This story is a songfic about ChibiUsa a while after Hotaru has died in 

 a battle. The song is ‘Melodies of Life’, a beautiful song from Final 

 Fantasy 9 sung by Emiko Shiratori and written by Nobuo Uematsu. The 

 gorgeous characters were created by the wonderfully talented Naoko 

 Takeuchi.

 

 Melodies of Life 

 By Amazoness Quartet

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com 

 ----------------

 

 ~Alone for a while I've been searching through the dark

 For traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart

 To weave by picking up the pieces that remain

 Melodies of life--love's lost refrain~

 

 Why did you have to leave me? I loved you so much. I still do. 

 That’s why it still hurts so badly whenever I think about you. My mom 

 says I’ve been growing distant, that I’m always lost in thought. That 

 can’t be good for the next Queen of Crystal Tokyo. But I can’t help it, 

 Hotaru. I miss you. When I close my eyes, I can still see that shy 

 smile of yours, hear your soft voice calling me. I’ll always love you, 

 even if we can’t be together. Why wouldn’t you let me come with you? 

 Maybe I could have helped. And even if I couldn’t, at least we would 

 have died together. You told me when you had grown up again that it was 

 to fight alongside me. Why couldn’t I fight alongside you then? I know 

 you wanted to protect me, but it hurts so much without you. It’s so 

 hard to keep going. But every time I falter, every time I fall, I can 

 feel you there with me, helping me make it through.

 

 ~Our paths they did cross, though I cannot say just why

 We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said goodbye

 And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told?

 Let them ring out loud till they unfold~

 

 You were always so sad, Hotaru. Just lurking under the surface, 

 like you could never completely escape it. Even when I could lure that 

 smile out of you or hear your laugh, it was still there. I could never 

 completely cure that sadness inside of you. I told you that we’d be 

 together forever and you smiled a little sadly and didn’t say anything. 

 I always wondered why you looked on the dark side of things so often, 

 but I was determined to show you that things could work out. That you 

 could have a happy ending. But now as I look back on it all, was I just 

 naïve? Did you know all along that it would come to this? All the 

 dreams we had shared will never take place now. All the promises I had 

 made of our beautiful future together. I wanted to keep them so dearly, 

 Hotaru. And I’d probably promise you them all over again if you were 

 here, even after all that’s happened. 

 

 ~In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out to me

 Though you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name~

 

 Looking around feverishly, I find myself once again in my bed. 

 Looking next to me, I almost expect to see you there, asleep after a 

 passion filled night, or maybe just reading a book as you watched me 

 dozing. Your beautiful pale body seemed to shine in the moonlight, 

 though I needed no such prompting to go to you. I swear I can hear your 

 voice sometimes, even though Diana says she doesn’t hear anything. 

 Careful not to wake my guardian cat, I sneak outside to the balcony. 

 Its cold out, but I don’t care. Not anymore. I remember when I used to 

 find you out here late at night, staring at the stars. I’d ask you to 

 come back inside but you’d always say you weren’t tired. I would go 

 back in for a few seconds and come back with a blanket for the two of 

 us to share. Sometimes I’d ask what it was and other times you’d look 

 like you didn’t want to talk about it. But it didn’t matter because we 

 were together. Is that what you were trying to teach me whenever I’d 

 feel bad about not being able to fix things for you and you’d tell me 

 that wasn’t what was important? I hug myself tighter as the cold starts 

 to set in. I don’t want to go back inside now. Not yet.

 

 ~A voice from the past, joining yours and mine

 Adding up the layers of harmony

 And so it goes, on and on

 Melodies of life,

 To the sky beyond the flying birds--forever and beyond~

 

 When I look back on things, it seems like a blur sometimes. When 

 we first met, when I saw you smile for the first time, when you 

 returned to me, when we first kissed, when we would share our hopes and 

 dreams in each other’s arms, when I saw you for the last time with that 

 determined look on your face... I’m crying again, I realize. I should 

 hide it before mother sees, but I can’t find the will. She wants me to 

 be strong, to work my way through this, but I’m not as strong as you. 

 You suffered through so much, Hotaru. You took it all and yet you 

 continued on. You would never admit it. You never saw the strength in 

 yourself that I always saw in you. 

 

 ~So far and away, see the bird as it flies by

 Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky

 I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings

 Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings~

 

 Sometime later, I find myself sitting barefoot on the hill where 

 I spent so much time as a child, leaning against an old tree that has 

 grown there. Here I can lose myself in my memories and forget all 

 that’s happened. The birds are beautiful, Hotaru, but not as beautiful 

 as the fireflies. Sometimes I’ll come out late at night and watch them. 

 Sometimes I even think I see you amongst them, carefree and happy at 

 last. It may last for just a split second out of the corner of my eye, 

 but that sight alone gives me the strength I need to push forward. I 

 know I can’t have you back, but sometimes its nice to pretend, ne? I 

 smile a little as I watch the city in the distance. I don’t know what 

 lies ahead of me, but I promise I’ll always remember you, that I’ll 

 always love you.

 

 ~In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me?

 Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind?~

 

 I’ve lost you so many times. I had thought that this time would 

 be no different, that we’d find ourselves in the other’s arms before it 

 was through. But it didn’t work out that way. It was such a cruel trick 

 fate played, letting me fall in love with you before snatching you away 

 from me. But I would do it all over again if I had the choice. It was 

 so painful, but the joy you made me feel was worth so much more. I know 

 we’ll be together again. Because... because I know that you love me, 

 too.

 

 ~A voice from the past, joining yours and mine

 Adding up the layers of harmony

 And so it goes, on and on

 Melodies of life,

 To the sky beyond the flying birds--forever and beyond~

 

 	“ChibiUsa-chan..?”

 I hear a soft voice whisper behind me, ripping me from my 

 thoughts. That voice... My heart starts beating furiously as I sit up 

 on my knees. It’s almost impossible to breath as I struggle to turn 

 around quickly enough. It’s.. you... Standing up, I almost fall back 

 down again. My vision blurs as tears start to form in my eyes. “Hotaru-

 chan?” I ask weakly as I stumble towards you. You merely smile, dark 

 eyes shining with the inner beauty that made me fall in love with you 

 in the first place. I throw myself into her arms, you stagger back 

 under my assault. Sobs wrack my body as I hold onto you tightly. I’ve 

 missed you so much. There’s been so much I wanted to tell you, but 

 words escape me right now. I want to hold on to you for eternity, to 

 never let go again. I can feel your fingers brushing through my hair 

 and I feel myself sobbing more uncontrollably at the memories. Looking 

 up, I see tears in your own dark eyes. Oh, Hotaru...

 

 ~If I should leave this lonely world behind

 Your voice will still remember our melody

 Now I know we'll carry on

 Melodies of life

 Come circle round and grow deep in our hearts

 As long as we remember~

 

 I want to hear you promise me that we’ll always be together, that you’ll never leave my side again, 

 but its enough for me just to have you here with me now. I know that this time we don’t need promises like 

 that. Because this time I know that we’ll always be together, even if one of us dies. Because you were with 

 me through every step I took while you were gone. Just as I’d be there with you. But I’m so glad to have 

 you here like this nonetheless. Clutching onto you tighter, I bury my face against your shoulder.

 Your answer to all of my unasked questions sends a warm spark through my body as your lips 

 press against my own. I feel myself kissing back with all the strength I can muster as the tension from the 

 past few years drains away from me in the space of seconds. I feel alive again in your arms. Truly alive. 

 “How..?” I ask softly. 

 You just smile again and kiss me softly. “I love you, ChibiUsa-chan.”

 I love you, too, Hotaru. And I always will.