Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon - Infinity II Alternate

 'Eye of the Beholder' - Chapter One

 by AmazonessDuo

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 

 

 	As the afternoon sun beat down, a lone girl made her way home. The

 dark stockings and midnight-black hair almost helped her blend into

 the shadows. But the lonely girl didn’t need them for that purpose.

 She was used to being ignored, used to fading away into shadows. It

 was so much better if to others if she didn’t exist. To exist meant

 for them to torment her, to hate her. Why did they hate her? Why did

 everyone hate her? What had she done? All she wanted was to be left

 alone. Why was this impossible to allow her? And so she hid. In plain

 sight, she hid. She was the quiet girl; the shy girl. The lonely

 girl. But only when she was lucky. When she wasn’t, she was the

 freak. That thing that was only to be hated, not pitied. A witch. No

 one knew her. No one cared to. 

 	Her eyes downcast, she walked slowly home, keeping to the shadows,

 wishing she could fade away into them. As she passed a group of

 students around her age on the sidewalk, she gripped the strap to her

 school bag nervously. She silently prayed to go unnoticed, and as the

 small group left her behind, talking and laughing happily, she

 sighed.  But her relief was short-lived, as two girls walking to

 their next class spotted her and began to talk, just loud enough for

 her to hear.

 	"That's the 6th grader, Tomoe-san," says one, as they catch up to

 her.  "She's carrying her bag.  Is she leaving early again?"

 	"Isn't she really weak?" responds the other.  "She's been wearing

 those long tights all year."

 	Hotaru closed her eyes, hoping the two would just go away and leave

 her alone.  "She's such a dark person," they continued. "Her

 expression is always so empty.  It's well known that she's a bit

 strange."

 	"Naturally.  Her father's a mad scientist."  This insult cut into

 her.  She was used to being taunted and tormented herself, but

 resorting to attack her father..?  The pain grew until it was almost

 unbearable.  "Doesn't she have any friends?"

 	The lonely girl collapsed, her bag and its contents spilling out

 onto the pavement.  Coughing and trying to see through the haze of

 pain, the suffering girl reached out to gather her tin pencil case. 

 The girls, seeing this as a perfect opportunity to torture her,

 quickly approached, one stepping on the pencil case to attract her

 attention.  "What's wrong, Tomoe Hotaru-sempai?" she said, grinning

 down at the poor girl condescendingly.  "You tired, need some help?"

 	Hotaru simply pulled the pencil case out from under the girl's

 foot, and stood, having picked up everything else already.  Glaring

 at the two girls, she holds up the tin pencil case and crushes it in

 her fist, dropping the now-useless scrap to the ground and continuing

 her walk home.  As she left, she heard the girls behind her gasp in

 astonishment and continue talking: "W.. what??  She crushed it!  Just

 like that!!" "She looked so mad.. like a completely different person!"

 	Every day it was the same, and this was no different..  By now she

 had grown used to it. One lonely day to the next, she dealt with her

 classmates taunts, the emptiness inside of being truly alone even

 amidst so many people. She was an outcast, an outsider to which

 everyone, even other outcasts, looked down on her. 

 	The fact that the school day was over brought little comfort to the

 raven haired girl. The cycle would begin again the next day, or after

 the weekend. It was unending, a constant in her life that she

 couldn’t escape. She darkly contemplated what to do once she got

 home. Her father would probably be in his lab, as usual. She hoped

 his assistant, Kaolinite, would be as well. She would probably go

 back to her room, close the curtains and try to escape her painful

 existence in one of the many books she was reading. Maybe she could

 even forget, at least for a short time. Or maybe she could come up

 with a more permanent escape….

 	The dark haired girl gasped and froze in place at the sight ahead

 of her. Her heart nearly stopped at the shock that washed over her. A

 girl with beautiful pink hair stood with her hands clasped in front

 of her near the front gate to the mansion Hotaru lived at with her

 father. Hotaru brushed some dark strands of hair from her eyes and

 blinked. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. No one would ever

 come see her. She knew that much. The pink haired girl couldn’t have

 come back to see her. Nothing like that had ever happened to her. No

 one cared that much to come see her. Her pulse raced as she stood

 nervously, completely unsure of what to think or do.  She wanted to

 shrink back into the shadows, to disappear. Then this couldn’t

 confuse her like this. It wouldn’t be able to scare her as it did.

 But something deep inside stopped her from leaving. 

 

 ~~~~~~ 

 

 	ChibiUsa stood nervously in front of the imposing iron gate. She

 felt a knot in her stomach as she waited. And waited. And waited. She

 had been thinking more and more of the pale, dark haired girl lately.

 She had to see her again. She’d bought a new handkerchief to give

 Hotaru since the other one had been stained with the blood from her

 wound. Oddly enough, ChibiUsa treasured the cloth, keeping it hidden

 behind some of the bunny dolls she collected. She would take it out

 when no one was around, a reminder of Hotaru. She was a bit glad that

 it had been stained, both to remind her of the dark haired girl’s

 soft healing touch, and so she could keep the handkerchief for herself.

 	Releasing a sigh of defeat, ChibiUsa turned to leave. She gasped,

 startled by the sudden appearance of the girl she’d been thinking of.

 She wasn’t sure what to do, whether she should go to the dark haired

 girl or stay and wait for her to walk up. ChibiUsa didn’t have to

 worry about that decision because her sudden shock had taken her mind

 from the task at hand. Her forward momentum kept her going, but her

 feet weren’t moving. Before she knew what had happened, she tripped,

 falling face first. She managed to land on her arm, the same arm that

 had been cut by the Daimon. Pain coursed through it as she collapsed

 to the ground.

 	The pink haired girl could dimly hear Hotaru yell something before

 running over to her. It wasn’t so much the pain she felt as the

 embarrassment that really got to her. It wasn’t exactly the first

 impression she wanted to have on the dark haired girl when they met

 again. ‘Why am I always so clumsy?’ ChibiUsa asked herself angrily.

 ‘I’ll never be like my mother. Some graceful princess I am.’ Letting

 herself be helped into a sitting position, she met Hotaru’s gaze with

 difficulty, her cheeks still a flustered shade of red. One glance

 into the violet eyes looking back at her completely rid ChibiUsa of

 the embarrassment she’d felt seconds before. There was nothing but

 concern in those large beautiful eyes. 

 	“Does it hurt?” Hotaru asked, rolling up ChibiUsa’s long sleeves to

 get a better look at her arm. She gently ran her hands across the

 pink haired girl’s creamy skin.

 	ChibiUsa sat silently for a moment. Hotaru’s fingers caressing her

 arm was sheer bliss. The dark haired girl’s soft touch pushed all

 conscious thought from her mind. She looked back at Hotaru, not

 saying anything, just enjoying the silence and the feel of her touch.

 Finally noticing the other girl’s concerned stare, ChibiUsa shook

 herself from that strange moment. ‘What just happened? I feel so

 strange. How does she keep making me feel this way? Even when she’s

 not there, she’s all I can think about. And now that she is here, I

 can’t think,’ she thought to herself. She smiled and laughed

 nervously. “Its nothing. I’m not exactly as graceful as I could be.

 I’m used to it by now.”

 	A smile tugged at the corner of Hotaru’s lips. “Its cute,” she said

 quietly. 

 	ChibiUsa smiled broader. Hotaru thought it was cute? She’d always

 wanted to be graceful, elegant, worried that she’d never be. But the

 other girl actually thought her clumsiness was cute? She tried to say

 something but all that came out was a quiet, “Thank you.” Still

 feeling the gentle brush of fingertips against her skin, ChibiUsa

 brought her gaze down to her arm. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about

 that. I’m fi…” She winced as the dark haired girl’s fingers pressed

 against a small place on her arm. 

 	“You’re fine, are you?” Hotaru asked, starting to smile. “If you’re

 normally like this, then at least someone’s benefiting from my

 healing powers.” Her hands started to glow as she concentrated. The

 pain began to recede from ChibiUsa’s arm.

 	The pink haired girl giggled as the warm glow healed her arm.

 “That’s why I’m not scared of you. I could use the help when I get

 hurt like that,” she joked. She noticed that though she hadn’t known

 this girl for long, she felt completely at ease with her. A warm

 feeling spread through her at the thought.

 	A small laugh escaped Hotaru’s perfect lips. “I’m glad I could

 help.” Standing up, she offered her pink haired companion a hand,

 which the other girl eagerly accepted. Brushing the grass from her

 skirt, Hotaru looked sidelong at ChibiUsa. Now that the fall was over

 with, she was back to wondering why the pink haired girl was here. No

 one ever came to see her. What was going on? Was this a joke? No,

 this couldn’t be. She knew the pink haired girl was incapable of

 doing anything so cruel. As an uneasy silence set in, both girls

 laughed nervously. Thinking for a minute, Hotaru grabbed ChibiUsa’s

 hand. ‘Dad’s gone for at least a couple more hours and Kaolinite’s

 probably with him, so I should be able to talk to her.’ “Would you

 like to come inside?”

 	Nodding, the pink haired girl flashed a smile at Hotaru. “I’d love

 to.” 

 	That sweet voice and those warm crimson eyes sent tingles down

 Hotaru’s spine. She couldn’t shake the feeling as she led ChibiUsa

 inside the mansion. “Come with me.” Finally, the two entered Hotaru’s

 room. 

 	ChibiUsa let out a small ‘oh’ as she glanced around the dark room.

 “There are lamps everywhere. Your room’s so romantic, Hotaru-chan.”

 The room was filled with lamps of every size and description. They

 were all placed around the room neatly keeping them from making the

 room look cluttered.

 	Hotaru blushed, turning on a few of the lamps, though the room

 remained fairly dark. In the darkness the lights shined like

 fireflies, seeming to cast a faint glow on Hotaru. “I prefer

 obscurity.. The quiet and the dark.” She said softly.  "Would you

 like something to drink?" the mysterious girl quickly asked, trying

 to get off the subject.

 	The pink-haired girl nodded enthusiastically.  "Hai, that sounds

 good."  Hotaru silently slipped out, leaving ChibiUsa alone in the

 dimly-lit room.  Ever curious, ChibiUsa couldn't help but wonder why

 the girl was so shy, so lonely.. so mysterious.  Her wonderings were

 cut short when the door opened to reveal Hotaru, now clad in a simple

 black dress complete with tights, and carrying a tray with two

 teacups on it.  “Do you like dark clothes, too?” she asked,

 indicating the dress. 

 	Hotaru nodded slowly. “Hai. I feel better in the shadows.”

 	“Hotaru-chan… Why do you always cover up so much? I mean, with

 sweaters and long sleeves and stockings,” ChibiUsa asked.

 	“I had an accident a long time ago. I have many wounds from it,”

 Hotaru said simply, looking away. To change the subject, she asked

 what had been on her mind all along. “Why are you here?”

 	ChibiUsa smiled sheepishly, almost having forgot. She handed Hotaru

 the new handkerchief she bought. “I wanted to give it back to you,

 but the blood wouldn’t come out of the old one. So here’s a new one.”

 	Hotaru blinked at the handkerchief in ChibiUsa’s outstretched hand.

 “You came all this way to see me… just to give me back my

 handkerchief?” She was astonished. This girl had come to see her over

 something as insignificant as a strip of cloth, something no one else

 would ever have worried about with her involved. Before she could ask

 the pink haired girl why she did it, she started coughing

 uncontrollably. Her heart beat faster as she slumped to her knees. 

 The tray clanged to the floor, spilling tea and cups alike, forgotten

 by the two in this moment of crisis.

 	“Hotaru-chan!!” ChibiUsa ran to her side as Hotaru suffered another

 of her fits. “Hotaru-chan!!!” she yelled worriedly, clutching onto

 the raven haired girl. The look of excruciating pain on Hotaru’s

 beautiful face tore through her heart like a knife. Her mind raced

 desperately to find a way to help. 

 	“My…medicine…” Hotaru barely managed to get out. A shaky hand

 reached towards her desk, too far out of reach. 

 	ChibiUsa’s eyes frantically searched the desk, but she couldn’t

 find the medicine Hotaru had mentioned. Hearing Hotaru say something

 about an amulet, she fumbled for her broach. “It’ll be okay, Hotaru-

 chan. I’ll help you, I promise,” she whispered soothingly.

 	‘You can’t help me. No one can help me,’ Hotaru thought sadly.  Her

 eyes closed, trying to block out the immense pain. "No.. don't come

 closer... you shouldn't.. be near me.." she managed to whisper

 between gasps for breath, wishing she would pass out. Or worse…

 	Finally getting at her broach, the pink haired girl pulled out the

 Silver Crystal, the one from the future that her mother had given her

 to take care of when she’d come back to train as Sailor Chibimoon.

 Her breath caught in her chest as she watched the dark haired girl

 writhe in pain. She brushed wisps of pink hair from her own tear

 streaked eyes, praying this would work. A soft glow slowly began to

 emanate from the crystal, quickly growing brighter.

 	Hotaru gasped as a warm glow blanketed her body. The wonderful

 feeling spread through her. The pain ebbed away, her body once again

 her own. Her pain had never disappeared so quickly, vanished so

 completely in such a short time. The room was silent for a moment,

 the only sound was the breathing of the two girls. Hotaru could do

 nothing but look at ChibiUsa’s worried face. She had wanted to

 express her gratefulness, but her voice caught in her throat as her

 violet eyes gazed into ChibiUsa’s glittering crimson ones. ‘She looks

 so worried,' Hotaru thought to herself. A sudden realization shocked

 her. ‘About me? She’s worried about me? But how? No one worries about

 me…’ The raven haired girl’s pale cheeks flushed as crimson as

 ChibiUsa’s eyes. She tried to say something, but her mind was having

 trouble locking onto anything than the fact that this girl could be

 worried about her. “Thank you…” she managed quietly.

 	ChibiUsa sat down on her knees in front of Hotaru. She smiled

 happily. “I’m just really glad you’re okay, Hotaru-chan. You had me

 so worried for a moment.” A strange feeling filled her as she looked

 into those lonely violet eyes.  The intensity of the gaze, the way

 she was looking at her, part of it scared her. Yet an odd excitement

 coursed through her as their eyes met. She sat completely still, half

 scared of what might happen next, but anxiously hoping something

 would. She swallowed nervously as her eyes slowly traced Hotaru’s

 beautiful features. From her soft lips, down to her elegant chin, to

 her dark eye lashes, to the slight blush coloring her pristine

 cheeks. ChibiUsa’s lungs ached for air as she quietly waited.

 	Hotaru slowly brought a hand up towards ChibiUsa’s. The pink haired

 girl started reaching for Hotaru’s hand instinctively, as if it was

 exactly what she should do. Releasing her grip on the Silver Crystal,

 it fell from her grasp. Time seemed to slow as the glittering crystal

 dropped towards the ground. Hotaru barely caught the crystal before

 it hit the ground. “Your amulet, it's wonderful,” the raven haired

 girl said at last, breaking the silence.

 	ChibiUsa finally released her breath. She wasn’t sure if she was

 glad or disappointed that nothing had happened. ‘What was I thinking

 might happen, anyway?’ she asked herself. Try as she might, she

 couldn’t come up with an answer to that. Looking back up at Hotaru,

 she couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and take her hand in her

 own. The raven haired girl almost flinched at the sudden contact of

 the warm hand against her skin, but ChibiUsa continued to hold her

 hand gently. “Oh, that? Yeah, I guess you can call it my amulet.” She

 laughed a bit, lightening the moment. “It used to be my mother’s but

 she gave it to me, sort of as a going away present until I returned.”

 	“Return where?” Hotaru asked, as if picking up on the pink haired

 girl’s thoughts of home. She started to relax, greatly enjoying

 ChibiUsa’s gentle touch. 

 	ChibiUsa laughed again, nervously this time. “Well, its kinda hard

 to explain.”

 	Handing the crystal back to ChibiUsa, Hotaru smiled softly. “I

 won’t tell anyone your secret, Chibimoon.” Her eyes widened as she

 remembered something. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t even know your name.”

 	ChibiUsa grinned broadly. She felt good that the other girl wanted

 to know her name. “I’m ChibiUsa Small Lady Tsukino. Well, my real

 name's Usagi, but while I’m here everyone’s calling me ChibiUsa.”

 	Hotaru brushed some dark hair from her eyes, looking intently at

 the other girl. She couldn’t help but giggle. “Little Rabbit. That

 fits you perfectly.”

 	ChibiUsa couldn’t help but laugh as well. “You really think so?”

 	“Yes. It's cute. It really seems to fit you.” Hotaru blushed and

 looked away.

 	Tilting to the side, ChibiUsa managed to catch Hotaru’s gaze again.

 She wanted to see those beautiful violet eyes pointed her way again,

 looking out from that gorgeous face. “Thanks,” she said, feeling her

 own cheeks blush slightly. “Hotaru’s a really pretty name. Firefly.

 It makes you sound kinda mysterious.”

 	Hotaru sighed and shook her head. “No. People want to know about

 the mysterious. I just frighten them.”

 	Taking Hotaru’s hand with both of her own, ChibiUsa kept gazing

 intently into the mysterious girl’s dark eyes. “I want to know about

 you. And you don’t frighten me. I don’t know how anyone could see you

 like that.”

 	Hotaru tried to look away, these new feelings threatening to

 overwhelm the poor girl, her mind already lost in confusion. Those

 crimson eyes captivated her. Escape from them seemed impossible. This

 was too good to be true. She had never had a friend before, someone

 who wanted to know about her, who cared for her. No one cared about

 her, right? Hadn’t life seemingly banned her from having a single

 soul that could be her friend? So why was this pink haired girl here?

 She flinched away from the contact of the other girl’s hands against

 her own, but ChibiUsa held tight, not letting go. “But you don’t know

 me,” she said quietly.

 	“I want to,” came ChibiUsa’s earnest reply. She looked pleadingly

 into Hotaru’s violet eyes. “Please let me get to know you.”

 	Hotaru was silent for a long moment. This caught her by surprise.

 All sorts of emotions ran through her. Happiness that ChibiUsa could

 care that much, fear that this might all be a dream or that ChibiUsa

 would change her mind when she did learn more about her,  hope that

 her loneliness could finally come to an end. “Thank you.” She slowly

 smiled, a broad genuine smile. “ChibiUsa-chan.”

 	ChibiUsa smiled happily. She had managed to see that beautiful

 smile again. “Hotaru-chan, you’re the most interesting, most

 beautiful person I’ve met since I came here. I really want to be your

 friend.” ‘That’s all I want to be, right? What else would I want to

 be?’ ChibiUsa shrugs off the thoughts, leaning forward and hugging

 Hotaru. 

 	The dark haired girl’s eyes went wide as she felt the pink haired

 girl against her. She relished in the sensation. She tentatively

 placed her arms around ChibiUsa, hugging her back.

 	The two girls stayed that way for a long time, both enjoying the

 companionship and warmth. ChibiUsa glanced up from Hotaru’s shoulder

 and noticed how dark it had gotten. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go.

 It’s getting late and I don’t want Ikuko-mama to worry." Releasing

 the embrace, ChibiUsa frowned reluctantly. “I wish I didn’t have to,

 but she doesn’t know where I am. I really want to see you again.”

 	Hotaru blushed again, standing up as well. “You do? ChibiUsa-chan,

 you’re sweet. I really hope I can see you again, too.” She smiled a

 little shyly at the pink haired girl.

 	ChibiUsa grinned brightly, her hands placed behind her back.

 “Really? Then you will. I’ll try to see you soon.”

 	Brushing a few strands of dark hair from her eyes, Hotaru stood in

 front of the pink haired girl awkwardly. She smiled softly. “I’d like

 that.”

 	“Me too.” ChibiUsa gave Hotaru another hug before following her to

 the door.

 

 

 

 ~~~~~~ 

 

 

 	It was near the end of the day at Minato Ku Juuban Elementary, and

 ChibiUsa's mind wandered from her teacher to hey shy, mysterious

 friend.  'She's got such pretty pale skin..' she thought, tuning

 everything else out. 'Like new-fallen snow..' Momoko poked her,

 whispering that she should pay attention to what her teacher was

 saying as she explains that all the clay works they did recieved

 compliments from the other classes.  "But, it's time now to take your

 sculptures home.  Give them to someone important to you, like your

 mom or best friend, in gratitude."

 	ChibiUsa took her jeweled chalice from the display, holding it up

 to the light and silently cursing. 'Do I really have to give this up?

 I worked so hard on it..'  She turned to Momoko and verbalized the

 thought.  "Momochan, what will you do with yours?"

 	"My mom's birthday is coming up in a few days," the other girl

 replied.  "I'll give mine to her."  Just then, one of the clay cups

 found its way to ChibiUsa's desk.  It had a profile of Sailormoon

 worked into the side.  "That's a nice design, Kyosuke.  But why are

 you giving it to Chibiusachan?"

 	The somewhat annoying boy put his hand behind his head as he

 laughed nervously, blushing a little.  "Well.. I've been a really bad

 friend.  So I thought this might make up.  Kind of a sign of

 friendship."  Immediately upon those words, ChibiUsa's mind pops up

 with a picture of Hotachan.

 	"A sign of friendship!  That's it!  I'll give it to Hotaru-chan!!"

 	Momoko groaned.  "Isn't that the Mugen student?"  ChibiUsa nodded

 and began to explain. "Yeah!  She's my new friend, and she's really

 pretty, but she's kinda lonely, and mysterious too!"  Momoko snorted,

 replying semi-sarcastically. "You're so obsessed with her, what is

 she, your girlfriend?"

 	The commotion of the class leaving as the bell rings served to hide

 ChibiUsa's deep blush.

 

 ~~~~~~ 

 

 

 	By the time she got home, Momoko’s comment had faded to the back of

 ChibiUsa’s mind, replaced by much more urgent things. Like seeing

 Hotaru again. The fact that it was starting to rain heavily outside

 hardly seemed to matter to the future princess. The thought of seeing

 her lonely friend was all consuming. ‘Is she okay? Does she miss me?

 What’s she doing?’ she thought to herself as she dropped her book bag

 on her bed and hurried downstairs. Her mind was hazy with the

 thoughts of her new friend swirling through her mind. She wasted no

 time in getting an umbrella and pulling on her shoes. There wasn’t

 any thunder, so she might be able to make it there despite the rain.

 A cold pit formed in her stomach at the thought of thunder and

 lightening along the way, but she pushed it aside. She’d see Hotaru

 soon enough and then it wouldn’t matter what she went through to get

 there. A sudden burst of cold, wet air made ChibiUsa look up towards

 the opening front door. 

 Usagi stood there for a moment, her blonde pigtails glistening with

 the raindrops from walking in the rain. She took in the scene before

 her, her ‘cousin’ obviously ready to leave. Again. ‘Why is she always

 leaving to see that girl?’ Usagi asked herself. ‘Hotaru Tomoe might

 be part of The Enemy. Her father’s in charge of them. ChibiUsa might

 be in danger and she doesn’t even realize it.’ Feeling herself begin

 to get a bit angry at whatever ChibiUsa was keeping from her, she

 demanded the smaller girl tell her where she was going.

 	"Hotaru-chan’s," ChibiUsa said simply, standing up and moving to

 get past Usagi. Her future mother barred her exit. ChibiUsa frowned

 as she pulled the umbrella up against her shoulder.

 	Usagi shook her head stubbornly, droplets of water flying about.

 "Not on your own you aren’t."

 	"But..." ChibiUsa began indignantly.

 	"It's raining really hard and its already getting dark. I’m going,"

 Usagi argued obstinately. "You’ve been going to see this girl for a

 while now and this time I’m coming with."

 "That’s not fair! She’s my friend!" ChibiUsa replied angrily. 

 "Well, if you want to see her this time, I’m going, too." The blonde

 girl crossed her arms in front of her.

 

 Earlier that day, Usagi had been with Luna and Artemis under the

 Crown Arcade at the computer they used to gather information. They’d

 been trying to find research on The Enemy in the hopes that they

 could use it to their advantage. Nothing had come up on the two

 mysterious Sailor Senshi and whether they were friends or foes.

 Nonetheless, Usagi couldn’t help but wonder about the tall,

 intriguing woman, Sailor Uranus. The kiss they’d shared in the

 forest...

 Luna’s voice shook her from her thoughts as an image of a white

 haired man with glasses appeared on the screen. A star took the place

 of where one of his eyes should be. 

 "The Delta Area is where all the abnormal energy has been coming

 from. Especially the Infitity Zone. It seems all of our problems are

 coming from there. The Enemy must be situated there. This has to have

 something to do with their plan."

 "That’s the guy who owns the Infinty Zone and Mugen Gakuen. He looks

 suspicious," Artemis added. 

 Usagi sat down and began reading the data on the screen. His name

 was Souichi Tomoe and he was indeed owner of the prestigious school

 and the surrounding area. His field of expertise was genetic

 engineering. He lived at the Tomoe Research Labs with his daughter,

 Hotaru Tomoe.  Usagi paused for a moment, rereading the name. It

 sounded familiar, as if on the tip of her lips, but she couldn’t

 quite remember where she’d heard that name before. A small

 description of Hotaru popped up on the screen next to the

 Professor’s. Usagi’s eyes went wide when she saw the picture. It was

 the girl who had healed ChibiUsa. That’s where she’d heard the name!

 ChibiUsa had been mentioning her all the timelately. She gasped, her

 hand going to her mouth at the implications. She very well could be

 with The Enemy. "ChibiUsa’s been becoming really good friends with

 her lately. She’s been going over to her house all the time for the

 past few weeks to see her. I hope ChibiUsa’s okay..."

 

 As the two girl’s entered Hotaru’s home at the Tomoe Research Labs,

 Usagi berated ChibiUsa in a harsh whisper. “We can’t just barge in

 like this! It’s rude. And who knows what they’ll do if we get caught?

 You’re a princess, aren’t you?”

 ChibiUsa stuck her tongue out at the older girl, her thoughts still

 elsewhere. “I couldn’t find the intercom anyway. Besides, Hotaru-chan

 probably already knows I’m here so she won’t mind.” After a moment’s

 pause, the pink haired girl smiled politely and managed a “Hello.”

 Usagi looked at ChibiUsa puzzled for a moment. The younger girl

 seemed to be looking behind her oddly. Turning around, Usagi almost

 jumped when she noticed the red haired woman in a lab coat watching

 them both coldly. Her heart pounded worriedly in her chest. This

 woman had to be part of The Enemy. 

 “What business do you have here? You’re trespassing. This is private

 property. If you don’t leave now..” Kaolinite began before being

 interrupted by a soft, but sweet voice.

 	“They are my guests,” Hotaru said, glaring at Kaolinite as she

 walked out of one of the rooms. She once again was clad all in black,

 her pale skin the only contrast against the tight black clothes and

 her own raven hair. Her gaze shifting to the pink haired girl, her

 deep violet eyes gained a sparkle to them. Her heart swelled as she

 looked at her visitors. She almost felt sick from the sudden anxiety

 that washed over her at their arrival. It was as if she could sense

 some sort of great aura from the blonde haired girl, but her

 attention was still riveted to the kind pink haired girl whose

 crimson eyes smiled back at her. The aura might not be as strange,

 but everything about ChibiUsa captivated her. Why had she rescued her

 heart from its lonely prison? Why had she become her friend? Her head

 swam in circles as she tried to answer these questions, but for now

 she had to attend to her guests.

 	“Hotaru-chan!” ChibiUsa exclaimed happily at the sight of their

 mysterious savior. 

 	Kaolinite turned from the small group and left, thinking to

 herself. ‘She has guests? But no one ever wants to see her. This is

 odd..’

 	

 	The pale wisp of a girl bent down ever so slightly to pour some tea

 for the two visitors. She shyly brushed back some dark hair from her

 eyes as she felt their eyes baring down on her. She wasn’t used to

 this. Without knowing what to say, she asked the first thing that

 came to mind. “Why did you both come here?”

 	ChibiUsa smiled broadly and set the chalice she’d brought with her

 on the table. “I made this at school. Well, after school with Usagi

 and Mamo-chan’s help. But I want to give it to you as a present. It’s

 supposed to be the Holy Grail.”

 	Usagi’s eyes go wide as she turns to the younger girl. “What? But

 Mamo-chan and I worked so hard on that for you to just give it away.”

 The blonde girl frowned as she remembered all the time she and her

 boyfriend had put into working on the chalice when ChibiUsa had come

 to them for help on the art project. It seemed like such a waste for

 her to give it to this girl who very well may be part of The Enemy.

 ChibiUsa just ignored Usagi as if she weren’t even there. Her smile

 grew warmer, her crimson eyes never wavering from the darkly dressed

 frail girl across the room. She felt butterflies in her stomach as

 she kicked her legs almost nervously. “We were supposed to give our

 projects to someone special to us this week. To someone very

 important to us. Well, I was just thinking about how much you mean to

 me and I wanted to give it to you as a sign of friendship.” Why was

 it so hard to tell the other girl she wanted her to have it because

 of their friendship? It felt different somehow than with her other

 friends. This girl was so…. so….  amazing, wonderful, pretty, kind,

 sweet, mysterious, sad, and so much more. Hotaru intrigued ChibiUsa.

 She’d never met anyone like her. The pink haired girl always felt a

 warm feeling inside when she was with Hotaru. She felt safe with her.

 Her homesickness for Crystal Tokyo and her parents always faded away.

 The quiet raven haired girl was so shy, but it just made her want to

 get through to her all the more.

 “Why aren’t you giving it to Mamo-chan, then?” Usagi questioned the

 pink haired girl. She still thought of ChibiUsa as her rival for

 Mamoru’s attention. 

 ChibiUsa looked down at her kicking feet, her hands on either side

 of her on the couch. Why did Usagi have to come with her? It just

 made everything more difficult. Besides, she wanted to be alone with

 Hotaru, not arguing the point with Usagi. “You and Mamo-chan helped

 make it together, so I couldn’t give it just to him anyway.”

 A tiny smile started spreading across Hotaru’s lips. She felt so

 honored to be the one this cheerful pink haired girl thought was

 important enough to give the chalice to. The shock and surprise of

 the gift along with the other girl’s presence was a little

 overwhelming. It was strange enough having a friend, but one that

 thought so highly of her was such a foreign concept to her. It seemed

 an utter impossibility. Everytime she saw ChibiUsa it seemed more and

 more as if it had to be a dream. A wonderful dream. But the pale girl

 hadn’t had any good dreams in years. That seemed almost as impossible

 as if it were real. Whatever it was, she prayed it would never end.

 “You made this for an important person, ChibiUsa-chan? But I… I

 shouldn’t be the one to have this. You should be the one to keep it.

 Thank you, ChibiUsa-chan,” she spoke up in her quiet voice. Glancing

 at the Holy Grail ChibiUsa had given her on the table, she began to

 think of where in her dark room to place it. It was already

 significant to her. She wanted to make sure it had an important place

 amongst her lamps. She smiled shyly as she turned back to the other

 two girls.

 Usagi leaned forward ever so slightly, her curiosity increasing

 about this mysterious girl. Was she part of The Enemy? Was she using

 ChibiUsa? What was she up to? She feels a cold chill run down her

 spine as she gets a good look into those infinitely sad, dark eyes.

 ‘Its like I’m being drawn in. Her eyes seem to know everything,’ she

 thinks. The cold feeling grows worse before she realizes the room has

 been utterly silent for a long moment. Laughing nervously, the blonde

 girl stands up, eager for a moment’s respite to think. “Could you

 tell me where the bathroom is?”

 	The dark haired girl turns and points out of the room. “Its right

 down that hall.”

 	“Thanks,” Usagi says quickly, leaving the room, confused. The pale,

 raven haired girl was even more of a mystery to her now. And her

 seemingly mystical hold over ChibiUsa baffled her. She resolved to

 get to the bottom of things, no matter what. 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~

 

 "Hotaru-chan!?" I watch as Hotaru collapses into a fit on the floor.

 I run over, fear coursing through my entire body. I’ve only seen this

 happen once before, but I kneel beside the dark haired girl, my heart

 racing. "Hotaru-chan!?"  I feel so helpless, seeing this happen to

 her. Why can’t I do anything? Isn’t there some way I can help her?

 Why did this have to happen now? 

 

 Clutching her chest, she looks up at me with pain-filled eyes. My

 heart goes out to her. I want to go to her, to stop her suffering,

 but I don’t know how. Her shaky hand slowly reaches out, touching my

 broach. 

 

 "..it’s better.. when I touch your amulet... I’m being filled with

 power..." she says softly. Her body seems to relax as the fit finally

 comes to an end. Her breathing slowly returns to normal. She looks up

 at me with a strange look in her dark eyes.  

 

 I smile slightly, relief flooding through me. "Really? Then I’m

 glad, Hotaru-chan." It feels good to be able to help her. She’s

 already healed me a few times, I’m glad to repay the favor. And to

 see her in such pain… I’m just glad she’s alright now. 

 

 The dark, distant, pale girl echoes my smile, still looking up at me

 with that odd look in her eyes. "Your amulet... it has great power..

 what power is it..?" Something isn’t quite right… but does it matter?

 She’s alright now, that’s all that matters. I sigh, relieved that her

 pains gone, if only for now. I smile again, a hand going to my

 broach. "It’s the Mystical Silver Crystal," I say, telling of the

 crystal inside my broach.

 

 "Mystical Silver Crystal.." Hotaru repeats. Everything about her is

 different, somehow. The voice, its not the soft, sweet voice I’m used

 to. Her eyes, seeming even darker than before. Its like she’s a

 totally different person now. Suddenly the frail girl recoils in

 horror, her eyes widening as she draws back from me, raising a shaky

 hand to her mouth. 

 

 "Hotaru-chan?" I pull my hand from my broach, forgetting about it as

 concern gets the better of me. "Are you alright?" I take a nervous

 step forward. What happened? Why is she so scared? The frightened

 look in her eyes chills me. I shudder, not knowing why. Is she afraid

 of me? Did I do something wrong? I frantically want to reach out to

 her, to make sure its okay, to know why she’s so scared. I don’t ever

 want her to be scared again. I know that its probably foolish to

 think that I could do something like that. But I can try.

 

 Hotaru stays back from me, still seated on the floor. "I.. I... I’m

 sorry.. I didn’t mean,,,! It’s like.. it wasn’t me..." Her soft voice

 sounds almost desperate, pleading. Does she think I would leave? I’d

 never leave her like that, not now. 

 

 I take another nervous step forward, smiling reassuringly at the

 obviously grief stricken pale girl. I want to hug her, hold her

 close, make her know that its all okay, but I’m afraid she’d run away

 from me. She’s so delicate, so fragile, like a china doll. "It’s

 okay, Hotaru-chan. Don’t worry," I says soothingly, trying to get the

 mysterious girl to relax.

 

 She grants me just a bit of a nervous smile. I feel relieved again.

 I was so worried that she might flee her own room to get away from

 me. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about, but she looked so

 frightened. My heart flies just to see that hint of a smile. She

 manages a tiny nod, not saying a word.

 

 Seeing her visibly relax, I take a sigh of relief. This beautiful

 girl in front of me should never have to be hurt again. "I’m just

 glad you’re feeling better, Hotaru-chan. I hate seeing you in pain

 like that. I want to help you." And I do. I just don’t know how.

 

 "..thank you.. ChibiUsachan.." A small smile plays across her thin

 lips. She looks more confident as she tries to speak. “..you’re the

 only one who’s ever cared... it’s like..." her soft, whisper-like

 voice trails off. Like what? What are you trying to tell me? She

 seems to withdraw from me again, nervous. 

 

 I frown as I walk closer to her, closing the distance between us

 quickly. There’s so much I want to know. There’s so much I want to

 say. But what, exactly? I wish I knew. "I don’t know why I’m the only

 one who seems to notice how great you are, Hotaru-chan. I can’t see

 why anyone would ever be mean to you, why anyone would ever want to

 hurt you." Because I can’t stand to see you suffer, firefly.

 

 Her deep violet eyes gaze up at me, working their magic on me. How

 can I hope to keep from losing myself in their depths? I find myself

 being drawn further into those beautiful dark eyes. I see tears start

 to form in those perfect violet spheres. Please don’t cry, firefly. I

 don’t ever want you to hurt. "I.. don’t know.. but... It doesn’t

 matter.. as long as I have you..." 

 

 I feel my cheeks burning as I begin to blush. Had the raven haired

 girl really said that? But… what did she mean by it? She didn’t

 mean... "I.. I... Thanks, Hotaru-chan." My mind swims in confusion.

 Why would she say that? Do I really mean that much to her? I kneel

 next to her, smiling. As long as she has me... but how does she have

 me? I’m not so sure myself.

 

 The quiet girl blushes as well, her pale cheeks darkening as she

 looks at me. I look into those beautiful eyes for a long moment. She

 just looks at me silently. This moment, so much like the last time.

 It ended off so... I don’t know. What had I been expecting that time?

 A kiss? I almost laugh aloud. But then what Momoko said comes back to

 me as well. My girlfriend? A kiss? How did I really feel about this?

 Her blush deepens and she looks away from me.

 

 I tilt my head, trying to catch her gaze. A soft sigh escapes my

 lips. Why won’t she look at me again? Did I say the wrong thing?

 Please let me see those beautiful violet eyes again. I try to meet

 her gaze, to see those dark eyes. 

 

 Hotaru quietly looks up slightly. Its obvious she’s nervous. Why?

 Why are you nervous, firefly? Don’t you know I’d never do anything to

 harm you? Her eyes look at me questioningly, almost as if she’s so

 shy that she may flee from me at the hint of anything at all. The

 silence envelops us. I want to break the silence, but my mind can’t

 think clearly with this mysterious girl in front of me. She invades

 my thoughts, making it impossible for me to think of anything but

 her. But is that so bad? 

 

 "Hotaru-chan, you’re so pretty," I hear myself breath softly. I

 smile at her, once again losing myself in those violet pools. It’s

 the truth. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Yet so

 timid. Please let me get close…

 

 The dark haired girl blushes profusely, as if no one had ever said

 that to her before. Is the world that blind? She’s,,, heavenly. She

 seems like she’s trying to reply, but nothing comes out. She looks so

 afraid still.

 

 "I would never want to hurt you, Hotaru-chan. I want to be your

 friend. I want to be.. I don’t know." This time, I’m the one to look

 away. I don’t know what I had meant to tell her. That thought scares

 me. "I just want to make you happy." And I know I do. Oh, how I want

 her to be happy. To see another one of those beautiful smiles...

 

 Though she smiles at me in relief, I can see disappointment in the

 mysterious girl’s violet eyes. She seems to relax at what I said,

 though. "..I.. I wish I could be half as good a friend to you.. I

 don’t know... I’m not really good at it, ne.. inexperience..."

 

 I gaze into those eyes, wanting to know what caused her

 disappointment, but quickly losing myself in them. "No, you’re

 perfect, Hotaru-chan," I whisper softly. Everything about her fills

 me with wonder. I so want to tell her, but I don’t know how. I don’t

 even know what I want to tell her.

 

 A slight blush colors her pale cheeks as she looks back up at me.

 She seems more sure about something now, but I can’t tell what.

 "..no.. I can't be.. but... Chibiusachan... Chibimoon.. when did you

 fall from heaven..?  I want to know.. so I can give you a gift before

 you have to return..." her soft voice whispers to me.

 

 I blush hotly, looking down, averting my eyes. I laugh nervously,

 trying to relax. I’m so happy she thinks of me that way, but to hear

 her say it… "Oh, I’m no angel," I assure her quickly. "Your

 friendship’s the best gift I ever could have received."

 

 "..but.. you have to be... you're a magical soldier.. you had to be

 from the gods... and.. you're the only one that ever noticed me, and

 didn't call me a witch..." The words pour out, one after the other as

 she tries to tell me it all.

 

 "I... I'm glad you think that, Hotaru-chan. Thank you." I feel the

 blush return, my cheeks burning even more as I replay her words in my

 mind. I smile brightly at her. She’s sooooo sweet. No one’s ever said

 something like that to me before. The smile disappears after a

 moment. The only one, she said. How could the world be so cruel to

 this beautiful girl? Isn’t there more I can do for her? I want to

 make the whole world leave her alone. No, I want the whole world to

 realize how great she is. "I could never call you that. And how could

 I not notice you? You're so beautiful. And nice. And mysterious.

 And..." I trail off, finding it far too hard to think as I look into

 those endless violet orbs. That feeling… that same feeling I had the

 first time I was in her room, the feeling that left unfinished, it

 returns to me now. I don’t want to leave it this time. I want to see

 it through. But what is this feeling? 

 

 The blush on Hotaru’s cheeks darkens as she looks less certain about

 something. "Thank you.. for everything... ChibiUsachan.... I..." She

 cuts off the words at that. Please tell me, Hotaru. I want to know so

 badly. You can tell me anything, do you know that? I’d never judge

 you, never berate you. I just want to hear. I want to help. I want to

 know how you feel about me...

 

 "You’re welcome, Hotaru-chan. You deserve it, though. I really want

 to get to know you better. To be closer to you..." I sigh a little,

 unsure of myself.  I feel so confused. What do I want, exactly? To be

 her friend, right? Then why is this all so awkward? Why do I want to

 say something more? She’s so important to me, whether she knows it or

 not. I want her to be there with me, always. I want… Why does this

 have to be so hard? Why can’t I just tell her. I sigh inwardly. Tell

 her what? I don’t know, but I want to. I know that much. She makes my

 heart melt. I feel so warm inside just being with her. I want to hug

 her close, to make all her pain disappear forever.

 

 "..that's... that's what I want..." Hotaru says softly. She seems so

 nervous, everything she says as if she can barely manage to tell me.

 She blinks her long, dark lashes, blushing just a bit. 

 

 "You do?" I ask quietly, hopefully. It fills my heart with a warm

 joyous feeling to know that she want’s to get closer to me, too. I

 sit in front of her, entranced by this mysterious girl. I find myself

 wanting to lean forward and… And what? I feel all anxious inside.

 We’re both dancing around what we want to say, aren’t we? Neither of

 us knows exactly how to say it, though. And I’m still not quire sure

 what ‘it’ is. But I have a funny feeling that she does. "That's

 great, Hotaru-chan. You already mean a lot to me. You're all I can

 think about." It’s true. She’s been on my mind practically all the

 time since I’ve met her. And this mysterious girl is already so very

 important to me.

 

 "..but.. you..." She blinks those dark lashes again and shakes her

 head. I follow her gaze to the table where the chalice I’d given her

 still sits. My sign of friendship. Right? I blush when I remember

 what Momoko had said. I really did want Hotaru to have it, so I could

 show her… What would it be like if she was my girlfriend? I’d been

 thinking about it all afternoon after Momoko had said that. I’m a

 princess, I shouldn’t be thinking about such things. But I don’t

 care. "..only Himitsu knows how much you mean to me..." She turns

 back to me, looking as if there’s more she wants to say, but she

 keeps it from me, afraid. Why is she afraid of telling me? What could

 it be? But… the way she said that, do I really mean that much to her?

 

 "It makes me happy that I mean so much to you." I brush some pink

 hair from my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush. To mean so much to this

 beautiful girl, that’s wonderful.  I smile nervously at her, so much

 left unsaid between us. But what can I do? What can I say? If I

 said.... Would this mysterious girl be happy? Or would she be

 frightened?

 

 A small smile crosses the dark haired girl’s thin lips. "..as long

 as you’re happy.. I’m happy.." But her voice, there’s a sad tone

 underlying it, as if she doesn’t truly mean it, as if there’s

 something more. I want to coax it out of her, but I’m afraid she’ll

 back away again if I try.

 

 "Hotaru-chan..." I sigh as I look away from her again, confusion

 threatening to overwhelm me. Does she really know just how important

 she is? "You mean so much more to me. Since I met you, I haven’t been

 able to stop thinking about you. When I’m away, I want to see you

 again. When I’m with you.. its just perfect." 

 

 Hotaru shyly raises a hand up towards my face, but after she makes

 it halfway, she seems to realize what she’s doing and draws back,

 only making it about halfway between us. I wish she’d keep going. Why

 did she have to stop? "..it's the same... I thought it was...." She

 shakes her head slightly before continuing. "..but you're a friend of

 a million.. so it couldn't be..." But it is, Hotaru. It is.

 

 I smile softly, reassuringly at this beautiful frail girl in front

 of me. Leaning forward, I bring my hand up to her pale cheek,

 enjoying the soft feel of her skin. It feels so warm. So...

 wonderful. "But you’re special, Hotaru-chan. I feel... differently

 about you. You mean more to me than all those others," I try to

 explain, feeling as though I’m failing miserably at it.

 

 I hold my breath, waiting to see what she’ll do. She almost pulls

 back at my touch. My heart stops. No! Please, just grant me this.

 Finally, she starts to relax into it, blushing again. "..then... then

 I wasn't wrong..? ..I thought.. that I was wrong... because...." She

 stops, her soft voice choked up with emotions. I see tears beginning

 to form in her eyes as she looks at me silently. 

 

 I shake my head emphatically, trying to get rid of that notion. Of

 course she’s not wrong. How could she be? How could this shy angel

 ever be? My heart aches as I see those tears in her gorgeous violet

 eyes. "No, you weren’t wrong, Hotaru-chan. I just.. you..." I gaze

 intently at her, trying to gather up my courage for what I want to

 tell her, what I so want to say. "You’re very special to me," I

 finally get out. 

 

 The frail girl looks taken aback at my words. Its true, firefly. You

 are so special to me. How do you feel, my firefly? In a hushed,

 almost fearful whisper, I get my answer. "..I love you, ChibiUsa..."

 

 I blush deeply, her words running through my head over and over

 again. Those lovely words, spoken by this lovely girl. I feel like a

 veil’s been lifted. Everything seems clear now. I never thought about

 those words, not like this. And I’ve certainly never, ever heard them

 spoken of me. It fills me with a warm feeling to here her say that, a

 warmth I’ve never felt before. I feel so fuzzy, so giddy. I feel like

 laughing and crying and jumping for joy all at the same time. For a

 brief second I wonder what my parents would think. I’m the Princess

 of the Royal Family of Crystal Tokyo. But I shake it off. It doesn’t

 matter. I know in my heart of hearts that this is right. "I love you,

 too, Hotaru-chan." I feel like a weights been lifted from my

 shoulders. No more mincing of words, no more hiding our secrets. How

 we felt was out in the open between the two of us now. This frail

 girl... she truly means that much to me. That much and more. Gazing

 over at the raven haired girl, seeing myself reflected in her violet

 pools, before I know it I lean forward, ever so slightly at first.

 Even I don’t realize it until my lips gently brush hers. I blush

 deeper as I feel those warm soft lips against my own. It feels…

 wonderful. My first kiss… Hers too, I realize. But that just makes it

 all the more wonderful in this quiet moment.

 

 The sad, shy girl looks at me sadly, apologetically. "I’m sorry…

 I’ll only cause trouble for you..."

 

 I shake my head quickly, not wanting her to ever have to worry about

 something like that. "Even if you did cause trouble for me, I’d

 gladly take it." Over and over again, forever, just so I could be

 near her. To emphasize my point I lean forward, kissing her gently

 again. It tastes better than the best candy I’ve ever had back home

 in Crystal Tokyo, much sweeter than the best they could offer. I’d

 give anything to just stay like this.

 

 A small giggle escapes her lips, a smile gracing her delicate

 features. "..I've never even had a real friend before.. and now I

 have you... it's so wonderful, so perfect...." It means so much to me

 to be that for her, to be that and more. I never want her to have to

 suffer ever again. I don’t know if I can help it or not, but I’ll try

 my hardest to keep her happy. Forever.

 

 I find myself smiling brightly back at her, my hand still pressed

 gently against Hotaru’s cheek. I giggle softly myself, glad to see

 that smile on her face again.  "Hai, perfect. Just like you, Hotaru-

 chan. I want to be everything for you. I want you to be happy. I want

 to be able to see your smile." I look deeply at her, wishing I could

 just tell her everything here and now, but not knowing where to start.

 

 "How can I not be happy... if I’m with you..?" she says in that soft

 voice of hers that I can’t help but imagine whenever there’s silence

 around me. A faint smile appears on her lips. "It’s like... like...."

 She trails off, at a loss for words. But I know exactly what she

 means. Everything about this is perfect, magical. Its too hard to put

 into words. So why bother, when I can just be here with her?

 

 ~~~~~

 

 	Usagi stared at ChibiUsa oddly as they made their way home. The

 younger girl had been acting strangely all night and now she seemed

 to be off in her own little world, barely noticing what was happening

 around her. The blonde girl sighed inwardly. This whole thing just

 seemed to be getting more and more confusing.

 	Had ChibiUsa heard those thoughts she would wholeheartedly agreed.

 Her fingers absentmindedly went to her lips, her mind drifting back

 to her first kiss just moments before. She felt a sudden wave of

 dizziness wash over her as she relived the moment. What had happened

 back there? She swallowed nervously as she walked along. That strange

 feeling refused to leave her. She had never thought something like

 this would happen. Her mother had told her to be ready for anything

 when she came back to the past, but this was beyond anything she

 could have imagined. Falling in love had not been one of the things

 she’d thought her mother had meant. And with her… ChibiUsa’s cheeks

 started to flush and her heart beat faster as the odd feeling in her

 stomach increased in intensity. She felt like she needed to sit down

 soon, but she didn’t want Usagi’s already paranoid mind to have

 anything to work off of. 

 	The mysterious dark haired girl had quickly drawn her in. Those

 violet, pain filled eyes seemed to look deep into her soul whenever

 she gazed into them. This almost deathly pale girl had invaded her

 every thought. How could she have become so important to her? Did it

 matter? The whole idea of falling in love this way had been so

 foreign to her. The thought of falling in love with this girl was

 almost frightening to begin with. But Hotaru needed her, didn’t she?

 She wanted to do everything she could to make her happy. This whole

 thing was so new to her. But it was exhilarating, the feeling that

 encompassed her at the very thought of the raven haired girl. It

 scared her a bit, but she pushed that to the back of her mind. She

 wouldn’t let that get in her way. She couldn’t just run away from

 Hotaru. The other girl had already woven a spell deep into ChibiUsa’s

 soul. Maybe this was destiny. She had heard her mother say that so

 many times about her father. This wasn’t quite the same, but it sure

 felt like destiny had brought her to Hotaru. 

 	“What are you daydreaming about?” Usagi asked after a long moment

 of silence. “You haven’t said a word since we left Hotaru’s house.

 What’s gotten into you? All thoughtful and dreamy all of the sudden.”

 A sudden pang of worry spread through Usagi. Her suspicions about

 Hotaru began to grow. The mysterious girl very well could be part of

 The Enemy. And ChibiUsa would be completely unreasonable about things

 if she mentioned the possibility to her. So for now it was best if

 she just kept an eye on the younger girl. A silent sigh escaped her

 lips. What would the pink haired girl do without her?

 	ChibiUsa almost didn’t hear Usagi’s question at first. Shaking her

 head, she tried to clear her thoughts but found that nearly

 impossible. “I.. Nothing. I’m just thinking about… home. And my room.

 And stuff…” There. That sounded convincing enough, ChibiUsa thought

 with a satisfied smile. She did get homesick a lot, so Usagi

 shouldn’t get too suspicious over that. 

 	Usagi seemed to consider it for a moment before finally deciding to

 let it drop. ChibiUsa was acting strangely, but pushing her probably

 wouldn’t get her anywhere. She knew how stubborn the pink haired girl

 could be and she didn’t feel like arguing with her for once. There

 was too much to think about after meeting the Professor and his

 daughter. She had to see what the others thought. 

 	Glancing sidelong at Usagi, ChibiUsa contemplated saying something

 for a long moment. This woman would one day become her mother, the

 woman she held in the highest regard. Her mother meant a lot to her.

 And she dearly wished she could talk with her about what was going

 on, about Hotaru. She bit her lip thoughtfully. Opening her mouth to

 speak, nothing came out. The nervousness that overtook her was too

 strong to quell. Usagi may be her mother in the future, but now…

 Maybe this just wasn’t the time to say anything. She couldn’t bring

 herself to bring it up now as it was. Finally deciding to tell the

 blonde girl later, if ever, she turned her attention back to what

 really mattered. Hotaru.

 

 	Hotaru gazed longingly out her window. How long had she been

 sitting there? Minutes? Hours? She honestly couldn’t tell. The

 conversation she had had with the pink haired girl kept playing over

 and over again in her mind. It was too much to believe. How could

 something so wonderful happen to her? That such a sweet girl would

 actually care for her? Her? No one cared about her. Those that didn’t

 hate her or try to actively hurt her saw her as an oddity, something

 that had no real significance. But ChibiUsa was different from

 everyone else. She had looked beyond everything and had stayed. She

 hadn’t ran away or decided that Hotaru was an object of derision.

 Instead she had come again and again to her, always as her friend. A

 friend… Hotaru had never had a friend before. That alone seemed

 inconceivable. But that the pink haired girl could love her?

 Impossible. How could anyone? Yet ChibiUsa had been perfectly honest.

 She had seen that in those beautiful crimson eyes. 

 	Finally lying back on her bed, Hotaru stared up at the roof. Her

 lamps lit her dim room like fireflies in the darkness. Romantic, the

 pink haired girl had called it. She allowed herself a soft smile.

 This was her only place of escape from the pain of the world. This

 was her sanctuary. The atmosphere helped her try and forget

 everything, much as her books let her attempt escape into the life of

 another. But she was always brought back to reality, or taken from

 the safety of her room. The cold harsh pain would always come

 flooding back in after her short reprise. Her escape was always too

 short. Much too short. There had never been anything in this life

 worth returning to. Until now. There was something for her to hang on

 for now.  She had a reason to go on.

 	It had been so easy for her to fall for the pink haired girl. She

 was so sweet and caring. There was never any doubt in ChibiUsa’s mind

 that everything would turn out right in the end. Even with Hotaru.

 That outlook on life was so different from Hotaru’s own. Everything

 about her was like a bright light in Hotaru’s life, lighting up the

 darkness that threatened to engulf her. The thought that falling in

 love with the pink haired girl was wrong had briefly crossed her mind

 on several occasions, but she couldn’t help it. And what was one more

 mistake for someone like her? 

 	The fear that this would all be snatched from her as quickly as it

 had appeared to her was nearly overpowering at times. This could all

 be some sick joke by the heavens. A way to taunt her with what she

 desired with all her heart only to have it taken away. How could a

 witch like her, a freak, be granted this? If ChibiUsa knew… her body

 went numb at the thought. If ChibiUsa knew everything about her,

 would her mind change swiftly? Would she decide that everyone else

 had been right about Hotaru? 

 	The raven haired girl almost felt like crying at that. Hugging her

 pillow tightly to her chest, she wondered how this would all turn out

 in the end. Her life didn’t matter. She would let this play out the

 way it was intended. It seemed safer to keep things as friends, to

 not risk losing what little she had. But for ChibiUsa’s sake, and the

 yearning in her own heart, she would see where this took her.