that. "Even if you did cause trouble for me, I’d
   1.862 +gladly take it." Over and over again, forever, just so I could be
   1.863 +near her. To emphasize my point I lean forward, kissing her gently
   1.864 +again. It tastes better than the best candy I’ve ever had back home
   1.865 +in Crystal Tokyo, much sweeter than the best they could offer. I’d
   1.866 +give anything to just stay like this.
   1.867 +
   1.868 +A small giggle escapes her lips, a smile gracing her delicate
   1.869 +features. "..I've never even had a real friend before.. and now I
   1.870 +have you... it's so wonderful, so perfect...." It means so much to me
   1.871 +to be that for her, to be that and more. I never want her to have to
   1.872 +suffer ever again. I don’t know if I can help it or not, but I’ll try
   1.873 +my hardest to keep her happy. Forever.
   1.874 +
   1.875 +I find myself smiling brightly back at her, my hand still pressed
   1.876 +gently against Hotaru’s cheek. I giggle softly myself, glad to see
   1.877 +that smile on her face again.  "Hai, perfect. Just like you, Hotaru-
   1.878 +chan. I want to be everything for you. I want you to be happy. I want
   1.879 +to be able to see your smile." I look deeply at her, wishing I could
   1.880 +just tell her everything here and now, but not knowing where to start.
   1.881 +
   1.882 +"How can I not be happy... if I’m with you..?" she says in that soft
   1.883 +voice of hers that I can’t help but imagine whenever there’s silence
   1.884 +around me. A faint smile appears on her lips. "It’s like... like...."
   1.885 +She trails off, at a loss for words. But I know exactly what she
   1.886 +means. Everything about this is perfect, magical. Its too hard to put
   1.887 +into words. So why bother, when I can just be here with her?
   1.888 +
   1.889 +~~~~~
   1.890 +
   1.891 +	Usagi stared at ChibiUsa oddly as they made their way home. The
   1.892 +younger girl had been acting strangely all night and now she seemed
   1.893 +to be off in her own little world, barely noticing what was happening
   1.894 +around her. The blonde girl sighed inwardly. This whole thing just
   1.895 +seemed to be getting more and more confusing.
   1.896 +	Had ChibiUsa heard those thoughts she would wholeheartedly agreed.
   1.897 +Her fingers absentmindedly went to her lips, her mind drifting back
   1.898 +to her first kiss just moments before. She felt a sudden wave of
   1.899 +dizziness wash over her as she relived the moment. What had happened
   1.900 +back there? She swallowed nervously as she walked along. That strange
   1.901 +feeling refused to leave her. She had never thought something like
   1.902 +this would happen. Her mother had told her to be ready for anything
   1.903 +when she came back to the past, but this was beyond anything she
   1.904 +could have imagined. Falling in love had not been one of the things
   1.905 +she’d thought her mother had meant. And with her… ChibiUsa’s cheeks
   1.906 +started to flush and her heart beat faster as the odd feeling in her
   1.907 +stomach increased in intensity. She felt like she needed to sit down
   1.908 +soon, but she didn’t want Usagi’s already paranoid mind to have
   1.909 +anything to work off of. 
   1.910 +	The mysterious dark haired girl had quickly drawn her in. Those
   1.911 +violet, pain filled eyes seemed to look deep into her soul whenever
   1.912 +she gazed into them. This almost deathly pale girl had invaded her
   1.913 +every thought. How could she have become so important to her? Did it
   1.914 +matter? The whole idea of falling in love this way had been so
   1.915 +foreign to her. The thought of falling in love with this girl was
   1.916 +almost frightening to begin with. But Hotaru needed her, didn’t she?
   1.917 +She wanted to do everything she could to make her happy. This whole
   1.918 +thing was so new to her. But it was exhilarating, the feeling that
   1.919 +encompassed her at the very thought of the raven haired girl. It
   1.920 +scared her a bit, but she pushed that to the back of her mind. She
   1.921 +wouldn’t let that get in her way. She couldn’t just run away from
   1.922 +Hotaru. The other girl had already woven a spell deep into ChibiUsa’s
   1.923 +soul. Maybe this was destiny. She had heard her mother say that so
   1.924 +many times about her father. This wasn’t quite the same, but it sure
   1.925 +felt like destiny had brought her to Hotaru. 
   1.926 +	“What are you daydreaming about?” Usagi asked after a long moment
   1.927 +of silence. “You haven’t said a word since we left Hotaru’s house.
   1.928 +What’s gotten into you? All thoughtful and dreamy all of the sudden.”
   1.929 +A sudden pang of worry spread through Usagi. Her suspicions about
   1.930 +Hotaru began to grow. The mysterious girl very well could be part of
   1.931 +The Enemy. And ChibiUsa would be completely unreasonable about things
   1.932 +if she mentioned the possibility to her. So for now it was best if
   1.933 +she just kept an eye on the younger girl. A silent sigh escaped her
   1.934 +lips. What would the pink haired girl do without her?
   1.935 +	ChibiUsa almost didn’t hear Usagi’s question at first. Shaking her
   1.936 +head, she tried to clear her thoughts but found that nearly
   1.937 +impossible. “I.. Nothing. I’m just thinking about… home. And my room.
   1.938 +And stuff…” There. That sounded convincing enough, ChibiUsa thought
   1.939 +with a satisfied smile. She did get homesick a lot, so Usagi
   1.940 +shouldn’t get too suspicious over that. 
   1.941 +	Usagi seemed to consider it for a moment before finally deciding to
   1.942 +let it drop. ChibiUsa was acting strangely, but pushing her probably
   1.943 +wouldn’t get her anywhere. She knew how stubborn the pink haired girl
   1.944 +could be and she didn’t feel like arguing with her for once. There
   1.945 +was too much to think about after meeting the Professor and his
   1.946 +daughter. She had to see what the others thought. 
   1.947 +	Glancing sidelong at Usagi, ChibiUsa contemplated saying something
   1.948 +for a long moment. This woman would one day become her mother, the
   1.949 +woman she held in the highest regard. Her mother meant a lot to her.
   1.950 +And she dearly wished she could talk with her about what was going
   1.951 +on, about Hotaru. She bit her lip thoughtfully. Opening her mouth to
   1.952 +speak, nothing came out. The nervousness that overtook her was too
   1.953 +strong to quell. Usagi may be her mother in the future, but now…
   1.954 +Maybe this just wasn’t the time to say anything. She couldn’t bring
   1.955 +herself to bring it up now as it was. Finally deciding to tell the
   1.956 +blonde girl later, if ever, she turned her attention back to what
   1.957 +really mattered. Hotaru.
   1.958 +
   1.959 +	Hotaru gazed longingly out her window. How long had she been
   1.960 +sitting there? Minutes? Hours? She honestly couldn’t tell. The
   1.961 +conversation she had had with the pink haired girl kept playing over
   1.962 +and over again in her mind. It was too much to believe. How could
   1.963 +something so wonderful happen to her? That such a sweet girl would
   1.964 +actually care for her? Her? No one cared about her. Those that didn’t
   1.965 +hate her or try to actively hurt her saw her as an oddity, something
   1.966 +that had no real significance. But ChibiUsa was different from
   1.967 +everyone else. She had looked beyond everything and had stayed. She
   1.968 +hadn’t ran away or decided that Hotaru was an object of derision.
   1.969 +Instead she had come again and again to her, always as her friend. A
   1.970 +friend… Hotaru had never had a friend before. That alone seemed
   1.971 +inconceivable. But that the pink haired girl could love her?
   1.972 +Impossible. How could anyone? Yet ChibiUsa had been perfectly honest.
   1.973 +She had seen that in those beautiful crimson eyes. 
   1.974 +	Finally lying back on her bed, Hotaru stared up at the roof. Her
   1.975 +lamps lit her dim room like fireflies in the darkness. Romantic, the
   1.976 +pink haired girl had called it. She allowed herself a soft smile.
   1.977 +This was her only place of escape from the pain of the world. This
   1.978 +was her sanctuary. The atmosphere helped her try and forget
   1.979 +everything, much as her books let her attempt escape into the life of
   1.980 +another. But she was always brought back to reality, or taken from
   1.981 +the safety of her room. The cold harsh pain would always come
   1.982 +flooding back in after her short reprise. Her escape was always too
   1.983 +short. Much too short. There had never been anything in this life
   1.984 +worth returning to. Until now. There was something for her to hang on
   1.985 +for now.  She had a reason to go on.
   1.986 +	It had been so easy for her to fall for the pink haired girl. She
   1.987 +was so sweet and caring. There was never any doubt in ChibiUsa’s mind
   1.988 +that everything would turn out right in the end. Even with Hotaru.
   1.989 +That outlook on life was so different from Hotaru’s own. Everything
   1.990 +about her was like a bright light in Hotaru’s life, lighting up the
   1.991 +darkness that threatened to engulf her. The thought that falling in
   1.992 +love with the pink haired girl was wrong had briefly crossed her mind
   1.993 +on several occasions, but she couldn’t help it. And what was one more
   1.994 +mistake for someone like her? 
   1.995 +	The fear that this would all be snatched from her as quickly as it
   1.996 +had appeared to her was nearly overpowering at times. This could all
   1.997 +be some sick joke by the heavens. A way to taunt her with what she
   1.998 +desired with all her heart only to have it taken away. How could a
   1.999 +witch like her, a freak, be granted this? If ChibiUsa knew… her body
  1.1000 +went numb at the thought. If ChibiUsa knew everything about her,
  1.1001 +would her mind change swiftly? Would she decide that everyone else
  1.1002 +had been right about Hotaru? 
  1.1003 +	The raven haired girl almost felt like crying at that. Hugging her
  1.1004 +pillow tightly to her chest, she wondered how this would all turn out
  1.1005 +in the end. Her life didn’t matter. She would let this play out the
  1.1006 +way it was intended. It seemed safer to keep things as friends, to
  1.1007 +not risk losing what little she had. But for ChibiUsa’s sake, and the
  1.1008 +yearning in her own heart, she would see where this took her.